| Africa to America: The Journey of the Drum | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1994 | |||
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| Length | 64:10 | |||
| Label | ||||
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| Sounds of Blackness chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Africa to America: The Journey of the Drum | ||||
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Africa to America: The Journey of the Drum is an album by vocal and instrumental ensemble Sounds of Blackness, released in 1994. It includes the singles "I'm Going All the Way", "I Believe", "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright" and "Black Butterfly".
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Los Angeles Times | [2] |
In a review for AllMusic, Jason Birchmeier gave the album four out of five stars, commenting that producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were "on top of their game" at the time of the album's release, and that they "brought no shortage of their trademark dense percussive rhythms" to the album. He went on to say that "even if the production sounds a little calculated and perhaps even outdated for its time, it made for some amazing songs." [1]
Africa to America: The Journey of the Drum won Best Gospel Album at the 1995 Soul Train Music Awards. [3]
In 1993, the year before the release of the album, "I'm Going All the Way" had been released as a single in the United Kingdom, reaching No. 27 in the UK Singles Chart. [4] In 1994, "I Believe" was released as the next single from the album, reaching No. 99 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, [5] No. 15 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, [5] No. 1 on Dance Club Songs [5] and No. 17 in the UK Singles Chart. [4] "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright" reached No. 29 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, [5] No. 10 on Dance Club Songs [5] and No. 29 in the UK. [4] "I'm Going All the Way" was re-released in the UK in early 1995, this time reaching No. 14, becoming the highest-charting Sounds of Blackness single in that country. [4] The single also saw a release in the US, reaching No. 39 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs [5] and No. 41 on Dance Club Songs. [5] "Black Butterfly" reached No. 86 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. [5]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hold On, Pt. 1" | Negro spiritual | 1:06 |
| 2. | "I'm Going All the Way" |
| 4:52 |
| 3. | "Ah Been Buked, Pt. 1" | Negro spiritual | 0:41 |
| 4. | "I Believe" |
| 4:39 |
| 5. | "Hold On, Pt. 2" | Negro spiritual | 1:19 |
| 6. | "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright" |
| 4:48 |
| 7. | "Sun-Up to Sundown" | Traditional work song | 0:41 |
| 8. | "The Lord Will Make a Way" |
| 5:09 |
| 9. | "He Took Away All My Pain" |
| 4:46 |
| 10. | "A Place in My Heart" |
| 6:09 |
| 11. | "The Harder They Are the Bigger They Fall" |
| 4:01 |
| 12. | "The Drum (Africa to America)" |
| 2:55 |
| 13. | "African Medley: Royal Kingdom/Rise/My Native Land" |
| 5:55 |
| 14. | "A Very Special Love" | Billy Steele | 5:21 |
| 15. | "Strange Fruit" | Lewis Allan | 2:43 |
| 16. | "Black Butterfly" |
| 3:59 |
| 17. | "You've Taken My Blues and Gone" | Poem by Langston Hughes | 0:26 |
| 18. | "Livin' the Blues" | Hines | 4:13 |
| 19. | "Ah Been Buked, Pt. 2" | Negro spiritual | 0:28 |
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart [4] | 28 |
| US Billboard 200 [7] | 109 |
| US Top Gospel Albums [7] | 4 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums [7] | 15 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA) [8] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
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