UB Black Music Month Spotlight: The Voice of Lisa Keith
Singer/Songwriter Lisa Keith is best known for her vocals on the classic Herb Albert 1987 single “Making Love In The Rain,” which also features vocals by Janet Jackson.
Today, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis released their new single “Somewhat Loved (There You Go Breakin’ My Heart)” with Mariah Carey. The song is from Jam and Lewis’ upcoming highly anticipated album “Jam & Lewis, Volume One” being released on July 9th.
For this Black Music Month Spotlight we decided to feature the former voice of Flyte Tyme; Lisa Keith, who was originally going to be the lead vocalist on the original Jam and Lewis album.
The album was called “The Secret” and Jimmy and Terry started working on it in 1985. At the time tentative plans were to include artists they’d worked with (like they did with Volume One) and have Lisa as main vocalist. Jimmy described it at the time as, “a cross between an actual band and a Quincy Jones album.”
Regardless the project never came to light, but Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis signed her as the first female singer on Perspective Records.
Lisa was originally signed to Clarence Avant‘s Tabu Records, where Jimmy and Terry started out as house producers.
In 1993 she released her debut album “Walkin’ In The Sun.” Lisa said at the time; “The album was first supposed to happen in 1985, but things kept getting in the way,” she stated. “Jimmy and Terry kept putting it off because they were busy with other projects. When they finally got their own label a couple of years ago, the time was right.”
The album featured production and writing credits by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Narada Michael Walden, Spencer Bernard (Lisa’s Husband) and Lisa Keith herself. The first single from the album “Better Than You” reached #36 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and the follow-up single “I’m in Love” reached the Hot 100 as well.
Lisa’s voice is amazing and has not only been featured on “Making Love In The Rain,” but countless other songs by such artists as Patti LaBelle, New Edition, MC Lyte, Karyn White, Yolanda Adams and Johnny Gill to name a few. As well as songwriting credits for New Edition’s “Crucial” and Nona Hendryx’s “Why Should I Cry.”
Jimmy Jam said in an interview; “we had a girl named Lisa Keith. Lisa was our go-to background singer. She could sing anything.” Case in point, another big song from Jam and Lewis “Human,” from The Human League has background vocals from Lisa as well. However that didn’t go over well with Susanne and Joanne, so Terry created the spoken-word part for Joanne to recite additional.
Although Lisa’s debut album was highly slept on, it’s an amazing musical body of work. Including some classic gems like “Closer,” “True To You” and the third single to be released from the album “Love Is Alive And Well.”
Lisa Keith was last performing with her band, Lisa Keith & Good City Soul.
Stream “Walkin’ In The Sun” and Check Out Some Visuals!
