Total (Total album)

Total
Studio album by Total
Released	February 13, 1996 (1996-02-13) [1]
Genre	R&B hip-hop soul
Length	56:44
Label	Bad Boy Arista
Producer	Rheji Burrell Sean "Puffy" Combs Chad Elliott Vince Herbert Stevie J. Rodney Jerkins The Neptunes Poke Raphael Saadiq Rashad Smith Chucky Thompson
Total chronology
Total (1996) Kima, Keisha, and Pam (1998)
Singles from Total
"Can't You See" Released: March 27, 1995 "No One Else" Released: November 28, 1995 "Kissin' You" Released: April 15, 1996 "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 February 13, 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".

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Entertainment Weekly	A− [3]
Los Angeles Times	[4]
Muzik	[5]

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." ^[2] 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." ^[3] 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." ^[4]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro" (featuring Puff Daddy)		Chad Elliott	0:54
2.	"Do You Know"	Terri Robinson Sean Combs Rashad Smith	Combs Rashad "Ringo" Smith	3:23
3.	"No One Else" (featuring Da Brat)	Robinson Shawntae Harris Jean-Claude Olivier Combs	Poke Combs	4:28
4.	"Whose Is It?" (Interlude)		Stevie J Elliott Combs	2:28
5.	"Kissin' You"	Julian Jackson Raphael Saadiq Janice Johnson Brian James	Saadiq	4:42
6.	"Do You Think About Us?"	Saadiq Johnson	Saadiq	4:33
7.	"Definition of a Bad Girl" (Interlude)		Elliott Combs	1:10
8.	"Can't You See" (featuring The Notorious B.I.G.)	Robinson Mark South Joe Howell Combs Christopher Wallace Herb Middleton	Combs	4:41
9.	"Someone like You"	Robinson Chucky Thompson Combs Rashad Smith	Thompson Combs Smith	4:35
10.	"Tell Me"	Faith Evans Keisha Spivey Omar Epps Vince Herbert Rheji Burrell	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"	Robinson Lee Drakeford Evans Olivier Combs	Poke Combs	4:18
14.	"When Boy Meets Girl"	Tammy Lucas Pharrell Williams Chad Hugo Quinnes Parker Marvin Scandrick Spivey Pamela Long Barry Gibb Robin Gibb	The Neptunes Combs	4:18
15.	"No One Else (Puff Daddy Remix)" (featuring Lil' Kim, Foxy Brown & Da Brat)	Robinson Inga Marchand Harris Olivier Combs	Rodney Jerkins Combs	4:28
Total length:				56:44

Sample credits

• "Do You Know" contains a sample from "Same Beat (Part 1)" as performed by Fred Wesley and The J.B.'s.
• "No One Else" contains a sample from "South Bronx" as performed by KRS-1.
• "Can't You See" contains elements from "The Payback" as performed by James Brown.
• "Someone like You" contains a sample from "Save their Souls" as performed by Hamilton Bohannon.
• "Tell Me" contains a sample from "Help Somebody Please" as performed by The O'Jays.
• "Love Is All We Need" contains excerpts from "Atomic Dog" as performed by George Clinton.
• "Don't Ever Change" samples "Computer Love" as performed by Zapp.
• "Spend Some Time" contains a sample from "Love TKO" as performed by Teddy Pendergrass.
• "When Boy Meets Girl" incorporates re-recorded portions of "Love You Inside Out" as written and performed by The Bee Gees.

Credits

Charles "Prince Charles" Alexander – Flute, Mixing Eddie Alford – guitar Bob Brockman – mixing Gerry Brown – mixing Sean "Puffy" Combs – executive producer, producer, remixing, Voices Lane Craven – engineer Da Brat – rap Stephen Dent – engineer Chad "Dr. Ceuss" Elliott – producer Dan Evans – production coordination Guzman (Constance Hansen and Russell Peacock) – Photography Chad Hugo – producer Stevie J. – producer Julian Jackson – drums, engineer, keyboards, percussion, programming Rodney Jerkins – remixing D. Jones – vocals (Background) Steve Jordan – producer Paul Logus – engineer, mixing Pam Long – Voices Tammy Lucas – vocal producer Keith M. – vocals (Background)

Tony Maserati – engineer, mixing Keenya Mauldin – Hair Stylist Alisha Melvin – Hair Stylist Herb Middleton – keyboards Nasheim Myrick – engineer Axel Niehaus – engineer, mixing Jean Claude "Poke" Olivier – producer Sybil Pennix – Assistant Producer, Stylist, Executive Producer Herb Powers – Mastering Terri Robinson – producer, vocals (Background) Raphael Saadiq – guitar (Bass), Producer, Vocals (Background) LaTrice Shaw – production coordination Rashad Smith – producer Eric Spearman – make-up Kevin Thomas – engineer Chucky Thompson – guitar, keyboards, producer Total – vocals (Background) Richard Travali – engineer Pharrell Williams – producer Doug Wilson – engineer

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1996) Peak position Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [6] 28 UK Albums (OCC) [7] 84 UK R&B Albums (OCC) [8] 12 US Billboard 200 [9] 23 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [10] 4

Year-end charts Chart (1996) Position US Billboard 200 [11] 166 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [12] 27

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [13]	Platinum	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/1996-03-02/ ^{[ bare URL ]}
2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Total (Total) at AllMusic. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
3. Ehrlich, Dimitri (March 15, 1996). "'Total' Review". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved October 2, 2020.
4. Johnson, Connie (March 16, 1996). "Album Reviews : * Total, "Total," Bad Boy Entertainment/Arista". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved October 2, 2020.
5. Springer, Jacqueline (May 1996). "Total: Total" (PDF). Muzik . No. 12. p. 106. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2022. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
6. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2925". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
7. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
8. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
9. "Total Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
10. "Total Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
11. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
12. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
13. "American album certifications – Total – Total". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved October 2, 2020.