Maps of Music

What a Feelin' (1983)

Where the lyrics of What a Feelin' take you, and where it was really made.

The title song went to number one, yet this album peaked only at number 77 on the Billboard album chart.

Key places

Recorded at Electric Lady Studios (1983)

Recording site Electric Lady Studios — The album credits list Electric Lady Studios in New York as one of the places where it was recorded. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Carla Ridge (1983)

Recording site Carla Ridge — The album credits list Carla Ridge in Los Angeles as one of the places where it was recorded. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Sunset Sound (1983)

Recording site Sunset Sound — The album credits list Sunset Sound in Los Angeles as one of the places where it was recorded. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• What a Feelin' is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Irene Cara.
• Released on 2 November 1983 by Geffen Records; the source gives this date.
• It continues the work Cara began with producer Giorgio Moroder on the Flashdance soundtrack.
• The dance-pop style was foreshadowed by "Flashdance... What a Feeling", which went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
• Unlike her R&B-heavy debut, the album leans on dance-pop and Euro disco.
• Cara handed most of the composing to Moroder and shifted her focus to lyrics.

Background

• Cara was more used to composing music, but here she wrote mainly lyrics.
• "Why Me?" was released in October 1983 as the first new single.
• "The Dream (Hold On to Your Dream)" came from the D.C. Cab soundtrack and was not on the original pressings.
• The original pressings were pulled from store shelves so the album could be re-released with "The Dream".
• Cara was also in a dispute with her label, Network Records, and was planning to sue.

Recording

• Recorded at Electric Lady Studios (New York), Oasis Studio, Carla Ridge, Northern Music Recorders, Bill Schnee Studios, and Sunset Sound (Los Angeles).
• Mixed at Oasis Studios and Westlake Studios, both in Los Angeles.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• Irene Cruz Escalera (1959–2022), known professionally as Irene Cara, was an American singer and actress from the Bronx, New York City.
• She gained fame for playing Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical film Fame and recording its title song "Fame", which reached No. 1 in several countries.
• She co-wrote and sang "Flashdance... What a Feeling" (1983) and shared the Academy Award for Best Original Song for it.
• She won the 1984 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
• Before Fame, she played the title character in the 1976 film Sparkle.
• She released three studio albums: Anyone Can See (1982), What a Feelin' (1983), and Carasmatic (1987).
• She died on November 25, 2022, at age 63, from hypertensive heart disease.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Billboard Dance Trax columnist Brian Chin called it a well-executed piece of work by both producer and artist.
• Cash Box found it strong on well-structured pop songs, often reminiscent of ABBA on "Why Me?" and "You Took My Life Away".
• Robert Christgau in The Village Voice gave it a C+ but confused Cara's educational background with that of her Fame character.

Reappraisal

• AllMusic's William Ruhlmann gave it four-and-a-half out of five stars.
• Ruhlmann said Cara was mostly the mouthpiece of producer Giorgio Moroder on these recordings.
• The Rolling Stone Album Guide found the title song was its only redeeming feature.

Records

• The album received mixed-to-positive reviews and was moderately successful.
• It debuted on Billboard's Top LPs & Tapes chart in the issue dated 10 December 1983.
• It peaked at number 77 on Billboard's album chart, in the 25 February 1984 issue.
• It spent 30 weeks on the Black LPs chart, peaking at number 45.
• "Why Me?" peaked at number 13 on the Hot 100.
• "The Dream" peaked at number 37, "Breakdance" at number 8, and "You Were Made for Me" at number 78.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The original pressings lacked "The Dream", so the album was pulled from shelves and reissued with the D.C. Cab song.
• Cara appeared in the videos for "Why Me?" and "The Dream"; the "Why Me?" clip was shot at Manhattan landmarks and theaters.
• In 1985 Cara sued Network Records and Al Coury, Inc. over royalties she had earned from her recordings.
• The 1997 CD reissue added dance remixes of four singles and an instrumental remix of the title song.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

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