Stymie said:

SoulAlive said:

I liked "Love Always",but the other solo El Debarge singles weren't that good,imo.I think he just needed the right producer.Quincy Jones would have been the ideal producer for El.

El's album with Babyface was awesome. Wrong promotion though.

I barely remember that album. I only remember Slide off that album right

off hand and if I'm not mistaken Jermaine Dupri produced that song.

phunkdaddy said:

Larry Blackmon

Levi Stubbs

Roland Gift? Fine Young Cannibals were pretty big..... why did they split up.

Debbie Harry?

[Edited 10/13/14 4:06am]

MickyDolenz said:

TD3 said:

Part of El's problem was drugs and the record compaines didn't manage his career or talent.

He couldn't have done any more than Eric Clapton, The Eagles, Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, etc.

I'm a huge fan of both El's and EC's (so I can directly compare these two) and I can tell you that the major diff between those two (other than he ehem obvious ) was management and connections. For starters, during much of Eric's worst drug period, his manager was Robert Stigwood himself and later on Roger Forrester exclusively. This matters a great deal when you consider Eric was signed to RSO Records from around 1970-1984 or so. Pete Townshend got Eric his Warner's deal around '84, so.....

El had nothing like this sort of backing/support, but if he had he may have been able to go on like Eric did despite his drug habit. The comparions of these two men/careers DEF show that it ain't all about talent but who you know and how far people are willing to invest in you.

MickyDolenz said:

TD3 said:

Part of El's problem was drugs and the record compaines didn't manage his career or talent.

He couldn't have done any more than Eric Clapton, The Eagles, Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, etc.

Its not how much drugs El did comparted to those guys...

Its a question if El could function (work) and continue to get high, he couldn't. A functioning addict he wasn't...

Warner records was a BAD fit. His first solo ablum (Gordy records), why others were brought in to write and produce El's music is beyone me. ? Why?

Dancelot said:

Larry Blackmon

Levi Stubbs

Don't recall these two ever going solo

TeeeeHaaaaHoooo said:

PurpleJedi said:

Belinda Carlyle (the Go-Go's)?

She had, what?, 1 maybe 2 hits on her own.

Worldwide...twenty Top 40 singles. Seventeen of those were Top 20; ten Top 10, five Top 5, two #1's.

Seriously?! I had no idea.

I only remember "Mad About You" & that "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" song that gives me diarrhea.

HuMpThAnG said:

Dancelot said:

Larry Blackmon

Levi Stubbs

Don't recall these two ever going solo

oh they didn't. hence they also didn't make it

okay, sorry, I misunderstood your thread then (non-native speaker here), you mean only those who tried AND failed



Levi Stubbs however did some solo stuff on the Little Shop Of Horrors soundtrack, if that counts

[Edited 10/13/14 5:45am]

ah, I almost forgot this one

[Edited 10/13/14 5:48am]

Dancelot said:

HuMpThAnG said:

TD3 said:

MickyDolenz said:

He couldn't have done any more than Eric Clapton, The Eagles, Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, etc.

Its not how much drugs El did comparted to those guys...

Its a question if El could function (work) and continue to get high, he couldn't. A functioning addict he wasn't...

Warner records was a BAD fit. His first solo ablum (Gordy records), why others were brought in to write and produce El's music is beyone me. ? Why?

You're right...things affect folks diferently. El DEF shut down as his addiction got deeper, but that was more in the mid 90s onwards rather than in the early years. EC certainly functioned better than El when both were at the depth of their respective addictions, but having a strong career support system and a less conservative audience/fanbase made a big diff too. Truth be told, much of EC's audience was as tanked as he was back then, so...

Motown wanted El to be crossover when at heart he's a pure RnB guy. IMHO, this is why they took production out of his hands. This trend started w/ RotN and cotinued w/ "El DeBarge" and even thru "Gemini"...yet they didn't want to spend the money to get true blue crossover success. Basically they tried to make El what he wasn't and were too cheap/inept to reach a broader market. In general the DeBarges were mishandled at Motown from jump, IMHO. A causal look at their album covers thru their Motown years show that Motown couldn't even decide on an image for them and couldn't decide on how to market them. El's solo years there suffered from this AND the sell of Motown in 1988.

Warner's had no earthly clue on how to deal w/ him as a maturing RnB act....his work there was excellent (ie "In The Storm" and "Heart, Mind, Soul") but he was there during the years when Prince wrote "slave" on his face, so....

phunkdaddy said:

Dancelot said:

ah, I almost forgot this one

[Edited 10/13/14 5:48am]

Pretty solid album. Aww I'm your sugah.

indeed. out of curiosity i just rechecked how much this currently costs on CD, and Amazon Germany has it for freaking 345 Euro (=436 USD)!! someone's fucking insane.

so the vinly has to be enough for the time being

Dancelot said:

ah, I almost forgot this one

[Edited 10/13/14 5:48am]

I can't believe I've never heard this.....................

Graycap23 said:

Dancelot said:

ah, I almost forgot this one

[Edited 10/13/14 5:48am]

I can't believe I've never heard this.....................

sadly this didn't make any impact chartwise. I think the vinyl is still out there to find for a reasonable price 2nd hand. luckily back then I bought anything remotley connected to the Troutman camp, and lets face it, this was essentially a Zapp album with Sugarfoot as a frontman

Dancelot said:

Graycap23 said:

I can't believe I've never heard this.....................

sadly this didn't make any impact chartwise. I think the vinyl is still out there to find for a reasonable price 2nd hand. luckily back then I bought anything remotley connected to the Troutman camp, and lets face it, this was essentially a Zapp album with Sugarfoot as a frontman

I need 2 at least hear. I'm on the hunt.

Graycap23 said:

Dancelot said:

sadly this didn't make any impact chartwise. I think the vinyl is still out there to find for a reasonable price 2nd hand. luckily back then I bought anything remotley connected to the Troutman camp, and lets face it, this was essentially a Zapp album with Sugarfoot as a frontman

I need 2 at least hear. I'm on the hunt.

Some of the songs should be on Youtube. I know Kiss and I'm Your Sugar was on there awhile

back. They also redid Fire calling it Fire 85.

Gerald Alston (The Manhattans)

phunkdaddy said:

Graycap23 said:

I need 2 at least hear. I'm on the hunt.

Some of the songs should be on Youtube. I know Kiss and I'm Your Sugar was on there awhile

back. They also redid Fire calling it Fire 85.

Yes sir.......

Graycap23 said:

phunkdaddy said:

Some of the songs should be on Youtube. I know Kiss and I'm Your Sugar was on there awhile

back. They also redid Fire calling it Fire 85.

Yes sir.......

yeah, i think i had that album or cassette, back then, when it first came out

Dwayne Wiggins

[Edited 10/13/14 10:27am]

Sharon Bryant of Atlantic Starr

Barbara Weathers of Atlantic Starr

Rene Moore of Rene & Angela

ok...how about Sam Moore?

TeeeeHaaaaHoooo said:

Stymie said:

phunkdaddy said:

I barely remember that album. I only remember Slide off that album right

off hand and if I'm not mistaken Jermaine Dupri produced that song.

It had Where Is My Love and Heart Mind and Soul on it. Great songs.

I still love his In The Storm album produced with Maurice White. It was concept album, and it was the first time- I believe- we heard Chante Moore on "You Know What I Like" and "Love Me Tonight".

Plus, it had his version of "After The Dance" with Fourplay and "Tip O' My Tongue"- written by Prince.

I still listen to this cd!

I do like the follow up- Heart, Mind & Soul, produced by Babyface. But to me he did his thing with In The Storm.

Oh!!! Dru Hill's Sisqo

Sisqo: 5X platinum debut album, platinum sophomore album, 3 Top 40 singles.