Spellbound (Paula Abdul album)

Last updated

Spellbound
PaulaAbdulSpellbound.jpg
Studio album by
Paula Abdul
ReleasedMay 14, 1991
RecordedSeptember 1990 – March 1991
Studio
  • Greene Street Recording (New York City, New York)
  • Z Recording (Brooklyn, New York)
  • Hollywood Sound Recording
  • Institute of Social Disruption
  • Studio Masters
  • Sunset Sound (each Los Angeles, California)
  • Mad Hatter (Silver Lake, California)
  • Ocean Way Recording (Hollywood, California)
  • Paisley Park (Chanhassen, Minnesota)
Genre
Length49:03
Label
Producer
Paula Abdul chronology
Shut Up and Dance: Mixes
(1990)		Spellbound
(1991)		 Head over Heels
(1995)
Singles from Spellbound
  1. "Rush Rush"
    Released: April 24, 1991
  2. "The Promise of a New Day"
    Released: July 1991
  3. "Blowing Kisses in the Wind"
    Released: October 17, 1991
  4. "Vibeology"
    Released: October 21, 1991
  5. "Will You Marry Me?"
    Released: March 19, 1992
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Robert Christgau Rating-Christgau-dud.svg [6]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Entertainment Weekly C+ [7]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Music & Media (favorable) [9]
NME 5/10 [10]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Slant Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]

Spellbound is the second studio album by American singer Paula Abdul, released on May 14, 1991, via Virgin Records and Captive Records. Production was handled by Peter Lord, Paisley Park, V. Jeffrey Smith, Don Was, and Jorge Corante.

Contents

The album, although receiving mixed reviews citing that it showcased her limitations as a singer, became a commercial and topped the US Billboard 200, alongside cracking the top-ten in Australia, Canada, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Six singles in total were released, including the Billboard Hot 100 number one singles "Rush Rush" and 'The Promise of a New Day", the latter becoming her sixth and to-date final number one single. Other singles included the US top-ten hit "Blowing Kisses in the Wind", "Vibeology", which Abdul performed at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards, "Will You Marry Me?", and the Canada exclusive single "Alright Tonight". The album is currently certified 3x platinum in the United States.

Following the release of the album, Abdul embarked on her first world tour, entitled "Under My Spell Tour", between 1991 and 1992.

Spellbound won a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package. The album art was art directed by Melanie Nissen, designed by Inge Schaap, and lettered by Margo Chase. [13]

Critical reception

Writing for Entertainment Weekly , David Browne gave the album a C+ and remarked that its overproduction only highlights Abdul's limitations as a singer. In a retrospective review for Slant Magazine , Eric Henderson gave the album four out of five stars. He commented that, despite being uneven, the album makes Abdul "sound like a human being". [14] In 2003, Slant Magazine included Spellbound in its list of "50 Essential Pop Albums". [15]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 in its first week and rose four spots to number one the following week. It stayed at the summit for two consecutive weeks, selling 88,000 and 89,000 units respectively. The album distinguished itself by becoming the lowest selling number-one album in the Nielsen SoundScan era at the time of its release—a distinction it held until 2004, when Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below sold 86,000 copies while at number one. [16] This was primarily due to the newly implemented SoundScan tracking system, which had not been implemented into every major music chain, thus sales were not entirely accurate. Nevertheless, the album became a best-seller and emerged as the best selling album for the month of June, spending 16 weeks within the top 10, and was certified three-times platinum by the RIAA in January 1992. [17] [18] Overall, the album spent 70 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart and was ranked as the 18th best-charting of the year 1991 (and 40th best-charting of the year 1992).

Track listing

Spellbound track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Promise of a New Day a "
  • Lord
  • Smith
4:32
2."Rock House a "
  • Abdul
  • Lord
  • St. Victor
  • Smith
  • Lord
  • Smith
4:11
3."Rush Rush"Lord
  • Lord
  • Smith
4:52
4."Spellbound a "
  • Abdul
  • Lord
  • St. Victor
  • Smith
  • Lord
  • Smith
4:48
5."Vibeology"
  • Lord
  • St. Victor
  • Smith
  • Lord
  • Smith
5:16
6."U a " Prince Paisley Park4:05
7."My Foolish Heart"
  • Lord
  • Smith
  • Lord
  • Smith
4:10
8."Blowing Kisses in the Wind a "Lord
  • Lord
  • Smith
4:41
9."To You a "
  • Jorge Corante
  • Colin England
  • England
  • Corante
3:31
10."Alright Tonight a " John Hiatt Don Was 4:28
11."Will You Marry Me?"
  • Abdul
  • Lord
  • St. Victor
  • Smith
  • Lord
  • Smith
4:24
Asian, European, Japanese and South American edition (bonus track)
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
6."Will You Marry Me?"
  • Abdul
  • Lord
  • St. Victor
  • Smith
  • Lord
  • Smith
4:24
7."U a " Prince Paisley Park4:05
8."My Foolish Heart"
  • Lord
  • Smith
  • Lord
  • Smith
4:10
9."Blowing Kisses in the Wind a "Lord
  • Lord
  • Smith
4:41
10."To You a "
  • Jorge Corante
  • Colin England
  • England
  • Corante
3:31
11."Alright Tonight a " John Hiatt Don Was 4:28
12."Good Night, My Love (Pleasant Dreams)" (bonus track; Jesse Belvin cover)
  • George Motola
  • John Marascalco
Was3:14

Notes

Production

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Spellbound
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [37] Gold35,000^
Canada (Music Canada) [38] 2× Platinum200,000^
Japan (RIAJ) [39] Gold100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [40] Gold100,000^
United States (RIAA) [41] 3× Platinum3,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Forever Your Girl</i> 1988 studio album by Paula Abdul

Forever Your Girl is the debut studio album by American singer Paula Abdul. It was released on June 21, 1988, through Virgin Records. The album was Abdul's breakthrough into the music industry after being a choreographer for high-profile clients including Kate Bush, The California Raisins, George Michael, ZZ Top, Duran Duran and most notably Janet Jackson. At the time of the album's release it was the most successful debut album of all time and was the first time an artist scored four US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles from a debut album. It is currently certified 7× platinum by the RIAA.

<i>Shut Up and Dance: Mixes</i> 1990 remix album by Paula Abdul

Shut Up and Dance: Mixes is a Paula Abdul remix album, released in 1990. It contains dance remixes of the six hit singles from Abdul's debut album Forever Your Girl, one remixed album track and one medley. The album was another huge success for Abdul, peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Whoa, Nelly!</i> 2000 studio album by Nelly Furtado

Whoa, Nelly! is the debut studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado, released in North America on October 24, 2000 by DreamWorks Records. Recording sessions for the album took place from 1999 to 2000. It peaked at number twenty-four on the US Billboard 200 chart, and received critical acclaim. It produced four singles: "I'm Like a Bird", "Turn Off the Light", "Shit on the Radio ", and "Hey, Man!". The album spent seventy-eight weeks on the Billboard 200, and hit double-platinum status in the US in January 2002.

<i>Out of Exile</i> 2005 studio album by Audioslave

Out of Exile is the second studio album by American rock supergroup Audioslave, released on May 23, 2005, internationally, and a day later in the United States, through Epic Records and Interscope Records. It is the band's only album to chart at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The album spawned the singles "Be Yourself", "Your Time Has Come", "Doesn't Remind Me", and "Out of Exile"; "Doesn't Remind Me" was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 48th Grammy Awards.

<i>Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1</i> 1990 album by George Michael

Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 is the second solo studio album by the English singer-songwriter George Michael, released on 3 September 1990 by Columbia Records in the US and Epic Records in the UK. The album was Michael's final album of all-new material on Columbia until 2004's Patience. Listen Without Prejudice was a stark departure from Michael's previous album, 1987's Faith, with largely acoustic instrumentation and a sombre intensity in many of the lyrics and melodies. While the album topped the UK Albums Chart, disappointing sales in the United States led to Michael's legal battles against Sony Music, in which he accused the corporation of not fully supporting him as an artist. Listen Without Prejudice was reissued across a number of formats on 20 October 2017 and again topped the UK Albums Chart, 27 years after it first reached number one on the chart.

<i>World Clique</i> 1990 studio album by Deee-Lite

World Clique is the debut album by American dance music band Deee-Lite, which was released in 1990. The album's first single, "Groove Is in the Heart", was a top-five success on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart as well as a No. 1 hit on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart. Three subsequent singles also hit the top ten on the U.S. dance chart, including "Power of Love/Build That Bridge", which also hit No. 1, and "Good Beat".

<i>Different Light</i> 1986 studio album by the Bangles

Different Light is the second studio album by American pop rock band the Bangles, released in January 1986. The album's Top 40 sound was a departure from their earlier 1960s-style rock'n'roll sound. It is their most successful album, reaching number two on the Billboard 200 and producing five charting singles, including the Billboard top two hits "Manic Monday" and "Walk Like an Egyptian". It is also the first album in which bassist Michael Steele sings lead vocals on some tracks.

<i>Wilson Phillips</i> (album) 1990 studio album by Wilson Phillips

Wilson Phillips is the debut album by American vocal group Wilson Phillips, released in 1990 by SBK Records. The album was successful in the United States, where it peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart for 10 weeks starting August 4, 1990. It spent 125 weeks on the charts, including one year in the top 10. The album has sold five million copies in the United States and over eight million worldwide.

<i>Head over Heels</i> (Paula Abdul album) 1995 studio album by Paula Abdul

Head over Heels is the third studio album released by American singer Paula Abdul on June 13, 1995, under Virgin Records and Captive Records. The album features three singles "My Love Is for Real", "Crazy Cool" and "Ain't Never Gonna Give You Up". To date, it is Abdul's last studio album release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rush Rush (Paula Abdul song)</span> 1991 single by Paula Abdul

"Rush Rush" is a song by American recording artist Paula Abdul, taken from her second studio album, Spellbound (1991). It was released on April 24, 1991, by Virgin Records as the lead single from the album. Written by Peter Lord and produced by Peter Lord and V. Jeffrey Smith, the song achieved success in the United States, where it topped the Billboard Hot 100, and became a worldwide hit.

<i>Footloose</i> (1984 soundtrack) 1984 soundtrack album

Footloose: Original Soundtrack of the Paramount Motion Picture is the soundtrack album to the Paramount motion picture Footloose. The original nine-track album was released in 1984 and reached number one on the US Billboard 200 chart on April 21, 1984, where it stayed until June 23, 1984. It contained six Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 hits, three of which reached the Top 10, including two number-one hits, "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins and "Let's Hear It for the Boy" by Deniece Williams. "Almost Paradise", a duet by Ann Wilson and Mike Reno reached number seven, plus "Somebody's Eyes" by Karla Bonoff climbed to number 16 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

<i>Into the Light</i> (Gloria Estefan album) 1991 studio album by Gloria Estefan

Into the Light is the second studio solo album released by American singer Gloria Estefan, but is her 14th overall, released on January 22, 1991, by Epic Records. The album reached number five on the US Billboard 200, becoming her most successful album on the chart.

<i>On the Radio: Greatest Hits Volumes I & II</i> 1979 greatest hits album by Donna Summer

On the Radio: Greatest Hits Volumes I & II is the first greatest hits album by American singer Donna Summer, released on October 15, 1979.

<i>From the Bottom Up</i> 1995 studio album by Brownstone

From the Bottom Up is the debut studio album by American girl group Brownstone. It was released by Epic Records and Michael Jackson's MJJ Music on January 10, 1995, in the United States. Brownstone worked with a wide range of producers and songwriters on the album, including Jorge Corante, Dave "Jam" Hall, Soulshock & Karlin, and Gordon Chambers. From the Bottom Up spawned four singles, including the top 10 R&B hits "If You Love Me" and "Grapevyne," and a cover of The Eagles' "I Can't Tell You Why". In addition, "Sometimes Dancin'" was featured in the Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home soundtrack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Doors discography</span> Cataloging of published recordings by The Doors

The following is the discography of the American rock band the Doors. Formed in Los Angeles in 1965, the group consisted of Jim Morrison (vocals), Ray Manzarek (keyboards), John Densmore (drums), and Robby Krieger (guitar). The Doors became one of the most popular rock bands of their era. Their debut album, The Doors (1967), released by Elektra Records, charted at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 and produced the group's most successful single, "Light My Fire". The album received several sales certifications including a four times multi-platinum from both the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and from Music Canada (MC). The Doors' second studio album, Strange Days (1967), sold well commercially but did not reach the same level of success as the debut, and failed to produce a major hit single. It reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum in the United States and Canada. The Doors' third studio album Waiting for the Sun (1968), was commercially very successful, reaching No. 1 in the US and France, and produced their second No. 1 single, "Hello, I Love You". Waiting for the Sun was the first Doors album to chart in the United Kingdom, where it peaked inside the Top 20. The album was certified gold in that country by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), as well as being certified gold and platinum in several other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blowing Kisses in the Wind</span> 1991 single by Paula Abdul

"Blowing Kisses in the Wind" is a song by American singer and dancer Paula Abdul, taken from her second studio album Spellbound (1991). Written by Peter Lord and produced by Lord and V. Jeffrey Smith, it was released as the album's third official single on October 17, 1991, exclusively to North America, Australia, and Japan, as the album's next single "Vibeology" would be released in Europe instead of this song. "Blowing Kisses in the Wind" utilizes the harpsichord. Sweet Pea Atkinson provided background vocals to the track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vibeology</span> 1991 single by Paula Abdul

"Vibeology" is a song by American singer Paula Abdul, taken from the singer's second studio album, Spellbound (1991). The house and new jack swing number was written by Peter Lord, Sandra St. Victor, and V. Jeffrey Smith and produced by Lord and Smith. It was first released on October 21, 1991, in Japan via Virgin Records and Abdul's vanity label Captive Records, becoming the album's fourth official single. In Europe and Australia, the track was released as the third single as "Blowing Kisses in the Wind" was not released in the former and would be released in the latter following "Vibeology".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will You Marry Me?</span> 1992 single by Paula Abdul

"Will You Marry Me?" is a song by American artist Paula Abdul, released as the fifth and final widely released single from her second studio album, Spellbound (1991). The song was written by Abdul, Peter Lord, Sandra St. Victor and V. Jeffrey Smith and produced by Lord and Smith. Stevie Wonder notably appears as a special guest playing the harmonica.

<i>Greatest Hits: Straight Up!</i> 2007 greatest hits album by Paula Abdul

Greatest Hits: Straight Up! is the third greatest hits album by American singer Paula Abdul. It was released on May 8, 2007 by Virgin Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paula Abdul discography</span>

The discography of American singer and dancer Paula Abdul consists of three studio albums, one remix album, five compilation albums, eight video albums, sixteen singles, and seven other appearances. Having found success as a choreographer for artists such as Janet Jackson, Abdul launched her own music career with the release of her debut studio album Forever Your Girl (1988). The album topped the Billboard 200 chart, and to date holds the record for the longest climb to number one for an album. The project spawned a number of successful singles, and is one of only nine albums to have four singles top the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It went on to earn a seven-times platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

References

  1. 1 2 Chappelle, Mark (May 11, 2021). "Revisit & Listen to Paula Abdul's 'Spellbound' (1991)". Albumism.com. Retrieved August 24, 2023. With Spellbound, Abdul balanced dance-pop and fun funk while walking a tightrope it seemed so many wanted her to fall from.
  2. ↑ Breihan, Tom (December 3, 2021). "The Number Ones: Paula Abdul's "Rush Rush". Stereogum . Retrieved December 22, 2023. Most of Spellbound is dance-pop, and plenty of the tracks would've fit just fine on Forever Your Girl...
  3. 1 2 Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th Concise ed.). United Kingdom: Omnibus Press. p. 32. ISBN   978-1-84609-856-7.
  4. ↑ Bryan Buss. "Spellbound - Paula Abdul". AllMusic . Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  5. ↑ Jan DeKnock (May 23, 1991). "Paula Abdul Spellbound (Virgin)". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  6. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Spellbound". Robert Christgau.
  7. ↑ David Browne (May 17, 1991). "Spellbound". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  8. ↑ Dennis Hunt (May 12, 1991). "Abdul Accents Vocals on 'Spellbound'". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  9. ↑ "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media . June 22, 1991. p. 16. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  10. ↑ Page, Betty (July 27, 1991). "Long Play". NME . p. 28. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  11. ↑ Berger, Arion (June 27, 1991). "Spellbound : Paula Abdul : Review". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on December 11, 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
  12. ↑ Henderson, Eric (July 17, 2004). "Paula Abdul Spellbound". Slant Magazine . Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  13. ↑ Condensed, Bald. "Remembering Margo Chase, letter alchemist · News · Type Network". Type Network. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  14. ↑ Henderson, Eric (July 17, 2004). "Review: Paula Abdul, Spellbound". Slant Magazine. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Vital Pop: 50 Essential Pop Albums | Feature | Slant Magazine". Slant Magazine. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  16. ↑ Inc (July 22, 2006). Billboard . Retrieved June 11, 2018.{{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  17. ↑ McAleer, Dave (1995). The All Music Book of Hit Albums. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN   9780879303938 . Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Album artist 456 – Paula Abdul". tsort.info. June 2, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Paula Abdul – Spellbound". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 1557". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Lescharts.com – {{{artist}}} – {{{album}}}". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Paula Abdul – Spellbound" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  23. ↑ "スペルバウンド" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Paula Abdul – Spellbound" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  25. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 1991. 30. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  26. ↑ "Charts.nz – Paula Abdul – Spellbound". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  27. ↑ [{{{url}}} "{{{title}}}"]. Retrieved September 27, 2016.{{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)
  28. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Paula Abdul – Spellbound". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  29. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Paula Abdul – Spellbound". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  30. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  31. ↑ "Paula Abdul Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Paula Abdul Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  33. ↑ "Albums of 1991". RPM . Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  34. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  35. ↑ "Billboard 200 Albums – Billboard". Billboard .
  36. ↑ "Billboard 200 Albums – Billboard". Billboard .
  37. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  38. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Paula Abdul – Spellbound". Music Canada.
  39. ↑ "Japanese album certifications – Paula Abdul – Spellbound" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan . Retrieved March 6, 2020.Select 1992年11月 on the drop-down menu
  40. ↑ "British album certifications – Paula Abdul – Spellbound". British Phonographic Industry.
  41. ↑ "American album certifications – Paula Abdul – Spellbound". Recording Industry Association of America.
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.