Straight from the Heart (Patrice Rushen album)
Straight from the Heart is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Patrice Rushen, released on April 14, 1982, by Elektra Records.[1] It features her most recognizable song, "Forget Me Nots", the oft-sampled "Remind Me" and the popular instrumental workout "Number One". Straight from the Heart scored Rushen her first two nominations at the 1983 Grammy Awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Forget Me Nots" and Best R&B Instrumental Performance for "Number One".
| Straight from the Heart | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 14, 1982 | |||
| Recorded | October 1981-February 1982 at Conway Studios (Hollywood, CA). | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:54 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Producer |
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| Patrice Rushen chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Straight from the Heart | ||||
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| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
The album is Rushen's most successful album to date, peaking inside the top 20 of the Billboard 200 chart at number 14. The success of "Forget Me Nots" is perhaps considered the major contributor to the album's popularity at the time of its release.[2]
Critical reception
In a contemporary review for The Village Voice, music critic Robert Christgau gave Straight from the Heart a "C+" and said that he prefers side one's "dancy vamp" over the songwriting on side two by Rushen, whom he called a fashionable "ingenue".[3] In a retrospective review, AllMusic's Andy Kellman gave it four and a half out of five stars and called it "an early-'80s jazz-pop-R&B synthesis as durable and pleasing as any other".[4]
In 2018, Pitchfork ranked Straight From the Heart #194 on its list of the 200 Greatest Albums of the 1980s.[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Forget Me Nots" | Patrice Rushen, Teri McFadden, Freddie Washington | 4:45 |
| 2. | "I Was Tired of Being Alone" | Angela Ehgiator, Rushen, Washington, Charles Mims Jr. | 3:52 |
| 3. | "All We Need" | Roy Galloway, Rushen | 5:54 |
| 4. | "Number One" (Instrumental) | Rushen | 4:59 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Where There Is Love" | Lynn Davis, Rushen, Washington | 3:11 |
| 6. | "Breakout!" | Rushen, Brenda Russell | 4:07 |
| 7. | "If Only" | Mims Jr., Rushen, Syreeta Wright | 3:23 |
| 8. | "Remind Me" | Karen Evans, Rushen | 5:18 |
| 9. | "(She Will) Take You Down to Love" | Fay Hauser, Rushen | 4:24 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Forget Me Nots" (12" Version) | Rushen, McFadden, Washington | 7:17 |
| 11. | "Breakout!" (12" Version) | Rushen, Russell | 5:49 |
| 12. | "Number One" (Instrumental) (12" Version) | Rushen | 6:48 |
| 13. | "Forget Me Nots" (Single Version) | Rushen, McFadden, Washington | 4:10 |
| 14. | "Breakout!" (Single Version) | Rushen, Russell | 3:38 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Patrice Rushen: lead and backing vocals, arrangements, electric piano (1, 3, 5, 7, 8), synthesizer (1, 5, 7, 8), acoustic piano (2), percussion (2, 3, 5, 8), horn arrangement (2), clavinet (3, 6), vocal arrangement (3), synthesizer arrangement (7), guitar (9)
- Charles Mims Jr.: electric piano (2), horn arrangement (2), backing vocals (6), acoustic piano (7), synthesizer (7), synthesizer arrangement (7)
- Ollie E. Brown: drums (1, 6)
- James Gadson: drums (5, 8)
- Melvin Webb: drums (2)
- Tony St. James: drums (3, 7)
- Paulinho Da Costa: percussion (9)
- Ulysses Duprée: percussion (3)
- Freddie "Ready Freddie" Washington: bass (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7)
- Paul Jackson Jr.: guitar (2, 3, 6), acoustic guitar (5)
- Wali Ali: electric guitar (5)
- Marlo Henderson: lead guitar (6), guitar solo (6)
- Gerald Albright: saxophone (1, 2)
- Ray Brown: trumpet (2)
- Clay Lawry: trombone (2), bass trombone (2)
- Roy Galloway: backing vocals (1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9), lead vocals (3), vocal arrangement (3)
- Jeanette Hawes: backing vocals (2)
- Lynn Davis: backing vocals (3, 5-8)
- Karen Evans: backing vocals (3)
- Brenda Russell: backing vocals (6)
Production
- Executive Producer: Patrice Rushen
- Produced by Patrice Rushen and Charles Mims Jr.
- Recorded by Peter Chaikin
- Additional Recording by Philip Moores
- Assistant Engineer: Greg Stout
- Re-Mixing: F. Byron Clark (Tracks 1-5, 8 & 9); Phillip Moores (Tracks 6 & 7).
- Mastering: John Golden at K-Disc Mastering (Hollywood, CA).
- Copyist: Greg Modster
- Art Direction: Ron Coro
- Design: John Barr and Ron Coro
- Photography: Bobby Holland
References
- Kellman, Andy. "Straight from the Heart - Patrice Rushen : Release Information". AllMusic. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
- http://www.allmusic.com/album/straight-from-the-heart-mw0000691216
- Christgau, Robert (July 6, 1982). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
- Kellman, Andy. "Straight from the Heart - Patrice Rushen". AllMusic. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
- "The 200 Greatest Albums of the 1980s". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
External links
- Straight from the Heart at Discogs (list of releases)