Keep Your Eye on Me

• Artist: Herb Alpert
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1987 02
• Total Time: 43:53
• Genre: Easy Listening

Review

The unbelievable sales success of this record is a testament to Herb Alpert's extraordinary ability to keep his ear to the ground -- no doubt aided by his position as vice-chairman and co-owner of A&M Records -- and adapt to the times. At a time when A&M's Janet Jackson was blazing up the charts, Alpert journeyed to Minneapolis and cut some tracks with Jackson's producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, producing the others himself in a mostly similar techno-pop vein. Presto!, three Top Ten R&B singles came out of the album, "Keep Your Eye on Me," "Making Love in the Rain," and the number one hit "Diamonds." The flashy, trashy "Diamonds" no doubt was aided on its rush up the charts by Jackson and Lisa Keith's bouncy lead vocals; it's really their record and that of Jam and Lewis, despite Alpert's top billing. Jackson and Keith also take the lead in the simple-minded lyrics of "Making Love in the Rain," which nevertheless has a haunting effect accented by Alpert's muted musings through an electronic gauze. At first, this seems like a gleaming digital machine of a record, loaded with repetitive sampling effects and drum machines churning out that ubiquitous '80s backbeat. But the techno stuff gradually gives way to Alpert's humane trumpet, which in a touching valentine to the '60s on Acker Bilk's "Stranger on the Shore," is eventually allowed to soar unimpeded over the electronics. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Keep Your Eye on Me	Terry Lewis, Jimmy Jam	Herb Alpert	(5:13)
Hot Shot	Albert Hammond	Herb Alpert	(3:56)
Diamonds (Lyrics)	Terry Lewis, Jimmy Jam	Herb Alpert	(4:53)
Traffic Jam	Les Pierce	Herb Alpert	(3:16)
Cat Man Do	Herb Alpert, Roy Bittan	Herb Alpert	(5:26)
Pillow	Terry Lewis, Jimmy Jam	Herb Alpert	(4:32)
Our Song	Sal Macaluso, Herb Alpert	Herb Alpert	(3:55)
Making Love in the Rain (Lyrics)	James Harris, Terry Lewis	Herb Alpert	(5:56)
Rocket to the Moon	John Barnes, Herb Alpert	Herb Alpert	(3:52)
Stranger on the Shore	Acker Bilk, Robert Mellin	Herb Alpert	(2:54)

Credits

Laythan Armor (Keyboards), Herb Alpert (Celeste), Jimmy Jam (Vocal Arrangement), Neil Stubenhaus (Bass), Herb Alpert (Harmonica), John Barnes (Tuba), Lisa Keith (Vocal Arrangement), Robert DeLaGarza (Engineer), Jimmy Jam (Percussion), Steve Hodge (Engineer), Herb Alpert (Producer), Lisa Keith (Vocals (Background)), Michael Landau (Guitar), Jellybean Johnson (Percussion), Jerome Benton (Vocals), Jeff Porcaro (Drums), Shelly Yakus (Producer), Jimmy Jam (Guitar (Bass)), Laythan Armor (Percussion), Lani Hall (Vocal Arrangement), Herb Alpert (Arranger), Les Pierce (Programming), Roy Bittan (Keyboards), John Barnes (Organ), Laythan Armor (Drums), Steve Schaeffer (Drums), Laythan Armor (Programming), Laythan Armor (Arranger), Jimmy Jam (Drums), David Eiland (Sampling), Herb Alpert (Trumpet), Laythan Armor (Bass), John Barnes (Voices), Terry Lewis (Vocal Arrangement), Paulinho Da Costa (Percussion), Jimmy Jam (Producer), David Eiland (Keyboard Programming), Herb Alpert (Horn Arrangements), John Barnes (Keyboards), Paul Jackson, Jr. (Guitar (Rhythm)), Albert Hammond (Arranger), John Barnes (Arranger), Steve Schaeffer (Percussion), Bill Bottrell (Engineer), Terry Lewis (Producer), Jimmy Jam (Rhythm Arrangements), Les Pierce (Arranger), Terry Lewis (Vocals), Lani Hall (Vocals), Lisa Keith (Vocals), Jellybean Johnson (Vocals), Laythan Armor (?), Jimmy Jam (Horn Arrangements), James Greer (Vocals), Jimmy Jam (Keyboard Programming), Laythan Armor (Synthesizer Bass), Les Pierce (Drums), Les Pierce (Keyboards), Janet Jackson (Vocals (Background)), Chuck Domanico (Bass (Acoustic)), Jimmy Jam (?), Michael Stokes (Arranger), Terry Lewis (Horn Arrangements), Janet Jackson (Vocals), Terry Lewis (Rhythm Arrangements), John Pace (Engineer), Herb Alpert (Flugelhorn), Terry Lewis (Vocals (Background))