Forever, for Always, for Love

Last updated
Forever, for Always, for Love
F-fa-fl-lv.jpg
Cover art by Lynn Goldsmith
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 21, 1982
RecordedFebruary–June 1982
StudioMedia Sound Studios
(New York City, New York)
The Record Plant
(Los Angeles, California)
The Village
(Los Angeles, California)
Genre R&B, soul
Length43:32
Label Epic
Producer
  • Larkin Arnold (exec.)
  • Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross chronology
Never Too Much
(1981)
Forever, for Always, for Love
(1982)
Busy Body
(1983)
Singles from Forever, for Always, for Love
  1. "Bad Boy/Having a Party"
    Released: August 1982
  2. "Since I Lost My Baby"
    Released: February 1983
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Robert Christgau B+ [3]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]

Forever, for Always, for Love is the second studio album by American R&B singer and songwriter Luther Vandross, released on September 21, 1982, by Epic Records. It became Vandross' second album to chart in the top 20 on the Billboard 200 and was his second album to top the R&B Albums chart where it spent three weeks.

Contents

The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA, and earned Vandross his third nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male, but lost to Marvin Gaye for his song "Sexual Healing".

The hit "Since I Lost My Baby" was originally recorded by the Temptations in 1965, while the "Having a Party" part of the opening track was originally recorded by Sam Cooke in 1962. The album's opening track was heard during the opening credits of the 1990 film House Party . Rolling Stone gave the album a four-star rating, describing Vandross as "the most gifted male pop-soul singer of his generation".

In 2004, singer Lalah Hathaway covered the song "Forever, for Always, for Love" for the compilation album Forever, for Always, for Luther . She later included the song on her 2004 third album Outrun the Sky . In the same year Philadelphia rap-duo Young Gunz sampled "Better Love" on their top 40 hit "No Better Love" ft. Rell.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Bad Boy/Having a Party" Luther Vandross, Marcus Miller, Sam Cooke 5:16
2."You're the Sweetest One"Vandross, Miller4:46
3."Since I Lost My Baby" Smokey Robinson, Warren Moore 5:28
4."Forever, for Always, for Love"Vandross6:23
5."Better Love"Vandross, Nat Adderley, Jr. 6:26
6."Promise Me"Vandross4:43
7."She Loves Me Back"Vandross6:09
8."Once You Know How"Vandross4:35

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [11] Silver60,000^
United States (RIAA) [12] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

Related Research Articles

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Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. was an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer. Throughout his career, he achieved eleven consecutive RIAA-certified platinum albums and sold over 40 million records worldwide. Known as the "Velvet Voice", Vandross has been recognized as one of the 200 greatest singers of all time (2023) by Rolling Stone, as well as one of the greatest R&B artists by Billboard. In addition, NPR named him one of the 50 Great Voices. He was the recipient of eight Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year in 2004 for a track recorded not long before his death, "Dance with My Father". In 2021, he was posthumously inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Since I Lost My Baby</span> 1965 single by The Temptations

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Get It Right is the twenty-ninth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on July 14, 1983, by Arista Records. It was produced by Luther Vandross, following his successful teaming with the singer for the Gold-certified album, Jump to It, in 1982. Get It Right was not as commercially successful, and Franklin did not have Vandross produce any further albums.

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"Never Too Much" is the debut song written, composed, produced, and performed by Luther Vandross. The R&B song was released in 1981, as the lead single from Vandross's debut album of the same name. The title track hit number one on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, reached number four on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, and peaked at number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

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<i>Never Too Much</i> (album) 1981 studio album by Luther Vandross

Never Too Much is the debut solo studio album by American singer Luther Vandross, released on August 12, 1981, by Epic Records. Mostly composed by Vandross himself, the album reached number 19 on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Never Too Much earned Vandross two Grammy Award nominations in 1982, including Best New Artist and Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male.

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Busy Body is the third studio album by American R&B/soul singer-songwriter Luther Vandross, released on November 25, 1983. It was certified platinum by the RIAA in January 1985. It hit the number one position in the week of April 13, 1984 on the US Billboard Album charts.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'd Rather</span> 2002 single by Luther Vandross

"I'd Rather" is a song by American singer Luther Vandross. It written and produced by Shep Crawford and recorded by Vandross for his eponymous album (2001). The song was released as the album's third and final single. "I'd Rather" became a top twenty hit on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart and reached the top forty on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. It also topped the US Adult R&B Songs chart, the second single from Luther Vandross to do so.

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References

  1. Luther Vandross - Forever, for Always, for Love (1982) album review by Craig Lytle, credits & releases at AllMusic
  2. "The Best of Vandross on Record". chicagotribune.com. 3 October 1993. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  3. "Robert Christgau: CG: luther vandross". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  4. Holden, Stephen (November 25, 1982). "Luther Vandross - Forever, for Always, for Love (1982) album review". rollingstone.com. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  5. DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly (January 1, 1992). The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll: The Definitive History of the Most Important Artists and Their Music. Random House. ISBN   9780679737285 . Retrieved March 14, 2017 via Google Books.
  6. "Luther Vandross Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  7. "Luther Vandross Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  8. "Luther Vandross | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  9. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1983". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  10. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1983". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  11. "British album certifications – Luther Vandross – Forever, for Always, for Love". British Phonographic Industry.
  12. "American album certifications – Luther Vandross – Forever, for Always, for Love". Recording Industry Association of America.