Time and Chance (Color Me Badd album)

Last updated

Time and Chance
CMBADD.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 16, 1993
Genre
Length55:30
Label Giant Records
Producer Color Me Badd, Howie Tee, DJ Pooh, Hamza Lee, Amir Bayyan, Mark Murray, Geoffrey Williams, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, David Foster
Color Me Badd chronology
Young, Gifted & Badd: The Remixes
(1992)
Time and Chance
(1993)
Now & Forever
(1996)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Calgary Herald B [2]
Entertainment Weekly A− [3]
Billboard (favorable) [4]
Vibe Favorable [5]

Time and Chance is R&B quartet Color Me Badd's second full-length studio album, released in 1993. The album peaked at No. 56 on the Billboard albums chart. It was released after high-profile appearances on the Beverly Hills 90210 and Mo' Money soundtracks, the latter producing the top 20 single "Forever Love". While eventually reaching gold status, the album was initially considered a disappointment due to the success of their first album. The album received praise from critics and contains two hits in both the lead title track single and the Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis-produced "Choose". The former's music video was directed by rapper Ice Cube.

Contents

Background

The group wanted to make an album tied to more retro genres, that would show their vocal prowess and growth as producers and songwriters, co-writing 11 of the 14 songs, and co-producing 6 songs. The album's production started in late 1992, and before meeting with Giant executives, they started working on the songs, where the first songs that were completed were "Trust Me" and "God Is Love", since the group wanted to go for a more adult sound.

After choosing new producers like David Foster, and the duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to work on the album, the execs at Giant Records brought in DJ Pooh to have someone "close to the streets" work on the project. They also had some of their prior collaborators like Howie Tee, and Hamza Lee work on the album. Ice Cube was enlisted to direct the music video for the first single, since their A&R team "didn't want the group to come across as too slick. We wanted to send a signal that Color Me Badd is very much a part of the street". [6]

The head of marketing at Giant Records named Steve Backer stated that the label "didn't want to overhype the record. Our approach was to capture a new audience while reclaiming the audience who bought the first album. Our set-up campaign has had a heavy emphasis on retail and press. We've been geared to taking the group back to the street, where the first album took off.". [7]

Listening parties were held in the beginning of October 1993 for key retailers and press, and Giant also did extensive sniping of 15 markets nation-wide, two weeks before the album release. Promotion overseas in Europe and Asia also started in October, where they did television appearances and press for the album. The launch party for the album took place in New York on November 15, 1993, and an appearance on "The Arsenio Hall" to perform the title track took place on November 18, 1993. There were plans for a December 22, 1993, appearance on "The Tonight Show", but it was rescheduled for February 8, 1994.

Despite the promotion of the record, the album would end up underperforming, and not living up to the financial expectations they had, especially compared to the sales of their first album. The group later surmised that the record underperformed due to the mixed signals of the marketing and imagery of the album, as the imagery and photos promoted the group as "hard" and "street", but most of the songs in the album did not reflect what was being marketed. [8]

Track listing

  1. "Intro (Ecclesiastes 9:11)" [read by Ossie Davis] – 0:21
  2. "Time and Chance" (Color Me Badd, DJ Pooh, Mark Denard) – 4:22
  3. "Groovy Now" (Color Me Badd, DJ Pooh) – 4:09
  4. "Let Me Have It All" (Sylvester Stewart) – 4:21
  5. "Rosanna's Little Sister" (Geoffrey Williams, Chuck Norman) – 3:53
  6. "How Deep" (Color Me Badd, Prince, Hamza Lee, Mark Murray) – 4:58
  7. "La Tremenda (Intro)" – 0:27
  8. "In the Sunshine" (Color Me Badd, Hamza Lee, Howie Tee, Bootsy Collins) – 4:50
  9. "Choose" (Color Me Badd, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis) – 4:23
  10. "The Bells" (Marvin Gaye, Anna Gordy Gaye, Iris Gordy, Elgie Stover) – 3:31
  11. "Wildflower" (David Richardson, Douglas Edwards) – 4:35
  12. "Livin' Without Her" (Color Me Badd, Hamza Lee) – 4:56
  13. "Close to Heaven" (Color Me Badd) – 4:17
  14. "Trust Me" (Color Me Badd, Hamza Lee) – 3:57
  15. "Let's Start With Forever" (Diane Warren) – 4:26
  16. "God Is Love" (Color Me Badd, Ernie Calderon) – 5:12
  17. "Let Love Rule" (God Is Love Outro) – 1:38

"Let Me Have It All" is a remake of the Sly & the Family Stone song featured on the 1973 album Fresh .

"The Bells" is a remake of The Originals' song featured on the 1970 album The Portrait of the Originals, written, in part, by Marvin Gaye and his wife Anna Gordy Gaye.

"Wildflower" is a remake of the Skylark song originally released in 1973.

Singles

  1. "Time and Chance" – December 9, 1993
  2. "Choose" – February 3, 1994
  3. "The Bells" – April 7, 1994
  4. "Let's Start with Forever" – April 14, 1994

First single "Time and Chance" spent 19 weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100 with a peak position of 23. Second single "Choose" spent 17 weeks on the Hot 100 with a peak position of 23 as well. The third and fourth singles failed to make the chart.

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [12] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Whats Going On</i> (album) 1971 album by Marvin Gaye

What's Going On is the eleventh studio album by the American soul singer Marvin Gaye. It was released on May 21, 1971, by the Motown Records subsidiary label Tamla. Recorded between 1970 and 1971 in sessions at Hitsville U.S.A., Golden World, United Sound Studios in Detroit, and at The Sound Factory in West Hollywood, California, it was Gaye's first album to credit him as producer and to credit Motown's in-house session musicians, known as the Funk Brothers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Color Me Badd</span> American R&B group

Color Me Badd is an American R&B group that was formed in 1985 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, by lead singer Bryan Abrams, tenor Mark Calderon, second tenor Sam Watters and baritone Kevin Thornton. Color Me Badd broke up in 1998 before reuniting in 2010, with various lineups since.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What's Going On (song)</span> 1971 single by Marvin Gaye

"What's Going On" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Marvin Gaye, released on January 21, 1971, on the Motown subsidiary Tamla. It is the opening track of Gaye's studio album of the same name. Originally inspired by a police brutality incident witnessed by Renaldo "Obie" Benson, the song was composed by Benson, Al Cleveland, and Gaye and produced by Gaye himself. The song marked Gaye's departure from the Motown Sound towards more personal material. Later topping the Hot Soul Singles chart for five weeks and crossing over to number two on the Billboard Hot 100, it would sell over two million copies, becoming Gaye's second-most successful Motown song to date. It was ranked at number 4 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of all Time in 2004 and 2010.

<i>I Want You</i> (Marvin Gaye album) 1976 studio album by Marvin Gaye

I Want You is the fourteenth studio album by American soul singer and songwriter Marvin Gaye. It was released on March 16, 1976, by the Motown Records-subsidiary label Tamla.

<i>In Our Lifetime</i> (Marvin Gaye album) 1981 studio album by Marvin Gaye

In Our Lifetime is the sixteenth studio album by soul musician Marvin Gaye, released January 15, 1981, on Motown label Tamla Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at Marvin's Room in Los Angeles, California, Seawest Recording Studio in Honolulu, Hawaii, and at Odyssey Studios in London, England, throughout 1979 and 1980. The album cover was designed by Neil Breeden. Gaye's final album for Motown before leaving for Columbia Records, the album was the follow-up to the commercial failure of Here, My Dear, a double album which chronicled the singer's divorce from Anna Gordy. Entirely written, produced, arranged, and mixed by Gaye, In Our Lifetime was a departure for Gaye from the disco stylings of his previous two studio efforts and was seen as one of the best albums of the singer's late Motown period.

Samuel Joshua Watters is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and record executive. Watters was a member of the multi-platinum selling 1990s R&B group Color Me Badd and co-authored many of their hits including "I Adore Mi Amor", and "All 4 Love". Watters has also written and produced songs for Grammy-winning and nominated artists such as American Idol winners Fantasia, Kelly Clarkson and Jordin Sparks, and other superstars such as Céline Dion, Whitney Houston, Leona Lewis, and Anastacia. Watters is a member of the production/songwriting team The Runaways including fellow hitmakers Rico Love, Wayne Wilkins, Ryan Tedder, and Louis Biancaniello.

<i>Diana & Marvin</i> 1973 studio album by Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye

Diana & Marvin is a duets album by American soul musicians Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye, released October 26, 1973 on Motown. Recording sessions for the album took place between 1971 and 1973 at Motown Recording Studios in Hollywood, California. Gaye and Ross were widely recognized at the time as two of the top pop music performers.

<i>Live at the London Palladium</i> 1977 live album by Marvin Gaye

Live at the London Palladium is a live double album by soul musician Marvin Gaye, released March 15, 1977, on Tamla Records. Recording sessions took place live at several concerts at the London Palladium in London, England, in October 1976, with the exception of the hit single "Got to Give It Up", which was recorded at Gaye's Los Angeles studio Marvin's Room on January 31, 1977. Live at the London Palladium features intimate performances by Gaye of many of his career highlights, including early hits for Motown and recent material from his previous three studio albums. As with his previous live album, Marvin Gaye Live!, production of the record was handled entirely by Gaye, except for the studio portion, "Got to Give It Up", which was managed by Art Stewart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Wanna Sex You Up</span> 1991 single by Color Me Badd

"I Wanna Sex You Up" is a song by American R&B group Color Me Badd, released in March 1991 as the lead single from their debut album, C.M.B. (1991). The song was produced by Dr. Freeze and was also featured on the soundtrack to the 1991 film New Jack City, starring Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Chris Rock and Judd Nelson. The song heavily samples “Tonight is the Night” by Betty Wright.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Adore Mi Amor</span> 1991 single by Color Me Badd

"I Adore Mi Amor" is a song by American R&B group Color Me Badd, released as the second single from their debut album, C.M.B. (1991). The song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks and spent 20 weeks on the listing, finishing 1991 at number 18 on the Billboard year-end chart. Worldwide, the track entered the top 20 in Canada, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. In 1992, saxophonist Najee covered the song from the album Just an Illusion.

<i>C.M.B.</i> 1991 studio album by Color Me Badd

C.M.B. is the debut album by American recording act Color Me Badd, released July 23, 1991, on Giant Records. It was produced by several record producers, including Dr. Freeze, Nick Mundy, and Howie Tee.

<i>Young, Gifted & Badd: The Remixes</i> 1992 remix album by Color Me Badd

Young, Gifted, & Badd: The Remixes is the first remix album by American group Color Me Badd. It also featured another hit single "Forever Love", featured on the Mo' Money soundtrack.

"The Bells" is a 1970 single recorded by The Originals for Motown's Soul label, produced by Marvin Gaye and co-written by Gaye, his wife Anna Gordy Gaye, Iris Gordy, and Elgie Stover.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All 4 Love</span> 1991 single by Color Me Badd

"All 4 Love" is a song by American music group Color Me Badd. In the United Kingdom, it was released in July 1991 by Giant and Reprise as the second single from their debut album, C.M.B. (1991), while in the United States, it was released as the album's third single in November of the same year. The recording contains elements from the 1966 song "Patch My Heart" by the Mad Lads.

"Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide" is the debuting single for singer Marvin Gaye, released as Tamla 54041, in May 1961. It was also the first release off Gaye's debut album, The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye, in which most of the material was the singer's failed attempt at making an 'adult' record compared to Motown's younger R&B sound.

Geoffrey Williams is an English singer and songwriter. Five of his singles charted on the UK Singles Chart in the 1990s. In the U.S., "It's Not a Love Thing", from his third album Bare (1992), reached No. 70 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Thinkin' Back" is an R&B and pop song by American music group Color Me Badd from their debut album, C.M.B. (1991). It was released as the fifth single in January 1992. The song is about a deteriorating relationship, and while the protagonist's partner did them wrong, they are still lonely, and want to turn back time to go back to when their relationship was in a good place.

"Slow Motion" is an R&B and new jack swing song by American music group Color Me Badd from their debut album, C.M.B. (1991). It was released as the fifth single in May 1992. The song was remixed from the album version to add more funky elements to the music, and added a feature by Bootsy Collins for the single release. The song is about having sexual intercourse with a partner, and wanting to continue make love to them slowly all night long.

"Time and Chance" is a contemporary R&B, funk, and hip hop song performed by American group Color Me Badd and the lead single and title track from their second album (1993). It was released in October 1993 by Giant and Reprise. The song is about how life is about time and chance, with it determining whether good or bad people thrive, or falter in life, and how everyone deals with their own hurt and pain. It was meant to introduce the group to a new "street" audience as hip hop and gangsta rap were becoming more popular.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Choose (Color Me Badd song)</span> 1994 single by Color Me Badd

"Choose" is a song performed by American contemporary R&B group Color Me Badd, released in February 1994 by Giant and Reprise as the second single from their second album, Time and Chance (1993). The song is about being so in love with someone, to the point that they will do what they don't want to do because of their love, and will do anything for that person, even it means dying for them, despite being heartbroken.

References

  1. Time and Chance at AllMusic
  2. Obee, Dave (November 21, 1993). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald .
  3. Thigpen, David (November 19, 1993). "Time and Chance Review". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  4. Morris, Chris (November 20, 1993). "Album Reviews – Spotlight". Billboard . Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  5. Flick, Larry (December 1993 – January 1994). "Time and Chance: Color Me Badd (Giant)". Vibe . Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  6. "Making Good On Badd's Promise: Giant Sets Up CMB's Sophomore Album" (PDF). Billboard. December 4, 1993. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  7. "Making Good On Badd's Promise: Giant Sets Up CMB's Sophomore Album" (PDF). Billboard. December 4, 1993. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  8. "Color Me Badd Paints A Bright Picture" (PDF). Billboard. April 6, 1996. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  9. "Color Me Badd Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  10. "Color Me Badd Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  11. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  12. "American album certifications – Color Me Badd – Time and Chance". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved July 15, 2012.