Word Up! (album)

Last updated

Word Up!
Cameo-Word Up! (album cover).jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 9, 1986 (1986-09-09)
Recorded1985–1986
Studio
  • Quad Recording
  • Counter Point
  • Power Station
  • Sound Ideas (New York City)
Genre Funk [1]
Length34:46
Label Atlanta Artists
Producer Larry Blackmon
Cameo chronology
Single Life
(1985)
Word Up!
(1986)
Machismo
(1988)
Singles from Word Up!
  1. "Word Up!"
    Released: July 1986
  2. "Candy"
    Released: October 21, 1986
  3. "Back and Forth"
    Released: February 24, 1987
  4. "She's Mine"
    Released: June 1987
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
The Village Voice B [2]

Word Up! is the 13th studio album by American funk group Cameo, released in 1986. [3] The album reached number 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, number 8 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, and was certified Platinum by the RIAA for sales of over 1 million copies. It took Cameo to their highest level of popularity, and solidified them as one of the most successful bands of the 1980s. [4] The album includes three of their biggest hit singles, "Word Up!", "Candy", and "Back and Forth".

Contents

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Word Up!"
4:21
2."Candy"
  • Blackmon
  • Jenkins
5:39
3."Back and Forth"
  • Kevin Kendrick
  • Nathan Leftenant
  • Blackmon
  • Jenkins
6:33
4."Don't Be Lonely"
  • Blackmon
  • Jenkins
  • Kendrick
  • Willie Morris
5:19
5."She's Mine"
  • Blackmon
  • Leftenant
  • Antonio Matthews
  • Ray Malloy
4:37
6."Fast, Fierce & Funny"
  • Blackmon
  • Jenkins
  • Leftenant
4:09
7."You Can Have the World"
  • Blackmon
  • Jenkins
  • Leftenant
4:38

Personnel

Cameo

Additional musicians

Uptown Horns

Production

Critical reception

Accolades

Word Up! was ranked number 5 among the "Albums of the Year" by NME . [5]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Word Up!
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [12] Gold100,000^
United States (RIAA) [13] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Restless</i> (Sara Evans album) 2003 studio album by Sara Evans

Restless is the fourth studio album by American country music singer Sara Evans. It was released in August 2003 via RCA Records Nashville. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA.

<i>Longing in Their Hearts</i> 1994 studio album by Bonnie Raitt

Longing in Their Hearts is the twelfth album by Bonnie Raitt, released in 1994. The album contained the mainstream pop hit, "Love Sneakin' Up On You," which reached #19 on the Billboard singles chart, and "You", which remains to date her only UK Top 40 hit, peaking at No. 31.

<i>Raise!</i> 1981 studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire

Raise! is the eleventh studio album by the American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on November 14, 1981, by ARC/Columbia Records. The album spent 11 weeks atop the Billboard Top R&B albums chart and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart. Raise! has been certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA, Gold in the UK by the BPI and Gold in Canada by Music Canada.

<i>Time, Love & Tenderness</i> 1991 studio album by Michael Bolton

Time, Love & Tenderness is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Michael Bolton. The album was released on April 23, 1991, by Columbia Records; it was produced by Walter Afanasieff and Michael Bolton. To date, the record has sold more than 16 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling album of his career.

<i>Machismo</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Cameo

Machismo is the funk group Cameo's 1988 follow up to their album Word Up!. It includes the hits "You Make Me Work" and "Skin I'm In". The album reached No. 10 on the Billboard R&B chart, No. 56 on the Billboard 200 Pop Albums chart, and No. 86 on the UK albums chart. It was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 copies.

<i>Real Men... Wear Black</i> 1990 studio album by Cameo

Real Men... Wear Black is a studio album by the funk group Cameo released in 1990 on Atlanta Artists/Mercury Records. The album reached No. 18 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart.

<i>Single Life</i> 1985 studio album by Cameo

Single Life is a 1985 album by the funk group Cameo. The album reached No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 58 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. It contained the hit singles "Attack Me With Your Love", which reached No. 3 R&B, and the title track, "Single Life", which reached No. 2 R&B. "Urban Warrior" was the group's foray into the emerging Hip-hop scene. The videos for both singles included appearances from popular television soap opera actors and were tied together by a particular storyline; with the title track’s video being a continuation of the story that started in the "Attack Me With Your Love" video. The album was Cameo’s seventh to be certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 copies.

<i>Feel Me</i> (album) 1980 studio album by Cameo

Feel Me is the sixth album by the funk band Cameo, released in 1980.

<i>Shes Strange</i> 1984 studio album by Cameo

She's Strange is the tenth album by the funk band Cameo, released in 1984. It reached number 1 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart, number 27 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, and was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 copies.

<i>Any Love</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Luther Vandross

Any Love is the sixth studio album by American singer Luther Vandross. It was released by Epic Records on September 20, 1988, in the United States. Produced by Vandross and Marcus Miller, the album features a cover of Major Harris' hit single "Love Won't Let Me Wait" as well as "The Second Time Around," a re-recording of a song featured on Vandross's band Luther's 1976 album of the same name.

<i>Keep the Fire</i> 1979 studio album by Kenny Loggins

Keep the Fire is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins, released in 1979. It is perhaps best known for the hit single "This Is It". The song was co-written by Michael McDonald, who also performed on the track. Michael Jackson sings backup vocals on the track "Who's Right, Who's Wrong".

<i>Aretha</i> (1986 album) 1986 studio album by Aretha Franklin

Aretha is the thirty-first studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on October 27, 1986, by Arista Records. It is the third album with the Aretha title to be released by Franklin, following her 1961 album and 1980 album.

<i>Aretha</i> (1980 album) 1980 studio album by Aretha Franklin

Aretha is the twenty-sixth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin. It was released on September 30, 1980, by Arista Records. This is Franklin's second eponymous album, and her first for Arista Records after a 12-year tenure with Atlantic Records.

<i>Roberta</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Roberta Flack

Roberta is Roberta Flack's fourteenth album, released in 1994. It consists of cover versions of jazz and soul standards. It was also her final album for Atlantic Records after twenty five years with the label since her debut. As an album Roberta was bestowed with a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

<i>Love All the Hurt Away</i> 1981 studio album by Aretha Franklin

Love All the Hurt Away is the twenty-seventh studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin. It was released on August 11, 1981. This album is the singer's second release under the Arista Records label. The Arif Mardin-produced disc reached fourth place on Billboard's R&B albums chart and number 36 on the main Billboard album chart, selling roughly 250,000 copies in the US.

<i>Out of the Loop</i> (Brecker Brothers album) 1994 studio album by Brecker Brothers

Out of the Loop is an album by the Brecker Brothers that was released by GRP Records in 1994. In 1995 the album won the brothers two Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance and Best Instrumental Composition.

<i>Making Music</i> (Bill Withers album) 1975 studio album by Bill Withers

Making Music is the fourth studio album by American soul singer-songwriter and producer Bill Withers, released in 1975. It was also released in the UK as Making Friends.

<i>Solid</i> (Ashford & Simpson album) 1984 studio album by Ashford & Simpson

Solid is the eleventh studio album recorded by American vocal duo Ashford & Simpson, released in 1984 on the Capitol label. The album features the song "Solid", which became the songwriting duo's biggest hit as performers.

<i>All Our Love</i> 1987 studio album by Gladys Knight & the Pips

All Our Love is an album by the soul quartet Gladys Knight & the Pips, released in 1987. It was the group's last studio album before the Pips retired and Knight embarked on a solo career.

<i>In Your Eyes</i> (George Benson album) 1983 studio album by George Benson

In Your Eyes is a 1983 album by George Benson. It is his only album produced by producer Arif Mardin. It includes the hit "Lady Love Me ".

References

  1. 1 2 AllMusic review
  2. Christgau, Robert (December 30, 1986). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . Retrieved July 12, 2016.
  3. Henderson, Alex. "Cameo: Word Up! > Review" at AllMusic . Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  4. O'Donnell, David (December 11, 2008). "One of the most successful bands of the 80s". BBC. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  5. "Albums and Tracks of the Year". NME . 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  6. Kent, David (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  7. "Discografie Cameo - dutchcharts.nl".
  8. "charts.nz - Discography Cameo". charts.nz. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  9. "Cameo - hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  10. "CAMEO - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
  11. 1 2 "Word Up! - Cameo". Billboard. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  12. "British album certifications – Cameo – Word Up". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved December 25, 2018.
  13. "American album certifications – Cameo – Word Up". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved December 26, 2018.