Arcade

Description

Arcade is a multi-artist urban dance project released on Maranatha! Music in July 1988, manufactured and distributed by Word. The album was recorded by Roby Duke, Doug Doyle, Hal Sax, Scott Macklin, Tom Hall, and Eric Persing at various studios – Eric Persing Studio, Frontpage Studios, Whitefield Studios, and Triad Studios – with Duke producing. Mixed by Chris Taylor. Arrangements and programming by Richard Souther, with added synthesis by Eric Persing.

Featuring synthesizer overdubs by Richard Souther and Roby Duke, Marty Walsh on guitar, Eric Marienthal on saxophone, as well as backing vocals by Alfie Silas, Bill Batstone, Carolee Ostrom, Heather Ostrom, Jean McRath-Johnson, Kirsten Ostrom, and Pattie Howard. Featuring a cover of “When I Was Alone”, a song written by Sweet Comfort Band and originally featured on their debut album released on Maranatha! Music in 1977, as well as a cover of “S.O.S.”, a song written by Per-Erik Hallin and originally featured on his album Morgonluft released on Royal Music in 1985.

It’s a guess on my part that Arcade is intended to be the name of the group responsible for this Roby Duke produced project. It’s just ‘Arcade’ on the CD jewel box and cassette box spine, though several lead singers are credited alongside the few musicians and numerous back-up singers.

Whatever it is meant to be, the end result is a reasonably thoughtful and believable Christian crack at dance music credibility (!) with abundant crossover potential (!!).

Things start off with an adaptation of black pop’s current non-rap innovation, new jack swing (i.e., traditional soul/r&b elements fused with hip-hop’s polyrhythmic penchant) in «Best Friend» as sung by Yulby Groovin (so what’s her REAL name?!). The lyrics are a straightforward description of Christ, but ’tis catchy.

A prominent feature in this set’s also the application of singers sounding so much like Whitney Houston. Check Carrie McDowell on «Why Did He Break My Heart?» (in essence a secular love lament asking God why he did her wrong) and «New Start». Alphie Silas on «This Is Love» bears some resemblance to the toothy pop diva, too, though neither McDowell nor Silas have opportunity to exhibit similar vocal histrionics as Houston, thank goodness.

If Whitney-copping isn’t so strange, having a female, Kirsten Ostrom, performing a Bobby Brown-style beat ballad called «Covergirl» is. Have no fear that it has anything to do with those simpy Gnu Kids on the Block, either, though the last verse’s equation of Jesus being the fairest on the wall’s mirror pinches it some.

Duke comes up with a crossover-able ditty of less insistent danceability than some cuts here in «Watching the World Go Crazy», where the “You” could easily be in lower case and still be kosher. Per-Erik Hallin’s «S.O.S.» closes the package like a less bippity Dino (not the schmaltzy Greek pianist, but the dorky disco singer).

There’s more here besides, and mostly quite good. In total, it makes a dandy less frenetic companion piece to the recent Myrrh dance remix comp. But if you’re hoping for New Jersey-styled garage / soul house or some techno-hypnotic acid mixing, pick up the new Adeva and Coldcut albs and just put the Christian stuff on for guests. [Jamie Lee Rake, The Cutting Edge, December 1989]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/arcade/715595341)

CD tracklist:

01. Yulby Groovin – Best Friend – 4:10
02. Alfie Silas – This Is Love – 3:20
03. Kristen Ostrom – Covergirl – 3:46
04. Roby Duke – Watching The World Go Crazy – 3:39
05. Carrie McDowell – New Start – 3:31
06. Heather Ostrom & Kristen Ostrom – When I Was Alone – 3:51
07. Carrie McDowell – Why Did He Break My Heart – 3:40
08. Pattie Howard & Bill North – Creator Of Love – 3:17
09. Bill North & Aimee Williamson – Never Again – 4:12
10. Bill North – S.O.S. – 4:19

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Maranatha! Music.

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