The Greatest Hits: The Power of Great Music in Bloomington, MN

James Ingram
racked up a number of
adult contemporary
-styled
R&B
pop
hits in the 1980s, many of them duets, and the bulk of those hits are collected on this 12-track 1991 compilation. His music may at times seem somewhat melodramatic, registering on the
spectrum somewhere between
Michael Bolton
and
Billy Ocean
, but nonetheless exemplifies top-notch 1980s
production at its zenith. This set includes his two hit duets with
Patti Austin
, those being
"How Do You Keep the Music Playing"
and their timeless chart-topper
"Baby Come to Me."
Also included is his monster duet with
Linda Ronstadt
,
"Somewhere Out There,"
and his hit duet with
Michael McDonald
, the funky
"Yah Mo B There"
(definitely one of
Ingram
's coolest songs). A few rarities make an appearance, including
"Where Did My Heart Go?"
from the film
City Slickers
, and the
BET
theme
"Remember the Dream."
To round out the collection are his solo hits, among them the Grammy-winning
"Just Once,"
"One Hundred Ways,"
and his only solo chart-topper,
"I Don't Have the Heart."
Buyer beware, however, because a more "extensive" hits collection,
Forever More
, was issued in 1999, with newly recorded (and inferior) versions of
To this date, however, this short set stands as the definitive
retrospective. ~ Jose Promis