Forever My Lady

Forever My Lady is the debut studio album by American R&B quartet Jodeci, released May 28, 1991, by Uptown Records and MCA Records. The album's production and composition was largely attributed to DeVante Swing, who worked alongside Grammy-nominated producer Al B. Sure! to craft the album's sound. Recording sessions took place at various recording studios during 1990 to 1991, and was relentlessly worked upon in order to shift the consensus with R&B music. The duo worked to add more of a hip-hop sound to the album, incorporating synthesizer-heavy rhythm tracks to complement the alternating themes discussed throughout the album, ranging from passionate and elegant songs about love, to energetic and swaggering songs centered around sex and partying. The group's emotionally transparent lyrics are delivered in both rapped and sung verses, help to explore the feelings of love and seduction.

For the song, see Forever My Lady (song).
Forever My Lady
Studio album by
Jodeci
ReleasedMay 28, 1991
Recorded1990–1991
Genre
Length53:23
Label
Producer
Jodeci chronology
Forever My Lady
(1991)		 Diary of a Mad Band
(1993)
Singles from Forever My Lady
  1. "Gotta Love"
    Released: February 24, 1991
  2. "Forever My Lady"
    Released: August 13, 1991
  3. "Stay"
    Released: December 3, 1991
  4. "Come and Talk to Me"
    Released: March 10, 1992
  5. "I'm Still Waiting"
    Released: August 25, 1992

The album received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, who complimented the group's innovative nature when approaching the album, as well as its thematic choices and the production from Swing. Following an anticipated release, it debuted at number one on the Top R&B Albums on its first week, and peaked at eighteen on the U.S. Billboard 200. Three of the album's singles charted on the Billboard Hot 100, including the top-15 hit "Come and Talk to Me". Forever My Lady was soon certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and, as of August 1995, has sold over three million copies in the US and over eight million copies worldwide.[1]

Release and reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[3]
Los Angeles Times[4]

Arion Berger of Entertainment Weekly gave the effort a good review, calling the work "sophisticated beyond the band members' years" and noting that "if they can keep up the momentum of this commercially successful debut (which has already gone Top 40 on the Billboard pop album chart), Jodeci will be a force to be reckoned with."[3] Los Angeles Times critic Dennis Hunt was less impressed, writing that "the singing is so-so but the production is outstanding."[4]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Stay"Donald Earle DeGrate, Jr.
5:11
2."Come and Talk to Me"
  • DeVante Swing
  • Al B. Sure!
4:36
3."Forever My Lady"
  • DeGrate
  • Brown
  • DeVante Swing
  • Al B. Sure!
5:20
4."I'm Still Waiting"DeGrate
  • DeVante Swing
  • Al B. Sure!
4:21
5."U&I"DeGrate
  • DeVante Swing
  • Al B. Sure!
4:04
6."Interlude (553-Nasty)"DeGrateDeVante Swing1:47
7."My Phone"DeGrate
  • DeVante Swing
  • Al B. Sure!
5:49
8."Gotta Love"
DeVante Swing4:43
9."Play Thang"DeGrateDeVante Swing4:45
10."It's Alright"DeGrateDeVante Swing4:36
11."Treat U"DeGrateDeVante Swing3:42
12."Xs We Share"DeGrateDeVante Swing4:29
13."Cherish" (bonus track, originally from the Fried Green Tomatoes soundtrack)Terry KirkmanDeVante Swing3:59

Personnel

Adapted from Allmusic.[5]

  • Art Direction – Reiner Design Consultants
  • Assistant Engineering – Ellen Fitton, Michael Gilbert, Marnie Riley, Jay A. Ryan
  • Engineering – Paul Logus, Dennis Mitchell, Mark Partis
  • Mastering – Herb Powers
  • Writer - Al B. Sure
  • Mixing – Al B. Sure, Mick Guzauski
  • Multi-Instruments – DeVante Swing
  • Production Coordination – Eloise Bryan
  • Programming – Al B. Sure!, Dalvin DeGrate, DeVante Swing

Charts

Singles
Year Single Peak
positions[13]
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 U.S. Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks U.S. Rhythmic Top 40
1991 "Gotta Love" — — 79 —
"Forever My Lady" 25 — 1 —
"Stay" 41 8 1 —
1992 "Come and Talk to Me" 11 18 1 7
1992 "I'm Still Waiting" 85 — 10 —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

References
  1. "allmusic - Forever My Lady > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Retrieved March 25, 2010.
  2. "allmusic ((( Forever My Lady > Review )))". Allmusic. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  3. Berger, Arion (November 15, 1991). "MUSIC REVIEW: Forever My Lady - Jodeci". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
  4. Hunt, Dennis (December 8, 1991). "POP MUSIC : What Albums to Buy . . . and to Avoid". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  5. "allmusic ((( Forever My Lady > Credits )))". Allmusic. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
  6. "Jodeci Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  7. "Jodeci Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  8. "Jodeci Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  9. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  10. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1992". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  11. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1992". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  12. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1993". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  13. "allmusic (((Forever My Lady > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles)))". Allmusic. Retrieved March 25, 2010.

See also
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