Smooth Talk (album)

Last updated
Smooth Talk
Smoothtalkalbum.jpg
Standard artwork; the late-1970s US reissues and some overseas vinyl releases used a different artwork
Studio album by
Evelyn "Champagne" King
ReleasedAugust 17, 1977
Recorded1977
StudioRCA Studios, New York City, New City
Alpha International, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Genre Soul, disco
Length41:11 (based on vinyl release with only 12" mixes of singles)
Label RCA Victor
Big Break Records
Producer Theodore Life
Evelyn "Champagne" King chronology
Smooth Talk
(1977)		 Music Box
(1979)
Singles from Smooth Talk
  1. "Shame"
    Released: September 20, 1977
  2. "I Don't Know If It's Right"
    Released: October 1978

Smooth Talk is the debut album, released in 1977 by R&B singer Evelyn "Champagne" King by RCA Records and produced by Theodore Life. It contains singles "Shame", also one of King's signature songs, and "I Don't Know If It's Right", both of which were hits in the United States and Canada. Outside North America in music charts, "Shame" performed modestly in a few European countries, while the latter performed poorly in British and New Zealand charts.

Contents

Songs

In the Billboard charts, "Shame" peaked at number nine in the Hot 100, [1] number seven in the Hot Soul Singles, [2] and number eight in the Disco Action, [3] In Canada's RPM charts, "Shame" peaked at number sixteen in Top 100 Singles [4] and number five in the Dance/Urban chart. [5] It also peaked at number thirty-nine in the UK Singles Chart, [6] number eighteen in the Dutch Top 40, [7] number twenty-six in the Netherlands's Singles Top 100, [8] and number twelve in Belgium's Ultratop Top 50 Singles. [9] The song was certified gold by the RIAA on August 11, 1978, [10] became one of King's signature songs, [11] and would be later covered by Zhané for the 1994 film A Low Down Dirty Shame and then Kim Wilde in 1996.

"I Don't Know If It's Right" peaked number twenty-three in the Billboard Hot 100, [1] [12] number seven in the Hot Soul Singles. [2] and number twenty-five in the Disco Action. [3] [13] It was positioned at number twenty-one on the year-end top 50 Soul Singles of 1979. [14] The song was also certified gold by the RIAA on February 22, 1979. [10] In Canada, the song entered the RPM Top 100 Singles at number ninety-four on the week ending January 13, 1979, [15] and peaked at number seventeen for two weeks until the week ending April 14. [16] [17] It also entered the RPM Adult Oriented Playlist at number forty-three on the week ending January 20 that same year [18] and peaked at number six on the week ending March 31. [19] It also reached number eleven on the RPM Dance/Urban chart on the week ending October 28, 1978, a year prior. [20] It was position at number 130 on the RPM year-end Top 200 Singles of 1979. [21] The song peaked at number sixty-seven in the UK Singles Chart. [6] It also entered the New Zealand Singles Chart at number thirty-eight, its peak position, on the week ending May 6 that same year and fell from its position a week later. [22] [23]

The titular song "Smooth Talk" contains "undulating drum fills and serene and stylish vocal arrangement." [24] Another song "The Show Is Over" would be later sampled for Ice Cube's "You Know How We Do It" (1994). [25]

Album chart performance and releases

The album was released in 1977 and peaked at number fourteen on the Billboard 200 for the week ending September 23, 1978 [26] and number eight on the Soul Albums chart for the week ending July 15, 1978. [27] In Billboard's year-end charts of 1978, it was positioned at number seventy-six on the year-end top 100 Pop Albums [28] and number thirty-one on the year-end top 50 Soul Albums. [29] It was also positioned at number twenty-five on the year-end top 50 Soul Albums of 1979. [30] It was certified gold by the RIAA on September 6, 1978. [31]

The album was digitally remastered and reissued on CD with bonus tracks in 2010 by Big Break Records. The original vinyl disc was reissued twice following the single releases of "Shame" and "I Don't Know If It's Right", in each case replacing the LP track version with the 12" remix version.

Critical reception

Allmusic critic Justin Kantor rated the album four out of five stars, calling it "a fine catch for '70s R&B connoisseurs" and "a fun, satisfying listen for the body—if not a genius piece of soul," and highly praising the hit single "Shame". However, he considered several other tracks forgettable, like "Dancin', Dancin', Dancin'" and "'Til I Come off the Road." [24]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Smooth Talk"Theodore Life, Mike Holden, William Kimes5:29
2."I Don't Know If It's Right" (original LP version)Theodore Life, John H. Fitch, Jr.4:17
3."Til I Come Off the Road"Mike Holden, John H. Fitch, Jr., Theodore Life2:38
4."Dancin', Dancin', Dancin'"Theodore Life, Teddy Pendergrass 4:13
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Shame" (original LP version)John H. Fitch, Jr., Reuben Cross4:38
6."Nobody Knows"John H. Fitch, Jr., Reuben Cross, Theodore Life4:31
7."We're Going to a Party"Theodore Life, Aubrey Gravatt, Joe Freeman3:48
8."The Show Is Over"Theodore Life, Dexter Wansel 5:40
1977–78 "repackage" edition
No.TitleLength
2."I Don't Know If It's Right" (12" Disco Mix [in some "repackage" pressings])8:19
5."Shame" (12" Disco Mix)6:35
2010 remastered bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
9."Shame" (12" Disco Mix)6:33
10."I Don't Know If It's Right" (12" Disco Mix)8:19
11."Shame" (Single Version)2:54
12."I Don't Know If It's Right" (Single Version)3:46

Personnel

Charts

Singles

YearSinglePeak chart positionsCertifications
US
[1] 		US
R&B
[2] 		US
Dance
[3] 		CA CA
Dance
/ Urban		CA
Adult		 UK
[6] 		NL
Top
40 		NL
Top
100 		BE NZ US
[10]
1978"Shame"97816
[4] 		5
[5] 		–3918
[7] 		26
[8] 		12
[9] 		–Gold
1979"I Don't Know If It's Right"2372517
[16] 		11
[20] 		6
[19] 		67–––38
[23] 		Gold

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 "Evelyn 'Champagne' King: Chart History – Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 "Evelyn 'Champagne' King: Chart History – Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 "Evelyn 'Champagne' King: Chart History – Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  4. 1 2 "RPM 100 Singles". RPM. September 16, 1978. p. 21. Retrieved December 24, 2017– via Library and Archives Canada.
  5. 1 2 "Top 30 Playlist". RPM. April 22, 1978. Retrieved December 24, 2017– via Library and Archives Canada.
  6. 1 2 3 "Evelyn 'Champagne' King". Official Charts. 2017. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  7. 1 2 "Evelyn 'Champagne' King – 'Shame'". MediaMarkt Top 40. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  8. 1 2 "Evelyn 'Champagne' King – 'Shame'". Dutch Charts. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  9. 1 2 "Evelyn 'Champagne' King – 'Shame'". Ultratop. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 "'Gold & Platinum' search – 'Evelyn King'". RIAA.
  11. ↑ Hogan, Ed. "Review of 'Shame' by Evelyn 'Champagne' King". Allmusic. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  12. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 326.
  13. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 145.
  14. ↑ Billboard Year-End 1979, p. TIA-38.
  15. ↑ "RPM Top Singles (51–100)". RPM. January 20, 1979. Retrieved December 25, 2017– via Library and Archives Canada. "I Don't Know If It's Right" was charted for two weeks as of the week ending January 20, 1979.
  16. 1 2 "RPM 100 Singles". April 7, 1979. Retrieved December 25, 2017– via Library and Archives Canada.{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  17. ↑ "RPM 100 Singles". April 14, 1979. Retrieved December 25, 2017– via Library and Archives Canada.{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  18. ↑ "RPM Adult Oriented Playlist". RPM. January 20, 1979. Retrieved December 25, 2017– via Library and Archives Canada.
  19. 1 2 "RPM Adult Oriented Playlist". RPM. March 31, 1979. Retrieved December 25, 2017– via Library and Archives Canada.
  20. 1 2 "Dance/Urban – Twelve Inch". RPM. October 28, 1978. Retrieved December 25, 2017– via Library and Archives Canada.
  21. ↑ "1979 Top 200 Singles". RPM. Retrieved December 25, 2017– via Library and Archives Canada.
  22. ↑ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart: 6 May 1979". The Official NZ Music Charts. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  23. 1 2 "Evelyn 'Champagne' King – 'I Don't Know If It's Right' (song)". charts.nz. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  24. 1 2 Kantor, Justin. "Evelyn "Champagne" King – Smooth Talk". AllMusic . Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  25. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2006). The Billboard Book of Top 40 R&B and Hip-Hop Hits. p. 259. ISBN   9780823082834.
  26. 1 2 "Evelyn 'Champagne' King: Chart History – Billboard 200: Smooth Talk". Billboard. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  27. 1 2 "Evelyn 'Champagne' King: Chart History – Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  28. ↑ Billboard Year-End 1978, p. TIA-20.
  29. ↑ Billboard Year-End 1978, p. TIA-62.
  30. ↑ Billboard Year-End 1979, p. TIA-36.
  31. 1 2 "American album certifications – Evelyn King – Smooth Talk". Recording Industry Association of America.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stand by Me (Ben E. King song)</span> 1961 single by Ben E. King

"Stand by Me" is a song originally performed in 1961 by American singer-songwriter Ben E. King and written by him, along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who together used the pseudonym Elmo Glick. According to King, the title is derived from, and was inspired by, a spiritual written by Sam Cooke and J. W. Alexander called "Stand by Me Father," recorded by the Soul Stirrers with Johnnie Taylor singing lead. The third line of the second verse of the former work derives from Psalm 46:2c/3c.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Will Survive</span> 1978 single by Gloria Gaynor

"I Will Survive" is a song by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978 as the second single from her sixth album, Love Tracks (1978). It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris. A top-selling song, it is a popular disco anthem, as well as being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You're All I Need to Get By</span> 1968 single by Tammi Terrell and Marvin Gaye

"You're All I Need to Get By" is a song recorded by the American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and released on Motown Records' Tamla label in 1968. It was the basis for the 1995 single "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" from Method Man and Mary J. Blige.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)</span> 1979 single by The Jacksons

"Shake Your Body " is a song recorded by The Jacksons for their 1978 album Destiny, and released as a single the same year. It peaked at No. 7 in the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evelyn "Champagne" King</span> American singer, songwriter, and producer

Evelyn "Champagne" King is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. She is best known for her hit disco single "Shame", which was released in 1977 during the height of disco's popularity. King had other hits from the early through the mid–1980s including; "I'm in Love" (1981), "Love Come Down" (1982) and "Your Personal Touch" (1985).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gimme Little Sign</span> 1967 song by Brenton Wood

"Gimme Little Sign" is a classic soul music song, originally performed by Brenton Wood and written by Wood, Joe Hooven and Jerry Winn. The charted versions were Wood's, Peter Andre's, the Sattalites', and Danielle Brisebois's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Every Woman</span> 1978 single by Chaka Khan

"I'm Every Woman" is a song by American singer Chaka Khan, released as her debut solo single from her first album, Chaka (1978). It was Khan's first hit outside her recordings with the funk band Rufus. "I'm Every Woman" was produced by Arif Mardin and written by the successful songwriting team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. The single established Chaka's career outside the group Rufus, whom she would leave after their eighth studio album Masterjam was released in late 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three Times a Lady</span> 1978 single by Commodores

"Three Times a Lady" is a 1978 song by American soul group the Commodores for their album Natural High, written by lead singer Lionel Richie. It was produced by James Anthony Carmichael and the Commodores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knock on Wood (Eddie Floyd song)</span> 1966 single by Eddie Floyd

"Knock on Wood" is a 1966 hit song written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper and originally performed by Floyd. The song has become covered by later artists, most notably Amii Stewart in 1979. Stewart's disco version was the most successful on weekly music charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ring My Bell</span> 1979 single by Anita Ward

"Ring My Bell" is a 1979 disco song written by Frederick Knight. The song was originally written for then eleven-year-old Stacy Lattisaw, as a teenybopper song about kids talking on the telephone. When Lattisaw signed with a different label, American singer and musician Anita Ward was asked to sing it instead, and it became her only major hit.

<i>Heartbreaker</i> (Dolly Parton album) 1978 studio album by Dolly Parton

Heartbreaker is the twentieth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on July 17, 1978, by RCA Victor. The album was produced by Gary Klein and Parton with Charles Koppelman serving as executive producer, and was an even more direct aim at the pop charts, with several of its songs verging on disco. The album topped the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for nine consecutive weeks and peaked at number 27 on the Billboard 200. The album produced two number one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, "Heartbreaker" and "I Really Got the Feeling", while "Baby I'm Burnin'" peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album has been certified Gold in the United States and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electric Light Orchestra discography</span>

Below is the complete Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) discography including imports, videos, and hit singles. ELO's back catalogue is unusual since their compilation albums far outweigh their studio output in number, owing to the large number of hit singles primarily written by Jeff Lynne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foo Fighters discography</span>

The discography of Foo Fighters, an American rock band formed in 1994 by Dave Grohl, consists of ten studio albums, ten extended plays (EPs), six video albums, and 57 singles. The current Foo Fighters line-up consists of Grohl, Rami Jaffee (keyboard), Nate Mendel (bass), Chris Shiflett (guitar) and Pat Smear (guitar).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shame (Evelyn "Champagne" King song)</span> 1977 single by Evelyn "Champagne" King

"Shame" is a 1977 single recorded by American singer Evelyn "Champagne" King, written by John H. Fitch Jr. and Reuben Cross, and released by RCA Records. It was released by RCA Records as part of King's debut album, Smooth Talk. The extended remix was produced for the twelve-inch vinyl single and would later replace the album version of the song in late-1970s reprints of the album. "Shame" was successful on Billboard music charts and would become one of King's signature songs, though it varied on international music charts. The song was covered by Zhané for the 1994 film A Low Down Dirty Shame and Kim Wilde in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">December (Collective Soul song)</span> 1995 single by Collective Soul

"December" is a song by American alternative rock band Collective Soul, released on the band's 1995 eponymous album. Written by singer/guitarist Ed Roland, it peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Album Rock Tracks chart for nine weeks, surpassing their prior hit "Shine" by one week; it also reached number two on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, making it their highest-ranking single on that particular listing. In Canada the song settled at number two on the RPM Top Singles chart, becoming their highest-charting single until "The World I Know" attained the top spot in March 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Is in the Air (song)</span> 1977 single by John Paul Young

"Love Is in the Air" is a 1977 disco song by Australian singer John Paul Young. It was written by George Young and Harry Vanda, and released as the lead single from Young's fourth studio album, Love Is in the Air (1978). The song became a worldwide hit in 1978, peaking at No. 3 on the Australian charts and No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, it peaked at No. 7 on the pop chart and spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, his only US top 40 hit. The song plays at 122 beats per minute, a typical 1970s disco rhythm. At the Australian 1978 King of Pop Awards, the song won Most Popular Australian Single. In 1992, a remix of the song was released and featured on the soundtrack to the Golden Globe-nominated film Strictly Ballroom. A new music video was also produced.

This discography of American alternative rock band Gin Blossoms, consists of six studio albums, one live album, two EPs, four compilation albums, and 15 singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What You Won't Do for Love (song)</span> 1978 single by Bobby Caldwell

"What You Won't Do for Love" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bobby Caldwell. It was released in September 1978 as the lead single from his eponymous debut album. It was written by Caldwell and Alfons Kettner, and produced by Ann Holloway. The song has been covered and sampled numerous times, including by Tupac Shakur in the posthumous 1998 hit "Do for Love".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shame, Shame, Shame (Shirley & Company song)</span>

"Shame, Shame, Shame" is a 1974 hit song written by Sylvia Robinson, performed by American disco band Shirley & Company and released on the Vibration label. The lead singer is Shirley Goodman, who was one half of Shirley and Lee, who had enjoyed a major hit 18 years earlier, in 1956, with the song "Let The Good Times Roll" for Aladdin Records. The male vocalist is Jesus Alvarez. The saxophone solo is by Seldon Powell, whose instrumental version, "More Shame", is the B-side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Promises (Eric Clapton song)</span> 1978 single by Eric Clapton

"Promises" is a single released by the British rock musician Eric Clapton in September 1978. It is part of his studio album Backless.

References

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.