(* Cherrelle with.... )
Chart entered : 28 December 1985
Chart peak : 6
Number of hits : 20
Alexander was born in Mississippi in 1953 but relocated to Minneapolis when he was 20. He sang with a number of local bands like Mystic, Wynd Chymes and Enterprise before joining Flyte Time alongside future super-producers Jam and Lewis. In 1981 the band were signed to Warner Brothers in a deal arranged by Prince. Alexander could not agree payment terms and so was replaced by Morris Day.
Alexander went off and formed his own funk outfit Alexander who put out a couple of 12 inch singles "Do You Dare" and "Attitude". Both are lengthy George Clinton-esque workouts . On the former Alexander is clearly the lead vocalist ; I'm not so sure it's him on the second.
In 1984 he was signed by Tabu Records as a solo artist and started doing backing vocals for the likes of The S.O. S. Band.
His first solo single "Innocent" came out in the US in January 1985, a hard slamming fairly tuneless funk number produced by Jam and Lewis with prominent backing vocals from label mate Cherrelle. It wasn't released in the UK and featured only in a medley on his eponymous debut LP six months later. The follow-up single in the US and first in the UK was "If You Were Here Tonight " written by The Time's keyboard player Monte Moir. In sharp contrast to its predecessor it's a languid piece of bedroom soul with Alexander's smooth controlled vocal bemoaning the lack of a bed partner. It's not my cup of tea but a well-crafted example of seductive 80s R & B. It wasn't a hit first time round here , or at all in the US , but made number 13 when re-released in February 1986.
Alexander's real breakthrough came with this one which wasn't on his album but his duet partner's. Cherrelle had scored the previous year with the hit I Didn't Mean To Turn You On ( later covered by Robert Palmer ) so she was, for the moment , higher in the pecking order than Alexander.
"Saturday Love " was another song written by Jam and Lewis and features ruminations from both participants in an adulterous affair who get together on a Saturday. Cherrelle leads off and performs the song's vital hook - the mantra "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Saturay Love" - a few times before Alexander comes in for the second verse. She does most of the song in a breathy tone which makes it easier for Alexander to come across as the stronger vocalist though she holds her own when they sing together. Again this sort of classy commercial soul doesn't do much for me but I can see why it was successful.
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