Pe, this was awesome. I love Janet, and this track and record were career-defining, not just for her but for generations. Thanks for such a wonderful deep dive and your amazing storytelling!
You mention about the work done by Janet with Jam and Lewis on her voice, which has never been "big" in the tradition of many black female vocalists.. There's an interesting section on her Wiki entry that expands upon this which made me think about the vocal styles that sit best with electronic production. A mention also for the album cover artwork by Tony Viramontes which remains striking.
Great point and question, Paul. With Jam & Lewis, they collaborated with a diverse range of vocalists, and some, like Cherelle, lean more toward the classic tradition. And you’re absolutely right about Tony Viramontes’ work—it’s truly stunning and played a significant role in the album’s success.
Thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts, Paul. Wishing you a fantastic weekend!
What a perceptive and poignant chronicle of Janet Jackson’s journey and impact on music. Brilliant writing!
Control is one of my favorite albums from the late 80s. Janet’s voice—both physical and metaphorical—was so strong and clear. I recall driving across the U.S. by myself during the summer of 1987 and listening to this album over and over for two-and-a-half days. Janet’s confidence was infectious and helped to bolster mine.
As I was writing this, I found myself reminiscing about the 1986-1987 period of my life. What Have You Done For Me Lately was a chart-topper in 1986, making the song and its album hugely popular in the Benelux. I’m pretty sure I own every twelve-inch release from that album, in every version imaginable! 😊 I actually learned beatmixing on Jam & Lewis productions, so this era holds a lot of big memories for me too, Daddy DeFunk. It’s amazing how much influence this album—and Janet herself—had during that time. It was probably amplified by the fact that the follow-up, Rhythm Nation, became even bigger. Thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts, Daddy DeFunk. Enjoy your weekend!
This was fantastic Pe, really enjoyed learning more about this song. Of course I remember the song and the album from back in the day. And I knew how much the sound of the album was defined by Jam and Lewis but I never knew they were from Prince’s backing band. What an amazing impact their firing had on music! Not just for Janet but as you say, for R&B as a whole and the legion of musicians that were influenced by that album and its sound.
Pe, this was awesome. I love Janet, and this track and record were career-defining, not just for her but for generations. Thanks for such a wonderful deep dive and your amazing storytelling!
Thanks for this wonderfull compliment and sharing Andy ! Enjoy your Sunday
You mention about the work done by Janet with Jam and Lewis on her voice, which has never been "big" in the tradition of many black female vocalists.. There's an interesting section on her Wiki entry that expands upon this which made me think about the vocal styles that sit best with electronic production. A mention also for the album cover artwork by Tony Viramontes which remains striking.
Great point and question, Paul. With Jam & Lewis, they collaborated with a diverse range of vocalists, and some, like Cherelle, lean more toward the classic tradition. And you’re absolutely right about Tony Viramontes’ work—it’s truly stunning and played a significant role in the album’s success.
Thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts, Paul. Wishing you a fantastic weekend!
What a perceptive and poignant chronicle of Janet Jackson’s journey and impact on music. Brilliant writing!
Control is one of my favorite albums from the late 80s. Janet’s voice—both physical and metaphorical—was so strong and clear. I recall driving across the U.S. by myself during the summer of 1987 and listening to this album over and over for two-and-a-half days. Janet’s confidence was infectious and helped to bolster mine.
As I was writing this, I found myself reminiscing about the 1986-1987 period of my life. What Have You Done For Me Lately was a chart-topper in 1986, making the song and its album hugely popular in the Benelux. I’m pretty sure I own every twelve-inch release from that album, in every version imaginable! 😊 I actually learned beatmixing on Jam & Lewis productions, so this era holds a lot of big memories for me too, Daddy DeFunk. It’s amazing how much influence this album—and Janet herself—had during that time. It was probably amplified by the fact that the follow-up, Rhythm Nation, became even bigger. Thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts, Daddy DeFunk. Enjoy your weekend!
This was fantastic Pe, really enjoyed learning more about this song. Of course I remember the song and the album from back in the day. And I knew how much the sound of the album was defined by Jam and Lewis but I never knew they were from Prince’s backing band. What an amazing impact their firing had on music! Not just for Janet but as you say, for R&B as a whole and the legion of musicians that were influenced by that album and its sound.