US release date: March 12th 1990
Buy Body Language here (Amazon GB)
As 1990 rolled around a new style of sound was sweeping the musical landscape. While I was developing broadly eclectic musical tastes (like everything from pop to jazz to r'n'b to dance to musical theatre), I was still a pure pop boy at heart. Whilst dreamy teen heartthrobs adorned my wall (and had a regular slot on my stereo), I was always drawn more to the music the young ladies of the world were making. Chart topping pop chanteuse Debbie Gibson had been a massive influence for me over the past 2-3- years and I was nursing an Electric Youth shaped hole in my life whilst I awaited new music from her. Turns out I didn't have to wait long; I was beyond thrilled when I was flicking through the pages of US chart bible Billboard magazine and saw an advert (see here on Twitter) for an album by a new (to me) artist called Ana. The promo proudly proclaimed that said album, Body Language, included contributions from pop heavy hitters including Maurice Starr (who launched the blisteringly hot NKOTB), Jordan Knight (dreamy sigh) and Debbie Gibson. I may have audibly gasped right then and there in the aisles of WHSmith with palpable excitement - and knew I had to get in touch with my mail order import company (such was the way of the world back then). An excruciating wait then happened (because EVERYTHING takes forever when you are an impatient teen) before I finally had the musical vocabulary of Body Language in my hot little hands.
I can, of course, confirm that I carefully placed my record player needle on the Debbie Gibson penned tracks first - but for the purposes of this retrospective, I'll focus on the singles in order they were released (and one which should have been released)...
- Got To Tell Me Something ~ If Maurice Starr's goal was to bring blend the New Kids style sound with teen queen sensibility, he did a pretty darn good job with Ana. The lead single from the album had funky beats and a frisson of attitude permeating the music, but not so much that parents would clutch their collective pearls in horror. It was a fine line to balance and Ana did it with finesse. She was giving sass and confidence that, for me, was just as appealing as that sing-along chorus and shoulder shimmying grooves. I still love the "Maurice; take it to the bridge" ad-lib, whilst some David Morales remixes I later tracked down would take me to dancefloor heaven (one is available here on youtube). It is a shame it was only a minor US chart hit (though was big in Japan) and it is what I call "a hit in my head" so much did I play the song through my Sony Walkman...
- Angel of Love (ft Jordan Knight) ~ I love a duet, particularly when it was a love song. Pairing Ana with one of the newly crowned rebel princes of pop, Jordan Knight, seemed like a no-brainer. It is no wonder the label chose this as a second single, perhaps hoping to capitalise on the inroads at radio made by Ana's previous single. A rather pretty ballad that started with a keyboard accompaniment and earnest, swooning performances from the two leads was just everything I loved about a love song - the shimmering romance, the tangible emotions and a swooping chorus that described everything I was longing for. It might not have been the most contemporary song on the radio but it definitely had a certain charm. Years later, Jordan would perform this for the first time on the NKTOB cruise (see here on youtube).
- Everytime We Say Goodbye ~ this happens to not only be my favourite song on the album but also one of my favourite Debbie Gibson compositions ever. Everything about the song works and it brings to life those searing emotions of being parted from a loved one with vibrant pop majesty. The lyrics made those feelings of forever love seem so relatable yet so wondrous and exhilarating. "Catch your breath and I'll catch mine/why does it feel like the end of the world?" took particular relevance to my life - I'd pretty much fallen in love with my best friend at the time, a French exchange student who was returning home soon and the devastation of it all was made more bearable by this song existing (and being played on an endless loop). Ana's vocal performance nailed the nuance of the song, sending that chorus refrain soaring sky high. You can hear Debbie singing backing vocals - most notably in the second verse ("just to hear your voice").
- (Friendly ~ another song penned by Debbie for Ana. Years ahead of the pop culture catchphrase "friends with benefits" the song explored an area between friendship and lovers that was just plain fooling around and probably having a jolly good snog (which is about where the French Exchange student and I got to)! And what's not to love about that - especially if you are young, free, single and ready to mingle. Again, Debbie clearly heard on the backing vocals - notably in the outro ("I don't wanna be your lover/I don't wanna be your friend"); but let us not forget the backing vocal talents of Carrie and Libby Johnson who also performed on Deb's first three albums)...
- So Outrageous/What Could I Do To You ~ "I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get funky". When she wasn't delivering the pop ecstasy of Everytime We Say Goodbye, Ana was mixing Miami Sound Machine style rhythms with an on-trend swing beat. While chart success had eluded her both Stateside and in the UK she was better known in Japan - so much so that a mini-club promo album was put together with a club mixes of both So Outrageous and What Could I Do To You. It was incredibly difficult to track down and I paid a ridiculous amount for it towards the back of 1990 (it also included the album mix of Everytime We Say Goodbye). Both songs were definitely pop chart fodder and the remixes amped up the grooves for a club audience ready for some more decadent hard-house vibes from the singer.
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