| Silky Soul | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 1989 | |||
| Recorded | 1988–89 | |||
| Genre | Soul, funk | |||
| Length | 57:46 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Frankie Beverly [1] | |||
| Maze chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Chicago Tribune |  [1] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
| Los Angeles Times | [4] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [5] |
Silky Soul is an album by the Bay Area-based R&B group Maze, released in 1989 on Warner Bros. Records. [6] [7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide wrote that Silky Soul "finds Maze updating its graceful sound with a subtly bracing touch of synthesized rhythms." [5] The Boston Globe thought that Frankie Beverly ably spans "boudoir intimacies and pleas for South African liberation and black cooperation—all with a voice as cool and buttery as [Marvin] Gaye's." [8]
All songs written by Frankie Beverly
| Year | Album | Chart positions [9] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | UK | ||
| 1989 | Silky Soul | 37 | 1 | 43 |
| Year | Single | Chart positions [10] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | UK | ||
| 1989 | "Can't Get Over You" | — | 1 | 89 |
| "Silky Soul" | — | 4 | — | |
| 1990 | "Love's on the Run" | — | 13 | — |
| "Songs of Love" | — | 37 | — | |
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin, and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million records worldwide.
Gillian Howard Welch is an American singer-songwriter. She performs with her musical partner, guitarist David Rawlings. Their sparse and dark musical style, which combines elements of Appalachian music, bluegrass, country and Americana, is described by The New Yorker as "at once innovative and obliquely reminiscent of past rural forms."
Frankie Beverly is an American singer, musician, songwriter, and producer, known primarily for his recordings with the soul and funk band Maze. Beverly formed Maze, originally called Raw Soul, in his hometown of Philadelphia in 1970. After a relocation to San Francisco and an introduction to Marvin Gaye, Maze went on to release nine Gold albums and create a large and devoted following. Beverly is the band's writer, producer and lead singer. He is known for his distinctive smooth baritone voice and charismatic stage presence.
Maze, also known as Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly and Frankie Beverly & Maze, is an American soul band founded by Frankie Beverly in Philadelphia in 1970. Under its original name Raw Soul, the band relocated to San Francisco and was introduced to Marvin Gaye. Gaye took the group on the road with him as one of his opening acts, and in 1976, he suggested that they change their name from Raw Soul.
That's the Way of the World is the sixth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on March 3, 1975, by Columbia Records. It was also the soundtrack for a 1975 motion picture of the same name. The album rose to No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Top Soul Albums charts. That's the Way of the World has also been certified Triple Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA. In 2002, the band released live version of the album, recorded in 1975 – That's the Way of the World: Alive in '75.
"Harlem Shuffle" is an R&B song written and originally recorded by the duo Bob & Earl in 1963. The song describes a dance called the “Harlem Shuffle”, and mentions several other contemporary dances of the early 1960s, including the Monkey Shine, the Limbo, the Hitch hike, the Slide, and the Pony.
"Spanish Harlem" is a song recorded by Ben E. King in 1960 for Atco Records. It was written by Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector and produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. "Spanish Harlem" was King's first hit away from The Drifters, peaking at number 15 on Billboard's rhythm and blues and number 10 in pop music chart.
"Rock with You" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson, written by Rod Temperton and produced by Quincy Jones. It was first offered to Karen Carpenter, while she was working on her first solo album, but she turned it down. It was released in October 1979, by Epic Records as the second single from Jackson's fifth solo studio album Off the Wall (1979). It was also the third number-one hit of the 1980s, a decade in which the pop singles chart would quickly be dominated by Jackson.
Warm Thoughts is an album by the American musician Smokey Robinson, released in 1980. It features the top 40 hit, "Let Me Be the Clock". The album was arranged by Reginald "Sonny" Burke. This album also featured the semi-autobiographical tune "Wine, Women and Song", which proved to be the closest thing to a Miracles reunion that occurred in the 1980s, with Smokey doing a duet with his then-wife, former Miracle Claudette Robinson, and Miracle Marv Tarplin, with whom he shared songwriting credits, on guitar. The song "Travelin' Thru'" was written by Smokey's real-life sister, Rose Ella Jones, and two songs written by Robinson with fellow Motown artist, Stevie Wonder, and singer, songwriter, and former Starsky and Hutch star, David Soul. This album was a success, reaching the Top 20 of The Billboard 200 Pop Album chart, peaking at No. 14, and the Top 10 of Billboard's R&B Album Chart, peaking at No. 4.
"Shining Star" is a song by Earth, Wind & Fire's album That's the Way of the World, issued as a single in January 1975 on Columbia Records. The song rose to No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart, becoming their first single to top both charts. It has also been certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly is the debut album by Bay Area-based R&B group Maze. Released in 1977 on Capitol Records.
Golden Time of Day is the second album by Bay Area-based R&B group Maze, released in 1978 on Capitol Records.
Inspiration is the third album by Bay Area-based R&B group Maze. Released in 1979 on Capitol Records.
Joy and Pain is the fourth album by Bay Area-based R&B group Maze, released on July 18, 1980, on Capitol Records. The album features the R&B hits "Southern Girl" and "The Look in Your Eyes," along with the title track, all of which remain staples on Urban radio stations.
Live In New Orleans is the first live album and fifth overall album by Bay Area-based R&B group Maze. Recorded live at Saenger Theatre in New Orleans, Louisiana November 14–15, 1980. With four new tracks recorded at The Automatt in San Francisco, California.
We Are One is the fifth studio album and sixth overall album by Bay Area-based R&B group Maze. It was released in 1983 on Capitol Records.
Can't Stop the Love is the sixth studio album and seventh overall album by Bay Area-based R&B group Maze. Released in 1985 on Capitol Records.
Back to Basics is the eighth studio album and tenth overall album by Bay Area-based R&B group Maze, released in 1993 on Warner Bros. Records. It’s currently their last studio album to date.
"Before I Let Go" is a song performed by American R&B band Maze, issued as the second single from the band's fifth album and first live album Live in New Orleans. Although Live in New Orleans is a live album, "Before I Let Go" appears on the album as a studio recording. Written and produced by lead singer Frankie Beverly, the song peaked at #13 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1981.
