1994 studio album by Vanessa Williams
The Sweetest Days Released December 6, 1994 (1994-12-06 ) Recorded January 1993–October 1994 Studio Genre Length 52 :08 Label
Producer
The Sweetest Days is the third studio album by American singer and actress Vanessa Williams . It was released on December 6, 1994, by Wing Records and Mercury Records . The album peaked at number 57 on the US Billboard 200 and at number 25 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[ 5]
The album includes the singles "You Can't Run", "Betcha Never", "The Way That You Love ", and the title track . It also includes the first recording of the song "Higher Ground" later covered by Barbra Streisand as the title track from her 1997 self-titled album , as well as cover versions of songs previously recorded by Patti Austin and Sting . The album was re-released in 1995 with the additional track "Colors of the Wind ", the theme from the Disney animated film Pocahontas .
"The Way That You Love" and "You Can't Run" were nominated at the 1996 Grammy Awards for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female and Best R&B Song , respectively.
Track listing 1995 Target exclusive edition (bonus CD single) Title Writer(s) Producer(s) 1. "For All the Children" 3:20 2. "Colors of the Wind" (radio mix) Thomas 4:18
Notes ^[a] signifies a co-producer
Personnel Adapted from AllMusic .[ 7]
Abenaa – composer, background vocals
Laythan Armor – arranger, composer, fender rhodes, programming, rhythm arrangements
Ryan Arnold – assistant engineer
Patti Austin – composer
Roy Ayers – guest artist, vibraphone
Babyface – composer, drum programming, guest artist, keyboards, producer
Ron Blake – saxophone
Anthony Block – cover typeset
Jeff Bova – keyboards, mellotron, programming, strings, synthesizer programming
Gerry Brown – arranger, composer, guitar, keyboards, mixing, electric piano, producer, special effects, tape effects
Jackie Brown – assistant producer, production assistant
Larry Carlton – guest artist, guitar
Eric Carmen – composer
Bryan Carrigan – assistant engineer
Ron Carter – acoustic bass, guest artist
Marietta Ciriello – stylist
Tim Conklin – assistant engineer
Mick Corey – technical support
Dominic Cortese – accordion
Martin Czembor – assistant engineer
Paulinho Da Costa – guest artist, percussion
Kenwood Dennard – drums
Joel Diamond – organ
J. Dibbs – arranger, composer, producer, programming, rhythm arrangements
Tim Donovan – assistant engineer
Steve Dorff – composer
Derek Duffey – production assistant
Barry Duryea – technical support
Suzanne Dyer – assistant engineer
Ed Eckstine – executive producer
Peter Erskine – drums
Tabitha Fair – background vocals
Brent Fischer – orchestration, strings orchestrator
Clare Fischer – conductor, string arrangements
Eric Fischer – assistant engineer
Phil Galdston – arranger, composer, keyboards, producer, synthesizer, synthesizer programming, vocal arrangement
Odile Gilbert – hair stylist
Brad Gilderman – engineer
Carl Glanville – assistant engineer
Carl Gorodetzky – contractor
George Gree – composer
Roger Guth – composer
Mick Guzauski – mixing
Mark Hammond – drum programming, programming
Roy Hargrove – guest artist, trumpet
Kenny Hicks – vocal arrangement, background vocals
Dann Huff – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Ronn Huff – conductor, string arrangements
Bunny Hull – composer, background vocals
Anthony Jackson – bass
Tim Leitner – assistant engineer, engineer, mixing assistant
Jon Lind – composer
Peter Lindbergh – photography
Marty Maidenberg – artwork, cover design, package layout
Bill Malina – digital editing, engineer, mixing
Stephanie Marais – make-up
James Mayer – composer
Peter Mayer – composer
Brian McKnight – guest artist
Joe Mennona – accordion
Vaughn Merrick – assistant engineer
Jay Militscher – assistant engineer
Jen Monnar – assistant engineer
Todd Moore – production coordination
Nick Moroch – arranger, composer, guitar, guitars, mandolin, mellotron, synthesizer, synthesizer bass
James Murphy – drums
The Nashville String Machine – strings
Marty Ogden – assistant engineer
Pino Palladino – bass, bass slide
Greg Parker – assistant engineer
Leon Pendarvis – piano
Jamey Perenot – assistant engineer
Greg Phillinganes – fender rhodes
Joe Pirrera – assistant engineer
Herb Powers – mastering
Morris Repass – conductor, string contractor
Marnie Riley – assistant engineer
Max Risenhoover – digital Editing
Donald Robinson – composer
Rory Romano – assistant engineer
Armand Sabal-Lecco – bass
Philippe Saisse – keyboards, piano
Al Schmitt – engineer
Ivy Scott – production coordination
Mike Scott – mixing, assistant engineer
Ira Siegel – guitar
Ricardo Silveira – guitar
Dexter Simmons – assistant engineer
Artie Smith – technical support
Bill Smith – assistant engineer
Robert Smith – assistant engineer
Soul Man – rap
Brian Sperber – assistant engineer
Carol Steele – percussion
Sting – composer, guest artist, background vocals
Casey Stone – assistant Engineer
Toots Thielemans – guest artist, harmonica
Keith Thomas – arranger, bass, piano, producer, programming, string arrangements, synthesizer programming
Chris Thompson – art direction
Fonzi Thornton – background vocals
Wendy Waldman – composer
Randy Walker – MIDI programming, programming
Brock Walsh – arranger, composer, vocal arrangement, background vocals
Bill Whittington – engineer, mixing
Christian "Wicked" Wicht – technical support
King Williams – assistant engineer
Vanessa Williams – arranger, lead vocals, primary artist, producer, vocal arrangement, vocals, background vocals
Victor Winograd – cartage
Dann Wojnar – assistant engineer
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
^ a b Jones, Bob (September 1995). "Vanessa Williams: Sweetest Days " (PDF) . Muzik . No. 4. p. 81. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2022. "Sweetest Days" is a heady mixture of contemporary R&B, straight pop ballads, and some unplugged acoustic items
^ AllMusic review
^ Dyson, Michael Eric (9 March 1995). "Recordings". Rolling Stone . Vol. 703.
^ Consumer Guide: Vanessa Williams
^ a b "American album certifications – Vanessa Williams – The Sweetest Days" . Recording Industry Association of America . August 1, 1995. Retrieved December 13, 2018 .
^ "Sweetest Days : Vanessa Williams" . HMV Japan . Retrieved May 11, 2022 .
^ The Sweetest Days - Vanessa Williams | Credits | AllMusic , retrieved 2023-02-11
^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 303.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Vanessa Williams – The Sweetest Days" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts . Retrieved March 14, 2021.
^ "スウィーテスト・デイ" (in Japanese). Oricon . Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023 .
^ "Vanessa Williams Chart History (Billboard 200)" . Billboard . Retrieved March 14, 2021.
^ "Vanessa Williams Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)" . Billboard . Retrieved March 14, 2021.
^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995" . Billboard . Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021 .
^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1995" . Billboard . Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021 .
^ "Japanese album certifications – ヴァネッサ・ウィリアムス (Vanessa Williams) – スウィーテスト・デイズ (The Sweetest Days)" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan . Retrieved March 23, 2020 . Select 1995年2月 on the drop-down menu
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