As The Band Turns
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Album Summary
As The Band Turns arrived in 1985 on A&M Records, marking another chapter in the rich story of Atlantic Starr — that sprawling, soulful ten-piece outfit out of White Plains, New York, featuring the talents of the Lewis brothers (David, Wayne, and Jonathan) alongside Sharon Bryant, Barbara Weathers, Timmy Allen, Porter Carroll, Thurron 'Thorn' Mallory, Duke Jones, and Joseph Phillips. The album was produced by the band's own David Lewis and Wayne Lewis, keeping that creative fire right in the family, so to speak, and the result was a record that leaned into the smoother, more polished side of mid-80s funk and soul while still carrying that warm, organic groove the group had been building since the late 1970s.
Reception
- "Secret Lovers" became the album's breakthrough single, crossing over to reach mainstream pop audiences and becoming one of Atlantic Starr's most recognized recordings.
- The album performed strongly on the R&B charts, cementing the group's place among the premier soul acts of the mid-1980s.
- Critical reception acknowledged the band's ability to balance slick, radio-ready production with genuine emotional depth — a balance not every act of that era managed to strike.
Significance
- As The Band Turns stands as a prime example of mid-80s soul sophistication, showcasing how a large ensemble could harness the era's polished production aesthetic without losing the communal warmth that defined classic R&B group recordings.
- "Secret Lovers" in particular became a cultural touchstone of the decade, its bittersweet narrative resonating with listeners far beyond the traditional R&B audience and earning the track a place in the broader 80s pop conversation.
- The album represents a pivotal moment in Atlantic Starr's career, featuring the vocal contributions of both Sharon Bryant and Barbara Weathers — a dual feminine presence that gave the group a distinctive harmonic identity rarely matched in the genre at that time.
Samples
- "Secret Lovers" — one of the most recognized slow jams of the 1980s, the track has been interpolated and sampled across R&B and hip-hop productions, with its melodic signature and lyrical theme making it a recurring reference point for artists exploring themes of forbidden romance.
- "Silver Shadow" — sampled by various hip-hop and R&B producers drawn to its rhythmic groove and lush instrumentation, contributing to the track's quiet but steady presence in the world of sample-based music.
Tracklist
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A1 Freak-A-Ristic 109
4:05
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A2 Cool, Calm, Collected 120
4:02
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A3 One Love 115
3:55
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A4 In The Heat Of Passion 101
4:38
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A5 If Your Heart Isn't In It 134
4:03
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B1 Silver Shadow 108
4:55
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B2 Let's Start It Over 85
5:32
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B3 Secret Lovers 81
5:30
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B4 Thank You 111
4:28
Artist Details
Atlantic Starr was a soulful American ensemble that brought a rich, layered sound to the 1980s, blending the warmth of soul with the rhythmic pulse of disco under the A&M Records banner. The group drew its power from a deep roster of talent — including the Lewis brothers David, Wayne, and Jonathan alongside vocalists Sharon Bryant and Barbara Weathers — creating a family-rooted chemistry that you could feel right through the speakers. With members like Timmy Allen, Porter Carroll, Thurron "Thorn" Mallory, Duke Jones, and Joseph Phillips rounding out the collective, Atlantic Starr was never just a band — they were a full-on musical movement, baby.
