Secrets Of Flying
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Album Summary
Johnny Kemp, that smooth-voiced son of the Bahamas, brought his full charm and charisma to bear on 'Secrets of Flying,' released in 1988 through Columbia Records. This was a man who had something to prove, and the label knew it — so they surrounded him with the kind of sleek, synthesizer-laced production that was setting the late-1980s R&B world on fire. The result was an album that wore its era proudly, sitting right at that sweet spot where classic funk-soul tradition was shaking hands with something newer and hungrier. Columbia was building a formidable urban contemporary roster at the time, and Kemp was one of their crown jewels — a vocalist with the pipes and the presence to hold his own in one of the most competitive moments the genre had ever seen.
Reception
- The album rode the massive wave of its breakthrough single 'Just Got Paid,' which climbed into the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and hit the summit of the R&B charts in 1988, giving Kemp his most defining commercial moment.
- Critics praised the album's polished, radio-ready production and Kemp's silky vocal delivery, though some reviewers felt that the material beyond the lead single did not quite reach the same electrifying heights.
- The album posted solid numbers on the Billboard R&B albums chart, firmly establishing Kemp as a legitimate force in the urban contemporary market and not merely a single-driven flash in the pan.
Significance
- The album stands as a carefully preserved snapshot of a pivotal transitional moment in Black popular music — one foot planted deep in the funk-soul tradition of the 1970s and the other stepping boldly toward the new jack swing era that would reshape R&B in the early 1990s.
- Kemp's Bahamian roots and magnetic stage energy gave 'Secrets of Flying' a cultural texture and warmth that set it apart from its contemporaries, broadening the range of voices and experiences represented within Columbia's urban contemporary family.
- 'Just Got Paid' transcended its chart run to become a genuine cultural touchstone of late-1980s R&B, a record that DJs kept reaching for long after the charts had moved on and one that secured the album's place in the conversation about the era's most enduring music.
Samples
- "Just Got Paid" — one of the most recognizable and heavily sampled R&B tracks of the late 1980s, with its infectious groove pulled into countless hip-hop and R&B productions across multiple decades, cementing it as a cornerstone of the sampling canon.
Tracklist
-
A1 Just Got Paid —
5:25
-
A2 One Thing Led To Another —
4:11
-
A3 My Only Want Is You —
4:50
-
A4 Dancin' With Myself —
5:31
-
B2 Feeling Without Touching —
5:40
-
B3 Just Like Flyin' —
6:21
Artist Details
Johnny Kemp was a Bahamian-born R&B and dance-pop artist who made his mark on the late 1980s music scene, bringing a smooth, funk-infused groove that had dance floors sweaty from Nassau to New York City. His 1988 smash "Just Got Paid" was one of those infectious cuts that locked itself into the soul of an entire generation, riding the crest of that new jack swing wave that was reshaping urban radio. Kemp may not have been a household name for long, but that record stands as a genuine artifact of its era, a reminder that sometimes one song is all it takes to leave your fingerprint on the music forever.
