No, No, No (Dawn Penn album)

Last updated
No, No, No
Dawn Penn No, No, No album cover.jpg
Studio album by
Released1994
Genre Reggae
Length57:44
Label Big Beat/Atlantic
Producer
Dawn Penn chronology
No, No, No
(1994)
Come Again
(1996)
Singles from No, No, No
  1. "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)"
    Released: 17 February 1994
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Billboard (favorable) [2]
Robert Christgau Scissors icon black.svg [3]
Melody Maker (favorable) [4]
Music Week Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
NME 3/10 [6]
Smash Hits Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]

No, No, No is the debut album by Jamaican reggae singer Dawn Penn, released in 1994. The album was released nearly 30 years after Penn embarked on a recording career, following up the worldwide success of her single "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)" in 1994. The album, however, was met with a modest chart success.

Contents

Critical reception

Alex Henderson from AllMusic complimented No, No, No as "a respectable, decent effort", remarking that songs like "I'll Do It Again" and "Samfi Boy" has "a strong urban contemporary flavor". [8] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Moving beyond the fine first single, 'You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)', the set is fueled by the gems 'I Want a Love I Can See' and 'I'll Do It Again', as well as a dark and penetrating reading of Cat Stevens' 'The First Cut Is the Deepest'." [2] Everett True from Melody Maker viewed it as an "undemanding yet supremely satisfying album", praising the lead single, "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)", as well as "a gorgeous reading" of "I Want a Love I Can See" and "an uptempo" "The First Cut Is the Deepest". [4]

Alan Jones from Music Week noted that "Penn's delightfully understated style spans reggae and R&B, and gently coaxes the best out of a dozen tunes." He named the "sweetly soulful" "l'll Do It Again" and a "fine version" of "I Want a Love I Can See" "potential hit singles". [5] Pete Stanton from Smash Hits named it Best New Album, writing, "Laid-back, lazing-on-a-beach type reggae, which does get slightly tedious after a while but has enough tummy jigglers like 'Night and Day' and 'Samfi Boy' to keep you going. Imagine a trendy grandma doing Bitty McLean type stuff and you'll know what's going on." [7]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Want a Love I Can See" Smokey Robinson 3:54
2."I'm Sorry"
4:10
3."You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)" (Extended Mix)Penn4:37
4."Night and Day" Horace Swaby 4:55
5."My Love Takes Over"
  • Penn
  • Powe
  • Hunt
3:57
6."The First Cut Is the Deepest" Cat Stevens 4:27
7."I'll Do It Again" Dwight Pinkney 4:05
8."Hurt"Penn3:57
9."Samfi Boy"5:09
10."Keep in Touch"
  • Chin/Fook
  • Chung
  • Rupert Cunningham
4:30
11."My Man"
3:58
12."Blue Yes Blue"Penn4:52
13."You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)" (Remix)Penn5:13

Charts

Chart (1994)Peak
position
Austrian Albums Chart [9] 25
German Albums Chart [10] 53
UK Albums Chart [11] 51
US R&B Albums [8] 83
US Top Reggae Albums [8] 5

References

  1. Alex Henderson. "No No No - Dawn Penn". AllMusic . Retrieved 2015-07-12.
  2. 1 2 Flick, Larry (1994-05-07). "Dance Trax: Judy Cheeks Flush With U.K. Club Chart Success" (PDF). Billboard . p. 29. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
  3. Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: Dawn Penn". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  4. 1 2 True, Everett (1994-07-02). "Albums". Melody Maker . p. 34. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  5. 1 2 Jones, Alan (1994-06-25). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Albums" (PDF). Music Week . p. 19. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  6. Lewis, Angela (1994-07-16). "Long Play". NME . p. 38. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  7. 1 2 Stanton, Pete (1994-07-06). "New Albums: Best New Album". Smash Hits . p. 50. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  8. 1 2 3 "Dawn Penn Awards". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
  9. "Discographie Dawn Penn" (in German). www.austriancharts.at. Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  10. "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). www.offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
  11. "DAWN PENN full Official Chart History Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2015-07-10.