Emotional (Jeffrey Osborne album)

{{Album ratings

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1score = {{Rating|1.5|5}}Elias, Jason. [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r14631|pure_url=yes}} Emotional - Review]. Allmusic.com

|rev3 = The Village Voice

|rev3Score = B{{cite web|url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=5582|title=Consumer Guide Album Jeffrey Osborne: Emotional|author=Christgau, Robert|publisher=Village Voice|website=robertchristgau.com}}

}}

AllMusic editor Jason Elias, who had praised previous albums by Osborne, called it "quite a disappointment" and "not exactly a work of cohesion." He found that Emotional "is overly slick with poor song choices and barely there vocals" and compared it to Whitney Houston's early material "with its use of multiple producers and pop material." Connie Johnson from Los Angeles Times felt that "while lacking a blockbuster [...] this album is well-balanced in its blend of exuberant, up-tempo cuts and heart-rending love songs. Simplicity would have gotten the point across far better. Still, in his bid for a broader audience, Osborne hasn’t sacrificed all of the soul basics."{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-06-01-ca-8544-story.html|title=MR. OSBORNE CARVES OUT A SOULFUL NICHE|author=Johnson, Connie|date=June 1, 1986|website=Los Angeles Times}}

{{Track listing

| headline =

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| total_length =

| title1 = We Belong to Love

| writer1 = Rod Temperton

| extra1 = {{hlist|Temperton|Jeffrey Osborne}}

| length1 = 4:35

| title2 = You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song)

| writer2 = {{hlist|Andy Goldmark|Bruce Roberts}}

| extra2 = Richard Perry

| length2 = 4:26

| title3 = Soweto

| writer3 = {{hlist|Elizabeth Lamers|Frank Musker|Hamish Stuart}}

| extra3 = {{hlist|Musker|Stuart|Osborne}}

| length3 = 4:54

| title4 = In Your Eyes

| writer4 = {{hlist|Dan Hill|Michael Masser}}

| extra4 = Masser

| length4 = 3:16

| title5 = Room with a View

| writer5 = {{hlist|Adrienne Anderson|Eddie Schwartz}}

| extra5 = Perry

| length5 = 4:07

| title6 = Who Would Have Guessed

| writer6 = {{hlist|T.C. Campbell|Osborne}}

| extra6 = {{hlist|Campbell|Osborne}}

| length6 = 5:02

| title7 = Emotional

| writer7 = {{hlist|David Bryant|Diane Warren}}

| extra7 = Perry

| length7 = 4:36

| title8 = A Second Chance

| writer8 = {{hlist|George Duke|Randy Goodrum|Osborne}}

| extra8 = Duke

| length8 = 4:38

| title9 = Love's Not Ready

| writer9 = {{hlist|T.C. Campbell|Osborne}}

| extra9 = {{hlist|Campbell|Osborne}}

| length9 = 4:01

| title10 = Come Midnight

| writer10 = {{hlist|T.C. Campbell|Osborne}}

| extra10 = {{hlist|Campbell|Osborne}}

| length10 = 4:56

}}

Performers and Musicians

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• Jeffrey Osborne – lead and backing vocals, handclaps (1), percussion (9)
• Bobby Lyle – keyboards (1), handclaps (1)
• T.C. Campbell – keyboard solo (1), keyboards (3, 6, 9, 10), synthesizers (10)
• Andy Goldmark – synthesizers (2), drum programming (2)
• Bruce Roberts – synthesizers (2), drum programming (2)
• Robbie Buchanan – additional synthesizers (2), electric piano (4)
• Jeff Lorber – additional synthesizers (2), synth solo (7), guitar (7), drum programming (7)
• Hamish Stuart – keyboards (3), synth solo (3), guitar solo (3), backing vocals (3)
• Bob Moore – keyboards (3)
• Randy Kerber – acoustic piano (4)
• Bill Payne – acoustic piano (5)
• David Tyson – synthesizers (5), drum programming (5)
• Steve George – additional synthesizers (5)
• Howie Rice – additional synthesizers (5)
• Steve Mitchell – additional synthesizers (5), synthesizers (7), drum programming (7)
• George Duke – Yamaha DX7 (8), Synclavier (8)
• Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar (1, 2, 4, 9)
• Dann Huff – guitar (2, 5)
• Charles Fearing – guitar (5, 6)
• Chuck Gentry – guitar (8)
• Maitland Ward – guitar (9, 10)
• Freddie Washington – bass (1), handclaps (1)
• Nathan East – bass (4, 5, 7)
• Byron Miller – bass (10)
• John Robinson – drums (1, 2, 4, 6, 8), handclaps (1), brushes (9), tom-tom fills (9)
• Ricky Lawson – drums (3, 9, 10)
• Paul Fox – drum programming (5)
• Eddie Schwartz – drum programming (5)
• Rod Temperton – Roland TR-808 (1), handclaps (1)
• Paulinho da Costa – percussion (2, 5, 7)
• Michael Masser – arrangements (4)
• Gene Page – arrangements (4)
• Alex Brown – backing vocals (1, 2, 10)
• Portia Griffin – backing vocals (1, 3, 6, 8, 10), lead vocals (6)
• Joyce Kennedy – backing vocals (1)
• Marcy Levy – backing vocals (1)
• Vesta Williams – backing vocals (1)
• Bunny Hall – backing vocals (2)
• Stephanie Spurill – backing vocals (2)
• Yolanda Davis – backing vocals (3, 6, 10)
• Kevin Dorsey – backing vocals (3)
• Lynette Hawkins – backing vocals (5, 7)
• Tramaine Hawkins – backing vocals (5, 7)
• Michelle Jordan – backing vocals (5)
• Jeanie Tracy – backing vocals (5, 7)
• Walter Hawkins – backing vocals (7)
• Lynn Davis – backing vocals (8)
• Marta Woodhull – children's choir director on "Soweto"
• Children's choir on "Soweto" – Monica Calhan, David Chan, Kelly Chan, Kristina Chan, Susan Guzman, Michelle Poston, Becky Ramirez, Jessica Robertson, Teri Robin, Andrea Scott, Tasha Scott, Veronique Vicari, Angela White and Christopher White

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Production and Technical

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• Jeffrey Osborne – producer (1, 3, 6, 9, 10)
• Rod Temperton – producer (1)
• Richard Perry – producer (2, 5, 7)
• Andy Goldmark – co-producer (2)
• Bruce Roberts – co-producer (2)
• Frank Musker – co-producer (3)
• Hamish Stuart – co-producer (3)
• Michael Masser – producer (4)
• T.C. Campbell – producer (6, 9, 10)
• George Duke – producer (8)
• Bradford Rosenberger – production coordinator (2, 5, 7)
• Alice Murrell – production assistant (8)
• Thaddeus Edwards – album production assistant
• Tommy Vicari – recording (1, 3, 6, 9, 10), mixing (1, 3, 4, 6, 8–10), remix engineer (2, 5, 7)
• John Boghosian – recording (2, 5, 7)
• Michael Brooks – recording (2, 5, 7)
• Phil Moores – recording (3)
• Dean Burt – recording (4)
• Michael Mancini – recording (4)
• Erik Zobler – recording (8)
• Larry Ferguson – additional engineer (1, 3, 6, 9, 10)
• Khaliq Glover – additional engineer (1, 3, 6, 9, 10)
• David Luke – additional engineer (1, 2, 3, 5, 7)
• Sharon Rice – additional engineer (1, 9, 10)
• Wally Buck – additional engineer (2, 5, 7)
• Glen Holguin – additional engineer (2, 5, 7), assistant engineer (2, 5, 7)
• Jay Rifkin – additional engineer (2, 5, 7)
• Ernie Sheesley – additional engineer (2, 5, 7)
• Laura Livingston – additional engineer (6)
• Ken Fowler – additional engineer (9)
• Julie Last – assistant engineer (2, 5, 7)
• Craig Miller – assistant engineer (2, 5, 7)
• Mitch Gibson – assistant engineer (8)
• Ralph Sutton – mix assistant (4)
• Mixbusters – album remixing
• Brian Gardner – mastering
• Chuck Beeson – art direction, design
• Bonnie Schiffman – photography
• Ton Sur Ton – wardrobe
• Jack Nelson & Associates – management

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Studios

• Recorded at Lion Share Recording Studio, The Complex, Studio 55 and Record One (Los Angeles, CA); Fantasy Studios (Berkeley, CA); Music Grinder Studios, Baby'O Recorders and Le Gonks West (Hollywood, CA); Devonshire Sound Studios (North Hollywood, CA); The Hit Factory (New York, NY).
• Track 8 mixed at Lion Share Recording Studio.
• Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, CA).

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class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"| Chart (1986) ! scope="col"| Peak position
{{album chart|Canada|81|chartid=0691|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 14, 2025}}
{{album chart|Billboard200|26|artist=Jeffrey Osborne|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 18, 2021}}
{{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|5|artist=Jeffrey Osborne|rowheader=true|accessdate=February 18, 2021}}

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class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"| Chart (1986) ! scope="col"| Position
scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard){{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1986/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums|title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1986|work=Billboard|accessdate=February 18, 2021}} | 33

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{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|artist=Jeffrey Osborne|title=Emotional|award=Gold|relyear=1986|certyear=1986|accessdate=February 18, 2021}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

{{reflist}}

{{Jeffrey Osborne}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1986 albums

Category:Jeffrey Osborne albums

Category:A&M Records albums

Category:Albums produced by George Duke

Category:Albums produced by Richard Perry

Category:Albums produced by Rod Temperton

Category:Albums produced by Michael Masser