She had been laying the stage for this success for years. To this day, she still receives some 30 requests a week to use her music for samples, especially by hip-hop artist-and that’s not counting requests for Will Smith’s monster 1997 hit “Men In Black,” which heavily sampled “Forget Me Nots.” In acknowledgment of her accomplishment, the forward-thinking album scored Rushen her first two nominations at the 1983 Grammy Awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “Forget Me Nots” and Best R&B Instrumental Performance for “Number One.” That success proved that she did know exactly what was going on in ’80s contemporary radio, while at the same time understanding what the future would require. You know, tracks you could electric slide to at your cousin’s next wedding-sounds that the label’s A&R couldn’t begin to comprehend. Straight From The Heart features funk, Afro-Cuban, boogie, augmented chord progression ballads, quiet storm selections, smooth jazz, and fusion joints to which to move. Straight from the Heart (Remastered) by Patrice Rushen It spoke to Rushen’s heart, not the label’s projected construct. It includes Rushen’s indelible, multi-generation Black radio staple “Forget Me Nots,” the heavily-sampled “Remind Me,” and family-gathering-friendly instrumental “Number One.” It was a little bit of this, a touch of that. It is to the benefit of musicians to come that she didn’t bow to pressure to change-all these years later, the LP is being remastered by Strut Records for its 40th anniversary.īroadening pop sensibilities, the album showcases the way Black music was evolving in the early ’80s. But when she delivered her seventh studio album Straight From The Heart in 1982, A&R didn’t like it. Enough to remind you that this legend of soul and disco is deserving of an artistic renaissance.In 1977, Elektra Records signed LA-based polymath and jazz prodigy Patrice Rushen in the hopes of overtaking Donald Byrd and Grover Washington Jr. Remind Me (The Classic Elektra Recordings 1978-1984) is a perfect collection of beautiful ballads ( Settle For My Love), dancefloor anthems ( Never Gonna Give You Up), groovy tunes with heavy basslines ( Music Of The Earth, Let’s Sing A Song Of Love) and disco ( Haven’t You Heard). None of us were accustomed to limitation and the record label left us to take our own direction”. musicians were not so locked into tradition. The album is full of top-tier funky soul, played by the some of the biggest and best names working in music today. “ We were all making sophisticated dance music, essentially”. “ The idea was to create music that was good for commercial radio/R&B,” the Californian explains. It is this period (1974 – 1984) that has been compiled here by the British label. Album DescriptionĪ gifted pianist and an expert composer, Rushen signed to the Prestige label at a very young age in 1974, before later joining Asylum/Elektra four years later. See More Your browser does not support the audio element. Enough to remind you that this legend of soul and disco is deserving of an artistic renaissance. Blige, Organized Konfusion and most notably Will Smith (who sampled Forget Me Nots for the Men In Black soundtrack) that breathed new life into her career.Ī gifted pianist and an expert composer, Rushen signed to the Prestige label at a very young age in 1974, before later joining Asylum/Elektra four years later. Beginning to fall into oblivion, it was the continuous sampling of her songs from rappers like Mobb Deep, Junior M.A.F.I.A., Slum Village, Mary J. She released her debut jazz album at just 20 years old, before quickly transitioning to a funkier disco sound. It was an inspired decision to shine a light on the endearing but often neglected star of late 70s/early 80s smooth jazz and soul music that is Patrice Rushen. Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
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