Love's the Place to Be

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Love's the Place to Be
Studio album by
Will Downing
Released1993
Studio
Length56:34
LabelMercury
Producer
Will Downing chronology
A Dream Fulfilled
(1991) 		Love's the Place to Be
(1993) 		Moods
(1995)

Love's the Place to Be is the fourth studio album by the American musician Will Downing, released by Mercury Records in 1993.[1][2] His first album for the label,[3][4] it peaked at number 166 on the US Billboard 200.[5] "There's No Living Without You" peaked at number 67 on the UK Singles Chart.[6]

Production[edit]

Among the album's many producers were Barry Eastmond and Ronnie Foster.[3] Stevie Wonder contributed harmonica to "That's All".[3] Rachelle Ferrell duets with Downing on "Nothing Has Ever Felt Like This".[7]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
The Charlotte Observer[9]
Daily Breeze[10]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[1]
Music Week[12]
MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide[11]

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called the album "the kind of romantic, elegant material that fans of the highly touted Luther Vandross wish he would return to."[13] The Charlotte Observer deemed it "a masterpiece," writing that "the three-song suite 'Do You Still Love Me'/'Hey Girl'/'Break Up to Make Up' is one of the best things to hit CD in a long time."[9] The Dallas Morning News thought that "Downing has matured into a stunning stylist, caressing such classics as Nat 'King' Cole's 'That's All' [and] the Stylistics' 'Break Up to Make Up' ... with a reverence that still leaves room for redefining."[14]

The Daily Breeze wrote that "most of the 11 tracks spin at the same speed and intensity, thus there is no chance for the highs and lows."[10] The New York Times said that Downing's "rich baritone is tailor-made for intimacy, his phrasing both deliberate and effortless."[15]

AllMusic editor Jason Birchmeier wrote that "these songs were all some of Downing's best work ... showcasing his vocal prowess."[8]

Track listing[edit]

Love's the Place to Be track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."There's No Living Without You"
  • Greg Smith
  • Conner Reeves
  • Rex Rideout
  • Will Downing
4:15
2."Sailing on a Dream"
  • Bob Baldwin
  • James Robinson
  • Downing
  • Baldwin
  • Downing
6:09
3."One Moment"
  • Ronnie Garrett
  • Vastine Pettis
  • Rideout
Barry Eastmond4:43
4."Nothing Has Ever Felt Like This" (featuring Rachelle Ferrell)FerrellEastmond6:21
5."Love's the Place to Be"Ronnie FosterFoster5:00
6."Lovers Paradise"
Foster4:42
7."Everything to Me"
  • Rideout
  • Downing
  • Rideout
  • Downing
4:20
8."Do You Still Love Me"
  • Eastmond
  • Downing
Eastmond4:55
9."Hey Girl"
  • Baldwin
  • Downing
5:25
10."Break Up to Make Up"
  • Baldwin
  • Downing
5:07
11."That's All"
Foster5:37
Total length:56:34

Personnel[edit]

  • Will Downing – vocals, backing vocals (1-3, 6-10)
  • Rex Rideout – all instruments (1), keyboards (7), drum programming (7)
  • Bob Baldwin – keyboards (2, 9, 10), acoustic piano solo (2), backing vocals (2)
  • Barry Eastmond – keyboards (3, 8), electric piano (4), acoustic piano solo (8)
  • Jason Miles – synthesizer programming (3, 8)
  • Rachelle Ferrell – grand piano (4), vocals (4), arrangements (4)
  • Ronnie Foster – keyboards (5, 6, 11), vibraphone solo (5), arrangements (5, 6), backing vocals (6), string arrangements (11)
  • Eddie Martinez – guitars (3, 8)
  • Kevin Eubanks – guitars (4), guitar solo (9)
  • Mike Campbell – guitars (4)
  • Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars (6, 11)
  • Mike Ciro – guitars (7)
  • Clarance "Binky" Brice – guitars (9)
  • Georg Wadenius – sitar (10)
  • Larry Kimpel – bass (2)
  • Victor Bailey – bass (3)
  • Anthony Jackson – bass (4, 8, 10)
  • Jimmy Johnson – bass (5)
  • Gerald Albright – bass (6), sax solo (10)
  • Carl Carter – bass (9)
  • Freddie Washington – bass (11)
  • Omar Hakim – drums (2)
  • Rayford Griffin – drums (3, 8)
  • Buddy Williams – drums (4, 10)
  • Harvey Mason – drums (5, 6, 11)
  • Neal Adams – drums (9)
  • Bashiri Johnson – percussion (3, 8)
  • Steve Thornton – percussion (4)
  • Luis Conte – percussion (6)
  • Steve Kroon – percussion (9, 10)
  • Marion Meadows – saxophone (8)
  • Stevie Wonder – harmonica solo (11)
  • Chris Cameron – string arrangements (5)
  • Onaje Allan Gumbs – string arrangements (10)
  • George Del Barrio – string conductor (5), string arrangements (11)
  • B.J. Nelson – backing vocals (1)
  • Paulette McWilliams – backing vocals (2, 10)
  • Cindy Mizelle – backing vocals (3, 8)
  • Audrey Wheeler – backing vocals (3, 7-9), vocals (7)
  • Craig Derry – backing vocals (9)
  • Curtis King – backing vocals (10)
  • Vaneese Thomas – backing vocals (10)

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for Love's the Place to Be
Chart (1993) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[16] 166
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[17] 24

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. pp. 104–105.
  2. ^ Hudson, Alexia (8 Oct 1993). "Music Reviews: Love's the Place to Be Will Downing". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 7E.
  3. ^ a b c Smith, Danyel (Aug 14, 1993). "Downing Plays to Listener Loyalty". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 33. p. 18.
  4. ^ McNally, Owen (28 Oct 1993). "Hot Autumn Night". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 6.
  5. ^ "Will Downing". Billboard.
  6. ^ "Will Downing Full Official Chart History". Official Charts.
  7. ^ "Five Touring Performers Joining Forces for Jazz Explosion". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. November 13, 1994. p. 1E.
  8. ^ a b "Love's the Place to Be". AllMusic.
  9. ^ a b "R&B". The Charlotte Observer. February 11, 1994. p. 5F.
  10. ^ a b Tranfa, Anthony D. (November 19, 1993). "Will Downing, 'Love's the Place To Be'". Daily Breeze. p. K15.
  11. ^ MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 183.
  12. ^ Jones, Alan (August 7, 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream – Albums" (PDF). Music Week. p. 13. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  13. ^ Murray, Sonia (April 15, 1994). "Preview – Will Downing". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. P3.
  14. ^ "Will Downing". The Dallas Morning News. November 11, 1993. p. 5C.
  15. ^ Linden, Amy (26 Sep 1993). "Pop Briefs". The New York Times. p. H45.
  16. ^ "Will Downing Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  17. ^ "Will Downing Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
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