Fe Real

Last updated
Fe Real
Maxi Priest Fe Real album cover.jpg
Studio album by
Released1992
Genre Reggae
Label Charisma [1]
Maxi Priest chronology
Best of Me
(1990)
Fe Real
(1992)
Man with the Fun
(1996)

Fe Real, stylized as fe Real, is the fifth studio album by the English musician Maxi Priest, released in 1992. [2] [3] It was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Reggae Album". [4] The title character of Terry McMillan's novel How Stella Got Her Groove Back listens to the album while on vacation in Jamaica. [5]

Contents

The album peaked at No. 60 on the UK Albums Chart, [6] at No. 130 on the Australian ARIA Chart, [7] and at No. 191 on the Billboard 200. [8]

Production

The album was recorded in Jamaica, England, and the United States. [9] Many producers worked on the album, including Sly Dunbar. [10] [11] Junior Giscombe toasted on "Make My Day". [12]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]
MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide Star full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [15]
The Philadelphia Inquirer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [16]

The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote: "Built on a subtle foundation of reggae dance-hall riddems, Priest rides the Caribbean groove and never allows it to become monotonous—rare for the genre." [16] Rolling Stone considered "Hard to Get" "the best of the reggae-tinged tracks." [17] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution praised the "infectious mix of reggae and R&B arrangements." [18]

Singles

Three singles were released from the album. The first single was "Groovin' in the Midnight", [9] which reached number 50 in the UK Singles Chart [6] and number 63 on the US Billboard Hot 100. [19] The second single from the album was "Just Wanna Know", released as a double A-side with the song "fe Real", which features British singer-songwriter Apache Indian. Despite sharing the same title, "fe Real" wasn't included on Priest's album of the same name, but is included on Apache Indian's debut album, No Reservations . The double A-sided single reached number 33 in the UK Singles Chart. [6] "One More Chance" was the third single released from the album, reaching number 40 in the UK. [6]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Can't Turn Away"
5:02
2."Promises"
4:02
3."Just Wanna Know (U.K. Mix)"
3:50
4."Groovin' in the Midnight"
4:58
5."Make My Day"4:54
6."Ten to Midnight"
  • Elliott
  • Bennett
  • Michael Spence
  • Ip So Facto
4:24
7."One More Chance"
5:25
8."Sublime"
  • Mick Leeson
  • Peter Vale
5:35
9."Amazed Are We"
4:47
10."Hard to Get"
6:20

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References

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  5. McMillan, Terry (January 1, 2004). How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Penguin.
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  9. 1 2 Rule, Sheila (16 Dec 1992). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. p. C2.
  10. "Album Reviews — fe Real by Maxi Priest". Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 45. Nov 7, 1992. p. 56.
  11. Abbott, Jim (23 Oct 1992). "In the Bin". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 9.
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  13. "Maxi Priest Fe Real". AllMusic.
  14. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6. MUZE. p. 647.
  15. MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 2000. p. 617.
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  17. "Maxi Priest: fe Real". Weekend. News & Record. Rolling Stone. November 13, 1992. p. 7.
  18. Murray, Sonia (November 14, 1992). "Soundline". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. L20.
  19. "Maxi Priest". Music Charts Archive. April 29, 2017.