 • The late, great TEENA MARIE had established herself as a consistent hitmaker as a result of five albums for Motown followed by her first three albums for Epic - 1983’s Robbery (reissued by SoulMusic Records in 2012 as an expanded edition, SMCR-5047), the breakthrough 1984 set Starchild (SMCR-5048) and 1986’s concept-driven Emerald City (SMCR-5059).
• The singer, songwriter, producer and musician’s 1988 set, NAKED TO THE WORLD catapulted Teena back into the U.S. best-seller lists (reaching No. 15 on the R&B charts), buoyed by her first (and only) No. 1 R&B hit, the now-classic “Ooo La La” and two duets with funkmaster Rick James - who had produced her groundbreaking first Motown album - via the groove cut, “Call Me (I Got Yo Number)” and the solid slow jam “The Once And Future Dream.”
• Teena worked with longtime musical collaborator Allen McGrier on the ten-track album which included the funky Top 10 U.S. R&B hit single, “Work It”; while Richard Rudolph (husband of the late Minnie Riperton, who had produced her second Motown set, Lady T) served as executive producer.
• This expanded edition of NAKED TO THE WORLD features four bonus cuts including the instrumental version of “Ooo La La La” (retitled “Sing One To Your Love”).
• Notes by renowned US writer Rico Washington include quotes from co-producer McGrier and ex-Klymaxx drummer Bernadette Cooper.
About the Writer
David Nathan is the founder and CEO of SoulMusic.com and began his writing career in 1965; beginning in 1967, he was a regular contributor to Blues & Soul magazine in London before relocating to the U.S. in 1975 where he served as U.S. editor for the publication for several decades and began being known as 'The British Ambassador Of Soul.' From 1988 to 2004, he wrote prolifically for Billboard, has penned bios, produced and written liner notes for box sets and reissue CDs for over a thousand projects. He returned to London in 2009 where he has helped create SoulMusic.com Records as a leading reissue label.
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