Chillin' (Force MDs album)
| Chillin' | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 15, 1985[citation needed] | |||
| Studio | Tommy Boy, Unique Recording, and Quadrasonic (New York City, New York)
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| Genre | Hip hop, pop, R&B | |||
| Label | Tommy Boy[1] | |||
| Producer | Robin Halpin (tracks 1-4, 7, 8; additional production on track 6)
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| Force MDs chronology | ||||
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Chillin' is an album by the American R&B vocal group Force MDs.[2] The hit single "Tender Love" also appears on the soundtrack to Krush Groove.[1]
The album peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard 200.[3]
Production
[edit]The album was mostly produced by Tommy Boy house producer Robin Halpin, with the exception of two tracks.[4] "Tender Love" was written by the production duo of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.[5][6] The album marked a shift in the group's sound, downplaying the rap songs in favor of more ballads.[7] "Force MD's Meet the Fat Boys" is set to the theme song to Gilligan's Island.[8]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| Robert Christgau | C+[10] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [11] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [12] |
Trouser Press wrote: "From the ridiculous rap of 'Force M.D.’s Meet the Fat Boys' (partially sung to the melody of 'Gilligan’s Island' and guest-starring the tubby three) to the catchy, falsetto-over-scratch-beats title track, the versatile M.D.’s mix credible urban savvy with enough smooth showbiz to please hard beatboys and mature soul fans alike."[4] The Washington Post thought that "the Force M.D.'s give their intoxicating harmonies the believable edge of impatient desires and streetwise arrangements."[2]
The Los Angeles Times opined: "More comfortable with dreamy balladry than razor-edged rapping, the M.D.'s may not look as harmless as New Edition, but its love songs are equally sweet."[13] The Seattle Times praised the group's "smooth, polished sound," and called "One Plus One" "a high-powered tune influenced by [the] Jackson Five."[14]
AllMusic declared that the group "quietly reinvented quiet storm/R&B for the '80s with their doo wop-heavy 'Tender Love'."[9]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "One Plus One" | Antoine Lundy, Jessie D, Robin Halpin | 4:07 |
| 2. | "Here I Go Again" | Antoine Lundy, Robin Halpin | 6:24 |
| 3. | "Uh Oh!" | Robin Halpin, Trisco Pearson | 4:28 |
| 4. | "Chillin'" | Antoine Lundy, Charles Nelson, Jessie D, Robin Halpin, Steven Lundy, Trisco Pearson | 4:35 |
| 5. | "Force MD's Meet the Fat Boys" | George Wyle, Sherwood Schwartz, Wally Holmes | 4:07 |
| 6. | "Tender Love" | James Harris III, Terry Lewis | 3:54 |
| 7. | "Will You Be My Girlfriend?" | Antoine Lundy, Steven Lundy | 4:25 |
| 8. | "Walking on Air" | Robin Halpin | 4:17 |
Personnel
[edit]Force MDs
- Jesse D (Jesse Daniels)
- Antoine "T.C.D." Lundy
- Stevie D (Steven Lundy)
- Charles "Mercury" Nelson
- Trisco Pearson
Musicians
- Robin Halpin – keyboards (1-4, 7, 8), synthesizers (1-4), arrangements (1-4, 7, 8), string arrangements (2)
- Vince Madison - keyboards (1-4, 7, 8), synthesizers (1-4, 7, 8), arrangements (4)
- John "M.J." Hickman – keyboards (5)
- Jimmy Jam – acoustic piano and keyboards [uncredited] (6)[15]
- Paul Pesco – guitars (1, 3, 4, 7), drum programming (1, 3, 7), additional drum programming (8)
- Skip McDonald – guitars (2)
- Doug Wimbish – bass (2)
- Keith LeBlanc – drums (2)
- Eric Calvi – drum programming (3, 4, 8), arrangements (4)
- Bashiri Johnson – percussion (1, 3, 4, 7)
- The Fat Boys – vocals (5)
Production
[edit]- Tom Silverman – executive producer
- Force MDs – BGV arrangements (1-4, 6-8)
- Eric Calvi – engineer (1-4, 7, 8), editing (1, 3, 4, 6, 7), recording (5), mix engineer (5, 6), mixing (5), creative consultant
- Tom Lord-Alge – mix engineer (1-3, 7, 8)
- Robin Halpin – mixing (1-4, 7, 8), editing (1, 3, 4, 7), remixing (6), overdubs (6)
- Joey Gardner – mixing (5), remixing (6), editing (6)
- Bruce Miller – second engineer (2, 4)
- Jon Smith – editing (8)
- Herb Powers Jr. – mastering at Frankford/Wayne Mastering Labs (New York, NY)
- Monica Lynch – art direction
- Doug Rowell – photography
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Tommy Boy-Warners Deal Bears First Fruit". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. April 5, 1986 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "Has Success Spoiled New Edition?". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2010). Top Pop Albums (7th ed.). Record Research. p. 284.
- ^ a b "Force M.D.'s". Trouser Press. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ "Force M.D.'s | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ Hiltbrand, David (26 Sep 1987). "Young Singers, Old-Fashioned Soul". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. C8.
- ^ Catlin, Roger (February 23, 1986). "3rd Album Quirky but Strong Violent Femmes Bounces Back". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald. p. 1.
- ^ Gingold, Dave (14 Feb 1986). "Force's hip-hop doo-wop". Spotlight. Santa Cruz Sentinel. p. 12.
- ^ a b "Chillin' - Force M.D.'s | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Force M.D.'s". www.robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 534.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 257.
- ^ Johnson, Connie (23 Mar 1986). "Spring Album Roundup: Silk from the Streets". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 60.
- ^ MacDonald, Patrick (September 5, 1986). "Boston Quartet Brings Hit Sound to Tacoma". Tempo. The Seattle Times. p. 5.
- ^ "The Story behind the song "Tender Love" @ YouTube. Retrieved 11 February 2024.