Fragile

• Artist: Cherrelle
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1984 09
• Genre: Rhythm & Blues

Review

The Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis connection scored with Cherrelle's debut, most notably on the second track, "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On," which scored as a Top Ten R&B hit. It was later covered by Robert Palmer and his backing band of ambiguous women, and was turned into an instant smash on MTV. But that's neither here nor there -- Cherrelle brings the goods with this debut. Ripe with boogie workouts reaching to the five-minute mark, Fragile pretty much follows the pattern of R&B albums during the '80s, with several uptempo numbers and a few slow ballads thrown in here and there for good measure. The ballads are easily forgettable, but the remainder of the album features a solid Jam & Lewis production; there's much evidence here that the kinks in the formula that made them production juggernauts had been worked out. And nowhere is this better proven than on her 1986 follow-up, High Priority. ~ Rob Theakston, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Fragile... Handle with Care	Terry Lewis, James Harris	Cherrelle	(6:02)
I Didn't Mean to Turn You On	Terry Lewis, James Harris	Cherrelle	(7:03)
Like I Will	Terry Lewis, James Harris	Cherrelle	(7:24)
I Will Wait for You		Cherrelle	(3:44)
Who's It Gonna Be (Lyrics)	James Harris, Terry Lewis	Cherrelle	(4:36)
Stay with Me		Cherrelle	(4:03)
When You Look in My Eyes	Terry Lewis, James Harris	Cherrelle	(4:53)
I Need You Now		Cherrelle	(4:58)

Credits

Monte Moir (Synthesizer), Jimmy Jam (Vocals (Background)), Terry Lewis (Drum Programming), Isaac Suthers (Synthesizer), Isaac Suthers (Arranger), Mike Evans (Mixing), David Eiland (Saxophone), Jimmy Jam (Synthesizer Programming), Terry Lewis (Percussion), Michael Gilbert (Assistant Engineer), Maxi Anderson (Vocals (Background)), Bob Fisher (Remastering), Jimmy Jam (Percussion), Taavi Mote (Engineer), Lucia Newell (Vocals (Background)), Monte Moir (Vocals (Background)), Judy Clapp (Engineer), Jimmy Jam (Arranger), Phyllis Saint James (Vocals (Background)), Terry Lewis (Producer), Big Jon Platt (Producer), Dina Andrews (Production Director), Terry Lewis (Synthesizer), Steve Weise (Engineer), Elliott Smith (Guitar), Taavi Mote (Mixing), Monte Moir (Percussion), David Eiland (Tuba), Jimmy Jam (Producer), Terry Lewis (Vocals (Background)), Aaron Rapoport (Photography), Steve Hodge (Engineer), Bill Champlin (Vocals (Background)), Robert Biles (Engineer), Brian Gardner (Mastering), Tom Cartwright (Producer), A. Scott Galloway (Liner Notes), Terry Lewis (Guitar (Bass)), Gwendolyn Traylor (Vocals (Background)), Jimmy Jam (Piano), Maxi Anderson (Vocal Arrangement), Terry Lewis (Arranger), Terry Lewis (Keyboards), Maxi Anderson (Production Assistant), Jimmy Jam (Synthesizer), Jimmy Jam (Drum Programming), Randy Jenkins (Vocals (Background)), Bill Champlin (Vocal Arrangement), George Murphy (Executive Producer), Cherrelle (Vocals), Kelvin Dixon (Assistant Engineer), Dennis Woods (Assistant Engineer), Isaac Suthers (Producer)