| 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 musical group. Their style and sound spans over various music genres such as jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling music artists of all time, with sales of over 90 million records worldwide.
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. Maze released 9 Gold albums from 1977 to 1993. Their well-known songs include "Happy Feelin's", "While I'm Alone", "Golden Time of Day", “Southern Girl”, "The Look in Your Eyes", "Joy and Pain", "Before I Let Go", "We Are One", "Back in Stride", "Can't Get Over You" and "The Morning After". The band has maintained a large and devoted following.
"Harlem Shuffle" is an R&B song written and originally recorded by the duo Bob & Earl in 1963. In 1986, it was covered by the British rock band The Rolling Stones on their album Dirty Work.
"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 on November 3, 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.
"Hustler's Ambition" is a song by American rapper 50 Cent. Written by 50 Cent and produced by B-Money "B$", the song was released as the first single from the soundtrack to the film Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005). Built around a soul–influenced production sampling the Frankie Beverly and Maze song "I Need You", "Hustler's Ambition" features lyrics regarding 50 Cent's rise to fortune and fame, intended to mirror the experience faced by 50 Cent's character in the film: it marks a shift from influence of hardcore hip hop present in 50 Cent's earlier work. "Hustler's Ambition" was released to digital retailers in the United States in October 2005 via Interscope Records, with a CD release following in February 2006.
"Little Bitty Pretty One" is a 1957 song written and originally recorded by Bobby Day. The same year, the song was popularized by Thurston Harris. Produced by Aladdin Records, and featuring the Sharps on backing vocals, Harris's version reached No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard Best-Sellers chart and No. 2 on the R&B chart. The Bobby Day version reached No. 11 in the Canadian CHUM Chart.
Ahh...The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! is a funk album by Bootsy's Rubber Band, released on January 15, 1977. It reached number one on Billboard magazine's Top R&B/Soul albums chart, the first P-Funk release to achieve this goal. The album was produced by George Clinton and William "Bootsy" Collins and arranged by Bootsy and Casper.
Heritage is the fifteenth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in February 1990 on Columbia Records, and was their final release of new music for the label. The album reached No. 19 on the US Billboard Top R&B Albums chart and No.18 on the UK Blues & Soul Top British Soul Albums chart. Heritage also got to No. 39 on the German Pop Albums chart and No. 31 on the Japanese Oricon Albums Chart.
Love Letter is the tenth studio album by American R&B recording artist R. Kelly. It was released on December 14, 2010, by Jive Records. It was written and produced entirely by Kelly. A departure from his previous work's contemporary sound and sexually explicit themes, Love Letter incorporates classic soul music influences and features chivalrous lyrics concerning love and forgiveness.
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.
"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.
