Lionel Richie's solo career began while he was still in the Commodores, as he wrote and sang (as a duet with Diana Ross) the theme to the Brooke Shields romance Endless Love, which became a bigger hit than any of the group's singles, thereby setting the stage for his departure and his 1982 self-titled solo debut. He wasn't working in unfamiliar territory, or with new musicians. The Commodores decided to work as their own band, so their producer, James Anthony Carmichael, was able to devote his energy to working on Richie's album. Using the pop-crossover ballad style of "Endless Love," "Three Times a Lady," and "Easy" as their template, the duo turned Lionel Richie into a sleek, state-of-the-art record that, at its best, provides some irresistible pop pleasures. The key to its success -- and the reason it was scorned by some Commodores fans -- is that Richie doesn't even make a pretense of funk here, leaving behind the loose, elastic grooves of his previous bands (a move that makes sense, since his voice never suited that style particularly well), choosing to concentrate on ballads and sparkly mid-tempo pop, peppered with a few stylish dance grooves. The ballads, of course, provided two big hits with "My Love" and "Truly," two numbers that illustrate that he was moving ever-closer to mainstream pop, since these are unapologetic AOR slow-dance tunes. The other big hit, "You Are," is an effervescent, wonderful pop tune that showcases Richie at his sunniest; it's one of his greatest singles. Throughout the first part of the record, the dance numbers are served up and they're very good -- "Serves You Right" has a shiny, propulsive groove, while "Tell Me" jams nicely. After "You Are," the record bogs down with a couple of ballads that are on the wrong side of adult contemporary -- too formless, too hookless to really catch hold -- but they don't hurt the first seven songs, which form a dynamic mainstream pop-soul record, one of the best the early '80s had to offer. It's the sound of Lionel Richie finding his solo voice, and, the next time out, he knew how to use it even better than he does here. [The 2003 reissue of Lionel Richie includes two bonus tracks: a solo demo of "Endless Love" which not only fits perfectly with this record, but is less cloying, and an instrumental of "You Are" whose primary worth is to hear the detail and expertise in the production Richie and Carmichael assembled.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Lionel Richie (Piano), Lionel Richie (Arranger), Lionel Richie (Drums), Lionel Richie (Keyboards), Lionel Richie (Vocals), Lionel Richie (Vocals (Background)), Lionel Richie (Producer), Lionel Richie (Main Performer), Lionel Richie (Fender Rhodes), Lionel Richie (Vocal Arrangement), Lionel Richie (Rhythm Arrangements), Joe Walsh (Guitar), Joe Walsh (Soloist), Bill Reichenbach Jr. (Trombone), Gene Page (Arranger), Joe Chemay (Bass), Joe Chemay (Guitar (Bass)), Don Ashworth (Wind), Don Ashworth (Woodwind), Jim Atkinson (Horn), Jim Atkinson (French Horn), Harry Bluestone (Strings), Harry Bluestone (Concert Master), Michael Boddicker (Synthesizer), Michael Boddicker (Vocoder), Mari Botnick (Strings), Mari Tsumura (Vocals), Ray Brown (Bass), R. Brown (Bass), James Anthony Carmichael (Vocals), James Anthony Carmichael (Producer), Jim Cassell (Engineer), Lenny Castro (Percussion), Leon "Ndugu" Chancler (Drums), Charles Veal (Vocals), E. Cipriano (Woodwind), Gene Cipriano (Wind), Jane Clark (Mixing), Dave Cochran (Synthesizer), Dave Cochran (Guitar), Dave Cochran (Saxophone), Dave Cochran (Vocals), David Cochrane (Synthesizer), David Cochrane (Piano), David Cochrane (Arranger), David Cochrane (Guitar (Bass)), David Cochrane (Guitar (Electric)), David Cochrane (Saxophone), David Cochrane (Vocals (Background)), David Cochrane (Synthesizer Bass), David Cochrane (Soloist), David Cochrane (Prophet 5), Jimmy Connors (Vocals), Jimmy Connors (Vocals (Background)), Morty Corb (Bass), Paulinho Da Costa (Percussion), Rollice Dale (Strings), Louise Di Tullio (Flute), Assa Drori (Strings), Assa Drori (Violin), Assa Drori (Vocals), B. Douglas (Violin), B. Douglas (Vocals), David Duke (Horn), David Duke (French Horn), Nathan East (Bass), Nathan East (Brass), Arni Egilsson (Bass), Arni Egilsson (Double Bass), Jesse Ehrlich (Cello), Jesse Ehrlich (Celli), Henry Ferber (Strings), B. Findlay (Trumpet), Chuck Findley (Trumpet), Ronald Folsom (Strings), Endre Granat (Violin), Endre Granat (Vocals), Gary Grant (Trumpet), G.A. Grant (Trumpet), William Green (Saxophone), W. Green (Saxophone), Bernie Grundman (Mastering), Calvin Harris (Engineer), Calvin Harris (Mixing Engineer), Allan Harshman (Strings), Allan Harshman (Viola), Brenda Harvey Ritchie (Production Assistant), Gary Herbig (Saxophone), Gary Herbig (Woodwind), Jerry Hey (Trumpet), P. Hochalter (Cello), P. Hochalter (Celli), Howard Kenny (Vocals), Howard Kenny (Vocals (Background)), Paul Jackson, Jr. (Guitar), Paul Jackson, Jr. (Guitar (Electric)), W. Johnson (Trumpet), Darryl Jones (Guitar), Darryl Jones (Guitar (Electric)), Armand Karpoff (Strings), Armand Karpoff (Cello), Armand Karpoff (Celli), Dennis Karmazyn (Strings), Dennis Karmazyn (Celli), Howard Kenney (Vocals (Background)), Kenny Rogers (Vocals), Kenny Rogers (Vocals (Background)), William Kurash (Strings), Michael Lang (Piano), Michael Lang (Keyboards), Michael Lang (Fender Rhodes), Fred Law (Mixing Engineer), Gary LeVant (Harmonica), Gary LeVant (Harp), Paul Leim (Drums), Paul Liem (Drums), J. Llyle (Strings), J. Llyle (Vocals), W. Lucning (Trumpet), Warren Luening (Trumpet), Clarence McDonald (Keyboards), Clarence McDonald (Fender Rhodes), A. Maebe (French Horn), Arthur Maebe (Horn), Virginia Majewski (Cello), Virginia Majewski (Viola), Richard Marx (Vocals), Richard Marx (Vocals (Background)), Tim May (Guitar (Acoustic)), Tim May (Guitar), Lew McCreary (Trombone), Buell Neidlinger (Bass), Buell Neidlinger (Double Bass), Erno Neufeld (Strings), Gareth "Garry" Nuttycombe (Cello), Gareth "Garry" Nuttycombe (Viola), B. O'Conner (French Horn), Brian O'Connor (Horn), David Palmer (Vocals), William Payne (Keyboards), William Payne (Fender Rhodes), Richard Perissi (French Horn), Greg Phillinganes (Synthesizer), Greg Phillinganes (Arranger), Greg Phillinganes (Keyboards), Greg Phillinganes (Vocals), Greg Phillinganes (Moog Synthesizer), Greg Phillinganes (Fender Rhodes), Greg Phillinganes (Jupiter 8), Greg Phillinganes (Mini Moog), John "J.R." Robinson (Drums), Nathan Ross (Strings), H. Roth (Violin), H. Roth (Vocals), Myron Sandler (Strings), S. Sanov (Violin), S. Sanov (Vocals), David Schwartz (Strings), F. Sekura (Strings), Rick Shlosser (Percussion), J. Shulman (Violin), J. Shulman (Vocals), P. Shure (Strings), P. Shure (Violin), P. Shure (Vocals), Henry Sigismonti (French Horn), David Speltz (Strings), Fred Tackett (Guitar (Acoustic)), Fred Tackett (Guitar), Deborah Thomas (Vocals), Deborah Thomas (Vocals (Background)), G. Vant (Harp), Kin Vassy (Vocals), Kin Vassy (Vocals (Background)), Ernie Watts (Saxophone), E. Watts (Saxophone), LaMar Nathan Watts (Bass), Terry Williams (Vocals), Terry Williams (Vocals (Background)), L. Williams (Woodwind), Larry Williams (Wind), Tibor Zelig (Strings), Richie Zito (Guitar), Richie Zito (Soloist), Alan DeVeritch (Viola), Darrell Jones (Guitar (Acoustic)), Darrell Jones (Guitar (Electric)), William Reichenbach (Trombone), Nathan Watts (Bass), David Alexander (Photography), Mari Tsumura-Botnick (Violin), Charles Veal, Jr. (Violin), Rob Dale (Strings), Stephan Smith (Mixing Engineer), Leonard Castro (Percussion), Michael "Mike Dee" Johnson (Mixing Engineer), Stephen Amate Smith (Mixing Engineer), Nancy Ross (Strings), W. Kurash (Strings), Le Vant, G. (Harp), D. Palmer (Violin), Johnny Lee (Art Direction), Johnny Lee (Art Direction), W. Henderson (Strings), James Atkinson (French Horn)
Lionel Richie is the debut solo album by R&B singer Lionel Richie. It was released in 1982 on Motown Records. The first single, "Truly", topped the Billboard Hot 100. Follow-up single "You Are" reached #4, and "My Love" reached #5. The album was also a hit, reaching #1 on the Cashbox albums charts on December 11, 1982[1]
"Just Put Some Love In Your Heart" (Richie) – 1:27
In popular culture
In a Season 3 episode of Friends, Chandler is seen holding a copy of this album and singing "Endless Love", while the finished version of the song does not appear on this album on the cassette or CD, it does contain a demo of the song on the CD version as a bonus track.
