Love's the Place to Be
| Love's the Place to Be | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 3, 1993 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 56:34 | |||
| Label | Mercury | |||
| Producer |
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| Will Downing chronology | ||||
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Love's the Place to Be is the fourth studio album by the American musician Will Downing, released by Mercury Records in 1993.[1][2] His first album for the label,[3][4] it peaked at number 166 on the US Billboard 200.[5] "There's No Living Without You" peaked at number 67 on the UK Singles Chart.[6]
Production
Among the album's many producers were Barry Eastmond and Ronnie Foster.[3] Stevie Wonder contributed harmonica to "That's All".[3] Rachelle Ferrell duets with Downing on "Nothing Has Ever Felt Like This".[7]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [8] |
| The Charlotte Observer | [9] |
| Daily Breeze | [10] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [1] |
| Music Week | [12] |
| MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide | [11] |
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called the album "the kind of romantic, elegant material that fans of the highly touted Luther Vandross wish he would return to."[13] The Charlotte Observer deemed it "a masterpiece," writing that "the three-song suite 'Do You Still Love Me'/'Hey Girl'/'Break Up to Make Up' is one of the best things to hit CD in a long time."[9] The Dallas Morning News thought that "Downing has matured into a stunning stylist, caressing such classics as Nat 'King' Cole's 'That's All' [and] the Stylistics' 'Break Up to Make Up' ... with a reverence that still leaves room for redefining."[14]
The Daily Breeze wrote that "most of the 11 tracks spin at the same speed and intensity, thus there is no chance for the highs and lows."[10] The New York Times said that Downing's "rich baritone is tailor-made for intimacy, his phrasing both deliberate and effortless."[15]
AllMusic editor Jason Birchmeier wrote that "these songs were all some of Downing's best work ... showcasing his vocal prowess."[8]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "There's No Living Without You" |
|
| 4:15 |
| 2. | "Sailing on a Dream" |
|
| 6:09 |
| 3. | "One Moment" |
| Barry Eastmond | 4:43 |
| 4. | "Nothing Has Ever Felt Like This" (featuring Rachelle Ferrell) | Ferrell | Eastmond | 6:21 |
| 5. | "Love's the Place to Be" | Ronnie Foster | Foster | 5:00 |
| 6. | "Lovers Paradise" |
| Foster | 4:42 |
| 7. | "Everything to Me" |
|
| 4:20 |
| 8. | "Do You Still Love Me" |
| Eastmond | 4:55 |
| 9. | "Hey Girl" |
| 5:25 | |
| 10. | "Break Up to Make Up" |
| 5:07 | |
| 11. | "That's All" |
| Foster | 5:37 |
| Total length: | 56:34 | |||
Personnel
- Will Downing – vocals, backing vocals (1–3, 6–10)
- Rex Rideout – all instruments (1), keyboards (7), drum programming (7)
- Bob Baldwin – keyboards (2, 9, 10), acoustic piano solo (2), backing vocals (2), scat (2)
- Barry Eastmond – keyboards (3, 8), electric piano (4), acoustic piano solo (8)
- Jason Miles – synthesizer programming (3, 8)
- Rachelle Ferrell – grand piano (4), vocals (4)
- Ronnie Foster – keyboards (5, 6, 11), vibraphone solo (5), backing vocals (6)
- Eddie Martinez – guitars (3, 8)
- Kevin Eubanks – guitars (4), guitar solo (9)
- Mike Campbell – guitars (4)
- Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars (6, 11)
- Mike Ciro – guitars (7)
- Clarance "Binky" Brice – guitars (9)
- Georg Wadenius – sitar (10)
- Larry Kimpel – bass (2)
- Victor Bailey – bass (3)
- Anthony Jackson – bass (4, 8, 10)
- Jimmy Johnson – bass (5)
- Gerald Albright – bass (6), sax solo (10)
- Carl Carter – bass (9)
- Freddie Washington – bass (11)
- Omar Hakim – drums (2)
- Rayford Griffin – drums (3, 8)
- Buddy Williams – drums (4, 10)
- Harvey Mason – drums (5, 6, 11)
- Neal Adams – drums (9)
- Bashiri Johnson – percussion (3, 8)
- Steve Thornton – percussion (4)
- Luis Conte – percussion (6)
- Steve Kroon – percussion (9, 10)
- Marion Meadows – saxophone (8)
- Stevie Wonder – harmonica solo (11)
- B.J. Nelson – backing vocals (1)
- Paulette McWilliams – backing vocals (2, 10)
- Cindy Mizelle – backing vocals (3, 8)
- Audrey Wheeler – backing vocals (3, 7–9), vocals (7)
- Craig Derry – backing vocals (9)
- Curtis King – backing vocals (10)
- Vaneese Thomas – backing vocals (10)
Music arrangements
- Rachelle Ferrell – arrangements (4)
- Chris Cameron – string arrangements (5)
- Ronnie Foster – arrangements (5, 6), string arrangements (11)
- Onaje Allan Gumbs – string arrangements (10)
- George Del Barrio – string conductor (5), string arrangements (11)
Production
- Will Downing – producer (1, 2, 7, 9, 10)
- Rex Rideout – producer (1, 7)
- Bob Baldwin – producer (2, 9, 10)
- Barry J. Eastmond – producer (3, 4, 8)
- Ronnie Foster – producer (5, 6, 11)
- Northern Xposure – artwork
- Michael Bays – art direction
- Étsuko Iseki – design
- David Robin – photography
- Rick Jones – stylist
- Desiree Diggs – make-up
- Sabato Russo – clothing
Technical credits
- Greg Calbi – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York)
- Doug DeAngelis – recording (1), mixing (1)
- Carl Beatty – engineer (1, 3, 8, 10), mixing (1), recording (4)
- Alec Head – engineer (1, 3, 8, 10), recording (4), mixing (7, 10), mix engineer (9)
- Earl Cohen – engineer (3, 8)
- Steve Wallace – recording (4)
- Rachelle Ferrell – mixing (4)
- Erik Zobler – mixing (4)
- Brad Gilderman – engineer (5, 6, 11), recording (5, 6, 11), mixing (5, 6, 11)
- Martin Horenburg – engineer (5, 6)
- Scott Mabuchi – engineer (10)
- Alex Gordon – engineer (10)
- Bill Leonard – engineer (11)
- John Wall – assistant engineer (1, 2)
- Kate Broudy – assistant engineer (2)
Charts
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[16] | 166 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[17] | 24 |
References
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. pp. 104–105.
- ^ Hudson, Alexia (October 8, 1993). "Music Reviews: Love's the Place to Be Will Downing". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 7E.
- ^ a b c Smith, Danyel (August 14, 1993). "Downing Plays to Listener Loyalty". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 33. p. 18.
- ^ McNally, Owen (October 28, 1993). "Hot Autumn Night". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 6.
- ^ "Will Downing". Billboard.
- ^ "Will Downing Full Official Chart History". Official Charts.
- ^ "Five Touring Performers Joining Forces for Jazz Explosion". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. November 13, 1994. p. 1E.
- ^ a b "Love's the Place to Be". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "R&B". The Charlotte Observer. February 11, 1994. p. 5F.
- ^ a b Tranfa, Anthony D. (November 19, 1993). "Will Downing, 'Love's the Place To Be'". Daily Breeze. p. K15.
- ^ MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 183.
- ^ Jones, Alan (August 7, 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream – Albums" (PDF). Music Week. p. 13. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
- ^ Murray, Sonia (April 15, 1994). "Preview – Will Downing". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. P3.
- ^ "Will Downing". The Dallas Morning News. November 11, 1993. p. 5C.
- ^ Linden, Amy (September 26, 1993). "Pop Briefs". The New York Times. p. H45.
- ^ "Will Downing Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
- ^ "Will Downing Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2022.