Thanks to the stratospheric success of the album Break Out, The Pointer Sisters were the hottest female R&B band in the US, and were on an undeniable roll. It goes without saying that when a group had a mega hit with an album, the public and record label executives expect a major followup. The Pointers were more then capable and ready to deliver just that.
Even as Ruth Pointer's lead vocals saturated the radio airwaves with Neutron Dance, she joined her sisters Anita and June to start recording songs for the next album. The Pointers had an ace in the hole with their record producer Richard Perry. Perry, in his infinite wisdom, wanted to replicate the success of Break Out. The best way to do it was to invite back the writers that turned out such hits as Automatic, Jump (For My Love), and Neutron Dance. In addition, Richard had heard that a new group of guys that had recently formed Mr. Mister and liked some of their demos that they had recorded and reserved several of them for the Pointer Sisters. Richard Page, lead singer of Mr Mister, co-wrote several tunes for the upcoming album.
A major marketing campaign was underway for the Pointer's newest album. It was widely reported in trade magazines that even as the Pointer Sisters' album Break Out was certified triple platinum, a new album was on the horizon. The resulting album, christened Contact, yielded nine carefully vetted tracks and was released to the public in 1985. This blog will discuss the three singles released off the LP.
Dare Me: For the first single, the song that heralded the new LP was buried on side two. The samba-sounding Dare Me was released in June 1985. I first heard this song on the radio as I was working in my Mom's office shortly before school started. The mid-temp rocker that featured the Pointer Sisters' well-known harmonies, and boasted a sassy lead vocal by June. The song was a hit with both Pop and R&B audiences by peaking at number 11 and number 6. The video that accompanied the song was on heavy rotation on MTV, featuring the ladies and a troupe of boxers in a gymnasium.
Freedom: For the next single, Freedom was released. If Dare Me was the feisty, straight forward tune, Freedom was its polar opposite with its introspective, soulful, and dreamy performance by Anita. The tune was again aided by a video, and displayed images that represented freedom in America's conscious: Martin Luther King Jr, the Statue of Liberty, Abraham Lincoln, and John Lennon. Freedom was quite the departure for the Pointer Sisters and their audience; the song peaked at 59 Pop, but it fared better on the R&B chart at number 25.
Twist My Arm: The third and final single brought the dance factor back to the group. Another fun, sassy lead by Anita and really showcased the Sisters vocal acrobatics. Just give the track a listen to see what I mean. The uptempo rocker featured some fun, flirty lyrics, and a danceable beat. Once again, the video showcased the Pointers in eye popping colors and dancing with some guys all over the set. The Sisters had a guest star in their video in the form of Bobcat Goldthwait, who provided the comic relief! Twist should have been a return to form for the Pointers with its high energy, playful antics, but it only reached a dismal number 83 Pop, and number 61 on the Soul chart.
When Contact was released in July 1985, it provided the Pointers their second best-selling album and peaked at number 25 Pop, and 11 R&B. As usual, several songs were overlooked for single possibilities. One of those was Hey You. This soulful, mid-tempo tune was reminiscent of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On in the sense that the song looked at the happening of the world around them. Another overlooked tune was the title track, Contact. Once again, Ruth gave a spirited, gospel fueled lead, just like she had done on Neutron Dance. Ruth had a few songs that were hits on Break Out, yet no songs that featured her were released. The other song that should have been considered was Bodies and Souls. Fronted by June, this rocker had a hook that catches on the moment you hear it. For reasons known only to them RCA chose to ignore the songs written by Richard Page/Mr Mister. My guess is that with being label mates, RCA didn't want competition between the two groups on the charts. Mr. Mister was just taking off with Broken Wings and Kyrie. Smokey Robinson, who wrote for his group, The Miracles, often wrote hits for The Temptations (My Girl) and The Marvelettes (Don't Mess with Bill).
With all the songs overlooked, The Pointer Sisters had much to rejoice with this album. It was award Gold and Platinum status CONCURRENTLY in September 1985. A very impressive showing for a group that just had their first Platinum album in their second decade of recording and performing. It just shows that the public loved the Pointers and were excited for Contact. In addition, the album was nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group. Also, they scored another American Music Award for Favorite Group Video Artist (Soul/R&B)
If you want to hear the original album, or the expanded edition with single and album mixes, you can log onto Spotify and listen for free!
There a few more albums to come, but in the meantime, the Pointers were about to stumble onto a Goldmine......
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