Here We Go
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Album Summary
Here We Go is a posthumous release from the incomparable Minnie Riperton, put out in 1980 by Capitol Records — a full year after the world lost her on July 12, 1979, when she passed from breast cancer at just 31 years young. This was not a new studio album in the traditional sense, beloved — this was the label reaching into the vault, pulling together recordings from her existing catalog to keep that light burning just a little longer. There was no artist sitting across from a producer in the booth, no late nights laying down fresh tracks. What there was, was a legacy so powerful that Capitol knew the people needed more Minnie, and they answered that call with this two-track release built from the soul she had already poured into the tape. It stands as a testament to what she left behind — a voice so rare, so otherworldly, that even after she was gone, it still had something to say.
Reception
- No verified chart performance data has been confirmed for Here We Go, as the release exists outside Riperton's core discography and documentation from this posthumous period remains limited.
- Posthumous Riperton releases from this era were generally met with reverence by critics, who understood that any opportunity to revisit her extraordinary five-octave soprano was a gift rather than a commercial exercise.
- Public reception was shaped heavily by the deep grief and renewed appreciation that followed Riperton's 1979 passing, giving even a modest release emotional weight far beyond its physical format.
Significance
- Here We Go stands as a rare artifact of one of the most gifted vocalists soul music has ever produced, preserving Riperton's luminous artistry for listeners who came to her work after her far-too-early departure from this world.
- The release reflects the cultural moment of 1980, when the industry and the listening public were still reckoning with the loss of Riperton and working to ensure her influence on soul, R&B, and pop remained part of the living conversation.
- As a posthumous work, Here We Go carries the particular historical significance of a label honoring an artist whose five-octave range and deeply expressive style had already begun reshaping what vocalists believed was possible — a legacy that only grew stronger with time.
Tracklist
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A Here We Go —
4:04
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B Return To Forever 84
4:07
Artist Details
Minnie Riperton was one of the most breathtaking vocal talents Chicago ever gave to the world, a classically trained soprano who came up through the late 1960s with the psychedelic soul group Rotary Connection before blazing her own trail as a solo artist in the early 1970s with her 1974 masterpiece *Perfect Angel*, blending soul, pop, and lush orchestration into something that felt like pure heaven. Her 1975 hit "Lovin' You," co-written with her husband Richard Rudolph and produced by Stevie Wonder, showcased that impossibly gorgeous five-octave range — including those ethereal whistle tones that nobody before or since has touched quite like she did — and shot straight to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Tragically, Minnie battled breast cancer with extraordinary grace and courage, becoming an early spokesperson for the American Cancer Society before her passing in 1979 at just 31 years old, leaving behind a legacy so luminous and tender that her music still feels like a warm light that never goes out.
