Back on the Block
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Back on the Block is a 1989 studio album produced by Quincy Jones.[1] It features many famous and important musicians and singers, including Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Ice-T, Big Daddy Kane, Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, George Benson, Luther Vandross, Dionne Warwick, Barry White, Chaka Khan, Take 6, Bobby McFerrin, Al Jarreau and Ray Charles.
Overview
Multiple singles were lifted from the album and found success on Pop and R&B radio, including "I'll Be Good To You", "I Don't Go For That", "The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)", and "Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me)". "Tomorrow" is noteworthy for introducing a young Tevin Campbell to the music scene. Back on the Block won the 1991 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Jones' track, Setembro (Brazilian Wedding Song) was featured on the soundtrack for the 1991 film, Boyz n the Hood.
Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan
Back on the Block featured the last studio recordings of jazz singers Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan.
Fitzgerald and Jones had previously worked together on her 1963 album with Count Basie, Ella and Basie!. Jones had produced three albums with Sarah Vaughan when they both worked for Mercury Records.
Grammy Awards
At the 33rd Grammy Awards, Back on the Block won seven Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
In arranging, Jerry Hey, Quincy Jones, Ian Prince and Rod Temperton won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement for "Birdland", and Glen Ballard, Hey, Jones and Clif Magness won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s) for "The Places You Find Love".
Jones also won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance for "Birdland", and the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical.
Bruce Swedien won the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for his work on the album.
Ray Charles and Chaka Khan won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "I'll Be Good To You".
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group went to Big Daddy Kane, Ice T, Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel, Quincy Jones III and Jones for Back on the Block.
Track listing
# | Title | Writer(s) | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | "Prologue (2Q's Rap)" | Big Daddy Kane, Jones | 1:04 |
2 | "Back on the Block" | Jones, Rod Temperton, Siedah Garrett,Caiphus Semenya,Ice-T, Melle Mel, Kane, Kool Moe Dee | 6:34 |
3 | "I Don't Go for That" | Ian Prince | 5:11 |
4 | "I'll Be Good to You" | George Johnson, Louis Johnson, Sonora Sam | 4:54 |
5 | "The Verb To Be (Introduction to Wee B. Dooinit)" | Mervyn Warren | 0:29 |
6 | "Wee B. Dooinit (Acapella Party by the Human Bean Band)" | Jones, Garrett, Ian Prince | 3:34 |
7 | "The Places You Find Love" | Glen Ballard, Clif Magness, Caiphus Semenya | 6:25 |
8 | "Jazz Corner of the World (Introduction to "Birdland")" | Kane, Dee | 2:54 |
9 | "Birdland" | Joe Zawinul | 5:33 |
10 | "Setembro (Brazilian Wedding Song)" | Ivan Lins, Gilson Peranzzetta | 5:05 |
11 | "One Man Woman" | Garrett, Ian Prince, Harriet Roberts | 3:44 |
12 | "Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me)" | George Johnson, Louis Johnson, Garrett, | 4:46 |
13 | "Prelude to the Garden" | Jorge Calandrelli | 0:54 |
14 | "The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)" | Jones,Temperton, Garrett, El DeBarge | 6:41 |
Chart history
These is the history of the Billboard Music Charts (North America) for Back on the Block.
Year | Music Chart | Position |
---|---|---|
1989 | Billboard 200 | #9 |
Top Contemporary Jazz Albums | #1 | |
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | #1 |
Credits
Recorded in 1989, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, the credits include:
- Ella Fitzgerald - Vocals
- Take 6
- Chaka Khan
- Bobby McFerrin
- Melle Mel
- Ray Charles
- Big Daddy Kane
- Ice-T
- Luther Vandross
- Sarah Vaughan
- Al Jarreau
- Dionne Warwick
- Barry White
- Syreeta Wright
- Grandmaster Melle Mel
- Al B. Sure!
- Tevin Campbell
- Alvin Chea
- Andraé Crouch
- Kool Moe Dee
- Nadirah Ali
- Maxi Anderson
- Peggie Blu
- McKinley Brown
- Sandra Crouch
- Geary Faggett
- Voncielle Faggett
- Geary Lanier Foggett
- Ken Ford
- Jania Foxworth
- Siedah Garrett
- Tammie Gibson
- Rose Banks
- El DeBarge
- Cedric Dent
- Chad Durio
- Jim Gilstrap
- Jackie Gouche
- Alex Harris
- Howard Hewett
- Reggie Green
- Jennifer Holliday
- Pattie Howard
- James Ingram
- David Thomas
- Mervyn Warren
- Charity Young
- Shane Shoaf
- Alfie Silas
- Perry Morgan
- Phil Perry
- Tyren Perry
- Derrick Schoefield
- Mark Kibble
- Edie Lehmann
- Tiffany Johnson
- Clif Magness
- Donovan McCrary
- Howard McCrary
- Claude McKnight
- Jean Johnson McRath
- Miles Davis - Trumpet
- Dizzy Gillespie
- Gary Grant
- Bill Reichenbach Jr. - Trombone
- Jerry Hey - Trumpet, Arranger, Keyboards
- James Moody - Alto saxophone
- Gerald Albright — Alto saxophone, Vocals
- Paul Jackson Jr. - Guitar
- Michael Landau
- Randy Lukather
- Steve Lukather
- George Benson - Guitar, Vocals
- George Johnson - Guitar, Vocals (bckgr)
- Neil Stubenhaus - Bass guitar
- Louis Johnson
- Nathan East
- Ollie Brown - Percussion
- Harvey Mason, Sr.
- Paulinho Da Costa
- J.C. Gomez
- John Robinson
- Bruce Swedien
- Bill Summers — Percussion, hindewhu
- Michael Boddicker - Synthesizer
- Jorge Calandrelli
- Randy Kerber
- Rhett Lawrence
- David Paich
- Michael Young
- Greg Phillinganes
- Ian Underwood
- Steve Porcaro
- Joe Zawinul - Vocals, Synthesizer
- Larry Williams - Keyboards, Saxophone
- George Duke - Keyboards, Fender Rhodes
- Herbie Hancock - Keyboards, Synthesizer Pads
- Sheila E. - Timbales, Soloist
- Glen Ballard - Arranger
- Rod Temperton
- Jesse Jackson - Narrator
- Quincy Jones - Arranger, Drums, Vocals, Korg M1
- Ian Prince — Arranger, Keyboards
- Caiphus Semenya — Arranger, Conductor, Vocal Arrangement
- Morris Michael