Alexander O'Neal is an R&B singer who had a string of top 10 hits in the second half of the 1980s in the US, UK and also in Ireland. He was born in 1953 in Natchez, Mississippi but moved to Minneapolis when he was 20. He is best known for his 1987 hit "Criticize" which climbed to number 4 both in the UK Singles Chart and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. His songs are produced by the successful R&B producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.
Sheila: Do you remember back in the 80s, everybody used to get on the dancefloor when the Alexander O'Neal hit Criticize came on?
Thelma: Oh yeah, great Jam that was!
One of the most successful R&B producer duo's of all time. They have worked together as producers since 1982 when they departed from the popular R&B group "The Time". They have produced hits for The S.O.S Band, Alexander O'Neal, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, New Edition, The Human League, Cherrelle, Thelma Houston, Patti Austin, The Force MD's and many other music artists. They have a very distinctive sound due to their heavy use of synthesizers and strong drum beats. Jam & Lewis produced fast dance tracks such as "Criticise" by Alexander O'Neal, "Miss you much" by Janet Jackson and "Encore" by Cheryl Lynn as well as slow ballads like "Can you stand the rain" by New Edition, "Tell Me if you Still Care" by The S.O.S Band and "Lets Wait Awhile" which was also a hit for Janet Jackson. On December 19, 2007 Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were declared "The Greatest Producers of All-Time," on "The Cedric Muhammad and Black Coffee Program" beating out Quincy Jones, Dr. Dre, Teddy Riley, DJ Premier, Holland Dozier and Holland, Kanye West, Babyface, The Bomb Squad, Gamble and Huff, Timbaland, and Phil Spector.
Hey, this sounds like a Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis track!
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