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

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.

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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 (11 December 2008). "One of the most successful bands of the 80s". BBC. Retrieved 28 March 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 26 December 2018.
  9. "Cameo - hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  10. "CAMEO - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  11. 1 2 "Word Up! - Cameo". Billboard. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  12. "British album certifications – Cameo – Word Up". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 2018-12-25.
  13. "American album certifications – Cameo – Word Up". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 2018-12-26.