Pure Attraction Explained
Pure Attraction is the fourth full-length album by singer-songwriter Kathy Troccoli, released on October 29, 1991, through Reunion Records.[1] [2] Coming five years after her 1986 album, Images, Pure Attraction saw Troccoli shifting away from Christian music and into mainstream pop territory, with two songs written by Diane Warren. It featured the top five CCM and top twenty pop hit "Everything Changes", and featured seven songs co-written by Troccoli. The album peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart.
Track listing
- "Everything Changes" (Diane Warren) - 4:25
- "Can't Get You Out My Heart" (Warren) - 4:24
- "You've Got a Way" (Troccoli, Jeff Frenzel) - 3:55
- "Only Love Can Know" (Troccoli, Ric Wake, Rich Tancredi) - 5:14
- "Help Myself to You" (Troccoli) - 4:14
- "The Hard Days" (Troccoli, Bill Montvilo) - 4:06
- "Love Was Never Meant to Die" (Troccoli, Frenzel) - 4:47
- "You and I" (Stevie Wonder) - 3:16
- "Love Has Found Me Here" (David Ray, Troccoli, Montvilo) - 4:40
- "You're Still Here" (Troccoli, Jack Fowler) - 4:01
Critical reception
Brian Mansfield of AllMusic gave Pure Attraction 4 out of 5 stars saying "Troccoli's first recording after a five-year absence was her most commercial, with the Diane Warren-penned 'Everything Changes' hitting Top Five on CHR radio. Troccoli had developed her songwriting during her time away; she wrote seven of Pure Attraction cuts, emphasizing the torch-song style she loves."
Jonathan Priday of Cross Rhythms criticized Pure Attraction for the vocal-heavy production by Ric Wake who had previously worked with Mariah Carey and Taylor Dayne. Priday wrote that the "result is an imbalance in the tracks which leans too heavily on soulful ballads like 'Love Was Never Meant To Die' and 'You're Still Here.' The quality of [Toccoli's] voice is not in question – it has a richness that makes a pleasant change from the 'little girl' vocals we get plagued with."[3]
Production
- Produced by Ric Wake
- Executive producers – Michael Blanton and Terry Hemmings
- A&R – Cindy Dupree
- Recorded and mixed by Bob Cadway
- Assistant engineers – Dan Hetzel and Thomas R. Yezzi
- Mastered by Stephen Marcussen at Precision Mastering (Hollywood, CA).
- Coordinator – David Barratt
- Art direction – D.L. Rhodes
- Design – Buddy Jackson
- Photography – Diego Uchitel
Personnel
- Kathy Troccoli – lead and backing vocals
- Rich Tancredi – keyboards, arrangements
- Bob Cadway – guitars
- Al Pitrelli – guitars
- Mark Russell – bass
- Joey Franco – drums
- Jim Hobson – drum and percussion programming
- Richie Cannata – saxophone
- Ric Wake – arrangements
- Mary Davis – backing vocals
- Tony Harnell – backing vocals
- Billy T. Scott – backing vocals
- Tina Stanford – backing vocals
- Joe Lynn Turner – backing vocals
- Brenda White-King – backing vocals
Remixes
- The song "Everything Changes" was remixed by Ric Wake, Larry Robinson and Richie Jones, and re-released as a 12-inch single in 1992. The track listing is as follows:
- Everything Changes (Extended Hot Mix)
- Everything Changes (Wake Up The House Mix)
- Everything Changes (The Underground Dub Mix)
- Everything Changes (The Underground Mix)
- Everything Changes (The Underground House Mix)
- The Hard Days (LP Version)
Charts
Radio singles
| Year | Singles | Peak positions |
|---|
| CCM AC[5] | CCM CHR[6] | US Hot 100 | US AC |
|---|
| 1991 | "Love Was Never Meant to Die" | 1 | 8 | — | align="center" | - |
| 1992 | "Help Myself to You" | 1 | 1 | — | align="center" | - |
| 1992 | "Everything Changes" | 5 | 1 | 14[7] | 6[8] |
| 1992 | "You've Got a Way" | 7 | 8 | align="center" | - | 7[9] |
| 1992 | "Love Has Found Me Here" | 9 | 10 | — | align="center" | - | |
Notes and References
- Kathy Troccoli: Pure Attraction. 1991. Reunion Records.
- The Billboard Guide to Contemporary Christian Music . Alfonso . Barry . 2002. registration. 259-60. . 0-8230-7718-7.
- https://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/products/Kathy_Troccoli/Pure_Attraction/4241/
- Top Christian Albums. Billboard. May 2, 1992.
- Book: CCM Hot Hits: AC Charts 1978 – 2001 . . 2003 . 1-4107-3294-0 . Brothers . Jeffrey Lee. 215.
- Book: CCM Hot Hits: Christian Hit Radio - 20 Years of Charts, Artist Bios and More . . 1999 . 0-8230-7718-7 . Brothers . Jeffrey Lee. 166.
- Billboard Hot 100 . April 25, 1992. Billboard.
- Billboard Adult Contemporary. May 2, 1992. 79. Billboard.
- Billboard Adult Contemporary. August 22, 1992. 69. Billboard.
