1981 studio album by Deniece Williams
My Melody is the fifth studio album by American singer Deniece Williams, released in March 1981 by ARC/Columbia Records. The album reached No. 13 on the Billboard Top Soul LPs chart.[1] My Melody was certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.[2]
Overview
"Silly" and "What Two Can Do" were released as singles with each peaking at No. 11 and No. 17, respectively, on the Billboard R&B singles chart.
Critical reception
Andrew Hamilton of AllMusic declared: "Deniece's heavenly soprano is as impressive as ever under the guidance of producer Thom Bell. The sweet Philly sound architect keeps Williams' expressive, high-range vocals under wraps, transforming her into a bel canto singer on eight delightful selections."[3] The Philadelphia Inquirer opined that "although her roots are R&B, Miss Williams transcends easy categorisation with this collection of material and her versatile presentation."[4] Stephen Holden of The New York Times found that "My Melody, Miss Williams's fourth solo album, is an inspired collaboration with Thom Bell, the Philadelphia songwriter and producer whose hits with the Stylistics and the Spinners in the early 70's epitomized pop-soul elegance."[6] Phyl Garland of Stereo Review wrote that "several of the songs have a comfortable, nestling down quality that makes the album, if not one of her best, at least easy to enjoy."[7]
Track listing
Charts
Personnel
Musicians
- Deniece Williams – lead vocals
- Thom Bell – keyboards, backing vocals, arrangements and conductor
- George Merrill – keyboards, backing vocals
- Bobby Eli – guitars
- Bill Neale – guitars
- Bob Babbitt – bass
- Charles Collins – drums
- Ed Shea – percussion
- Larry Washington – percussion
- Don Renaldo – strings, horns
- Carl Helm – backing vocals
Production
- Producers – Thom Bell and Deniece Williams
- Production Coordination – JoDee Omar and Bo Ryan
- Rhythm Tracks and Vocals engineered by Jim Gallagher and Don Murray.
- Strings and Horns engineered by Jim Gallagher and Arthur Stoppe.
- Mixed by Don Murray at Monterey Sound Studios (Glendale, CA).
- Mastered by Mike Reese at The Mastering Lab (Los Angeles, CA).
- Art Direction – Desmond Strobel
- Photography – Charles William Bush
- Fashions – Ann Taylor
References
- ^ "Deniece Williams: My Melody (Top Soul Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
- ^ "Deniece Williams: My Melody". riaa.com. RIAA.
- ^ a b Hamilton, Andrew. "Deniece Williams: My Melody". allmusic.com. AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Deniece Williams: My Melody". newspapers.com. The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 29, 1981. p. 80.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 766.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (April 26, 1981). "TWO TASTEFULLY OPULENT RELEASES". The New York Times.
- ^ Garland, Phyl (August 1981). "Denice Williams: My Melody" (PDF). Stereo Review. Vol. 46, no. 8. p. 83. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
- ^ "Deniece Williams Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ "Deniece Williams Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1981". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1981". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
