Sharon Bryant | Here I Am
Sharon Bryant | Here I Am
Polygram Records, 1989
By Charles F. Sherard
(Re-published)
No matter how you look at it, the 80's - from the start of it to the end of it - managed to generate a solid collective of singers who compassionately swooned & vocally displayed a fragrance of ballads unlike anything I have heard so far in the 2000's. And beyond for that matter. 'Shooooot', who are you kiddin'? I broke all of you off with Angela Winbush, startled your thoughts about Angela Bofill, refreshed your memory with Pebbles, twisted your minds with Gladys Knight as she represented Break Dancers all over the streets & polished up the site with a look at a classic from Anita Baker. All coming from the 80's. Click my name to the far left in the sidebar and check the reviews I left behind.
And then, I come and sneak back up on y'all with a taste of Sharon Bryant. The gorgeous former lead singer from Atlantic Starr. Good - gaaaahLEE! She was BEAUTIFUL! Barbara Weathers held court for Starr too, but man, I was IN LOVE - I mean, had a crush on Sharon.
Do you know why Atlantic Starr soared all the way up into the galaxy? It's because they had a radiant, soul drenching, consummate dynamic powerhouse vocalist who could mesmerize your minds with songs from her debut LP, "Here I Am", with tracks like "Falling" "Something Bout Your Touch", The groove-jammin'-ultra slammin' "Let Go", and these next two:
1. Foolish Heart.
This was a masterpiece, in my humble & thoughtful opinion R&B players. But here's the question of the century: Who did a better rendition of the classic hit? Steve Perry, former lead singer of Pop-Rock group Journey and original songwriter of the hit, or Sharon, leading the song to a #1 hit for herself off the album back in 1987??? Your comments are welcome below. Please, don't be shy neither.
2. In The Nite Time.
One of the most underestimated R&B slow jams to not get the coverage it should have gotten. I couldn't believe that some radio formats didn't even use this gem as some sort of a 'quiet storm' or 'midnight love' theme song for introduction or to close out the evening. I mean, c'mon now. With Wayne Brathwaite on Bass & Marion Meadows on Sax....you tell me for yourselves. Play this enchanting candlelight ballad back & turn off the lights. Or at least dim them.
The collection of songs all had their moments. All, of course, from a traditional R&B stance whereas much of it is missing in todays music. Sharon swayed our hearts with a few sultry romantic melodies and popped the dance floor with a couple of footstompers. All balanced out. Which is why I had no choice but to pull this out and surprise a couple of people with a memory to "Here I Am".
This album should be considered the essential R&B album to purchase. To have tucked away in a corner of your collection stockpile. It should have succeeded much better and charted much higher in the 80's. Hence the reason why I'm making some heavy statements about the album right now.
Sharon, your music honey will always get playback in the household. And I am passing the legacy of your music right on down to my kids. All 3 of them. I don't care how old they get, how many times I tell em' to "turn the rhianna music off for a second and listen to this" kind of statements. Huh, I don't have to remind my Wife. She requests this on special occasions. It's good foundation of R&B & I WILL represent.
God Bless & I hope you get more recognition than you deserve. As for the players reading this, get out there and seek this one out. It's out there somewhere online for sale.
Peace & Love,
Charles F. Sherard
The Urban Music Scene.com
Posted by Administration at 1/10/2012 8:29 PM 
Categories: Rhythm and Blues, Videos, Perspectives, New School Soul
Tags: 80s Music Music Videos
Categories: Rhythm and Blues, Videos, Perspectives, New School Soul
Tags: 80s Music Music Videos
I love this album ! Sharon could sing! Like other female singers during that time, she NEVER got her just due .... until now ! Great review Terrill !!
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Whats up Randy?
Yeah man, Sharon didnt get enough love for this. She wasn't the only one tho. I'll be back with another classic.
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Charles, I need glasses !
I gave props to the wrong person
.. I meant to say "Great review Charles", sorry bro ! But yeah, Sharon held her own. She married to Change's percussionist, Rick Galway.
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Understood. Thanks to Terrill for publishing the review. Those ladies SANG their butts off Randy. None of the measure of excellence is still around. Only if they knew or at least shared in the experiences we had back in the 60's, 70's, 80's. I like writing about the 80's the most 'cause of the generation relevance. I figured most of these young kids parents should know about these singers and groups we keep dropping on this blog - enough to re-educate them about singing strong and solid with 1st class.
All of those ladies made brothas like me go shopping for a suit, not a pair of jeans, you dig?
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I bought the cassette back in the day and just converted it to vinyl. I love Sharon and this album. Sharon was said to be working on a sophomore album with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis but it never came to fruition. Foolish Heart, Here I Am, and In the Nightime were standout tracks on the album.
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Hey man, you 'bought the cassette back in the day and just converted it TO VINYL'?? How did you do that?
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