Can't Slow Down (Lionel Richie album)

Can't Slow Down is the second solo studio album by American recording artist Lionel Richie. It was released on October 14, 1983, by Motown.

Can't Slow Down has been certified Diamond by the RIAA, selling over 10 million copies in the United States and over 20 million copies worldwide, making it Richie's best-selling album, and one of the best-selling albums of the 1980s. Five singles were released from the album, all of which hit the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including two that reached No. 1: "All Night Long (All Night)" and "Hello". The album subsequently won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards in 1985.

Critical reception

In a contemporary review for The Village Voice, music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a "B+" and called it a "surprisingly solid" improvement, particularly with respect to Richie's ballad singing. He felt that its "jumpy international dance-pop" suited Richie more than the Commodores' funk had and predicted that, considering his "well-established appeal to white people," Can't Slow Down had the potential to become a "mini-Thriller". Don Shewey of Rolling Stone magazine gave the album four out of five stars and said that, although the ballads were monotonous, Richie successfully broadened his music for different listeners and drew on contemporary artists such as Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson: "if you can't innovate, imitate. And the more honest they are about their sources, the better."

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave it four-and-a-half out of five stars and wrote that Richie took a conservative, melodic hook-based approach on an album whose hits showed him at his best and whose only weakness was a short running time. In 1999, Q magazine included Can't Slow Down on its list of the best Motown records of all time and stated, "Production values are high, his songwriting craft is at its peak and at least one track – the global smash 'All Night Long' – is an anthem to good times that makes the heart sing and feet twitch".

Commercial performance and re-releases

The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard album chart.[ Album chart positions from allmusic.com] Retrieved March 24, 2009. It also spent 59 consecutive weeks inside the top 10 (including the entire year of 1984) and a total of 160 weeks (over three years) on the Billboard 200. After being the third best-selling album of 1984, it went on to win a Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1985, beating out such heavyweight contenders as Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen and Purple Rain by Prince. By 1986 the album had sold 15 million copies, eventually selling over 20 million.

Can't Slow Down achieved the feat of having every single released hit the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Two songs, "Hello" and "All Night Long (All Night)", both went to No. 1. Other hits include "Stuck on You" (US No. 3), "Running With the Night" (US No. 7), and "Penny Lover" (US No. 8). The single "Stuck on You" also reached No. 24 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

On May 6, 2003, a two-CD deluxe edition of the album was released in conjunction of the 20th anniversary of the album's original release date. This version included several mixes originally included on various singles from the album at the end of the first CD, including instrumental versions of the 12-inch extended mixes of "All Night Long (All Night)" and "Running with the Night". Disc 2 showcased demo or alternate versions of all tracks from the original album, plus additional unfinished songs from the same sessions, all previously unreleased.

Track listing

Personnel Credits adapted from the album's liner notes, except where noted.

Musicians

Lionel Richie – lead vocals, Yamaha GS-1 (2–4), backing vocals (2–7), acoustic piano (8) David Cochrane – synthesizer (1), synthesizer programming (1), vocoder (1), guitars (1, 5), bass synthesizer (1), backing vocals (2, 5, 7) Greg Phillinganes – Yamaha GS-1 (2, 5), synthesizer (5) John Hobbs – Fender Rhodes (3), electric piano (7) Michael Boddicker – synthesizers (3, 4, 7, 8), Wave (3), Emulator (4), additional synthesizer (5), vocoder (7) Brian Banks – synthesizer programming (5) Anthony Marinelli – synthesizer programming (5) David Foster – keyboards (6), bass guitar (6) Reginald "Sonny" Burke – Fender Rhodes (8) Darrell Jones – guitar (2), acoustic guitar (4), electric guitar (8) Tim May – guitar (2), acoustic guitar (8) Carlos Rios – guitar (3, 7) Mitch Holder – guitar (4) Louie Shelton – guitar (4, 8) Steve Lukather – guitar (6), guitar solo (7) Fred Tackett – acoustic guitar (4) Abraham Laboriel – bass guitar (2, 3) Joe Chemay – bass guitar (4, 7, 8) Nathan East – bass guitar (5) Paul Leim – Simmons drum (1), drums (3, 4, 8) John Robinson – drums (2, 6) Jeff Porcaro – drums (7) Paulinho da Costa – percussion (2, 7) Charlie Loper – trombone (2) Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone (2) Chuck Findley – trumpet (2) Gary Grant – trumpet (2) Jerry Hey – trumpet (2)

Israel Baker – concertmaster (3, 4, 6) Harry Bluestone – concertmaster (8) James Anthony Carmichael – backing vocals (2) Richard Marx – backing vocals (2, 5–7) Deborah Thomas – backing vocals (2, 5, 7) Kin Vassy – backing vocals (2) Melinda Joyce Chatman – vocal sound effects (2) Jeanette Hawes – backing vocals (5)

Music arrangements Lionel Richie – all vocal arrangements, arrangements (1), rhythm arrangements (2–4, 6–8) James Anthony Carmichael – arrangements (1), rhythm arrangements (2–5, 7, 8), string arrangements (2–4, 8), horn arrangements (2, 3) David Cochrane – arrangements (1) Greg Phillinganes – rhythm arrangements (5) David Foster – rhythm arrangements (6) Jeremy Lubbock – string arrangements (6)

Chant on "All Night Long" Diane Burt James Anthony Carmichael Melinda Joyce Chatman David Cochrane Dr. Lloyd Byron Greig Cal Harris Brenda Harvey-Richie Jeanette Hawes Janice Marie Johnson Richard Marx Deborah Joyce Richie Lionel Richie Suzanne Stanford Deborah Thomas

Hoopa Hollers on "All Night Long"

Marilyn Ammons Sue Ann Butler Melinda Joyce Chatman Sheldon J. Cohn, Esq. Sandy Dent-Crimmel Ruth Diaz David Egerton Sylvia Genauer Rejauna Lynn Green Gabrielle Greig Sally Greig Tanya Greig Darrell Jones David Malvin Alison Maxwell Jerry Montes John Michael Montes Billy "Bass" Nelson Greg Phillinganes Carlos Rios Suzanne Stanford Randy Stern Wilbert Terrell Susan Wood

Technical

Lionel Richie – producer James Anthony Carmichael – producer (1–5, 7, 8) David Foster – producer (6) Calvin Harris – recording engineer, mixing engineer (1–5, 7, 8) Larry Fergusson – recording engineer (6) Humberto Gatica – recording engineer (6), mixing engineer (6) Jane Clark – additional recording and mixing engineer David Egerton – second recording engineer (1–5, 7) Mark Ettel – second recording engineer (1–5, 7) Steve Crimmel – second recording engineer (1–5, 7) Terry Christian – second recording engineer (6) Jim Cassell – second recording engineer (8) Fred Law – second mixing engineer Karen Siegel – second mixing engineer Bernie Grundman – mastering Brenda Harvey-Richie – production assistant Melinda Joyce Chatman – assistant to the production assistant Rita Leigh – creative assistant Johnny Lee – art direction Greg Gorman – front and back cover photography Chris Callis – inner spread photography Kragen & Co. – management

Charts

Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for Can't Slow DownChart (1983–1984)PeakpositionArgentinian Albums (CAPIF)2 Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)1 scope="row" scope="row" scope="row" European Albums (European Top 100 Albums) 2 scope="row" scope="row" scope="row" scope="row" scope="row" scope="row" scope="row" scope="row"

Year-end charts + 1983 year-end chart performance for Can't Slow DownChart (1983)PositionDutch Albums (Album Top 100)15 + 1984 year-end chart performance for Can't Slow DownChart (1984)Position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)1Canadian Albums (RPM)6Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)1German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)4New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)11Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)7UK Albums (OCC)1US Billboard 2003US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)1 + 1985 year-end chart performance for Can't Slow DownChart (1985)Position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)12Canadian Albums (RPM)64Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)78US Billboard 20022US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)29

Decade-end charts + Decade-end chart performance for Can't Slow DownChart (1980–1989)Position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)6

Certifications and sales

See also List of best-selling albums List of best-selling albums in the United States

References