Otra Nota

Last updated

Otra Nota
Otranotamarcanthony.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 26, 1993 (1993-01-26)
Recorded199293
StudioActive Recordings
(New York City, New York)
Genre Salsa
Length37:01
Language
  • Spanish
  • English
Label RMM
Producer Sergio George
Marc Anthony chronology
When the Night is Over
(1991)
Otra Nota
(1993)
Todo a Su Tiempo
(1995)
Singles from Otra Nota
  1. "Hasta Que Te Conocí"
    Released: 1993
  2. "Palabras del Alma"
    Released: 1993
  3. "Si Tú No Te Fueras"
    Released: 1993

Otra Nota (English: Another Note) is the debut album by American singer Marc Anthony that was released on January 26, 1993, by RMM Records. Produced by Sergio George, it was the first album by Anthony to record in salsa after starting his career as a freestyle musician. Recording of the album began after Anthony asked RMM president Ralph Mercado to record Juan Gabriel's "Hasta Que Te Conocí" in salsa after hearing it on the radio during a taxi ride. Recorded on a low budget, the album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Tropical Albums chart and reached No. 30 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart.

Contents

The album was well received by critics who complimented George's production and Anthony's youthful voice. Anthony received two awards for "Best New Artists" at the Billboard Latin Music Awards and the Lo Nuestro Awards. The album produced three singles: "Hasta Que Te Conocí", "Palabras del Alma", and "Si Tú No Te Fueras", all of which charted on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. As of 2002, Otra Nota has sold over 300,000 copies.

Background

Marc Anthony began his recording career in 1980s as a freestyle musician during which he was a backup vocalist for boy bands such as Menudo and the Latin Rascals. [1] Anthony also wrote songs for his school friend Sa-Fire, including "Boy I've Been Told" which became a hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. [2] Anthony got his start as a lead vocalist when he collaborated with Little Louie Vega on the album When the Night Is Over . The lead single "Ride on the Rhythm" became a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. [3]

RMM manager Ralph Mercado invited Anthony to record a salsa album, but Anthony declined the offer due to a lack of interest to record in Spanish. The following day, while in a taxi, Anthony was listening to Juan Gabriel's song "Hasta Que Te Conocí" ("Until I Met You") on the radio and was motivated to record the song in salsa and told Mercado about his change of mind. [4] Mercado introduced Anthony to Sergio George who would produce the album. According to George, the album was a "total experiment", citing that it was on low budget, recorded with one musician at a time without a band, and the full production was done on computers while George handled the keyboards. [5] Otra Nota recording took place at the Active Recordings in New York City in 1992. [6] [7]

Music and lyrics

The album includes five compositions and three cover songs. The lead track "Palabras del Alma" ("Words from the Soul") is a cover originally performed and written by Ilan Chester. [8] "Si Tú No Te Fueras" ("If You Would Not Leave") was composed by Nelson Frank and Jaime Gutierrez. [9] "Hasta Que Te Conocí" was first performed and written by Juan Gabriel. [10] "El Último Beso" was composed by Anthony's father Felipe Muñíz. [11] [12] "Make It With You" is a cover of American band Bread's song. [13] "Necesito Amarte" was written by Luis Castillo who composed songs for RMM recording artists including José Alberto "El Canario" and Tito Nieves. [14] Sergio George co-wrote "¿Juego O Amor?" ("Game or Love?") along with Adam Sez. [15] The final track, "Si He de Morir" ("If I Were to Die") was composed by Dominican Luis "Terror" Díaz. [16]

Commercial reception

Otra Nota debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Tropical Albums chart during the week of April 17, 1993, behind Jerry Rivera's Cuenta Conmigo and remained at this position for eight weeks. [17] During the week of June 11, 1994, the album debuted and peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums, where it spent nineteen weeks on the chart. [18] Otra Nota had sold over 300,000 copies as of 2002. [19]

Singles

"Hasta Que Te Conocí" was the first single to be released from the album and peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. [20] The second single "Palabras del Alma" peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. [21] "Si Tú No Te Fueras" was the last single released from the album which peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. [22]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [23]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [24]

Evan Gutierrez of AllMusic gave the album 3.5 out of 5 stars and complemented Anthony's voice as "developed, unique, and individual" and felt that Anthony's debut "brought quality and passion to his listeners from the beginning." Gutierrez also found the songs in salsa enjoyable while calling the ballads. Gutierrez praised Sergio George's arrangements as "outstanding" though he felt the production was outdated in places. [23] An editor for Billboard magazine referred to the album as a "smashing salsa premier" and praised George's "customary fine" arrangements. [25] The Los Angeles Times music critic Enrique Lopetegui gave the album 3 out of 4 stars, noting that while Anthony was viewed with skepticism on the salsa market, he felt that Anthony "may be the best of the many newborn salseros." Lopetegui also praised Anthony's vocals as "excellent" and described the overall album as "noble effort" though he criticized Anthony's cover of "Make It With You" as unnecessary. [24] The album led to Anthony receiving a Billboard Latin Music Award for "Tropical/Salsa New Artist of the Year" and the Lo Nuestro Award for Tropical New Artist of the Year in 1994. [26] [27]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Palabras del Alma" Ilan Chester 5:00
2."Si Tú No Te Fueras"Nelson Frank, Jaime Gutierrez4:28
3."Hasta Que Te Conocí" Juan Gabriel 5:00
4."El Último Beso"Felipe Muñíz4:29
5."Make It with You" David Gates 4:19
6."Necesito Amarte"Luis Castillo4:56
7."¿Juego o Amor?"Sergio George, Adam Sez4:33
8."Si He de Morir" Luis Díaz 4:16

Personnel

The following credits are from AllMusic. [7] [28]

Musicians

  • Bobby Allende – bongos
  • Gabriela Anders – background vocals
  • Luis Bonilla – trombone
  • Lucho Cabarcas – background vocals
  • William Cepeda – trombone
  • Ray Colon – bongos
  • José Garcia – arranger, guitar, tres ("Necesito Amarte")
  • Sergio George – arranger, keyboards, background vocals
  • Phil Hamilton – guitar ("Juego o Amor", "Make it With You")
  • Ite Jerez – trumpet
  • Renaldo Jorge – trombone
  • Lewis Kahn – violin
  • Joe King – background vocals
  • Rene Leyva – horn arrangements ("Necesito Amarte")
  • Luis Lopez – trombone
  • Pablo "Chino" Nuñez – timbales
  • Papo Pepin – conga, percussion
  • Johnny Rivera – background vocals
  • Piro Rodriguez – trumpet
  • Rubén Rodríguez – bass

Technical

  • J. Albelo – artwork, design
  • Phil Austin – mastering
  • Ricardo Betancourt – photography
  • Sergio George – drum programming, engineer, keyboards, mastering, producer, programming
  • David Maldonado – executive Producer
  • Elena C. Martínez – art direction
  • Ralph Mercado – executive Producer
  • Kurt Upper – engineer, mixing

Chart performance

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marc Anthony</span> American singer (born 1968)

Marco Antonio Muñiz, known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. A three-time Grammy Award and six-time Latin Grammy Award winner, he has sold more than 12 million albums worldwide. Known for his Latin salsa numbers and ballads, Anthony has won numerous awards and his achievements have been honored through various recognitions. He was the recipient of the 2009 Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Lifetime Achievement Award. He also received the "2009 CHCI Chair's Lifetime Achievement Award" on September 16, 2009. He holds the Guinness World Record for best-selling tropical/salsa artist and the most number-one albums on the Billboard Tropical Albums year-end charts. He is also the artist with the most number one songs on the Billboard Latin Tropical Airplay chart with 32 songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juan Gabriel</span> Mexican recording artist; singer and songwriter (1950–2016)

Alberto Aguilera Valadez, known professionally as Juan Gabriel, was a Mexican singer, songwriter and actor. Colloquially nicknamed as Juanga and El Divo de Juárez, Juan Gabriel was known for his flamboyant style, which broke barriers within the Latin music industry. Widely considered one of the best and most prolific Mexican composers and singers of all time, he has been referred to as a pop icon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricardo Arjona</span> Guatemalan recording artist; singer-songwriter (born 1964)

Edgar Ricardo Arjona Morales, known as Ricardo Arjona, is a Guatemalan singer-songwriter. Arjona is one of the most successful and best-selling Latin American artists of all time, with more than 80 million records sold. He is often called El Animal Nocturno, thanks to his breakthrough success with his fourth studio album, which bears the same name. His music ranges from ballads to Latin pop, rock, pop rock, Cuban music, and more recently a cappella performances and a mixture of Tejano music and Norteño music, and other Afro-American and Latin sounds. Arjona is noted for his lyrical style, and often addresses topics such as love, sexuality, violence, racism and immigration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La India</span> Puerto Rican singer

Linda Viera Caballero, better known as La India, is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter of salsa, house music and Latin pop. La India has been nominated for both Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, winning the Latin Grammy Award for Best Salsa Album for the Intensamente La India Con Canciones De Juan Gabriel album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sergio George</span> American pianist

Sergio George is an American pianist, arranger, and record producer, known for working with many famous performers of salsa music, although he has worked in other genres of the music industry as well. He has worked with some of Latin music's most popular artists starting with Marc Anthony, DLG, Jennifer Lopez, Tito Nieves, Víctor Manuelle, Frankie Negrón, Johnny Rivera, Ray Sepúlveda, Tito Puente, Thalia, Orquesta de la Luz, Ivy Queen, Celia Cruz, La India, Jerry Rivera, Bacilos, Leslie Grace, Toby Love, Cheo Feliciano, Prince Royce, Liz Elias, Indy Flow, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gian Marco</span> Peruvian musician

Gian Marco Javier Zignago Alcóver is a Peruvian musician and actor. He has won the Latin Grammy Award for the Best Singer-Songwriter Album three times. First in 2005 for his album Resucitar, in 2011 for his album Días Nuevos, and in 2012 for his album 20 Años. Gian Marco was named UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Need to Know (Marc Anthony song)</span> Single by Marc Anthony

"I Need to Know" is a song recorded by American singer Marc Anthony for his eponymous fourth studio album. It was released as the lead single from the album on August 16, 1999. Written and produced by Anthony and Cory Rooney, "I Need to Know" is a song about a man who longs to know how a woman feels about him. The song blends the musical styles of several genres, including R&B and Latin music; the instruments used include violin, piano, timbales and congas. Anthony recorded a Spanish-language version of the song, translated by Angie Chirino and Robert Blades, titled "Dímelo".

<i>Todo a Su Tiempo</i> (Marc Anthony album) 1995 studio album by Marc Anthony

Todo a Su Tiempo is the second studio album by American recording artist Marc Anthony, released by RMM Records on May 31, 1995. The album was produced by Sergio George, who was also involved with production of Anthony's debut studio album, Otra Nota. The album comprises five new compositions, three of which were written by Omar Alfanno, and four cover versions. Eight singles were released from the album, all but one of which topped the Billboard Tropical Songs chart.

<i>Contra la Corriente</i> (Marc Anthony album) 1997 studio album by Marc Anthony

Contra la Corriente is the third studio album released by American singer Marc Anthony on October 21, 1997 by RMM Records. The album was produced by Puerto Rican musician Angel "Cucco" Peña, with most of the songs written by Panamanian composer Omar Alfanno. The album was well received by critics who praised the vocals of Anthony as well as the songs. The album produced six singles, four of which peaked on the top ten on the Hot Latin Tracks chart. Promoted by a sold-out concert in Madison Square Garden, Contra la Corriente became the first salsa album to reach number one on the Top Latin Albums chart and to chart on the Billboard 200.

<i>Desde un Principio: From the Beginning</i> 1999 greatest hits album by Marc Anthony

Desde un Principio: From the Beginning is a greatest hits album from American recording artist Marc Anthony. The album was released on November 9, 1999 by RMM Records & Video (RMM). It was a result of Anthony leaving RMM Records and signing on with Columbia Records. The recording contains fourteen tracks from his years with RMM and "No Me Ames" by Jennifer Lopez and Anthony.

<i>Dicen Que Soy</i> 1994 studio album by La India

Dicen Que Soy is the third studio album by Puerto Rican-American recording artist La India released on September 20, 1994 by RMM Records. The album was produced by American musician Sergio George, who chose the songs for India to record with an emphasis on feminism to suit with her voice. The production mixes salsa music with other rhythms such as funk and timba. Five singles were released from the record with "Nunca Voy a Olvidarte" and "Ese Hombre" topping the Billboard Tropical Songs chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Y Hubo Alguien</span> 1997 promotional single by Marc Anthony

"Y Hubo Alguien" is a song by American singer Marc Anthony from his third studio album, Contra la Corriente (1997). The song was written by Omar Alfanno, with record production being handled by Ángel "Cucco" Peña. It was released as the first promotional single from the album in 1997. A salsa song which combines elements of R&B, it describes a man who has found love again after his former lover left him. The song was inspired by a fight Alfanno had with his partner and pitched the song to RMM, but was turned down. Anthony offered to record the track after Alfanno presented it to him.

"Hasta Que Te Conocí" is a song written, produced, and performed by Mexican singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel. It was released in 1986 as the third single from his studio album Pensamientos. In the song, the protagonist learns the meaning of suffering after meeting a lover who mistreats him. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot Latin Song chart. A live version of the song was included on his album En el Palacio de Bellas Artes (1990) which peaked at number ten on the Hot Latin Songs chart.

"Abrázame Muy Fuerte" is a song written and performed by Mexican singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel. The song was produced and arranged by Bebu Silvetti and it was released as the second single from the album of the same title. The track became Gabriel's seventh number-one single in the Billboard Top Latin Songs chart. The parent album became commercially successful, peaking at number two in the Top Latin Albums chart in the United States. The singer also received a nomination for Best Latin Pop Album at the 44th Grammy Awards for this release.

Lourdes Robles is a singer-songwriter and actress, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her career started in the early 1980s as part of duo Lourdes y Carlos, releasing two albums. The duo split and Robles began a solo career, acting in "Barrio Cuatro Calles" and "Generaciones", along Puerto-Rican performer Chayanne. She also performed in some musical productions, including Hello, Dolly!, Into the Woods, and The Fantasticks.

<i>Trópico</i> (Ricardo Arjona album) 2009 compilation album by Ricardo Arjona

Trópico is the fifteenth compilation album by the Guatemalan singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona, released on 13 June 2009. The album consists of Arjona's past songs, drawn from Animal Nocturno (1992) to Galería Caribe (2000), which are performed either by him, or by other Latin artists, including Marc Anthony, Tito Nieves and Gilberto Santa Rosa. The album follows Sony's release of Simplemente Lo Mejor in December 2008, and it marks the second compilation album released after Arjona's departure to Warner Music on September 2008.

<i>La Negra Tiene Tumbao</i> 2001 studio album by Celia Cruz

La Negra Tiene Tumbao is the 59th album recorded by Cuban salsa recording artist Celia Cruz. It was released by Sony Music on 2 October 2001. It featured musical collaborations with Mikey Perfecto and Johnny Pacheco and was produced by Sergio George, Isidro Infante, Pacheco, Oscar Gomez, and Angel Carrasco.

"Ese Hombre" is a song written by Ana Magdalena and Manuel Alejandro and performed by Spanish recording artist Rocío Jurado for her studio album Señora (1979). It was released by RCA Records as a B-side to "Señora" in 1980. Lyrically, the song is about a womanizer who lures women into a wrongful relationship filled with lies and deceit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Te Conozco Bien</span> 1995 single by Marc Anthony

"Te Conozco Bien" is a song by American singer Marc Anthony from his second studio album, Todo a Su Tiempo (1995). The song was written by Omar Alfanno, with production being handled by Marc Anthony and Sergio George. It was released as the first promotional single from the album on May 30, 1995. A salsa song, it sees the singer express certainty that someone is regretful. The song was awarded the Billboard Latin Music Award in 1996 for "Hot Latin Track of the Year" in the Tropical/Salsa field and was nominated for the Tropical Song of the Year award at the 8th Annual Lo Nuestro Awards in the same year. It was a recipient of the ASCAP Latin Award in 1996. Commercially, the song peaked at number seven on the Hot Latin Songs chart and number one on the Tropical Airplay chart in the United States. It was the best-performing song of 1995 on the latter chart. The song was covered by Puerto Rican singer Ángel López as a ballad on his studio album Historias de Amor (2010).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Contra la Corriente (song)</span> 1998 single by Marc Anthony

"Contra la Corriente" is a song by American singer Marc Anthony from his third studio album of the same name (1997). It was released in 1998 by RMM and served as the album's fifth single. The song was written by Omar Alfanno, with co-production handled by Ángel "Cucco" Peña and Anthony. "Contra la Corriente" is a salsa song, that lyrically recalls a "good love from the past."

References

  1. Harris, Craig. "Marc Anthony - Biography". AllMusic . Rovi Corporation.
  2. "Boy I've Been Told - Safire". Billboard . Retrieved August 30, 2011.
  3. "Ride on the Rhythm - "Little" Louie Vega". Billboard. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
  4. Lopetegui, Enrique. "Marc Anthony's Putting a Real Kick In His Salsa". Los Angeles Times .
  5. Louis, Nestor. "The Sergio George Interview Part I". Palo Salsero. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
  6. Lannert, John (September 19, 1992). "So-Ho's Two-For-One Split". Billboard. 104 (38): 33. ISSN   0006-2510.
  7. 1 2 Otra Nota (CD liner notes). RMM. 1993.
  8. "Palabras del Alma - Ilan Chester". AllMusic. Rovi. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  9. "Si Tú No Te Fueras - Marc Anthony". AllMusic. Rovi. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  10. "Hasta Que Te Conocí - Juan Gabriel". AllMusic. Rovi. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  11. "Al bolero el Papá de Marc Anthony" (in Spanish). San Juan, Puerto Rico: National Foundation for Popular Culture.
  12. Ilich, Tijana. "Marc Anthony - Profile of New York Salsa's Marc Anthony". About.com . New York Times. Archived from the original on October 24, 2011. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  13. "Make It With You - Bread". AllMusic. Rovi. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  14. "Luis Lambis Castillo - Songs Composed By". AllMusic. Rovi. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  15. "¿Juego O Amor? - Marc Anthony". Allmusic. Rovi. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  16. "Si He de Morir - Marc Anthony". AllMusic. Rovi. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  17. "Tropical Songs - Week of April 17, 1993". Billboard. April 17, 1993. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  18. "Latin Albums - Week of June 11, 1994". Billboard. June 11, 1994. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  19. Santiago, Javier (June 27, 2002). "Biografía de Marc Anthony". Los 40 Principales . Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  20. "Hasta Que Te Conoci - Marc Anthony". Billboard. May 22, 1993. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  21. "Palabras del Alma - Marc Anthony". August 14, 1993. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  22. "Si Tú No Te Fueras - Marc Anthony". October 23, 1993.
  23. 1 2 Gutierrez, Evan. "Otra Nota - Marc Anthony". AllMusic. Rovi. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  24. 1 2 Lopetegui, Enrique (July 11, 1993). "LATIN PULSE : Salsa Converts and Veterans Flavor Sassy Beat With Meaning". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  25. Verna, Paul; Morris, Chris; Morris, Edward (February 13, 1993). "Albums Reviews". Billboard. 105 (7): 47. ISSN   0006-2510.
  26. Lannert, John (May 21, 1994). "First Latin Music Awards Recognize Range of Talent". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 106 (32): LM-52. Retrieved June 3, 2010.
  27. "Lo Nuestro 1994 - Historia de Premio lo Nuestro". Univision. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  28. "Otra Nota – Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  29. 1 2 "Otra Nota - Marc Anthony". Billboard. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  30. "The Year in Music: 1993 - Top Tropical/Salsa Albums". Billboard: YE-56. December 25, 1993. ISSN   0006-2510.
  31. "1994: The Year in Music". Billboard. 106 (52): YE-77, 80. December 24, 1994. Retrieved August 27, 2013.