Charlene - I´ve Never Been To Me (1982)

 

Artist:  Charlene 

Title:  I´ve Never Been To Me

Year:  1982

Format:  LP

Label:  Motown 

Genre:  Pop  

Catalog#   542025

Her mom christened Charlene (born June 1, 1950, in Hollywood, CA) Charlene Marilynn D'Angelo. Who would have thought a recording career with Motown, years later, would twist and turn more than a Rubik's Cube? She signed to the label in 1973, when she was 23 years old, as Charlene Duncan. Her first single, "All That Love Went to Waste," came in January 1974, sandwiched between Edwin Starr's "Ain't It Hell Up in Harlem" and the Jackson Five's "Dancing Machine.

She next appeared on Motown's Prodigal label three years later with "It Ain't Easy Comin' Down," which was credited to Charlene, though an album issued the same month had Charlene Duncan on the spine (confusingly, it was titled Charlene). Another album, Songs of Love from May 1977, was a repackaging of the previous album with a new version of one song, "I've Never Been to Me," this time missing a spoken bridge. Issued as her third single, it became the most successful to date with a number 97 showing on the charts. She released one more single on Motown, 1980's "I Won't Remember Ever Loving You," but then was dropped until 1982, when "I've Never Been To Me" became a radio hit. Motown re-recorded the song with the deleted spoken bridge which preached about abortion and unborn children and it soared to number three on the pop chart in 1982.

Unfortunately, Charlene was never able to follow up her lucky break with another hit. "Used To Be," a duet with Stevie Wonder, though it was her last chart entry. But after leaving Motown again in 1985, she seemingly dropped from the face of the earth.

Side one

1   I've Never Been To Me   (3:47)  

2   It Ain't Easy Coming Down   (3:28)  

3   Can We Try   (3:46)  

4   Hungry   (3:23)  

5   Hey Mama   (3:33)  

Side two

1   I Won't Remember Ever Loving You   (4:12)  

2   Johnny Doesn't Love Here Anymore   (3:52)   

3   After The Ball   (3:28)  

4   I Need A Man   (4:16)  

5   If I Could See Myself   (2:47)

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