Released: July 1978
Label: Bearsville
Genre: Disco ∙ funk ∙ R&B ∙ jazz ∙ samba
Producer: Nile Rodgers ∙ Bernard Edwards
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Norma Jean Wright is an artist I recently discovered, and I am glad because she is truly Disco royalty. Last year, I began a huge obsession with The Chic Organization’s production catalog with artists like Sister Sledge, and came across Norma Jean Wright as well. Multiple things stood out for me: Norma Jean was born in Ripley, TN (my family is from there,) although she was raised in Ohio.
Beginning her career as a lead vocalist for the iconic band Chic for their debut album, Norma Jean sang lead on Everybody Dance, Est-ce que c’est Chic & Falling in Love with You and gave us wonderful, energetic and remarkable tunes and vocals during her time with the band.
Norma Jean Wright released her eponymous debut album in the summer of 1978, on Bearsville Records. Produced by the CHIC Organization (Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards,) the album’s elements of disco, funk, R&B, jazz and samba showcases the Chic Organization’s ostentatious musical stylings yet again and is one of their best works from a production and songwriting standpoint.
The themes of escapism, love, vulnerability are beautifully sang by the legendary Norma Jean. After discovering her album, I am sad this is her current album to date cause she is a phenomenal singer and deserves to be included in one of disco’s best and underrated treasures.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you Norma Jean Wright’s “Norma Jean”
Side A:
Saturday
Written by Bobby Carter ∙ Bernard Edwards ∙ Nile Rodgers
If you left it up to me, every day would be Saturday!”
Norma Jean Wright, Saturday, 1978
Saturday is the perfect song to open the album with, and Norma Jean did what she had to do with this timeless disco influenced record. From a lyrical perspective, the song has the singer expressing her eagerness for the amazing day that is Saturday. Think about it: it’s the perfect weekend day!
Mostly everyone is doing something exhilarating and trying to escape the world of adulting and life period. It is really one of the best songs I’ve ever heard, and gets me excited for the weekend even though I personally work weekends. Saturday was released as her debut (as a solo artist) and was chosen as the lead single from the album, peaking at 15 on the R&B charts.
***Saturday was covered by East 57th Street & Donna Allen
- Joey Negro also covered Saturday with Taka Boom, who is the sister of legendary funk artist Chaka Khan.
Having a Party
Written by Sam Cooke
Norma Jean’s cover of Sam Cooke’s classic tune Having a Party pays HOMAGE, okay? It’s a disco affair chic-style, and is one of my favorite versions of this legendary song. Norma Jean sings with such excitement and it honestly gave me the chills when I heard it because it puts me in positive spirits for sure!
Released as the third single from the album, the song peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart!
***Having A Party was originally recorded by Sam Cooke.
I Believe in You
Written by Chris Dawkins ∙ Norman Whitehead
I Believe In You is a ballad from Norma Jean that lyrically speaks to the singer giving her lover the reassurance that she will give him the love he is deserving of. A beautiful song!
Side B:
Sorcerer
Written by Bernard Edwards ∙ Nile Rodgers
Sorcerer was released as the second single from the album, and is yet another disco record that is exhilarating and addictive from the singer. From a lyrical perspective, Norma Jean is comparing her man to being similar to a sorcerer…especially since she is deeply in love with him and he knows how makes things better when they’re not.
A stellar song! The song peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. It’s one of my standout tracks from this record.
So I Get Hurt Again
Written by Bernard Edwards ∙ Nile Rodgers
So I Get Hurt Again is a song I have LOVEDDDDDDDD since getting into Norma Jean. From a lyrical perspective, the singer is expressing her raw emotions of how she’s going to miss a former lover… but she’s going to move on with her life no matter how hard it is. I love a ballad where I can feel the pain she’s going through explaining this to a man she loves and wants to be with. It’s a tough position to be in for sure. We’ve all experienced heartbreak, but one THIS deep that this song is describing is whew. Tough!
This Is the Love
Written by Denzil Miller ∙ Norma Jean Wright
This Is the Love was penned by Norma Jean, and sounds like an amazing ode to the beauty of love. I feel so good every time I listen to this song, and it gives me so much hope for a healthy variation of love. I can’t wait to feel like that!
I Like Love
Written by Bernard Edwards ∙ Nile Rodgers
The album concludes with the most slept on disco record of 1978, I Like Love is yet another song where the beauty of love is the topic, and Norma Jean is letting you know she isn’t with the negativity that clouds people’s judgement of love. A masterpiece!
Norma Jean Wright is one of Disco’s most legendary ladies, and needs to be cherished and honored more for her contributions to the genre. Although the eponymous debut album is her current and only studio album to date, our legendary songstress has sang background for Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, Madonna, & Sister Sledge.
When I listen to the Norma Jean album, it makes me happy, wanna dance, makes me miss someone I should not be missing and has me more optimistic and open up to the idea of the positive attributes of love. I love artists who allow me to think and ponder down the road of what made them write this song or the meaning behind it. Norma Jean is an album you HAVE to listen to if you love disco. -MW
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