After 7 | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 22, 1989 | |||
Recorded | 1988–1989 | |||
Studio | Elumba Studios, Studio Masters, Soundscape Studios, Galaxy Sound Studios | |||
Genre | R&B, new jack swing | |||
Length | 35:24 | |||
Label | Virgin [1] | |||
Producer | Gemma Corfield (executive) L.A. Reid & Babyface De'Rock & Kayo | |||
After 7 chronology | ||||
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Singles from After 7 | ||||
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After 7 is the debut album by After 7. [2] [3] Released in 1989, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA on November 27, 1990, [4] and spawned two No. 1 R&B hits, "Ready or Not" and "Can't Stop." Those songs also reached No. 7 and No. 6, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide wrote that the album "benefits more from the ingenuity of producers L.A. Reid and BabyFace than from the skill of singers Melvin and Kevon Edmonds." [6]
After 7 is an American R&B group founded in 1987 by brothers Melvin and Kevon Edmonds, and their friend Keith Mitchell. The Edmonds brothers are the older siblings of pop/R&B singer-songwriter and record producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, who named the group and helped them get a record deal with Virgin Records in 1988. After 7 released their platinum-selling self-titled debut album in 1989, which spawned three singles "Heat of the Moment", "Ready or Not" and "Can't Stop". "Ready or Not" and "Can't Stop" were No. 1 R&B hits and top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Their second album Takin' My Time, released in 1992, also went platinum and contained the R&B hit medley "Baby, I'm for Real/Natural High". After 7's Gold-selling 1995 album Reflections was their last album before the group disbanded in 1997. The album included the R&B hit "'Til You Do Me Right. Years later the group resumed touring with Jason Edmonds, son of Melvin Edmonds, replacing his father. Melvin rejoined the group for their successful 2016 comeback album Timeless, which featured 3 adult R&B top 10 hits "Runnin' Out", "I Want You" and "Let Me Know".
Kevon Bernard Edmonds is an American singer. He is member of the R&B group After 7 and the older brother of Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. The group released three moderately successful albums for Virgin Records and became best known for their 1990 singles "Ready or Not" and "Can't Stop." Edmonds embarked on a solo career with his debut studio album 24/7 (1999); the album's title track was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. His follow up single, "No Love " was a moderate R&B hit. Edmonds was also a member of the quintet Milestone along with his brothers Babyface and Melvin, as well as K-Ci & JoJo. The group released one single, "I Care 'Bout You" for the soundtrack to the 1997 film Soul Food.
Boomerang: Original Soundtrack Album is the soundtrack to Reginald Hudlin's 1992 film Boomerang. It was released on June 30, 1992, by LaFace Records. The album peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200 and reached the top spot on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in August 1992 and eventually reached triple-platinum status by April 1995.
"Knocked Out" is the debut single by American singer and dancer Paula Abdul, released on May 4, 1988 by Virgin Records from her debut album, Forever Your Girl (1988). The song was written by Babyface, L.A. Reid and Daryl Simmons and produced in 1987 by the former two. Babyface and Simmons also provide background vocals with Pebbles and Yvette Marine.
Takin' My Time is the second studio album by R&B trio After 7. It peaked at #76 on the Billboard 200. It was their first album to be released under Virgin Records after being acquired by EMI Music in 1992. The album is notable for being their first and only album without any songs produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface. Instead, they contribute as writers, with Reid co-writing the songs "Can He Love U Like This" and "G.S.T.", and Babyface writing "Truly Something Special" and "Love By Day/Love By Night". The production was handed over to Daryl Simmons & Kayo, who co-produced and co-wrote many of the songs on their self-titled debut.
Reflections is the third and last studio album by After 7 before the group split in 1997. The album reunites them with producer Babyface, who along with his then partner L.A. Reid, wrote and produced the majority of their self-titled debut. They also enlist the production talents of Babyface proteges Jon B and Keith Andes as well as newcomers The Boom Brothers. Reflections is the first album where the members of the group have credits as songwriters as well as executive producers. The music video for the first single "'Til You Do Me Right" was directed by photographer Randee St. Nicholas. Reflections peaked at #40 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA on November 16, 1995.
Dance!...Ya Know it! is a remix album by American R&B singer Bobby Brown, released in 1989. The album features remixes of various songs from his King of Stage and Don't Be Cruel albums as well as "On Our Own", Brown's hit single from the Ghostbusters II soundtrack. "Every Little Hit Mega Mix", a medley of "Every Little Step", "On Our Own", "Don't Be Cruel", and "My Prerogative", was released as a single to promote the album but was not included on the album itself. The UK and European version of the megamix was titled "The Free Style Mega-mix" and was produced by Rita Liebrand; the Australian version, "The 'Every Little Hit' Mix", was released as a B-side on the European version of the "Roni" single.
Ralph Tresvant is the debut solo studio album by American singer Ralph Tresvant. The album was released by MCA Records on November 20, 1990, in the United States. It went to number one on the Irish Albums Chart for 12 weeks, and on the US Top R&B Albums chart for two weeks and peaked into the top 20 on the US Billboard 200 chart. It features the number one single, "Sensitivity" along with two more top five R&B hits: "Do What I Gotta Do" and "Stone Cold Gentleman", which featured labelmate Bobby Brown, and has been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) within its first year of release, and achieved double-platinum status a few years after.
"On Our Own" is a song by American singer Bobby Brown from the soundtrack of the 1989 Columbia motion picture Ghostbusters II. It was released as a single on May 30, 1989. It peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot Black Singles chart for one week and at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks. Outside the US, it reached number one in New Zealand for three weeks and became a top-five hit in Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
Karyn White is the debut album by American R&B singer Karyn White. The album was released on September 6, 1988, by Warner Bros., and went to #1 on the R&B albums chart for seven weeks the following year. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA on April 4, 1989. It gave her four hits, "The Way You Love Me", "Superwoman", "Love Saw It" and "Secret Rendezvous". The former three were #1 singles on the R&B chart, and all except "Love Saw It" were Top-10 successes on the Hot 100. A re-issue in late 1989 of "Secret Rendezvous" in the UK reached #22, as opposed to the original top 50 placing. "Superwoman" became her biggest hit there, reaching #11 in the UK Singles Chart.
Tender Lover is the second studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Babyface. The album was released on July 7, 1989. It is the follow-up to his debut Lovers (1986). It was his first album with SOLAR after the label entered into a distribution deal with Epic Records. In some regions of Europe, Tender Lover was released with a different cover picture and simply titled Babyface.
Johnny Gill is the third album by Johnny Gill, released in 1990, and his first for Motown Records. The album produced four hit singles: "Rub You the Right Way," "My, My, My," "Wrap My Body Tight" and "Fairweather Friend". The album was recorded with the label during the hiatus of New Edition. The album sold over 4 million copies worldwide. Before joining New Edition for their Heart Break album in 1988, he had already recorded two singles for the album - of which "Just a Lonely Night" and "Feel So Much Better". By February 1991, the album had already sold approximately 2,050,000 copies in the United States and 50,000 in Canada, making the album 2x platinum in the United States at the time.
Provocative is the fourth album by American R&B recording artist Johnny Gill. It was his second album for Motown Records and fourth album overall.
The Lover in Me is the ninth studio album by Scottish singer Sheena Easton. It was released in November 1988 and was her debut for MCA. The album has a more Urban/R&B sound than Easton's previous recordings due to the production by well-known acts such as L.A. Reid, Babyface and John "Jellybean" Benitez. The album's title track became a major hit, reaching number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 15 on the UK Singles Chart. The album reached number 44 on the US Billboard 200 and number 30 on the UK Albums Chart, and was certified Gold by the RIAA. It is one of Easton's best selling albums to date and returned her to the US and UK charts. Significantly, in the UK it was her first charting album for over five years, with the lead single becoming her first top 20 hit in nearly eight years.
Eyes of a Stranger is an album released by the R&B band the Deele in 1987.
Just Gets Better with Time is the 16th studio album by American R&B/Soul group The Whispers. It was released on April 9, 1987 via Capitol/SOLAR Records. This album features their highest charting pop single, "Rock Steady," which peaked inside the top 10 at number 7. The song also reached number 1 on the U.S. R&B chart.
Material Thangz is the second album by The Deele. Released in 1985 on the SOLAR Records label, which was distributed by Elektra/Asylum Records, a division of Warner Bros. Records. It was produced by L.A. Reid. It's notable for the composition "Sweet November", composed by then-member Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, who also sung lead vocals on the composition. The song was later covered by R&B group Troop, who turned the song into a #1 R&B hit in 1992.
Always is the second studio album by American recording artist Pebbles. It was released on September 11, 1990, by MCA Records and spawned two Top 20 hits on the U.S. Hot 100, which also hit #1 on the R&B chart: "Giving You the Benefit" and "Love Makes Things Happen", as well as the top-five R&B hit "Backyard", and the top 20 R&B hit "Always".
"My Kinda Girl" is a song performed and co-written by Babyface, issued as the fourth and final single from his 1989 album Tender Lover. The song was also the fourth consecutive hit single from the album, peaking at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990. SOLAR and Epic Records released 7 remixes of the recording with a remix of "Whip Appeal" in 1990, which was available as a CD single.
24/7 is the debut solo album from Kevon Edmonds, after he left the group After 7. Released on October 26, 1999, via RCA Records, the album peaked at number 77 on the Billboard 200. The album's title track was certified gold and was the only album single to reach the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 10. The second single, "No Love ", was released to radio, and rose to number 25 on Billboard's R&B chart.