Alexander O'Neal | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 8, 1985 | |||
Recorded | February 1984 – January 1985 | |||
Studio | Various
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 42:39 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | ||||
Alexander O'Neal chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Alexander O'Neal | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Robert Christgau | B [3] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [4] |
Alexander O'Neal is the debut solo studio album by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. It was originally released in 1985 by Tabu and Epic. The songs were recorded during 1984 to 1985 in sessions that took place at Creation Audio in Minnesota, and Larrabee Sound in Los Angeles, California, assisted by R&B songwriting and record production team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
After release, the album was received favourably by the majority of music critics. One of O'Neal's most commercially successful solo albums, in the United States it went on to peak at number 92 on the Billboard 200 [5] and number 21 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. [5] The album launched four charting singles in the United Kingdom. "If You Were Here Tonight" peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart; "A Broken Heart Can Mend" peaked at number 53; "What's Missing" at number 90; "You Were Meant to Be My Lady (Not My Girl)" at number 98. [6] In the UK, the album sold more than 100,000 copies and was certified gold by the BPI. [7]
The album was re-released on 8 April 2013 on Tabu's new Re-born imprint featuring rare bonus content. The reissue is a 2-CD set with the original album digitally remastered from the original 1/2" mix tapes; the bonus content consists of associated 7", and 12" mixes.
Alexander O'Neal was well received by most critics. In his consumer guide for The Village Voice , Robert Christgau gave the album a B and commented that "From the Timexes who gave the world the new improved S.O.S. Band, a new improved black matinee idol. They start one side with a can't-miss post-vulnerable ballad, the other with a can't-miss dance song deceptively entitled "Innocent". He then added: "The rest they leave to craft. Is this any way to serve a new improved matinee idol? Probably." [3]
Today, the album is still viewed in a positive light by critics some three decades later. Alex Henderson of AllMusic gave the album four and a half out of five stars and wrote that "Creatively and commercially, the soul man hit the ground running with this impressive debut album", adding that "Excellent from start to finish, Alexander O'Neal is the singer's most essential album." [2]
All songs written and composed by James Harris and Terry Lewis, except where noted.
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. [8]
Chart | Peak position | Total weeks |
---|---|---|
Dutch Albums Chart [9] | 72 | 1 |
UK Albums Chart [1] | 19 | 18 |
US Billboard Chart [5] | 92 | 18 |
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums [5] | 21 | 71 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [10] | Gold | 100,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Label | Cat. No. | Format | Date | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Tabu | FZ 39331 | US | CD, vinyl | 1985 |
Tabu | TBU 26485 | UK | CD, vinyl | 1985 |
Tabu, The Right Stuff | 72435-42424-2-7, CDVUS 230 | EU | CD | 2002 |
Solid | CDSOL-5201 | JP | CD | 24 July 2013 |
Tabu | TABU2001 | UK | CD | 8 April 2013 |
Alexander O'Neal is an American R&B singer, songwriter and arranger from Natchez, Mississippi.
Winner in You is the eighth studio album by American R&B singer Patti LaBelle. It was released by MCA Records on April 28, 1986, in the United States. Recording sessions took place during 1985–1986. Production was handled by several record producers, including Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, and Nickolas Ashford, among others.
Hearsay is the second solo studio album by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. It was released on July 29, 1987 by Tabu and Epic as the follow-up to O'Neal's critically and commercially successful studio album Alexander O'Neal (1985). Hearsay explores similar genres to those of Alexander O'Neal including pop, R&B, soul, post-disco, funk, and adult contemporary music, while also incorporating a newer genre, new jack swing. The songs were recorded from 1986 to 1987 in sessions that took place at Flyte Time Productions, Inc. Studio A & B in Minneapolis, Minnesota, assisted by R&B songwriting and record production team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. It features contributions from guest musicians, including Cherrelle, David Eiland, and Lisa Keith, and is generally regarded as the culmination of the smoother, more adult-oriented sound of O'Neal's early work.
"Never Knew Love Like This" is a top ten US R&B hit song duetted by American R&B singers Cherrelle and Alexander O'Neal; released in 1988. The song peaked at #2 in the US R&B chart, #26 in the UK and #28 in the Billboard Hot 100.
"The Lovers" is a song written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and recorded by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. It is the fourth single from the singer's second solo album, Hearsay (1987). The song's distinctive backing vocals were performed by Cherrelle and Lisa Keith. Following the successful chart performances of the Hearsay singles "Fake", "Criticize", and "Never Knew Love Like This", "The Lovers" was released as the album's fourth single.
"(What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me" is a song written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and recorded by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. It is the fifth single from the singer's second solo album, Hearsay (1987). The song's distinctive backing vocals were performed by Lisa Keith. Following the successful chart performances of the Hearsay singles "Fake", "Criticize", "Never Knew Love Like This", and "The Lovers", "(What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me" was released as the album's fifth single.
"Criticize" is a song by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal, written by O'Neal and Jellybean Johnson. It was the second single from O'Neal's second solo album, Hearsay (1987). The song's distinctive backing vocals were performed by Lisa Keith. Following the successful chart performances of the Hearsay single "Fake", "Criticize" was released as the album's second single.
Oasis is Roberta Flack's first solo album of newly recorded songs since 1982's I'm the One. Released 1 November 1988, Oasis features the number-one U.S. singles, "Oasis" (R&B), and "Uh-uh Ooh-ooh Look Out ".
"Fake" is a song written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and recorded by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. It is the first single from the O'Neal's second studio album, Hearsay (1987). It is one of the artist's most recognizable signature songs, and a favorite of many O'Neal fans worldwide.
Fragile is the debut studio album by American singer Cherrelle. It was released on April 8, 1984 by Tabu Records and was the first of four records for the label.
Just the Way You Like It is the fifth album released by the R&B band The S.O.S. Band on the Tabu label in August 1984. It was produced mostly by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis with additional production from the band themselves.
Condensate is the fifth studio album by the American funk ensemble The Original 7ven, formerly known as The Time. Released on October 18, 2011, the album was the group's first release in 21 years. Condensate peaked at number 58 on the US Billboard 200 album chart and number 10 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. "#Trendin" was also released as a single and reached number 77 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
My Gift to You is the first and only Christmas album by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal, released on November 11, 1988, by Tabu Records.
Love Makes No Sense is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. The album was O'Neal's final release for Tabu, and his first album made without formal production from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
"Sunshine" is a song written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and recorded by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. It is the sixth and final single from the singer's second solo album, Hearsay (1987). Following the successful chart performances of the Hearsay singles "Fake", "Criticize", "Never Knew Love Like This", and "The Lovers", and "(What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me", the single was released as an EP titled Sunshine and Rain. Despite its success on US radio, it was the album's poorest-selling single in the UK, peaking at #72. The song had been performed live prior to the song's release with Level 42 at the Prince's Trust Gala on 25 July 1989.
"All True Man" is a song written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and recorded by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. It is the first single from the singer's fourth solo studio album, All True Man (1991). It is one of the artist's most recognizable signature songs, and a favourite of many O'Neal fans worldwide.
"What Is This Thing Called Love?" is a song written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and recorded by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. It is the second single from the singer's fourth solo album, All True Man (1991). The song's distinctive backing vocals were performed by Lisa Keith. Following the successful chart performances of the All True Man single "All True Man", "What Is This Thing Called Love?" was released as the album's second single.
"Love Makes No Sense" is a song written by Tony Tolbert and Lance Alexander and recorded by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. It is the first single from the singer's fifth solo album, Love Makes No Sense (1993).
"In the Middle" is a song written by Terry Coffey and Jon Nettlesbey and recorded by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. It is the second single from his fifth studio album, Love Makes No Sense (1993). The song's distinctive backing vocals were performed by Cherrelle. Following the successful chart performances of the single "Love Makes No Sense", "In the Middle" was released as the album's second single.
"All That Matters to Me" is a song written by Franne Golde and Allee Willis and recorded by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. It is the fourth single from the singer's fifth solo album, Love Makes No Sense (1993). Following the successful chart performances of the Love Makes No Sense single "Love Makes No Sense", "In the Middle", and "Aphrodisia", "All That Matters to Me" was released as the album's fourth single.