Somebody's Watching Me (album)

After leaving his father's house, Berry Gordy , the founder of Motown Records , Kennedy Gordy moved to live with Gordy Sr.'s ex-wife Ray Singleton . Living there, Gordy Jr. began to compose music. Seeing the potential in a teenager, Singleton advised him to switch to the Motown Records, Jobete sub-label. ^[1] .

One night, Singleton overheard Kennedy recording the song “ Somebody's Watching Me, ” and thought she would be a good success. When Motown producer Curtis Anthony Nolen showed interest in this song, he immediately began producing this project. While working in the studio, Kennedy got the idea to invite Michael Jackson to the studio to play backing vocals in his song. Without really telling about his plans, Kennedy took Jackson and brought him to the studio. After Jackson was in the studio, Kennedy asked him to record choral parts with him. Jackson agreed ^[1] .

After recording the track, Singleton let Berry Gordy listen to him, who seemed to have a familiar voice in the song, but could not determine who was singing it. When Gordy found out that it was Michael Jackson, he was completely delighted ^[1] .

Not wanting to indicate his last name on the cover of the single, Kennedy took the pseudonym Rockwell during the recording (his half-brother Kerry Gordy five years earlier recorded the single under his own name, which was unsuccessful commercially). The title track of the album was one of the most successful hits of 1984 and along with the album received the status of gold. It was Gordy's most successful record as a musician and Rockwell has now reached a high position among Gordy's descendants. ^[1]

Allmusic reviewer Rick A. Buche called the album “an impressive debut with an emphasis on rock instrumental music.”

1. " Somebody's Watching Me " (Rockwell) 4:59
2. Obscene Phone Caller (Rockwell) 3:29
3. " Taxman " ( George Harrison ) 3:59
4. “Change Your Ways” (Norman Dozier, Curtis Anthony Nolen, Rockwell) 4:25
5. Runaway (Dozier, Nolen, Rockwell) 4:23
6. Wasting Away (Dozier, Nolen, Rockwell) 3:56
7. “Knife” (Mitchell Bottler, Norma Helms, Rockwell) 5:07
8. Foreign Country (Dozier, Nolen, Rockwell) 6:05

A quick version of “Knife” was released by another Motown label artist Monalissa Young. She also participated in the recording of this album as a backing vocalist.

• Producer: Curtis Anthony Nolen
• Recorded at: Mars Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA
• Sound Engineers: Arne Frager, J. Kew. Hall, Scott Skidmore, Bquer Tee. Jones III
• Mixdown: Arne Frager, Curtis Anthony Nolen, Rockwell , J. Kew. Hall, Steve Smith
• Sound Engineer: John Matousek

• Set Designer: Johnny Lee
• Design: Janet Levinson
• Consultant: Nancy Laviska
• Executive Producer: Ray Singleton

• Percussion, Percussion: Ricky Lawson, Philip Madayak, Rockwell, Anthony Santosusso
• Bass: Dave Cochran
• Guitars: Nicholas Brown, Thomas Jay. Parker
• Keyboards, Synthesizer: Norman Dozer, Russell Ferrante, Jim Fauber, Greg Caroucas, Michael Lang, Rockwell, Anthony Santasusso, Randy Waldman
• Backing vocals: Teri DeSario , Oma Drake, Marva Holholm, Jermaine Jackson , Michael Jackson , Lindy White, Monalissa Young, Terry Young

• All material is taken from Somebody's Watching Me (album) (English) on AllMusic
• and Somebody's Watching Me (album ) on the AllMusic website