Robbery is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Teena Marie, released on September 18, 1983. It is her first album for Epic Records, following her acrimonious departure from Motown the previous year. The album was written and produced by Marie herself and features contributions from Patrice Rushen, Paulinho da Costa, and Steve Ferrone among others. However, the album did not repeat the success of her last Motown release It Must Be Magic (1981) stalling at number 13 on the Black Albums chart and only reaching number 119 on the Billboard Albums chart.
The album placed three singles on the US Black Singles chart" "Fix It", peaking at #21, followed by "Midnight Magnet" (#31) and "Dear Lover" (#77).
In 2012, the album was re-released in a remastered and expanded CD edition containing four additional tracks.
Contents
Cassanova Brown
Included on this album is the infamous song, "Cassanova Brown". After meeting Rick James in the '70s and being signed to the same label, James and Marie began a relationship, first professional, progressing (according to Marie) to a romantic one, and finally leading to an engagement. Although James himself denied ever having a romantic involvement with Marie, she said they were engaged for a few weeks. When James' alleged infidelities came to light, Marie realized that she herself was a mistress; James had a girlfriend, Alfie Davidson, who would later substantiate that James and Marie were once an item, while she was his girlfriend. After the breakup, their relationship waned to a tumultuous friendship. The lyrics are very thinly veiled in her contempt for the situation.
Track listing
All songs written by Teena Marie.
"Robbery" - 5:23
"Playboy" - 5:23
"Shadow Boxing" - 6:49
"Midnight Magnet" - 6:02
"Fix It" - 4:44
"Ask Your Momma" - 5:25
"Dear Lover" - 5:18
"Stop the World" - 4:16
"Cassanova Brown" - 5:58
Bonus tracks - 2012 SoulMusic reissue
"Playboy" (US 12" Remix) - 5:51 (Expanded edition)
"Fix It" (US 12" Remix) - 6:30 (Expanded edition)
"Fix It" (Instrumental)(US 12" Remix) - 8:16 (Expanded edition)
"Midnight Magnet" (US 12" Instrumental) - 6:00 (Expanded edition)
Personnel
Credits for Robbery adapted from Allmusic
Teena Marie – lead vocals, backing vocals (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8), rhythm arrangements, synthesizer arrangements (1, 2, 4, 5, 6), vocal arrangements, horn arrangements (2, 3, 9), synthesizers (5, 6), string arrangements (5, 6), monologue (6)
Todd Cochran – synthesizers (1, 2, 4, 5)
Eric O'Neal – synthesizers (1, 5), synthesizer arrangements (5)
John Bokowski Jr. – Rhodes piano (2, 4, 6, 8), synthesizers (4), acoustic piano (7, 9)
Dwayne Wedlaw – synthesizer arrangements (4)
Patrice Rushen – synthesizers (6)
Keith Alexander – guitars (1, 4, 5)
Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars (2, 6, 8), guitar solo (3)
Greg Poree – acoustic guitar (3)
Marlo Henderson – guitars (4)
Charles Fearing – guitars (5)
Nick Brown – guitars (9)
Nathan East – bass (1, 4)
Anthony Jackson – bass (2, 6, 7)
Abraham Laboriel – bass (3)
Nathan Watts – bass (8), rhythm arrangements (8)
Stanley Clarke – upright bass (9)
Production
Teena Marie – producer
Bobby Brooks – recording, mixing
Niko Bolas – assistant engineer
Sabrina Buchanek – assistant engineer
David Egerton – assistant engineer
Carwell Johnson – assistant engineer
Barbara Rooney – assistant engineer
Stephen Marcussen – mastering at Precision Lacquer (Hollywood, California)
Penny "PJ" Johnson – production coordinator
Tony Lane – art direction
Nancy Donald – art direction
Ron Slenzak – photography
Reissue credits
Leo Sacks – reissue producer
Steven Berkowitz – A&R
Stacey Boyle – A&R, artist coordination
Jeremy Holiday – A&R, artist coordination
Patti Matheny – A&R, artist coordination
Darren Salmieri – A&R, artist coordination
Joseph M. Palmaccio – mastering
Brian Chin – liner notes
Howard Fritzson – art direction