I Paralyze


I Paralyze is the seventeenth studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released in 1982 by Columbia Records. It was her only album for the label.
The album was a commercial failure, failing to chart. The album was promoted by the release of two singles, "Rudy", and "I Paralyze", both of which also failed to chart. Following the release of the record, Cher took a five-year hiatus from music to focus on her film career, partly due to the lack of successful albums and singles. She made a comeback in 1987 when she released the Platinum-certified album Cher.

Album information

Recorded in 1982, the album was produced by John Farrar and David Wolfert, and it is her first collaboration with composer and producer Desmond Child. The album was promoted only on American Bandstand and Solid Gold. It failed to chart and was largely ignored by critics. The album was released on CD for the first time in 1989 by "The Entertainment Company", Columbia Records, and CBS Records International. Later, in 1999, the album was reissued on the Varèse Sarabande reissue label under license from Sony Music.
The album contains various musical styles: the rock style of Black Rose on cuts such as "Walk with Me", "The Book of Love", and "Rudy"; a slight new wave sound in "I Paralyze"; some ballads such as "When the Love Is Gone" and "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?"; and an "old '80s" style on "Back On the Street Again" and "Games", which was recorded by Lisa Hartman for her 1982 album Letterock. "Rudy " and "I Paralyze" were released as singles to promote the album, but they were both unsuccessful. "Rudy" was originally recorded by French singer Dalida as "Quand je n'aime plus, je m'en vais". In a review of the single "Rudy," Billboard described the song as "a midtempo rocker which recalls the pulse and energy of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound." The review noted the fitting nature of this sound, pointing out that "Cher started out as a background singer for Spector sessions."
In 1981, Cher recorded a song with Meat Loaf called "Dead Ringer for Love" for his album Dead Ringer; the song was a hit in the UK, but was left off her album.

Critical reception

A review from Billboard noted, "Don't let the punky sunglasses on the cover fool you: this time around Cher stays very much within an Olivia Newton-John/Sheena Easton pop context, with a collection of songs she can easily include in her Las Vegas shows." While acknowledging that "Cher has her detractors," the review concluded that "her musical ability cannot be denied and she handles the A/C adult contemporary material here with aplomb if not sensitivity."
In a contemporary review for AllMusic, Bil Carpenter described I Paralyze as "a strong set" that features "a hardy rhythm section and good range of soft-rock and pop ballads well suited for Cher's vocals." He noted that the album successfully brought the singer "out of an outdated style into modern music," crediting the production work of John Farrar, who was known as Olivia Newton-John's producer. Carpenter highlighted the "girl-group-styled 'Rudy'" and the "piano ballad 'When the Love Is Gone'" as standout tracks.

Track listing

All tracks produced by David Wolfert except "I Paralyze" by John Farrar.

Personnel

  • Cher – lead vocals
  • Jai Winding – arranger, keyboards
  • Rick Shlosser – drums
  • Steve Lukather, Sid McGinnis, Carlos Rios, Thom Rotella – guitar
  • Ralph Schuckett – Hammond organ
  • Richard Crooks – percussion
  • Nathan East – synthesizer, bass guitar
  • David Wolfert – synthesizer, guitar, arranger, producer
  • Ed Walsh – synthesizer
  • Michael Boddicker – synthesizer, vocoder programming
  • John Farrar – guitar, backing vocals
  • Gary Herbig – saxophone
  • Steve George – background vocals
  • Tom Kelly – background vocals
  • Myrna Mathews – background vocals
  • Denise Maynelli DeCaro – background vocals, vocal contractor
  • Marti McCall – background vocals
  • Richard Page – background vocals
Technical
  • Executive producer: Charles Koppelman
  • Producer: John Farrar, David Wolfert
  • Reissue producers: Cary E. Mansfield, Mike Khouri
  • Reissue liner notes: Mike Khouri
  • Engineers: Dennis Ferrante, John Arrias
  • Mixing: Lee Decarlo
  • Remixing: Dan Hersch
  • Mastering supervisor, tape research: Bill Inglot
  • Art direction: Nancy Greenberg
  • Reissue design: Matt B.
  • Photography: Harry Langdon