(March 26, 2021) Few artists made more of an impact on popular music during the last three decades of the 20th century than the late, great Al Jarreau. His courageous blending of soul, jazz, scat and other styles made him an icon among music lovers, even as he sometimes frustrated record company executives who wanted to put him “in a box.”
Among his many, many albums over his career, Jarreau accumulated a slew of hits, a nice collection of which are included on his new compilation, Works. But the disc also includes some rare gems that haven’t been available for years.
The 1982 Michael Keaton comedy movie Night Shift had quite a soundtrack. Put together by pop writers and producers Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager and David Foster, the album included a number of stars. And among the original entries was a nice Jarreau song that captured the aura of early 80s popular music.
(March 26, 2021) Few artists made more of an impact on popular music during the last three decades of the 20th century than the late, great Al Jarreau. His courageous blending of soul, jazz, scat and other styles made him an icon among music lovers, even as he sometimes frustrated record company executives who wanted to put him “in a box.”
Among his many, many albums over his career, Jarreau accumulated a slew of hits, a nice collection of which are included on his new compilation, Works. But the disc also includes some rare gems that haven’t been available for years.
The 1982 Michael Keaton comedy movie Night Shift had quite a soundtrack. Put together by pop writers and producers Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager and David Foster, the album included a number of stars. And among the original entries was a nice Jarreau song that captured the aura of early 80s popular music.
“Girls Know How” was a popping midtempo, with a steady beat, strong horn and string sections, and that familiar voice doing its thing up front. It was an excellent addition to the movie, but has generally languished in the vaults since the soundtrack went out of print.
Fortunately, “Girls Know How” gets a new life as part of the Works collection, and it brings a smile as it literally pops from the speakers. Check it out below.
Al Jarreau – “Girls Know How”