{{Infobox album | name = Respect the Beat | type = studio | artist = Aishah and The Fan Club | cover = File:Respect_the_Beat.jpg | alt = | released = 1989 | recorded = | studio = Air Force Recording (Auckland) | genre = | length = | label = {{hlist|CBS|Epic}} | producer = Mark S. Berry | prev_title = Sensation | prev_year = 1988 | next_title = | next_year = | misc = {{Singles | name = | type = | single1 = I Feel Love | single1date = 1989 | single2 = Never Gave Up On You | single2date = 1990 | single3 = Don't Let Me Fall Alone | single3date = 1990 }} }}
'''''Respect the Beat''''' is the second (and final) studio album by New Zealand band Aishah and The Fan Club, released in 1989 by CBS Records as well as Epic Records in some territories.<ref name="aa">{{cite news |last=Abdullah |first=Madiha |date=18 Dec 2017 |url=https://www.astroawani.com/berita-hiburan/gv4-pernah-guna-nama-natasha-aminah-ini-10-fakta-tentang-aishah-163288 |title=GV4: Pernah guna nama Natasha Aminah, ini 10 fakta tentang Aishah |work=Astro Awani |access-date=31 July 2021}}</ref><ref name="bh">{{cite news |last=|first=|date=9 Jun 2015 |url=https://www.bharian.com.my/bhplus-old/2015/06/60120/suara-emas-empat-diva |title=Suara emas empat diva |work=Berita Harian |access-date=30 July 2021}}</ref><ref name="CD" /> The album, produced by Mark S. Berry, reached No. 28 in New Zealand, where it was nominated for Album of the Year at the 1989 New Zealand Music Awards.<ref name="CD" /><ref name="ama">[https://aotearoamusicawards.nz/award-history/ Award History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025201023/https://aotearoamusicawards.nz/award-history/ |date=2020-10-25 }} (search for 'Fan Club'). ''Aotearoa Music Awards''. Retrieved 30 July 2021.</ref><ref name="albchart" /> Its success resulted in The Fan Club earning the International Recognition award at the 1990 Awards.<ref name="ama" /> However, ''Respect the Beat'' was the band's final album as lead singer Aishah decided to return to her native Malaysia, where the band was most successful, to pursue a solo career recording in the Malay language.<ref name="star">{{cite news |last=Zieman |first= |date=16 Feb 2016 |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/focus/2016/02/16/expop-star-finds-a-new-calling-1980s-sensation-aishah-now-conducts-craft-courses-for-underprivileged/ |title=Ex-pop star finds a new calling |work=The Star |access-date=30 July 2021}}</ref>
== Background and development == The Fan Club's first album, 1988's ''Sensation'', had not only reached No. 15 in New Zealand but also attracted some international notice, including from Epic, who were later involved in international releases of ''Respect the Beat''.<ref name="CD" /><ref>"[https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Fan+Club&titel=Sensation&cat=a Charts.nz – The Fan Club – Sensation]". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 July 2021.</ref> This resulted in ''Respect the Beat'' having more global collaborators, including Americans such as producer Berry and songwriters Eric Beall and Alexandra Forbes, than its predecessor, which was mostly a New Zealand-made effort.<ref name="CD" />
Recording of the album took place at Airforce Recording Studios in Auckland while mixing was done at Platinum Recording Studios in Sydney.<ref name="CD" />
== Release and legacy == The album's first release was in 1989<ref name="aa" /><ref name="albchart" /> with some international releases in 1990.<ref name="CD" /> Three singles were released to promote ''Respect the Beat''; the first, 1989's "I Feel Love," reached the top 10 of the New Zealand singles chart, peaking at No. 8.<ref>"[https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Fan+Club&titel=I+Feel+Love&cat=s Charts.nz – The Fan Club – I Feel Love]". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 July 2021.</ref> It was also nominated for Single Of The Year at the 1989 New Zealand Music Awards and Best Music Video at the 1990 event, winning the latter but losing the former to Margaret Urlich's "Escaping."<ref name="ama" /> The following two singles, 1990's "Never Gave Up On You" and "Don't Let Me Fall Alone," respectively peaked at No. 25 and No. 28 in New Zealand.<ref>"[https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Fan+Club&titel=Never+Gave+Up+On+You&cat=s Charts.nz – The Fan Club – Never Gave Up On You]". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 July 2021.</ref><ref>"[https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Fan+Club&titel=Don%27t+Let+Me+Fall+Alone&cat=s Charts.nz – The Fan Club – Don't Let Me Fall Alone]". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 July 2021.</ref>
As well as New Zealand, the singles had some brief success internationally, including in the United States, where "Don't Let Me Fall Alone" was played on some of the largest and most influential Top 40 radio stations.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=June 16, 1990 |title=Power Playlists: Current Playlists of the Nation's Largest and Most Influential Top 40 Radio Stations |magazine=Billboard |pages=23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |date=July 28, 1990 |title=Fan Club -- Respect the Beat |magazine=Billboard |pages=66}}</ref> However, the band found most success promoting the album in Aishah's home country.<ref name="ac1">Gareth Shute (18 Jun 2019)."[https://www.audioculture.co.nz/scenes/new-zealand-women-in-the-nz-top-10 New Zealand Women in the NZ Top 10]". ''Audioculture''. Retrieved 30 July 2021.</ref><ref name="ac2">Murray Cammick (19 Oct 2017)."[https://www.audioculture.co.nz/people/paul-ellis Paul Ellis Profile]". ''Audioculture''. Retrieved 31 July 2021.</ref> While they had difficulty attracting crowds for live performances in New Zealand in spite of their charting singles, they could easily fill venues in Malaysia.<ref name="ac2" />
Even though its global success may have been short-lived, ''Respect the Beat'' cemented Aishah's legacy as one of the first Malaysian musicians to gain attention internationally.<ref name="bh" />
== Track listing == {{Track listing | title1 = I Feel Love | writer1 = {{hlist|Malcolm Smith|Paul Moss|Mark Berry}} | title2 = Don't Let Me Fall Alone | writer2 = {{hlist|Eric Beall|Alexandra Forbes}} | title3 = Never Gave Up On You | writer3 = {{hlist|Smith|Moss}} | title4 = Back On Track | writer4 = {{hlist|Smith|Moss|Berry}} | title5 = I Need You | writer5 = {{hlist|Smith|Moss|Berry}} | title6 = That's The Way That Love Is | writer6 = {{hlist|Smith|Moss|Berry}} | title7 = Don't Mess With Me | writer7 = {{hlist|Smith|Moss}} | title8 = There For You | writer8 = {{hlist|Smith|Moss}} | title9 = Colour Me Blue | writer9 = {{hlist|Smith|Moss}} | title10 = I Don't Need A Lover | writer10 = {{hlist|Smith|Moss}} }} <small>Source: CD liner.<ref name="CD">{{cite AV media notes |title=Respect The Beat |others=Aishah and The Fan Club |date=1990 |type=CD liner |publisher=Epic Records |id=EK 46022 |location=USA}} Retrieved 31 July 2021 from [https://www.discogs.com/Fan-Club-Respect-The-Beat/release/1735354 ''Discogs''].</ref></small>
== Personnel == {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} * Aishah – vocals <small>(all tracks)</small>, backing vocals <small>(all tracks)</small>, vocal arrangements * Mark S. Berry – production <small>(all tracks)</small>, engineering, musical arrangements, vocal arrangements, mixing * Paul Moss – programming <small>(all tracks)</small>, guitar <small>(tracks 1–2, 5, 9)</small>, backing vocals <small>(track 6)</small>, musical arrangements, vocal arrangements * Malcolm Smith – programming <small>(all tracks)</small>, backing vocals <small>(track 6)</small>, musical arrangements, vocal arrangements * Glenn Peters – bass <small>(all tracks)</small>, backing vocals <small>(track 6)</small> * Dave Larsen – drums <small>(all tracks)</small>, backing vocals <small>(track 6)</small> * Suzanne Lynch – backing vocals <small>(tracks 1–2, 4, 6–8, 10)</small> * Bunny Walters – backing vocals <small>(tracks 1–2, 4, 6–8, 10)</small> * Walter Blanco – saxophone <small>(tracks 1–2, 3, 8)</small> * Sam Panetta – keyboards <small>(tracks 1–2, 4, 8)</small> siren <small>(track 10)</small> * Nick Morgan – engineering <small>(all tracks)</small>, recording {{col-2}} * Mark Forrester – engineering <small>(tracks 1, 3)</small> * Tony Salter – tape operation <small>(all tracks)</small> * Paul Kosky – engineering <small>(tracks 2, 4, 5–10)</small> * La Koi – rap vocals <small>(tracks 3–4)</small> * John Cooper – backing vocals <small>(track 6)</small> * Glenn McNair – backing vocals <small>(track 6)</small> * Liam Ryan – piano <small>(track 8)</small> * Polly Walker – graphic design, photography * Debbie Watson – graphic design, styling * Rachel Churchward – graphic design {{col-end}} <small>Source: CD liner.<ref name="CD" /></small>
== Charts == === Weekly charts === {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- !Chart (1988) !Peak<br />position |- {{album chart|New Zealand|28|artist=The Fan Club|album=Respect The Beat|accessdate=31 July 2021|rowheader=true|refname=albchart}} |- |}
== References == {{Reflist}}
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Category:1989 albums Category:CBS Records albums