Songs (Luther Vandross album)

Songs the ninth studio album by American R&B/soul singer-songwriter Luther Vandross. It was released by Epic Records on September 20, 1994. The album, a collection of cover versions, produced the singles "Endless Love", "Always and Forever", and "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now". According to an interview both Luther and Mariah Carey had in Japan following their release of "Endless Love", there was mention that Carey had given advice as to what songs Vandross would cover in this album.[5][6]

Songs
Studio album by Luther Vandross
Released	September 20, 1994 (U.S.)
Recorded	1993–94
Studio	Various The Hit Factory Right Track Recording Sony Music Studios (New York, New York) The Record Plant (Hollywood, California) The Plant Recording Studios (Sausalito, California) Abbey Road Studios (London, United Kingdom)
Genre	R&B soul pop
Label	Epic
Producer	Walter Afanasieff Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross chronology
Never Let Me Go (1993) Songs (1994) This Is Christmas (1995)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	C[2]
Los Angeles Times	[3]
Rolling Stone	[4]

Songs earned Vandross four nominations at the 1995 Grammy Awards for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Love the One You're With", Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Endless Love", Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Always and Forever", and Best R&B Album.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Originally Recorded by	Length
1.	"Love the One You're With"	Stephen Stills	Stephen Stills	5:03
2.	"Killing Me Softly"	Norman Gimbel, Charles Fox	Lori Lieberman	5:33
3.	"Endless Love" (Duet with Mariah Carey)	Lionel Richie	Diana Ross and Lionel Richie	4:21
4.	"Evergreen"	Barbra Streisand, Paul Williams	Barbra Streisand	3:54
5.	"Reflections"	Holland-Dozier-Holland	Diana Ross & the Supremes	3:21
6.	"Hello"	Lionel Richie	Lionel Richie	4:44
7.	"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"	Jerry Cohen, Gene McFadden, John Whitehead	McFadden & Whitehead	4:53
8.	"Always and Forever"	Rod Temperton	Heatwave	4:53
9.	"Going in Circles"	Anita Poree, Jerry Peters	The Friends of Distinction	5:12
10.	"Since You've Been Gone"	Aretha Franklin, Teddy White	Aretha Franklin	4:15
11.	"All the Woman I Need"	Dean Pitchford, Michael Gore	Linda Clifford as "All the Man I Need"	4:54
12.	"What the World Needs Now"	Burt Bacharach, Hal David	Jackie DeShannon	5:18
13.	"The Impossible Dream"	Mitch Leigh, Joe Darion	Richard Kiley	5:16

Personnel

• Luther Vandross – lead and backing vocals, BGV arrangements (1, 7, 10)
• Walter Afanasieff – arrangements (1, 3, 4, 5, 10-13), keyboards (1, 3, 4, 6-13), synthesizers (1-4, 6, 7, 8, 10-13), Hammond B3 organ (1, 5, 8, 9, 10), bass guitar (1), drums (1), percussion (1), rhythm programming (1, 3, 4, 6-13), acoustic piano (2), Synclavier (2, 3, 4, 6, 11, 12, 13), acoustic guitar (2, 3, 4, 6, 11, 12, 13), Moog bass (3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10-13), drum programming (3, 4, 6-13), additional programming (5), synth horns (10)
• Gary Cirimelli – digital programming, Macintosh programming, synthesizer programming
• Ren Klyce – digital programming, synthesizer programming
• Dan Shea – keyboards (2, 5, 6-10), synthesizers (2, 5, 8, 9), Moog bass (2, 5, 9), drum programming (2, 9), rhythm programming (2, 5, 9), arrangements (2, 6-9), programming (6, 8, 10)
• Dann Huff – guitar, nylon guitar solo (3)
• Michael Landau – additional guitar (2, 5, 7, 11)
• Michael Thompson – additional guitar (8)
• Stephen "Doc" Kupka – baritone saxophone (9)
• Emilio Castillo – tenor saxophone (9)
• David Mann – tenor saxophone (9)
• Lee Thornburg – trombone (9), trumpet (9), flugelhorn (9)
• Greg Adams – trumpet (9), flugelhorn (9), horn arrangements (9)
• Jeremy Lubbock – orchestra arrangements and conductor (3, 4, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13)
• Isobel Griffiths – orchestra contractor (3, 4, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13)
• The London Symphony Orchestra – orchestra (3, 4, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13)
• Narada Michael Walden – original arrangements (11)
• Tawatha Agee – backing vocals (1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 13)
• Johnny Britt – backing vocals (1, 7, 8, 9, 11)
• Alexandra Brown – backing vocals (1, 7, 9, 11)
• Lynn Davis – backing vocals (1, 7, 9, 11)
• Jim Gilstrap – backing vocals (1, 7, 8, 9, 11)
• Phillip Ingram – backing vocals (1, 7, 8, 9, 11)
• Paulette McWilliams – backing vocals (1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 13)
• Phil Perry – backing vocals (1, 7, 8, 9, 11)
• Brenda White-King – backing vocals (1, 5)
• Lisa Fischer – backing vocals (2, 5)
• Mariah Carey – lead vocals (3)
• Robin Clark – backing vocals (7, 9, 13)
• Cindy Mizelle – backing vocals (7, 9, 10)
• Fonzi Thornton – backing vocals (7, 9)
• Claytoven Richardson – backing vocals (8)
• Cissy Houston – backing vocals (10, 13), BGV arrangements (10)
• Darlene Love – backing vocals (10)
• Phillip Ballou – backing vocals (13)
• Kevin Owens – backing vocals (13)

Production

• Walter Afanasieff – producer
• Luther Vandross – co-producer
• Dana Jon Chappelle – engineer, recording, mixing (1, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12)
• Mick Guzauski – mixing (2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13)
• Paul Brown – vocal recording (Luther Vandross)
• Jay Healy – vocal recording (Mariah Carey)
• Hadyn Bendall – strings recording
• Kyle Bess – assistant engineer
• Gus Garces – assistant engineer
• David Gleeson – assistant engineer
• Bill Leonard – assistant engineer
• Chris Ludwinski – assistant engineer
• Kent Matcke – assistant engineer
• Gil Morales – assistant engineer
• Mike Reiter – assistant engineer
• David Reitzas – assistant engineer
• Mike Scott – assistant engineer
• Andy Smith – assistant engineer
• Bob Ludwig – mastering
• Marsha Burns – production coordinator
• Barbara Stout – production coordinator

Studios

• Mixed at The Hit Factory, Right Track Recording and Sony Music Studios (New York, NY); The Plant Studios (Sausalito, CA).
• Mastered at Gateway Mastering (Portland, ME).

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1994) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[7] 19 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[8] 27 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[9] 20 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[10] 24 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[11] 5 Scottish Albums (OCC)[12] 17 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[13] 48 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[14] 20 UK Albums (OCC)[15] 1 UK R&B Albums (OCC)[16] 1 US Billboard 200[17] 5 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[18] 2

Year-end charts Chart (1994) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[19] 43 Chart (1995) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[20] 49

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[21]	Platinum	100,000^^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[22]	Gold	7,500^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[23]	Platinum	300,000^^
United States (RIAA)[24]	2× Platinum	2,000,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Allmusic review
2. Entertainment Weekly review
3. Los Angeles Times review
4. Rolling Stone review
5. Mariah Helped Luther Put Together His Covers LP! (Interview With Them)
6. YouTube - Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey interview
7. "Australiancharts.com – Luther Vandross – Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
8. "Austriancharts.at – Luther Vandross – Songs" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
9. "Dutchcharts.nl – Luther Vandross – Songs" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
10. "Offiziellecharts.de – Luther Vandross – Songs" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
11. "Charts.nz – Luther Vandross – Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
12. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
13. "Swedishcharts.com – Luther Vandross – Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
14. "Swisscharts.com – Luther Vandross – Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
15. "Luther Vandross | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
16. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
17. "Luther Vandross Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
18. "Luther Vandross Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
19. "R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: Year End 1994". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
20. "R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: Year End 1995". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
21. "Canadian album certifications – Luther Vandross – Songs". Music Canada. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
22. "New Zealand album certifications – Luther Vandross – Songs". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
23. "British album certifications – Luther Vandross – Songs". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 3, 2020. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Songs in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
24. "American album certifications – Luther Vandross – Songs". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 3, 2020. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.