Review: “Respect” by Judy Cheeks (CD, 1995)

Today’s Pop Rescue from an uncertain fate is the 1995 album Respect by American singer and actress, Judy Cheeks. Will this album demand respect, or does it have a Cheek to be in your collection? Read on…

Judy Cheeks - Respect (1995) album. — Judy Cheeks – Respect (1995) album.

The album bursts open with Reach which goes full on in volume with some fantastic gospel choir, with Judy alongside them over a dance beat. This tracks bounces along wonderfully, and whilst Judy’s vocals are quite soft in the verse, the build up to the chorus and the chorus itself is magnificent. We’re off to an excellent start. This was the album’s second single and it has so far given her her biggest UK hit, reaching #17 upon first release in 1994, and returning to the chart in 1996 where it peaked at #22.

‘I’m so in love, so in love, so in love with you’ Judy belts out at the start of lead single So In Love (The Real Deal). She’s soon joined by a thudding bass drum. The track is included here despite it having been released in 1993, where it reached #27 in the UK singles chart. The track does remind me stylistically somewhat of Kym Sims and Ce Ce Peniston – with its catchy house piano and dance beat. It’s a nice little blast of early 90’s music and it fits in here well.

That leads on to Could It Be (Falling In Love) and this has a really nice sounding shuffling percussive beat. Judy makes light work of the vocals and shows off her expertise with big dance vocals. She’s flanked by a catchy little riff that sounds like someone is puffing away into a melodica. Once again there are echoes of Kym Sims, but Judy definitely makes her mark on this song, not only as one of the co-writers.

This Time drops us in on some record scratches, R&B beats, and a more mellow sound. Here, Judy gets to show off her softer side in a Johnny Douglas and Tracey Ackerman written song. This seems like an easy stroll for Judy, and I’m left thinking of some kind of hybrid of Eternal (which Johnny worked with) and Lisa Stansfield. Still, it’s a nice contrasting song here in this album, and a new style for Judy to demonstrate what she can do.

Next up is Forgive And Forget and this retains the slower pace with this reflective song. Yet more nice shuffling snares, and a nice bass line leads us along straight into Judy’s vocals. Here, she’s joined by perfectly placed backing vocals which help to lift the mood of the song in all the right places, as well give her vocals from which to project her powerful big vocals from. A really nice track.

You’re The Story Of My Life follows this, and this track stood as the album’s fifth single, albeit a double-A with As Long As You’re Good To Me. Here though, this song is a lovely piano and Judy vocal. Her vocals are wonderfully rich and warm. An orchestra swells beneath her vocals, and you can hear her being lifted up not just in range but in emotion in this heart heavy song co-written by Diane Warren and Desmond Child. It’s a beautiful performance, and a real testimony to Judy’s vocal power.

Then it’s time for Respect, and this gives us a complete contrast in style, with a thick bass, stabbing house piano chords over a keyboard string pad. Judy’s dance vocals are back as a beat gallops along. This is a belting track, but the song stumbled at #23 in the UK singles chart.

Thudding beats, drum fills, and vocal samples usher in Joy To The World (and it is very much not the Christmas song). Instead, this is a wonderful thumping, hand clapping dance song. Here, Judy sounds right at home, giving us some more wonderful big dance vocals. She’s let loose on the vocal range here, and she sounds great.

Double-A side fifth single As Long As You’re Good To Me is next and this is a stark contrast to its companion You’re The Story Of My Life (earlier in the tracklisting). This is a belting dance track and it really thunders along. Judy’s vocals seem to make light work of the lyrics, giving her tons of opportunities to show of yet more of her huge vocals. I could imagine Rozalla or Ce Ce having a go at this.

We’re back into a slick R&B track next in the shape of Different Love. This is a smooth mellow track, with little background riffs that remind me of my brief play with eJay software samples. Still, Judy puts in a really nice emotive performance here. There’s also an uncredited rapper here, who is perfectly placed in the midst of the song, allowing Judy’s return to the mic to sound even stronger with the contrast between them. This is a really rich and smooth track.

I’m Only Here is next, and this really does sound very close to Just A Step From Heaven from Eternal’s first album – which turns out to be somewhat true, given that Judy co-wrote this with Denis Charles and Ronnie Wilson – the producers of that track! Sadly though, whilst musically this track sounds wonderful, Judy’s vocals are really quite buried and too quiet in the verses, which is a shame as she shines in the chorus.

Then it’s Wishing On The Same Star, which gives us another big ballad, complete with saxophone solo, again from songwriter royalty Diane Warren. This track really allows Judy to show off her vocal range in a song that sounds very much like it could be from amongst the tracks by Whitney Houston, Dina Carroll, or Mariah Carey. Judy sounds fantastic here though.

The album closes perhaps aptly with a Single Tear. We’re treated to Judy alongside a piano. This allows her to put in a heartfelt vocal performance as a simple synth. She’s soon joined by a nice heavy bass, light percussion, and chimes as the song builds with her vocals – which really do shine magnificently.

Judy Cheek’s lead single ‘So In Love (The Real Deal)’ from 1993.

Verdict

Over all, this album is a wonderful mixture of 90s dance bangers and loved up mid-tempo songs, with a shining vocal.

The album opens perfectly with the dance-fuelled Reach, and this brilliance continues into So In Love (The Real Deal), and Could It Be (Falling In Love). You’re The Story Of My Love is also a wonderful track for such different reasons. The album progresses well, giving us also some really slick R&B, and some Eternal rivalry and ballads. This mixture works fairly well, although the first ballad is a bit of a surprise for those not expecting non-dance tracks.

Whilst there’s no stinkers here, some of the tracks are a bit weaker (eg I’m Only Here), and the album would have been a little better with fewer slower songs thus committing Judy fully to dance diva status.