Let's Hear It for the Boy is the eighth studio album by American recording artist Deniece Williams, released on April 16, 1984, by Columbia Records.[1] The album reached No. 26 on the US Billboard 200 and No. 10 on the US Billboard Top R&B Albums charts.[2][3]
| Let's Hear It for the Boy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 16, 1984 | |||
| Recorded | 1983–1984 | |||
| Studio | The Complex (Los Angeles, California); LeGonks West (West Hollywood, California); Soundcastle (Los Angeles, California). | |||
| Genre | R&B, soul, funk, dance, post-disco | |||
| Length | 40:53 | |||
| Label | Columbia, CBS | |||
| Producer | Deniece Williams, George Duke | |||
| Deniece Williams chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Let's Hear It for the Boy | ||||
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Production
editWilliams produced six of the album's tracks while George Duke produced the remaining four.[4] The production of the album was completed in early May 1984 before the album was released a few weeks later.[5]
Singles
editThe album's title track reached No. 1 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Soul Singles, and Dance Club Play charts.[6][7][8] On the UK Pop Singles chart, it peaked at No. 2.[9] The song was written for the 1984 feature film Footloose and appears on its soundtrack. It was certified Platinum by the RIAA.
Other tracks from the album released as singles include, "Next Love", which reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart,[10] and "Black Butterfly", which reached No. 22 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart.[11]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Baltimore Sun |   [12] |
| The Boston Globe | unrated[13] |
| New York Daily News | unrated[14] |
Chris Albertson of Stereo Review noted, "Williams not only has a fine voice, she also knows exactly how to use it-when to let it loose and when not to. There is no screaming here, just fine vocalizing and first-rate arrangements".[15] Connie Johnson of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "Williams' sound may be light, but it always has a proficient and artful base."[16]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Let's Hear It for the Boy" | George Duke | 4:20 | |
| 2. | "I Want You" |
| Williams | 2:50 |
| 3. | "Picking Up the Pieces" |
| Williams | 4:40 |
| 4. | "Black Butterfly" | Duke | 4:25 | |
| 5. | "Next Love" |
| Duke | 4:23 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Haunting Me" |
| Duke | 4:57 |
| 2. | "Don't Tell Me We Have Nothing" |
| Williams | 4:00 |
| 3. | "Blind Dating" |
| Williams | 3:39 |
| 4. | "Wrapped Up" |
| Williams | 3:39 |
| 5. | "Whiter Than Snow" | Traditional | Williams | 3:44 |
Personnel
editVocals
- Deniece Williams – lead vocals, backing vocals (1, 3, 6–10), arrangements (2)
- George Merrill – backing vocals (1, 3, 5–9)
- Shannon Rubicam – backing vocals (1, 3, 5–9)
- Oren Waters – backing vocals (3, 9)
- Roosevelt Christmas III – backing vocals (5, 6)
Musicians
- George Duke – Memorymoog (1, 5), Prophet-5 (1, 4), Moog bass (1), LinnDrum programming (1, 6), keyboards (2), Rhodes (5), synthesizers (6), vocoder (6), special effects (6)
- Leon Pendarvis – synthesizers (3, 8, 9), arrangements (3, 7–9)
- Kevin Grady – synthesizers (3, 8, 9)
- Russell Ferrante – acoustic piano (3, 4, 8, 9), Rhodes (4)
- George Merrill – Roland Jupiter 8 (6), LinnDrum programming (6), arrangements (6)
- Jerry Peters – organ (10), arrangements (10)
- Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars (1, 3, 5, 7–9)
- Jeff Baxter – guitars (3, 7–9)
- Michael Sembello – guitars (4, 6)
- Nathan East – bass (3, 4, 7–9)
- Freddie Washington – bass (5)
- Ricky Lawson – drums (3–5, 7, 8)
- Ricky Nelson – drums (9)
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion (1, 3)
- Sheila E. – percussion (5)
- John Robinson – tom toms (6)
- Ronnie Laws – tenor saxophone (2)
- Richard Elliot – lyricon (4)
- Hubert Laws – flute (5)
- George Del Barrio – string arrangements (2)
Production
- Larkin Arnold – executive producer
- George Duke – producer (1, 4–6)
- Deniece Williams – producer (2, 3, 7–10)
- Tommy Vicari – remix engineer (1), recording engineer (4–6)
- Tom Perry – engineer (2, 3, 7–10)
- Mick Guzauski – recording engineer (4–6)
- Nick Spigel – second engineer (4–6)
- Mitch Gibson – second string engineer (4)
- Bernie Grundman – mastering at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, California)
- Constance Guzman – production assistant
- Tony Lane – art direction
- Nancy Donald – art direction
- Margaret MacFarlane – photography
- Bridget Bergman – make-up
- D.W. Enterprises – management
Chart performance
edit| Year | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | US Billboard Top 200 Albums[2] | 26 |
| US Billboard Top Black Albums[3] | 10 | |
| Dutch Albums[17] | 17 | |
| German Albums | 59 |
References
edit- ^ Deniece Williams: Let's Hear It For The Boy. Columbia Records. 1984.
- ^ a b "Deniece Williams: Let's Hear It for the Boy (Top R&B Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ a b "Deniece Williams: Let's Hear It for the Boy (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
- ^ Matthews, Carl (June 2, 1984). "Sounds: Deniece Williams". The Afro-American. Baltimore. p. 11. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- ^ "Rolling Stones plan to do video, concert in L.A. during Olympics". The Ledger. May 3, 1984. p. 2A. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- ^ "Deniece Williams: Let's Hear It for the Boy (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Deniece Williams: Let's Hear It for the Boy (Hot Soul Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Deniece Williams: Let's Hear It for the Boy (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Deniece Williams: Let's Hear It for the Boy". Official Charts.
- ^ "Deniece Williams: Next Love (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Deniece Williams: Black Butterfly (Hot Soul Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ Considine, J.D. (June 10, 1984). "Soundtracks show how well hip-hop music will prosper in the mainstream". The Baltimore Sun. p. 121.
- ^ Morse, Steve (May 28, 1984). "Deniece Williams: Let's Hear It for the Boy". The Boston Globe. p. 100.
- ^ Wyatt, Hugh (June 22, 1984). Tracing the origins of black music. New York Daily News. p. 140.
- ^ Albertson, Chris (September 1984). "Deniece Williams: Let's Hear It For The Boy" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Vol. 49, no. 9. Stereo Review. p. 97.
- ^ Johnson, Connie (June 10, 1984). "THE RECORD RACK: STYLISH FLUFF FROM DENIECE". Los Angeles Times. p. 74.
- ^ "Deniece Williams: Let's Hear It for the Boy". dutchcharts.nl. Dutch Charts.