| Why We Sing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 28, 2008 | |||
| Length | 53:15 | |||
| Label | Rhino | |||
| Producer |
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| Dionne Warwick chronology | ||||
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Why We Sing is a studio album by American singer Dionne Warwick. It was released by Rhino Records on January 28, 2008. [1] Warwick's first gospel album in nearly 40 years, it was produced in part by her son Damon Elliott, also featuring involvement from BeBe Winans, Percy Bady, and the New Hope Baptist Church Choir.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [2] |
Allmusic editor John Bush found that on Why We Sing "Warwick's voice may be weaker than in the '60s and '70s, but the productions and guest features are solid. Ironically, even in this gospel medium, where a strong voice is arguably more important than anything else, Warwick succeeds, perhaps by the force of her convictions and the importance of the project in her mind." He noted that the productions don't suffer from "adult contemporary slickness [...] most are recorded with a small group occasionally leavened with strings, and given a light touch by producers Percy Bady and Damon Elliott. Altogether, the results are quite good; it's a highly personal project that permits outsiders to enjoy it, and while it's quite smooth, it's never slick enough to enjoy that adult contemporary or coffeehouse crossover." [2]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Battle Hymn of the Republic" | 2:48 |
| 2. | "I'm Going Up" (featuring BeBe Winans) | 3:36 |
| 3. | "With All My Heart" | 5:02 |
| 4. | "Old Landmark" | 4:15 |
| 5. | "The World Needs Jesus" | 4:55 |
| 6. | "I Lift My Heart" | 5:25 |
| 7. | "Jesus Loves Me" | 4:04 |
| 8. | "Show Me the Way" | 4:21 |
| 9. | "Why We Sing" (featuring Dee Dee Warwick) | 5:23 |
| 10. | "Rise, Shine And Give God the Glory" | 4:37 |
| 11. | "The Lord Is My Shepherd" | 4:40 |
| 12. | "Seven" (featuring David Elliott) | 4:24 |
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Gospel Albums (Billboard) [3] | 41 |
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | January 28, 2008 | Rhino | [1] | |
Marie Dionne Warrick is an American singer, television host, and former Goodwill Ambassador for the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization.
"Lift Every Voice and Sing" – often referred to as the Black national anthem in the United States – is a hymn with lyrics by James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938) and set to music by his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson (1873–1954), for the anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's birthday in 1900.
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Delia Juanita Warrick, known professionally as Dee Dee Warwick, was an American soul singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she was the sister of Dionne Warwick, the niece of Cissy Houston, and the first cousin of Whitney Houston. She died in Essex County, New Jersey, at 66 years of age.
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"Make It Easy on Yourself" is a popular song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David which was first a hit for Jerry Butler in 1962. The best known version is the 1965 recording by the Walker Brothers for whom it was a #1 UK hit. Dionne Warwick, who made a demo of this song in early 1962, later had a hit with the song in 1970.
Friends Can Be Lovers is the twenty-ninth studio album by American singer Dionne Warwick. Her tenth album for Arista Records, it was released on January 20, 1993 in the United States. Warwick garthered material from songwriters and producers such as Barry J. Eastmond, Harvey Mason, Siedah Garrett, Dianne Warren, and Blue Zone lead singer Lisa Stansfield. The album, which Warwick described as "a labor love" and true "family affair," also saw her collaborating with her son David Elliot and cousin Whitney Houston for the first time as well as reuniting with former contributors Burt Bacharach and Hal David on the song "Sunny Weather Love" after more than two decades.
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"Message to Michael" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, that has been a hit for several different artists under several different titles. The song was first recorded as "Message to Martha" by Jerry Butler in 1962. In 1964, singer Lou Johnson had a minor US hit with the song, with the title "Kentucky Bluebird". British singer Adam Faith also recorded the song as "A Message to Martha " in 1965, and had a substantial hit with it in the UK, reaching No. 12. Exactly the same recording was issued in Australia as "Message to Martha", where it was a No. 15 hit for Faith. In the United States, Dionne Warwick's version, titled "Message to Michael", was a top ten hit there in 1966.
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"If We Had Your Eyes" is a song recorded by American singer Michelle Williams. It was written by Harmony Samuels, Courtney Harrell, and Al Sherrod Lambert for her fourth studio album, Journey to Freedom (2014), with production helmed by Samuels. The song was digitally released worldwide as the album's lead single on June 24, 2013. The official remix of "If We Had Your Eyes" featuring Fantasia Barrino was released on November 5, 2013.
"Now We're Starting Over Again" is a romantic ballad composed by Michael Masser and lyricist Gerry Goffin first recorded by Dionne Warwick in 1981 as "Now We're Starting Over Again". The song was most successful as a 1989 single release by Natalie Cole.
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Dionne Warwick & the Voices of Christmas is a studio album by American singer Dionne Warwick. It was released by Kind Music and BMG Rights Management on October 18, 2019. Featuring cover versions of Christmas standards and carols, Warwick collaborated with a variety of duet partners on the songs, including Eric Paslay, Aloe Blacc, Michael McDonald, Wanya Morris and duo Chloe x Halle. It debuted and peaked at number 48 on the US Top Holiday Albums.
Dionne Warwick Sings Cole Porter is a studio album by American singer Dionne Warwick. Her ninth album for Arista Records, it was released on June 11, 1990 in the United States. A tribute to American composer and songwriter Cole Porter, Warwick worked with Arif Mardin on the album, which consists of several of Cole's jazz standards that he had written during the 1930s through 1950s, including "Night and Day", "You're the Top" and "I've Got You Under My Skin." Released to contrasting reviews, it reached number 155 on the US Billboard 200.
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