Straight from the Heart (Peabo Bryson album)

Straight from the Heart is the tenth full-length album by R&B/soul singer-songwriter Peabo Bryson. It was released in 1984 on Elektra Records, his first of four discs for the label. The album peaked at #44 on the US Billboard 200, and featured three singles: his first top ten pop hit "If Ever You're in My Arms Again" (also #6 R&B, and #1 Adult contemporary), "Slow Dancin'" (#82 pop, #35 R&B), and "Learning the Ways of Love", which failed to chart. Bryson himself co-produced the record, as well as writing five of the eight songs himself and playing keyboards throughout the album.

Straight from the Heart
Studio album by Peabo Bryson
Released	May 15, 1984
Genre	R&B, soul
Length	35:05
Label	Elektra
Producer	Peabo Bryson, Richard Feldman, Rick Kelly, Michael Masser
Peabo Bryson chronology
Don't Play with Fire (1982) Straight from the Heart (1984) Take No Prisoners (1985)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link

Track listing

1. "Slow Dancin'" (Peabo Bryson) - 3:55
2. "If Ever You're in My Arms Again" (Michael Masser, Cynthia Weil, Tom Snow) - 4:14
3. "Straight from the Heart" (Bryson) - 4:35
4. "There's No Getting Over You (La Theme De Sharon)" (Bryson) - 4:02
5. "I Get Nervous" (Richard Feldman, Larry John McNally, Rick Kelly) - 4:10
6. "Learning the Ways of Love" (Gerry Goffin, Masser) - 3:12
7. "Real Deal" (Bryson) - 4:32
8. "Love Means Forever" (Bryson) - 4:21

Personnel

• Peabo Bryson – lead vocals, Memorymoog (1, 3, 7, 8), percussion solo (1), rhythm arrangements (1), backing vocals (3, 7), arrangements (3, 4, 7, 8), Yamaha DX7 (4, 7)
• Myra Walker – acoustic piano (1, 3, 7, 8), Fender Rhodes (1, 7, 8), Oberheim OB-X (3), backing vocals (3, 7), Yamaha DX7 (4)
• Mark Parrish – Memorymoog (1, 8), Prophet-5 (7)
• Trammell Starks – Memorymoog (1, 3, 4, 7, 8), Yamaha DX7 (4, 7)
• Randy Kerber – acoustic piano (2, 6), Yamaha DX7 (2, 6)
• Rick Kelly – keyboards (5)
• John Hauser – electric guitar (1, 3)
• Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar (2, 6)
• Richard Horton – electric guitar (3, 7), acoustic guitar (8)
• Richard Feldman – guitar (5)
• Dwight W. Watkins – bass guitar (1, 3, 8), Oberheim OB-X (3), backing vocals (3), flugelhorn (8)
• Neil Stubenhaus – bass guitar (2, 6)
• Louis Johnson – bass guitar (5)
• Andre Robinson – Simmons drums (1, 3, 7, 8)
• Carlos Vega – drums (2, 6)
• John Robinson – drums (5)
• Charles Bryson – percussion (1)
• Michael Fisher – percussion (5)
• Ron Dover – tenor saxophone (3, 8), soprano saxophone (8), flute (8)
• James Bowling – flute (8)
• Michael Masser – rhythm track arrangements (2, 6)
• Gene Page – rhythm track arrangements (2, 6)
• Lee Holdridge – string arrangements and conductor (2, 6)
• Richard Marx – backing vocals (2, 6)
• Deborah Thomas – backing vocals (2, 6)
• Lynn Davis – backing vocals (5)
• Josie James – backing vocals (5)
• Marcy Levy – backing vocals (5)
• Samuel T. Dukes – backing vocals (7)

Production

• Producers – Peabo Bryson (Tracks 1, 3, 4, 7 & 8); Michael Masser (Tracks 2 & 6); Richard Feldman and Rick Kelly (Track 5).
• Assistant Producer – Dwight Watkins
• Engineers – Russ Fowler (Tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 & 8); Michael Mancini and Bill Schnee (Tracks 2 & 6); Richard Feldman and Rick Kelly (Track 5).
• Assistant Engineer on Tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 & 8 – Don M. Radick
• Mixing – Peabo Bryson, Russ Fowler and Dwight Watkins (Tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 & 8).
• Recorded and Mixed at Cheshire Studio (Atlanta, GA).
• Track 5 recorded at Orca Studios (Encino, CA).
• Rhythm Tracks and Vocals on Tracks 2 & 6 recorded at Devonshire Sound Studios (Burbank, CA).
• Strings recorded at Evergreen Studios (Burbank, CA).
• Mixed at Bill Schnee Studios (Los Angeles, CA).
• Mastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab (Los Angeles, CA).
• Art Direction – HSU
• Photography – Beverly Parker

In popular culture

The song "If Ever You're in My Arms Again" was utilized as a love theme for Joe Perkins and Kelly Capwell on the American daytime drama Santa Barbara.[1][2]

References

1. "Santa Barbara". www.cybercom.net.
2. Roos, Henrietta. Soap Opera Super Couples: The Great Romances of Daytime Drama. Jefferson: McFarland, 2017. Amazon Kindle. 15 Dec. 2016.

• Peabo Bryson, "Straight From The Heart" CD Liner Notes. Elektra Records, 1984