JEFFREY OSBORNE-ONLY HUMAN.
JEFFREY OSBORNE-ONLY HUMAN.
During his time as a member of L.T.D., and as a solo artist, Jeffrey Osborne spent a total of eighteen years with A&M Records, during which he enjoyed the most successful period of his career. Between 1977 and 1979, L.T.D. saw 1977s Something To Love and 1979s Devotion. certified gold, while Togetherness was certified platinum. Then in 1980, Jeffrey and his brother Billy left L.T.D., launching solo careers. For Jeffrey, the success continued with eighteen of singles charting. Among these singles were I Really Don’t Need No Light, On the Wings of Love, Stay With Me Tonight and On the Left, the only number one US R&B single of his career. By early 1990, ten years after launching his solo career, Jeffrey left A&M, signing to Clive Davis’ Arista Records. Later that year, Jeffrey released his only album for Arista, 1990s Only Human, which will be rereleased on 16th July 2012 by SoulMusic Records.
This wasn’t Jeffrey’s first involvement with Arista. Previously, he cowrote All At Once with Michael Masser, which was the B-side of Whitney Houston’s hit single Saving All My Love For You. All At Once also featured on Whitney’s debut album Whitney. Two years later in 1987, Jeffrey sang a duet with Whitney’s cousin Dionne Warwick. Love Duet gave the pair a number one single in the US AOR Charts, while reaching number twelve in the US Billboard 100 and number five in the US R&B Charts. So when Jeffrey Osborne signed to Arista Records, people within Arista felt that Jeffrey and Arista were a perfect fit. Would he enjoy the same success with Arista he’d enjoyed at A&M, and during his previous collaborations with Arista, and would Only Human see Jeffrey achieve the same success on his early albums?
To produce Jeffrey’s debut album for Arista Barry Eastmond was hired by Clive Davis. He felt that Barry was the perfect fit for Jeffrey’s debut album for Arista. Not only did Barry produce what became Only Human, but wrote six of the album’s eleven tracks, plus played synths, keyboards and programmed the drums. Jeffrey only wrote one track, Baby Wait A Minute. Among the other tracks, were the Eugene McDaniels’ penned Feel Like Making Love, Sam Dees’ Getting Better All the Time and David Barratt’s If My Brother’s In Trouble.
Recording of Only Human took place at several studios, including Right Track Studios, Axis Studios and Greene Street Recording in New York. Other tracks were recorded at Soundcastle Studios in California. Among what seems like a huge cast of musicians accompanying Jeffrey were drummer Buddy Williams, bassists Anthony Jackson and Sam Sims, plus guitarists Mike Campbell, Georg Wadenius and Nicky Moroch. Grover Washington played alto saxophone on Lay Your Head, while Yolanda Lee, Tawatha Agee and Nicki Richards sang backing vocals. Eventually, the eleven tracks that made up Only Human were recorded. All was set for the release of Only Human later in 1990. Would Only Human replicate the success of Jeffrey Osborne’s albums and singles for A&M?
On the release of Only Human later in 1990, the album reached number ninety-five in the US Billboard 200 and number nine in the US R&B Charts. While Only Human wasn’t as successful as Jeffrey’s five albums for A&M, maybe the singles would fare better? Chosen as the first single was the title-track Only Human, which reached number three in the US R&B Charts. This was Jeffrey’s most successful single since 1988s On the Left, which reached number one in the US R&B Charts. The next single was My Brother’s In Trouble, which reached number eleven, helped along by Shep Pettibone’s remix turning the track into a club favorite. The Morning After I Made Love To You was then released as a single, reaching number twenty-four in the US R&B Charts. Overall, Jeffrey Osborne’s debut album for Arista Only Human had proved a success, reaching the top ten in the US R&B Charts and featuring a top ten US R&B single. After Only Human, many people expected Jeffrey to release further albums for Arista. That never happened. Only Human was his only album for Arista, which I’ll now tell you about.
Opening Only Human is My Brother’s In Trouble which became a club hit after Shep Pettibone’s remixed the track. Written by David Barratt the track only features keyboard player Terry Burrus, programmer Alan Friedman and backing vocalists. Together Terry and Alan create an impressive and contemporary sounding arrangement. Crisp drums, swathes of strings and keyboards create a dramatic arrangement, before Jeffrey’s vocal enters. His vocal is powerful, emotive and impassioned vocal. It’s accompanied by soulful, soaring, gospel-tinged backing vocalists. The longer the track progresses, the more the drama, soulfulness and passion builds. So good is the track, you can’t wait to hear the rest of the album.
On Only Human, a beautiful ballad written by producer Barry Eastmond, the tempo drops way down. Jeffrey’s delivery is heartfelt, full of sincerity, accompanied by whispered backing vocals. Meanwhile, the arrangement sees synths, keyboards and drums combine with guitars. This arrangement compliments Jeffrey’s powerful, passionate vocal. His delivery is irresistible, turning back the years, demonstrating why he was one of the best soul singers of the eighties. Given the quality of the track, it’s no wonder it reached number three in the US R&B Charts.
Good Things Come To Those Who Wait is quite different from the previous tracks. Gone is the balladeer of the previous track, replaced by a contemporary sound, where he fuses elements and influences. Crunchy drums, keyboards and bass combining before Jeffrey’s vamping vocal enters. His vocal is enveloped in delay, with tender backing vocalists accompanying him. It’s soul music but, given a twist, fusing funk with dance and electronic music. Here, Jeffrey’s trying to make his music appeal to a new audience, trying to update his sound for a new decade. This he manages to do, demonstrating another side to Jeffrey Osborne and his music.
After the diversion into new and unchartered territory for Jeffrey, he’s back doing what he does so well, delivering a ballad, The Morning After I Made Love To You. Here, Jeffrey’s accompanied by keyboards, synths and the rhythm section who provide a slow, melodic and sometimes, dramatic arrangement. Jeffrey’s vocal veers between tenderness and power, combining emotion and passion. He’s accompanied by some of the best backing vocalists of the time, including Yolanda Lee, Tawatha Agee and Nicki Richards. They’re the perfect foil to Jeffrey’s power, their vocals tender and soulful. Later, the finishing touch is Vincent Henry’s sultry saxophone solo. All of this makes this track one of the highlights of Only Human.
Lay Your Head has a much more electronic sound than the previous track. This is apparent from the opening bars, where synths, drum machines and keyboards combine with the guitar. When Jeffrey’s heartfelt vocals enters, you realize the quality is just the same. Jeffrey adds subtle backing vocals, as his vocal grows sassy and confident. As his vocal drops out, Grover Washington lays down a sensuous alto saxophone solo. Then Jeffrey delivers a lesson on soulfulness, pleading his way through the rest of the track.
Baby Wait A Minute has much in common with Good Things Come To Those Who Wait. Here, Darryl Duncan plays all the instruments, namely synths, keyboards and drums. This results in a bold, dramatic sound. Washes and stabs of synths combine with drums, while Jeffrey’s vocal matches the arrangement for drama and boldness, adding one other ingredient soul. Backing vocals compliment his vocal, before later Bright Eyes unleashes a sassy rap. The result is Jeffrey Osborne, electronic music and hip hop uniting as one.
It seems during Only Human, Jeffrey mixes his more traditional style with a contemporary sound, like the previous track. Sending You A Love Song is back to the “old” Jeffrey Osborne, delivering a ballad with an unrivalled emotion and sincerity. This he does against an arrangement where of keyboards and drum machines, while Jeffrey and Yolanda Lee add backing vocals. The result is a track that’s deeply soulful, featuring one of Jeffrey’s most fervent, impassioned vocals.
Feel Like Making Love sees Jeffrey deliver a very different version of the Eugene McDaniels penned track. Washes of synths, drums that crack and keyboards accompany him, while backing vocalists add sensuous backing vocals. Jeffrey’s vocal is a mixture of passion and power, as he seeks to give a classic track a nineties makeover. Here, Jeffrey and producer Barry Eastmond deconstruct the track, before reconstructing it in a way that had never been done before.
Back In Your Arms is the last of the tracks Barry Eastmond wrote. It’s another slow song, with a vocal from Jeffrey full or hurt and sadness. He’s accompanied by melodic keyboards, synths and bassist Anthony Jackson. Key to the track’s sound are subtle, soulful backing vocalists that compliment Jeffrey’s vocal. While lush strings add to the emotion and sadness of the track, it’s Jeffrey’s vocal, plus the backing vocalists that make this such a beautiful track.
Nighttime was the only track on Only Human Jeffrey wrote. Pounding drums, synths and keyboards accompany him as the track reveals its secrets. Tender backing vocalists accompany Jeffrey, before their voices soar, matching the emotion in Jeffrey’s vocal. Later, Jeffrey’s vocal grows in power and sincerity, as he delivers the lyrics as if he means each word. Meanwhile, the slow arrangement compliments Jeffrey’s vocal, meandering melodically along, complimenting and providing the perfect backdrop to Jeffrey’s passionate deliver.
Closing Only Human Getting Better All the Time, penned by Sam Dees, one music’s best kept secrets. Melodic keyboards open the track, before Jeffrey scats, then delivers a vocal that’s heartfelt and intense. Lush strings cascade above his vocals, while the rhythm section, synths and keyboards combine slowly. Unlike other tracks, Jeffrey’s vocal is much more tender, perfect for Sam Dees beautiful lyrics. This results in another of the highlights of Only Human.
Although Only Human never matched the success of Jeffrey Osborne’s early albums for A&M, the music on the album is a combination of the soulful side of Jeffrey’s music that people knew and love, plus a more contemporary sound. This meant there was something for his old fans, plus something to attract new fans. On tracks like Only Human, The Morning After I Made Love To You, Sending You A Love Song, Back In Your Arms and Getting Better All the Time the more traditional soulful side of Jeffrey Osborne comes to the fore. The more contemporary sound of Jeffrey Osborne can be heard on Good Things Come To Those Who Wait, Lay Your Head, Baby Wait A Minute and Feel Like Making Love, while My Brother’s In Trouble is a fusion of both styles. Although there’s much to commend both styles of music, it’s the more traditional side of Jeffrey Osborne that I prefer. It seems that Jeffrey’s at his very best delivering emotive, impassioned and heartfelt ballads. Between 1980 and 1990, Jeffrey Osborne was one of the best soul singers of that time. However, his career had started way before that, back in 1974 with L.T.D. Their best albums were the trio of Bobby Martin produced albums Something To Love, Togetherness and Devotion are the place to start. After leaving L.T.D., Jeffrey’s solo career started with 1982s Jeffrey Osborne and 1983s Stay With Me Tonight, his two best solo album. Three further albums followed for A&M, 1984s Don’t Stop, 1986s Emotional and One Love: One Dream in 1990. Sadly, Only Human was Jeffrey Osborne’s only album for Arista. It was another ten years before Jeffrey Osborne recorded another secular album That’s For Sure in 2000. His absence from music was music’s loss, as you’ll realize when you hear Only Human, which will be rereleased on 16th July 2012 by SoulMusic Records. Standout Tracks: My Brother’s In Trouble, Only Human, The Morning After I Made Love To You and Getting Better All the Time.
JEFFREY OSBORNE-ONLY HUMAN.
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 