Rhythm of Love (Anita Baker album)

Rhythm of Love is the fifth album by American R&B/soul singer Anita Baker, released in 1994. The album peaked at #3 on the U.S. Billboard 200^[12] and #1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop chart and was certified double platinum, giving Baker her fourth platinum selling album.

Rhythm of Love
Studio album by Anita Baker
Released	August 23, 1994
Recorded	1993–1994
Genre	R&B soul jazz smooth jazz
Length	61:20
Label	Elektra
Producer	Anita Baker, Tommy LiPuma, Gerard Smerek, Barry J. Eastmond, Arif Mardin
Anita Baker chronology
Compositions (1990) Rhythm of Love (1994) The Best of Anita Baker (2002)
Singles from Rhythm of Love
"Body and Soul" Released: August 1994 "I Apologize" Released: October 1994 "It's Been You" Released: March 1995 "You Belong to Me" Released: 1995 "My Funny Valentine" Released: 1995

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Cash Box	(favorable)[2]
Chicago Reader	(favorable)[3]
Robert Christgau	[4]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[5]
Entertainment Weekly	A−[6]
The Guardian	(favorable)[7]
Knoxville News Sentinel	[8]
NME	3/10[9]
Rolling Stone	[10]
Spin	(favorable)[11]

This is the first album since 1983's The Songstress by Baker not to be produced by longtime collaborator Michael J. Powell, who had agreed to split the arrangement after the release of Baker's 1990 album, Compositions. The album's first single, "Body and Soul", gave Baker her first top 40 hit since 1989. "You Belong to Me" is a cover of the Carly Simon classic, not to be confused with the song of the same title that Baker recorded for her 1988 album Giving You the Best That I Got.

Baker also received a Grammy Award in 1995 for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "I Apologize". "Body and Soul" was nominated for 1995 Grammy Awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song, and Rhythm of Love was nominated for Best R&B Album.

Rhythm of Love is Baker's last album for Elektra Records. Because of dissatisfaction with the album's promotion, Baker filed a lawsuit against Elektra, requesting a transfer to another label within Warner Music Group. Finally she signed with Atlantic Records in September 1996.^[13]

Track listing

1. "Rhythm of Love" (Anita Baker, Patrick Moten) - 5:50
2. "The Look of Love" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) - 4:47
3. "Body and Soul" (Rick Nowels, Ellen Shipley) - 5:42
4. "Baby" (Baker) - 4:25
5. "I Apologize" (Baker, Barry J. Eastmond, Gordon Chambers) - 5:09
6. "Plenty of Room" (Baker) - 4:57
7. "It's Been You" (Sami McKinney, Michael O'Hara, Mary Unobsky) - 4:59
8. "You Belong to Me" (Carly Simon, Michael McDonald) - 4:41
9. "Wrong Man" (Baker) - 5:51
10. "Only for a While" (Dawn Thomas) - 5:16
11. "Sometimes I Wonder Why" (Mike Reid, Mack David) - 4:37
12. "My Funny Valentine" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) - 5:06

Personnel

• Anita Baker – lead vocals, backing vocals (1, 3, 4, 6-10), acoustic piano intro (1), synth percussion (1), arrangements (1-4, 6, 7, 9, 11), vocal arrangements (2, 5, 12), BGV arrangements (8)
• Michael Bradford – acoustic piano intro (1), synthesizer programming (1)
• Barry J. Eastmond – acoustic piano (1, 3, 4, 5, 7), Rhodes (1, 3), synth bass (1), strings (1, 3), string arrangements (3), keyboards (5, 6), drum programming (5), arrangements (5, 7), synthesizers (7), synth solo (9), string pads (9)
• George Duke – additional percussion (1), percussion (3, 4, 6, 12), synth strings (6), electronic drums (6), Synclavier programming (woodwinds, bass, drums) (12), acoustic piano (12), Yamaha TX816 Rhodes (12), synth solo (12), arrangements (12)
• Joe Mardin – keyboards (2, 10), programming (2, 10), arrangements (2, 10, 11), cymbals (8), hi-hats (8), drums (11), strings and woodwinds (11)
• Joe Sample – acoustic piano (2, 11)
• Eddie Howard – acoustic piano solo (3)
• Luis Resto – Rhodes (4), vamp piano (4), synth pads (4), synth bass (4), acoustic piano (9), Ensoniq synthesizers (9), bass (9), drum and percussion programming (9), arrangements (9)
• Sammy Merendino – synthesizers (7), programming (7)
• Robbie Kondor – keyboards (8), programming (8)
• Greg Phillinganes – acoustic piano (10)
• Michael Thompson – rhythm guitar (1)
• Dean Parks – guitar (2, 3, 10)
• Paul Peterson – guitar (2), rhythm guitar (10)
• Steve Bargonetti – guitar (6)
• Ira Siegel – guitar (6, 7), guitar solo (7)
• Georg Wadenius – guitar (7)
• John McCurry – guitar (8)
• Bucky Pizzarelli – guitar (11)
• Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar (12)
• Nathan East – bass (3, 4)
• James Genus – bass (6)
• Anthony Jackson – bass (7, 8)
• Charnett Moffett – bass (11)
• Steve Ferrone – drums (1, 3, 4)
• Bernard Davis – drums (6)
• Bashiri Johnson – percussion (1)
• Steve Thornton – percussion (7)
• Andy Snitzer – saxophone (8)
• Everette Harp – alto saxophone (12)
• Dan Higgins – baritone saxophone (12), tenor saxophone (12)
• Reggie Young – trombone (12)
• Jerry Hey – trumpet (12)
• Patrick Moten – arrangements (1)
• Gordon Chambers – backing vocals (5), BGV arrangements (5)

Production

• Anita Baker – executive producer, producer (1, 3, 6, 9)
• Tommy LiPuma – producer (2, 10, 11)
• Gerard Smerek – producer (4)
• Barry J. Eastmond – producer (5, 7)
• Arif Mardin – producer (8)
• George Duke – producer (12)
• Deborah Silverman-Kerr – project coordinator
• Charilyn Suriano – project coordinator
• Robin Smyth – art direction, design
• Kip Lott – cover and booklet photography
• Harry Langdon – additional pages booklet photography
• Frank Ockenfels – additional booklet photography
• BNB Associates, Ltd. – management

Technical

• Chris Albert – assistant engineer
• Earl Cohen – assistant engineer, additional engineer (3, 6), engineer (5, 7)
• Ian Craigie – assistant engineer
• John Mabilia-assistant engineer
• Carl Robinson-engineer
• George Duke – mixing (1, 3-6, 11, 12)
• Carl Glanville – assistant engineer
• Andy Grassi – assistant engineer
• John Hendrickson – assistant engineer
• David Kutch – assistant engineer
• Michael O'Reilly – additional engineer (3, 10), engineer (8, 11), mixing (8)
• Randy Poole – engineer (2, 10)
• Doug Sax – mastering
• Al Schmitt – engineer (1, 3), mixing (2, 10)
• Gerard Smerek – engineer (1-4, 6, 7, 9, 10), mixing (1, 3-7, 11), lead vocal recording (1-12), lead vocal and piano recording (2, 11)
• Erik Zobler – mixing (1, 3-6, 11, 12), engineer (12)

Studios

• Recorded at The Hit Factory, Electric Lady Studios, The Power Station, Unique Recording Studios, Skyline Studios, Clinton Recording Studios, Soundtrack Studios and Greene Street Studios (New York, NY); East Bay Studios (Tarrytown, NY); Pearl Sound Studios and Studio A (Detroit, MI); Ambiance Recorders (Farmington Hills, MI).
• Mixed at The Hit Factory and Unique Recording Studios (New York, NY); Bill Schnee Studios and Conway Studios (Hollywood, CA).
• Mastered at The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, CA).

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1994) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[14] 128 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[15] 42 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[16] 26 Scottish Albums (OCC)[17] 76 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 33 UK Albums (OCC)[19] 14 US Billboard 200[20] 3 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[21] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1994) Position US Billboard 200[22] 75 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[23] 16 Chart (1995) Position US Billboard 200[24] 80 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[25] 20

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[26]	2× Platinum	2,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

• List of Billboard number-one R&B albums of 1994

References

1. Henderson, Alex. Rhythm of Love > review at AllMusic. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
2. Martinez, M.R. (October 1, 1994). "Urban — Reviews: Pick of the Week" (PDF). Cash Box. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
3. Johnson, Martin (December 1, 1994). "The Best She's Got". Chicago Reader. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
4. Christgau, Robert. "Rhythm of Love > review". Robert Christgau. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
5. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press.
6. Ehrlich, Dimitri (September 16, 1994). "Rhythm of Love > review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 21, 2009. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
7. Sullivan, Caroline (September 23, 1994). "Music: Pop". The Guardian.
8. Campbell, Chuck (October 7, 1994). "R.E.M. Rocks Anew On Heady 'Monster'". Knoxville News Sentinel.
9. IM (November 5, 1994). "Long Play". NME. p. 45. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
10. Dyson, Michael Eric (February 23, 1995). "Anita Baker: Rhythm of Love : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 14, 2008. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
11. Bernstein, Jonathan (November 1994). "Heavy Rotation". Spin. p. 24. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
12. "Anita Baker Rhythm Of Love Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
13. "Songstress Anita Baker Successfully Orchestrates Unprecedented Record Label Transfer; Leaves Elektra Records for Atlantic Records". PR Newswire. September 6, 1996. Archived from the original on January 15, 2014.
14. "Bubbling Downunder Week commencing 3 September 1990". bubblingdownunder. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
15. "Dutchcharts.nl – Anita Baker – Rhythm Of Love" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
16. "Charts.nz – Anita Baker – Rhythm Of Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
17. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
18. "Swedishcharts.com – Anita Baker – Rhythm Of Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
19. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
20. "Anita Baker Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
21. "Anita Baker Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
22. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
23. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
24. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
25. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
26. "American album certifications – Anita Baker – Rhythm of Love". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 23, 2020.