CoronaVinyl Day 195 (D): Rhythm of the Night by DeBarge

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Today's CoronaVinyl category is "D," and it's pure '80s, DeBarge's fourth studio album, 1985's Rhythm of the Night.  As you can see, someone paid $7.50 for this once upon a time at Rolling Stones Records on Chicago's Northwest Side, and I paid $2.99 for it at Salvation Army.

For those unfamiliar, DeBarge was a family R&B/soul group featuring the DeBarge siblings -- Etterlene (aka "Bunny," born 1955), William (aka "Randy," born 1958), Mark (aka "Marty," born 1959), Eldra (aka "El," born 1961), and James (born 1963).  They had a string of hits between 1982 and 1985 on one of Motown's subsidiary labels, Gordy.  Before we get to the music, let's talk about the album cover.  In case you weren't absolutely positive this album was released in 1985, the clothes, hair, and glamor shot poses should leave no doubt.

Rhythm of the Night was, for all intents and purposes, an El DeBarge solo album, with the rest of his siblings backing him some of the time.  While the rest of the group was going through various drug problems, the studio turned to El to captain the ship.  For his efforts, he got the biggest photo on the cover, and some of the singles from the album were even credited to "El DeBarge with DeBarge."

The album contained six new songs, and the remaining three songs were older, previously released songs, including "Single Heart," which originally appeared in the 1983 Mr. T film D.C. Cab.  But whatever the combination of old and new was, it worked.  It's pure mid-'80s dance pop.  The album reached #19 on the Billboard album chart (their highest-charting album), and #3 on the Billboard R&B album chart.  All four singles from the album charted on the Billboard Hot 100, including the group's two highest-charting songs (both in the U.S. and abroad):

• The title track reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the Billboard R&B and Adult Contemporary charts, #3 on the Billboard Dance singles chart, Top 10 on the pop charts in eight other countries, and #32 on the Billboard Year-End singles chart for 1985.
• "Who's Holding Donna Now" went to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, #2 on the Billboard R&B singles chart, Top 10 in Canada, and #85 on the Billboard Year-End singles chart for 1985.
• "You Wear It Well" reached #46 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the Billboard Dance singles chart, and #7 on the Billboard R&B chart.  El also performed the song on an episode of The Facts of Life, with Tootie, Jo, Natalie, and Blair providing backing vocals, and then El performed it a few weeks later on an episode of Miami Vice.
• "The Heart Is No So Smart" topped out at #76 on the Billboard Hot 100, #17 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, and #29 on the Billboard R&B chart.

All in all, they had five Top 40 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 (including two Top 10s, mentioned above), and six Top 10 songs on the Billboard R&B singles chart.  After the album, Motown released the group from its contract, but signed El, Bunny, and their younger brother Chico to solo deals.  El had some decent success, most notably with the 1986 single "Who's Johnny," which was kind of the theme song to the film Short Circuit, and went to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart.  Chico had one Top 40 hit, and Bunny's solo album didn't do well, and she soon retired from music.  Sadly, many of the DeBarge siblings have struggled with drug additions and related legal problems throughout the years.

Favorite song from Side 1:  "Prime Time"

The first track on the album has kind of a Prince-influenced dance/funk/pop feel to it.  I assume this was the song that played whenever Deion Sanders walked into a party at Florida State.

Favorite song from Side 2:  "Rhythm of the Night"
The album closes with a bang.  Songwriting master Diane Warren wrote what would be the band's biggest hit, and it's pure '80s pop bliss.  You can't hear this song and not feel a little better than you felt before you heard it.  It's one of those songs that immediately takes me back to 1985 when I hear it. And as a bonus, it's featured in the 1985 Berry Gordy co-produced cult classic martial arts comedy film The Last Dragon.