The DeBarges

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title: "The DeBarges" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1981-debut-albums", "debarge-albums", "gordy-records-albums"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_DeBarges" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

Field	Value
name	The DeBarges
type	studio
artist	The DeBarges
cover	The DeBarges.jpg
released	April 6, 1981
recorded	August 1980 – March 1981
genre	R&B
length	36:45
label	Gordy
producer	El DeBarge, Bunny DeBarge, Bobby DeBarge
next_title	All This Love
next_year	1982
::

| name = The DeBarges | type = studio | artist = The DeBarges | cover = The DeBarges.jpg | alt = | released = April 6, 1981 | recorded = August 1980 – March 1981 | venue = | studio = | genre = R&B | length = 36:45 | label = Gordy | producer = El DeBarge, Bunny DeBarge, Bobby DeBarge | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = All This Love | next_year = 1982 | noprose = yes | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = | rev2 = Robert Christgau | rev2Score = A− |rev3 = Tom Hull – on the Web |rev3Score = B+ () The DeBarges is the debut album by DeBarge, released by Gordy Records on April 6, 1981. It saw limited success and stalled on the charts; the group felt it was not properly promoted. As a result, they revisited The DeBarges by including two songs on their subsequent recordings: "Queen of My Heart" was included on their third album, In a Special Way, while "Share My World" was included on their fourth, Rhythm of the Night.

Track listing

; Side A

1. "What's Your Name" (Bobby DeBarge, Bunny DeBarge, El DeBarge) - 4:35
2. "Dance The Night Away" (Mark DeBarge, Randy DeBarge) - 4:50
3. "You're So Gentle, So Kind" (Bunny DeBarge, El DeBarge) - 4:40
4. "Queen of My Heart" (El DeBarge) - 3:49

; Side B

1. "Hesitated" (Bunny DeBarge, El DeBarge, Mark DeBarge, Randy DeBarge) - 3:42
2. "Saving Up (All My Love)" (Bill Gable, Jon Lind) - 4:16
3. "Share My World" (Bunny DeBarge, El DeBarge) - 5:39
4. "Strange Romance" (Joe Blocker, Reggie Andrews) - 5:00

Personnel

The DeBarges

• Bunny DeBarge – lead and backing vocals, vocal arrangements (1–7)
• El (Eldra) DeBarge – Fender Rhodes, lead and backing vocals, vocal arrangements (1–7), rhythm arrangements
• Bobby DeBarge – keyboards, lead and backing vocals, vocal arrangements (1–7), rhythm arrangements, horn and string arrangements
• Randy DeBarge – bass, lead and backing vocals, vocal arrangements (1–7)
• Mark DeBarge – percussion, lead and backing vocals, vocal arrangements (1–7)

Additional personnel

• Reggie Andrews – keyboards, rhythm arrangements, vocal arrangements (8)
• Larry Von Nash – keyboards
• Michael Boddicker – synthesizer programming
• Todd Cochran – synthesizer programming
• Charles Fearing – guitars
• Paul Jackson, Jr. – guitars
• Nathan East – bass
• Eddie Watkins, Jr. – bass
• Ollie E. Brown – drums
• Leon "Ndugu" Chancler – drums
• Harvey Mason – drums
• Joe Blocker – vocal arrangements (8)
• Eric Butler – horn and string arrangements
• Clare Fischer – horn and string arrangements

Production

• Producer – Bobby DeBarge
• Co-Producers – Bunny DeBarge and Eldra DeBarge
• Engineer – Bobby Brooks
• Assistant Engineer – Michael Johnson
• Recorded and Mixed at Motown/Hitsville U.S.A. Recording Studios (Hollywood, CA).
• Art Direction – Johnny Lee
• Design – Ginny Livingston
• Photography – Matthew Rolston

References

References

1. {{AllMusic
2. Christgau, Robert. "The DeBarges". Robert Christgau.
3. Hull, Tom. (April 19, 2021). "Music Week".
4. "DeBarge would skyrocket into another realm of superstardom with 1983's In a Special Way". Wax Poetics Magazine.
5. "DeBarge would skyrocket into another realm of superstardom with 1983's In a Special Way". Wax Poetics Magazine.

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