Flowers (The Emotions album)
| Flowers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 1976 | |||
| Studio | P.S. Recording Studios, Chicago, Illinois | |||
| Genre | R&B, soul | |||
| Length | 28:40 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Maurice White, Charles Stepney | |||
| The Emotions chronology | ||||
| ||||
Flowers is a studio album by the American girl group The Emotions, released in 1976 by Columbia Records.[1] The album reached No. 5 on the Billboard Top R&B albums chart.[2] Flowers has been certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.[3]
Overview
[edit]The group's first LP on Columbia Records, Flowers was produced by Charles Stepney and Maurice White of Earth, Wind and Fire. The album was reissued with an 8-page booklet, liner notes and a bonus track in 2012.
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [1] |
| Rolling Stone | (favourable)[7] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [8] |
| Village Voice | B[5] |
| Melody Maker | (favourable)[6] |
With a B grade Robert Christgau of the Village Voice wrote "Earth, Wind & Fire's girl group--literally. Whether it's Jeanette, Sheila, or Wanda who sounds like Diana Ross at a higher level of consciousness, the effect is exquisite."[5] Amy Hanson of Allmusic, in a retrospective 3 out of 5 star review, opined "Revamping their classic girl group soul sounds to incorporate the more eclectic nuances of (Maurice) White's production, the resultant brassed-up disco proved to be on target." She added " With fellow Earth, Wind & Fire members Verdine and Fred White adding their unmistakable chops to the sound, the Emotions ultimately emerged with an absolutely stunning brew that kept their powerful vocal harmonies well spotlighted, while adding more than a little funk to the sound."[4] Jim Arundel of Melody Maker also called Flowers "an incredibly short but definitely sweet album."[6]
Singles
[edit]The album's title track got to No.16 on the US Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart and No.2 on the NZ Top 40 Singles chart.[9][10] Another single, "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love", reached No. 4 on the US Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs chart and No.13 on the US Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart.[11][12]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love" | Wanda Hutchinson, Jeanette Hawes | 4:01 |
| 2. | "Me for You" | Clarence McDonald, Fritz Baskett | 4:17 |
| 3. | "You've Got the Right to Know" | Wanda Hutchinson | 2:36 |
| 4. | "We Go Through Changes" | Wanda Hutchinson, Henry Hicks, Jr. | 0:55 |
| 5. | "Special Part" | Deniece Williams, Clarence McDonald, Lani Groves | 3:52 |
| Total length: | 15:41 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "No Plans for Tomorrow" | Wanda Hutchinson, Henry Hicks, Jr. | 3:44 |
| 7. | "How Can You Stop Loving Someone" | Wanda Hutchinson | 4:14 |
| 8. | "Flowers" | Maurice White, Al McKay | 4:28 |
| 9. | "God Will Take Care of You" | Civilla D. Martin, Walter S. Martin | 0:33 |
| Total length: | 12:59 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Flowers" (Single Version) | 3:43 |
Personnel
[edit]- The Emotions
- Sheila Hutchinson – vocals
- Wanda Hutchinson – vocals
- Jeanette Hutchinson – vocals
- Musicians
- Verdine White – bass
- Larry Dunn – keyboards
- Al McKay, Joe Hutchinson, Jr. – guitars
- Fred White – drums, percussion
- Oscar Brashear, Michael Harris – trumpets
- Don Myrick – alto saxophone
- Richard Brown – tenor saxophone
- Louis Satterfield – trombone
- Tom Tom 84 (Thomas Washington) - arranger
- Technical
- Recorded by Paul Serrano
- Ron Coro, Tom Steele - design
- Norman Seeff - photography
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1976) | Peak [2] |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top LPs | 45 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs | 5 |
- Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop |
US R&B [13] |
US Dan [14] |
NZ | UK Pop [15] | ||
| 1976 | "Flowers" | 87 | 16 | — | 2 | — |
| "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love" | 51 | 13 | 4 | 40 | ||
References
[edit]- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 286.
- ^ a b "The Emotions: Flowers (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ "The Emotions: Flowers". riaa.com. RIAA.
- ^ a b c Hanson, Amy. "The Emotions: Flowers". Allmusic.com.
- ^ a b "The Emotions: Flowers". robertchristgau.com. Village Voice.
- ^ a b Arundel, Jim (March 26, 1994). "Silver Surfer". Melody Maker. Vol. 71, no. 12. p. 37. ProQuest 223508582.
- ^ McEwen, Joe (September 9, 1976). The Emotions: Flowers. Rolling Stone.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 227.
- ^ "The Emotions: Flowers (Hot Soul Songs)". billboard.com.
- ^ a b "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". nztop40.co.nz. Recorded Music NZ. September 10, 1978. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
- ^ "The Emotions: I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love (Dance/Club Play Songs)". billboard.com.
- ^ "The Emotions: I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love (Hot Soul Songs)". billboard.com.
- ^ "The Emotions: Hot R&B Songs". Billboard.
- ^ "The Emotions: Dance Club Songs". Billboard.com.
- ^ "UK Charts > The Emotions". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2012-10-29.
