The Manhattans - Forever By Your Side [Expanded Version] (1983/2016) [HDTracks]

Although this was a nice album, the Manhattans were beginning to encounter problems in the mid-'80s with Columbia. The hits were drying up, and although their harmonies and Alston's soothing leads were still first-rate, they had become a strictly R&B band, and weren't generating any pop attention. They tried being even smoother and more romantic than ever, softening the production and toning down the group interaction. The results were some excellent singles in "Just the Lonely Talking" and "Locked Up in Your Love," but they couldn't move the album or the group ahead.