Reaching For The Sky / Crosswinds

A fixture on the soul/R&B music scene for over three decades, Peabo Bryson’s earliest recordings for Capitol Records established him as a singular artist with a powerful and distinctive vocal style and as demonstrated on his initial Capitol output, a skilled songwriter. The South Caorlina native was signed to Capitol Records in 1977 by executive Larkin Arnold who was building the companys profile in black music.

Peabo’s self-produced Capitol debut Reaching For The Sky (with arrangements and co-production by renowned Chicago musician Richard Evans) went gold in the US, thanks to the title track s success as a single and significant airplay for the song, Feel The Fire which became a staple in his repertoire. Released in 1978, the follow-up album Crosswinds boasted two hit singles in the form of She sAWoman and the now-classic Im So Into You, which became his highest charting R&B hit until the late 80s. The LP, produced by Peabo with Johnny Pate (best known for his work with the legendary Impressions) also achieved gold status and featured again, Peabo’s own compositions.