Storyteller (Crystal Waters album)

Last updated

Storyteller
Crystal Waters - Storyteller cover.png
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 17, 1994
Recorded1993–1994
StudioBasement Boys Studios
(Baltimore, Maryland)
Genre
Length48:44
Label Mercury
Producer
Crystal Waters chronology
Surprise
(1991)
Storyteller
(1994)
Crystal Waters
(1997)
Singles from Storyteller
  1. "100% Pure Love"
    Released: April 11, 1994
  2. "Ghetto Day/What I Need"
    Released: June 1994
  3. "Relax"
    Released: March 1, 1995

Storyteller is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Crystal Waters, released on May 17, 1994, by Mercury Records. The album peaked at number 199 on the US Billboard 200, number 73 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number 8 on the Top Heatseekers chart. Four singles were released from the album: "What I Need", "Relax", "Ghetto Day", and the hit, "100% Pure Love". "Ghetto Day" samples The 5th Dimension's 1968 hit "Stoned Soul Picnic".

Contents

Storyteller sold 1 million copies and was certified gold in the United States. [1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Advocate (favorable) [2]
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [3]
Billboard (favorable) [4]
Cash Box (favorable) [5]
Entertainment Weekly B+ [6]
Knoxville News Sentinel Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Robert Christgau Rating-Christgau-neither.png [9]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Spin (favorable) [11]

The album debuted at 199 on the US Billboard 200. Since its release, it has gone gold, and sold over 1 million copies worldwide. Upon release, the album received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics. It won Vibe's 1994 Music Poll for Best Club/Dance Album. [12] It was the no. 12 Best Album of 1994 in Spin . [13]

Track listing

Storyteller track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."100% Pure Love"
  • Crystal Waters
  • Tommy Davis
  • Theodore Douglas
  • Jay Steinhour
The Basement Boys 4:38
2."Ghetto Day"
  • Waters
  • Sean Spencer
The Basement Boys3:32
3."Regardless"
  • Waters
  • Greg Smith
Smith3:37
4."I Believe I Love You"
  • Waters
  • Smith
Smith3:42
5."Relax"
  • Waters
  • David Anthony
Anthony3:29
6."What I Need"
  • Waters
  • Doug Smith
  • Richard Payton
The Basement Boys4:44
7."Storyteller"
  • Waters
  • Neal Conway
  • Sean Spencer
The Basement Boys4:41
8."Is It for Me"
  • Waters
  • David Bach
  • George Mitchell
  • John Selway
The Basement Boys4:22
9."Listen for My Beep"
  • Waters
  • Patrick Harvey
3:59
10."Daddy Do"
  • Al Mack
  • Waters
The Basement Boys6:12
11."Lover Lay Low"
The Basement Boys5:48
International bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
12."Piece of Lonely"
  • Easy Mo Bee
  • The LG Experience
2:49

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Storyteller
Chart (2022)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [14] 55
US Billboard 200 [15] 199
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [16] 73

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghetto Day/What I Need</span> 1994 single by Crystal Waters

"Ghetto Day" and "What I Need" are two songs by American singer-songwriter Crystal Waters, issued as a double A-side in June 1994 as the second single from her second studio album, Storyteller (1994). It was produced by the Basement Boys and released by Mercury Records, A&M Records and A&M's division AM PM. Waters and Sean Spencer wrote "Ghetto Day", which is a funk song that contains samples from The 5th Dimension's song "Stoned Soul Picnic" and Flavor Unit's "Flavor Unit Assassination Squad". According to Spin, the track's lyrics talk about "those balmy, front-stoop, 40-swinging summer afternoons." The single's second A-side, "What I Need", is a house track written by Waters, Doug Smith and Richard Payton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Relax (Crystal Waters song)</span> 1995 single by Crystal Waters

"Relax" is a song by American singer-songwriter Crystal Waters from her second studio album, Storyteller (1994). It was released in 1995 as the fourth and last single from the album and peaked at number one on the US Billboard Dance Club Play chart. In the UK, it reached number 37. A black-and-white music video was also produced to promote the single, directed by German director Marcus Nispel.

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References

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  6. "Storyteller Review | News Reviews and News". EW.com. May 2, 1994. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  7. Campbell, Chuck (June 10, 1994). "David Byrne': Talking Head Repeats Himself". Knoxville News Sentinel .
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  9. "Crystal Waters". Robert Christgau . Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  10. Wilson, Michael (August 25, 1994). "Recordings". Rolling Stone Issue 689.
  11. SPIN. SPIN Media LLC. April 2005. p.  99. ISSN   0886-3032 . Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  12. "Vibe". Vibe Vixen. Vibe Media Group: 44. March 1995. ISSN   1070-4701 . Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  13. "20 Best Albums of 1994". SPIN Media LLC. Retrieved November 5, 2020.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  14. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 297.
  15. "Crystal Waters Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  16. "Crystal Waters Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2022.