El DeBarge is the self-titled debut album by El DeBarge. It was released in 1986 on Gordy Records (a sub-label of Motown and featured the hit singles, "Who's Johnny" and "Love Always". Singer/actress Vanity featured on backing vocals on the track, "Secrets Of The Night". This album went gold.
Jason Elias of Allmusic rated El DeBarge two-and-a-half out of five stars. He stated: "While the setup and idea are still exciting on paper, [the album] is a disappointment." He also stated that "the majority of the [...] tracks just don't do anything to enliven the product or accentuate his voice", and concluded by saying: "The fact that DeBarge didn't have a hand in producing or writing the songs all but made this ho-hum from the start."
Personnel
El DeBarge – vocals
Vanity - background vocals ("Secrets Of The Night")
Jay Graydon – synthesizer, guitar, songwriter, arranger, producer, engineer