Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

10. Keith SweatMake It Last Forever

This is the Keith Sweat album I like the most; you never get a second chance to make a first impression. The production of Teddy Riley… he was just the man. And Keith Sweat is a sexy name. It has a lot of character; it’s like he was born to make this record. It was his birthright, just through that name alone. I was in the seventh grade I believe when it came out, and got it straight away. There’s a song called ‘Right and A Wrong Way’ and it starts with these two chords, and then it just goes "BOOM"! Back then, we used to sit and doctor our speakers – I had these house speakers and I took the covers off and rewire them, trying to be technical. I’d lay the speaker down on its back, and I’d sprinkle powder in the woofer just for my own amusement. And then… BOOM! [mimes powder explosion]. That’s why I remember that album.

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