Heart Don't Lie

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Heart Don't Lie
Studio album by
Released1984
Genre
Length37:01
LabelEpic
ProducerAmir Bayyan
La Toya Jackson chronology
My Special Love
(1981)
Heart Don't Lie
(1984)
Imagination
(1986)
Singles from Heart Don't Lie

Heart Don't Lie is the third album released by American singer-songwriter La Toya Jackson. Released in 1984 by Epic Records, this album is her most critically acclaimed and commercially successful album to date, peaking at #149 on the Billboard 200[1] and #65 on the Top Black Albums chart.[2]

Album information

The album was produced by Amir Bayyan, brother of Khalis Bayyan and Robert Bell, and member of Kool & the Gang, who was hired after Joe Jackson, La Toya's father and then-manager, heard his tapes. Jackson recorded the album sporadically over a six-month period.[3] The album features a plethora of musical guests, including Shalamar's Howard Hewett and reggae-pop group Musical Youth on the title track, musicians from Kool & the Gang on several tracks throughout the album, and collaborations with her siblings, including Marlon, Janet, and Tito, who co-produced the track "Frustration".

Jackson and Bayyan originally wrote the song "Reggae Nights" for this album, but it ended up being a Grammy-nominated single for Jimmy Cliff. Said Jackson at the time, "A lot of people wanted to sing that tune and we were thinking about saving it for my album. But when Jimmy came along I said, 'Forget it. I hear a guy doing it.' So he got the tune."[3][4] She recorded the song herself for her 1991 album No Relations.

Heart Don't Lie was re-released by Funky Town Grooves on CD in February 2012. The expanded edition included 7 bonus tracks. As of January 2013, the album is once again out of print.[5]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Rolling Stone[7]
Smash Hits7/10[8]

The Afro-American described the opening "Think Twice" as a "rocker" and compared "Hot Potato" to an Evelyn King song.[9] The LP's A-side closes with a cover Prince's "Private Joy" with which Jackson, according to the Los Angeles Times "matches Prince's intensity with her own hard-edged snap, crackle and pop."[10] Dave Marsh of Rolling Stone described the album as "the one Jackson record you don't hear on the radio", which, "given the all-encompassing aura of the phenomenon [...] ought to give you a strong sense of the banality of what's stored in this set of grooves."[7] Chris Albertson of Stereo Review said that "judging by [this album], producer Amir Bayyan is aware of her limitations—at least, that would account for his drowning her voice in some very strong, rhythmic arrangements. This is an eminently forgettable release."[11]

Many consider this to be Jackson's finest musical effort, with AllMusic commenting that there are "a handful of guilty pleasures here that are, if not much else, very catchy, making this a wise investment for anyone curious about the music of the Jackson family 'outcast'."[6]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Think Twice"Amir Bayyan, La Toya JacksonAmir Bayyan4:41
2."Heart Don't Lie"Amir Bayyan, Donna Johnson, La Toya JacksonAmir Bayyan4:37
3."Bet'cha Gonna Need My Lovin'"Amir Bayyan, Cynthia Huggins, Kelly BarretoAmir Bayyan4:29
4."Private Joy"PrinceAmir Bayyan4:51
5."Hot Potato"Amir Bayyan, La Toya JacksonAmir Bayyan4:41
6."I Like Everything You're Doin'"Gregory Radford, Meekaaeel MuhammadAmir Bayyan4:36
7."Frustration"Chuck Gentry, Howard HewettHoward Hewett, Tito Jackson4:47
8."Without You"Amir Bayyan, La Toya JacksonAmir Bayyan4:10
Total length:37:01

Expanded edition

Bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
9."Bet'cha Gonna Need My Lovin'" (Long Version)6:18
10."Bet'cha Gonna Need My Lovin'" (Instrumental)4:44
11."Heart Don't Lie" (Club Version)5:59
12."Heart Don't Lie" (Dub Version)4:37
13."Private Joy" (Extended Dance Mix)7:56
14."Hot Potato" (12" Version)6:27
15."Hot Potato" (Dub Version)5:59

Charts

Chart (1984) Peak
position
Billboard 200 149
Billboard Top Black Albums 65

References

  1. ^ "LaToya Jackson". Billboard.
  2. ^ "LaToya Jackson". Billboard.
  3. ^ a b Fee, Debi. "At Home With La Toya Jackson"[permanent dead link] Rock & Soul Magazine, 1984
  4. ^ "VH1 Bio". Archived from the original on 2008-03-10. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  5. ^ "La Toya Jackson Heart Don't Lie - Expanded". Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  6. ^ a b AllMusic review
  7. ^ a b Marsh, Dave. 'Victory Misses Mark' The Tuscaloosa News Aug 19, 1984
  8. ^ Anthony, Lisa (5–18 July 1984). "Albums: La Toya Jackson – Heart Don't Lie (Private I Records)". Smash Hits. Vol. 6, no. 14. Peterborough: EMAP National Publications, Ltd. p. 21. ISSN 0260-3004. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  9. ^ Matthews, Carl. 'La Toya Jackson' The Afro-American June 23, 1984
  10. ^ Johnson, Connie (13 January 1985). "Rock Stars Turn Out Their Versions Of Princely Songs". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  11. ^ Albertson, Chris. "Popular Music", Stereo Review, October 1984.