Maps of Music

Forever Your Girl (1988)

Where the lyrics of Forever Your Girl take you, and where it was really made.

This debut album was made on a budget of $72,000, yet it took 64 weeks to reach number one on the Billboard 200, the longest wait any album had before reaching the top.

Key places

Recorded at Creation Audio, Minneapolis (1988)

Recording site Flyte Tyme Records — Creation Audio in Minneapolis is listed as a recording studio for this album. The pin sits at city-center level, not at the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Studio Masters, Los Angeles (1988)

Recording site Motown Recording Studios — Studio Masters in Los Angeles is listed as a recording studio for this album. The pin sits at city-center level, not at the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at JHL Sound, Pacific Palisades (1988)

Recording site JHL Sound (Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles) — JHL Sound in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles is listed as a recording studio for this album. The pin sits at city-center level, not at the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Cochrane, Studio City (1988)

Recording site TRS Studios — Cochrane in Studio City, Los Angeles is listed as a recording studio for this album. The pin sits at city-center level, not at the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley (1988)

Recording site Zellerbach Auditorium (Berkeley) — Fantasy Studios in Berkeley is listed as a recording studio for this album. The pin sits at city-center level, not at the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at House of Music, West Orange (1988)

Recording site House of Music (West Orange) — House of Music in West Orange is listed as a recording studio for this album. The pin sits at city-center level, not at the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Forever Your Girl: debut album by American singer Paula Abdul
• Released June 13, 1988 through Virgin Records
• Breakthrough into the music industry after Abdul's work as a choreographer
• High-profile clients included the California Raisins, George Michael, ZZ Top, Duran Duran and Janet Jackson
• At release, the most successful debut album of its time
• Certified 7× Platinum by the RIAA

Background

• In 1987, Abdul recorded a demo using her savings
• Her reputation as a choreographer for the Los Angeles Lakers and high-profile artists was already built
• Signed to Virgin Records by Jeff Ayeroff, who had worked in marketing at A&M Records with Jackson
• Her vocal abilities were unimpressive at first, so she trained for her mezzo-soprano voice with Ayeroff's support
• The album was made on a budget of $72,000

Recording

• Studios recorded for this album: Creation Audio (Minneapolis), Studio Masters (Los Angeles), JHL Sound (Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles), Cochrane (Studio City, Los Angeles), Fantasy Studios (Berkeley) and House of Music (West Orange)

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• Began as a Los Angeles Lakers cheerleader and became head choreographer of the Laker Girls.
• Discovered by the Jacksons; choreographed Janet Jackson's music videos and later the Jacksons' Victory tour.
• Signed to Virgin Records and released Forever Your Girl (1988), which set a record with four Hot 100 number-one singles from a debut album.
• Released Spellbound (1991) and Head over Heels (1995).
• Served as a judge on American Idol from 2002 to 2009 and later appeared on several other television shows.
• Returned to live performance in 2016 and held a Las Vegas residency in 2019–20.

Recognition

• Won the Grammy Award for Best Music Video for "Opposites Attract" in 1991.
• Received 17 MTV Video Music Award nominations and won five.
• Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• The Los Angeles Daily News called the album "a fine starmaker vehicle" and said Abdul's voice was buried beneath the arrangements on tracks such as Opposites Attract and Knocked Out

Records

• Billboard 200: reached number one on October 7, 1989, 64 weeks after its July 23, 1988 chart debut, the longest an album had been on the market before reaching number one
• Returned to number one in early 1990 for 9 weeks, spending 10 weeks at number one in total
• Four Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles: Straight Up, Forever Your Girl, Cold Hearted and Opposites Attract
• Ties for the most number-one singles from a debut album
• Abdul is one of three artists, with George Michael and Mariah Carey, to have four number-one singles from a debut album
• The re-released (It's Just) The Way That You Love Me reached number three, and Knocked Out reached number 41
• Reached number four on the Billboard R&B album chart
• By 1998, Billboard reported it as the most successful album released by Virgin Records
• Certified seven times Platinum by the RIAA, with sales of over 12 million copies worldwide

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The album was made on a budget of $72,000.
• Jeff Ayeroff, who had worked in marketing at A&M Records with Jackson, signed Abdul to Virgin Records.
• Abdul's vocal abilities were unimpressive at first, and she trained for her mezzo-soprano voice.
• Abdul is one of three artists, with George Michael and Mariah Carey, to have four number-one singles from a debut album.
• In 1998, Billboard reported that the album was the most successful released by Virgin Records.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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