SATURDAY'S SINGLES : PAULA ABDUL and HEART

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Good morning audiophiles and welcome to the return of Saturday's Singles, a Birthday edition. First up on our calendar of cakes, is 69 year old Californian  singer, songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality, Paula Abdul . Happy Birthday Paula ! Paula released her debut album, Forever Your Girl ( #1 in US, Australia, Canada) in 1988 on Virgin Records. It's title track is our first single today. It was written and produced by Oliver Leiber and peaked at #2 in Canada and on the Cash Box, and #1 in Canada and on the Hot 100. It's B-side is "Next to You", also from the same album. 

Album credits, in lieu of song credits :

Paula Abdul – lead vocals, backing vocals

Peter Arata – mixing assistant
Babyface – keyboards, producer, backing vocals

Glen Ballard – drums, producer, programming
Russ Bracher – engineer
Pattie Brooks – backing vocals

Wally Buck – engineer
Francis Buckley – engineer, mixing
Annette Cisneros – assistant engineer
Dave Cochran – guitar, backing vocals

Keith "KC" Cohen – mixing, producer
Delisa Davis – backing vocals
Tami Day – backing vocals
Jimmy Demers – backing vocals
Eddie M. – saxophone on "I Need You"

Al Fleming – assistant engineer

Basil Fung – guitar
Jon Gass – engineer, mixing

Bobby Gonzales – guitar
Danny Grigsby – assistant engineer
Evelyn Halus – backing vocals

Dann Huff – guitar
Tim Jaquette – engineer, mixing
Jesse Johnson – drums, keyboards, producer
Cliff Jones – assistant engineer, engineer

Kayo – synthesizer, synthesizer bass
Oliver Leiber – arranger, drum programming, guitar, keyboards, producer, programming
Jeff Lorber – drum programming, engineer, guest artist, keyboards, producer
Yvette Marine – backing vocals
Pat McDougal – assistant engineer

Lucia Newell – backing vocals

Ricky P. – keyboards
Pebbles – guest artist, backing vocals

L.A. Reid – drums, guest artist, percussion programming, producer
Angel Rogers – backing vocals
Josh Schneider – assistant engineer

Daryl Simmons – backing vocals
Bob Somma – guitar
St. Paul – arranger, bass, keyboards, Organ, vocoder
Kendall Stubbs – engineer

Randy Weber – programming, synthesizer
Steve Weise – engineer
Troy Williams - saxophone on "Forever Your Girl"
Wild Pair – vocals, backing vocals

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Our second Birthday celebration belongs to that of another California born vocalist, guitarist and flautist. Ann Wilson, one half of the sister duo, Heart, was born on this day in 1950. She celebrates her 71st Birthday today. Happy Birthday Ann ! Heart released the single, "Never" in September 1985 on Capitol Records. It hailed from their self titled 8th album (#1 US) and peaked at #6 on the Cash Box, #4 on the Hot 100, and #2 on the Mainstream Rock charts. It's flip side contains the track, "Shell Shock", from the same LP.

Again, from the album credits :

Ann Wilson – vocals

Nancy Wilson – lead guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, background vocals; lead vocals (track 4)
Howard Leese – lead guitar, keyboards, mandolin, background vocals

Mark Andes – bass guitar
Denny Carmassi – drums

 With :

Peter Wolf – synthesizers, acoustic piano

Mickey Thomas – background vocals (tracks 2, 6, 10)
Johnny Colla – background vocals (tracks 4, 8)

Grace Slick – background vocals (track 2)
Lynn Wilson – background vocals
Holly Knight – keyboards

Frankie Sullivan – solo guitar (track 7); additional guitar (track 8)

Technical :

Scotty Olson – guitar technician

Gary Clark – drum technician
Ron Nevison – production, engineering

Mike Clink – engineering assistance
Brian Foraker – second assistant engineer
Mike Reese – mastering at The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California)

Artwork :

Rebecca Blake – photography
Norman Moore – art direction, design

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