Total (Total album)

Last updated
Total
Totaldebut.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 30, 1996 (1996-01-30)
Genre
Length56:44
Label
Producer
Total chronology
Total
(1996)
Kima, Keisha, and Pam
(1998)
Singles from Total
  1. "Can't You See"
    Released: March 27, 1995
  2. "No One Else"
    Released: November 28, 1995
  3. "Kissin' You"
    Released: April 15, 1996
  4. "Do You Think About Us?"
    Released: October 7, 1996

Total is the debut album by American female R&B trio Total. It was released by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records on January 30, 1996 in the United States. Chiefly produced by Bad Boy head Sean "Puffy" Combs, the album peaked at number 23 on the US Billboard 200 and reached the top five of the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Total was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and spawned the hit singles "Can't You See", "No One Else", "Kissin' You" and "Do You Think About Us"/"When Boy Meets Girl".

Contents

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Entertainment Weekly A− [2]
The Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Muzik Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [4]

Allmusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine found that "while the album is simply too long to sustain the quality" of their previous "singles "Can't You See" and "No One Else," most of the record is filled with deep, seductive funk that follows through on the group's promise." [1] Entertainment Weekly 's Dimitri Ehrlich wrote that "with a buttery delivery and enough sass to kill an elephant, this trio of hip-hop/soul vixens gives TLC good cause to be frightened. Brimming with irresistibly funky loops and gritty grooves, the self-titled Total is a pleasure from start to finish. Rap assists from label mate The Notorious B.I.G. are the cherry on top." [2] Connie Johnson from The Los Angeles Times felt that "the three singers themselves generate little heat. The vocals on the best cuts, “Can't You See” and “Do You Think About Us?,” mostly evoke Faith Evans and T-Boz of TLC. Except for the lasciviousness of “Who Is This,” Total doesn't distinguish itself from other divas." [3]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro" (featuring Puff Daddy)  Chad Elliott 0:54
2."Do You Know"3:23
3."No One Else" (featuring Da Brat)
4:28
4."Whose Is It?" (Interlude) 
2:28
5."Kissin' You"
Saadiq4:42
6."Do You Think About Us?"
  • Saadiq
  • Johnson
Saadiq4:33
7."Definition of a Bad Girl" (Interlude) 
  • Elliott
  • Combs
1:10
8."Can't You See" (featuring The Notorious B.I.G.)
Combs4:41
9."Someone like You"
  • Thompson
  • Combs
  • Smith
4:35
10."Tell Me"
  • Herbert
  • Burrell
4:37
11."Love Is All We Need"
  • Robinson
  • Thompson
  • Combs
  • Thompson
  • Combs
4:00
12."Don't Ever Change"
  • Robinson
  • Spivey
  • Thompson
  • Combs
  • Thompson
  • Combs
4:14
13."Spend Some Time"
  • Poke
  • Combs
4:18
14."When Boy Meets Girl"4:18
15."No One Else (Puff Daddy Remix)" (featuring Lil' Kim, Foxy Brown & Da Brat)
4:28

Sample credits

Credits

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [12] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>CrazySexyCool</i> 1994 studio album by TLC

CrazySexyCool is the second studio album by American girl group TLC, released on November 15, 1994, by LaFace and Arista Records. Following the group's record deal, they released their debut album Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip in 1992 to positive reviews and commercial success. The group began working on a follow-up in 1993 but experienced an unproductive recording process due to personal issues, notably those of member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, who was struggling with alcoholism and her volatile relationship with football player Andre Rison. The album's recording lasted until September 1994, with Lopes' role diminished while she was in rehab.

<i>Harlem World</i> 1997 studio album by Mase

Harlem World is the debut studio album by American hip hop recording artist Mase. It was released on October 28, 1997, by Bad Boy and Arista Records. The album was nominated at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album. It went on to sell 4.9 million copies in the United States, going quadruple Platinum in the United States. Harlem World sold nearly 273,000 copies during its first week.

<i>Born Again</i> (The Notorious B.I.G. album) 1999 compilation album by The Notorious B.I.G.

Born Again is the first posthumous compilation album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records on December 7, 1999. It is composed primarily of early recorded verses with newer beats and guest rappers.

<i>3D</i> (TLC album) 2002 studio album by TLC

3D is the fourth studio album by American girl group TLC, released on October 10, 2002, by Arista Records. Recorded from May 2001 to July 2002, much of the album was finalized after the death of member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, with her unreleased material that she had recorded for her solo albums Supernova and N.I.N.A. being reworked into new songs. Remaining group members Rozonda Thomas and Tionne Watkins enlisted Dallas Austin, Babyface, Rodney Jerkins, the Neptunes, Raphael Saadiq, Missy Elliott and Timbaland to work on the album.

<i>Now & Forever: The Hits</i> 2003 album by TLC

Now & Forever: The Hits is the first greatest hits album by American girl group TLC. It was released by Arista Records on September 30, 2003, in Japan, on November 24, 2003, in the United Kingdom and on June 21, 2005, in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Scrubs</span> 1999 single by TLC

"No Scrubs" is a song recorded by American girl group TLC as the lead single from their third studio album, FanMail, released on February 2, 1999, by LaFace Records and Arista Records. The song was written by producer Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, former Xscape members Kandi Burruss and Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, and TLC member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. The song lyrics describe the role of a man in a relationship. Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas sings the lead vocals for the first time on a TLC single.

<i>Faithfully</i> (Faith Evans album) 2001 studio album by Faith Evans

Faithfully is the third studio album by American singer Faith Evans. It was released by Bad Boy Records on November 6, 2001, in the United States. A reflection of her musical studies, Evans was inspired by a variety of classic R&B, pop, rock, and jazz artists such as Chicago, S.O.S. Band, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughn during the production of Faithfully. The result, a sample-heavy album, which the label described as "old school flavored", features production by Mario Winans, Buckwild, Vada Nobles, Michael Angelo Saulsberry, the Neptunes, Battlecat, and others, with material ranging from ballads to dance tracks that built upon the contemporary R&B, funk music and hip hop genres.

<i>Trap Muzik</i> 2003 studio album by T.I.

Trap Muzik is the second studio album by the American rapper T.I., released on August 19, 2003, by Atlantic and his newly founded record label Grand Hustle. Due to the poor sales on T.I.'s first album, I'm Serious (2001), T.I. asked for a joint venture deal with Arista Records or to be released from his contract; he was subsequently dropped from the label. In 2002, T.I. launched Grand Hustle with his longtime business partner Jason Geter and signed a new deal with Atlantic Records.

<i>Forever</i> (Puff Daddy album) 1999 studio album by Puff Daddy

Forever is the second studio album of American hip hop recording artist Puff Daddy, released on August 24, 1999, by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. The album rose to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Forever has also been certified platinum in the US by the RIAA.

<i>Money, Power & Respect</i> 1998 studio album by The Lox

Money, Power & Respect is the debut album by hip hop group The Lox. It was released on January 13, 1998, through Bad Boy Records and featured production from the Hitmen, Dame Grease and Swizz Beatz. The album found huge success, peaking at number three on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and spawned two charting singles, "Money, Power & Respect" and "If You Think I'm Jiggy". In 2008, the title track was ranked number 53 on Vh1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.

<i>My Life</i> (Mary J. Blige album) 1994 studio album by Mary J. Blige

My Life is the second album by American R&B recording artist Mary J. Blige, released on November 29, 1994, by Uptown Records and MCA Records. Many of the topics on My Life deal with clinical depression, Blige's battling with both drugs and alcohol, as well as being in an abusive relationship. Unlike her debut, What's the 411? (1992), Blige contributed lyrics to fourteen of the album's tracks, making it her most introspective and personal album at the time. Similar to her debut album, My Life features extensive production from Sean "Puffy" Combs for his newly founded label, Bad Boy Entertainment, which was at the time backed by Arista Records.

<i>Kima, Keisha, and Pam</i> 1998 studio album by Total

Kima, Keisha, and Pam is the second and last to date studio album by American R&B girl group Total. It was released by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records on October 27, 1998, in the United States. The album debuted at number nine on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and peaked at number thirty-nine on the US Billboard 200. In 1999, the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for excess of selling 500,000 copies. To date, it is their most recent album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Light Special</span> 1995 single by TLC

"Red Light Special" is a song by American vocal girl group TLC for their second studio album, CrazySexyCool (1994). Written and produced by Babyface, LaFace and Arista Records released the song as the second single from the album on February 17, 1995. The song achieved chart success, reaching number one on the US Billboard Top 40/Rhythm-Crossover chart and number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Matthew Rolston filmed its music video, which features the group performing in a brothel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diggin' on You</span> 1995 single by TLC

"Diggin' on You" is a song by American girl group TLC, from the group's second studio album, CrazySexyCool (1994). The song was written and produced by Babyface. It was released by LaFace and Arista Records on October 10, 1995, as the fourth and final single from their album. A pop ballad, the song consists of a guitar, synthesizer and drum machine. The lyrics depict a relationship between a male and female during a summer afternoon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No One Else</span> 1995 single by Total featuring Da Brat

"No One Else" is a song by American girl group Total featuring American rapper Da Brat. It was released as the second single from Total's self-titled debut studio album on November 28, 1995, by Bad Boy and Arista Records. The song was produced by Bad Boy founder Sean "Puffy" Combs and Poke of the Trackmasters, while the songwriting was handled by the two alongside the featured Da Brat and Terri & Monica vocalist Terri Robinson. The song also contains a sample from the track "South Bronx" by Boogie Down Productions.

"Can't You See" is a 1995 song by American R&B girl group Total, released as their debut single. The track was released from the New Jersey Drive soundtrack and also later appeared on their debut album, Total. After making their recording debut on his tracks "Juicy", "One More Chance" and "One More Chance" ", The Notorious B.I.G. returned the favor with an intro rap verse to the song. The track was written and arranged by Terri & Monica's Terri Robinson, produced entirely by Sean "Puffy" Combs with instrumentation provided by associates Rashad Smith, Herb Middleton and Chucky Thompson and contains a sample from James Brown's "The Payback". The track was a success both on the mainstream US Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching number thirteen and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it made number three. The song also peaked at number forty-three on the UK Singles Chart, where it charted for two weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hands Up (TLC song)</span> 2002 single by TLC

"Hands Up" a song by American girl group TLC. It was written and produced by both Babyface and Daryl Simmons for the band's fourth studio album, 3D (2002). A sensual mid-tempo song that deals with romantic betrayal, it was selected and released as the album's second single in the United States in November 2002, following lead single "Girl Talk" (2002). Arista Records consulted several producers to remix the song for its single release, including Richard X, LaMarquis Jefferson, and Jermaine Dupri.

<i>You Cant Stop the Reign</i> 1996 studio album by Shaquille ONeal

You Can't Stop the Reign is the third studio album by American basketball player and rapper Shaquille O'Neal. It was released on November 19, 1996, and features production from the likes of DJ Quik, Poke and Tone, Mobb Deep, Chris Large, and Easy Mo Bee.

<i>20</i> (TLC album) 2013 greatest hits album by TLC

20 is a compilation album by American girl group TLC. It was released on October 15, 2013, by Epic and LaFace Records, marking both the group's 20-plus year legacy in entertainment business and the release of their biographical VH1 original film, CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story, which largely inspired the track listing for 20. Many of their hits are featured, including their four number-one singles: "Creep", "Waterfalls", "No Scrubs", and "Unpretty", as well as "Meant to Be", a new track co-written by singer Ne-Yo. Most of the tracks are featured in the original radio format, like on their previous compilation album Now and Forever: The Hits, and "No Scrubs" is featured in its original radio version with an accompanying rap of Left Eye.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can't Nobody Hold Me Down</span> 1997 single by Puff Daddy featuring Mase

"Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" is the debut single by rapper Puff Daddy. It appears on Puff Daddy's debut studio album No Way Out and it was released as his first single in 1997. The single was released through BMG Music, Arista Records and Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records.

References

  1. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Total (Total) at AllMusic. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  2. 1 2 Ehrlich, Dimitri (March 15, 1996). "'Total' Review". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Johnson, Connie (March 16, 1996). "Album Reviews : * Total, "Total," Bad Boy Entertainment/Arista". The Los Angeles Times . Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  4. Springer, Jacqueline (May 1996). "Total: Total" (PDF). Muzik . No. 12. p. 106. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  5. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2925". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  6. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  7. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  8. "Total Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  9. "Total Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  10. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  11. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  12. "American album certifications – Total – Total". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved October 2, 2020.