[You Are 40] -- While reflecting that this month includes the fifth anniversary of my mother's passing, I'm struck by the knowledge that one of her favorite albums turned 40 this week. Well, it's a record that has some of her favorite radio hits; I don't know that she loved the whole album. But we'll celebrate the entire album here on the Flashback.
If you couldn't tell from the accompanying image, I'm talking about Lionel Richie's self-titled, solo debut. Released on 10/6/1982, Lionel Richie peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 and launched three hit singles: "Truly," "You Are," and "My Love." Each one peaked within the top five of the Billboard Hot 100, with the first single, "Truly," reaching the #1 position. My mom loved the mid-tempo and brightness of "You Are," which she had to have on a cassette mix I recorded for her; it was a collection of high and mid-tempo tunes that she would listen to on her power walks. I later had to recreate some of that playlist for her iPod Nano.
Lionel Richie was still a member of the Commodores when this album was released. The record was intended to only be a side project, but Richie left the Commodores shortly after its release (or, perhaps, after he realized he could be a successful solo artist). Seems his voice was better suited for ballads and upbeat tunes than the funk and disco of his former band. He certainly had the songwriting chops, which he proved prior to this album's release by composing and singing the theme to Endless Love, which he recorded as a duet with Diana Ross. That tune, and his other laid backed compositions for the Commodores – "Easy" and "Three Times a Lady" – were something of a template for this record if not much of his career. Some find this style too cheesy, but he became a go-to balladeer in the 1980s, releasing a bunch of his own hits and writing songs for others. And it all started with this album.
Not what you'd expect from the preppie look featured in that cover photo, right?
Flashback: Lionel Richie (October 6, 1982)
And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.
I'll see you in seven!
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