L Is for Lover

L Is for Lover is a studio album by Al Jarreau, released in September 1986 on Warner Bros. Records.[2] It reached #30 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart, #9 on the Traditional Jazz Albums chart, and #17 on the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.[3][4][5]

L Is for Lover
Studio album by Al Jarreau
Released	September 8, 1986[1]
Recorded	Skyline Studios, New York, 1986
Genre	R&B, jazz, pop, soul
Length	45:01
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Nile Rodgers
Al Jarreau chronology
In London (1985) L Is for Lover (1986) Heart's Horizon (1988)

Nile Rodgers, the album's producer, called it "the best thing I ever made that didn't sell" in the July 27, 2015, issue of New York magazine. "The theme from Moonlighting was on it, but Al and I thought it wasn't cool enough. So we took it off the album. That becomes a hit, and the album sank. Shows what I know."[6] The single version of the Moonlighting theme, originally included on the show's 1987 soundtrack album, was added to Friday Music's 2011 reissue of L Is for Lover along with a remix of the album's title track and the 12-inch extended mix of "Tell Me What I Gotta Do."[7] The Rodgers-produced version of Moonlighting's theme song was used in the opening and closing credits of each episode of the show's fourth ('87-'88) and fifth ('88-'89) seasons.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[8]
Musician	(favourable)[9]

Richard S. Ginell of Allmusic gave L Is for Lover four out of five stars, calling it "a perhaps surprisingly scintillating collaboration with one of the leading dance-music producer/guitarists of the time, Nile Rodgers (late of Chic). Not only did Rodgers and Jarreau assemble some strong tunes from many sources, Rodgers took advantage of Jarreau's rhythmic capabilities, for some of the material is too deliciously complicated for any old R&B soulster to pull off." He added, "Hear the way Jarreau brilliantly threads his way through the rhythmically complex hornet's nest of 'Says' in English and French, or savor the sheer ecstatic energy of the chorus of 'Pleasure' and the rapid-fire list of cities in the title track; this is first-class pop recordmaking."[8]

J.D. Considine of Musician wrote, "It isn't simply that Rodgers reins in the singer's almost freakish virtuosity, although that helps; more to the point, the arrangements provide both focus and contrast for the singing, so that the flash bits truly excite. Best of all, from the EW&F swing of 'Golden Girl' to the Chic-style groove of the title tune, Rodgers ties the vocals so closely to the beat that it's impossible not to be captivated."[9]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Tell Me What I Gotta Do"	Jay Graydon, Mike Himelstein, Tom Keane	4:00
2.	"L Is for Lover"	David Gamson, Green Gartside	5:25
3.	"Says"	Al Jarreau, Philippe Saisse	3:51
4.	"Pleasure"	Robert Brookins, Tony Haynes	4:00
5.	"Golden Girl"	Jimmy Felber	5:50
6.	"Across the Midnight Sky"	Jay Graydon, Al Jarreau, Richard Page	5:35
7.	"(We Got) Telepathy"	Paul Bliss, Ian Prince	4:27
8.	"Give a Little More Lovin'"	Jonathan Butler, Simon May	5:12
9.	"No Ordinary Romance"	Michael Gregory	3:31
10.	"Real Tight"	Mark Mueller, Robbie Nevil, John Van Tongeren, Brock Walsh	3:10
Total length:			45:01

Personnel

• Al Jarreau – lead vocals, backing vocals (2, 7, 10), vocoder (10)
• Nile Rodgers – guitar (1-10), keyboard bass (1, 2), keyboards (2), backing vocals (2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10), vocoder (10)
• Philippe Saisse – keyboards (1-10), keyboard bass (3, 4, 7, 9), acoustic piano solo (5), Synclavier horns (10)
• Kevin Jones – Synclavier programming (1-10)
• Peter Scherer – keyboards (9, 10), keyboard bass (10)
• Hiram Bullock – guitar (4, 8), guitar solo (8)
• Anthony Jackson – bass guitar (6, 8)
• Jimmy Bralower – drums (1, 2), percussion (1, 2)
• Steve Ferrone – second hi-hat cymbal (2), drums (3-10)
• Leonard Gibbs – percussion (1, 3, 5-10)
• Mac Gollehon – brass (1)
• Robert Aaron – reeds (2)
• Tawatha Agee – backing vocals (2, 3, 6, 7, 10)
• Lisa Fischer – backing vocals (2, 7, 10)
• Diane Garisto – backing vocals (2, 7, 10)
• Terri Gonzalez – backing vocals (2, 8)
• Brenda King – backing vocals (2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10)
• Curtis King – backing vocals (2-8, 10)
• Michelle Cobbs – backing vocals (3-6, 8)
• Fonzi Thornton – backing vocals (3, 6)
• Cindy Mizelle – backing vocals (4, 5, 8)

Production

• Producer – Nile Rodgers
• Recorded and Mixed by James Farber at Skyline Studios (New York, NY).
• Second Engineer – Scott Ansell
• Additional Second Engineering – Tom Durack
• Digitally Edited by Barry Diament at Atlantic Studios (New York, NY).
• Digitally Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk (New York, NY).
• Production Managers – Kevin Jones and Budd Tunick
• Album Coordination – Shirley Klein
• Art Direction – Jeffrey Kent Ayeroff and Michael Hodgson
• Design – Michael Hodgson
• Photography – Paul Jasmin
• Styling – Maria Sarno/Dangerous Wardrobe
• Management – Patrick Raines & Associates (Los Angeles, CA).

Charts

Year	Chart	Position
1986	Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums	17[3]
	Billboard Traditional Jazz Albums	9[4]
	Billboard Top Soul Albums	30[5]
	Billboard 200	81[10]

References

1. Grein, Paul (September 6, 1986). "Multiplatinum Acts Lead Sept. Product Onslaught". Google Books. Billboard. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
2. Al Jarreau: L Is for Lover. Warner Bros. Records. 1986.
3. "Al Jarreau: L Is for Lover (Contemporary Jazz Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
4. "Al Jarreau: L Is for Lover (Traditional Jazz Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
5. "Al Jarreau: L Is for Lover (Top Soul Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
6. Marchese, David (July 26, 2015). "The Deep Hidden Meaning of Nile Rodgers". Vulture. New York Media LLC. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
7. "Al Jarreau – L Is For Lover". Discogs. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
8. S. Ginell, Richard. "Al Jarreau: L Is for Lover". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
9. Considine, J.D. (December 22, 1986). "SHORT ROCK TAKES". proquest.com. No. 98. Musician. p. 122.
10. "Al Jarreau: L Is for Lover (Billboard 200)". billboard.com. Billboard.