Randy Brown
Randy Brown was an American soul singer born in Memphis, Tennessee, around 1948–1952, renowned for his smooth vocals and romantic ballads in the late 1970s and 1980s. He started singing doo-wop and gospel in church before joining the group The Newcomers, who scored an R&B hit with "Pin The Tail On The Donkey" in 1971 on Stax Records.
Brown transitioned to solo work after leaving The Newcomers in 1973, releasing his debut single "Did You Hear Yourself" on Sta.x In 1977–1978, he signed with Parachute Records (later Chocolate City), impressing executives with "I'd Rather Hurt Myself (Than Hurt You)" and releasing his debut album Welcome to My Room, featuring tracks like "I Love You Baby." Influenced by Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and Al Green, he honed a deep, emotive style in Memphis's soul scene.
Brown's key albums include Midnight Desire (1980), The Love Machine (1982), and Don't Hold Back (1983), often produced by Homer Banks and Chuck Brooks. His lone chart hit, "We Ought to Be Doin' It," peaked at #16 on the R&B charts in 1980, with other singles like "You're the One" (#17 R&B) gaining cult followings. He recorded into the late 1980s on labels like Three-Way Records but remained underrated despite critical praise.
Brown was the brother of William Brown of The Three Lads and continued performing soul material rooted in Memphis traditions. He passed away on March 5, 2025, at age 72 (or 73), in Memphis, leaving a legacy of smooth, heartfelt R&B.
Intimately
A2 I'm Here 3:37
A3 I Was Blessed (The Day I Found You) 3:53
A4 I Thought Of You Today 5:44
B1 You Make Me Happy 3:32
B2 It Scares Me So 3:23
B3 Use It 5:14
B4 I Wanna Baby You 3:54
B5 Crazy 'Bout You Baby 5:28
Label: Parachute Records – RRLP 9012
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1979
Genre: R&B Soul
Style: Southern Soul, Disco
Randy Brown's Intimately album is primarily a smooth and deep soul record, celebrated by purists for its consistent quality. It was released on the Parachute label and features production and songwriting from Homer Banks and Chuck Brooks.
The album features smooth soul music with elements of funk and disco. The style is often compared to the mid-1970s work of artists like Lou Courtney or Ronnie McNeir, known for being both smooth and deep at the same time.
The record was produced by Homer Banks and Chuck Brooks, with arrangements by Paul Riser, and continues the "sexy seduction style songs" from Brown's previous album, Welcome to My Room, focusing on great love songs with compelling structures.
A range of skilled musicians contributed to the album:
Bass: Eddie Watkins Jr.
Drums: James Gadson
Guitar: Chuck Brooks, Paul Jackson Jr., Tim May
Keyboards: Greg Phillinganes, Larry Farrow, Sylvester Rivers
Background Vocals: Brenda Russell, Elaine Hill, Maxine Anderson, Michele Aller, Patti Brooks, Sharon Lee Williams
For more information on the release details and different versions of the album, you can check the entries on Discogs by clicking the image below.
Midnight Desire
Written-By – Chuck Brooks, Homer Banks 3:16
A2 We Ought To Be Doin' It
Written-By – Chuck Brooks, Homer Banks 4:46
A3 Things That I Could Do To You
Written-By – Chuck Brooks, Homer Banks 3:31
A4 You're So Good
Written-By – Chuck Brooks, Homer Banks 6:39
A5 With Your Love
Written-By – C. Brody, D. Witherspoon, Jr., K. Coleman, R. Brown 3:48
B1 Without You (I Can't Make It Through The Night)
Written-By – Chuck Brooks, Homer Banks 4:12
B2 The Next Best Thing To Being There
Written-By – Chuck Brooks, Homer Banks 7:14
B3 Do You Love Me?
Written-By – Chuck Brooks, Homer Banks 5:08
B4 Love Be With You
Written-By – Chuck Brooks, Homer Banks 4:52
Label: Chocolate City – CCLP 2010
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1980
Genre: R&B Soul
Style: Soul, Funk, Disco
Randy Brown's 1980 album Midnight Desire is considered an essential soul reissue by critics and a "classic old school soul" album by fans, praised for Brown's remarkable voice and a mix of bouncy tracks and big ballads.
The album is described as having "plenty of soul goodies," specifically highlighting the "bouncy" track "Love Formula" and the "big ballads" "You're So Good" and "The Next Best Thing To Being There". While some tracks like "The Things I Could Do For You" and "Love Be With You" are noted as being "almost throwaway disco," critics agree that Brown's "remarkable voice carries it all through". The album, along with its companion album Welcome to My Room (with which it is often reissued on CD), represents the pinnacle of his musical career.
Reviewers consistently praise Brown's incredible and powerful voice, with one user rating him as highly as Luther Vandross, calling him an "underated artist magnificent soul".
Fans refer to the album as "classic old school soul," indicating its enduring appeal among soul aficionados.
One critical note from an AOR (Album Oriented Rock) reviewer pointed out that some CD reissues of the combined Welcome to My Room and Midnight Desire albums have an edited version of the ballad "The Next Best Thing To Being There" to fit everything on one disc. This suggests that for some dedicated fans, the original vinyl version, which runs for over 7 minutes, is the preferred format for the full experience of that specific track.
Overall, the album is a respected work within the soul and funk genres, primarily celebrated for Randy Brown's exceptional vocal performance.