Songs (Luther Vandross album)

Last updated
Songs
Luther Vandross - Songs album cover.jpg
Studio album by
Luther Vandross
ReleasedSeptember 20, 1994 (U.S.)
RecordedDecember 1993–June 1994
Studio
Various
Length61:00
Label
Producer
Luther Vandross chronology
Never Let Me Go
(1993)		Songs
(1994)		 This Is Christmas
(1995)

Songs is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Luther Vandross. It was released by LV Records and Epic Records on September 20, 1994 in the United States. The album, a collection of cover versions, produced the singles "Endless Love", "Always and Forever", and "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now". According to an interview both Vandross and Mariah Carey gave in Japan following the release of their duet "Endless Love", there was mention that Carey had given advice as to what songs Vandross would cover on this album. [1] [2]

Contents

Songs garnered generally mixed reviews from music critics. It debuted and peaked at number five on the US Billboard 200 and opened at number one on the UK Albums Chart, becoming Vandross' highest-charting project yet. The album earned Vandross four nominations at the 1995 Grammy Awards for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Love the One You're With", Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Endless Love", Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Always and Forever", and Best R&B Album.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Entertainment Weekly C [4]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]

Michael Eric Dyson wrote in his reviews for Rolling Stone : "While there may be no stunning surprises on Songs, this collection, brilliant in many spots, proves that Vandross is a master of musical reinterpretation." [6] Music & Media noted that "this covers-only album could go a long way in finally giving Vandross the same status on the continent that he enjoys in the Anglo-American markets. Apart from more obvious choices [...] he successfully tries his hand at up-tempo material [...] and strays away from the R&B realm by giving a whole new twist to Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With." [7] Cash Box critic M.R. Martinez felt that Songs "demoustrates the ample stylistic repertoire that the singer can wield." [8]

AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine rated the album two out of five stars. He found that "the collection of personal favorites suffers from the common flaws of covers albums – it isn't consistent, it sounds slightly canned, and seems like a way to buy time between "real" albums. Nevertheless, Vandross is a truly fine singer, which is what makes Songs worthwhile." [3] Jeremy Helligar, writing for Entertainment Weekly , called This Is Christmas a "hodgepodge collection of 13 revamped classics sounds like a desperate attempt to secure [...] a No. 1 pop single. Vandross just might find what he’s looking for. Too bad it couldn’t be something less drippy than "Endless Love"." [4]

Chart performance

Songs debuted and peaked at number five on the US Billboard 200 in the week of October 8, 1994, [9] becoming Vandross' highest charting album yet. [9] It spent 37 weeks on the chart and reached both Gold and Platinum status on November 23, 1994. [10] On March 20, 1996, Songs earned a double Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for domestic shipments figures in excess of 2.0 million copies. [10] In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart on October 1, 1994. [11] It marked Vandross' first chart-topping album there and was certified Platinum on December 1, 1994. [12]

Track listing

Songs track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Originally recorded byLength
1."Love the One You're With" Stephen Stills Stephen Stills5:03
2."Killing Me Softly"
 Lori Lieberman 5:33
3."Endless Love" (duet with Mariah Carey)Lionel Richie Lionel Richie and Diana Ross 4:21
4."Evergreen"
 Barbra Streisand 3:54
5."Reflections" Holland-Dozier-Holland Diana Ross & the Supremes 3:21
6."Hello"RichieLionel Richie4:44
7."Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"
 McFadden & Whitehead 4:53
8."Always and Forever" Rod Temperton Heatwave 4:53
9."Going in Circles"
  • Anita Poree
  • Jerry Peters
 The Friends of Distinction 5:12
10."Since You've Been Gone"
  • Aretha Franklin
  • Teddy White
 Aretha Franklin 4:15
11."All the Woman I Need"
 Linda Clifford as "All the Man I Need"4:54
12."What the World Needs Now"
 Jackie DeShannon 5:18
13."The Impossible Dream (The Quest)"
 Richard Kiley 5:16
Total length:61:00

Personnel

Performers and musicians

Technical

Studios

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Songs
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [27] Platinum100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [28] Gold7,500^
United Kingdom (BPI) [12] Platinum300,000^
United States (RIAA) [10] 2× Platinum2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endless Love (song)</span> 1981 single by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross

"Endless Love" is a song written by Lionel Richie and originally recorded as a duet between Richie and singer/actress Diana Ross. In this ballad, the singers declare their "endless love" for one another. It was covered by Luther Vandross with R&B-pop singer Mariah Carey, and also by country music singer Shania Twain. Billboard has named the original version as the greatest song duet of all time.

<i>Dance with My Father</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Luther Vandross

Dance with My Father is the thirteenth and final studio album by American R&B/soul singer Luther Vandross. It was released by J Records on June 10, 2003 in the United States and served as the follow-up to his self-titled studio album (2001). The album, especially its title track, was dedicated to Vandross's late father and features production credits from Nat Adderley Jr., Shep Crawford, and Marcus Miller as well as guest appearances by singer Beyoncé, R&B trio Next, and rappers Foxy Brown, Queen Latifah, and Busta Rhymes.

<i>The Night I Fell in Love</i> (album) 1985 studio album by Luther Vandross

The Night I Fell in Love is the fourth studio album by American R&B/soul singer-songwriter Luther Vandross, released on March 8, 1985, by Epic Records. In 1986, Vandross garnered a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and two American Music Awards, Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Album. The first single "'Til My Baby Comes Home" is notable for featuring Billy Preston on organ.

<i>Whos Zoomin Who?</i> 1985 studio album by Aretha Franklin

Who's Zoomin' Who? is the thirtieth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on July 9, 1985, by Arista Records. A departure from the Luther Vandross-produced adult contemporary sound of her previous albums Jump to It (1982) and Get It Right (1983), Franklin worked with producer Narada Michael Walden on the majority of the album, envisioning "a record with a younger sound to it". As a result, Who's Zoomin' Who? contains influences of several popular mid-1980s genres, including dance-pop, synth-pop, and contemporary R&B, as well as pop songs with crossover appeal.

<i>Silk Electric</i> 1982 studio album by Diana Ross

Silk Electric is the thirteenth studio album by American R&B singer Diana Ross, released on September 10, 1982, by RCA Records. It was Ross' second of six albums released by the label during the decade. It reached No. 27 on the US Billboard 200, No. 33 in the UK Albums Chart and the Top 20 in Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands. The album cover was designed by Andy Warhol.

<i>Red Hot Rhythm & Blues</i> 1987 studio album by Diana Ross

Red Hot Rhythm and Blues is the seventeenth studio album by American R&B singer Diana Ross, released on May 8, 1987, by RCA Records and EMI Records. It was Ross' last of six albums released by the label during the decade. It was produced by veteran Atlantic Records producer Tom Dowd with one track contributed by Luther Vandross.

<i>Rush Street</i> (album) 1991 studio album by Richard Marx

Rush Street is the third studio album by singer and songwriter Richard Marx. Released in late 1991, it sold over two million copies in the United States alone. It was Richard's third consecutive multi-million seller in the U. S.

<i>Never Too Much</i> (album) 1981 studio album by Luther Vandross

Never Too Much is the debut solo studio album by American singer Luther Vandross, released on August 12, 1981, by Epic Records. Mostly composed by Vandross himself, the album reached number 19 on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Never Too Much earned Vandross two Grammy Award nominations in 1982, including Best New Artist and Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male.

<i>Busy Body</i> (album) 1983 studio album by Luther Vandross

Busy Body is the third studio album by American R&B/soul singer-songwriter Luther Vandross, released on November 25, 1983. It hit the number one position on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the week of April 13, 1984 and was certified Platinum by the RIAA in January 1985.

<i>Give Me the Reason</i> (Luther Vandross album) 1986 studio album by Luther Vandross

Give Me the Reason is the fifth studio album by American R&B/soul singer-songwriter Luther Vandross, released on September 26, 1986, by Epic Records. The album earned Vandross an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist and a nomination for "Favorite Soul/R&B Album" in 1988, while the title track was nominated for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male at the 29th Grammy Awards.

<i>Any Love</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Luther Vandross

Any Love is the sixth studio album by American singer Luther Vandross. It was released by Epic Records on September 20, 1988, in the United States. Produced by Vandross and Marcus Miller, the album features a cover of Major Harris' hit single "Love Won't Let Me Wait" as well as "The Second Time Around," a re-recording of a song featured on Vandross's band Luther's 1976 album of the same name.

<i>Friends Can Be Lovers</i> 1993 studio album by Dionne Warwick

Friends Can Be Lovers is the twenty-ninth studio album by American singer Dionne Warwick. Her tenth album for Arista Records, it was released on January 20, 1993, in the United States. Warwick garthered material from songwriters and producers such as Barry J. Eastmond, Harvey Mason, Siedah Garrett, Dianne Warren, and Blue Zone lead singer Lisa Stansfield. The album, which Warwick described as "a labor love" and true "family affair," also saw her collaborating with her son David Elliot and cousin Whitney Houston for the first time as well as reuniting with former contributors Burt Bacharach and Hal David on the song "Sunny Weather Love" after more than two decades.

<i>Vagabond Heart</i> 1991 studio album by Rod Stewart

Vagabond Heart is the sixteenth studio album by British recording artist Rod Stewart, released on 25 March 1991 by Warner Bros. Records. The album reached No. 10 in the US, and reached No. 2 in the UK. The album features five singles, among them a cover of Robbie Robertson's song "Broken Arrow" and Van Morrison's song "Have I Told You Lately", which would become a hit two years later, and is Stewart's most recent top five solo hit in the US and the UK. The two biggest hits from the album were "Rhythm of My Heart" and "The Motown Song". The latter song features with Steve Lukather, David Paich, Steve Porcaro and Jeff Porcaro—nearly all of the band Toto.

<i>Power of Love</i> (Luther Vandross album) 1991 studio album by Luther Vandross

Power of Love is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Luther Vandross, released in North America by Epic on April 26, 1991, following the critical and commercial success of his sixth album Any Love (1988). Power of Love received critical acclaim from most critics, earning Vandross a number of awards and accolades including two American Music Awards and two Grammy Awards. It reached number seven on the US Billboard 200 album chart, while topping the Top R&B Albums chart for five nonconsecutive weeks. On the latter chart, it was Vandross's last number one for twelve years until Dance with My Father was released. The album was later certified double platinum by the RIAA.

<i>Your Secret Love</i> 1996 studio album by Luther Vandross

Your Secret Love is the tenth studio album by American R&B singer Luther Vandross, released by Epic Records in October 1996. The album's title track won the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and was nominated for Best R&B Song at the 39th Grammy Awards in 1997. The album served as Vandross's final album under Epic Records after being part of the record label for fifteen years.

<i>Never Let Me Go</i> (Luther Vandross album) 1993 studio album by Luther Vandross

Never Let Me Go is the eighth studio album by American R&B/soul singer-songwriter Luther Vandross, released on May 26, 1993, in the US by Epic. It was his first studio album not to debut at #1 on the R&B Albums chart.

<i>How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye</i> 1983 studio album by Dionne Warwick

How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye is a studio album by the American singer Dionne Warwick. It was released by Arista Records on September 29, 1983, in the United States. Recorded during the spring of 1983, Warwick worked with the singer and songwriter Luther Vandross, who also appears on the hit title track. The album includes the original version of the song "So Amazing", which Vandross would record later for his Give Me the Reason album, and a remake of The Shirelles' 1960 hit "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", featuring the original group on guest vocals.

<i>Till I Loved You</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Barbra Streisand

Till I Loved You is the twenty-fifth studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released on October 25, 1988, on Columbia Records. The album was notable for both its thematic structure and its high-budget production, with many guest writers, producers, and musicians: Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager offered three brand new songs to the album, Quincy Jones produced "The Places You Find Love", with Luther Vandross and Dionne Warwick adding backing vocals.

<i>Everlasting</i> (Natalie Cole album) 1987 studio album by Natalie Cole

Everlasting is the eleventh studio album by American singer Natalie Cole, released on June 14, 1987 by Manhattan Records. The album peaked at number 8 on Billboards Top R&B Albums chart and number 42 on the Billboard 200 chart.

<i>Under the Mistletoe</i> 2011 studio album by Justin Bieber

Under the Mistletoe is the first Christmas album and second studio album by Canadian singer Justin Bieber, released on November 1, 2011, by RBMG/Island Def Jam Music Group. The album features fifteen tracks, including seven original songs co-written by Bieber, along with cover versions of Christmas carols and standards. Fellow artists Usher, Boyz II Men, Mariah Carey, Busta Rhymes, and the Band Perry all make guest appearances on the album.

References

  1. ↑ Mariah Helped Luther Put Together His Covers LP! (Interview With Them)
  2. ↑ YouTube - Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey interview
  3. 1 2 AllMusic review
  4. 1 2 Helligar, Jeremy (October 14, 1994). "Album Review: Songs". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  5. ↑ "POP : Do You Hear What We Hear? : Prick up your antlers: Calendar's annual recordings guide is here to help you sift through the year's notable pop, jazz, classical, children's and holiday music--and the best of the box sets. : Separating Best Bets From Lumps of Coal". Los Angeles Times . 1994-11-27. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06.
  6. 1 2 Dyson, Michael Eric (February 23, 1995). "Songs". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on May 5, 2016. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  7. ↑ "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media . October 1, 1994. p. 8. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  8. ↑ Martinez, M.R. (October 8, 1994). "Urban — Reviews: Pick of the Week" (PDF). Cash Box . Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 "Luther Vandross Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  10. 1 2 3 "American album certifications – Luther Vandross – Songs". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  11. 1 2 "Luther Vandross | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  12. 1 2 "British album certifications – Luther Vandross – Songs". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Luther Vandross – Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Luther Vandross – Songs" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Luther Vandross – Songs" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Luther Vandross – Songs" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Charts.nz – Luther Vandross – Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Luther Vandross – Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Luther Vandross – Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Luther Vandross Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Najlepiej sprzedające się albumy w W.Brytanii w 1994r". uktop40.republika.pl. Z archiwum...rocka. Archived from the original on September 27, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  24. ↑ "R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: Year End 1994". Billboard . Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  25. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  26. ↑ "R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: Year End 1995". Billboard . Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  27. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Luther Vandross – Songs". Music Canada . Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  28. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Luther Vandross – Songs". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 2024-11-20.
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.