AMG Review of Secret Lovers: The Best of Atlantic Starr

Heather Phares
All Music Guide

The 1986 compilation Secret Lovers: The Best of Atlantic Starr collects some of the group's biggest songs up to that point, including "If Your Heart Isn't in It," "When Love Calls," "Touch a Four Leaf Clover," and "Silver Shadow." As the title implies, this collection focuses on the softer, romantic side of Atlantic Starr's music rather than their funkier efforts; "Gimme Your Lovin'," "Stand Up," "One Love," and the compilation's title track helped define that side of their sound in the '80s. Though it's not a complete collection of Atlantic Starr's output, Secret Lovers benefits from its selective focus, making it a fine collection of the group's quiet storm moments from their time with A&M.