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Writer's pictureJoel Caballero

Let's Hear It for the Boy (1984)


Let's Hear It For The Boy is the eighth studio album by American R&B singer Deniece Williams, released on April 16, 1984 by Columbia/Sony Music. Williams produced the album's six tracks while George Duke produced the remaining four.

The album was preceded by the title song as the lead single and reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and also topping the R&B and Dance Club Songs charts and peaking at number three on the adult contemporary chart. The song also appeared on the soundtrack to the 1984 motion picture Footloose and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.


The final track is a cover of the traditional hymn "Whiter Than Snow" and would later appear on her 1990 gospel compilation album From the Beginning. Let's Hear It For The Boy reached number 26 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums and number 10 on the R&B/Hip Hop Albums charts. In 1985, at the 27th Grammy Awards, Williams was nominated for Best Inspirational Performance for "Whiter Than Snow" and rather than performing her hit title song, for which she was also nominated, Williams performed an a cappella version of her 1977 composition "God Is Amazing," with some backup singers, during the televised ceremony, much to the disdain of her record label. That performance would also appear on From the Beginning. That same year, Williams was in the studio recording her first full-length gospel album So Glad I Know.


The Expanded Edition of Let's Hear It for the Boy features the extended and instrumental versions of the title song and 12" extended and instrumental versions of her follow-up single "Next Love."


Track listing


1. Let's Hear It for the Boy (from the motion picture Footloose) (Dean Pitchford,

Tom Snow) -4:23

2. I Want You (Deniece Williams, Peter Couch) -2:53

3. Picking Up the Pieces (Deniece Williams, Peter Couch) -4:44

4. Black Butterfly (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil) -4:29

5. Next Love (Deniece Williams, George Duke) -4:36

6. Haunting Me (Deniece Williams, George Merill, Shannon Rubicam) -5:01

7. Don't Tell Me We Have Nothing (George Merill, Shannon Rubicam) -4:03

8. Blind Dating (Deniece Williams, Michele Val Jean, Robert Brookins) -3:42

9. Wrapped Up (Andrew Barrett, George McMahon) -4:39

10. Whiter Than Snow (traditional; arranged by Deniece Williams) -3:47


Bonus tracks on the expanded edition:

11. Let's Hear It for the Boy (extended version) -6:04

12. Next Love (12" extended version) -7:13

13. Let's Hear It for the Boy (instrumental version) -4:14

14. Next Love (12" instrumental version) -4:51


"Let's Hear It for the Boy" single:

Gold certified in 1984.

Platinum certified in 1992.


Production credits


Deniece Williams -producer (tracks 2, 3, 7 -10)

George Duke -producer (tracks 1, 4 -6)


Radio singles

1984 "Let's Hear It for the Boy" -# 1 Billboard Hot 100, #1 Billboard R&B/Hip Hop

Songs, #1 Billboard Dance Club Play, #3 Billboard AC

1984 "Next Love" -#81 Billboard Hot 100, #22 Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Songs, #17

Billboard Dance Club Play

1984 "Black Butterfly" -#22 Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Songs


Previous release: I'm So Proud (1983)


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