The Big Throwdown

The Big Throwdown
Studio album by LeVert
Released	July 27, 1987
Recorded	1986–1987
Studio	Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Great Tracks, Cleveland, Ohio QCA, Cincinnati, Ohio Mad Hatter, Los Angeles, California Encore, Burbank, California Unique Recording, New York City
Genre	New jack swing [1]
Length	46:24
Label	Atlantic Records
Producer	Gerald Levert & Marc Gordon Reggie Calloway Craig Cooper
LeVert chronology
Bloodline (1986) The Big Throwdown (1987) Just Coolin' (1988)
Singles from The Big Throwdown
"Casanova" Released: June 20, 1987 "My Forever Love" Released: 1987 "Sweet Sensation" Released: 1988

The Big Throwdown is the third album by Cleveland, Ohio-based R&B group LeVert.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[3]

Released in 1987, led by the number one R&B and top five Pop single, "Casanova", this album would reach number three on the Billboard R&B Albums charts.

Track listing

1. "Casanova" (Reggie Calloway) – 6:25
2. "Good Stuff" (Gerald Levert, Tommie Miller) – 4:20
3. "Don't U Think It's Time" (Gerald Levert, Marc Gordon) – 4:28
4. "My Forever Love" (Gerald Levert, Marc Gordon) – 4:35
5. "Love the Way U Love Me" (Marc Gordon) – 4:42
6. "Sweet Sensation" (Gerald Levert, Marc Gordon) – 4:20
7. "In N Out" (Gerald Levert, Sean Levert, Marc Gordon) – 4:30
8. "Temptation" (Reggie Calloway, Vincent Calloway, Joel Davis, Gloria Larson) – 8:48
9. "Throwdown" (Gerald Levert, Sean Levert, Marc Gordon) – 4:16

Personnel

LeVert

• Gerald Levert – lead vocals, backing vocals, drum programming (7), arrangements, vocal arrangements
• Sean Levert – backing vocals, vocal arrangements
• Marc Gordon – backing vocals, keyboards (2-7), string and bell arrangements (7), arrangements, vocal arrangements

Additional musicians

• Joel Davis – keyboards (1, 8)
• David Ervin – keyboards (1, 8), drums (1, 8)
• Odeen Mays Jr. – keyboards (1, 8)
• Craig Cooper – arrangements (1-6, 8, 9), keyboards (2-6, 9), drum programming (2-7, 9)
• Dan Rodowicz – additional synthesizers, strings
• Mark Rossi – additional synthesizers, strings
• Jim Salamone – Fairlight programming and sampling, percussion (5)
• Gene Robinson – guitars (1, 8)
• Johnny "T" Jones – additional guitars (1, 8)
• Robert Cunningham – guitars (2, 3, 5-7, 9)
• Norman Harris – guitars (4-6)
• Mike Ferguson – bass (2, 4-6)
• Sam Peak – saxophone (4, 6, 9)
• Billy Terrell – string and bell arrangements (1-6, 8, 9), additional synthesizer and string arrangements, conductor
• Eddie Levert – vocal arrangements
• Donald Murphy – additional backing vocals
• Dwayne Simon – additional backing vocals

Production

• Reggie Calloway – producer (1, 8), assistant mix engineer (2-7, 9)
• Vincent Calloway – co-producer (1, 8), assistant mix engineer (2-7, 9)
• Craig Cooper – producer (2-7, 9)
• Marc Gordon – producer (2-7, 9)
• Gerald Levert – producer (2-7, 9)
• Keith Cohen – mix engineer (1)
• Anne Frager – recording (2-7, 9)
• Bruce Seifert – recording (2-7, 9)
• Mike Tarsia – recording (2-7, 9), mixing (2-7, 9)
• Craig Burbidge – mix engineer (2-7, 9)
• Jim Krause – mix engineer (2-7, 9)
• Eddie DeLena – mix engineer (8)
• Elmer Flores – assistant mix engineer (1)
• Jim Greene – assistant mix engineer (2-7, 9)
• Rob Harvey – assistant mix engineer (2-7, 9)
• Donnie Kraft – assistant mix engineer (2-7, 9)
• Steve Moeller – assistant mix engineer (2-7, 9)
• Russ Bracher – assistant mix engineer (8)
• Scott McMinn – recording assistant (2-7, 9)
• Adam Silverman – recording assistant (2-7, 9)
• Nimitr Sarikanada – mastering at Masterworks Recording, Inc. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• Eddie Levert – cover concept
• Bob Defrin – art direction
• David Michael Kennedy – photography
• Irvin McKnight – wardrobe
• Jane Davenport – stylist

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1987) Peak position US Billboard 200 [4] 32 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums ( Billboard ) [5] 3

Year-end charts Chart (1987) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [6] 45

Singles

Year	Single	Chart positions [7]
		US Pop	US R&B	US Dance
1987	"Casanova"	5	1	27
	"My Forever Love"	-	2	-
1988	"Sweet Sensation"	-	4	-

References

1. Smith, Troy L. (February 2016). "50 essential albums in Cleveland music history". Cleveland.com . Retrieved August 5, 2016.
2. Wynn, Ron. LeVert: The Big Throwdown > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
3. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 421.
4. "Levert, TLP" . Billboard . Retrieved January 14, 2021.
5. "Levert, BLP" . Billboard . Retrieved January 14, 2021.
6. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1987". Billboard. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
7. "LeVert US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved September 29, 2011.

External links

• The Big Throwdown at Discogs (list of releases)