Although the record is often referred to today as Rockin’ Chair, its story really begins with Gwen McCrae’s self-titled debut album, first released in 1974 on Cat in the US, with international editions on President and RCA Victor. The album introduced McCrae as a major voice in the emerging Miami soul scene, blending deep Southern feeling with the rhythmic lift that would soon define the wider Miami sound. Produced by Steve Alaimo at TK Studios in Hialeah, with horn and string arrangements by Mike Lewis, it moves between bright, groove-led cuts like “Move Me Baby” and “He Keeps Something Groovy Goin’ On” and more intimate, emotionally restrained performances such as “90% of Me Is You,” “It’s Worth the Hurt,” and “It Keeps on Raining.”

What gives the album its lasting identity is the way it sits right on the threshold of soul and disco without losing emotional weight. McCrae sings with warmth, control, and a kind of quiet intensity that makes even the most danceable material feel personal. Its reputation grew even further in 1975, when the non-album single “Rockin’ Chair” became her breakthrough hit and was later added to a second edition of the debut album, which is why the record is so often remembered under that title today. In that form, the album stands as one of the clearest early documents of Gwen McCrae’s artistry: sensual, poised, and central to the sound of mid-1970s Miami soul.