Shango said:

Allen A. Jones (Bar-Kays, Chocolate Milk, Ebonee Webb, Kwick)

James Anthony Carmichael (Atlantic Starr, Lionel Richie)

Jay Graydon (Al Jarreau, Dionne Warwick)

Lamont Dozier (Future Flight, Zingara)

Robert Brookins (Bobby Brown)

Lionel Job (Starpoint)

Jellybean Benitez

I didn't know Lamont Dozier was still producing in the 80s?

duccichucka said:

Why in the hell is Andre Cymone being mentioned as a top producer

from the 80s?

Someone please qualify how his 80s work is comparable to Babyface,

Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Teddy Riley and Quincy Jones?

Let that shit go. It'll eat at your soul.

Full Force.

Shango said:

Although Andre's not in the top league, he did aight

While Cymone wrote and produced four songs for Evelyn “Champagne” King's 1983 album Face to Face (including the Top 30 R&B single “Teenager”) and was the driving force behind the 1984 Columbia-released album Girl Talk by female trio the Girls, he didn’t focus on outside work until after the release of A.C. Cymone worked briefly with Pebbles (“Love/Hate”), James Ingram (“Better Way”), Jermaine Stewart (Say It Again), Phil Thornalley (“Love Me Like a Rock”), Pretty Poison (the Top Ten Hot 100 single “Catch Me I’m Falling”), Adam Ant (Manners & Physique), and Tom Jones (The Lead and How to Swing It). His most lasting success came with Jody Watley, to whom he was married for several years. The two collaborated extensively, from Watley’s 1987 full-length solo debut through 1993’s Intimacy -- a partnership that yielded the number one R&B singles “Looking for a New Love” and “Real Love,” as well as the Top Five hits “Still a Thrill,” “Some Kind of Lover,” “Friends,” and “I Want You.”

André Cymone | AllMusic

That debut Jody Watley album is AMAZING, and so were following singles after that era. She really doesn't get her due though I know she's still around.

PDogz said:

I remember when Kashif came out with that first album in 1983, I was CERTAIN he was gonna be the next Prince (...and Purple Rain hadn't even come out yet). I haven't followed Kashif in a while (...actually, not since back then), but I always thought he was very talented.

His first album is a CLAASIC I love the "Kashif sound" that we heard on so many R&B songs in the 80s ("So Fine" by Howard Johnson,for example).

Musicslave said:

Kind of sad now that only a handful of the same producers are getting work. Which is why everything sounds the same. Back in the day, you had many sounds out there being produced by different producers and they all were hot.

So true imagine being an R&B artist in the 80s and having your pick of who to work with:

Quincy Jones

LA and Babyface (late 80s)

Jam and Lewis

Narada Michael Walden

Gamble and Huff (they were still relevent in the early 80s)

Luther Vandross

Kashif (he did wonders for the careers of Melba Moore and Evelyn Champagne King)

Andre Cymone

Nowadays,at any given time,there is only two or three "hot shot" producers and everyone works with them,resulting in alot of music that sounds alike.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

Shango said:) Lamont Dozier (Future Flight, Zingara)

I didn't know Lamont Dozier was still producing in the 80s?

Yeah, he also recorded about 3 solo-albums in the early 80s. I didn't follow his activities after that.

Those 2 mentioned projects above are worth checking. Available as import cds or as downloads.

[Edited 1/31/12 5:02am]

Why is everyone ignoring the elephant sitting in the living room? Rick James had a very decent decade in the 80's as a producer as well. People, please give credit where credit is due. Teena Marie, The Mary Jane Girls, Val Young ... he even gave Eddie Murphy a funky ass track to fuck up with his nasal voice.

dseann said:

Why is everyone ignoring the elephant sitting in the living room? Rick James had a very decent decade in the 80's as a producer as well. People, please give credit where credit is due. Teena Marie, The Mary Jane Girls, Val Young ... he even gave Eddie Murphy a funky ass track to fuck up with his nasal voice.

You're right I can't believe I forgot about him.The two Mary Jane Girls albums are excellent,as is the Val Young album.

dseann said:

Why is everyone ignoring the elephant sitting in the living room? Rick James had a very decent decade in the 80's as a producer as well. People, please give credit where credit is due. Teena Marie, The Mary Jane Girls, Val Young ... he even gave Eddie Murphy a funky ass track to fuck up with his nasal voice.

SoulAlive said:

Musicslave said:

Kind of sad now that only a handful of the same producers are getting work. Which is why everything sounds the same. Back in the day, you had many sounds out there being produced by different producers and they all were hot.

So true imagine being an R&B artist in the 80s and having your pick of who to work with:

Quincy Jones

LA and Babyface (late 80s)

Jam and Lewis

Narada Michael Walden

Gamble and Huff (they were still relevent in the early 80s)

Luther Vandross

Kashif (he did wonders for the careers of Melba Moore and Evelyn Champagne King)

Andre Cymone

Nowadays,at any given time,there is only two or three "hot shot" producers and everyone works with them,resulting in alot of music that sounds alike.

We'll never get back to such an array of talented producers as long as we (the people in general) keep buying and requesting the same recycled garbage in commercial radio.

true

Can't forget about James Mtume and Reggie Lucas.They produced Stephanie Mills,Phyllis Hyman and others.

Shango said:

Although Andre's not in the top league, he did aight

While Cymone wrote and produced four songs for Evelyn “Champagne” King's 1983 album Face to Face (including the Top 30 R&B single “Teenager”) and was the driving force behind the 1984 Columbia-released album Girl Talk by female trio the Girls, he didn’t focus on outside work until after the release of A.C. Cymone worked briefly with Pebbles (“Love/Hate”), James Ingram (“Better Way”), Jermaine Stewart (Say It Again), Phil Thornalley (“Love Me Like a Rock”), Pretty Poison (the Top Ten Hot 100 single “Catch Me I’m Falling”), Adam Ant (Manners & Physique), and Tom Jones (The Lead and How to Swing It). His most lasting success came with Jody Watley, to whom he was married for several years. The two collaborated extensively, from Watley’s 1987 full-length solo debut through 1993’s Intimacy -- a partnership that yielded the number one R&B singles “Looking for a New Love” and “Real Love,” as well as the Top Five hits “Still a Thrill,” “Some Kind of Lover,” “Friends,” and “I Want You.”

André Cymone | AllMusic

Thanks for the information, Shango.

That's a decent resume he's got there. But you're right: when

compared to other 80s R&B stalwarts, he manages to just be aight.

wow,I never knew that Andre produced "Catch Me I'm Falling" by Pretty Poison.

SoulAlive said:

wow,I never knew that Andre produced "Catch Me I'm Falling" by Pretty Poison.

He didn't. He produced other tracks on the Catch Me I'm Falling album. I used to own it. I remember an interview with Jade Starling at the time where she said Andre brought Prince into the studio once and she sang for him.

sextonseven said:

SoulAlive said:

wow,I never knew that Andre produced "Catch Me I'm Falling" by Pretty Poison.

He didn't. He produced other tracks on the Catch Me I'm Falling album. I used to own it. I remember an interview with Jade Starling at the time where she said Andre brought Prince into the studio once and she sang for him.

thanks for the info

Shango said:

such as BB&Q's "Hanging Out" with an overpowering intro of instrumentation, and the Chic-ish chants thrown in the mix next.

Been trying to remember the band with a a song titled "Starlight" from early 80s. Don't think it's them.

Does anyone know of a song that has a chorus "Shine your light on me" or "You are my sunshine"..which was a was duet?!

[Edited 1/31/12 17:04pm]

OzlemUcucu said:

Shango said:

such as BB&Q's "Hanging Out" with an overpowering intro of instrumentation, and the Chic-ish chants thrown in the mix next.

Been trying to remember the band with a a song titled "Starlight" from early 80s. Don't think it's them.

Does anyone know of a song that has a chorus "Shine your light on me" or "You are my sunshine"..which was a was duet?!

BB&Q Band had "Starlette" and i indeed typed an error in an earlier post lol ("Starlight")

"Shine Your Light On Me" ... maybe The Graingers?

Mtume recorded "You Are My Sunshine"

Shango said:

OzlemUcucu said:

Been trying to remember the band with a a song titled "Starlight" from early 80s. Don't think it's them.

Does anyone know of a song that has a chorus "Shine your light on me" or "You are my sunshine"..which was a was duet?!

BB&Q Band had "Starlette" and i indeed typed an error in an earlier post lol ("Starlight")

"Shine Your Light On Me" ... maybe The Graingers?

Mtume recorded "You Are My Sunshine"

Hey, thanks I think I meant Mtune! How stupid of me to have forgotton this. Now, I am trying to find out the other one that has the chorus "Slow down, slow down on me", damn that is another badass song, but it is not Mtune!

Any ideas? LOL

"Slow Down" by Loose Ends (1986)?

slow down....cause I can't take the heat....slow down

duccichucka said:

Thanks for the information, Shango.

That's a decent resume he's got there. But you're right: when

compared to other 80s R&B stalwarts, he manages to just be aight.

You're welcome

OzlemUcucu said:

Hey, thanks I think I meant Mtune! How stupid of me to have forgotton this. Now, I am trying to find out the other one that has the chorus "Slow down, slow down on me", damn that is another badass song, but it is not Mtune!

Any ideas? LOL

You're welcome and yeah, SoulAlive's "Slow down"-guess is a good one.

Somehow there's another track with those same lines which i can't pinpoint right now lol.

Yeah, I think at some stage I gotta put those damn tapes from early 80s on utube, and get people to tell me what those songs are, cause the quality sucks and I can't get nu tune, if i don't even know what those bands were or are...whatever, thanks and I think we should have a sticky for R&B music, I need that from time to time for my soul.

Top R&B producers from the 80s,definitely a favorite subject for me maybe it shows lol.

Here we go.

Ray Parker Jr. ( Brick,Cheryl Lynn,Randy Hall (need that one on cd)and Diana Ross)

Robert Wright (Plesure,Glenn Jones,Fonzi,Jones Girls ....... )

Donald Burnside (Yvonne Gage,First Love,Superior Movement............ )

Thom Bell (Lou Rawls,Niecy,Phyllis Hyman,Temps............)

Leo Graham (Manhattans,Tyrone Davis,Leon Bryant,Champaign ......)

Lester&Brown ( Waldo,Khemistry,Sharon Redd, Bobby T ,Evelyn.............

Alan Abrahams ( Mystic Merlin,Charles Veal,Tavares,Beau Williams..........)

Chuck Jackson ( Donna Washington,Aretha,Phyllis,Ren Woods,Michael Henderson,Stanley Turrentine....)

Bobby Martin ( LTD and Rockie Robbins)

Michael Stokes (++ Sherrick and Booker T Jones )

Butch Ingram ( Barbara Mason,Ronnie Dyson,Brandi Wells,Ingram,Blue Magic.........)

Bob Carter (Central Line,Junior.........)

Webster Lewis (Gwen McCrae,LUO,Michael Wycoff........

Michael J Powell (Anita,Chapter 8, Perri,Peabo,Body................................)

Norman Connors ( Starship,Phyllis,Jean Carn,Al Johnson,Adritha `80 unreleased lp)

Nick Martinelli ( Phyllis,Miki,Regina,Loose Ends,Teddy,FLB,Peggi Blu,Ian Foster..................

Barry Eastmond ( Butler,Freddie,Eric,Anita,Billy.......................)

Carl Davis & Eugene Record (Impression,Gene Chandler,Robin Angel,Chi-Lites..............

Banks&Brooks (Randy Brown,Shirley Brown,J Blackfoot ...................... )

Patrick Moten ( Bobby,Johnnie Taylor,Anita,Rosie Gaines................. )

Mcfadden&Whitehead (Melba,Gloria,Beau.......................)

Freddie Perren ( Atkins,Spinners,Peaches&Herb,Johnny Gill........................)

Don Davis (Dramatics,David Ruffin,Enchantment,Johnnie Taylor....................)

Reid&Anderson (Trilark,Crownheightsaffair,Enchantment..............)

Bobby Eli (Wax,Jackie Moore,Ronnie Dyson............)

And some more who did great productions in the 80`s McKinley Jackson,Nick Johnson,Tom Tom 84,Dexter Wanse&Cynthia Biggs,Skip Scarborough................................................

^ Fabtastic list windjammer!

Lot of great reminders and cats which i overlooked. I can only imagine how your music collection looks like lol.

OzlemUcucu said:

Yeah, I think at some stage I gotta put those damn tapes from early 80s on utube, and get people to tell me what those songs are, cause the quality sucks and I can't get nu tune, if i don't even know what those bands were or are...whatever, thanks and I think we should have a sticky for R&B music, I need that from time to time for my soul.

Your'e welcome

Still couldn't find that other "Slow Down" track though

Shango said:

^ Fabtastic list windjammer!

Lot of great reminders and cats which i overlooked. I can only imagine how your music collection looks like lol.

Thanks for that Shango.80s soul always a favorite period for me with many solid lps imvho.

The music collection is just fine but no more vinyl for me cds is definitely my thing and has been so for many years.Still around 1000 lps left and to many cds to count.

windjammer said:

Shango said:

^ Fabtastic list windjammer!

Lot of great reminders and cats which i overlooked. I can only imagine how your music collection looks like lol.

Thanks for that Shango.80s soul always a favorite period for me with many solid lps imvho.

The music collection is just fine but no more vinyl for me cds is definitely my thing and has been so for many years.Still around 1000 lps left and to many cds to count.

You're welcome! Yeah, there's currently a good flow of classic albums on cd with all the reissues popping up.

Shango said:

OzlemUcucu said:

Hey, thanks I think I meant Mtune! How stupid of me to have forgotton this. Now, I am trying to find out the other one that has the chorus "Slow down, slow down on me", damn that is another badass song, but it is not Mtune!

Any ideas? LOL

You're welcome and yeah, SoulAlive's "Slow down"-guess is a good one.

Somehow there's another track with those same lines which i can't pinpoint right now lol.

Did we ever find out what song it is? I'll keep looking for it