the Minneapolis Sound was alive and well. Jimmy Jam Terry Lewis Jerome Benton JellyBean Johns and the great Herb Alpert with a lil help from take Control Janet Jackson

1987 was a good year

1. Keep Your Eye on Me (Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis) 5:13

3. Diamonds (Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis) 4:53

6. Pillow (Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis) 4:32

8. Making Love in the Rain (Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis) 5:56

Tracks 1, 3, 6 and 8 Produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for Flyte Tyme Productions, Inc.; Executive Producer: John McClain;
Jimmy Jam: drum programming, keyboard programming, percussion (track 1, 3, 6 and 8), Fairlight programming (track 6), Oberheim programming (track 6); Terry Lewis: bass (track 3), percussion (track 3 and 6), background vocals (track 1, 3, 6 and 8); David Eiland: keyboard programming, sound FX sampler (track 1); Jerome Benton: background vocals (track 1); Lisa Keith: lead vocals (track 3 and 8), background vocals (track 1 and 6); Janet Jackson: lead vocals (track 3 and 8); Jellybean Johnson, James "Popeye" Greer: party vocals (track 3)

Herb Alpert (Trumpet/Vocals) John Pisano (electric guitar) Lou Pagani (piano) Nick Ceroli (drums) Pat Senatore (bass guitar) Tonni Kalash (trumpet) Bob Edmondson (trombone)

2. Hot Shot

Produced by Herb Alpert
Laytham Armor: drums, keyboards, bass programming; Michael Landau: guitar; Paulinho Da Costa: percussion; John Barnes: organ

4. Traffic Jam

Produced by Herb Alpert; Associate Producer: Les Pierce
Les Pierce: drums, keyboard programming; Michael Landau: guitar

5. Cat Man Do

Produced by Herb Alpert and Roy Bittan
Roy Bittan: keyboards; John Barnes: Yamaha DX7 keyboard; Paulinho Da Costa: percussion; Michael Landau: guitar; Jeff Porcaro: drums; Neil Stubenhaus: bass

7. Our Song

Produced by Herb Alpert
Laytham Armor: synthesized bass, synthesizer, percussion programming; John Barnes: keyboards

9. Rocket To the Moon

Produced by Herb Alpert
Laytham Armor: Michael Landau: guitar; Paul Jackson, Jr.: guitar (track 9); Paulinho Da Costa: percussion; John Barnes: keyboards, drum programming, Jeff Porcaro: drums; Neil Stubenhaus: bass

10. Stranger on the Shore

Track 10 Produced by Herb Alpert and Shelly Yakus
John Barnes: Yamaha DX7 keyboard, Fairlight programming; Steve Schaeffer: drums, percussion; Michael Landau: guitar

Keep your eye on me
Keep your eye on me

Keep your eye on me
Keep your eye on me

Boyfriend!!

Keep your eye on me
Keep your eye on me

Keep your eye on me
Keep your eye on me

Keep Your Eye On Me

Executive-Producer – John McClain

Producer – Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis

Vocals – Lisa Keith, Terry Lewis

“Keep Your Eye On Me (Extended Version)” – Herb Alpert
Herb joined forces with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (the force behind Janet Jackson’s 80’s fame and ex-Time bandmates) for the album with the same title as today’s featured song in 1987. Jam and Lewis arranged this track as well as sang and played keyboards. Two other Time alumni, Jellybean Johnson and Jerome “Bring me my hat” Benton contributed guitar and vocals also, in that order. The trumpet is all Herb. Alpert was also the “A” in A&M Records until he and the “M”, Jerry Moss, sold the company to Polygram in 1989. This song didn’t blaze up the charts but I prefer it over later Billboard smash, Diamonds, with Janet Jackson. Running time 5:53.

... Herb Alpert songwriter Bill Jamison and Janet Jackson three musical writers and one singer 1987

You tell me you love me
You tell me you care
But when I'm around you
It's like I'm not there

I need a reminder
Something you can see
Something on my finger
Shining so brightly

Don't you know
Diamonds are a
Girl's best friend
When you go, they stay
With me until the end

Don't you know
Diamonds are a girl's
Best, best friend
When you go, they stay
With me until the end

Don't want your money
Don't want your key
Diamonds
Love don't come for free

You sent me some roses
But roses do die
You gave me some candy
It melted, nice try

I'm not that demanding
I have simple taste
I just want a token
That can't go to waste
Diamonds

Don't you know
Diamonds are a
Girl's best friend
When you go, they stay
With me until the end

Don't you know
Diamonds are a girl's
Best, best friend
When you go, they stay
With me until the end

This single marked a huge comeback for Herb Alpert. Four tracks on its parent album Keep Your Eye on Me were produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who melded Alpert's sound with their own Minneapolis funk.

Diamonds

Executive-Producer – John McClain

Producer – Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis

Vocals – Janet Jackson, Lisa Keith

A bit of history with this track: The song was originally going to be done by the Human League that Jam & Lewis were producing, but they never got around to recording it. After Alpert approached Jam & Lewis about doing something with him they decided to do this song with Herb. One night while Jam & Lewis were listening to a playback of the song, Janet - who just happened to be at the Flyte Time Studios - walked in and after hearing what they were doing exclaimed "I have got to sing on this!" No one was going to say no to her, obviously.

Lisa Keith

Lisa Keith (born 1962) is an American Christian contemporary/pop singer, probably best known for her work as a backing vocalist for other artists and lead vocalist on Herb Alpert's hit single from 1987, "Making Love in the Rain".[1] In 1993 she released her solo debut album, Walkin' in the Sun on Perspective Records; which featured production from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Narada Michael Walden and Keith's husband Spencer Bernard. The first single "Better Than You" peaked at #36 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the follow-up single "I'm in Love" reached #84.

Keith was credited on several albums throughout the 1980s and 1990s. She is well known for her background vocals being featured on work by Janet Jackson, Alexander O'Neal, Karyn White, New Edition, and S.O.S. Band, plus other acts produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (as well as lead vocals on the chorus of MC Lyte's 1993 single "Ice Cream Dream"). In the late 1980s she also fronted a live Minneapolis Funk band called Rocket (whose members also included producer/session musician Shaun Labelle and drummer John "Bam Bam" Morgan).

In addition to working as a backing vocalist, Keith has also co-written several songs for other artists; such as New Edition's "Crucial" and Nona Hendryx's "Why Should I Cry".

In the music video Herb Alpert appears in "Bucky's" night club where the DJ eventually plays his new single. The song is a hit with the crowd and Herb and his band end up performing onstage. Meanwhile, Janet heads back to the club in a limo. Janet herself does not appear in the video---a look-alike is used for the limo scenes and the silhouette of Janet in the club. A child breaks through the look-alike's silhouette and performs as Janet.

1. Diamonds - Cool Summer Mix
2. Diamonds - Cool Summer Dance Mix
3. Diamonds - Cool Summer Instrumental
4. Diamonds - Cool Summer Dub Version
5. Diamonds - Cool Summer 7" Edit
6. Diamonds - Dance Mix
7. Diamonds - Instrumental
8. Diamonds - Beats Dubcappella

"Growing up in Minneapolis, watching people like Prince, we saw that all ideas are valid, and color lines are blurred," Jam says. "Rock guitar goes over funky beats, and keyboards replace horn sections. It was all of those things put together that became an incubator." -Jimmy Jam / Terry Lewis

PILLOW

Produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for Flyte Tyme Productions, Inc.; Executive Producer: John McClain;
Jimmy Jam: drum programming, keyboard programming, percussion,Fairlight programming, Oberheim programming.

Terry Lewis: percussion & background vocals

Lisa Keith: background vocals

This was a favorite album of mine back in the day. it still deserves a listen every once in a while.

kitbradley said:

I noticed several of herb's cds have been remastered and reissued on cd over the past several months. I thought this was supposed to have been one of the titles but i havent seen it yet.

You got me lookin'. Discogs says it has been remastered & reissued last year, on CD (last item listed). It's definitely one I want to search out now.

Keep Your Eye On Me was my MF'ing jam!!! Especially the album version. I was a youngin' back then so that was my introduction to Herb Alpert.

CoolMF said:

Keep Your Eye On Me was my MF'ing jam!!! Especially the album version. I was a youngin' back then so that was my introduction to Herb Alpert.

Yep. My introduction to Herb Alpert was in middle school when I played trumpet on the band and

we learned his masterpiece Rise but this album Keep Your Eye On Me was pure bliss.

One could only wonder how good the always rumored band The Secret with Lisa Keith fronting

would have been.

Herb has a new album kids.

TrivialPursuit said:

kitbradley said:

I noticed several of herb's cds have been remastered and reissued on cd over the past several months. I thought this was supposed to have been one of the titles but i havent seen it yet.

You got me lookin'. Discogs says it has been remastered & reissued last year, on CD (last item listed). It's definitely one I want to search out now.

i'd love to have this album. I have it on cassette but its still not on Itunes

You can hear this albums influence in Rhythm Nation especially with "Pillow" and "Our Song" for "Someday Is Tonight"..with Herb Alpert also playing on.

paisleypark4 said:

i'd love to have this album. I have it on cassette but its still not on Itunes

You can hear this albums influence in Rhythm Nation especially with "Pillow" and "Our Song" for "Someday Is Tonight"..with Herb Alpert also playing on.

It's on Amazon.com. I can hear a lot of Jam & Lewis's late 80s approach to production. Still good, though.

Jacksons Number Ones - Page 38 - Google Books Result

Six Days in January: A Novel - Page 65 - Google Books Result

TrivialPursuit said:

This was a favorite album of mine back in the day. it still deserves a listen every once in a while.

Some great music huh? The sounds painted a great scene for life back in 87