Teddy Pendergrass – Love Language (1984) {Japan for USA}

“Love Language” was the eighth album by R&B/Soul crooner Teddy Pendergrass. It was his first record for Asylum Records after being a longtime artist on Philadelphia International Records. It did much better on the Billboard 200 than his last two records, peaking at #38. He had not reached the top 40 on the album charts since 1981’s It’s Time for Love. The album was composed and produced by Michael Masser, with the exception of the track You’re My Choice Tonight (Choose Me) (#15 R&B chart, November 3, 1984), which was produced by Luther Vandross and featured Cissy Houston on background vocals and as “Solo Female Voice”. Hold Me (#46 Hot 100, July 28, 1984; #6 Adult Contemporary Chart) written by Masser and Linda Creed was a duet with Whitney Houston (it later turned up on Houston’s debut album). As a result of having recorded this duet in 1984, Houston was disqualified from consideration as Grammy Best New Artist of 1985. The track “In My Time” reached #11 on the South African charts, spending seven weeks in the Top 20. Songs from the album were used on the soundtrack to Alan Rudolph’s 1984 film Choose Me. In her review of the film, critic Pauline Kael stated: “The songs are performed by Teddy Pendergrass and he’s just right. The entire movie has a lilting, loose, choreographic flow to it.”

Teddy Pendergrass delighted both R&B and music fans in general when he debuted on a new label with this album in 1984. It was his first album of fresh songs in two years, and Elektra put some muscle behind it. It also helped that he had a good duet with Whitney Houston, a song included in the film D.A.R.Y.L., and generally better material than Philadelphia International had trotted out on the two albums of unissued vault tracks released in the interim. The album made it into the pop Top 40 and was a triumph of the spirit.

Release of the album: 1984, November, 30 [LP Elektra/Asylum Records, Cat.# 60317-1, USA]
Release of this CD: 1984 [Elektra/Asylum Records (USA), Cat.# 9 60317-2 / UPC: 07559603172]
℗ 1984 Elektra/Asylum Records for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
© 1984 Elektra/Asylum Records.
Manufactured by JVC, Japan.
Printed in Japan

Credits:

Arranged By [Rhythm, Synthesizer] – Marcus Miller (tracks: 6)
Arranged By [Rhythm] – Gene Page (tracks: 1, 3), Lee Holdridge (tracks: 2, 4, 5, 7)
Arranged By [Strings, Horns] – Nathaniel Adderley Jr. (tracks: 6)
Arranged By [Strings] – Gene Page (tracks: 1, 7, 8), Lee Holdridge (tracks: 2, 4)
Arranged By [Vocals] – Luther Vandross (tracks: 6)
Art Direction – HSU
Backing Vocals – Alfa Anderson (tracks: 6), Brenda White (tracks: 6), Cissy Houston (tracks: 6), David Lasley (tracks: 6), Debbie Thomas (tracks: 1 to 5, 7, 8), Fonzi Thornton (tracks: 6), Luther Vandross (tracks: 6), Michelle Cobbs (tracks: 6), Phillip Ballou (tracks: 6), Richard Marx, Robin Clark (tracks: 6), Tawatha Agee (tracks: 6), Teddy Pendergrass (tracks: 3), Tenita Jordan (tracks: 3)
Bass – Nathan East (tracks: 1 to 5, 7, 8)
Bass, Synthesizer – Marcus Miller (tracks: 6)
Drums – Carlos Vega (tracks: 1 to 5, 7, 8), Yogi Horton (tracks: 6)
Engineer – Doug Epstein (tracks: 6), Michael Barbiero (tracks: 6), Michael Brauer (tracks: 6), Ray Bardani (tracks: 6)
Engineer [[Devonshire Recording Studios] – Michael Mancini (tracks: 1 to 5, 7, 8)
Engineer [Assistant] – Cliff Bonnell (tracks: 6), Harry Spiridakis (tracks: 6), Michael Christopher (tracks: 6)
Engineer [Assistant] [Devonshire Recording Studios] – Dean Burt (tracks: 1 to 5, 7, 8)
Engineer [Assistant] [Le Mobile] – Cliff Bonnell (tracks: 1 to 5, 7, 8)
Engineer [Evergreen Studios] – Rikk Riccio (tracks: 1 to 5, 7, 8)
Engineer [Le Mobile] – Guy Charbonneau
Guitar – Doc Powell (tracks: 6), Lou Shelton (tracks: 1, 2, 5, 7, 8), Paul Jackson (tracks: 4), Ray Parker Jr. (tracks: 3)
Keyboards – Michael Masser (tracks: 2), Nathaniel Adderley Jr. (tracks: 6), Randy Kerber (tracks: 1, 4, 5, 7, 8), Ray Parker Jr. (tracks: 3)
Mastered By – Doug Sax
Mixed By – Guy Charbonneau (tracks: 1 to 5, 7, 8)
Percussion – Crusher Bennett (tracks: B2), Steve Kroon (tracks: 6)
Photography By – Annie Leibovitz
Remix – Bill Schnee (tracks: 1 to 5, 7, 8)
Soloist [Female Voice] – Cissy Houston (tracks: 6)

Tracklist:

01. In My Time (03:53)
(Michael Masser, Cynthia Weil)
02. So Sad The Song (03:26)
(Gerry Goffin, Masser)
03. Hot Love (04:46)
(Linda Creed, Masser, Ray Parker, Jr.)
04. Stay With Me (04:23)
(Goffin, Masser)
05. Hold Me (Duet with Whitney Houston) (06:03)
(Creed, Masser)
06. You’re My Choice Tonight (Choose Me) (04:50)
(Marcus Miller, Luther Vandross)
07. Love (04:31)
(Randy Goodrum, Masser)
08. This Time Is Ours (03:23)
(Goffin, Masser)

See also: