Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio were amidst a successful career when album number four, A Woman Need Love, hit stores in 1981. The album’s first single “is “A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do.) The song was written as a counterpoint to the group’s previous hit, “Jack and Jill.” That song was is written from “Jack’s” viewpoint of being neglected, just as “A Woman Needs Love” is written from “Jill’s” perspective, as the lyrics indicate: “by the time poor Jack returned up the hill, someone else had been loving Jill.”
“It’s Your Night” takes things to the dance floor and gives the band a chance to show off their instrumentation skills. “That Old Song” is a fan favorite that talks about a former love that anyone can relate to when you think about an ex before finding the right one. “All in the Way You Get Down” finds the group dabbling in a sound popularized by Heatwave and Rod Temperton. Honestly, hearing this song would feel right at home on Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall.
“You Can’t Fight What You Feel” and “Old Pro” are both solid album tracks, while “Still in the Groove,” a follow-up to the instrumental funk hit “For Those Who Like to Groove,” should gratify fans looking for a good time. The album closes out with the sappy ballad “So Into You.” As we all know, Parker would go onto a successful solo career, so maybe his heart wasn’t entirely in this project. Nevertheless, A Woman Need Love features enough likable material to close out the group’s brief four-album catalog.
Final Grade: B-
A Woman Need Love is available on all streaming platforms.
Thirty years ago, in 1995, Bad Boy Records was a top-notch record label, but over a decade later, it had begun to lose its luster. While the “Bad Boys II” soundtrack and the debut album from Da Band did numbers, no real superstars were left on the label.
Whether it’s the loss of a celebrity you grew up with or a daily dumb remark from our current commander-in-chief, three months in 2025 are already getting crazy. So, for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I decided to change it up and offer something inspirational like Mariah Carey and her 2006 hit “Fly Like A Bird.”
Music video director David Yarovesky brings together Bill Skarsgård and two-time Academy winner Anthony Hopkins for his third feature film, “Locked” from the Avenue. Horror icon Sam Raimi produces the film, while Michael Arlen Ross pens the film’s screenplay.