Words (Tony Rich album)

Words
Studio album by the Tony Rich Project
Released	January 16, 1996
Recorded	1995
Studio	Doppler (Atlanta, Georgia)
Genre	R&B, pop
Length	41:34
Label	LaFace, Arista
Producer	Tony Rich
The Tony Rich Project chronology
Words (1996) Birdseye (1998)
Singles from Words
"Nobody Knows" Released: November 7, 1995 "Like a Woman" Released: August 5, 1996 "Leavin'" Released: November 11, 1996

Words is the debut album by American R&B musician Tony Rich (under the moniker "The Tony Rich Project"), released January 16, 1996, on LaFace Records. The album was produced, written, arranged and performed by Rich. In 1997, the album won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. ^[1]

At the start of 1996 with the acoustic R&B ballad, "Nobody Knows", the song was a hit, peaking at number two for two weeks, going platinum, and spending almost a year on the Billboard Hot 100 (47 weeks). ^[2]

Three singles were released from Words: "Nobody Knows", "Like a Woman", and "Leavin'".

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Robert Christgau	[4]
Entertainment Weekly	A [5]
The Guardian	[6]
Los Angeles Times	[7]
Muzik	[8]
Q	[9]
Rolling Stone	[10]
USA Today	[11]

The New York Times opined: "Without deviating from the slick, smooth standards of today's pop, [Rich] manages to find his own sound, a mostly acoustic groove topped with laid-back, free-flowing vocals about love, street life and spirituality." ^[12] The Village Voice concluded that "without a doubt Words is one of the most meticulously arranged collections by an African American pop musician since the '80s heyday of Quincy Jones and [Lionel] Richie & producer James Carmichael." ^[13]

Track listing

All songs written by Tony Rich except "Nobody Knows" (written by Joe Rich & Don DuBose). ^[14]

1. "Hey Blue" – 3:48
2. "Nobody Knows" – 5:06
3. "Like a Woman" – 4:08
4. "Grass is Green" – 4:08
5. "Ghost" – 4:21
6. "Leavin'" – 3:44
7. "Billy Goat" – 4:11
8. "Under Her Spell" – 4:24
9. "Little Ones" – 3:37
10. "Missin' You" – 3:49

Personnel

• Tony Rich – all instruments, vocals, programming
• Nuri – additional vocals on "Under Her Spell"
• Joe Rich – keyboards on "Nobody Knows"
• John Frye – second acoustic guitar on "Ghost"
• Peter Moore – acoustic guitar on "Nobody Knows" and "Missin' You"
• Reggie Griffin – electric guitar on "Hey Blue" and "Missin' You", solo and rhythm guitars on "Like a Woman", feedback on "Ghost", wah wah guitar on "Billy Goat"
• Colin Wolfe – bass guitar on "Ghost"

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Words Chart (1996) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA) [15] 31 Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [16] 29 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [17] 27 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [18] 71 UK Albums (OCC) [19] 27 US Billboard 200 [20] 31 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [21] 18

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for Words Chart (1996) Position US Billboard 200 [22] 93

Certifications

Certifications for Words

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [23]	Platinum	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Tony Rich's GRAMMY Awards history". grammy.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
2. "The Tony Rich Project Chart History: Nobody Knows". Billboard.com. n.d. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
3. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Words - The Tony Rich Project" Archived 2013-06-08 at the Wayback Machine . AllMusic. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
4. Christgau, Robert (May 21, 1996). "Consumer Guide May 21, 1996 Archived April 21, 2014, at the Wayback Machine ". The Village Voice . Archived Archived 2014-07-02 at the Wayback Machine from the original on August 5, 2009.
5. Browne, David (February 23, 1996). "WORDS Review" Archived 2009-04-27 at the Wayback Machine . Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved August 5, 2009.
6. Sullivan, Caroline (May 17, 1996). "Music: This week's pop CD releases". The Guardian .
7. Hilburn, Robert (January 28, 1996). "A Savory, Soulful Debut" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved August 5, 2009.
8. Springer, Jacqueline (February 1996). "The Tony Rich Project: Words" (PDF). Muzik . No. 9. p. 80. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
9. Columnist. "The Tony Rich Project: Words". Q : 115. March 2000.
10. "Rolling Stone Music | Album Reviews". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on February 1, 2013.
11. Ayers, Anne. "The Tony Rich Project, Words ^{[ dead link ]}". USA Today : 3.D. January 30, 1996.
12. Strauss, Neil (February 11, 1996). "New Releases". The New York Times. p. 2.30.
13. George, Nelson (March 12, 1996). "Nouveau Rich". The Village Voice. Vol. 41, no. 11. p. 57.
14. Words (liner notes). The Tony Rich Project. LaFace. Arista. 1996. ARCD-6022.
15. "Australiancharts.com – The Tony Rich Project – Words". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
16. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2961". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
17. "Dutchcharts.nl – The Tony Rich Project – Words" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
18. "Offiziellecharts.de – The Tony Rich Project – Words" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
19. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
20. "Tony Rich Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
21. "Tony Rich Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
22. "Top US Billboard 200 Albums - Year-end 1996". BestSellingAlbums.org. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
23. "American album certifications – Tony Rich Project – Words". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved September 11, 2022.