Patrice Rushen - You Remind Me: The Classic Elektra Recordings 1978-1984

The Classic Elektra Recordings 1978-1984

Definitive 3LP compilation of classics, 12" versions and original samples

Remastered from original tapes by the Carvery

Includes full interview with Patrice Rushen and rare photos!

Strut proudly presents a comprehensive retrospective celebrating the influential career of the 1970s and '80s soul, jazz, and disco icon, Patrice Rushen. This collection meticulously covers her unparalleled six-year tenure with Elektra/Asylum, spanning from 1978 to 1984.

After making her mark with three albums on the jazz label Prestige, Patrice, a prodigious talent since an early age, gained recognition by winning a competition to perform at the Monterrey Jazz Festival in 1972. By the time of the recordings showcased in this compilation, she had become a sought-after session musician and arranger on the West Coast, contributing to over 80 recordings for various artists.

Joining Elektra/Asylum in 1978, she became part of the pop/jazz division alongside visionaries such as Donald Byrd and Grover Washington, Jr., with a mission to create sophisticated dance music for commercial radio and R&B.

Featuring acclaimed musicians such as saxophonist Gerald Albright, drummer "Ndugu" Chancler, and bassist Freddie Washington, Patrice's music stood out as a complex and innovative proposition compared to her contemporaries. Her early classics such as "Music Of The Earth" and "Let's Sing A Song Of Love" showcased her talent as a lead vocalist, setting the stage for her 1979 album Pizzazz, which included the unique disco track "Haven't You Heard" and the powerful ballad "Settle For My Love."

As Patrice's confidence and expertise as a writer, producer, arranger, and performer grew, she delivered standout records such as the slick dancefloor anthem "Never Gonna Give You Up" and the 1980 album "Posh," leading to her landmark "Straight From The Heart" in 1982. Despite receiving minimal support from the label, Patrice and her production team personally financed a promotional campaign for the single "Forget Me Nots," reaching No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a Grammy nomination for the album, while the track became a timeless anthem and popular sample, inspiring Will Smith's theme for the film Men In Black and George Michael's "Fastlove."

Patrice's final Elektra album, Now, continued her creative excellence with sparse, synth-led songs such as "Feel So Real" and "To Each His Own," marking the end of a golden era which remains revered by soul and disco aficionados the world over.

Remind Me compiles all of Patrice Rushen's chart-topping singles, 12" versions, and popular sample sources into a single album for the first time, available here in a 3LP format, fully remastered by The Carvery from the original tapes.

 

Side A

Music of the Earth

Let's Sing a Song of Love

When I Found You

Side B

Haven't You Heard (12'' Version)

Givin' It Up Is Givin' Up (with DJ Rogers)

Side C

Forget Me Nots (12'' Version)

Look Up! (Long Version)

Where There Is Love

Side D

Never Gonna Give You Up (Won't Let You Be) [Long Version]

Number One (12'' Version)

Side E

All We Need

Remind Me (LP Version)

Settle for My Love

Side F

Feels So Real (Won't Let Go) [12'' Version]

To Each His Own

Be the first to write a review for this item OR just rate it