''Over My Heart'' is the seventh and final studio album by American singer Laura Branigan. Released in August 1993, it was Branigan's most personal album and saw her again try her hand at producing, alongside successful producer

Phil Ramone Philip Ramone (né Rabinowitz, January 5, 1934March 30, 2013) was a South African-born American recording engineer, record producer, violinist and composer, who in 1958 co-founded A & R Recording, Inc., a recording studio with business par ...

. While the

Gloria Estefan Gloria Estefan (; born Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García; born 1 September 1957) is a Cuban-American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is a seven-time Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been ...

-penned "Love Your Girl" was aimed for the clubs that made her famous, the album was ballad-heavy, including the opener "How Can I Help You To Say Goodbye"; the Spanish-language "Mujer Contra Mujer"; "Mangwane (The Wedding Song)" (taught to her by her friend Stevie Godson, who was also the executive producer on the track), sung in Sotho, a South African language, and recorded there with the Mmabana Children's Choir; and several of her own compositions, "Didn't We Almost Win It All" and "Over You".

Critical reception

Chuck Eddy from ''

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'' wrote, "Branigan’s 1982 hit, ”

Gloria Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkins) ...

”, took

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

to operatic extremes, and her ’84 ”

Self Control Self-control, an aspect of inhibitory control, is the ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behavior in the face of temptations and impulses. As an executive function, it is a cognitive process that is necessary for regulating one's b ...

” was basically Joy Division’s Goth-punk classic, ”She’s Lost Control”, made more lurid. Nowadays, Branigan is beating

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

at Dion’s own game, dancing between a loudly sung boom and a lonely housewife gloom. On ''Over My Heart'', she climbs out on a new limb, belting out lyrics in Spanish and a South African dialect. But she’s still rending hearts, especially when she remembers the day her family moved away from her best friend in a ’59 station wagon."

"Didn't We Almost Win It All"

"Didn't We Almost Win It All" was released as the first single from the album.

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

from ''

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'' described the song as "a sweeping power-ballad" from Branigan's "delicious (but sadly underrated) ''Over My Heart'' album." He added, "Branigan's distinct, crystal-clear voice is warmly familiar, running through a gamut of theatrical emotions as only she can. The arrangement is packed with grandiose piano rushes, nimble guitar riffs, and pounds of faux-strings. Like sinfully tasty candy for the brain."

Track listing

Personnel

*Laura Branigan -

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

, background vocals *Beatrice Akuoko, Dela Amuzu, Gloria Ayee, Manuela Ayee, John:Carol Bukenya, Ann Davis, Rena Davis, Slaveca Gavrilovic, Khumo Khaole, Malebogo Felicity Mabille, Bruce Molema, Mpho Pharasi, Mokgoberg Refilwe Phirwa, Thenjiwe Roda, Refilwe Roselinda Moiloa, Golda Schultz, Barbara Sentongo, Sphumele Sibeko, Khanyisa Thakula - children's chorus *Jacob Bantsejang, Gladys Kgadiete, Bushy Monakwane, Grace Msumbu, Patricia Tong, Ingrid Tubo - vocals *John Benjamin Bukrnya, Christina Luboyera, Neo Carol Matte, Valentine Kgothatso Motlhabi - choir *Billy Branigan, Jill Dell'Abate, Rory Dodd, Joy Francis, Karen Kamon, Curtis King, Charles Mangold - backing vocals *Tony Beard, Kevin Wells -

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

*Brian Bec Var, Jeff Jacobs, Clay Ostwald, Eric Rehl, Peter "Ski" Schwartz, Dave "Squiggy" Biglan -

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

*Billy Branigan, Jorge Casas, Bushy Monakwane -

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

*Billy Branigan, Charlton Pettus, David Spinozza -

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

John McCurry John McCurry (born June 24, 1957) is an American musician and composer, a guitarist, songwriter and singer based in New York City. He has worked with many well-known musical artists, including Chicago, Cyndi Lauper, Billy Joel, David Bowie, Ali ...

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...

*Dave Greenfield, Jeff Greenfield, Steve Greenfield -

alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in E, smaller than the B tenor ...

* Bashiri Johnson -

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

Lenny Pickett Lenny Pickett (born April 10, 1954) is an American saxophonist and musical director of the ''Saturday Night Live'' band. From 1973 to 1981 he was a member of Tower of Power. He is known for his skill in the altissimo register (executed by using ...

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while th ...

Production

*Producers: Laura Branigan, Billy Branigan, Jorge Casas, Clay Ostwald,

, Stevie Godson *Engineers: Charles Dye, Danny Grigsby, Lolly Grodner, Richard Mitchell, Clay Ostwald *Assistant engineer: Louis Alfred III, Jim Caruana, Sean Chambers, Tom Fritze, Alister Glyn, Andy Grassi, Ron London, Jennifer Monnar, Michael Thompson *Mixing: Danny Grigsby, Lolly Grodner, Jay Healy, Andy Smith *Mixing Assistant: Andy Smith *Mastering: Greg Calbi *Programming: Jorge Casas, Roy McDonald, Clay Ostwald *Project coordinator: Jill Dell'Abate *Sampling: Roy McDonald *Arranger: Laura Branigan, Billy Branigan, Jorge Casas, Jeff Jacobs, Clay Ostwald, Phil Ramone, Eric Rehl, Peter "Ski" Schwartz *Computers: Roy McDonald

Charts

References

{{Authority control Laura Branigan albums 1993 albums Albums produced by Phil Ramone Atlantic Records albums