De La Noche: The True Story – A Poperetta
1986 studio album by Paul Jabara
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De La Noche: The True Story – A Poperetta is the fifth and final studio album by American actor, singer and songwriter Paul Jabara. The concept/musical album, released on Warner Bros. Records in the United States in 1986, it features guest vocals by Leata Galloway who also appeared on Jabara's previous album Paul Jabara & Friends (1983).
| De La Noche: The True Story - A Poperetta | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1986 | |||
| Recorded | 1986 | |||
| Genres | Pop, Soul, Disco | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Paul Jabara | |||
| Paul Jabara chronology | ||||
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Background and release
Described as a "Latin/Salsa-influenced concept album from dance record musician Jabara",[1] De La Noche tells the story of Mama De La Noche and her eight daughters, who are separated at birth and reunited years later. The singer faced difficulties securing a major-label to release the album, which took two years to be picked up by a record label due to executives continuing to associate him with the declining disco era.[2]
According to Jabara, a portion of the album's proceeds would be donated to AIDS-related causes.[2]
De La Noche: The True Story - A Poperetta remains unreleased on CD. (Note: According to Discogs, this album was released in compact format in 2019, under the label of Premium Series Gmbh in Europe.)[3]
Singles
The tracks "Ocho Rios" and "This Girl's Back in Town" were issued as singles. The single "Ocho Rios" was released as a 12" LP in February 1986,[4] and peaked #42 at Billboard's 12 inch Singles Sales (Disco) chart.[5] An accompaning long-form music video, running approximately nine-and-a-half minutes, was produced specifically for nightclub play. Warner Bros. promoted the video through a campaign involving more than 100 clubs across 25 U.S. markets.[6] The music video generated controversy over perceived racial overtones and was reportedly under consideration by MTV.[2]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "De La Noche (Woman Of The Night) / Ocho Rios" | Bob Esty, Paul Jabara, Paul Issa | |
| 2. | "One From Your Heart" | David Wolfert, Paul Jabara | 3:14 |
| 3. | "Deena's Dilemma/The Crime" | Harold Wheeler, Paul Jabara | 3:21 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4. | "Entracte / De La Noche (Woman Of The Night) (Reprise) / The Search (Find Them!)" | Bob Esty, Paul Jabara, Harold Wheeler | 6:06 |
| 5. | "This Girl's Back In Town" | Bob Esty, Paul Jabara | 5:20 |
| 6. | "Finale: (Montage) Mama's Fever" | Paul Jabara and Company | 4:32 |
Credits
Credits adapted from the LP back cover (Warner Bros. Records, catalog no. 9 25381-1, 1-25381).
- Producer: Paul Jabara
- Executive-producer: Craig Kostich
- Illustration [Front/back Cover]: Jeremy Railton