Think with Your Heart

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Think with Your Heart
Studio album by
Debbie Gibson
ReleasedJuly 4, 1995 (1995-07-04)
RecordedDecember 1993–December 1994
Studio
  • RPM
  • Power Station
  • The Hit Factory
  • Sony (New York City)
  • Garage (Long Island)
  • Air (London)
Genre
Length42:35
LabelSBK
ProducerDeborah Gibson
Debbie Gibson chronology
Body, Mind, Soul
(1993) 		Think with Your Heart
(1995) 		Greatest Hits
(1995)
Singles from Think With Your Heart
  1. "For Better or Worse"
    Released: June 1995[1]
  2. "Didn't Have the Heart"
    Released: November 1995
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
PeopleUnfavorable[3]

Think with Your Heart is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson. It was released on July 4, 1995 via SBK Records, a label under EMI, and was her first album not released under her long-time label Atlantic Records. This album mostly focused on the adult contemporary market and as such the majority of the content included are ballads. Gibson solely produced the record and wrote all but one song. She largely recorded the album with a live orchestra.[4]

Receiving mixed reviews, the album was a commercial failure, failing to enter the Billboard 200 or Cashbox albums chart. It did enter the top-fifty of the Oricon Albums Chart in Japan, hitting number 46. The album was included in the 2017 box set We Could Be Together, with the Japan-only bonus tracks included.[5] It has sold 25,000 units in the United States.

Singles

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"For Better or Worse" was released as the lead single from the album in June 1995, receiving a positive review from Billboard magazine praising it as a "beautiful pop ballad that displays her marked maturity as both a singer and songwriter."[6] It was then commercially released in Japan on August 23, 1995.[7] The album's second and final single, "Didn't Have the Heart" was released in November 1995. Billboard also gave the single a positive review.[8] Both singles notably failed to enter any Billboard charts, although "For Better or Worse" did chart on the Radio & Records Adult Contemporary chart, peaking at number 30.[9]

Reception

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Billboard praised the album, nothing that "in her continuing efforts to establish herself as a credible, adult contemporary artist, onetime teen star Debbie Gibson delivers an album of well-written, passionately performed piano ballads and pop tunes. Despite the absence of a sure-fire smash, much of the material here stands a good shot of obtaining AC and Top 40 airplay" [10]

Cashbox were mostly positive in their appraisal, stating that "unlike many pre-packaged teen stars, Gibson always held aspirations of being a musician, not just a product. Whether she succeeds or not, at least she tries. On her latest effort the now 24 year-old singer/songwriter wrote 11 of the 12 tracks... some of the tracks are over-produced, but so are most of today’s hits. In addition, her cover of “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” is lovely. Gibson will never be a major artistic force, but cut the girl some slack, she’s earned it."[11]

AllMusic were more mixed in their review, commenting that the album was "a collection of soft, adult contemporary-oriented ballads that don't even have a hint of the dance-pop that sent her to the top of the charts. Perhaps that was intended as a sign of maturity, but it comes across as a lack of ideas - by the end of the record, she has stated all of her musical concepts at least twice. The first time around, they're pleasant but it gets a little monotonous after a while. Gibson remains a talented songwriter and arranger, but she needs to push herself a bit to come up with something a bit more melodic and varied to win back her old audience."[2]

The Vindicator named it the fifth worst album of 1995.[12]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Deborah Gibson, except where indicated

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."For Better or Worse" 3:24
2."Didn't Have the Heart" 4:45
3."Will You Love Me Tomorrow?"
3:26
4."Dancin' in My Mind" 3:31
5."Dontcha Want Me Now?" 4:19
6."Can't Do It Alone" 4:27
7."Think with Your Heart" 3:22
8."Too Fancy" 2:11
9."You Don't Have to See" 3:49
10."Two Young Kids" 3:15
11."Interlude/Tony's Rehearsal" 0:41
12."Let's Run Away" 5:25
Total length:42:35
Japan bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
13."Call Yourself a Lover"3:09
14."You Know Me"3:49

Personnel

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Musicians

  • Deborah Gibson - lead vocals, piano, keyboards
  • Steve Rosen - keyboards, piano, Hammond B3 (tracks 2–6, 9–10, 12–14)
  • Ira Siegel - guitar, acoustic guitar (tracks 1, 3, 14)
  • John Leventhal - guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin (tracks 6, 9, 12)
  • Bob Cranshaw - bass (track 1)
  • T-Bone Wolk - bass (tracks 2–6, 8–10, 12–14)
  • Bashiri Johnson - percussion (tracks 2–4, 10, 12, 13)
  • Steve Jordan - drums (track 1)
  • Russ Kunkel - drums, percussion, congas (tracks 2–6, 8–10, 13–14)
  • Arno Hecht - baritone saxophone (tracks 5, 8, 13)
  • Richie Cannata - tenor saxophone (tracks 4–5, 8–9, 13)
  • Ozzie Melendez - trombone (tracks 5, 8, 13)
  • Alan Chez - trumpet (tracks 5, 8, 13)
  • Shelley Woodworth - oboe (track 10)
  • Gavyn Wright - violin solo (track 2)
  • May Pang - strings contractor (track 1)
  • The London Session Orchestra - strings (tracks 2–4, 6–7, 10, 12)
  • B.J. Nelson - background vocals (tracks 3, 5, 6, 9, 13)
  • Diva Gray - background vocals (tracks 3, 9, 13)
  • Fonzi Thornton - background vocals (tracks 3, 5, 6, 9, 13)
  • Michelle Cobbs - background vocals (tracks 3, 5, 6, 9, 13)
  • Robin Clark - background vocals (tracks 3, 5, 6, 9, 13)

Production

  • Nathaniel Kunkel - engineer
  • Geoff Foster - engineer
  • Niko Bolas - engineer, mixing
  • Suz Syer - assistant engineer
  • Andy Grassi - assistant engineer, assistant mixing engineer
  • Glen Marchese - assistant engineer
  • Jon Bailey - assistant engineer
  • Steve Orchard - assistant engineer
  • Rory Romano - assistant engineer
  • David Voigt - assistant engineer
  • David Kutch - assistant engineer
  • Danny Kadar - assistant engineer
  • Henry Marquez - art direction
  • LuAnn Graffeo - art direction
  • Etsuko Iseki - design
  • Alberto Tolot - photography
  • Jill Dell'Abate - production coordination
  • Brian Koppelman - executive producer
  • Dave Collins - mastering (A&M Recording Studios)

Charts

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Chart (1995) Peak position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[13]
46

References

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  1. ^ "Debbie Gibson Puts 'Heart' Into Debut Album On SBK". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 21. p. 13. Think With Your Heart will be launched in mid-June, when the single "For Better or Worse" goes to AC radio.
  2. ^ a b Think with Your Heart at AllMusic
  3. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Think with Your Heart". Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). People.com.
  4. ^ Flick, Larry (May 27, 1995). Debbie Gibson puts 'Heart' into debut album on SBK. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 12–13. ISSN 0006-2510.
  5. ^ Sinclair, Paul (September 20, 2017). "New content added to Debbie Gibson 'We Could Be Together' deluxe set". Super Deluxe Edition. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  6. ^ Billboard, June 17, 1995. p. 57
  7. ^ "Debbie Gibson – "For Better or Worse" (Japan, CD, Mini, Single)". Discogs. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  8. ^ Billboard, November 11, 1995. p. 77
  9. ^ "R&R AC Top 30". Radio & Records. No. 1106. August 4, 1995. p. 105.
  10. ^ "Album reviews" (PDF). Billboard. No. 12 August 1995. p. 64. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  11. ^ "Pop Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. No. 29 July 1995. p. 9. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  12. ^ Campbell, Chuck (December 28, 1995). "1995 was a year to follow trends – not to create any new ones". The Vindicator. p. B9.
  13. ^ "デボラ・ギブソン". Oricon. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
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