These Billboard Top 40 hits, along with the title track and "Pillow" (featuring co-lead vocals by Alpert and singer/wife Lani Hall) were produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.
The remainder of the album consists of tracks produced by Herb Alpert and various producers. Keep Your Eye On Me was constructed with Side 1 (Tracks 1-5) featuring uptempo songs, while Side 2 (Tracks 6-10) featured down tempo songs and ballads. All trumpet solos were played by Herb Alpert.
The unbelievable sales success of this record is a testament to Herb Alpert's extraordinary ability to keep his ear to the ground -- no doubt aided by his position as vice-chairman and co-owner of A&M Records -- and adapt to the times. At a time when A&M's Janet Jackson was blazing up the charts, Alpert journeyed to Minneapolis and cut some tracks with Jackson's producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, producing the others himself in a mostly similar techno-pop vein. Presto!, three Top Ten R&B singles came out of the album, "Keep Your Eye on Me," "Making Love in the Rain," and the number one hit "Diamonds."
The flashy, trashy "Diamonds" no doubt was aided on its rush up the charts by Jackson and Lisa Keith's bouncy lead vocals; it's really their record and that of Jam and Lewis, despite Alpert's top billing. Jackson and Keith also take the lead in the simple-minded lyrics of "Making Love in the Rain," which nevertheless has a haunting effect accented by Alpert's muted musings through an electronic gauze.
At first, this seems like a gleaming digital machine of a record, loaded with repetitive sampling effects and drum machines churning out that ubiquitous '80s backbeat.
But the techno stuff gradually gives way to Alpert's humane trumpet, which in a touching valentine to the '60s on Acker Bilk's "Stranger on the Shore," is eventually allowed to soar unimpeded over the electronics.
Side A
A1. Keep Your Eye On Me - 5:11
A2. Hot Shot - 3:55
A3. Diamonds (Vocals – Janet Jackson, Lisa Keith) - 4:51
A4. Traffic Jam - 3:16
A5. Cat Man Do - 5:24
Side B
B1. Pillow - 4:32
B2. Our Song - 3:54
B3. Making Love In The Rain (Vocals – Janet Jackson, Lisa Keith) - 5:53
B4. Rocket To The Moon - 3:51
B5. Stranger On The Shore - 2:53
Personnel
- 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) - Tracks 2, 7 and 9 Produced by Herb Alpert
Laytham Armor: drums, keyboards, bass programming (track 2), synthesized bass, synthesizer, percussion programming (track 7); Michael Landau: guitar (track 2 and 9); Paul Jackson, Jr.: guitar (track 9); Paulinho Da Costa: percussion (track 2 and 9); John Barnes: organ (track 2), keyboards (track 7 and 9), drum programming (track 9), Jeff Porcaro: drums (track 9); Neil Stubenhaus: bass (track 9) - Track 4 Produced by Herb Alpert; Associate Producer: Les Pierce
Les Pierce: drums, keyboard programming; Michael Landau: guitar - Track 5 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 - Track 10 Produced by Herb Alpert and Shelly Yakus
John Barnes: Yamaha DX7 keyboard, Fairlight programming; Steve Schaeffer: drums, percussion; Michael Landau: guitar
Notes
Release: 1987
Format: LP
Genre: Jazz-Funk
Label: A&M Records
Catalog# 395 125-1
Prijs: €4,99
Vinyl: VG
Cover: VG
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