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Forever, for Always, for Love

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Forever, for Always, for Love
Cover art by Lynn Goldsmith
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 21, 1982
RecordedFebruary–June 1982
StudioMedia Sound Studios
(New York City, New York)
The Record Plant
(Los Angeles, California)
The Village
(Los Angeles, California)
GenreR&B, soul
Length43:32
LabelEpic
Producer
  • Larkin Arnold (exec.)
  • Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross chronology
Never Too Much
(1981)
Forever, for Always, for Love
(1982)
Busy Body
(1983)
Singles from Forever, for Always, for Love
  1. "Bad Boy/Having a Party"
    Released: August 1982
  2. "Since I Lost My Baby"
    Released: February 1983
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [1]
Chicago Tribune [2]
Robert ChristgauB+ [3]
Rolling Stone [4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide [5]

Forever, for Always, for Love is the second studio album by American R&B singer and songwriter Luther Vandross, released on September 21, 1982, by Epic Records. It became Vandross' second album to chart in the top 20 on the Billboard 200 and was his second album to top the R&B Albums chart where it spent three weeks.

The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA, and earned Vandross his third nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male, but lost to Marvin Gaye for his song "Sexual Healing".

The hit "Since I Lost My Baby" was originally recorded by the Temptations in 1965, while the "Having a Party" part of the opening track was originally recorded by Sam Cooke in 1962. The album's opening track was heard during the opening credits of the 1990 film House Party. Rolling Stone gave the album a four-star rating, describing Vandross as "the most gifted male pop-soul singer of his generation".

In 2004, singer Lalah Hathaway covered the song "Forever, for Always, for Love" for the compilation album Forever, for Always, for Luther. She later included the song on her 2004 third album Outrun the Sky. In the same year Philadelphia rap-duo Young Gunz sampled "Better Love" on their top 40 hit "No Better Love" ft. Rell.

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Bad Boy/Having a Party"Luther Vandross, Marcus Miller, Sam Cooke5:16
2."You're the Sweetest One"Vandross, Miller4:46
3."Since I Lost My Baby"Smokey Robinson, Warren Moore5:28
4."Forever, for Always, for Love"Vandross6:23
5."Better Love"Vandross, Nat Adderley, Jr.6:26
6."Promise Me"Vandross4:43
7."She Loves Me Back"Vandross6:09
8."Once You Know How"Vandross4:35

Personnel

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Reception

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In The Boston Phoenix, Marjorie Karp Spencer wrote that "the new record is precise, spiffy, and taunting: a shade too busy to be coldly clean, a little too punchy for the moneyed gleam of its surface. But Vandross is straightforward about fidelity, capturing some high-hat on the reproachful ballad 'Better Love' that’s metallic enough to rattle the silver in my molars."[6]

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[12] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[13] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Luther Vandross - Forever, for Always, for Love (1982) album review by Craig Lytle, credits & releases at AllMusic
  2. ^ "The Best of Vandross on Record". chicagotribune.com. 3 October 1993. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  3. ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: luther vandross". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  4. ^ Holden, Stephen (November 25, 1982). "Luther Vandross - Forever, for Always, for Love (1982) album review". rollingstone.com. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  5. ^ DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly (January 1, 1992). The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll: The Definitive History of the Most Important Artists and Their Music. Random House. ISBN 9780679737285. Retrieved March 14, 2017 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ Spencer, Marjorie Carp (October 26, 1982). "First gentleman of pop: Luther Vandross sends a bouquet,". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  7. ^ "Luther Vandross Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  8. ^ "Luther Vandross Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  9. ^ "Luther Vandross | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  10. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1983". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  11. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1983". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  12. ^ "British album certifications – Luther Vandross – Forever, for Always, for Love". British Phonographic Industry.
  13. ^ "American album certifications – Luther Vandross – Forever, for Always, for Love". Recording Industry Association of America.