Maps of Music

La Toya Jackson (1980)

Where the lyrics of La Toya Jackson take you, and where it was really made.

Michael Jackson sings on the refrain of this debut, yet the album peaked at only #116 on the Billboard 200 and its lead single missed the Hot 100.

Place unknown

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To stand apart from her brothers in The Jacksons, she wanted only her first name on the album
Her father insisted she use the family name, saying it was her last name and she had to use it
She wanted to see what she could do as an individual
This was her debut album

Stevie Wonder played harmonica on the album
Among the Los Angeles area musicians who helped her were Ray Parker Jr. and Patrice Rushen
Gene Page arranged the string and horn parts
Jeff Porcaro and Ollie E. Brown are credited on drums and percussion
"If You Feel the Funk" was written by Dorie Pride, Kamau Peterson and Ollie E. Brown

1	If You Feel the Funk	5:11
2	Save Your Love	3:46
3	My Love Has Passed You By	4:12
4	Are You Ready?	3:47
5	Night Time Lover	3:40
6	A Taste of You (Is a Taste of Love)	4:30
7	Lovely Is She	4:30
8	If I Ain’t Got It	4:55

Born May 29, 1956 in Gary, Indiana; the fifth of ten children of the Jackson family.
First gained recognition on the family variety series The Jacksons on CBS in 1976–1977.
Began a solo recording career in 1980 with her self-titled debut album.

Scored her biggest Billboard Hot 100 hit with the title track of the 1984 album Heart Don't Lie, peaking at number 56.
Released nine studio albums over 15 years on labels including Polydor, Sony Music and RCA.
Wrote the 1988 song "Just Say No" for the Reagan administration's anti-drug campaign.
Posed for Playboy in 1989 and again in 1991 to promote her autobiography La Toya: Growing Up in the Jackson Family.
Signed in 1992 with the Moulin Rouge in Paris to star in the revue Formidable, reportedly the cabaret's highest-paid performer.
Returned to music in 2004 with the singles "Just Wanna Dance" and "Home"; "Just Wanna Dance" reached number 13 on the US Billboard Hot Dance chart.
Appeared on reality television, including Celebrity Big Brother (2009), The Celebrity Apprentice, Life with La Toya, and The Masked Singer.

Billboard called it a well-produced set of crossover pop soul, with a mix of tempos that suits her versatile style
Billboard praised her singing on the subdued ballads as conveying much soul
Cashbox said the strong session players and backing gave her voice a strong setting, and that the cuts produced by Michael Jackson were the most infectious
The Evening Independent described her voice as attractive, pleasant, mature and controlled
AllMusic said her enthusiasm for the songs comes through consistently, and that the strong cast of musicians and memorable tunes make the album enjoyable overall

Billboard 200: number 116
Billboard Top Black Albums: number 26
UK Albums: number 178
"If You Feel the Funk": Billboard Hot 100 number 101, Dance/Club Play number 17, R&B number 40
"If You Feel the Funk": number 42 in Germany and number 18 in the Netherlands; no UK chart entry as a 12-inch single
"Night Time Lover": Billboard R&B number 59

In 1992 the album was re-issued on CD in Japan.
Fans launched a successful petition at ChurchofLaToya.com to persuade the label Cherry Pop to release the debut on CD in the UK for the first time.
The UK CD re-release came on 22 May 2006.
Michael Jackson was at that time receiving strong critical and public acclaim for Off the Wall, yet "Night Time Lover" with his vocals got little attention.
"If You Feel the Funk" narrowly missed the Billboard Hot 100 at number 101.