Originally Posted by
smallworld
A selection of reviews, courtesy of the archives at WorldRadioHistory.com:
Record World / March 11, 1978
I HAD TO FALL IN LOVE
JEAN TERRELL - A&M SP 4676 $7.98
While this is only her first album, Jean Terrell's name should already be familiar to most as the replacement for Diana Ross in the Supremes. With producer Bobby Martin whose last project for the label was the immensely successful LTD, they combine impressively for a solid set.
Record World / March 18, 1978
Disco File
By VINCE ALETTI
Jean Terrell's album, "I Had to Fall in Love" on A&M, is another personal favorite right now, bringing back one of the richest female vocals around--surely the best lead singer the Supremes have had since the departure of Diana Ross--in a near-perfect showcase production by Bobby Martin. The style here is sophisticated soul, closer to the sort of tasteful yet emotionally touching material Terrell did with the Supremes under Frank Wilson's direction than to the Philadelphia get-down stuff Martin was famous for. Terrell sounds as good if not better than ever, her creamy, aching vocals transforming every song and, for our purposes, especially fine on "That's the Way Love Grows," the only consistently upbeat song here and a real beauty. Neither album* is heavy-duty disco but both are essential for anyone concerned with keeping upon the best new music in any area.
*Aletti also reviewed Dexter Wansel's VOYAGER album in the same paragraph.
Cashbox / March 25, 1978
I HAD TO FALL IN LOVE — Jean Terrell — A&M SP-4676 —
Producer: Bobby Martin — List: 7.98
Former 5th Dimension member Jean Terrell has recorded a strong debut album for A&M. She is a master at putting feeling and expression into flowing ballads, such as the title cut. The other selections roll along pleasantly, although none of the songs particularly stand out as immediate smashes. But the album on the whole is smooth and well-produced and is very easy to listen to. For R&B playlists.
HiFi Stereo Review / July 1978
JEAN TERRELL: I Had to Fall in Love.
Jean Terrell {vocals}; instrumental accompaniment.
No One Like My Baby; Change Up; No Limit: Rising Cost of Love: and five others.
A&M SP-4676 $7.98
Performance: Veiled
Recording: Disco-cardio
Bobby Martin's production and arrangements for former Supreme Jean Terrell's first solo album unfortunately keep her talent fairly well veiled, in the background, and at the service of the usual disco throb--in this case sounding uncomfortably like an amplified heartbeat. Terrell is able to shake free of it only once, in the title song, in which she's impressive both vocally and dramatically. Her voice hasn't much depth or color, but it does have a strong musicality and a uniquely plaintive, expressive tremolo that provides the rather ordinary lyrics with enormous dramatic punch. After that, however, it's right back to a Sargasso sea of musical cliches. Too bad; she deserves better. P.R. {Peter Reilly}
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