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JANICE'S BLUES ALLEY PRESENTS



DeBarge



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DeBarge



WEB PAGES

Mama DeBarge's Official WebsiteMama DeBarge's Official Website
Soul Walking BeDarge PageSoul Walking BeDarge Page


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Groomed to be the heirs to the Jackson 5 throne in the early '80s, DeBarge mirrored the Jacksons early success with a string of hits, but were unable to sustain their winning streak. Originally formed in 1978 and hailing from Grand Rapids, MI, the quintet was comprised of four brothers (Eldra, Mark, James, and Randy) and one sister (Bunny). The band signed on with the same label that the Jacksons started with, Motown, courtesy of their two older brothers, Tommy and Bobby (both of whom were members of another Motown act at the time, Switch). Led by the soft-and-sweet vocals of Eldra (or El, for short), DeBarge issued a debut album in 1981, The DeBarges, which showed that the group had yet to hone their hit-making style. But the quintet soon found the formula, as their sophomore effort, 1982's All This Love, would go on to become DeBarge's first gold-certified success, and spawn such hit singles as "I Like It," "Time Will Reveal," and the title track.

1983's In a Special Way was another gold-certified smash, spawning another hit single with "Love Me in a Special Way," and landing an opening slot on a sold-out U.S. tour with Luther Vandross. For their fourth release overall, 1985's Rhythm of the Night, DeBarge enlisted the aid of songwriter Diane Warren plus respected producers David Foster, Richard Perry, Giorgio Moroder, and Glen Ballard, which resulted in the group's third gold album in a row; as well as the biggest hit single of their career, the up-tempo title track, which nearly topped the pop singles charts and was featured in the movie The Last Dragon the same year. Further hit singles were plucked from the album ("Who's Holding Donna Now?" and "You Wear It Well"), but not all was well behind the scenes.

While 1986 saw the release of the group's first best-of compilation, Greatest Hits, it also signaled El DeBarge's exit from the group to pursue a solo career; he scored a considerable hit right off the bat with a self-titled debut before sinking into obscurity. DeBarge failed to do much better after their leader's exit, as the El-less version of the band managed to issue just one more release, 1987's Back on Track, before splitting up two years later (during the same time, another DeBarge brother, Chico, would also launch a recording career). Further DeBarge compilations saw the light of day subsequently, including 1997's Ultimate Collection and 2000's 20th Masters: The Millennium Collection. -- by Greg Prato, All Music Guide



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LINKSYEARTITLE
1981The DeBarges
1982All This Love
1983In A Special Way
1985Rhythm Of The Night
1991Back On Track
1993DeBarge Family
1997The Ultimate Collection
200020th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection


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1981 The DeBarges



1982 All This Love

01. I'll Never Fall In Love Again
02. Stop! Don't Tease Me
03. I Like It
04. Can't Stop
05. All This Love
06. It's Getting Stronger
07. Life Begins With You
08. I'm In Love With You


1983 In A Special Way

01. Be My Lady
02. Stay With Me
03. Time Will Reveal
04. Need Somebody
05. Love Me In A Special Way
06. Queen Of My Heart
07. Baby Won't Cha Come Quick
08. I Give Up On You
09. A Dream



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1985 Rhythm Of The Night

01. Prime Time
02. The Heart Is Not So Smart
03. Who's Holding Donna Now?
04. Give It Up
05. Single Heart
06. You Wear It Well
07. The Walls (came tumbling down)
08. Share My World
09. Rhythm Of The Night



1991 Back On Track

01. We Need Your Love
02. Coming Home
03. You Can Make It
04. Close To You
05. G. O. O. D. Times
06. Trust In Jesus
07. Ninety-Nine And A Half (won't do)
08. Shine
09. He Will Make A Way



1993 DeBarge Family



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1997 The Ultimate Collection

01. Rhythm Of The Night
02. Time Will Reveal
03. I Like It
04. You Wear It Well
05. Who's Holding Donna Now?
06. Stop! Don't Tease Me
07. Love Me In A Special Way
08. A Dream
09. Talk To Me
10. All This Love
11. Love Always
12. Who's Johnny?
13. The Heart Is Not So Smart
14. Save The Best For Me
15. Dance All Night
16. Stay With Me


2000 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection

01. I Like It
02. All This Love
03. Love Me In A Special Way
04. Time Will Reveal
05. Who's Holding Donna Now?
06. Stay With Me
07. The Heart Is Not So Smart
08. Rhythm Of The Night
09. Stop! Don't Tease Me
10. You Wear It Well
11. Who's Johnny?



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