Michel'le (album) explained

Michel'le
Type:	studio
Artist:	Michel'le
Cover:	Michel'le (album).jpg
Released:	October 23, 1989
Recorded:	1989
Genre:	New jack swing
Length:	45:28
Producer:	Dr. Dre Andre "L.A. Dre" Bolton
Next Title:	Hung Jury
Next Year:	1998

Michel'le is the debut studio album by American singer Michel'le. It was released on October 23, 1989, on Ruthless Records, Atco Records and Atlantic Records. The album was co produced by Dr. Dre of N.W.A and André “LA Dre” Bolton. The album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America five weeks after its release.^[1]

Commercial performance

Following its release, the record reached number 35 on the Billboard 200 and number five on the Top R&B Albums chart. Five singles were released, "No More Lies", "Nicety", "If?", "Something in My Heart" and "Keep Watchin'". The most successful of these was "No More Lies", which peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart.^[2]

New York rapper Tim Dog sampled the song "No More Lies" in his track "Fuck Compton", a diss song towards West Coast hip hop, from his 1991 album Penicillin on Wax. In 2004, P-Dub sampled "Something in My Heart" in his song "4 Walls the After Effect". Song "If?" was sampled in Kehlani's 2014 song "As I Am".

Critical reception

The Record noted that "the young singer makes her mark [on] the slow-paced songs, which allow Michel'le to stretch, emote, and show the full range of her voice, at times reminiscent of Anita Baker's."^[3]

Track listing

Notes

• "Silly Love Song" is a cover of "Silly Love Song" by Enchantment (1977)

Samples

• "No More Lies" sampled "Funky Drummer" by James Brown (1970)
• "Nicety" sampled "Funky President (People It's Bad)" by James Brown (1974) and "Action" by Orange Krush (1982)
• "Keep Watchin'" sampled "Think (About It)" by Lyn Collins (1972)
• "100% Woman" sampled "Blow Your Head" by Fred Wesley & the J.B.'s (1974)

Personnel

• Michel'le Toussaint - lead vocals, backing vocals (tracks 1, 8)
• LaShana Dendy (X's3 / Times 3) - backing vocals (tracks 4, 5)
• Michael Holmes - backing vocals (tracks 3, 11)
• Denise West - backing vocals (track 7)
• Karen Foster - backing vocals (track 7)
• Vivien Jackson - backing vocals (track 7)
• Andre "L.A. Dre" Bolton - keyboards, co-producer
• Andre Young - keyboards (track 1), producer, mixing
• Donald Tavie - keyboards (track 7)
• Bruce "Mal" Malament - piano (tracks 3, 7, 11)
• Stan Jones - bass & guitar (track 7)
• Dennis Belfield - bass (tracks 3, 11)
• Mike Sims - guitar, recording
• Ron Krasinski - drums (tracks 3, 11)
• Brian Kilgore - percussion
• Michael Acosta - saxophone
• William Zimmerman - saxophone
• Brian Gardner - mastering
• Antoine Carraby - mixing
• Donovan "The Dirtbiker" Sound - recording
• Eric Wright - executive producer
• Elizabeth Barrett - design
• David Roth - photography

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (1990)	Position
US Billboard 200^[5]	87
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[6]	16

Notes and References

1. News: Gold & Platinum - RIAA. April 25, 1990. RIAA. en-US.
2. http://www.billboard.com/artist/310953/michelle/chart Michel'le - Chart Singles history
3. News: Jaeger . Barbara . Michel'le's Soulful Voice Shines Through . The Record . March 8, 1990 . C7.
4. Web site: Michel'le ARIA Chart History complete to 2024. ARIA. Imgur.com. July 26, 2024. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
5. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1990. Billboard. November 14, 2020.
6. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1990. Billboard. November 14, 2020.
7. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1991. Billboard. November 14, 2020.