After 7 is an American R&B group founded in 1987 by brothers Melvin and Kevon Edmonds, and their friend Keith Mitchell. The Edmonds brothers are the older siblings of pop/R&B singer-songwriter and record producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, who named the group and helped them get a record deal with Virgin Records in 1988. After 7 released their platinum-selling self-titled debut album in 1989, which spawned three singles "Heat of the Moment", "Ready or Not" and "Can't Stop". "Ready or Not" and "Can't Stop" were No. 1 R&B hits and top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Their second album Takin' My Time, released in 1992, also went platinum and contained the R&B hit medley "Baby, I'm for Real/Natural High". After 7's Gold-selling 1995 album Reflections was their last album before the group disbanded in 1997. The album included the R&B hit "'Til You Do Me Right. Years later the group resumed touring with Jason Edmonds, son of Melvin Edmonds, replacing his father. Melvin rejoined the group for their successful 2016 comeback album Timeless, which featured 3 adult R&B top 10 hits "Runnin' Out", "I Want You" and "Let Me Know".
Kenneth Brian Edmonds, better known by his stage name Babyface, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has written and produced over 26 number-one R&B hits throughout his career and has won 13 Grammy Awards. He was ranked number 20 on NME's 50 of The Greatest Producers Ever list.
The Gap Band was an American R&B and funk band that rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s. The band consisted of three brothers: Charlie, Ronnie, and Robert Wilson, along with other members; it was named after streets in the historic Greenwood neighborhood in the brothers' hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The Deele is an American band from Cincinnati, Ohio who achieved success in the 1980s with such hit singles as "Body Talk" and "Two Occasions". When the group began recording in the early 1980s, the lineup consisted of Indianapolis native Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds along with Cincinnati musicians Antonio "L.A." Reid, Carlos "Satin" Greene, Darnell "Dee" Bristol, Stanley "Stick" Burke, and Kevin "Kayo" Roberson. In 2007, Bristol, Greene, Roberson & Burke reformed the group with several new members.
Don't Be Cruel is the second studio album by American singer Bobby Brown. It was released in the United States on June 20, 1988, by MCA Records. MCA changed producers for this album and had Brown work with hit-making songwriting and production duo Babyface and L.A. Reid. Brown dedicated the album to his deceased best friend James "Jimbo" Flint who was stabbed to death when Brown was aged 11. Don't Be Cruel incorporates new jack swing, R&B, funk, dance and soul.
Boomerang: Original Soundtrack Album is the soundtrack to Reginald Hudlin's 1992 film Boomerang. It was released on June 30, 1992, by LaFace Records. The album peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200 and reached the top spot on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in August 1992 and eventually reached triple-platinum status by April 1995.
Sweet November is the title of a number-one R&B single by group Troop written by Babyface. The hit song spent one week at number-one on the US R&B chart and peaked at fifty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Giving You the Benefit" is a song by American recording artist Pebbles from her second album, Always (1990). Written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Antonio "L.A." Reid, the song was released as the lead single from Always on August 11, 1990, by MCA Records. It was her last top-five pop hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number four later that year.
After 7 is the debut album by After 7. Released in 1989, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA on November 27, 1990, and spawned two #1 R&B hits, "Ready or Not" and "Can't Stop." Those songs also reached #7 and #6, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100.
Takin' My Time is the second studio album by R&B trio After 7. It peaked at #76 on the Billboard 200. It was their first album to be released under Virgin Records after being acquired by EMI Music in 1992. The album is notable for being their first and only album without any songs produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface. Instead, they contribute as writers, with Reid co-writing the songs "Can He Love U Like This" and "G.S.T.", and Babyface writing "Truly Something Special" and "Love By Day/Love By Night". The production was handed over to Daryl Simmons & Kayo, who co-produced and co-wrote many of the songs on their self-titled debut.
Tender Lover is the second studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Babyface. The album was released on July 7, 1989. It is the follow-up to his debut Lovers (1986). It was his first album with SOLAR after the label entered into a distribution deal with Epic Records. In some regions of Europe, Tender Lover was released with a different cover picture and simply titled Babyface.
Face2Face is the fifth studio album from R&B singer Babyface. It was released by Nu America and Arista Records on September 11, 2001, in the United States. His first album in five years after 1996's The Day, it also marked Babyface's first album with Arista, which reunited him with his former songwriting and production partner L.A. Reid who was the president of the label at the time of the album's release.
The Lover in Me is the ninth studio album by Scottish singer Sheena Easton. It was released in November 1988 and was her debut for MCA. The album has a more Urban/R&B sound than Easton's previous recordings due to the production by well-known acts such as L.A. Reid, Babyface and John "Jellybean" Benitez. The album's title track became a major hit, reaching number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 15 on the UK Singles Chart. The album reached number 44 on the US Billboard 200 and number 30 on the UK Albums Chart, and was certified Gold by the RIAA. It is one of Easton's best selling albums to date and returned her to the US and UK charts. Significantly, in the UK it was her first charting album for over five years, with the lead single becoming her first top 20 hit in nearly eight years.
Eyes of a Stranger is an album released by the R&B band the Deele in 1987.
"Two Occasions" is an R&B song written by Babyface, Darnell Bristol and Sid Johnson. It was produced by Babyface and L.A. Reid for the Deele's third studio album Eyes of a Stranger (1987). The ballad was released as the album's second single in December 1987. It is the only song on the album that features Babyface on lead vocals, which alternate between himself, Bristol, and Carlos "Satin" Greene throughout the course of the song. It has since been remade into a live version with added vocals from Babyface with all original vocals from the Deele intact; this version appeared on the 12-inch maxi single and also three years later on his album, A Closer Look.
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.
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.
Street Beat is the debut album by The Deele.
Pure Essence were an American R&B band from Cincinnati, Ohio, originally consisting of Steve "Tuck" Walters, Jerome "Mouse" Richmond, Toby Rivers, Tony Coats, Dwight Trible, Larry Middleton, Antonio "L.A." Reid, and Kevin "Kayo" Roberson. The band released only one record, in 1976, and achieved limited regional fame during their tenure. But they received wider attention and acclaim nearly three decades later after one of their songs, "Third Rock", was sampled by producer/musician RJD2 on the track "Clean Living" (2004). The group's songs later appeared on the Chrome Children compilation album (2005), the Saints Row 2 video game soundtrack (2008), and the Soul Cal: Funky Disco & Modern Soul, 1971–82 compilation album (2012). A 2006 issue of The Fader called Pure Essence a "crucial soul-rock outfit" of the 1970s.
"My Kinda Girl" is a song performed and co-written by Babyface, issued as the fourth and final single from his 1989 album Tender Lover. The song was also the fourth consecutive hit single from the album, peaking at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990. SOLAR and Epic Records released 7 remixes of the recording with a remix of "Whip Appeal" in 1990, which was available as a CD single.
