Fe Real | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1992 | |||
Genre | Reggae | |||
Label | Charisma [1] | |||
Maxi Priest chronology | ||||
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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]
The album peaked at No. 60 on the UK Albums Chart. [6] It peaked at No. 191 on the Billboard 200. [7]
The album was recorded in Jamaica, England, and the United States. [8] Many producers worked on the album, including Sly Dunbar. [9] [10] Junior Giscombe toasted on "Make My Day". [11]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [12] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [13] |
MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide | [14] |
The Philadelphia Inquirer | [15] |
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." [15] Rolling Stone considered "Hard to Get" "the best of the reggae-tinged tracks." [16] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution praised the "infectious mix of reggae and R&B arrangements." [17]
Three singles were released from the album. The first single was "Groovin' in the Midnight", [8] which reached number 50 in the UK Singles Chart [6] and number 63 on the US Billboard Hot 100. [18] 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]
No. | Title | Writer(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" |
| 4:24 |
7. | "One More Chance" |
| 5:25 |
8. | "Sublime" |
| 5:35 |
9. | "Amazed Are We" |
| 4:47 |
10. | "Hard to Get" |
| 6:20 |
Steven Kapur, known by the stage name Apache Indian, is a British singer-songwriter and reggae DJ. He had a series of hits during the 1990s. He is best known in the UK for the song "Boom Shack-A-Lak", which reached the top ten during August 1993.
Diana King is a Jamaican singer-songwriter who performs a mixture and fusion of reggae, reggae fusion and dancehall. They are best known for their hit 1995 single "Shy Guy" and their remake of "I Say a Little Prayer" which was featured on the soundtrack to My Best Friend's Wedding.
Max Alfred Elliott, known by his stage name Maxi Priest, is a British reggae vocalist of Jamaican descent. He is best known for singing reggae music with an R&B influence, otherwise known as reggae fusion. He was one of the first international artists to have success in this genre, and one of the most successful reggae fusion acts of all time.
"Wild World" is a song written and recorded by English singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. It first appeared on his fourth album, Tea for the Tillerman (1970). Released as a single in September 1970 by Island Records and A&M Records, "Wild World" saw significant commercial success, garnering attention for its themes of love and heartbreak, and has been covered numerous times since its release. Maxi Priest and Mr. Big had successful cover versions of the song, released in 1988 and 1993.
No Reservations is the debut studio album by British-Asian musician Apache Indian, released in January 1993 by Island Records and their subsidiary Mango. The musician and singer recorded the album primarily in Jamaica's Tuff Gong studios with producers including Simon and Diamond, Bobby Digital, Phil Chill and Sly Dunbar. It follows, and includes, Apache Indian's 1990–91 singles – "Move Over India", "Chok There" and "Don Raja" – which saw him pioneer a fusion of Jamaican ragga and Indian bhangra later known as bhangramuffin.
"Close to You" is a song by English reggae singer Maxi Priest. It was released in 1990 as the lead single from his fifth album Bonafide (1990). "Close to You" reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, number two on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, and number seven on the UK Singles Chart.
"Luv Me, Luv Me" is a song by Jamaican-American reggae singer Shaggy. It was first released on 25 July 1998 with Janet Jackson credited as a featured artist. The song was re-recorded in 2000 with Samantha Cole's vocals after Jackson's label withheld the song from being included on Shaggy's next album. It was released on 31 May 2001 as the third official single from his 2000 album Hot Shot.
"Waiting in Vain" is a song written by reggae musician Bob Marley and recorded by Bob Marley and the Wailers, for their 1977 album Exodus. Released as a single, it reached number 27 on the UK Singles Chart.
"One Love" is a song recorded by the Sweden based musician and producer Dr Alban. It was the second single from his second studio album, One Love (1992). Alban co-wrote it with Denniz PoP, who also produced it. Released in August 1992, the song was a hit in many European countries. It made it to the top-10 in Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Ireland and Norway; however, the song was not as successful as "It's My Life", the previous single. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "One Love" peaked at number 23. Outside Europe, it was successful in Israel, reaching number five.
"Mr. Loverman" is a song by Jamaican dancehall artist Shabba Ranks, released in 1992 and 1993 as a single by Epic. The song reached number 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the UK Singles Chart, as well as the top 20 in France, Germany and Ireland. It was written by Ranks, Mikey Bennett and Hopeton Lindon. The music video for the song was directed by Fab 5 Freddy. Spex included "Mr. Loverman" in their "The Best Singles of the Century" list in 1999, and Q Magazine featured it in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever" in 2003.
"Sweat (A La La La La Long)" is a song by Jamaican reggae fusion band Inner Circle, released in July 1992 by Warner Records as the lead single from their twelfth album, Bad to the Bone (1992). It was written by the band's Ian and Roger Lewis, and produced by them with another band member, Touter Harvey. The song became a number-one hit in Belgium, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Switzerland, and Zimbabwe. In the US, it reached numbers 16 and 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100. The accompanying music video, depicting the group on the beach, was directed by Mathias Julien. Australian music channel Max included "Sweat (A La La La La Long)" in their list "1000 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2017.
"People Everyday" is a song by American hip hop group Arrested Development, released in July 1992 as the second single from their debut album, 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of... (1992). The song reached number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and became the group's biggest hit in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart in November 1992. The song also reached the top 10 on the charts of Australia, France, and New Zealand, peaking at number six in all three countries. NME ranked "People Everyday" number 38 in their list of "Singles of the Year" in December 1992.
"Some Guys Have All the Luck" is a song written by Jeff Fortgang. It has been a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 twice, as the original by The Persuaders in 1973 reaching No. 39, then as the cover by Rod Stewart in 1984 where it hit No. 10 in the U.S. and No. 32 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
"You Don't Love Me " is a song by Jamaican recording artist Dawn Penn, released in February 1994 by Big Beat as the first single from her first studio album, No, No, No (1994). The song's lyrics are credited to Penn, Bo Diddley and Willie Cobbs, and production was handled by Steely & Clevie.
"Think About the Way" is a song by British, Italian-based rapper Ice MC, released in March 1994 as the second single from his third album, Ice'n'Green (1994), on which it appears in four versions, and his tenth single overall. It was produced by Roberto Zanetti, also known as Robyx, and was written by Zanetti and Ice MC, though many releases credit Zanetti as the sole writer. The female vocals were performed by Italian singer Alexia, though she was also uncredited and doesn't appear in the music video for the song, directed by Giacomo de Simone. The song was very successful in Europe, reaching the top 5 in Belgium and Italy, and the top 15 in Denmark, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and the Netherlands. In the UK and Ireland, it was released under the title "Think About the Way ", which it refers to the first words of the first verse.
How Stella Got Her Groove Back is the soundtrack to the 1998 film, How Stella Got Her Groove Back. It was released on August 11, 1998, through Flyte Tyme Records and consisted mainly of R&B music. The album was entirely produced by the production duo, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis with additional help from Wyclef Jean & Jerry Duplessis as well as Salaam Remi. The soundtrack peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200 albums chart and number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and was certified gold on September 22, 1998, by the RIAA. Two singles were released from the album, "Luv Me, Luv Me" and "Beautiful".
Bonafide is the fourth studio album by the English pop/reggae singer Maxi Priest. It was released in 1990 by Charisma Records. The album peaked at number 47 on the Billboard 200 in the United States, while its biggest hit, "Close to You", was a smash, peaking at number one that year.
Speed 2: Cruise Control is the soundtrack album for the 1997 film of the same name. It was released by Virgin Records in May 1997, nearly a month before the film's release. Because of the film's Caribbean setting, the soundtrack features a variety of reggae music from artists including Common Sense, Jimmy Cliff, Maxi Priest and Shaggy. UB40, Carlinhos Brown and Tamia also have songs on the soundtrack, and appear in the film as entertainers on the cruise ship.
Kemar McGregor, also known by his nicknames, DJ Flava and Flava McGregor, is a Jamaican-American pop reggae producer. He has recorded and produced music for the most renowned artists in the music industry, including Sinéad O'Connor, Musiq Soulchild, Syleena Johnson, Snoop Dogg/Snoop Lion, Jon Secada, Maxi Priest, Sizzla, Marcia Griffiths, Beenie Man, Wayne Wonder, Buju Banton, Capleton, Sanchez, Freddie McGregor, Luciano, Sugar Minott, Barrington Levy, Gregory Isaacs, Morgan Heritage, Half Pint, Tanya Stephens, Gyptian, Cas Haley, Beres Hammond, Glen Washington, Etana and Cocoa Tea, among many others. McGregor is the owner and chief executive officer of FM Records.
"That Girl" is a song by English reggae singer Maxi Priest featuring Jamaican reggae musician Shaggy. It was released on 10 June 1996 as the first single from Priest's sixth album, Man with the Fun (1996). The song samples the 1962 instrumental "Green Onions" by Booker T. & the M.G.'s. "That Girl" reached the top 20 in at least eight countries, including the United Kingdom, where it peaked at No. 15 on the UK Singles Chart. It also peaked at No. 3 on the Finnish Singles Chart, No. 4 on the Canadian RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart, No. 7 on the Australian Singles Chart and No. 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100.