After 7 is an American R&B group founded in 1987 by brothers Melvin and Kevon Edmonds, and their friend Keith Mitchell. The Edmonds brothers are the older siblings of pop/R&B singer-songwriter and record producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, who named the group and helped them get a record deal with Virgin Records in 1988. After 7 released their platinum-selling self-titled debut album in 1989, which spawned three singles "Heat of the Moment", "Ready or Not" and "Can't Stop". "Ready or Not" and "Can't Stop" were No. 1 R&B hits and top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Their second album Takin' My Time, released in 1992, also went platinum and contained the R&B hit medley "Baby, I'm for Real/Natural High". After 7's Gold-selling 1995 album Reflections was their last album before the group disbanded in 1997. The album included the R&B hit "'Til You Do Me Right. Years later the group resumed touring with Jason Edmonds, son of Melvin Edmonds, replacing his father. Melvin rejoined the group for their successful 2016 comeback album Timeless, which featured 3 adult R&B top 10 hits "Runnin' Out", "I Want You" and "Let Me Know".
Kenneth Brian Edmonds, better known by his stage name Babyface, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has written and produced over 26 number-one R&B hits throughout his career and has won 13 Grammy Awards. He was ranked number 20 on NME's 50 of The Greatest Producers Ever list.
The Deele is an American band from Cincinnati, Ohio who achieved success in the 1980s with such hit singles as "Body Talk" and "Two Occasions". When the group began recording in the early 1980s, the lineup consisted of Indianapolis native Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds along with Cincinnati musicians Antonio "L.A." Reid, Carlos "Satin" Greene, Darnell "Dee" Bristol, Stanley "Stick" Burke, and Kevin "Kayo" Roberson. In 2007, Bristol, Greene, Roberson & Burke reformed the group with several new members.
Don't Be Cruel is the second studio album by American singer Bobby Brown. It was released in the United States on June 20, 1988, by MCA Records. MCA changed producers for this album and had Brown work with hit-making songwriting and production duo Babyface and L.A. Reid. Brown dedicated the album to his deceased best friend James "Jimbo" Flint who was stabbed to death when Brown was aged 11. Don't Be Cruel incorporates new jack swing, R&B, funk, dance and soul.
"Knocked Out" is the debut single by American singer and dancer Paula Abdul, released on May 4, 1988 by Virgin Records from Abdul's first album, Forever Your Girl. The song was written by Babyface, L.A. Reid and Daryl Simmons, and produced by Babyface and Reid. Babyface and Simmons provide background vocals along with Pebbles and Yvette Marine.
After 7 is the debut album by After 7. Released in 1989, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA on November 27, 1990, and spawned two No. 1 R&B hits, "Ready or Not" and "Can't Stop." Those songs also reached No. 7 and No. 6, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100.
Takin' My Time is the second studio album by R&B trio After 7. It peaked at #76 on the Billboard 200. It was their first album to be released under Virgin Records after being acquired by EMI Music in 1992. The album is notable for being their first and only album without any songs produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface. Instead, they contribute as writers, with Reid co-writing the songs "Can He Love U Like This" and "G.S.T.", and Babyface writing "Truly Something Special" and "Love By Day/Love By Night". The production was handed over to Daryl Simmons & Kayo, who co-produced and co-wrote many of the songs on their self-titled debut.
Dance!...Ya Know it! is a remix album by American R&B singer Bobby Brown, released in 1989. The album features remixes of various songs from his King of Stage and Don't Be Cruel albums as well as "On Our Own", Brown's hit single from the Ghostbusters II soundtrack. "Every Little Hit Mega Mix", a medley of "Every Little Step", "On Our Own", "Don't Be Cruel", and "My Prerogative", was released as a single to promote the album but was not included on the album itself. The UK and European version of the megamix was titled "The Free Style Mega-mix" and was produced by Rita Liebrand; the Australian version, "The 'Every Little Hit' Mix", was released as a B-side on the European version of the "Roni" single.
"Every Little Step" is a 1989 single by American singer Bobby Brown, written by L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and released by MCA Records. Released as the fourth single on his second album Don't Be Cruel it reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100, number one on the Hot Black Singles chart, and number six on the UK Singles Chart in 1989. The song also appears on Brown's remix album Dance!...Ya Know It!. The single garnered Brown's first career Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 32nd Grammy Awards in 1990.
Karyn White is the debut album by American singer Karyn White. The album was released on September 6, 1988, by Warner Bros., and went to No. 1 on the R&B albums chart for seven weeks the following year. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA on April 4, 1989. It gave her four hits, "The Way You Love Me", "Superwoman", "Love Saw It" and "Secret Rendezvous". The former three were No. 1 singles on the R&B chart, and all except "Love Saw It" were Top-10 successes on the Hot 100. A re-issue in late 1989 of "Secret Rendezvous" in the UK reached No. 22, as opposed to the original top 50 placing. "Superwoman" became her biggest hit there, reaching No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart.
The Day is the fourth studio album by American R&B singer Babyface. It was released by Epic Records on October 22, 1996, in the United States. The album peaked at number 6 on the US Billboard 200 and number 4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, also reaching the top ten on the Dutch Albums Chart. The Day was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and received Grammy Award nominations for Album of the Year and Best R&B Album respectively.
The Lover in Me is the ninth studio album by Scottish singer Sheena Easton. It was released in November 1988 and was her debut for MCA. The album has a more Urban/R&B sound than Easton's previous recordings due to the production by well-known acts such as L.A. Reid, Babyface and John "Jellybean" Benitez. The album's title track became a major hit, reaching number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 15 on the UK Singles Chart. The album reached number 44 on the US Billboard 200 and number 30 on the UK Albums Chart, and was certified Gold by the RIAA. It is one of Easton's best selling albums to date and returned her to the US and UK charts. Significantly, in the UK it was her first charting album for over five years, with the lead single becoming her first top 20 hit in nearly eight years.
"The Lover in Me" is a song by Scottish singer Sheena Easton for her ninth studio album of the same name (1988). Released as the album's lead single on 11 October 1988, the song became Easton's first top-20 hit in the United Kingdom after a seven-year hiatus. The song was also Easton's final top-10 single on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Eyes of a Stranger is an album released by the R&B band the Deele in 1987.
"Two Occasions" is an R&B song written by Babyface, Darnell Bristol and Sid Johnson. It was produced by Babyface and L.A. Reid for the Deele's third studio album Eyes of a Stranger (1987). The ballad was released as the album's second single in December 1987. It is the only song on the album that features Babyface on lead vocals, which alternate between himself, Bristol, and Carlos "Satin" Greene throughout the course of the song. It has since been remade into a live version with added vocals from Babyface with all original vocals from the Deele intact; this version appeared on the 12-inch maxi single and also three years later on his album, A Closer Look.
"For the Cool in You" is a song co-written, co-produced and performed by American contemporary R&B singer Babyface. The song was written by Babyface, Daryl Simmons, and produced by the former, Simmons and L.A. Reid. It is the opening and title track to his third studio album (1993) and was issued as the album's first single on August 10, 1993, by Epic Records. The song peaked at #81 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1993.
Always is the second studio album by American recording artist Pebbles. It was released on September 11, 1990, by MCA Records and spawned two Top 20 hits on the U.S. Hot 100, which also hit #1 on the R&B chart: "Giving You the Benefit" and "Love Makes Things Happen", as well as the top-five R&B hit "Backyard", and the top 20 R&B hit "Always".
"Whip Appeal" is a song by American musician Babyface. It served as the third single from his second album, Tender Lover. Written by Babyface and Perri "Pebbles" Reid, "Whip Appeal" was released on February 22, 1990 by SOLAR Records and Epic Records.
"My Kinda Girl" is a song performed and co-written by Babyface, issued as the fourth and final single from his 1989 album Tender Lover. The song was also the fourth consecutive hit single from the album, peaking at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990. SOLAR and Epic Records released 7 remixes of the recording with a remix of "Whip Appeal" in 1990, which was available as a CD single.
Return of the Tender Lover is the eighth studio album from American R&B singer Babyface. It was released December 4, 2015, on Def Jam Recordings. The album pays homage to his classic 1989 album, Tender Lover and serves as the follow-up to his last album Grown & Sexy (2005). It is his first solo album of new studio material in 10 years.
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