Emerald City (Teena Marie album)

Emerald City is the seventh album by Teena Marie. It was released in 1986. The album is a stylistic departure for Marie, with strong rock and jazz influences favored over her established soul/funk style, and is a concept album. This proved puzzling for fans and critics, and the album sold poorly, peaking at #20 on the US Black Albums chart and #81 on the Billboard Albums chart. Two singles, "Lips to Find You" and "Love Me Down Easy," were released. These reached #28 and #76 respectively on the Black Singles chart, but neither charted on the Billboard Hot 100. However, "Shangri-La," while it never became a single or charted anywhere, became a staple of quiet-storm programming blocks on adult R&B radio.

Stevie Ray Vaughan played the guitar solo on "You So Heavy" and Stanley Clarke provided bass on "Sunny Skies".

Track listing

All songs written by Teena Marie, except where noted.

1. "Emerald City" – 4:10
2. "Once Is Not Enough" – 5:47
3. "Lips to Find You" (Bendrix, Marie) – 5:11
4. "You So Heavy" (Marie, Penny "P.J." Johnson) – 5:07
5. "Shangri-La" (Marie, Johnson) – 5:04
6. "Batucada Suite" – 5:06
7. "Love Me Down Easy" – 5:24
8. "Sunny Skies" – 7:14