New jack swing, new jack, or swingbeat is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop, and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, new jack swing was most popular from the late 1980s to early 1990s.
"Save the Best for Last" is a song by American singer and actress Vanessa Williams, released in January 1992 as the third single from her second studio album, The Comfort Zone (1991). The song was written by Phil Galdston, Wendy Waldman, and Jon Lind. It is a ballad about a young female admirer of a single man who stands by and watches as the object of her desires goes through years of dating, before he finally unexpectedly decides to initiate a relationship with her. The lyrics' redemptive themes resonated with Williams' story, as she had put together a successful music career following her earlier Miss America resignation scandal.
"Frontin'" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams featuring American rapper Jay-Z. It was written by the artists alongside Chad Hugo, who produced it with Williams as the Neptunes. At the time of its release, Williams insisted the single was a one-off, and that he was purely a producer and not an artist in his own right. However, he released his own solo studio album, In My Mind, in 2006.
"Cruisin'" is a 1979 single written, produced, and performed by American singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson for Motown Records' Tamla label. One of Robinson's most successful singles outside of his work with the Miracles, "Cruisin'" hit number one on the U.S. Cash Box Top 100 and was also a Billboard Hot 100 hit, peaking at number four the week of February 2, 1980. It was a top-five hit on the Soul chart as well.
"Girlfriend" is a song by American singer Pebbles from her 1987 self-titled debut studio album. Written and produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface, "Girlfriend" was released as the album's lead single on October 26, 1987, by record label MCA. The song charted in several countries, peaking at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reaching the top 10 in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Next is the fifth studio album by American singer and actress Vanessa Williams. It was released through Mercury Records on August 26, 1997. It includes the hit singles "Happiness", "Who Were You Thinkin' 'Bout", "First Thing on Your Mind" and "Oh How the Years Go By". Bonus track “And this is life” featured on the Japanese release of the album.
Everlasting Love is the seventh studio album by Vanessa Williams, released in the United States on January 25, 2005 by Lava Records. Produced entirely by Rob Mathes, the album contains cover versions of 1970s soul love songs except for the final track, which is an original song. Covers include notably "You Are Everything" released as a single and also "Show and Tell" and the title track "Everlasting Love".
"I'll Be Good to You" is a 1976 hit song by R&B duo the Brothers Johnson. George Johnson, one of the two Johnson brothers in the band, wrote the song after deciding to commit to a relationship with one woman, instead of dating several at a time. While George was recording a demo for the song, family friend Senora Sam came by and added some lyrics. Brothers Johnson producer and mentor Quincy Jones heard the song, liked it, and convinced George to sing lead on the finished track. Released from their debut album, Look Out for #1, it was a top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot Singles Charts, peaking at number three, and a number one song on the Billboard R&B Charts during the summer of 1976. The single was later certified gold by the RIAA.
Vanessa Williams is an American actress and singer. In 1988, Williams released her debut album, The Right Stuff. The first single, "The Right Stuff", found success on the R&B chart, while the second single, "He's Got the Look", found similar success on the same chart. The third single, "Dreamin'", was a pop hit, becoming Williams's first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 8, and her first number one single on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The album reached gold status in the US and earned her an NAACP Image Award and three Grammy Award nominations, including one for Best New Artist.
"The Right Stuff" is a song by American singer and actress Vanessa Williams, released as the first single from her 1988 debut studio album of the same name. The crossover single was very successful and became a top-five hit on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, as well as making the Billboard Hot 100. "The Right Stuff" also went to number one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart for one week. It peaked at number 71 on the UK Singles Chart and re-entered the charts in 1989, this time peaking at number 62 with a remixed version. At the 31st Grammy Awards in 1989, the song received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, but lost to Anita Baker's "Giving You The Best That I Got".
"Dreamin'" is a song written by Lisa Montgomery and Geneva Paschal and originally performed by the family group Guinn in 1986.
Twennynine, also known as Twennynine with Lenny White, was an American R&B band founded in 1979.
"(He's Got) The Look" is a song by American singer Vanessa Williams, released as the second single from her debut studio album, The Right Stuff (1988). The single peaked at number 10 on Billboard's Hot Black Singles chart. The song was co-written and produced by Amir Bayyan.
"Darlin' I" is a song by American singer Vanessa Williams, released as the fourth and final single from her debut studio album, The Right Stuff (1988).
"The Way That You Love" is a song by American singer and actress Vanessa Williams, released on January 24, 1995 by Mercury Records and Wing Records as the second single from her third album, The Sweetest Days (1994). The song was written by J. Dibbs and Abenaa and produced by Gerry E. Brown and Williams. Several remixes are available for the song, which became a top-10 hit on the US Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs chart. At the Grammy Awards in 1996, the song received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.
"Happiness" is the first single from Vanessa Williams' fifth studio album, Next. Written and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and released through Mercury Records in July 1997, it reached number 25 on the US Billboard Adult R&B Airplay Chart, number 23 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, and number 38 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. It also reached number 49 on the New Zealand Singles Chart. The song samples from Nu Shooz's "I Can't Wait" and Funkadelic's "(Not Just) Knee Deep".
"Just For Tonight" is the fourth single from Vanessa Williams' second studio album, The Comfort Zone (1991). The song was slightly remixed for the single and reached No. 2 on the US Adult Contemporary Charts. The single's B-side is "Whatever Happens", a song from her 1988 debut album The Right Stuff, while the CD single contains the previously unreleased song "Love Like This", which was later also to be included on the compilation album Love Songs (2004). The song is an R&B ballad and tells about a woman who wants to share one more night with her lover before their relationship ends.
"The Sweetest Days" is the first single from American singer Vanessa Williams' third studio album of the same name. The song was written by the same team who previously penned "Save the Best for Last" for Williams. The song was produced by Keith Thomas. It was released on October 18, 1994 by Wing Records. The single reached No. 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
Thief in the Night is the eighteenth studio album by American keyboardist and record producer George Duke. It was released in 1985 through Elektra Records, making it his first release on the label. Recording sessions for the album took place at Le Gonks West in West Hollywood, California. Duke played various keyboard instruments on the album, including Synclavier II, Memorymoog, Fender Rhodes, Sequential Circuits Prophet-5, clavinet, Yamaha P F15 and Minimoog. The album features contributions from Lynn Davis, Paul Jackson Jr, Paulinho da Costa, Robert Brookins and Deniece Williams among others.
I Commit to Love is the debut solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Howard Hewett. It was released on June 25, 1986 via Elektra Records. The album serves his first release after he departed from the group Shalamar. Recording sessions for this ten-track album took place at nine various recording studios viz. Americayn Studios, Ground Control Studios, Larrabee Sound Studios, Le Gonks West, Mama Jo's, Nick's Place, Soundcastle, Studio 99 and Village Studios. Together with Hewett, George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Glen J. Barbee, Ross Vannelli and Monty Seward worked on the production of the album.
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