Meli'sa Morgan
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| Meli'sa Morgan | |
|---|---|
| Genres | R&B, house |
| Labels | Capitol, Pendulum, Orpheus |
| Associated acts | Shades of Love, High Fashion |
| Website | http://www.melisamorgan.com |
Meli'sa Morgan is an African American R&B singer born in Queens, New York who had a string of urban contemporary and house music hits in the 1980s and 1990s. She got her start in the music industry whilst singing with a church gospel choir called the Starlets of Corona. She cites Chaka Khan as a major influence.
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[edit] Early successes
Her initial chart entry was as the lead singer of the dance group, Shades of Love. They had a single entry on Billboard magazine's Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1982, the #26 "Body to Body (Keep in Touch)". This was re-popularized in 1994 by new remixes, "Body to Body (Keep in Touch)", and reached number 1 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart.
That same year, music entrepreneur Jacques Fred Petrus asked her to join his newly created studio group, High Fashion, that featured Morgan and two other New York vocalists, Eric McClinton and Alyson Williams. High Fashion's sole hit, "Feelin' Lucky Lately", reached #32 on the U.S. Black Singles chart. In 1983 Morgan left, and was replaced in the group by the jazz vocalist, Marcella Allen.
As a solo artist she topped the R&B chart with her cover version of Prince's "Do Me, Baby",[1] (the title track from her debut album) which also became her only Billboard Hot 100 entry, peaking at #46 in 1986. She had several solo hits on the U.S. dance chart as well, including "Still in Love With You," which hit #3 in 1992.
[edit] 2005 to present
After a lengthy hiatus, Morgan released her fifth solo album, I Remember. The first single, "Back Together Again", a song originally recorded by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, received moderate airplay on urban contemporary radio stations during early 2006 and peaked at number 46 on Billboard's R&B chart. The follow-up singles included "I Remember", "Will You?" and "High Maintenance" which was released in September 2006. New material by Meli'sa Morgan can be heard on a German release by Cool Million, which features Meli'sa Morgan on lead vocals on the opening track Sweet Baby. This proves she is still vocally on top condition.
[edit] Influence
A verse from Morgan's 1986 single "Fool's Paradise" was re-sung, with modified lyrics, by Mary J. Blige as the chorus to the 1996 Jay-Z single "Can't Knock the Hustle".
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions[2] | US certifications |
Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
UK | ||||
| 1986 | Do Me Baby | 41 | 4 | — | — | Capitol |
| 1987 | Good Love | 108 | 11 | — | — | |
| 1990 | The Lady in Me | — | — | — | — | |
| 1992 | Still in Love with You | — | 38 | — | — | Pendulum |
| 2005 | I Remember | — | 96 | — | — | Lu Ann |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart or was not certified | ||||||
[edit] Compilation albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | US certifications |
Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
UK | ||||
| 1996 | Do You Still Love Me?: The Best of Meli'sa Morgan | — | — | — | — | Razor & Tie |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart or was not certified | ||||||
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions[3] | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
US Dance |
UK[4] | |||
| 1985 | "Do Me Baby" | 46 | 1 | — | — | Do Me Baby |
| 1986 | "Do You Still Love Me?" | — | 5 | — | — | |
| "Fool's Paradise" | — | 24 | — | 41 | ||
| 1987 | "Deeper Love" | — | 74 | — | — | The Golden Child |
| "If You Can Do It: I Can Do It Too!!" | — | 2 | 27 | 86 | Good Love | |
| "Love Changes" (with Kashif) | — | 2 | — | — | ||
| 1988 | "Here Comes the Night" | — | 17 | — | — | |
| "Good Love" | — | — | — | 59 | ||
| 1990 | "Can You Give Me What I Want" | — | 33 | — | — | The Lady in Me |
| 1992 | "Still in Love with You" | — | 9 | 3 | — | Still in Love with You |
| "Through the Tears" | — | 18 | — | — | ||
| "I'm Gonna Be Your Lover (Tonight)" | — | 68 | — | — | ||
| 2000 | "How" (with JT Taylor) | — | 82 | — | — | A Brand New Me |
| 2005 | "Back Together Again" (with Freddie Jackson) | — | 46 | — | — | I Remember |
| 2006 | "I Remember..." | — | 86 | — | — | |
| "—" denotes the single failed to chart | ||||||
[edit] See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
[edit] References
- ^ Wynn, Ron. "Biography: Meli'sa Morgan". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4956. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
- ^ "Meli'sa Morgan US albums chart history". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4956. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
- ^ "Meli'sa Morgan US singles chart history". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4956. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
- ^ "Meli'sa Morgan UK singles chart history". chartstats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=4650. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
