Centipede (album)

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Centipede is the debut studio album by American singer Rebbie Jackson. It was released on October 10, 1984, by Columbia Records and was recorded in 1984. The album runs 31 minutes and 39 seconds and sits in the R&B and soul genres. It was produced by Michael Jackson, Wayne Henderson, Tito Jackson, Randy Jackson, and Rebbie Jackson.

Background and content
Rebbie Jackson, the oldest Jackson sibling to release a solo album, delayed the release to raise her two daughters. Michael Jackson wrote, produced, and sang backing vocals on the title track “Centipede.” Brothers Marlon, Jackie, Tito, and Randy co-wrote “Come Alive It’s Saturday Night,” with Tito and Randy producing that song. Tito also co-wrote “Hey Boy” with Dee Dee Martes. The album includes two cover songs: The Miracles’ “A Fork in the Road” and Prince’s “I Feel for You.” Around the same time, Chaka Khan released a famous version of “I Feel for You.”

Singles and chart performance
The lead single, “Centipede,” released September 10, 1984, became Rebbie Jackson’s biggest hit, reaching #4 on the Billboard R&B chart and #24 on the Hot 100, and it was certified Gold by the RIAA. Weather Girls contributed background vocals to the track. The follow-up singles were “A Fork in the Road” (released January 20, 1985), which peaked at #40 on the R&B chart, and a remixed version of “Play Me (I’m a Jukebox)” that did not chart.

The album itself reached #63 on the Billboard 200 and #13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, marking the highest chart positions of Rebbie Jackson’s career at that time.

Reissues and legacy
Centipede was not initially released on CD and was out of print for several years, with a limited CD edition appearing in 1999. It was reissued on CD on May 25, 2010, together with the follow-up album Reaction. In September 2012, Funky Town Grooves reissued the album again, adding seven bonus tracks, including the B-side “Eternal Love” and a previously unreleased track co-written by her brothers titled “I’m Just Gonna Love You,” along with remixes.

Centipede is also referenced in RuPaul’s 2006 song “Supermodel (El Lay Toya Jam).”