Poison (Bell Biv DeVoe album)

Poison is the debut studio album from American R&B/hip hop group Bell Biv DeVoe, released March 20, 1990, on MCA Records.

Poison
Studio album by Bell Biv DeVoe
Released	March 20, 1990
Recorded	1989–1990
Studio	Echo Sound Greene St. Recording Battery Studios, New York George Tobin Studios M'Bila Studios
Genre	New jack swing[1][2] funk[3] R&B[3] hip hop[3]
Length	47:28
Label	MCA
Producer	Louil Silas, Jr. (exec.) Bell Biv DeVoe Carl Bourelly D'Lavance Dr. Freeze Timmy Gatling Hiriam Hicks Eric "Vietnam" Sadler Hank Shocklee Keith Shocklee Alton "Wokie" Stewart
Bell Biv DeVoe chronology
Poison (1990) WBBD-Bootcity!: The Remix Album (1991)
Singles from Poison
"Poison" Released: March 6, 1990 "Do Me!" Released: June 10, 1990 "B.B.D. (I Thought It Was Me)?" Released: September 18, 1990 "When Will I See You Smile Again?" Released: 1991 "She's Dope!" Released: 1991

The album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 chart. By April 1995, it was certified quadruple-platinum in sales by the RIAA, after sales exceeding 4,000,000 copies in the United States.

Release and reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Pitchfork	7.4/10[4]
Select	[5]

The album peaked at five on the U.S. Billboard 200 and reached the top spot on the R&B Albums chart.^[6] The album was certified platinum in May 1990, and reached quadruple-platinum status by April 1995.^[7]

Alex Henderson at AllMusic noted that the album "delivered some of New jack swing's most worthwhile material," and also gave the group credit for being one of "the form's more creative and imaginative figures."^[2]

Track listing

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Dope!" (aka "She's Dope!" Remix)	Dr. Freeze	Dr. Freeze, Eric "Vietnam" Sadler, Hank Shocklee, Keith Shocklee	3:44
2.	"B.B.D. (I Thought It Was Me)?"	Durant, Hooks, Sadler, Shocklee, Stewart	Eric Sadler, Hank Shocklee, Keith Shocklee	4:35
3.	"Let Me Know Something?!"	Durant, Hooks, Sadler, Shocklee	Eric "Vietnam" Sadler, Hank Shocklee, Keith Shocklee	4:40
4.	"Do Me!"	Bell, Bivins, Bourelly, DeVoe	Bell Biv DeVoe, Carl E. Bourelly	4:33
5.	"Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, Mike, Ralph and Johnny (Word to the Mutha)!"	Bell, Bivins, DeVoe	Bell Biv DeVoe, Peace Production (Wolf & Epic)	4:30
6.	"Poison (Remix)"	Dr. Freeze	Dr. Freeze, Eric "Vietnam" Sadler, Hank Shocklee, Keith Shocklee	4:22
7.	"Ain't Nut'in' Changed"	Durant, Sadler, Shocklee, Shocklee	Eric "Vietnam" Sadler, Hank Shocklee, Keith Shocklee	3:30
8.	"When Will I See You Smile Again?"	Gatling, Stewart	Alton "Wokie" Stewart, Timmy Gatling	5:08
9.	"I Do Need You"	Gatling	Alton "Wokie" Stewart, Timmy Gatling	4:36
10.	"Poison [Extended Club Version]"	Dr. Freeze	D'Lavance	7:50

Production and personnel

• Tracks 1 & 6 Produced by Dr. Freeze; associate producer (track 1): Howie Hirsch. Recorded by Jay Henry. Mixed (and remixed) by Eric Sadler and Hank/Keith Shocklee; track 6 mixed by Dr. Freeze & Jay Henry. All Instruments by Dr. Freeze.
• Tracks 2, 3 & 7 Produced by Eric Sadler/Hank & Keith Shocklee. Recorded & Mixed by Dan Wood, Jamie Staub, Kirk Yano, Nick Sansano & Rod Hui. All Music arranged & performed by Hank Shocklee & Roney Hooks.
• Track 4 Produced by Bell Biv Devoe & Carl Bourelly. Music Arranged by Carl Bourelly; vocals arranged by Bell Biv Devoe. Recorded by Barbara Milne; assisted by Karen Bohannon & Michael Allair. Mixed by Bell Biv Devoe. Kevin Johnson: Drums, Percussion; Carl Bourelly: Keyboards; Chris Floberg & Sherman Foole: Programming.
• Track 5 Produced by Bell Biv Devoe & Peace Productions. Recorded by Stephen P. Blazina. Mixed by Bell Biv Devoe & Stephen P. Blazina. All Instruments, Vocals and Arrangements by Bell Biv Devoe.
• Tracks 8 & 9 Produced by Alton Stewart & Timmy Gatling. Recorded & Mixed by Kurt Upper. Drum Programming & Keyboards by Howie Hirsch & Timmy Gatling. Alto sax solo on track 9 by John Doheny.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1990) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[8] 83 Canadian Albums (RPM)[9] 12 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[10] 13 UK Albums (OCC)[11] 35 US Billboard 200[12] 5 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[13] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1990) Position US Billboard 200[14] 12 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[15] 7 Chart (1991) Position US Billboard 200[16] 33 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[17] 19

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[18]	4× Platinum	4,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

• List of number-one R&B albums of 1990 (U.S.)

Notes

1. Eddy, Chuck (March 2011). "Essentials: R&B Rubs Hip-Hop the Right Way and the New Jack Swing Era Is Born". Spin. New York: 84. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
2. Henderson, Alex. "allmusic ((( Poison > Review )))". AllMusic. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
3. "Poison - Bell Biv DeVoe | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
4. Frederick, Brendan (July 29, 2018). "Bell Biv Devoe Poison". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
5. Hewitt, Paolo (September 1990). "Bell Biv DeVoe: Poison". Select. No. 3. p. 76.
6. "allmusic ((( Poison > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". AllMusic. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
7. "RIAA - Gold & Platinum - June 21, 2011 : Search Results - Bell Biv DeVoe". RIAA. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
8. "Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing August 19, 1991". Retrieved August 19, 2022.
9. "Item". Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013.
10. "Charts.nz – Bell Biv DeVoe – Poison". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
11. "Bell Biv DeVoe | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
12. "Bell Biv DeVoe Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
13. "Bell Biv DeVoe Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
14. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
15. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
16. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
17. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
18. "American album certifications – Bell Biv DeVoe – Posion". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links

• Poison at Discogs