Let's Hear It for the Boy (album)

Deniece Williams produced six of the album's tracks while George Duke produced the remaining four.[2] The production of the album was completed in early May 1984 before the album was released a few weeks later.[3]

The album's title track reached No. 1 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Soul Singles, and Dance Club Play charts.[4][5][6] On the UK Pop Singles chart, it peaked at No. 2.[7] The song was written for the 1984 feature film Footloose and appears on its soundtrack. It was certified Platinum by the RIAA.

Other tracks from the album released as singles include, "Next Love", which reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart,[8] and "Black Butterfly", which reached No. 22 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart.[9]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Baltimore Sun	[10]
Boston Globe	unrated[11]
Los Angeles Times	unrated[12]
New York Daily News	unrated[13]
Stereo Review	unrated[14]

Stereo Review described Williams' performance upon the LP as "a delight" with "fine vocalizing".[14]

Musical

• Deniece Williams – lead vocals, arrangements (2), backing vocals (1, 3, 6–10)
• Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9)
• Jeff Baxter – guitar (3, 7, 8, 9)
• Michael Sembello – guitar (4, 6)
• Nathan East – bass (3, 4, 7, 8, 9)
• Fred Washington – bass (5)
• Ricky Lawson – drums (3, 4, 5, 7, 8)
• Ricky Nelson – drums (9)
• Paulinho Da Costa – percussion (1, 3)
• Sheila E. – percussion (5)
• John Robinson – tom toms (6)
• George Duke – LinnDrum programming (1, 6), Memorymoog (1, 5), Prophet 5 (1, 4), Moog bass (1), keyboards (2), Rhodes (5), synthesizer (6), vocoder (6), special effects (6)
• Leon Pendarvis – synthesizer (3, 8, 9), arrangements (3, 7, 8, 9)
• Kevin Grady – synthesizer (3, 8, 9)
• Russell Ferrante – acoustic piano (3, 4, 8, 9), Rhodes (4)
• Jerry Peters – organ (10), arrangements (10)
• Ronnie Laws – tenor saxophone (2)
• Richard Elliot – lyricon (4)
• Hubert Laws – flute (5)
• George Del Barrio – string arrangements (2)
• George Merrill – backing vocals (1, 3, 5–9), LinnDrum programming (6), Roland Jupiter 8 (6), arrangements (6)
• Shannon Rubicam – backing vocals (1, 3, 5–9)
• Oren Waters – backing vocals (3, 9)
• Roosevelt Christmas III – backing vocals (5, 6)

Production

• Larkin Arnold – executive producer
• Bridget Bergman – make-up
• Nancy Donald – art direction
• George Duke – producer (1, 4, 5 & 6)
• Murray Dvorkin – mix assistant (1)
• D.W. Enterprises – management
• Mitch Gibson – second engineer (4)
• Bernie Grundman – mastering at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, California).
• Mick Guzauski – engineer (2–10)
• Constance Guzman – production assistant
• Tony Lane – art direction
• Margaret MacFarlane – photography
• Tom Perry – engineer (1–10)
• Nick Spigel – second engineer (1)
• Tommy Vicari – engineer (1–10), mixing (1–10)
• Deniece Williams – producer (2, 3, 7–10)