For Real
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| For Real | |
|---|---|
| Genre(s) | R&B, Pop, Dance |
| Years active | 1992 – 1999 |
| Label(s) | Arista Records A&M Records, Rowdy Records |
| Members | |
| Wendi Williams Latanyia Baldwin Josina Elder Necia Bray |
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For Real was a Grammy-nominated R&B / Soul quartet that formed in 1993, the band released their debut album It's a Natural Thang with production from Brian McKnight on A&M Records in 1994 and it became a critical success, including a rare four stars from Rolling Stone Magazine. [1] Almost since its formation in 1993, the four female members of the R&B group For Real were caught up in a whirlwind of activity, their first single "Easy To Love" peaked at No. 65 on the Billboard Charts, the album did score two more chart hits, that did better than the albums first "You Don't Know Nothin'" which peaked at No. 27 and "You Don't Wanna Miss" which hit No. 28, the album sold over 1,000,000 copies world-wide and peaked at No.80 on the Billboard Top 100. Before they scored chart success, For two and a half years, For Real tried to land a record deal but had no luck. When they finally did get signed, it happened by accident.
We were picking up our manager from the airport. So we decided to greet him with an acappella song'. Someone from A&M records just happened to be in the airport and heard them perform. Not long after, they were signed.
– Latanyia Baldwin, [2]
Contents |
[edit] Freedom
In 1995, the band appeared in Italian Vogue, in whose pages they modeled men's suits; toured alongside Stevie Wonder; lent their voices to a Martin Scorsese project, the film Grace of My Heart; and they also became actresses for a time, with appearances in the film "Shake, Rattle and Rock!" staring Renée Zellweger and Howie Mandel [3] on Showtime. They also hit the Top 20 with the single "Freedom" featuring Aaliyah, TLC, En Vogue, BlackGirl, SWV, and Vanessa Williams from the movie Panther. Towards the end of year, the band recorded a duet with Stevie Wonder called "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow", which appeared on the Marvin Gaye tribute album Inner City Blues: The Music Of Marvin Gaye [4].
[edit] Waiting To Exhale
In 1995 and 1996, the quartet recorded songs for the films Waiting to Exhale and Fled respectively. The band also teamed up with Aaliyah, En Vogue, Mary J. Blige, TLC, Chantay Savage, Vanessa Williams, BlackGirl, and SWV for the single Freedom from the movie Panther. The single hit Top 40 single, reaching No.18.
Towards the end of 1996 they released the single "Like I Do" produced by Dallas Austin from their second album titled Free. The band thought it was their answer to what they called "counterfeit R&B" in an interview with Essence Magazine in 1996.
Paying homage to the Motown sound with "Like I Do," the Marvalettes-inspired first single and video from their sophomore album, Free (their first for Rowdy Records), they call their sound an answer to "counterfeit R&B." "During the Motown era, artists sang with passion," says Josina, who founded the group back in 1986 in Los Angeles. "That's what's missing from a lot of today's music. But don't worry, we're bringing it back!".
– Josina Elder, [5]
"Like I Do" hit No.10 on the Billboard singles chart, the video also earned a Billboard nomination for Best R&B Clip, the album made the Top 100, and nearly 400,000 copies in the US, the album's last single "The Saddest Song I Ever Heard" hit No. 65 on the Top 100 singles chart. The band performed "Saddest Song" on the TV show All That. Free included production from top R&B/pop producers like Babyface, Mario Winans, and Jon B..
The band also recorded two songs ("I Do" and "Born to Love That Boy") and appeared in the critically acclaimed film Grace of My Heart. The films soundstrack won a Satellite Award in 1997. [6] [7]
In January 1997 the band won an American Music Award for their work on the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, in Summer 1997, the group earned a Soul Train Award nomination for Album Of The Year (By A Group, Band Or Duo) for "Free".
[edit] Break Up
In 1999 Wendi Williams of For Real lent her voice to the Oscar nominated film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, with Halle Berry, in which Berry plays a singer but Wendi Williams is behind her singing voice. [8]
In 2002, their song "Love Will Be Waiting At Home", appeared in the movie Two Can Play That Game that starred Vivica A. Fox & Morris Chestnut.
In 2006 an official MySpace page opened for the band.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Album information |
|---|
It's a Natural Thang
|
Waiting to Exhale Soundtrack
|
Free
|
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Album | US | UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | "Easy To Love" | It's a Natural Thang | 65 | - |
| 1994 | "You Don't Know Nothin'" | It's a Natural Thang | 27 | 54 |
| 1994 | "You Don't Wanna Miss" | It's a Natural Thang | 28 | 105 |
| 1995 | "Freedom" *** | Panther soundtrack | 18 | - |
| 1996 | "Like I Do" | Free | 10 | 45 |
| 1997 | "The Saddest Song I Ever Heard" | Free | 65 | - |
[edit] Awards & nominations
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 1996 | NAACP Image Award Win for Outstanding Soundtrack Album (shared win for the "Waiting To Exhale Soundtrack"). |
| 1996 | Grammy Award nomination for Album of the Year (shared nomination for the "Waiting To Exhale Soundtrack"). [9] |
| 1997 | Billboard Music Video Award nomination for R&B Video Clip of the Year for "Like I Do". |
| 1997 | American Music Award Win for Favorite Soundtrack (shared win for the "Waiting To Exhale Soundtrack"). |
| 1998 | Soul Train Award nomination for Best R&B/Hip Hop Album of the Year by a Group for Free. [10] |
*** The single "Freedom" includes the following artists: Aaliyah featuring Felicia Adams, May May Ali, Amel, Az-Iz, Blackgirl, Mary J. Blige, Tanya Blount, Brownstone, Casserine, Changing Faces, Tyler Collins, N’Dea Davenport, De Five Footaz, E-V-E, Emage, En Vogue, Eshe & Laurena, Female, For Real, Penny Ford, Lalah Hathaway, Jade, Jamecia, Jazzyfatnastees, Billy Lawrence, Joi, Brigett McWilliams, Milira, Miss Jones, Cindy Mizelle, Monica, Me’Shell NdegéOcello, Natasha, Nefertiti, Patra, s, Pure Soul, Raja-Nee, Brenda Russell, SWV, Chantay Savage, Sonja Marie, Tracie Spencer, Sweet Sable, TLC, Terri & Monica, Vybe, Crystal Waters, Caron Wheeler, Karyn White, Vanessa Williams, Xscape, Y?N-Vee and Zhané.
[edit] External links
- SingingFool.com Streaming music videos for "Like I Do" and "The Saddest Song I Ever Heard"
- All Music Guide Discography, biographies, and pictures
- IUMA Group photos, lyrics, message board, audio streams, and bio.
- Google Album info, photos, and lyrics
