Freddie Jackson Rock Me Tonight CD

Here on his debut album, Freddie Jackson enjoyed admirable chart success with each of the four singles. The initial single, "Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)," was a very rhythmic ballad with an easy-flowing chorus enhanced by some nostalgic lyrics. It hit the Billboard R&B charts in April 1985, and stayed afloat for 26 weeks. The song peaked at the number one position, and held it for six straight weeks. Jackson came right back with "You Are My Lady," a romantic and ideal wedding song whose simplicity and substance assisted in its migration to the top spot on the charts, where it had a run of two straight weeks. The third and fourth singles were the dance-oriented "He'll Never Love You (Like I Do)" and the picturesque "Love Is Just a Touch Away." While the beat is aggressive on the former, Jackson's debonair approach to the lyric keeps the song under control. Jackson gently caresses the lyric with his soothing tenor on the latter. Respectively, the songs peaked at numbers eight and nine after 17 and 14 weeks on the charts. The New York native even undertakes the jazz standard "Good Morning Heartache" with a mellow but fiery passion. Jackson's utilization of his vocal skills with much vibrato, which became a signature of his, was very well received. ~ Craig Lytle

Live Recording

Recorded at Digital By Dickenson, New Jersey; Celestial Sounds and Unique Recording, New York, New York.

Engineers: Steve Goldman, Ron Banks, Frank Heller.

Personnel: Freddie Jackson (vocals); Clarence Brice, Ira Siegal, Thomas J. Flammia, Fareed Abdul-Haqq, Michael Campbell (guitar); Stanley Turrentine, Vernon Jeff Smith (saxophone); Barry Eastmond (keyboards, synthesizer, drum programming); Robert Aries, Paul Laurence (keyboards, Kurzweil synthesizer, drum programming); Eric Rehl (synthesizer); Timmy Allen, Wayne Brathwaite (bass); Bernard Davis, Buddy Williams, Richard Rodriguez, Joel Rosenblatt, Terry Silverlight (drums); Bashiri Johnson, Steve Kroon (percussion); Lillo Thomas, Danny Madden, B.J. Nelson, Cindy Mizelle, Janice Dempsey, Audrey Wheeler, Dolly Eastmond (background vocals).

Producers: Paul Laurence, Barry Eastmond, Robert Aries.