Pulse is the second solo album by American session keyboardist Greg Phillinganes, released in February 1985. The album includes Phillinganes' best-known solo song, a cover of "Behind the Mask" by Yellow Magic Orchestra arranged by Michael Jackson.
The track "Countdown to Love" was also featured in the 1984 film Streets of Fire, while both "Playin' with Fire" and "Signals" would later appear in the 1986 film Touch and Go. More recently, "Behind the Mask" was used for a montage in the sixth episode of the Max Original Series Fired on Mars (2023).
Track listing "Behind the Mask" (Ryuichi Sakamoto, Chris Mosdell; arr. Michael Jackson) (4:48) "Won't Be Long Now" (Robbie Nevil, Mark Mueller) (5:05) "Playin' With Fire" (Jackie Jackson, Pamela Phillips-Oland, Jack Wargo) (4:46) "I Have Dreamed" (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II) (4:39) "Come As You Are" (Brock Walsh, Nevil) (4:18) "Lazy Nina" (Donald Fagen) (5:25) "Signals" (Richard Page, John Lang, Greg Phillinganes, Nathan East) (5:00) "Countdown To Love" (Kenny Vance, Marty Kupersmith) (2:56) "Shake It" (Anthony Marinelli, Share Stallings, Brian Banks) (6:08)
Personnel Greg Phillinganes – lead vocals, backing vocals, keyboards, synthesizers, claps (6), arranger
Additional musicians
Anthony Marinelli – synthesizers, Synclavier programming (1, 2, 4, 9), producer (9), engineer (9) Brian Banks – synthesizers, Synclavier programming (1, 2, 4, 9), producer (9), engineer (9) Michael Boddicker – vocoder (1), synthesizer (3), synthesizer programming (6)
Bo Tomlyn – synthesizer programming (3, 7) Howie Rice – synthesizer (8), clap effects (1), arranger (8)
David Williams – guitars (1) Robbie Nevil – guitars (2, 5), arranger (2, 5) Carlos Rios – guitar (3) Dennis Herring – guitar (8) Nathan East – bass guitar (7) Carlos Vega – drums (3) John Robinson – drums (6), percussion (4) Paulinho da Costa – percussion (2, 5, 7) Jerry Hey – horns (3), arranger (3) Richard Page – backing vocals (1, 7) Steve George – backing vocals (7) The Pointer Sisters – backing vocals (2) James Ingram – backing vocals (3) Phillip Ingram – backing vocals (3) Howard Hewett – backing vocals (3) Julia Tillman – backing vocals (5) Maxine Willard – backing vocals (5) Clydene Jackson – backing vocals (5) Phil Perry – backing vocals (6) Maxi Anderson – backing vocals (6) Darryl Phinnessee – backing vocals (6, 9) Gwen Matthews – backing vocals (6) Cherron Taylor-Phillinganes – claps (6) Shyra Mason – claps (6) Howard Dresden – claps (6)
Michael Jackson – arranger (1) Jackie Jackson – arranger (3) Donald Fagen – arranger (6) Brock Walsh – associate producer (5)
Technical
John Arrias – engineering (1, 8) John Vigran – engineering (1, 3, 4, 6) Gary Skardina – engineering (3) Roger Paglia – engineering (3, 8) Alex Schmoll – engineering (3) Bert Battaglia – engineering (5) Jeremy Smith – engineering (6)
Production
Produced by Richard Perry Engineered by Michael Brooks
Assistant engineers – Greg Holguin, Bob Loftus, and Alex Schmoll Remix engineers – Bill Schnee, Michael Brooks, John Arrias, and Lew Hahn Mastering engineer – Stephen Marcussen
References