Evelyn “Champagne” King - Face To Face (1983) (LP) - €10,00

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Face to Face is the sixth album released by R&B singer Evelyn "Champagne" King on RCA Records in 1983. It was produced by André Cymone, Leon Sylvers III, Foster Sylvers, and Joey Gallo.

Straying from the post-disco sound prominent in her most commercially successful releases I'm in Love and Get Loose she embarked on a "punk funk" sound, moving towards the musical territory of Prince and the alike. 

In charge of the album production and musical direction was Leon Sylvers III, SOLAR Records producer known for his work for Shalamar and The Whispers, and Andre Cymone, a former bass player for Prince, replacing Kashif and Paul Lawrence Jones III. 

The years 1981 and 1982 could be described as Evelyn "Champagne" King's Kashif period. 

Working with producer/songwriter Kashif on 1981's I'm in Love and 1982's Get Loose, the East Coast singer provided some of the most rewarding and essential albums of her career. 

But King's Kashif period ended with 1983's Face to Face, which found her restoring the "Champagne" moniker (on I'm in Love and Get Loose, she was only listed as Evelyn King rather than Evelyn "Champagne" King) and working with different producers. 

The material on Face to Face, which was King's sixth album, was produced by either André Cymone (Prince's former bassist) or the team of Leon Sylvers III, Foster Sylvers, and Joey Gallo, and all of those producers push King in the direction of the dancefloor.

Quiet storm listeners aren't exactly a high priority on Face to Face; except for the slow jam "Makin' Me So Proud," this is an exuberant, highly energetic synth-funk/urban album with a lot of dancefloor appeal. And some of these jams incorporate new wave elements. 

This is true of "Don't It Feel Good," "Let's Get Crazy," and "Givin' You My Love (What Cha Gonna Do with It)," as well as the title song and "Tell Me Something Good" (not to be confused with the Rufus/Chaka Khan hit from 1974). 

Another tune with new wave elements is "Teenager," which is arguably the best thing on the album and combines that new wave influence with an appreciation of '60s soul-pop; "Teenager" is urban contemporary, new wave, and '60s-influenced all at the same time. 

And for 1983, it wasn't all that unusual for an R&B artist to be influenced by new wave; that year, new wave was affecting everyone from Prince and the Time to the Pointer Sisters to Shalamar to Nona Hendryx to the Mary Jane Girls. 

In 1983, some of King's fans were, understandably, wishing that she had continued to work with Kashif. Nonetheless, Face to Face is a generally fun, if uneven, listen even though it isn't among King's essential albums and isn't recommended to casual listeners.

Side one

1.  Action - 5:50  

2.  Face To Face - 4:55  

3.  Shake Down - 6:20  

4.  Tell Me Something Good - 5:10  

Side two

1.  Don’t It Feel Good - 4:07  

2.  Makin’ Me So Proud - 4:17  

3.  Givin’ You My Love (What Cha Gonna Do With It) - 4:39  

4.  Teenager - 3:40  

5.  Let’s Get Crazy - 3:59 

Companies, etc.

• Recorded At – American Artists Studios
• Recorded At – Sunter Sound
• Recorded At – The Sound Factory
• Recorded At – Devonshire Studios
• Mastered At – Capitol Studios

Credits

• Arranged By [Vocals] – Dana Meyers, Leon F. Sylvers III
• Art Direction – J.J. Stelmach
• Artwork By [Clothing] – Fiorucci, Henry Lehr
• Artwork By [Footwear] – Frye, Kenneth Cole
• Artwork By [Hair] – Jeffrey Woodley
• Artwork By [Make-up] – Suzanne Rodier, Wanda King
• Artwork By [Stylist] – S. Flint
• Backing Vocals – Dana Meyers, Evelyn "Champagne" King, Foster Sylvers (tracks: A3), Karon Floyd (tracks: A4, B3)
• Bass – Foster Sylvers (tracks: A1, A3), Ricky Smith (tracks: A3)
• Drums – Wardell Potts, Jr.
• Engineer – Peter Martinsen (tracks: A2, B1, B4, B5)
• Engineer [Mix] – Jim Dougherty (tracks: A2)
• Engineer [Mixing Assistant] – Keg Johnson (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B2, B3)
• Engineer [Mixing] – Jim Shifflett (tracks: A3, B3), Les Cooper (tracks: A1, A4, B2)
• Engineer [Recording] – Jim Perkins (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B2, B3), Jim Shifflett (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B2, B3), Kirk Ferraioli (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B2, B3), Les Cooper (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B2, B3), Mike Frenke (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B2, B3)
• Guitar – Marlo Henderson, Micki Free (tracks: A3, A4, B3)
• Keyboards – Joey Gallo (tracks: A1, A4, B2), Leon F. Sylvers III (tracks: A1), Rickey Smith (tracks: A3), Terry Murphy (tracks: A4, B2), William Bryant II (tracks: B3)
• Lead Vocals – Evelyn "Champagne" King
• Mastered By – Wally Traugott
• Percussion – Jorge Bermudez (tracks: A1, B4), Leon F. Sylvers III (tracks: A1), Terrence F. Floyd* (tracks: A3), Theodore Welch (tracks: B3)
• Photography By – Larry Williams
• Producer – André Cymone (tracks: A2, B1, B4, B5), Foster Sylvers (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B2, B3), Joey Gallo (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B2, B3), Leon F. Sylvers III (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B2, B3)
• Remix – David Todd (tracks: A1), Nikki Martinelli (tracks: A1), Tony Humphries (tracks: A3)
• Synthesizer [Bass] – Joey Gallo (tracks: A4, B2), William Bryant II (tracks: B3)
• Vocals – Doris Ann Rhodes (tracks: A2, B1, B4, B5), Germain Brooks (tracks: A2, B1, B4, B5), Sheila Rankin (tracks: A2, B1, B4, B5)

Notes

Release:  1983

Format:  LP

Genre:  Soul

Label:  RCA Records

Catalog#  PL 84725

Vinyl:  Excellent

Cover:  Excellent

Prijs: €10,00