We're Movin' Up is an album by the American band Atlantic Starr, released in 1989. The band supported the album with a North American tour that included a stint with Surface. The album peaked at No. 125 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums. "My First Love" and "My Sugar" were hits on the Black Singles Chart.
Production The album was produced by brothers and bandmembers David Lewis and Wayne Lewis. Singer Porsha Martin replaced Barbara Weathers; Jonathan Lewis joined on keyboards. "My First Love" includes a spoken intro by Wayne Lewis.
Critical reception
The Los Angeles Times stated: "Continuing to move in a pop direction, Atlantic Starr can attribute its success to well-crafted songs and its crafty selection of stand-out female group members to help embellish them." The Washington Post opined that "on the title song from its new album, We're Movin' Up, Atlantic Starr sings the chorus with the bland perkiness of anonymous jingle singers in a beer commercial."
The Palm Beach Post determined that We're Movin' Up "features some noteworthy songs from the seasoned professionals, but the album is ultimately bogged down by super-glossy, sound-alike ballads." The Buffalo News concluded that "tracks like the title cut and 'Don't Start the Fire' are filled with the driving rhythms that fans have come to expect."
AllMusic's Ron Wynn also noted "Prototype classy love ballads, dance-pop, urban contemporary production/arrangements, and one or two above-average leads. Atlantic Starr has shuttled personnel often but never tampered much with its basic formula. The group does it well, and there's little here that's disturbing, poorly performed, or routinely performed."
Track listing
Personnel
Atlantic Starr Wayne Lewis – vocals, backing vocals, keyboards, music programming and performance, lead vocals (1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12) Jonathan Lewis – keyboards, music programming David Lewis – vocals, backing vocals, keyboards, guitars, additional music programming and performance, lead vocals (2, 7-11) Joseph Phillips – percussion Porscha Martin – vocals, backing vocals, lead vocals (3, 4, 8, 9, 11)
Additional musicians Rich Aronson – keyboard sweetening Dave Dunn – keyboards, bass synthesizer programming, drum programming Rodney Frazier – keyboards Danny Howard – keyboards, bass synthesizer programming, drum programming Andy Bloch – guitars, electric sitar, guitar solo (5, 11) Mike "Dino" Campbell – guitars, guitar solo (3) Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars, electric sitar, guitar solo (8) Richard Feldman – bass synthesizer programming Dave Phillips – bass synthesizer programming, drum programming Ron Skies – bass synthesizer programming Paulinho da Costa – percussion V. Jeffrey Smith – saxophone solo (7) Gerald Albright – saxophone solo (11, 12) Audrey Wheeler – backing vocals
Music arrangements David Lewis – arrangements, horn arrangements (9, 11) Wayne Lewis – arrangements Gene Page – horn and string arrangements, co-horn arrangements (9, 11)
Production David Lewis – producer Wayne Lewis – producer Jonathan Lewis – associate producer Earl Cohen – engineer, mixing Iris Cohen – additional engineer, assistant engineer Fred Law – additional engineer John Wise – additional engineer, assistant engineer Ronald Blackwell – assistant engineer Mike Harlow – assistant engineer Michael Russo – assistant engineer Jim Singer – assistant engineer Ted Jensen – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York) Janet Levinson – art direction, design Alan Dockery – photography Gloria Armond – stylist Deborah Howell – make-up Toni Greene – hair Chiaki Shimada – hair Linea Dome by Jay Ko – fashions
Charts Chart (1989) PeakpositionBillboard Top Pop Albums125Billboard Top Black Albums26
References