Light Up The Night

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1980’s <i>Light Up the Night</i> marked the end of the fruitful four-year partnership between the Brothers Johnson and Quincy Jones — a collaboration that produced some of the finest mainstream funk tunes of all time. The album was recorded simultaneously to Michael Jackson’s <i>Off the Wall</i> — Quincy Jones’ other big project of 1979 — and in many ways <i>Light Up the Night</i> is a sister album to Jackson’s immensely popular breakthrough record. Both were guided by Jones and arranger-songwriter-keyboardist Rod Temperton. Of the songs here, Temperton wrote “Treasure” and “All About Heaven” but his imprint is everywhere. The overall sound is very close to <i>Off the Wall</i>, and songs like “You Make Me Wanna Wiggle,” “Smilin’ on Ya” and “Celebration” could have easily fit into Jackson’s opus. The Johnsons helped develop “Get On the Floor” for Michael, and he returned the favor by co-writing “This Had To Be,” which also features his background vocals. Though it shows the duo transitioning out of their classic sound as Jones’ turned his full attention to Jackson, <i>Light Up the Night</i> is a fitting dénouement for one of the great R&B acts of the late ‘70s.

via Apple Music