“The vocal quintet DeBarge and the singer-composer-keyboardist Rockwell -- two of the most successful second generation Motown acts -- have each adapted ideas from Michael Jackson. Teen-agers such as Evelyn King and Johnny Gill have also assimilated Mr. Jackson’s brash verve. Even such older singers as Lionel Richie and George Benson have learned how to sound breathlessly boyish when occasion suits.”
“On the more youthful side of the post- “Thiller” spectrum, DeBarge, a family group from Grand Rapids, Mich., has refined a vocal blend that suggests a Michael Jackson-influenced variant of mid-70’s Philadelphia soul groups like the Spinners and the Stylistics. DeBarge’s music is more ethereal than that of Philadelphia soul groups. Their perfectly synchronized three and four-part harmonies, woven over springy synthesized arrangements, evoke a gossamer lightness. The most interesting songs on DeBarge’s third and best album, “In A Special Way” (Gordy 6061GL), feature intricately patterned arrangements that transcend pat song formulas. “Love Me in a Special Way,” “Queen of My Heart,” and “Time Will Reveal” seat cotton candy love lyrics with melodies distinguished by surprising changes of pace and an adventurous chromaticism.
Much of the credit for the group’s sound must go to its 22-year-old producer, chief songwriter and most prominent vocalist, Eldra DeBarge, who bears a marked physical and vocal resemblance to Michael Jackson. His light, reedy tenor, like Mr. Jackson’s, shades comfortably into a clear, sweet falsetto. But instead of trying to work up a breathless rhythmic charge, he focuses on the minutest embellishments of phrase.”
Excerpts taken from New York Times article written by Stephen Holden, April 1984
Transcribed for the web by thedebarges.blogspot.com
