Songs (Luther Vandross album)
| Songs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Luther Vandross | ||||
| Released | September 20, 1994 (U.S.) | |||
| Recorded | 1994 | |||
| Studio |
The Hit Factory, Right Track Recording, Sony Music Studios (New York, New York) The Record Plant (Hollywood, California) The Plant Recording Studios (Sausalito, California) Abbey Road Studios (London, United Kingdom) | |||
| Genre | R&B, soul, pop | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Producer | Walter Afanasieff, Luther Vandross | |||
| Luther Vandross chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | C[2] |
| Los Angeles Times |  [3] |
| Rolling Stone | [4] |
 |
|
| Problems playing this file? See media help. | |
Songs the ninth studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Luther Vandross, released on September 20, 1994 (see 1994 in music) on Epic Records. The album, a collection of cover versions, produced the singles "Endless Love", "Always and Forever", and "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now". According to an interview both Luther and Mariah Carey had in Japan following their release of "Endless Love", there was mention that Carey had given advice as to what songs Vandross would cover in this album.[5][6]
Songs earned Vandross four nominations at the 1995 Grammy Awards—Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Love the One You're With", Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Endless Love", Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Always and Forever", and Best R&B Album.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Originally Recorded by | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love the One You're With" | Stephen Stills | Stephen Stills | 5:03 |
| 2. | "Killing Me Softly" | Norman Gimbel, Charles Fox | Lori Lieberman | 5:33 |
| 3. | "Endless Love" (duet with Mariah Carey) | Lionel Richie | Diana Ross and Lionel Richie | 4:21 |
| 4. | "Evergreen" | Barbra Streisand, Paul Williams | Barbra Streisand | 3:54 |
| 5. | "Reflections" | Holland-Dozier-Holland | Diana Ross & the Supremes | 3:21 |
| 6. | "Hello" | Lionel Richie | Lionel Richie | 4:44 |
| 7. | "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" | Jerry Cohen, Gene McFadden, John Whitehead | McFadden & Whitehead | 4:53 |
| 8. | "Always and Forever" | Rod Temperton | Heatwave | 4:53 |
| 9. | "Going in Circles" | Anita Poree, Jerry Peters | The Friends of Distinction | 5:12 |
| 10. | "Since You've Been Gone" | Aretha Franklin, Teddy White | Aretha Franklin | 4:15 |
| 11. | "All the Woman I Need" | Dean Pitchford, Michael Gore | Linda Clifford as "All the Man I Need" | 4:54 |
| 12. | "What the World Needs Now" | Burt Bacharach, Hal David | Jackie DeShannon | 5:18 |
| 13. | "The Impossible Dream" | Mitch Leigh, Joe Darion | Richard Kiley | 5:16 |
Charts
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart | 19 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 27 |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 20 |
| German Albums Chart | 24 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart | 5 |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 48 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 20 |
| UK Albums Chart | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 5 |
| U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 2 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2011) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | 96 |
|}
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[7] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[8] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[9] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
|
*sales figures based on certification alone | ||
| Preceded by From the Cradle by Eric Clapton |
UK Albums Chart number-one album October 1, 1994 |
Succeeded by Monster by R.E.M. |
References
- ↑ Allmusic review
- ↑ Entertainment Weekly review
- ↑ Los Angeles Times review
- ↑ Rolling Stone review
- ↑ Mariah Helped Luther Put Together His Covers LP! (Interview With Them)
- ↑ YouTube - Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey interview
- ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Luther Vandross – Songs". Music Canada.
- ↑ "British album certifications – Luther Vandross – Songs". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Songs in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
- ↑ "American album certifications – Luther Vandross – Songs". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
