More Than Friends (album) explained
| More Than Friends |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Jonathan Butler |
| Cover: | More Than Friends (album).jpg |
| Released: | 1988 |
| Studio: | Battery (London, England)- East Bay Studios (Tarrytown, New York)
- Axis Studios, Z Studios, Mastersound, Soundtrack Studios, Soundworks (New York City, New York)
|
| Genre: | Pop, jazz |
| Label: | Jive[1] |
| Producer: | Barry Eastmond, Loris Holland, Timmy Allen, Teddy Riley |
| Prev Title: | Jonathan Butler |
| Prev Year: | 1987 |
| Next Title: | Heal Our Land |
| Next Year: | 1990 |
More Than Friends is an album by the South African musician Jonathan Butler, released in 1988.[2] [3] The title track was released as a single.[4]
The album peaked at No. 113 on the Billboard 200.[5] Butler supported the album by touring with Najee and Angela Bofill.[6]
Production
Butler made it a point to avoid writing about South Africa and its politics.[7] He added elements of hip hop to his sound on More Than Friends; "True Love Never Fails", a duet with Vanessa Bell Armstrong, incorporated gospel influences.[8] [9] [10] Butler did not feel like he was abandoning jazz so much as becoming more aware of popular music styles.[11] "Sekona" is an instrumental.[12]
Critical reception
The Washington Post opined that Butler "has all but abandoned whatever musical and vocal distinctiveness he once had in favor of his copycat commercial bent."[13] The Austin American-Statesman determined that the music "is upbeat and infectious with a backbeat that overpowers its occasional lapses into formulaic radio fare."[14] The Richmond Times-Dispatch called More Than Friends a "slickly produced album" that "moves toward the pop mainstream."[15]
AllMusic wrote that the album "continued the de-emphasis on his guitar playing, and was his biggest, most lavishly produced set."
Track listing
CD track listing
Personnel
- Jonathan Butler – vocals (1-10, 12), backing vocals (1, 3, 5, 7, 9-12), acoustic guitar (3-6, 11, 12), lead guitar (8)
- Barry Eastmond – keyboards (1, 3-7, 9-12), drum programming (1, 5, 6, 9), programming (3, 7, 11, 12), acoustic piano solo (7), synth bass (9), percussion (11)
- Loris Holland – keyboards (2, 5), drum programming (5), backing vocals (5)
- Pete Q. Harris – Fairlight programming (1, 2)
- Jim Baker – Fairlight programming (2)
- Eric Rehl – keyboards (7), programming (7)
- Teddy Riley – keyboards (8), drum programming (8)
- Lance Saban – electric guitars (2)
- Wayne Braithwaite – bass guitar (2, 4, 10)
- Timmy Allen – drum programming (3, 7), backing vocals (3, 7)
- Steve Ferrone – drums (4)
- Buddy Williams – drum overdubs (5), drums (11)
- Terry Silverlight – drums (10, 12)
- Bashiri Johnson – percussion (3, 4)
- V. Jeffrey Smith – saxophone (2, 5), backing vocals (2)
- Najee – alto saxophone (9)
- Marc Russo – alto saxophone (10)
- Will Downing – backing vocals (1)
- Curtis King – backing vocals (1, 3, 5, 9, 10, 12)
- Cindy Mizelle – backing vocals (1)
- Joyce Stovall – backing vocals (1, 2)
- Darryl Tookes – backing vocals (1, 7)
- Audrey Wheeler – backing vocals (1, 3), voice (1)
- Deborah Cooper – backing vocals (2, 9, 10, 12)
- Natalie Jackson – backing vocals (2)
- Paulette McWilliams – backing vocals (2)
- Sandra St. Victor – backing vocals (2)
- Vanessa Bell Armstrong – vocals (5)
- Alfa Anderson – backing vocals (5)
- Jocelyn Brown – backing vocals (5)
- Marva King – backing vocals (5)
- Charmaine Yates – backing vocals (5)
- The Darryl Douglas Workshop Choir – choir (5)
- Darryl Douglas – choral arrangements and conductor (5)
- Lee Drakeford – backing vocals (8)
- Aaron Hall – backing vocals (8)
- Yolanda Lee – backing vocals (9, 10, 12)
- Vaneese Thomas – backing vocals (9, 10, 12)
- Janice Dempsey – backing vocals (11)
- Brenda White-King – backing vocals (11)
Production
- Barry Eastmond – producer (1, 3-7, 9-12)
- Loris Holland – producer (2, 5)
- Timmy Allen – producer (3, 7)
- Teddy Riley – producer (8)
- Nigel Green – mixing (1, 10, 12)
- Bryan "Chuck" New – mixing (2-9, 11)
- Mike Allaire – recording engineer
- Ron Banks – recording engineer
- Carl Beatty – recording engineer
- JC – recording engineer
- Bill Esses – recording engineer
- Don Feinberg – recording engineer
- Jim Hanneman – recording engineer
- Dennis Mitchell – recording engineer
- Jonathan Elliott – design
- Zombart – design
- Peter Mountain – photography
- Sheila Rock – photography
Notes and References
- Book: Thompson, Dave. Goldmine Record Album Price Guide. April 2, 2019. Penguin.
- Web site: Jonathan Butler Biography, Songs, & Albums. AllMusic.
- News: Duffy . Thom . Music . Orlando Sentinel . 27 Nov 1988 . Calendar . 7.
- News: Heckman . Don . Jonathan Butler Did It—A Star in the Making . Los Angeles Times . 28 Mar 1989 . Calendar . 6.
- Book: Whitburn . Joel . Top Pop Albums . 2010 . Record Research Inc. . 123 . 7th.
- News: Jones IV . James T. . Good Friends tour fuses jazz and soul . USA Today . 28 Feb 1989 . 5D.
- News: Gallo . Phil . South African Butler tries his hand at apolitical pop . New Haven Register . February 17, 1989 . Weekend Guide . 34.
- News: Miller . Michael . Jonathan Butler, Jack of All-Musical Trades, to Perform . The State . February 17, 1989 . Columbia . 1B.
- News: DeVault . Russ . South African Jonathan Butler Overcame Drug Addiction to Make Musical Comeback . The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . March 10, 1989 . D10.
- News: Smith . Brad . Butler's star quality shines at Paramount . The Republican . February 21, 1989 . Springfield . Living . 27.
- News: Ruffin . Mark . Former South African idol finds more success in U.S. . Chicago Sun-Times . March 3, 1989 . Weekend Plus . 25.
- News: Eichenberger . Bill . 3 Offer Ups, Downs and Even Some Jazz . The Columbus Dispatch . March 3, 1989 . 8D.
- News: Brown . Joe . On the evidence of the less-than-enthralling 'More Than Friends'... . The Washington Post . 24 Feb 1989 . N19.
- News: Point . Michael . Jivin' Jonathan . Austin American-Statesman . 17 Mar 1989 . F1.
- News: Farmer . Robin . Childhood Gift Fashioned South African Musicians's Life . Richmond Times-Dispatch . February 24, 1989 . C1.
