Exposure

Expose | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: January 1, 1987
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Arista
• ASIN: B000002VEL
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #51,739 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Even greater than their Greatest Hits, Exposé's first album finds these club-and-chart divas in their most pure form, before personnel changes and the evolving musical climate sent them scrambling from their roots. Exposé were the queens of the Miami sound, and at many points in the 1980s and '90s, queens of the pop charts. But sales never translated to celebrity, and as the members were shuffled and the music grew increasingly anonymous, those who weren't watching closely didn't notice them. Exposure captures Exposé at their peak before the doldrums set it, and it's sure to get a party started, especially if your guests are older folks who remember this group from their first time around. --John Sanchez

Product Description

Exposé is an American vocal group. Primarily consisting of lead vocalists Ann Curless, Jeanette Jurado, and Gioia Bruno, the group achieved much of their success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, becoming the first group to have four top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart from their debut album, including their 1988 #1 hit "Seasons Change". The group was popular in dance clubs, mainstream Top 40 and adult contemporary charts in the United States. The group actively toured and recorded music from 1985 to 1995, then retired from recording and public performances until 2003, and currently tour today.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exposed...to love... oh oh oh!, August 19, 2003

By 

Daniel J. Hamlow (Narita, Japan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Exposure (Audio CD)

Call this a variant of the Florida dance-pop sound, with three cute singers, one white (Ann Curless), one Italian (Gioia Bruno), one Latina (Jeanette Jurado). In terms of really upbeat, they borrow from Miami Sound Machine's Latin rhythms, but producer Lewis Martinee saturates it with dance beats and keyboard synths to really make Exposure, the trio's debut album, a non-stop party save two heartfelt ballads.

The first single, "Come Go With Me" is about a girl inviting her loved one to play as hard as he works before he loses her. I mean, "Come go with me/Come go with me/I'll take you by the hand/And we'll find another land" sounds pretty inviting to me, both as a single (#4) and an invitation. "Two hearts in one/eternal through the night..." yeah, I'll go for that.

The slightly slower "Let Me Be The One" made it to #7, has a prominent Latin backbeat and string-like synths coming into play while the girls sing.

A shimmering harp-like synth introduces "Exposed To Love" before launching into the usual Martinee sound, only this one is more full of spirit than any of the songs here. Why wasn't this a single?

The first of two wonderful ballads here, "Seasons Change", went to #1 on the pop charts, but this sweet but downbeat number, with its string-like backing synths and sax solo has been one of the songs on my personal soundtrack for many years running, particularly thus: "It feels, like it's forever/No reason for emptiness/But time just runs away/No more day by day/You dream and yearn and seize the day when seasons change." That same harp-like synth shimmers before Jeanette launches into that final chorus repeat.

"Extra Extra" opens with a piano then goes into a funky something that the Cover Girls might have done in "Because Of You", except more positive in spirit. "Love Is Our Destiny" barely avoids being filler because it maintains an upbeat edge to it.

It's that opening "Axel F"-like synth on "Point Of No Return" repeated later on that finally got me to get this album. However, the CD version is a different remix with different percussion, not like the one I had on cassette. It's the 3:25 single version and not the full-fledged 5:20 as it says on the CD. Call this song a cross between early Madonna and Miami Sound Machine, this single is one of the best tracks on the album. Nice heart-warming lyric: "And when you smile/It warms my heart and me."

A thumping drumbeat heralds "I Know You Know" before quick tempo keyboards and bass synths take over. This is like early Madonna laced with the Martinee pop sound. One of the more upbeat tracks. That is followed by "You're The One I Need" with a running tempo synth This particular song is a great candidate for an 80's dance mix tape.

The final song and ballad, "December" shows once again that despite having passable but not superlative voices, the girls can bring emotion into a sad number without spoiling the sound. After a lengthy keyboard intro, the sad piano comes in, and the song about lost love blues aggravated by that time of the year, "the time when I spend all my hours in fear" comes with the winter month. The pain in this song is really apparent: "It's the same old pattern/That never dies/I can't seem to leave behind/This emptiness inside my mind/There's a mist in the air/And the feeling is there/Keeps me dreaming of you/It just isn't fair/I don't know why you went away."

String-like synths add to this mournful tune, which barely edges out "Seasons Change" as my favorite here.

At the end, Jeanette repeatedly sings, "December once again/Why'd you have to go away?" and "Memories will never fade". Sometimes, it is that way for people, I guess.

Much of the lyrics are insubstantial, but the bouncy positive sound more than compensates for that. A most substantial contribution to 80's dance.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exposure Is Good, February 23, 2001

By 

"toby-3196" (West Mifflin, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Exposure (Audio CD)

This is a great album from one of the most underrated girl groups in the 1980s' although they had 8 straight top 10 hits, this album doesn't miss a beat. "Come Go With Me" the first single was a breakthrough hit landing in the top 5 and got this group off and running and the hits just kept coming from this album, next came another big hit "Point Of No Return" which also hit the top 10, next came probably my favorite Expose song "Let Me Be The One" which hit #8, I just love this song the girls' voices on this song is terrific, and the video is so sexy, and next came their first and only #1 hit "Seasons Change" showing a wonderfully softer side of Expose, and the dance hit "Exposed To Love" a song where we get a rare listen to Ann Curless' voice, but to stop there is wrong with "You're The One I Need", this is a great song, and the beautiful "December", this album put Jeanette Juardo, Ann Curless and Gioia Bruno on the map their second album was also a big hit producing 4 more top 10 hits, but on their next and last album they ran out of steam and because on that last album Gioia had to bow out because of a voice problem, but she is singing now. I am hoping for an Expose comeback, but it probably will not happen, but then again there is always hope.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Album which still sounds good now., December 10, 2004

By 

Ms Jacqueline Turner (Hertfordshire, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Exposure (Audio CD)

There are some real gems on this album and out of the three albums that Expose released, this is by far my favourite. Stand out tracks for me are "Seasons Change" performed by Jeanette and "Let Me Be The One" performed by Gioia. They really are very talented vocalists and it's good that this album has managed to stand the test of time.

For Expose and Gioia fans still out there, Gioia released her first solo debut album on Koch Records entitled "Expose This" (available here at Amazon.com) on July 13, 2004 which really is a fantastic album and Gioia sounds even better now than she did back then. There's a bit of everything contained on her debut solo album: dance, trance, Latin and soul and she's also co-written several tracks, which only confirms how talented she really is.

For Gioia fans, I also thought the following information might be helpful to you as besides her new album "Expose This", various tracks by Gioia have been released on compilation albums (nearly all available here at Amazon.com as well) as follows (with latest release at the top going through to oldest release at the end of this list):-

Wreckin' My Nerves - Chris Cox Club Mix (9:00) can be found on WHITE PARTY USA VOL 2 - $23.99 (release by Dance Street due on December 21, 2004) - this track was previously unreleased and therefore it's a wonderful surprise to find this fantastic track appearing on a compilation album;

Be Mine - DJ Strobe Turn The Party Out Remix (7:32 approx) can be found on TOP SHELF VOL 1 - $13.99 (released by Koch Records on November 23, 2004) - so far, this song has been unreleased as a CD maxi single but this track (along with other mixes) should by now be available for download on iTunes. If not, then snap it up on this compilation album;

Dreamin' Again - can be found on Will To Power's SPIRIT WARRIOR album (released 2004 I think) which is unavailable here but is available at Will To Power's website. This song was co-written by Gioia and is fairly Latin Freestyle based and is a really good track to add to your collection;

From The Inside - Bastone & Burnz Remix can be found on NIGHT OF BAD BEHAVIOR - $12.98 (released by Koch Records on June 8, 2004) - again, a previously unreleased track commercially;

From The Inside - Junior Vasquez Extended Mix (10:00 approx) can be found on QUEER AS FOLK THIRD SEASON $14.99 (released by Tommy Boy on May 20, 2003) - again, a previously unreleased track commercially;

Free To Be - Liquid 360 Anthem - can be found on MASTERBEAT: WHITE PARTY 2002 - $18.98 (released by Master Entertainment on March 26, 2002) - this was previously released, but the maxi single that this mix (amongst others) featured on (along with the excellent track "You Don't Have To Be Lonely") is probably extremely hard to find now.

Apologies if I've missed any tracks out, but if you're a huge Gioia fan like me, then hopefully this will be helpful to you anyway. Please, please support Gioia by buying her music whenever you can as she's truly an outstanding and very talented artist and deserves massive recognition. [...]