Debbie Allen - Special Look (1989)

Debbie Allen is probably best remembered as Lydia Grant, the stern dance teacher in both the movie and television versions of Fame. She was also the star, along with LL Cool J, of the sitcom In The House (which I guiltily confess to being a fan of). She found further TV success as the producer and director of Cosby Show spin-off A Different World. Perhaps her most notable achievement, however, has been as a choreographer, for which she's won awards, choreographed many Oscar dance numbers and taught Paula Abdul a thing or two. One thing she did not succeed in, however, was as a recording artist. Working with in demand R&B producers of the time Attala Zane Giles and Kashif, she recorded a fairly generic R&B album. The song "Special Look" was a minor R&B and dance hit, but her next single, "Holdin' On To Love", was not, and her singing career failed to generate any more steam. Of course, it should have came as nothing new to her, as her sister Phylicia Allen had released her own solo attempt a decade earlier with the discofied Josephine Baker tribute album Josephine Superstar. Phylicia would also find greater success elsewhere when she was known as Phylicia Rashad, the one and only Claire Huxtable from the Cosby Show.

Live performance of Special Look

Live performance of Holdin' On To Love

Fan made video for Sexy Ways

Download Special Look

1		Special Look
2		He Said, She Said
3		Rock Me Steady
4		Holdin' On To Love
5		Sexy Ways
6		More Than A Man
7		Love Club
8		Keepin' It Under Cover
9		Love Of All Time
10		Special Look (Extended Version)