Search - Cherrelle :: Cherrelle Greatest Hits

Nice collection of prime 80s soul, where are the 12" mixes?

G. Mitchell | Los Angeles, CA United States | 06/08/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Don't get me wrong - if you don't own Cherrelle's out of print CDs like AFFAIR, this is a nice budget collection to complete your collection, but for true Cherrelle fans who already have all her CDs, why not go the extra mile and include a few of her 12" mixes? For example, the EXTENDED MIX of ARTIFICIAL HEART is amazing, chock full of the kind of studio sonics Jam & Lewis whipped up later for Janet - and the HOUSE MIX of AFFAIR pumped in clubs on 12" but has never been released on CD. Too bad. That would have been nice. Still, with classic 80s soul cuts like EVERYTHING I MISS AT HOME and I DIDN'T MEAN TO TURN YOU ON, you really can't go wrong. Cherrelle deserved to be a much bigger crossover star, but alas that never quite happened. Savor this collection."

There ain't no justice!

Steven Guy | Croydon, South Australia | 02/27/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Can someone please explain to me why a second rate singer like Madonna can be at the top of the tree when the real deal is still relatively unknown? I owned a few of Cherrelle's albums in the 1980s, "High Priority" and "Affair", were amongst the first CDs I ever owned, apart from the Harnoncourt recording of Handel's "Belshazzar" and Pinnock's Brandenburg Concerti.

Cherrelle's music was one of the soundtracks of my life - social and private - in the late 1980s. Cherrelle's creamy and sensuous voice was oft heard in my small flat (apartment) just off Toorak Road in South Yarra, Melbourne in 1987 to 1990.



Needless to say, many will know that Cherrelle's instrumental music was played, created and produced by those luminaries of the 1980s, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who were responsible for the production of the SOS Band, Alexander O'Neal, Janet Jackson's best album, "Control", The Human League's "Crash" album and several other groups. Jam and Lewis use that wonderful and wild invention of the 1980s, the polyphonic keyboard synthesizer, and, of course, that other amazing gizmo, the Roland TR 808 drum computer.



I always liked the way Jam and Lewis threw caution to the wind and actually played their keyboards on recordings, rather than sequencing everything. They seem to have been happy to leave everything in, even the occasional mistake! Their sounds are twangy and tangy and very smooth sounds and punctuated with stabs and rhythmical punches. Of course, many will compare their production values with those of Prince and that shouldn't surprise anyone, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were former members of the Time, one of the close peers and stable mates of His Purple Highness.



Cherrelle was a splendid performer and it is great to see some of her music available on CD again.



"

Best Buy of your Life Time

Charlie W. Gorham | Rocky Mount, NC, USA | 03/17/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Cherrelle is another one of those artists that deserve to be on the forfront of the American Music Industry Icon List. She has the most incredible way of delivering a song that goes straight through all you built up walls and find itself land right straight into your heart. Cherrelles music has been the bluerint of my Life every since Fragile. I remember when she was first broadcated on national radio, I loved her then I lover her even more now. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are the only producers that I want to work with. They are brillient producer and songwriters. Cherrelle deserves to be on the Pop charts, R&B charts, Souls charts and not only that, how can artist like Britney Spears, and Lindsy Lohan, Madonna be Pop Icon when real artistslike Cherrelle fall by the wayside. Cherrelle, not only is a beautiful singer/songwriter she also has that vocal quality that makes she stand out in any crowd. This album is a wealth of strong vocals, catchy tunes and all of Cherrelles hits, full of flavor and savoir faire. Classic and welcomed edition to any collectors collection."