Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade

1990 studio album by Soul II Soul

Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade is a 1990 album by Soul II Soul. The album reached No. 1 in the UK in May 1990, and contained three UK hits, "Get a Life", which reached No. 3 (and which peaked at No. 54 on America's Billboard Hot 100), "A Dream's a Dream", which made No. 6 (and peaked at No. 85 on the Hot 100), and "Missing You", which reached No. 22 (and did not chart on the Hot 100).

The album was recorded following the departure of Caron Wheeler (the Soul II Soul collective's best known singer). Guest performers included singers Kym Mazelle, Lamya, Marcia Lewis, and Victoria Wilson-James, saxophonist Courtney Pine and New York hip-hop scenester Fab 5 Freddy.

Critical reception

Reviewing Vol. II for Spin, Nathaniel Wice found Soul II Soul's music successful at communicating positivity "in a sly, critical way." "Soul II Soul's harmony," he wrote, "works because it is part of a movement defined in adversity to racism, materialism and Britain's attempts to regulate parties."^[11]

Track listing

Personnel

• Jazzie B - musical director, co-producer, mixing, vocals on "Get a Life" & "Our Time Has Now Come"
• Nellee Hooper - co-producer, mixing
• Tony "Dobie" Campbell - assistant producer
• Howard Bernstein - engineer
• Marcia Lewis - vocals on "Get a Life", "People"
• Philip "Daddae" Harvey - vocals on "Get a Life"; guitars/percussion/keyboards (uncredited)
• Lamya Hafidh Sultan Al-Mugheiry - vocals on "Love Come Through" & "In the Heat of the Night"
• Kym Mazelle - vocals on "Missing You"
• Courtney Pine - saxophone on "Courtney Blows"
• Pinise Sula - vocals on "1990. A New Decade" & "Our Time Has Now Come"
• Sonti Mndebele - vocals on "1990. A New Decade" & "Our Time Has Now Come"
• Nomsa Caluza - vocals on "1990. A New Decade" & "Our Time Has Now Come"
• Bambi Fazakerley - vocals on "1990. A New Decade" & "Our Time Has Now Come"
• Victoria Wilson-James - vocals on "A Dream's a Dream"
• Fred "Fab 5 Freddy" Brathwaite - vocals on "Our Time Has Now Come"
• Simon Law - keyboards (uncredited)
• Michael McEvoy - piano 'People', 'A Dreams A Dream' and 'Time', keyboards 'Love Come Through', 'Missing You'

Charts

Certifications

See also

• List of number-one albums from the 1990s (UK)

References

1. Henderson, Alex. "Vol II: 1990 – A New Decade – Soul II Soul". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
2. Kot, Greg (31 May 1990). "Soul II Soul: Vol. II, 1990—A New Decade (Virgin)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
3. Sandow, Greg (1 June 1990). "Vol. II 1990 A New Decade". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
4. Hunt, Dennis (27 May 1990). "Soul II Soul 'Vol. II—1990—A New Decade' Virgin". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
5. Hewitt, Paolo (19 May 1990). "Jazzie's Dream". NME. p. 32.
6. Halasa, Malu (19 May 1990). "Soul II Soul: Vol II (1990 A New Decade)". Record Mirror. p. 19.
7. Considine, J. D. (28 June 1990). "Soul II Soul: Vol. II 1990 – A New Decade". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 8 October 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
8. Considine, J. D. (2004). "Soul II Soul". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 762. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
9. Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade (press advertisement). 10 Records. 1990. Archived from the original on 5 August 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
10. Christgau, Robert (31 July 1990). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
11. Wice, Nathaniel (August 1990). "Soul II Soul: Vol. II: 1990 A New Decade". Spin. Vol. 6, no. 5. p. 74. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
12. "Australiancharts.com – Soul II Soul – 1990 A New Decade Vol. II". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
13. "Austriancharts.at – Soul II Soul – 1990 A New Decade Vol. II" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
14. "Dutchcharts.nl – Soul II Soul – 1990 A New Decade Vol. II" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
15. "Offiziellecharts.de – Soul II Soul – 1990 A New Decade Vol. II" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
16. "Charts.nz – Soul II Soul – 1990 A New Decade Vol. II". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
17. "Swedishcharts.com – Soul II Soul – 1990 A New Decade Vol. II". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
18. "Swisscharts.com – Soul II Soul – 1990 A New Decade Vol. II". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
19. "Soul II Soul | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
20. "Soul II Soul Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
21. "Soul II Soul Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
22. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
23. "Top Selling Albums of 1990". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
24. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
25. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1990 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
26. "Canadian album certifications – Soul II Soul – Volume II 1990 – A New Decade". Music Canada. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
27. "British album certifications – Soul II Soul – Club Classics Vol Ii - 1990 A New Decade". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
28. "American album certifications – Soul II Soul – 1990 – A New Decade". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 20 February 2021.

External links

• Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade at Discogs (list of releases)