| Heartbreaker | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 27, 1993 | |||
| Recorded | 1993 | |||
| Genre | R&B, soul | |||
| Length | 50:47 | |||
| Label | EMI | |||
| Producer | Gerald Levert, Edwin Nicholas | |||
| The O'Jays chronology | ||||
| ||||
Heartbreaker is an album by the American R&B group the O'Jays. [1] [2] It was released in 1993 on EMI. [3]
The album peaked at No. 75 on the Billboard 200. [4]
Gerald Levert, Eddie Levert's son, cowrote and produced two of the album's songs. [5] [6] Heartbreaker was the first album with Nathaniel Best, who had replaced Sammy Strain. [7]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| Chicago Sun-Times |  [9] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [7] |
| The Indianapolis Star | [10] |
AllMusic wrote that "many numbers aren't much different from the classic material that made them superstars in the '70s; that's both part of the music's charm and something that might trouble fans hoping the group would experiment with the vocal arrangements as well as the production." [8] The Washington Post thought that the album "makes up in savvy arrangements what it lacks in well-crafted lyrics, but its real appeal lies in the still smooth Philly soul harmonies and [Eddie] Levert's gritty testifying." [5] The St. Petersburg Times wrote that "while the CD is filled with gorgeous harmonies and melodies, the vocal performances sometimes are almost spoiled by tinny-sounding mechanical tracks with programed electronic drums." [11]
The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in summer 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles. The O'Jays made their first chart appearance with the minor hit "Lonely Drifter" in 1963, but reached their greatest level of success once the producers Gamble & Huff signed them to their Philadelphia International label in 1972. With Gamble & Huff, the O'Jays emerged at the forefront of Philadelphia soul with Back Stabbers (1972), and topped the US Billboard Hot 100 the following year with "Love Train". Several other US R&B hits followed, and the O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
LeVert was an American R&B vocal group from Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Formed in 1983, LeVert was composed of Sean and Gerald Levert and Marc Gordon.
Gerald Edward Levert was an American singer-songwriter and producer. Levert performed with his brother, Sean Levert, and friend Marc Gordon with the R&B vocal group, LeVert. Levert was also a member of LSG, a supergroup comprising Keith Sweat, Johnny Gill, and himself. Levert was the son of Eddie Levert, lead singer of the R&B/soul vocal group the O'Jays. He released 9 solo albums, 6 as a member of LeVert, 2 with his father, and 2 as a member of LSG. Levert was also credited with the discovery of R&B groups the Rude Boys, Men at Large, 1 of the Girls. Levert was also part of the R&B group Black Men United, and LSG.
Edward Willis Levert is an American singer best known as the lead vocalist of The O'Jays. He is the father of Gerald Levert (1966–2006) and Sean Levert (1968–2008).
"Baby Hold On to Me" is the song written by Gerald Levert and Edwin Nicholas.
In My Songs is the ninth studio album and the first posthumous album by American singer Gerald Levert. It was released posthumously on February 13, 2007, on Atlantic Records. Levert reteamed with longtime collaborator Edwin "Tony" Nicholas to work on the entire album which was completed shortly before his death from an apparent accidental overdose in November 2006. In My Songs debuted and peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200, becoming his highest-charting effort, and won Levert his first Grammy Award in the Best Traditional R&B Performance for the title track at the 50th awards ceremony.
Groove On is the second studio album by Gerald Levert. It was released by EastWest Records on September 6, 1994, in the United States. The follow-up to Levert's debut album, Private Line (1991), it reached number two on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 18 on the US Billboard 200. The first single from the album was the David Foster produced "I'd Give Anything", a cover of the 1993 song that was originally recorded by short lived country music group Boy Howdy. It was Levert's second top 40 crossover hit. The music video for the second single "How Many Times" was directed by actress Jada Pinkett. Two more singles included "Can't Help Myself" and "Answering Service".
So Full of Love is the twelfth album by the O'Jays, released in 1978 by Philadelphia International. The album contains the No. 1 R&B hit "Use ta Be My Girl", and was awarded RIAA platinum certification for sales of 1,000,000 copies.
Ship Ahoy is the seventh album by Philadelphia soul group the O'Jays, released in 1973 on Philadelphia International Records. The album was a critical and commercial success, entering Billboard on November 10, and reaching No. 11. It reached No. 1 on the "Black Albums" chart and launched two hit singles, "For the Love of Money" and "Put Your Hands Together." Conceived as a theme album built around the title track, Ship Ahoy includes socially relevant tracks and love songs under a cover that is itself notable for its serious subject matter. The album, which achieved RIAA platinum certification in 1992 for over 1 million copies sold, has been reissued multiple times, including in a 2003 edition with a bonus track. Ship Ahoy was the highest selling R&B album on the Billboard Year-End chart for 1974.
Flame is the thirteenth studio album by American singer Patti LaBelle. It was released by MCA Records on June 24, 1997, in the United States.
Travelin' at the Speed of Thought is the eleventh album by the American R&B group the O'Jays, released in 1977 on Philadelphia International Records. Unusual for the time, there had been no advance single release from the album; the only single subsequently issued, "Work on Me", became a #7 R&B hit but failed to reach the pop listings, making this the first O'Jays PIR album without a top 100 pop single. Travelin' at the Speed of Thought peaked at #6 on the R&B chart and reached #27 on the pop chart. The album achieved a gold certification.
Identify Yourself is the thirteenth album by American R&B group the O'Jays, released on the Philadelphia International Records label in 1979. It was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, with four tracks produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, three by group members Eddie Levert and Walter Williams and one by the esteemed Philadelphia producer and composer Thom Bell.
Lost in Time is the fifth studio album by American R&B recording artist Eric Benét, released November 30, 2010 on Reprise Records. It is the follow-up to Love & Life (2008). Production for the album took place during 2010 at various recording studios and was handled by Benét, George Nash, Jr., and Demonté Posey. Lost in Time contains musical elements of 1970s soul music and features guest appearances by Chrisette Michele, Faith Evans, Eddie Levert, Ledisi, and Benét's daughter, India.
"I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow (Than I Was Today)" (also known as "I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow") is a 1967 hit single by the O'Jays, the group's best-selling single on Bell Records.
Back on Top is the third album by the group The O'Jays released in 1968, featuring their biggest hit for the Bell label, "I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow ". Their hit "Look Over Your Shoulder" was also included on this album. George Kerr produced the album with Pat Jaques engineering. Richard Tee was the conductor and arranger.
Bloodline is the second album by the R&B group LeVert, released in 1986. It was their first album for Atlantic Records.
The Big Throwdown is the third album by Cleveland, Ohio-based R&B group LeVert.
The Other Side is the only solo album by American R&B singer Sean Levert. It was released by Atlantic Records on June 20, 1995, in the United States. While Jermaine Dupri was recruited to work with the singer on the majority of the album, Levert also secured that his first album would showcase some "love-making music." Thus, he also worked with his LeVert bandmates, Marc Gordon and his brother Gerald Levert, as well as Edwin "Tony" Nicholas on several songs.
Emotionally Yours is the 21st studio album by American R&B trio the O'Jays. It was released on January 21, 1991, through EMI Records, making it the group's second album for the label. Recording sessions took place at Right Track in Cleveland, at Sigma Sound in Philadelphia, at Hip Pocket Studio, Marathon Studios, Power Station, Mad Fly Studios and The Hit Factory in New York, at Tarpan Studios in San Rafael, and at Ocean Way Studios and Madhatter Studios in Los Angeles. Production was handled by Dwain Mitchell, Terry Stubbs, Lotti Golden, Tommy Faragher, Narada Michael Walden, Dunn Pearson, The O'Jays, and Ron Fair, who also served as executive producer.
Serious is an album by the American musical group the O'Jays, released in 1989. It was the group's first album for EMI Records. "Out of My Mind" and "Have You Had Your Love Today?" were released as singles. The O'Jays supported the album by playing the Hampton Jazz Festival and touring with LeVert.