Regina Belle

[NickNack]

Has anybody been keeping up with Regina? I stopped years back but yesterday I threw on her Passions CD. WOW! "Quiet Time" made me want to climb into bed with someone... anyone. :)

I had forgotten the talent and power in that young voice. Does she still have it? If not, please be gentle...

[keefelc]

Hey Nicky, funny you should post something about her at this time. I read in Ice Magazine that she had a new release coming out. So, I did a Google search and I found that a new album was released last week (July 13th!) called "Lazy Afternoon" and produced by GEORGE DUKE! She still has to sound good to work with him, don't you agree?

Check out the playlist on Amazon. From the titles, sounds like this CD has alot of potential.

I'll have to look for it!

[K-Bee]

Her later albums ("Believe In Me" (1998) & "This Is Regina" (2001)) have been somewhat uneven and more influenced by the so called "urban" music style of today. Not really up to her 80s standard. I still bought them though....gotta love that voice. :)
I do have high hopes for the George Duke produced album...it's definetely on my "to buy" list.

[NickNack]

Thanks, guys. I haven't seen any 'professional' reviews of the new one but the buyers on Amazon seem to be thrilled. I'm going to check this one out. :)

[markydefad]

Yeah, I hope that Regina gets away from that Urban Fascist Groove Thang that's made her last few cds very unmemorable. Please NO RAPPERS saying "yeah" or "wut" during the breaks, OK?

Hopefully George Duke is still a tasteful guy, not corrupted by the Gangsta Regime.

[keefelc]

Picked up the CD yesterday, and I'm happy to report that Marky has nothing to fear. Regina's in a jazz & standards groove on this release. :)

She opens the CD with a great version of "Lazy Afternoon." Other cuts that stood out on my initial listening - a cut written by her and George Duke, "There's A Love" and her version of the Isley Bros. "For The Love Of You." The latter cut has a delightful snippet of "The Love I Lost" at the beginning. Plus, the song is simply her singing with the Perri Sisters and George Duke on the Fender Rhodes.

The Perri Sisters really sound good singing backup vocals on most cuts.

Pretty nice CD! :D

[NickNack]

Originally Posted by keefelc

Picked up the CD yesterday, and I'm happy to report that Marky has nothing to fear. Regina's in a jazz & standards groove on this release. :)

She opens the CD with a great version of "Lazy Afternoon." Other cuts that stood out on my initial listening - a cut written by her and George Duke, "There's A Love" and her version of the Isley Bros. "For The Love Of You." The latter cut has a delightful snippet of "The Love I Lost" at the beginning. Plus, the song is simply her singing with the Perri Sisters and George Duke on the Fender Rhodes.

The Perri Sisters really sound good singing backup vocals on most cuts.

Pretty nice CD! :D

This sounds perfect for me. I heard a version of "For The Love of You" on the radio in the car but I didn't pay attention because I assumed it was going to be Whitney Houston's (kill those fucking birds!) version. Too late I realized it was different. So maybe Regina will be getting some airplay.

Those Perri girls: :D Crazy about them ever sinced I learned they were instrumental in giving Anita Baker that 'sound'. I don't know which lady second-voiced for Anita but at times you'd think they were twins. Check out "I'm The One" by Perri, 12" on Zebra. The 'Agressive Dance Mix' was remixed by Timmy Regisford and Larry Patterson. Great, late 80s sleaze. And you'd swear Ms. Baker had "taken it to the dancefloor". :D

[K-Bee]

Yeah the perri sisters were great...glad to see they're still around. Don't really know how many albums they released under their own name but I have three of them.
They did sound very different from most of the stuff put out in the 80s...there was kind of a jazzy fling to them. No surprise, since they were actually discovered by Pat Metheny!!

[keefelc]

Originally Posted by NickNack

This sounds perfect for me. I heard a version of "For The Love of You" on the radio in the car but I didn't pay attention because I assumed it was going to be Whitney Houston's (kill those fucking birds!) version. Too late I realized it was different. So maybe Regina will be getting some airplay.

Nicky, I think the version you heard on the radio is by Hill St. Soul. Their CD was released a couple of months ago and they've been playing it on our local Smooth Jazz station!