Wayback Wednesdays

I was reading Vibe (with Ciara on the cover) and there was an article counting down the greatest duets of all time. While CAUN steamed that Mary and Method were not on the list for "All That I Need" and I was incredulous that Stepfanie Mills and Teddy Pendergrass were left out for "Feel the Fire" (TEDDY TEDDY TEDDY) - the article gave me about a months worth of Wednesday Waybacks and some stuff I needed to put on the IPOD.

Today we will go back and remember who Vibe chose as the NUMBER ONE DUET OF ALL TIME.....

Alexander O'Neal and Cherrelle's Saturday Love!
(it's okay put you can close your mouth - I was incredulous as well)

Of course I remember and loved both of them. Did you just not feel like you would run into Alexander like at the corner store. That man NEVER cleaned up to 'look' like a celebrity and you just couldn't quite figure out whether or not Cherrelle was cute but everyone agreed she had a bangin body, lol. She was one of the first "Butter Face" - you know everything looks good BUT HER FACE, lol lol lol

So without further Adieu - Let's go back...



Cherrelle rose to fame as one of the premier female R&B divas of the mid-to-late 1980s. Cousin of pop singer and TLC founder Perri "Pebbles" Reid, Cherrelle began her music career shortly after being discovered by Tabu Records founder Clarence Avant, who signed her to his label in 1983. Cherrelle got her name after her boss from a job hollered "Cher-relle, you're late again!"

In 1984, under the production of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, she released her debut, Fragile, which went gold, thanks to the Top Ten R&B single, "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On". She released her best-selling album in 1985 with High Priority, which featured the hits "You Look Good to Me", "Will You Satisfy?" and "Artificial Heart" and her seminal duet with Alexander O'Neal in the #2 single, "Saturday Love". In 1988, she released her third album Affair, which featured the #1 R&B single, "Everything I Miss at Home". On that strength, it was her third consecutive gold record.

She released her last chart-topper with 1991's The Woman I Am, which was a departure from her Jam & Lewis productions. She reunited with the producers eight years later with her album The Right Time, which was released in 1999. Since then, Cherrelle has been performing at venues in America and all over the world. Pop singers Robert Palmer and Mariah Carey have each covered her "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On" while "Saturday Love" has been heralded as one of the greatest soul duets in history.

O'Neal was born in Natchez, Mississipi, but moved to Minneapolis when he was 20. He joined a group called "The Mystics" and played the local coverband circuit. O'Neal spend spent a short time in a group "Enterprise" before being recruited into "Flyte Tyme", a band that included Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and Monte Moir. Later signed to Prince's Paisley Park label with their name changed to The Time, a disagreement with Prince led to O'Neal leaving the band and being replaced as lead singer by Moris Day.

In 1985 O'Neal released his self-titled album, filled with streamlined grooves, including the funk jam, Innocent. The song was a funky Jam/Lewis groove, featuring The Secret - (Monte Moir, Cherrelle, Jellybean Johnson, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis). The song lasts nearly 10 minutes and consists of some exceptional guitar and keyboard solos, which also features the funk intermission of Alex 9000.

Alex's 1987 release, titled Hearsay, includes the smash hit Fake. Fake is arguably one of the best songs ever made to feature the "Minneapolis Funk" sound, the song was also nominated for a Soul Train Music Award for Single of the Year (Male). The biggest single from the album was Criticize which was his biggest hit in the UK peaking at number four in the singles charts. "Hearsay" sold over 700,000 copies in the UK alone.

He released several more albums. Alexander O'Neal would not release another album till 2001, when signed to Eagle Records he came back with "Saga of a Married Man" which was a type of concept album. Producing the album was former Prince guitarist Bobby Z.

Based in Minneapolis, he frequently commutes to Britain, which he sees as his "second home". His six albums have charted both in the UK and the US and he has enjoyed numerous sell-out tours. At present O'Neal is signed with the UK based Eminence Records.

In 2005, he recorded his first live album, Alexander O'Neal Live at Hammersmith Apollo. It's a collection of his Favorites and Biggest Hits from his career. With his personal love of performing on stage and constant tour support from his fans it was a clear progression for him to deliver the live experience in the form of an album. He has handpicked tracks that traverse the success of his career singing alongside a 12 piece band.

O'Neal's first Live DVD, taken from a performance at London's Hammersmith Apollo in March 2006 in due out in January 2007. It includes a duet with J.C. Bentley, Saturday Love.

The celebrity duet show Just The Two Of Us is back for a new series in January 2007, which Alexander O'Neal will once again be taking part in, this time partnering Janet Ellis. He begins his UK Tour in March 2007 which will carry through till the end of April.

SATURDAY LOVE





THINGS I MISS AT HOME



CRITICIZE



LIVE