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A Quiet Storm

 
Album Review: A Quiet Storm

  • Artist: Smokey Robinson
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: March 26, 1975
  • Total Time: 36:01
  • Genre: Rhythm & Blues

Review

The genius of William "Smokey" Robinson is immeasurable. As many of his prior songs had shaped R&B and pop music, this album would have a similar effect. The title track became the namesake for a music format. The album itself had three singles hit the charts. Arranged in an intermittent rhythm, "Baby That's Backatcha" ran up the Billboard R&B charts to number one inside 16 weeks. It was Robinson's first number one single since leaving the Miracles. The lyric of the ballad "The Agony and the Ecstasy" hit the Top Ten at number seven, and it was followed by the masterpiece "A Quiet Storm." Although it only managed to seal the Top 25, it has since made a greater impact on the music charts and music industry. Briefly, radio mogul Cathy Hughes, owner of Radio One, was the general manager at Howard University radio WHUR during the early '70s when she created the format "the quiet storm." She used Smokey Robinson's composition as the theme song. Before long, it caught on around the country and evolved into a new market. This album also features the "Wedding Song" which was written for Hazel and Jermaine Jackson's wedding and the "Happy" theme from the movie Lady Sings the Blues. ~ Craig Lytle, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Quiet Storm (Lyrics) Smokey Robinson Smokey Robinson (7:47)
The Agony and the Ecstasy Smokey Robinson Smokey Robinson (4:50)
Baby That's Backatcha Smokey Robinson Smokey Robinson (3:49)
Wedding Song (Lyrics) Smokey Robinson Smokey Robinson (3:36)
Happy (Love Theme from Lady Sings the Blues) Smokey Robinson, Michel Legrand Smokey Robinson (7:12)
Love Letters Smokey Robinson Smokey Robinson (4:12)
Coincidentally Smokey Robinson Smokey Robinson (4:35)

Credits

Smokey Robinson (Arranger), Smokey Robinson (Vocals), Smokey Robinson (Producer), Smokey Robinson (Main Performer), Melba Bradford (Vocals (Background)), Joseph A. Brown (Percussion), Joseph A. Brown (Drums), Carmen Bryant (Vocals (Background)), Gary Coleman (Percussion), Shawn Furlong (Sound Effects), Shawn Furlong (Special Effects), Shawn Furlong (Sopranino), Terry Furlong (Sound Effects), Terry Furlong (Special Effects), Terry Furlong (Sopranino), Jerry Hudgins (Engineer), Willie Hutch (Producer), Michael Jacobsen (Cello), Gene Pello (Drums), James Aliba Sledge (Bongos), James Aliba Sledge (Conga), James Aliba Sledge (Vocals (Background)), Fred Smith (Horn), Fred Smith (Woodwind), Russ Terrana (Engineer), Russ Terrana (Technical Engineer), Russ Turner (Arranger), Russ Turner (Keyboards), Russ Turner (Vocals (Background)), Greg Venable (Engineer), Greg Venable (Mixing), Marvin Tarplin (Guitar), John Matousek (Mastering), John Matousek (Compilation Producer)
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Wikipedia: A Quiet Storm
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"A Quiet Storm"
Studio album by Smokey Robinson
Released March 26, 1975
Genre Soul
Length 36:01
Label Tamla
T6-337S1
Producer Smokey Robinson
Professional reviews
Smokey Robinson chronology
Pure Smokey
(1974)
A Quiet Storm
(1975)
Smokey's Family Robinson
(1976)

A Quiet Storm is a 1975 album by Motown legend Smokey Robinson. It is one of the most highly acclaimed Soul albums of the 1970s. A longtime innovator at Motown, Robinson responded to the revolution in black music (Marvin Gaye, Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield, Al Green) with an effective counterpoint: the stylish and mature album A Quiet Storm. This landmark album spawned and lent its name to the "Quiet Storm" musical programming format, a format still adopted by radio stations across America more than 30 years later. It spawned 3 hit singles including his first disco hit "Baby That's Backatcha" that went to number 7 on the Billboard Disco chart (Top 10 R&B), and this album re-established Smokey's reputation as a master songwriter and producer and solidified his solo success after leaving his legendary group, The Miracles.

Track listing

All tracks composed and arranged by Smokey Robinson; except where indicated

  1. "Quiet Storm"
  2. "The Agony and the Ecstasy"
  3. "Baby That's Backatcha"
  4. "Wedding Song"
  5. "Happy" - Love Theme from Lady Sing the Blues (Robinson, Michel Legrand)
  6. "Love Letters"
  7. "Coincidentally"

Personnel

  • Smokey Robinson - vocals
  • Melba Bradford - background vocals
  • Joseph A. Brown - drums, percussion
  • Carmen Bryant - background vocals
  • Gary Coleman - percussion
  • Shawn Furlong - sound effects, sopranino
  • Michael Jacobsen - cello
  • Gene Pello - drums
  • James Alibe Sledge - bongos, conga, background vocals
  • Fred Smith - horn, woodwind
  • Russ Turner - keyboards, background vocals
  • Marv Tarplin - guitar

External links

Amazon Customer Reviews: [1]



 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "A Quiet Storm" Read more

 

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