Word Up! (album) explained

Word Up!
Type:	studio
Artist:	Cameo
Cover:	Cameo-Word Up! (album cover).jpg
Recorded:	1985–1986
Genre:	Funk
Length:	34:46
Label:	Atlanta Artists
Producer:	Larry Blackmon
Prev Title:	Single Life
Prev Year:	1985
Next Title:	Machismo
Next Year:	1988

Word Up! is the 13th studio album by American funk group Cameo, released in 1986. The album reached number 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, number 8 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, and was certified Platinum by the RIAA for sales of over 1 million copies. It took Cameo to their highest level of popularity, and solidified them as one of the most successful bands of the 1980s.^[1] The album includes three of their biggest hit singles, "Word Up!", "Candy", and "Back and Forth".

Track listing

• Tracks 1–3, 6 and 7 published by All Seeing Eye Music-Better Days Music.
• Tracks 4 and 5 published by All Seeing Eye Music-Better Days Music-Better Nights Music.

Personnel

Cameo

• Larry Blackmon – lead vocals, bass guitar, drums, percussion, backing vocals
• Tomi Jenkins – lead vocals, backing vocals
• Nathan Leftenant – backing vocals

Additional musicians

• Kevin Kendrick – keyboards
• Charlie Singleton – guitar, backing vocals
• Stanley Clarke, Aaron Mills – bass guitar
• Michael Burnett – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Bernard Wright, Eric Rehl, Kenni Hairston, Kevin Kendrick, Merv de Peyer – keyboards
• Duduka Fonseca, Giovanni Hidalgo, Steve Thornton – percussion
• Melvin Wells – saxophone, backing vocals
• Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone (solo on "Candy", "Don't Be Lonely" and "She's Mine")
• Randy Brecker – trumpet
• Arno Hecht – tenor saxophone
• Crispin Cioe – alto saxophone, baritone saxophone
• Robert Funk – trombone
• Paul Litteral – trumpet
• Sammy Merendino – drum programming
• Pat Buchanan – guitars
• Peter Scherer – Synclavier programming
• Willie Morris – backing vocals

Critical reception

Accolades

Word Up! was ranked number 5 among the "Albums of the Year" by NME.^[2]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1986)	Peak position
Australian Albums Chart^[3]	75
Canadian Albums Chart	72
Dutch Albums Chart^[4]	48
German Albums Chart	34
New Zealand Albums Chart^[5]	13
Switzerland Albums Chart^[6]	30
UK Albums Chart^[7]	7
US Billboard 200^[8]	8
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums	1

Notes and References

1. Web site: One of the most successful bands of the 80s.. O'Donnell. David. 11 December 2008. BBC. 28 March 2010.
2. Albums and Tracks of the Year . 2018 . . September 19, 2018 .
3. Book: Kent, David. Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. 0-646-11917-6. 1993. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W..
4. Web site: Discografie Cameo - dutchcharts.nl.
5. Web site: charts.nz - Discography Cameo. charts.nz. 26 December 2018.
6. Web site: Cameo - hitparade.ch. hitparade.ch. 26 December 2018.
7. Web site: CAMEO - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company. www.officialcharts.com. 25 December 2018.
8. [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=cameo|chart=all}} Word Up! - Cameo]. Billboard. 28 March 2010.