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Jeffrey Osborne: Don't Stop (A&M)

Don Snowden, The Boston Phoenix, 25 December 1984

MAINSTREAM BLACK pop embodies the 'It ain't what you say, it's the way that you say it' principle; and so success is measured by a performer's ability to transcend banal settings. In this market, innovation often imperils popularity, but Jeffrey Osborne has used the crossover leverage of his 1982 debut, Stay with Me Tonight, to jettison the bedroom-balladeer reputation he acquired during his 10-year stint with LTD.

Total word count of piece: 447

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