Back to Front (Lionel Richie album) explained

Back to Front
Type:	compilation
Artist:	Lionel Richie
Cover:	Lionel Richie Back to Front.jpg
Released:	May 5, 1992
Length:	68:18
Label:	Motown
Producer:	Lionel Richie Stewart Levine James Anthony Carmichael Commodores
Prev Title:	Dancing on the Ceiling
Prev Year:	1986
Next Title:	Louder Than Words
Next Year:	1996

Back to Front is the first compilation album by American singer Lionel Richie, which was released on May 5, 1992, by Motown Records. It contains songs from both his successful solo career and as part of the band the Commodores, along with three new tracks (1–3). The international version of the album also includes the tracks "Dancing on the Ceiling" and "Stuck on You". It debuted atop both the UK Albums Chart and the ARIA Albums Chart, and spent 12 weeks at number one on the Dutch Album Top 100. The single "Do It to Me" reached number 21 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.^[1]

Track listing

All songs performed by Lionel Richie, unless stated otherwise. All songs written by Lionel Richie, with additional writers noted.

Personnel

Tracks 1, 2 & 3

• Lionel Richie – lead vocals, keyboards, rhythm arrangements, vocal arrangements, backing vocals (1, 2)
• Brad Cole – synthesizers, synthesizer programming
• Michael Landau – guitars (1, 2, 3)
• David Williams – guitars (2)
• Freddie Washington – bass
• Quincy Jones III – drum programming (1, 2)
• Jim Keltner – drums (3)
• Lenny Castro – percussion
• Marc Russo – saxophone solo (1)
• Stewart Levine – rhythm arrangements
• Paul Buckmaster – horn and string orchestrations (2, 3)
• Jim Gilstrap, Terry Holcomb, Marva King, Darlene Koldenhoven, Laura Lombardo, Benjamin McCrary, Quincy McCrary, Eve Reinhardt, Alice Sanderson, Richard Stuart, Carmen Twillie and Myla Twillie – backing vocals (3)

Track 7

• Lionel Richie – lead vocals, vocal arrangements
• Diana Ross – lead vocals
• Reginald "Sonny" Burke – Fender Rhodes
• Barnaby Finch – acoustic piano
• Paul Jackson Jr. – electric guitar, acoustic guitar solo
• Fred Tackett – guitar
• Nathan East – bass
• Rick Shlosser – drums
• Gene Page – horn, rhythm and string arrangements
• Harry Bluestone – concertmaster

Production

• Stewart Levine – producer (1, 2, 3)
• Lionel Richie – producer (1-4, 7, 8, 10–15)
• James Anthony Carmichael – producer (4, 5, 6, 8-16)
• Commodores – producers (5, 6, 9, 14, 16)
• Darren Klein – recording (1, 2, 3), mixing (1, 2, 3)
• Marnie Riley – assistant engineer (1, 2, 3)
• Reginald Dozier – engineer (7)
• Guy Costa – mixing (7)
• Bernie Grundman – mastering
• Johnny Lee – art direction, design
• Matthew Rolston – photography

Studios

• Tracks 1, 2 & 3 recorded and mixed at Conway Studios (Hollywood, California).
• Track 7 recorded at Devonshire Sound Studios (Hollywood, California). Mixed at Motown Recording Studios (West Hollywood, California).
• Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, California).

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (1992)! scope="col"

Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[2]	6
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)^[3]	35
Canadian Albums (RPM)^[4]	69
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[5]	2
European Albums (European Top 100 Albums)^[6]	7
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[7]	16
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[8]	6
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[9]	14
US Billboard 200^[10]	100
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[11]	40

Chart (1993)! scope="col"

Position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[12]	16
European Albums (European Top 100 Albums)^[13]	98
UK Albums (OCC)^[14]	82

Chart (2001)! scope="col"

Position
UK Albums (OCC)^[15]	196

Notes and References

1. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 492.
2. Web site: ARIA Top 50 Albums of [1992]]. ARIA Charts. April 21, 2022.
3. Web site: Jahreshitparade Alben 1992. austriancharts.at. March 29, 2021.
4. The RPM Top 100 Albums of 1992. RPM. 56. 25. 13. December 19, 1992. April 21, 2022. February 25, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210225045251/http://rpmimages.3345.ca/pdfs/Volume+56-No.+25-December+19%2C+1992.pdf. live.
5. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 1992. dutchcharts.nl. March 29, 2021.
6. December 19, 1992 . 1992 Year-End Sales Charts . . 17 . April 21, 2022. March 8, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210308235759/https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/90s/92/MM-1992-12-19-OCR-Page-0017.pdf#search=%22year-end%20sales%20charts%20nirvana%20nevermind%22 . live .
7. Web site: Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts. de. GfK Entertainment. March 29, 2021.
8. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 1992. Recorded Music NZ. April 21, 2022. January 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210108020640/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=3881. live.
9. Web site: Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1992. hitparade.ch. March 29, 2021.
10. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1992. Billboard. March 29, 2021.
11. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1992. Billboard. March 29, 2021.
12. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 1993. dutchcharts.nl. March 29, 2021.
13. December 18, 1993 . 1993 Year-End Sales Charts - Eurochart Hot 100 Albums 1993 . . 15 . April 21, 2022 .
14. Top 100 Albums 1993. Music Week. January 15, 1994. 25. April 20, 2022.
15. Web site: The Official UK Albums Chart 2001. UKChartsPlus. April 1, 2021.