Born in Sneads Ferry, North Carolina, O'Bryan McCoy Burnette II was playing the piano at 6 years old and then began singing in the church and at local talent shows.
In 1974, he and his family moved to Santa Ana, California. O’Bryan was singing in the Second Baptist Church young adult choir when his friend Melanee Kersey approached him about considering a career in music. Melanee Kersey introduced the young singer to her husband, producer Ron Kersey.
A former keyboardist for The Trammps and a veteran of the ’70s Philadelphia music scene, Kersey invited O’Bryan to join a group he was putting together.
That group quickly folded, so Kersey later introduced O’Bryan to "Soul Train" television show creator and host Don Cornelius, with whom Kersey formed Friendship Producers Company. Cornelius took the young artist to Capitol Records, where O’Bryan released four albums that charted on the Billboard R&B charts.
The first album, Doin' Alright was released in April 1982 and peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart.
1. Right From The Start - four and a half minute jam of blasting horns and dominating basslines and OB's vocal styles that were a reminicent to Michael Jackson's during his Off The Wall days.
2. Love Has Found Its Way - the most overlooked song that had Stevie Wonder in mind, yet the 20 year old singer really made it his own and sang the lyrics like he meant it. It should have been a single in my honest opinion.
3. Gigolo - O'Bryan's first single and very risky production due to the New Wave/rock elements blended in with soul. This song was considered a bit controversal in part due to the lyrics and also in part that radio listeners thought that he was going to be a "Prince" rip off." Considering that the song lyrically and instrumentally sounded like Prince's early songs, O'Bryan is a multi-instrumentalist like Prince and this song was very popular on black radio stations and enjoyed moderate success on pop radio (primarily on the West Coast). Even though this is'nt the best on the album, it was a great choice for a first single and it even reached #5 on the R&B charts and #57 on the pop charts (O'Bryan's onlly top 100 pop entry in his career). It was a Soul Train favorite as well as his first performance on the show
4. Its Over - classic two step style ballad that sound like it was produced for Teddy Pendergrass, but O'Bryan takes it for his own (hear the backing vocals from Mr. Jeffrey Osborne)
5. Doin' Alright - popular title track that may not have been a single, but it rocked the clubs in Europe and R&B stations in the US. I'd say it was a hit by its own right. The classy two step tune is another favorite of mine.
6. Can't Live Without Your Love - strong sentimental ballad that should have been a hit single (well it served as the B Side of "The Gigolo" single) which sounds much like a Stevie Wonder twist, but just for O'Bryan. Probally the of the greatest ballads he sung, until 1983's Stevie Wonder's remake, "You & I."
7. Mother Nature's Callin' - After all that relaxin' and lovin', O'Bryan really get funky and loose on this song in inspiration of Rick James and The Stone City Band! Unlike the other tracks, this "somewhat silly" tune is about playing god (or "Mother Nature) by combining random animals. Great saxophone lead by Terry Harrington and poppin' basslines by Melvin Davis (who would work with O'Bryan on all his albums). This jam is the shortest song on the lp (at a little over than 3 and a half minutes).
8. Still Waters (Love) - What better way to end the album is with the beautiful Four Tops remake that O'Bryan calls his own. He performed it smoothly on Soul Train and the single (second and last one for the album) reached #23 on the R&B charts in the spring of 1982. This is the first of the famous motown remakes for O'Bryan that he will make into a hit, although his version of "Still Waters" was'nt as big of a hit as the Four Tops' version, but it sounds very simualr to it.
Side A
A1. Right From The Start - 4:21
A2. Love Has Found Its Way - 4:26
A3. The Gigolo - 4:56
A4. It’s Over - 5:20
Side B
B1. Doin’ Alright - 5:22
B2. Can’t Live Without Your Love - 5:54
B3. Mother Nature’s Calling - 3:35
B4. Still Water (Love) - 4:14
Personnel
- O'Bryan – lead vocals, background vocals, clavinet, acoustic piano
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion
- Melvin Davis – bass guitar, electric piano
- Wilton Felder – tenor saxophone
- Gary Grant – lead trumpet
- Bill Green – baritone saxophone
- Larry Hall – trumpet
- Terry Harrington – tenor saxophone
- Ron Kersey – electric piano, synthesizers, background vocals
- Johnny McGhee – guitar
- Bob Payne – trombone
- Jack Perry – synthesizers
- Greg Phillinganes – acoustic piano
- Barry Rudolph – percussion
- David Shields – drums
- Melvin Webb – drums
- Sam Dees – background vocals
- Jeffrey Osborne – background vocals
- Waters – background vocals
- Bruce Miller – string and horn arrangements
Companies, etc.
- Phonographic Copyright (p) – Capitol Records, Inc.
- Copyright (c) – Capitol Records, Inc.
Credits
- Art Direction – Roy Kohara
- Concertmaster – Don Palmer
- Design [Album] – Henry Marquez
- Executive-Producer – Don Cornelius
- Mastered By – Wally Traugott
- Photography By [Album] – Raul Vega
Release: 1982
Format: LP
Genre: Soul, Funk
Label: Capitol Records
Catalog# 2C 068-400071
Prijs: €10,00
Vinyl: Good
Cover: Good
http://www.ad-vinylrecords.com/product/o-bryan-doin-alright-lp/
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