Irons in the Fire is the third album by Teena Marie

Teena Marie

Mary Christine Brockert, better known by her stage name Teena Marie, was an American singer, songwriter and producer...

, released in 1980 on Motown

Motown Records

Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...

. Her first self produced effort, it was dedicated to her father, Thomas Leslie Brockert. It received positive reviews on its release.

Reception

Irons in the Fire peaked at #9 on the Black Albums chart and #38 on the Pop Albums chart. Lead single "I Need Your Lovin'" peaked at #9 on the US Black Singles chart and #37 on the Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

. It also reached #28 in the United Kingdom, making it Marie's second and last top 30 single in that country. In addition, along with the track "Chains", "I Need Your Lovin'" peaked at number two for two weeks on the dance charts .

Track listing

All songs were written by Teena Marie, except where noted.

1. "I Need Your Lovin'" – 7:31
2. "Young Love" – 5:29
3. "First Class Love" – 5:06
4. "Irons in the Fire" – 3:33
5. "Chains" – 7:11
6. "You Make Love Like Springtime" – 4:59
7. "Tune in Tomorrow" (Mickey Hearn, Marie) – 6:26
8. "You Make Love Like Springtime (Reprise)" – 3:26

Personnel

• James S. Stewart, Jr. - Piano, Electric Piano
• David Taylor, Gregory Hargrove, Wali Ali - Electric Guitar
• Nick Brown - Acoustic Guitar
• Michael Boddicker
  Michael Boddicker
  Michael J. Boddicker , is an American film composer and session musician, specializing in electronic music. Three times N.A.R.A.S. Most Valuable Player "Synthesizer" and MVP Emeritus, he was awarded a Grammy as a songwriter for Imagination from Flashdance in 1984...
  
   - Synthesizer
• Bobby Lyles- Piano
• Allen McGrier, James Jamerson, Jr.
  James Jamerson
  James Lee Jamerson was an American bass player. He was the uncredited bassist on most of Motown Records' hits in the 1960s and early 1970s , and he is now regarded as one of the most influential bass players in modern music history...
  
   - Bass
• Paul Hines, Earl Palmer, Sr.
  Earl Palmer
  Earl Cyril Palmer was an American rock & roll and rhythm and blues drummer, and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame....
  
   - Drums
• Paulinho DaCosta - Percussion, Congas
• Thomas Bumpass - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
• William Carroll White, Jr. - Alto Saxophone
• Ray C. Woodard - Tenor Saxophone
• Lloyd Lindroth - Harp
• Jill Jones
  Jill Jones
  Jill Jones is an American singer and songwriter, who was a backing vocalist for Teena Marie and Prince in the 1980s.-Biography:...
  
  , Mickey Hearn, Shirley Mattison, Ozone
  Ozone (group)
  Ozone was an Funk and R&B group during the late 70s and early 80s, signed to Motown Records.-History:When the Nashville funk band The Endeavors broke up in 1977, three members, Benny Wallace, Jimmy Stewart and Charles Glenn formed a new group, calling it Ozone...
  
   - Backing Vocals

Charts

Chart (1980)	Peak position
Billboard Pop Albums Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...	38
Billboard Top Soul Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...	9

Singles

Year	Single	Chart positions
		US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...	US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...	US Dance
1980	"I Need Your Lovin'"	37	9	2

External links

• Teena Marie-Irons In The Fire at Discogs