What a Feelin'

What a Feelin'
Studio album by Irene Cara
Released November 2, 1983
Genre Dance-pop, Euro disco
Label Network/Geffen/Epic/Unidisc
Producer Giorgio Moroder
James Newton Howard
Irene Cara chronology

Anyone Can See
(1982)		 What a Feelin
(1983)		 Carasmatic
(1987)
Singles from What a Feelin'
  1. "Flashdance... What a Feeling"
    Released: April 1983
  2. "Why Me?"
    Released: October 1983
  3. "The Dream (Hold on to Your Dream)"
    Released: December 1983
  4. "Breakdance"
    Released: March 1984
  5. "You Were Made for Me"
    Released: July 1984

What a Feelin' is the second album by American singer-songwriter Irene Cara and her most successful album to date. Released in November 1983, this album is dominated by dance-pop and Euro disco songs produced by the legendary producer Giorgio Moroder, unlike her R&B-heavy debut. Many of the songs were co-written by Cara herself. The album includes the major hit singles, "Dream (Hold On to Your Dream)" (U.S. #37), "Flashdance... What a Feelin'" (her only #1 hit in the U.S.), "Why Me?" (U.S. #13), "You Were Made for Me" (U.S. #78) and "Breakdance" (which was her third and last Top 10 single in the U.S., reaching #8).

Although the album was a success thanks to its singles, it struggled to stay in the top 100 of the Billboard Top 200 Albums. Critics on Allmusic speculated that it was due to the fact that the album was released at the end of 1983 and the lead-off single, "Flashdance...What a Feelin'" had been released earlier that spring and people had already purchased either copies of the single or the best-selling soundtrack album to Flashdance.[1]

Singles

"Flashdance....What a Feelin'" was the first, although unofficial, single from the album and the theme song to the hit motion picture Flashdance, released in April 1983. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 28, 1983 where it stayed for six weeks and was also a big hit around the world. "Why Me?" was the second, and first official, single released in October 1983. The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 on October 22, 1983 and charted for fifteen weeks, peaking at #13 on December 3, 1983.[2] "The Dream (Hold on to Your Dream)" was the third single from the album and was featured in the film D.C. Cab. It entered the Billboard chart on December 10, 1983 and peaked at #37 on February 11, 1984, staying on the charts for a total of fourteen weeks.[2]

"Breakdance" was the fourth single from the album, released in March 1984. It entered the chart on March 24, 1984 and charted for a total of nineteen weeks. It peaked at #8 on June 9, 1984, making it her third and last top ten hit on the pop chart.[2] "You Were Made for Me" was the final single from the album and Cara's last charting song on the Billboard Hot 100. It entered the chart on July 28, 1984 and peaked at #78 on August 11 of that year. The song stayed on the charts for only five weeks.[2]

Critical reception

In a contemporary review for The Village Voice, music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a "C+" grade and was critical of Cara's songwriting and singing: "I wish she'd gotten her training in church rather than at Performing Arts."[3] In a retrospective review, Allmusic's William Ruhlmann gave it four-and-a-half out of five stars and said that, even though she sung and co-wrote the lyrics, Cara was mostly "the mouthpiece of Euro-disco producer Giorgio Moroder on these recordings."[1]

Track listing

Original

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Why Me?"  Irene Cara, Keith Forsey, Giorgio Moroder 4:38
2. "Breakdance"  Cara, Moroder, Bunny Hull 3:26
3. "You Took My Life Away"  Cara, Moroder 3:53
4. "Receiving"  William Sandman 3:42
5. "Keep On"  Arthur Barrow, Richie Zito 3:30
6. "The Dream (Hold on to Your Dream)"  Cara, Moroder, Pete Belotte 4:18
7. "Flashdance... What a Feeling (Starts on SIDE 2 from the LP)"  Cara, Forsey, Moroder 3:55
8. "Romance '83"  Cara, Moroder 4:00
9. "Cue Me Up"  Cara, Moroder 3:25
10. "Talk Too Much"  Cara, Forsey, Moroder 4:01
11. "You Were Made for Me"  Cara, Eddie Brown 3:53

1997 CD reissue bonus tracks

No. Title Length
1. "Flashdance... What a Feeling" (Radio Edit) 3:57
2. "Why Me?" (12" Mix) 7:03
3. "Breakdance" (Radio Edit) 3:27
4. "The Dream (Hold on to Your Dream)"   4:49
5. "You Took My Life Away"   3:53
6. "Keep On"   3:29
7. "Romance '83"   3:56
8. "Cue Me Up"   3:24
9. "Receiving"   3:42
10. "You Were Made for Me"   4:21
11. "Talk Too Much"   4:01
12. "Breakdance" (Extended Remix) 5:26
13. "The Dream (Hold on to Your Dream)" (Dance Remix) 6:49
14. "Flashdance... What a Feeling" (Extended Remix) 7:09
15. "Flashdance... What a Feeling" (Instrumental) 8:03

Chart positions

Chart (1983/1984) Peak
position
German Albums Chart[4] 29
Norwegian Albums Chart[5] 12
Swedish Albums Chart[6] 3
Switzerland Albums Chart[7] 8
US Billboard 200[8] 77
US R&B Albums[8] 45

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ruhlmann, William. "What a Feelin' - Irene Cara". Allmusic. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 http://www.billboard.com/artist/303878/irene+cara/chart
  3. ↑ Christgau, Robert (June 12, 1984). "Christgau's Consumer Guide: Turkey Shoot". The Village Voice (New York). Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Norwegian albums chart". charts.de. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
  5. ↑ "Norwegian albums chart". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
  6. ↑ "Swedish albums chart". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
  7. ↑ "Swiss albums chart". Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Billboard Albums". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2010-01-09.