I Paralyze

I Paralyze is the seventeenth studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released in 1982 by Columbia Records.^[2] It was her only album for the label.

The album was a commercial failure, failing to chart. The album was promoted by the release of two singles, "Rudy", and "I Paralyze", both of which also failed to chart. Following the release of the record, Cher took a five-year hiatus from music to focus on her film career, partly due to the lack of successful albums and singles. She made a comeback in 1987 when she released the Platinum-certified album Cher.

Recording and production

In 1981, Cher recorded a song with Meat Loaf called "Dead Ringer for Love" for his album Dead Ringer; the song was a hit in the UK, but was left off I Paralyze. The album was recorded in 1982, and was produced by John Farrar (of Olivia Newton-John fame) and David Wolfert; it is her first collaboration with composer and producer Desmond Child. The recording sessions were lengthy and demanding, often extending until three in the morning, with Cher demonstrating notable discipline and a willingness to repeat takes until the desired result was achieved. In Geffen Records' official 1987 biography, Cher stated that she disliked the album, that she had no creative control over the project and described the overall experience as negative.^[3]

I Paralyze contains various musical styles: the rock style of Black Rose on cuts such as "Walk with Me", "The Book of Love", and "Rudy"; a slight new wave sound in "I Paralyze"; some ballads such as "When the Love Is Gone" and "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?"; and an "old '80s" style on "Back On the Street Again" (a retitled cover of the Babys' "Back on My Feet Again") and "Games", which was recorded by Lisa Hartman for her 1982 album Letterock.

Release and promotion

The promotion includes appearances on television programs such as American Bandstand and Solid Gold. The release was preceded in the United Kingdom by the release of the single "Rudy", a decision that producer David Wolfert later described as "bad". Wolfert also expressed doubts about the choice of the title track as the lead single, stating that "Walk with Me" would likely have had stronger commercial potential.^[3]

The album was released on CD for the first time in 1989 by "The Entertainment Company", Columbia Records, and CBS Records International. Later, in 1999, the album was reissued on the Varèse Sarabande reissue label under license from Sony Music.

Singles

"Rudy" was released in March 1982 as the first single^[4] and featured "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" as its B-side.^[3][5] The original version of "Rudy" was recorded by Italian-French singer Dalida as "Quand je n'aime plus, je m'en vais" in 1981, with the topic and the language changed from French to English.^[6] The french song was composed by Pierre Delanoë, Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo and Jeff Barnel.^[7] Billboard described "Rudy" as "a midtempo rocker which recalls the pulse and energy of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound", noting the appropriateness of the comparison given that "Cher started out as a background singer for Spector sessions".^[6] Bil Carpenter of AllMusic called it as a "girl-group-styled" track and one of the album's standouts.^[8] Pop Rescue characterized it as a "rock love song" with "fairly catchy" qualities, and praised Cher for delivering the vocals "with power, and flawlessly".^[9] Pop Dose referred to it as a "straight-ahead rock number" but "a little shy in the hooks department".^[10] The single failed to chart upon its release.

"I Paralyze" was released as the album's second single. The track was featured in Billboard's Top Single Picks section, where it was classified as "recommended".^[11]

Critical reception

A review from Billboard noted, "Don't let the punky sunglasses on the cover fool you: this time around Cher stays very much within an Olivia Newton-John/Sheena Easton pop context, with a collection of songs she can easily include in her Las Vegas shows." While acknowledging that "Cher has her detractors," the review concluded that "her musical ability cannot be denied and she handles the A/C adult contemporary material here with aplomb if not sensitivity."^[12]

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Bil Carpenter described I Paralyze as "a strong set" that features "a hardy rhythm section and good range of soft-rock and pop ballads well suited for Cher's vocals." He noted that the album successfully brought the singer "out of an outdated style into modern music," crediting the production work of John Farrar, who was known as Olivia Newton-John's producer. Carpenter highlighted the "girl-group-styled 'Rudy'" and the "piano ballad 'When the Love Is Gone'" as standout tracks.^[8]

Track listing

All tracks produced by David Wolfert except "I Paralyze" by John Farrar.

Personnel

• Cher – lead vocals
• Jai Winding – arranger, keyboards
• Rick Shlosser – drums
• Steve Lukather, Sid McGinnis, Carlos Rios, Thom Rotella – guitar
• Ralph Schuckett – Hammond organ
• Richard Crooks – percussion
• Nathan East – synthesizer, bass guitar
• David Wolfert – synthesizer, guitar, arranger, producer
• Ed Walsh – synthesizer
• Michael Boddicker – synthesizer, vocoder programming
• John Farrar – guitar, backing vocals
• Gary Herbig – saxophone
• Steve George – background vocals
• Tom Kelly – background vocals
• Myrna Mathews – background vocals
• Denise Maynelli DeCaro – background vocals, vocal contractor
• Marti McCall – background vocals
• Richard Page – background vocals

Technical

• Executive producer: Charles Koppelman
• Producer: John Farrar, David Wolfert
• Reissue producers: Cary E. Mansfield, Mike Khouri
• Reissue liner notes: Mike Khouri
• Engineers: Dennis Ferrante, John Arrias
• Mixing: Lee Decarlo
• Remixing: Dan Hersch
• Mastering supervisor, tape research: Bill Inglot
• Art direction: Nancy Greenberg
• Reissue design: Matt B.
• Photography: Harry Langdon

References

1. ^ Smith, Courtney E. (June 6, 2022). "40 Years Ago: Why Did Cher's 'I Paralyze' Flop?". Retrieved October 1, 2024.
2. ^ Pizek, Jeff (September 18, 1999). "Cher: She keeps going and going and going and...". Daily Herald. p. 2.
3. ^ Howard, Josiah (1 July 2014). Cher: Strong Enough. Plexus Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85965-897-3. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
4. ^ "New singles". Record Business. Four (51): 18. 22 March 1982. Archived 25 February 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
5. ^ Cher: Rudy. Columbia. 1982. 18-02850.
6. ^ "Top singles Picks". Billboard. Vol. 94, no. 20. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. May 22, 1982. p. 70. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
7. ^ "GfK Chart Detail". GfK Entertainment charts. Archived 26 February 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
8. ^ Carpenter, Bil. "I Paralyze - Cher | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Archived 17 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
9. ^ "Review: “I Paralyze” by Cher (Vinyl, 1982)". Pop Rescue. 29 April 2022. Archived 30 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
10. ^ Hughes, John C. (28 October 2008). "Lost in the ’80s: When New Wave Happens to Old Artists – Cher". Popdose. Archived 9 February 2026 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
11. ^ "Top Single Peaks". Billboard. 21 August 1982. p. 67. Archived 22 February 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
12. ^ "Top Album Picks". Billboard. Vol. 94, no. 24. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. June 19, 1982. p. 58. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved September 2, 2025.

External links

• Cher at IMDb