In the early to mid-'80s, few R&B producers were more prolific than . Whether he was working with , , or had no problem making an R&B recording sound great. Another artist who benefited from 's studio savvy was , who debuted as a solo artist with 1982's impressive . The sound -- sophisticated and stylish, yet funky and not without grit -- is all over this LP, which he produced with and . prove to be a strong combination throughout this album; the addictive party jam (a Top Five R&B hit that wrote) is a gem, and album tracks like are also quite memorable. fans should be aware that also contains the first recorded version of ; 's better-known version didn't come out until 1986. With this release, 's career was off to a promising start. It's too bad the singer didn't have more longevity. ~ Alex Henderson