Serious (The O'Jays album)

Last updated
Serious
Serious (The O'Jays album).jpg
Studio album by
the O'Jays
Released1989
Studio Sigma Sound, O'Henry Sound Studios, Kopperhead Studios
Genre R&B, soul
Label EMI
Producer Gerald Levert and Marc Gordon ("Out of My Mind" and "Rainbow"); Dennis Lambert ("Never Been Better"); Walter Williams, Eddie Levert Sr. and Terry Stubbs (all others)
The O'Jays chronology
Let Me Touch You
(1987)		Serious
(1989)		 Emotionally Yours
(1991)

Serious is an album by the American musical group the O'Jays, released in 1989. [1] [2] It was the group's first album for EMI Records. [3] "Out of My Mind" and "Have You Had Your Love Today?" were released as singles. [4] [5] The O'Jays supported the album by playing the Hampton Jazz Festival and touring with LeVert. [6] [7]

Contents

The album peaked at No. 114 on the Billboard 200. [8] Serious was regarded as a comeback album. [9]

Production

Eddie Levert wanted to modernize the group's sound by heeding his sons' musical advice. [10] Gerald Levert coproduced four of the album's songs. [11] "Pot Can't Call the Kettle Black" is about parents criticizing the musical tastes of their children. [12] "Have You Had Your Love Today?" was influenced rhythmically by Eddie Kendrick's "Keep On Truckin'". [13]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [15]
The Philadelphia Inquirer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [16]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [17]

The Chicago Tribune deemed the album "a nice mix of dance cuts and romantic ballads." [5] The Philadelphia Inquirer called it "a model example of how to update your style without selling out." [13] LA Weekly opined that "Eddie with his gale-force vocals and Walter Williams with his cool baritone and measured tenor squalls are still the best vocal tandem in male-group soul." [18] The Buffalo News concluded that the group "may be one of the last remaining examples of the raw rhythmic emotion that gave birth to that particular niche of music called rhythm 'n' blues." [19]

AllMusic wrote that the group "opted for a more high-tech 'urban contemporary' approach with Serious... Obviously well aware of what younger R&B units like Guy, Levert ... and Today were up to, the veteran soulsters incorporated 'new jack swing' and hip-hop elements and made it clear they were intent on changing with the times." [14] The Rolling Stone Album Guide noted that "the younger generation's skittery hip-hop beats don't mesh with the old man's rock-solid R&B foundation." [16]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Out of My Mind"Gerald Levert, Marc Gordon4:15
2."Leave It Alone"Walter Williams, Terry Stubbs, Eddie Levert, Dwayne Mitchell4:46
3."Have You Had Your Love Today?"Derrick Pearson, Stubbs5:14
4."Serious Hold on Me"Lewis Christian, Williams, Stubbs5:36
5."Friend of a Friend"Williams, Stubbs, E. Levert, Mitchell4:43
6."Never Been Better"Dennis Lambert, Franne Golde 2:48
7."Rainbow"G. Levert, Gordon4:45
8."Fading"Terry Scott, Stubbs6:41
9."Pot Can't Call the Kettle Black"Williams, E. Levert, Mitchell, Stubbs4:40

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The O'Jays</span> American R&B group from Ohio

The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in summer 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles. The O'Jays made their first chart appearance with the minor hit "Lonely Drifter" in 1963, but reached their greatest level of success once the producers Gamble & Huff signed them to their Philadelphia International label in 1972. With Gamble & Huff, the O'Jays emerged at the forefront of Philadelphia soul with Back Stabbers (1972), and topped the US Billboard Hot 100 the following year with "Love Train". Several other US R&B hits followed, and the O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013.

LeVert was an American R&B vocal group from Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Formed in 1983, LeVert was composed of Sean and Gerald Levert and Marc Gordon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerald Levert</span> American R&B singer (1966–2006)

Gerald Edward Levert was an American singer-songwriter and producer. Levert performed with his brother, Sean Levert, and friend Marc Gordon with the R&B vocal group, LeVert. Levert was also a member of LSG, a supergroup comprising Keith Sweat, Johnny Gill, and himself. Levert was the son of Eddie Levert, lead singer of the R&B/soul vocal group the O'Jays. He released 9 solo albums, 6 as a member of LeVert, 2 with his father, and 2 as a member of LSG. Levert was also credited with the discovery of R&B groups the Rude Boys, Men at Large, 1 of the Girls. Levert was also part of the R&B group Black Men United, and LSG.

<i>Back Stabbers</i> (album) 1972 studio album by the OJays

Back Stabbers is the sixth studio album by Philadelphia soul group the O'Jays, released in August 1972 on Philadelphia International Records and the iTunes version was released and reissued under Epic Records via Legacy Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie Levert</span> American singer (born 1942)

Edward Willis Levert is an American singer best known as the lead vocalist of The O'Jays. He is the father of Gerald Levert (1966–2006) and Sean Levert (1968–2008).

<i>New Jack City</i> (soundtrack) 1991 soundtrack album by Various Artists

Music from the Motion Picture New Jack City is the original soundtrack to Mario Van Peebles' 1991 film New Jack City. It was released by Giant Records through Reprise Records, and distributed by Warner Bros. Records. The soundtrack consists of eleven original songs, most of which were performed by chart-topping R&B and hip-hop artists of the time. The music is heavily influenced by the New Jack Swing genre of R&B. Prominent artists and producers of this sound contributed to the soundtrack, including Guy with Teddy Riley, Keith Sweat, Color Me Badd, and Johnny Gill; Al B. Sure! produced the track "Get It Together ," performed by F.S. Effect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">For the Love of Money</span> 1974 single by The OJays

"For the Love of Money" is a soul, funk song that was written and composed by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Anthony Jackson; it was recorded by Philadelphia soul group The O'Jays for the album Ship Ahoy. Produced by Gamble and Huff for Philadelphia International Records, "For the Love of Money" was issued as a single in late 1973, with "People Keep Tellin' Me" as its B-side. The single peaked at number three on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart, and at No. 9 on Billboard's Pop Singles chart in spring 1974. Though the album version of the song was over seven minutes long, it received substantial radio airplay. The song's title comes from a well-known Bible verse, 1 Timothy 6:10: "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." The song was also used as the opening theme song for NBC’s The Apprentice as well as Donald Trump's WWE entrance music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Levert</span> American R&B singer (1968–2008)

Sean Edward Levert was an American singer-songwriter and actor. Levert was best known as a member of the R&B vocal group LeVert. Levert was the son of O'Jays lead singer Eddie Levert and younger brother of singer Gerald Levert.

<i>Heartbreaker</i> (The OJays album) 1993 studio album by the OJays

Heartbreaker is an album by the American R&B group the O'Jays. It was released in 1993 on EMI.

<i>So Full of Love</i> 1978 studio album by the OJays

So Full of Love is the twelfth album by the O'Jays, released in 1978 by Philadelphia International. The album contains the No. 1 R&B hit "Use ta Be My Girl", and was awarded RIAA platinum certification for sales of 1,000,000 copies.

<i>Ship Ahoy</i> (album) 1973 studio album by the OJays

Ship Ahoy is the seventh album by Philadelphia soul group the O'Jays, released in 1973 on Philadelphia International Records. The album was a critical and commercial success, entering Billboard on November 10, and reaching No. 11. It reached No. 1 on the "Black Albums" chart and launched two hit singles, "For the Love of Money" and "Put Your Hands Together." Conceived as a theme album built around the title track, Ship Ahoy includes socially relevant tracks and love songs under a cover that is itself notable for its serious subject matter. The album, which achieved RIAA platinum certification in 1992 for over 1 million copies sold, has been reissued multiple times, including in a 2003 edition with a bonus track. Ship Ahoy was the highest selling R&B album on the Billboard Year-End chart for 1974.

<i>Travelin at the Speed of Thought</i> 1977 studio album by The OJays

Travelin' at the Speed of Thought is the eleventh album by the American R&B group the O'Jays, released in 1977 on Philadelphia International Records. Unusual for the time, there had been no advance single release from the album; the only single subsequently issued, "Work on Me", became a #7 R&B hit but failed to reach the pop listings, making this the first O'Jays PIR album without a top 100 pop single. Travelin' at the Speed of Thought peaked at #6 on the R&B chart and reached #27 on the pop chart. The album achieved a gold certification.

<i>Identify Yourself</i> 1979 studio album by the OJays

Identify Yourself is the thirteenth album by American R&B group the O'Jays, released on the Philadelphia International Records label in 1979. It was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, with four tracks produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, three by group members Eddie Levert and Walter Williams and one by the esteemed Philadelphia producer and composer Thom Bell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow (Than I Was Today)</span> 1967 single by The OJays

"I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow (Than I Was Today)" (also known as "I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow") is a 1967 hit single by the O'Jays, the group's best-selling single on Bell Records.

<i>Back on Top</i> (OJays album) 1968 studio album by The OJays

Back on Top is the third album by the group The O'Jays released in 1968, featuring their biggest hit for the Bell label, "I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow ". Their hit "Look Over Your Shoulder" was also included on this album. George Kerr produced the album with Pat Jaques engineering. Richard Tee was the conductor and arranger.

<i>Bloodline</i> (LeVert album) 1986 studio album by LeVert

Bloodline is the second album by the R&B group LeVert, released in 1986. It was their first album for Atlantic Records.

<i>Just Coolin</i> (album) 1988 studio album by LeVert

Just Coolin' is the fourth album by the R&B group LeVert, released in 1988.

<i>For Real Tho</i> 1993 studio album by LeVert

For Real Tho' is the sixth studio album by the American contemporary R&B group LeVert, released in 1993 via Atlantic Records. It peaked at #35 on the Billboard 200 and #5 on the Billboard R&B chart.

<i>Art & Survival</i> 1994 studio album by Dianne Reeves

Art & Survival is an album by the American vocal jazz singer Dianne Reeves, released in 1994.

<i>Touch and Go</i> (album) 1987 studio album by Force M.D.s

Touch and Go is the third album by the American vocal group Force M.D.'s, released in 1987. "Love Is a House" was the first single; "Couldn't Care Less" was also released. The group supported the album by playing shows with Madonna and Alexander O'Neal.

References

  1. ↑ Hill, Edward (14 July 1989). "O'Jays get serious as veterans". The Plain Dealer.
  2. ↑ "The O'Jays Biography by Steve Huey". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  3. ↑ Joyce, Mike (11 Nov 1989). "LeVert, Taking After Dad". The Washington Post. p. C1.
  4. ↑ Gliatto, Tom (19 June 1989). "Raw Data". USA Today. p. 1D.
  5. 1 2 3 Weaver, Maurice (28 Sep 1989). "Recordings". Chicago Tribune. p. 13F.
  6. ↑ "It's Back to Basics". Splash. Daily Press. Newport News. 23 June 1989. p. 3.
  7. ↑ Jones IV, James T. (18 Sep 1989). "Black: After a rap attack, it's time to fire up the soul". USA Today. p. 4D.
  8. ↑ "The O'Jays". Billboard. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  9. ↑ DeLuca, Dan (10 Feb 1990). "O'Jays and LeVert". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. D8.
  10. ↑ "But some '70s stars stay afloat with hit LPs". USA Today. 2 Oct 1989. p. 4D.
  11. ↑ Varga, George (8 July 1989). "The O'Jays have their 'family ties'". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. D1.
  12. ↑ Washburn, Jim (2 Nov 1989). "O'Jay Founder Embraces Generation Gap". Los Angeles Times. p. F1.
  13. 1 2 3 Tucker, Ken (22 Jun 1989). "New Recordings". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 6E.
  14. 1 2 "Serious Review by Alex Henderson". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  15. ↑ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 496.
  16. 1 2 The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 519.
  17. ↑ Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul. Virgin. p. 247.
  18. ↑ Pitts Jr., Leonard (27 Jul 1989). "Music". LA Weekly. p. 82.
  19. ↑ Allen, Carl (25 Aug 1989). "Pop". Gusto. The Buffalo News. p. 36.
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.