| Raw Like Sushi | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 5 June 1989 | |||
| Recorded | 1988–1989 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 46:11 (vinyl) 67:22 (CD) | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Neneh Cherry chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Raw Like Sushi | ||||
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Raw Like Sushi is the debut studio album by Swedish musician Neneh Cherry, released 5 June 1989 by Virgin Records. [2] The album includes the commercially successful single "Buffalo Stance".
An early version of "Buffalo Stance" appeared on the B-side of the 1986 Stock Aitken Waterman-produced Morgan-McVey single, "Looking Good Diving", titled "Looking Good Diving with the Wild Bunch". [3] The single was not successful; however, the B-side was re-recorded with Tim Simenon of Bomb the Bass, and became the version of "Buffalo Stance" that was a worldwide hit, reaching #3 in the UK Singles Chart, [4] #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 [5] and #1 in the Netherlands [6] and Sweden. [7] The album also contains the #8 US [5] (and #20 UK [4] ) hit "Kisses on the Wind", and the #5 UK hit "Manchild". [4]
All musicians and programmers are credited in the album sleeve, however Cameron McVey, Cherry's husband, is credited as "Booga Bear". Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja co-wrote "Manchild", and fellow member Andrew Vowles aka DJ Mushroom performs on "Kisses on the Wind", "The Next Generation" and "So Here I Come". "My Bitch" is a vocal duet with Gilly G.
The cover and inner photos were shot by fashion photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino.
Raw Like Sushi is distinctive for its eclectic mix of genres, incorporating influences from across the trends of 1980s pop music. Cherry sings and raps accompanied by a diverse set of sounds, including pianos, synthesizers, brass instruments, guitars, and go-go percussion. The album's lyrical themes are influenced by Cherry's experiences of motherhood, and her education and upbringing. [8]
When it was released, the album was favorably compared to Madonna and Prince, though it did not reach similar popularity.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Chicago Tribune |  [9] |
| Los Angeles Times | [10] |
| Mojo | [11] |
| NME | 9/10 [12] |
| Pitchfork | 8.0/10 [8] |
| Q | [13] |
| Rolling Stone | [14] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 9/10 [15] |
| The Village Voice | A− [16] |
NME critic David Quantick praised Raw Like Sushi as "the sort of record you can rarely buy – immediate, commercial pop that only someone with a rather individual worldview could have made", highlighting its unconventional song structures and Cherry's "wit, intelligence and even maturity." [12] Selina Webb of British music newspaper Music Week called it "eclectic, wholesome, a subtly teasing collection of provoking yet pouting songs", "a confident manifesto from refreshing new pop diva." [17] Pete Clark of Hi-Fi News & Record Review said that Cherry's music "is illuminated by a jazzy delight in non-conformity" and singled out "effortlessly memorable" "Buffalo Stance" and "Manchild". [18] As per Chris Murray of RPM "this package contains something for any contemporary dance music fan." [19]
Raw Like Sushi was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . [20]
All tracks are written by Neneh Cherry and Cameron McVey (Booga Bear), except where indicated
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Buffalo Stance" |
| 5:42 |
| 2. | "Manchild" |
| 3:51 |
| 3. | "Kisses on the Wind" | 3:57 | |
| 4. | "Inna City Mamma" |
| 4:50 |
| 5. | "The Next Generation" | 5:04 | |
| 6. | "Love Ghetto" | 4:27 | |
| 7. | "Heart" | 5:08 | |
| 8. | "Phoney Ladies" | 3:52 | |
| 9. | "Outré Risqué Locomotive" |
| 5:04 |
| 10. | "So Here I Come" |
| 4:02 |
| 11. | "My Bitch" (bonus track) | 5:26 | |
| 12. | "Heart (It's a Demo)" (bonus track) | 4:52 | |
| 13. | "Buffalo Stance (Sukka Mix)" (bonus track) |
| 5:20 |
| 14. | "Manchild (The Old School Mix)" (bonus track) |
| 5:30 |
Note
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada) [42] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Netherlands (NVPI) [43] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Sweden (GLF) [44] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [45] | Gold | 25,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) [2] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
| Summaries | ||
| Worldwide | — | 2,000,000 [46] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Neneh Mariann Karlsson ; born 10 March 1964), better known as Neneh Cherry, is a Swedish singer-songwriter, rapper, occasional DJ and broadcaster. Her musical career started in London in the early 1980s, where she performed in a number of punk and post-punk bands in her youth, including the Slits and Rip Rig + Panic.
Forever Your Girl is the debut studio album by American singer Paula Abdul. It was released on June 21, 1988, through Virgin Records. The album was Abdul's breakthrough into the music industry after being a choreographer for high-profile clients including Kate Bush, The California Raisins, George Michael, ZZ Top, Duran Duran and most notably Janet Jackson. At the time of the album's release it was the most successful debut album of all time and was the first time an artist scored four US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles from a debut album. It is currently certified 7× platinum by the RIAA.
Nearly God is the unofficial second album by English rapper and producer Tricky. It was released in February 1996 under the pseudonym "Nearly God", which originated from an interview during which Tricky was asked "so how does it feel to be God... well, nearly God."
Man is the third solo studio album by Swedish singer Neneh Cherry, released on 2 September 1996 by Hut Records and Virgin Records. Three singles were issued from the album. Preceding the album release, a duet with Youssou N'Dour called "7 Seconds" was released as a single to promote Senegalese singer studio set The Guide. Almost two years later, the common track was added also to the Cherry's album.
CirKus are a trip hop band formed by Burt Ford, Karmil, Lolita Moon and Neneh Cherry.
Lovebox is the fourth studio album by English electronic dance music duo Groove Armada, released on 18 November 2002 by Jive Electro.
"Buffalo Stance" is a song by Swedish singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry, released in November 1988 by Circa and Virgin as the first single from the singer's debut album, Raw Like Sushi (1989). The song peaked at No. 3 on both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100, and it reached No. 1 in the Netherlands and in Cherry's native Sweden. An early version of the song appeared as the B-side on the 1986 Stock, Aitken, and Waterman-produced single "Looking Good Diving" by duo Morgan-McVey, which was made up of Jamie Morgan and Cherry's future husband Cameron McVey. The song, titled "Looking Good Diving with the Wild Bunch", was sung by Cherry.
Mark Saunders is a British record producer and audio engineer who has worked on a number of albums since the 1980s, with artists including the Cure, David Byrne, Erasure, and Tricky.
"7 Seconds" is a song composed by Senegalese and Swedish singer-songwriters Youssou N'Dour and Neneh Cherry with Cameron McVey and Jonathan Sharp. It was released in May 1994 by Columbia as a single performed by N'Dour and Cherry, and achieved success, reaching the number-one position in numerous countries; in France, it stayed at number one for 16 weeks, a record at the time. N'Dour featured the song on his seventh album, The Guide (Wommat) (1994), while Cherry included it on her 1996 album Man. "7 Seconds" also won the MTV Europe Music Award in the category for Best Song of 1994. Its music video was directed by French director Stéphane Sednaoui. NME magazine ranked the song number 40 in their list of the 50 best songs of 1994.
Cameron Andrew McVey is an English singer, songwriter and music producer. He worked with the bands Massive Attack, Portishead, All Saints, Sugababes and his wife Neneh Cherry. He is the father of Marlon Roudette, Tyson, and Mabel.
"Kisses on the Wind" is the third single released from Swedish singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry's debut album, Raw Like Sushi (1989). Like many songs on the album, "Kisses on the Wind" refers to Cherry's schooldays; the song is about a girl who matures before the other girls do, and as a result, she is the first to draw boys' attentions. It peaked within the top 10 in Finland, New Zealand, and Switzerland and just reached the top 20 in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 20. In the United States, it peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100.
The following is a comprehensive list of music records released by Neneh Cherry.
"Looking Good Diving" is a 1987 song performed by Morgan-McVey, who were vocalists Jamie Morgan and Cameron McVey. It was their only single. The track was released through Sony Records in 1987, and was produced by Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW) and mixed by Phil Harding. The track's B-side, "Looking Good Diving with the Wild Bunch", featured Neneh Cherry on vocals, and was a tribute to the 'buffalo stance', a type of pose.
"Manchild" is a song by Swedish singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry, released as the second single from her debut album, Raw Like Sushi (1989). It was the first song Cherry wrote; she composed it on a Casio keyboard using an auto-chord setting and ended up with seven chords in the verse alone. Neneh's stepfather Don Cherry commented on this positively, comparing it to a jazz song structure. Nellee Hooper created the beat for the song and wrote the rap with Robert Del Naja. Cherry then gave the track to her future husband, Cameron McVey, who helped to shape the song with the parts and "made it make sense".
Blank Project is the fourth studio album by Neneh Cherry, released by Smalltown Supersound on 25 February 2014. The record is Cherry's first album of solo music in 18 years. It was recorded and mixed over a 5-day period in Woodstock, NY. It was produced by Four Tet's Kieran Hebden and features a guest appearance by Robyn. The record also includes work with prior collaborators, synth/drum duo RocketNumberNine. Critical reviews of the album were very positive.
"Buddy X" is a song by Swedish musician Neneh Cherry, released in 1993 as the third and final single from her second album, Homebrew (1992). Co-written and co-produced by Cherry, it was a top 40 hit in both the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, peaking at numbers 23 and 35, respectively. The song also charted in the United States, reaching No. 43 on the Billboard Hot 100, and in Canada, where it reached No. 28 on the RPM Top Singles chart. Additionally, it was a number two hit on the European Dance Radio Chart and a number four hit on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. Its music video was directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino.
"Woman" is a song by Swedish singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry from her third studio album, Man (1996). Written by Cherry, her husband Cameron McVey, and Jonathan Sharp, the song was created as a take on American singer James Brown's 1966 hit "It's a Man's Man's Man's World". The song's lyrics describe the difficulties women face in life, allowing Cherry to be seen as an empowering female recording artist. Released on 22 July 1996, "Woman" became a chart hit in Europe and Australia, reaching the top 10 in Finland, Hungary, Iceland, the United Kingdom, and the Wallonia region of Belgium.
Broken Politics is the fifth solo album by singer Neneh Cherry, and her second to be produced by Four Tet. The album was released on 19 October 2018, and has been called "quieter and more reflective" than its predecessor Blank Project. The lead single, "Kong", was released two months earlier, and "Shot Gun Shack" was released as the second single.
Cherry Blossom is the fifth studio album by the British pop rock band The Vamps. It was released on 16 October 2020 via EMI Records, and includes the single "Married in Vegas". The album debuted atop the UK Albums Chart, becoming the Vamps' second number-one album in their home country. It is promoted by a concert tour that begun on 6 September 2021.
The Versions is the sixth studio album by Neneh Cherry, released on 10 June 2022 via EMI Records. The album consists of reworked versions of songs from Cherry's back catalogue, featuring guest appearances by artists including Robyn and Sia.
