Pointer Sisters - Contact

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Contact, the eleventh studio album from the Pointer Systems and their first on the RCA label. The Platinum seller hit number 49 in Germany, number 37 in the Netherlands, number 36 in New Zealand, number 34 in the UK, number 19 in Switzerland, number 17 in Australia, number 14 in Canada and number 6 in Sweden. Here in the US, it reached number 24 on the Billboard Album chart (with a total thirty-four weeks run) and number 11 on the Billboard R&B chart. The record also garnered the group an American Music Award for Favorite Video Group in 1986.


Side one begins with pumping beat of "Twist My Arm". As the third single, it hit number 83 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 61 on the US Billboard R&B chart, and number 15 on the US Billboard Dance chart. This high-octane opening kicks the record off nicely.

"Hey You" keeps the party going with a mid-tempo groove with a global social consciousness spin.

"Pound, Pound, Pound" definitely describes the rhythm of this next track. It was another dance workout favorite of mine from this album. It has a strong new-wave vibe to it thanks to the synths and such.

The fourth single was the mid-tempo "Back In My Arms".

"Burn Down the Night" returns the record back to party mode with another dance floor scorcher.

Side two starts with "Bodies and Souls", a percussion explosion of many different styles. It changes things up nicely, adding even more variety to the record.

The title track "Contact" is next. This synth-driven dance track is about craving a physical connection.

"Dare Me", the first single, was a big hit world-wide. It went to number 45 in the Netherlands, number 32 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, number 27 in New Zealand, number 22 in Belgium, number 20 in Canada, number 17 in UK, number 11 in Sweden and on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 10 in Australia, number 7 in Ireland, number 6 on the US Billboard R&B chart, and number 1 on the US Billboard Dance chart.

The album closes with the six plus minute long ballad "Freedom". The melody has such a lulling quality to it, like drifting away on a cloud. As the second single, the edited version reached number 82 in Canada, number 59 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 25 on the US Billboard R&B chart, and number 16 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

In 2011, a re-mastered CD edition came out that added eight more bonus tracks, including the dance remixes and the single edits.

I owned a copy of the original version of Contact on cassette back in 1985; and I played it quite a bit from start to finish. For me, it was a perfect follow up to their previous smash hit album Breakout. Since I enjoyed it so, this is another of those records that I need to put on my list for adding to my digital library at some point.

For more from the Pointer Sisters, click here.