After her successful work on the 1980 film, Fame, as well as recording the lead vocals for the main theme, Irene Cara was asked to reprise her role of Coco Hernandez for the forthcoming 1982 television series. However, she would decline, instead wanting to focus on a recording career.
She'd release her 1982 debut, Anyone Can See, that same year for Network Records, a new label created by industry legend Al Coury just a year prior. The title track would peak at number forty-two on the Billboard Hot 100, and overall, Cara was praised for her vocal versatility.
With all that stated, there is clarification needed here. While Anyone Can See is touted as her debut, it's technically not. She had already released the Spanish language album as Irene Escalera, her real last name. Specifically, 1967's Ésta es Irene (This Is Irene), at the age of eight. Her stage name, Irene Cara comes from her dropping her last name and instead using her first and middle name.
Personally, I didn't know anything from the album. Instead, it was an impulse buy after finding her 1987 released Carasmatic (Do you get it? Cara - smatic, instead of charismatic) for just a couple dollars during a used CD excursion. Basically, I ended up tracking down her debut because it was the only one missing in my collection from the 80's.
I did recognize the cover versions of the Four Top's Reach Out I'll Be There, and Leo Sayer's Thunder In My Heart, and they're serviceable. However, as it normally goes, these are inferior to the originals.
With that said, I will admit that Cara has an amazing voice, an incredible range, and can deliver solid music. All of the above is what drew me to her 1983 What A Feelin' album, which I've already done a Retro Spin on, and what ultimately made me grab her other albums from the era.
Overall, I would not rank this one a success. In fact, if it were my first exposure to her, I probably wouldn't go any further.
Fortunately, my first exposure was the aforementioned What A Feelin', and well, I suppose as a result of that, I now have all three of her albums from the 80's, which actually encompasses her entire discography of studio albums. Since, as noted above, I've already listed to Feelin', my next stop is 1987's Carasmatic, which I'll hit tomorrow. I'm hoping there's some unknown gems to be found.
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