King of Stage

Last updated
King of Stage
Bobby Brown - King Of Stage album cover.jpg
Studio album by
Bobby Brown
ReleasedNovember 10, 1986
Genre
Length42:29
Label MCA
Producer Larry Blackmon
John Luongo
Bobby Brown chronology
King of Stage
(1986)		 Don't Be Cruel
(1988)
Singles from King of Stage
  1. "Girlfriend"
    Released: October 27, 1986
  2. "Girl Next Door"
    Released: February 09, 1987
  3. "Seventeen"
    Released: July 06, 1987

King of Stage is the debut solo album by American R&B singer Bobby Brown. [1] [2] Following his exit from New Edition, and at 16, Brown signed a solo deal with the group's label MCA Records, which had earlier promised Brown a solo deal if he decided to leave New Edition. His first solo album was released in 1986.

Contents

The album spawned the singles "Girlfriend", "Seventeen", and "Girl Next Door". None of the singles were major US Hot 100 hits, however, Brown had a number-one R&B hit with the first single, the ballad, "Girlfriend". [3] [4]

Production

The album was produced by Larry Blackmon and John Luongo; Brown and Luongo produced the title track. [5] [6] Brown was unhappy with the production, and elected to go with proven producers for his next album. [1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]

AllMusic wrote that "as enjoyable as the Blackmon-produced tracks are, top honors must go to 'Seventeen' -- a riveting account of a teenage mother who turns to drugs and prostitution -- and the unapologetically sentimental, '70s-like soul ballad 'Girlfriend'." [7] The Los Angeles Times called the album "an ill-conceived mess" marked by a "lack of focus, inconsistent production and mostly inferior material." [9] The Boston Globe deemed it "a versatile blend of street funk, rap and ballads." [10]

Track listing

  1. "Girlfriend" – 6:16 (Kirk Crumpler, Lee Peters, Larry White)
  2. "Girl Next Door" – 4:08 (Melvin Wells)
  3. "Baby, I Wanna Tell You Something" – 3:47 (Larry Blackmon, Tomi Jenkins, Nathan Leftenant)
  4. "You Ain't Been Loved Right" – 5:07 (Michael Lovesmith)
  5. "King of Stage" – 5:07 (John Luongo, Khris Kellow, Doctor Ice)
  6. "Love Obsession" – 4:43 (Steve Lindley, Richard Nuttal, Ian Legall)
  7. "Spending Time" – 3:58 (Allen N. Jones)
  8. "Seventeen" – 4:17 (Robert Brookins, Tony Haynes)
  9. "Your Tender Romance" – (Paul Jackson Jr., Tony Haynes) 5:10

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for King of Stage
Chart (1986)Peak
position
US Billboard Top Pop Albums [11] 88
US Billboard Top R&B Albums [12] 12

Singles

Chart performance for singles from King of Stage
YearSingleChart positions
US
Pop 		US
Soul
1986"Girlfriend"571
1987"Girl Next Door"—31
"Seventeen"——

Related Research Articles

<i>Word Up!</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Cameo

Word Up! is the 13th studio album by American funk group Cameo, released in 1986. The album reached number 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, number 8 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, and was certified Platinum by the RIAA for sales of over 1 million copies. It took Cameo to their highest level of popularity, and solidified them as one of the most successful bands of the 1980s. The album includes three of their biggest hit singles, "Word Up!", "Candy", and "Back and Forth".

<i>Stranger in This Town</i> 1991 studio album by Richie Sambora

Stranger in This Town is the first solo studio album by Richie Sambora, the guitarist from the New Jersey band Bon Jovi. The album was released in 1991, while Bon Jovi was on a 17-month hiatus. Jon Bon Jovi also released a solo album, Blaze of Glory (1990), during this period.

<i>Machismo</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Cameo

Machismo is the funk group Cameo's 1988 follow up to their album Word Up!. It includes the hits "You Make Me Work" and "Skin I'm In". The album reached No. 10 on the Billboard R&B chart, No. 56 on the Billboard 200 Pop Albums chart, and No. 86 on the UK albums chart. It was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 copies.

<i>Real Men... Wear Black</i> 1990 studio album by Cameo

Real Men... Wear Black is a studio album by the funk group Cameo released in 1990 on Atlanta Artists/Mercury Records. The album reached No. 18 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart.

<i>Single Life</i> 1985 studio album by Cameo

Single Life is a 1985 album by the funk group Cameo. The album reached No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 58 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. It contained the hit singles "Attack Me With Your Love", which reached No. 3 R&B, and the title track, "Single Life", which reached No. 2 R&B. "Urban Warrior" was the group's foray into the emerging Hip-hop scene. The videos for both singles included appearances from popular television soap opera actors and were tied together by a particular storyline; with the title track’s video being a continuation of the story that started in the "Attack Me With Your Love" video. The album was Cameo’s seventh to be certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 copies.

<i>Ugly Ego</i> 1978 studio album by Cameo

Ugly Ego is the third studio album by American funk band Cameo, released in September 1978.

<i>We All Know Who We Are</i> 1978 studio album by Cameo

We All Know Who We Are is the second studio album by American funk band Cameo, released in January 1978.

<i>Secret Omen</i> 1979 studio album by Cameo

Secret Omen is the fourth studio album by American funk band Cameo, released in June 1979. It was their first of nine albums, and the first of five consecutive albums to be certified gold in the US for sales of over 500,000 copies.

<i>Cameosis</i> 1980 studio album by Cameo

Cameosis is the fifth studio album by American funk band Cameo, released in April 1980.

<i>Alligator Woman</i> 1982 studio album by Cameo

Alligator Woman is a 1982 album by the American funk band Cameo, released by Casablanca Records. It is the group's eighth studio album, and the first released after group leader Larry Blackmon reduced the band from 11 members to 5 (himself, Tomi Jenkins, Nathan Leftenant, Charlie Singleton, and Gregory Johnson. Alligator Woman combined Cameo’s traditional funk with elements of rock and new wave, and was the band’s fifth consecutive album to be certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 copies. The cover artwork model is the Canadian singer/model Vanity.

<i>Style</i> (Cameo album) 1983 studio album by Cameo

Style is the ninth album by the funk band Cameo, released in 1983. It was their first album to introduce their Atlanta Artists label, with which they maintained their distribution through Polygram Records.

<i>Shes Strange</i> 1984 studio album by Cameo

She's Strange is the tenth album by the funk band Cameo, released in 1984. It reached number 1 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart, number 27 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, and was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 copies.

<i>Dance!...Ya Know It!</i> 1989 remix album by Bobby Brown

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.

<i>Circumstantial Evidence</i> (album) 1987 studio album by Shalamar

Circumstantial Evidence is the ninth album by American R&B group Shalamar, produced by L.A. Reid, Babyface, Jerry Peters, and Klymaxx founding member Bernadette Cooper. Released in 1987 on the SOLAR label. The line-up on this album is Delisa Davis, Micki Free and Sydney Justin, the latter having replaced Howard Hewett, who had left the group in 1986 to pursue a solo career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inside That I Cried</span> 1992 single by CeCe Peniston

"Inside That I Cried" is a song by American singer CeCe Peniston, released as the fifth and last single from her debut album, Finally (1992), on A&M Records. The single release includes "Hitmix", a medley of her songs "Finally", "We Got a Love Thang", "Keep On Walkin'", "Lifeline" and "It Should Have Been You", all taken from the album. "Inside That I Cried" reached the top 10 of the American Billboard Hot R&B Singles & Tracks chart and peaked at number 94 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, the song reached number 42 on the UK Singles Chart.

<i>Just Gets Better with Time</i> 1987 studio album by The Whispers

Just Gets Better with Time is the sixteenth studio album by American R&B/Soul group The Whispers. It was released on April 9, 1987 via 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. The album had four more singles released into the following year. Although none of these additional singles brought further pop success, and the first follow-up single, "Special F/X" only reached the UK charts, the group maintained a strong presence on the R&B charts. The album's title track, "Just Gets Better with Time", reached number 12 and "In The Mood," now a quiet storm radio staple, charted four spots lower at number 16. The fifth and final single, 1988's "No Pain, No Gain" reached a dismal 74 on the R&B chart, while limping to number 81 in the UK.

<i>Cool</i> (George Duke album) 2000 studio album by George Duke

Cool is a studio album by American keyboardist George Duke. The album reached No. 10 on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart, No. 11 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart, and No. 27 on the UK Jazz & Blues Albums chart.

<i>One Love – One Dream</i> 1988 studio album by Jeffrey Osborne

One Love – One Dream is the fifth studio album by American singer Jeffrey Osborne. It was released by A&M Records on July 15, 1988. The album reached number 12 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

<i>Visions</i> (Gladys Knight & the Pips album) 1983 studio album by Gladys Knight & the Pips

Visions is an album by the American soul group Gladys Knight & the Pips, released in 1983.

<i>Milestone</i> (The Temptations album) 1991 studio album by the Temptations

Milestone is a 1991 studio album by American soul group the Temptations. It would be the last full length album to feature founding member Melvin Franklin and the last to feature Richard Street, who exited the group in 1993, following a dispute with Williams.

References

  1. 1 2 "How Cruel Can Fame Be, Bobby Brown? : R&B; singer says his marriage to Whitney Houston has stabilized his life and enabled him to better handle the pressures that accompany star status". Los Angeles Times. September 27, 1992.
  2. ↑ "Bobby Brown | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  3. ↑ Heim, Chris. "Bobby Brown, Elvis 'Stylists' and Pop Terminology". chicagotribune.com.
  4. ↑ "You Say It's Your Birthday: Bobby Brown". MTV News.[ dead link ]
  5. 1 2 The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 83.
  6. ↑ Burn, Robyn (6 Feb 1987). "Singer Looks to Grow with His Advance". Sun-Sentinel: 42.
  7. 1 2 Henderson, Alex. Bobby Brown: King Of Stage > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  8. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 873.
  9. ↑ Hunt, Dennis (20 Nov 1988). "Bobby Brown-Life After New Edition More Mature and Happy Being Himself". Los Angeles Times: 81.
  10. ↑ Morse, Steve (25 Nov 1986). "ROXBURY TO TOP 20: BOBBY BROWN SOARS". The Boston Globe: 33.
  11. ↑ "Bobby Brown". Billboard.
  12. ↑ "Bobby Brown". Billboard.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.