Description
American singer-songwriter Anita Baker has released six studio albums, one compilation & live album, and twenty-four singles. Referred as the “Queen of Romantic Quiet-Storm R&B/Soul”, she is considered to be one of the most successful and influential R&B artists of the 1980s.
Video: Anita Baker-“Sweet Love” (1986)
Tracklist:
1.CD The Songstress is the debut solo album by the American R&B/soul singer Anita Baker. It was originally released in 1983 by Beverly Glen Music, and was Baker’s only album for that label prior to signing with Elektra Records with whom she had a string of hit albums. The Songstress was not a commercial success upon its initial release, though the album met with moderate success on the R&B charts.
- “Angel” (Patrick Moten, Sandra Sully) – 4:57
- “You’re the Best Thing Yet” (Moten, Geronne C. Turner) – 5:36
- “Feel The Need” (Moten) – 5:35
- “Squeeze Me” (Moten) – 4:40
- “No More Tears” (Michael J. Powell) – 5:38
- “Sometimes” (Moten, Sully) – 5:53
- “Will You Be Mine” (Moten, Carlos Turrentine) – 5:24
- “Do You Believe Me” (Moten) – 3:55
Credits:
- Anita Baker – lead vocals
- Patrick Moten – keyboards, rhythm section arrangements, BGV arrangements
- David T. Walker – guitar
- Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar
- James Macon – guitar
- Craig Cooper – guitar
- Nathan East – bass
- Raymond Calhoun – drums
- James Gadson – drums
- Otis Smith – backing vocals arrangements
- Gene Page – string arrangements
- Anthony T. Coleman – string contractor
- Billy Page – string contractor
- “The Waters”: Maxine Waters, Julia Waters, Luther Waters and Oren Waters – backing vocals
- Carmen Twillie – backing vocals
- Phil Perry – backing vocals
- Jim Gilstrap – backing vocals
- Clydene Jackson – backing vocals
- Bunny Hull – backing vocals
2.CD Rapture is the second album by American vocalist Anita Baker, released in 1986. This became Baker’s breakout album and earning her two Grammy Awards. The album’s first track, “Sweet Love“, was a top 10 Billboard hit in addition to winning a Grammy Award. Baker teamed with former Chapter 8 bandmate Michael Powell for her Elektra debut, Rapture. It was released on March 20, 1986 and the follow-up project to Baker’s 1983 solo debut.
| 1. | “Sweet Love“ | Anita Baker, Louis A. Johnson, Gary Bias | 4:26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2. | “You Bring Me Joy” | David Lasley | 4:24 |
| 3. | “Caught Up in the Rapture“ | Garry Glenn, Dianne Quander | 5:17 |
| 4. | “Been So Long” | Baker | 5:07 |
| 5. | “Mystery” | Rod Temperton | 4:56 |
| 6. | “No One in the World” (Produced by Marti Sharron and Gary Skardina) | Ken Hirsch, Marti Sharron | 4:10 |
| 7. | “Same Ole Love (365 Days a Year)“ | Marilyn McLeod, Darryl K. Roberts | 4:05 |
| 8. | “Watch Your Step” | Baker | 4:54 |
- Anita Baker – lead vocals, backing vocals (1–6), keyboards (8)
- Dean “Sir” Gant – keyboards (1, 2, 4, 7, 8), arrangements
- Vernon D. Fails – keyboards (3, 5)
- Randy Kerber – keyboards (6)
- Greg Phillinganes – synthesizer overdubs (6)
- Paul Chiten – synthesizer overdubs (6)
- Greg Moore – guitar (1, 2, 7)
- Michael J. Powell – guitar (3, 5)
- Donald Griffin – guitar (4, 8)
- Dean Parks – lead guitar (6)
- Paul Jackson Jr. – rhythm guitar (6)
- Freddie Washington – bass (1, 2, 7)
- David B. Washington – bass (3, 5, 8)
- Jimmy Haslip – bass (4)
- Neil Stubenhaus – bass (6)
- Ricky Lawson – drums (1, 2, 4, 7, 8)
- “Priceless” (Garry Glenn) – 5:00
- “Lead Me into Love” (Steve Lane, Larry Prentiss) – 4:45
- “Giving You the Best That I Got” (Baker, Randy Holland, Skip Scarborough) – 4:18
- “Good Love” (Gary Taylor) – 5:39
- “Rules” (Graham Lamb, Phil Nicholl, Maggie Ryder) – 3:52
- “Good Enough” (Baker, James McBride) – 4:50
- “Just Because” (Alex Brown, Sammy McKinney, Michael O’Hara) – 5:13
- “You Belong to Me” (Terry Britten, Billy Livsey, Graham Lyle) – 3:50
Credits:
- Anita Baker – lead vocals, backing vocals (4, 5), BGV arrangements (5)
- Robbie Buchanan – keyboards (1, 2, 5, 7), synthesizer programming (1, 2, 7, 8), string arrangements (7)
- Vernon D. Fails – keyboards (1-4, 6)
- Dave Boruff – synthesizer programming (1, 8), saxophone (8)
- George Duke – acoustic piano (2)
- Bobby Lyle – acoustic piano (2)
- Dean “Sir” Gant – acoustic piano (3, 6)
- Gary Taylor – keyboards (4)
- Joseph Vitarelli – Synclavier (4)
- Peter Schwartz – keyboards (5)
- Bruce Nazarian – Synclavier programming (5)
- Reginald “Sonny” Burke – keyboards (8)
- Patrick Moten – keyboards (8)
- Neal Walker – keyboards (8)
- Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar (1, 2, 5, 7)
- Michael J. Powell – guitar (1, 2, 4, 5, 8), string arrangements (7)
- Donnie Lyle – guitar (4)
- Nathan East – bass (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7)
- Omar Hakim – drums (1, 2, 3, 6)
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion (1, 2, 3, 5, 6)
- Gerald Albright – saxophone (6)
- Courtlen Hale – saxophone (8)
- Chuck Findley – trumpet (8)
- Paul Riser – string arrangements (1, 2)
4.CD Compositions is the fourth album by American R&B/soul singer Anita Baker. The album peaked at #5 on the US Billboard 200 and was certified platinum in 1990, making it Baker’s third platinum selling album. The album also won the Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 1991 Grammy Awards. Compositions would be the last album and collaboration between Baker and producer Michael J. Powell.
- “Talk to Me” (Baker, Vernon Fails, Michael Powell) – 5:03
- “Perfect Love Affair” (Baker, Joel Davis) – 5:19
- “Whatever It Takes” (Baker, Marc Gordon, Gerald LeVert) – 5:35
- “Soul Inspiration” (Terry Britten, Graham Lyle) – 5:17
- “Lonely” (Baker) – 4:29
- “No One to Blame” (Baker, Fails) – 4:41
- “More Than You Know” (Baker, Vernon Fails, Michael Powell) – 4:48
- “Love You to The Letter” (James McBride) – 7:20
- “Fairy Tales” (Baker, Fails, Powell) – 7:55
Credits:
- Anita Baker – lead and backing vocals
- Vernon Fails – keyboards
- Greg Phillinganes – acoustic piano, backing vocals (7)
- Ben Keys – programming
- David Ward – programming
- Michael J. Powell – guitar (1-4, 6, 7, 9), backing vocals (7)
- Earl Klugh – guitar (7)
- Nathan East – bass, backing vocals (7)
- Ricky Lawson – drums (1, 4, 5, 7)
- Steve Ferrone – drums (2, 3, 6, 8, 9)
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion (1, 2, 4-9)
- Perri (Carol, Darlene, Lori and Sharon Perry) – backing vocals (2, 4, 7), BGV arrangement (4)
5.CD Rhythm of Love is the fifth album by American R&B/soul singer Anita Baker, released in 1994. The album peaked at #3 on the U.S. Billboard 200. This is the first album since 1983’s The Songstress by Baker not to be produced by longtime collaborator Michael J. Powell, who had agreed to split the arrangement after the release of Baker’s 1990 album, Compositions. The album’s first single, “Body and Soul“, gave Baker her first top 40 hit since 1989. “You Belong to Me” is a cover of the Carly Simon classic, not to be confused with the song of the same title that Baker recorded for her 1988 album Giving You the Best That I Got.
- “Rhythm of Love” (Anita Baker, Patrick Moten) – 5:50
- “The Look of Love” (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) – 4:47
- “Body and Soul” (Rick Nowels, Ellen Shipley) – 5:42
- “Baby” (Baker) – 4:25
- “I Apologize” (Baker, Barry J. Eastmond, Gordon Chambers) – 5:09
- “Plenty of Room” (Baker) – 4:57
- “It’s Been You” (Sami McKinney, Michael O’Hara, Mary Unobsky) – 4:59
- “You Belong to Me” (Carly Simon, Michael McDonald) – 4:41
- “Wrong Man” (Baker) – 5:51
- “Only for a While” (Dawn Thomas) – 5:16
- “Sometimes I Wonder Why” (Mike Reid, Mack David) – 4:37
- “My Funny Valentine” (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – 5:06
Credits:
- Anita Baker – lead vocals, backing vocals (1, 3, 4, 6-10), acoustic piano intro (1), synth percussion (1), arrangements (1-4, 6, 7, 9, 11), vocal arrangements (2, 5, 12), BGV arrangements (8)
- Michael Bradford – acoustic piano intro (1), synthesizer programming (1)
- Barry J. Eastmond – acoustic piano (1, 3, 4, 5, 7), Rhodes (1, 3), synth bass (1), strings (1, 3), string arrangements (3), keyboards (5, 6), drum programming (5), arrangements (5, 7), synthesizers (7), synth solo (9), string pads (9)
- George Duke – additional percussion (1), percussion (3, 4, 6, 12), synth strings (6), electronic drums(6), Synclavier programming (woodwinds, bass, drums) (12), acoustic piano (12), Yamaha TX816 Rhodes (12), synth solo (12), arrangements (12)
- Joe Mardin – keyboards (2, 10), programming (2, 10), arrangements (2, 10, 11), cymbals (8), hi-hats(8), drums (11), strings and woodwinds (11)
- Joe Sample – acoustic piano (2, 11)
- Eddie Howard – acoustic piano solo (3)
- Luis Resto – Rhodes (4), vamp piano (4), synth pads (4), synth bass (4), acoustic piano (9), Ensoniqsynthesizers (9), bass (9), drum and percussion programming (9), arrangements (9)
- Sammy Merendino – synthesizers (7), programming (7)
- Robbie Kondor – keyboards (8), programming (8)
- Greg Phillinganes – acoustic piano (10)
- Michael Thompson – rhythm guitar (1)
- Dean Parks – guitar (2, 3, 10)
- Paul Peterson – guitar (2), rhythm guitar (10)
- Steve Bargonetti – guitar (6)
- Ira Siegel – guitar (6, 7), guitar solo (7)
- Georg Wadenius – guitar (7)
- John McCurry – guitar (8)
- Bucky Pizzarelli – guitar (11)
- Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar (12)
- Nathan East – bass (3, 4)
- James Genus – bass (6)
- Anthony Jackson – bass (7, 8)
- Charnett Moffett – bass (11)
- Steve Ferrone – drums (1, 3, 4)
