Seal (1991 album)

Seal is the debut studio album by British singer Seal, released in 1991. It contains the singles "Crazy", "Future Love Paradise", "The Beginning", "Killer" and "Violet". The album debuted at number one in the UK and went on to win Best British Album at the 1992 Brit Awards. Seal's following album, released in 1994, was also named Seal. It is usually referred to as Seal II.

Seal
Studio album by Seal
Released	20 May 1991
Recorded	November 1990 – April 1991
Studio	Sarm West, Beethoven St. Studios and CTS Studios (London, UK) The Manor (Oxfordshire, UK) Ridge Farm Studios (Dorking, UK) The Complex, Cherokee Studios and Lion Share Studios (Los Angeles, California) Can-Am Recorders (Tarzana, California)
Genre	Pop-funk soul R&B
Length	52:17
Label	ZTT Warner Music UK Sire
Producer	Trevor Horn
Seal chronology
Seal (1991) Seal (1994)
Singles from Seal
"Crazy" Released: 26 November 1990 (UK)[1] "Future Love Paradise" Released: 22 April 1991[2] "The Beginning" Released: 8 July 1991 (UK) "Killer" Released: 4 November 1991 (UK)[3] "Violet" Released: 17 February 1992 (UK)

There are two versions of the album, with minor and major differences in three songs.^[4] The shorter version of "Wild" is more rock-based and heavy than the original. The shorter version of "Violet" contains no dialogue within the singing. Track lengths of both versions are given for each song affected. The only way to tell the difference is the CD Matrix; the Pre-Mix matrix is 903174557-2; the Remixed CD has the same Matrix but with .2 at the end (903174557-2.2). "Killer" is a re-recorded version of the UK number one single by Adamski, which also features Seal on vocals.

Many of the songs (including various ZTT mixes) were featured in the Greg Stump 1991 film Groove Requiem in the Key of Ski.^{[citation needed]} Later Seal tracks appeared in other Stump films as well. The track "Killer" was also featured on the American crime series Homicide: Life on the Street and was included on the 2-disc soundtrack album.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[5]
Chicago Tribune	[6]
Entertainment Weekly	A[7]
Los Angeles Times	[8]
NME	7/10[9]
Pitchfork	7.4/10[10]
Q	[11]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[12]
Select	2/5[13]
Vox	8/10[14]

In Melody Maker, critic Push wrote that although "some of the ideas could be called pretentious and others sound a tad MOR", Seal showcases "Seal's passionate and emotional nature, a rare fusion of strength and sensitivity".^[15] Vox's Isabel Appio praised the album's "textured vocals, sophisticated hooks and full and fascinating orchestral arrangements",^[14] while Q's Mat Snow deemed it "a fine debut" which "promises even better vibes to come."^[11] Stephen Dalton of NME found Seal "remarkable for its coherence, confidence and sheer character."^[9]

Andrew Harrison was unimpressed in Select, panning Seal as "tastefully dull" while describing Seal himself as "so New Age it makes your eyes water".^[13] Robert Christgau named "Crazy" the album's sole highlight, designating it as a "choice cut" in The Village Voice.^[16]

Retrospectively, AllMusic reviewer MacKenzie Wilson credited Seal and producer Trevor Horn for the overall sound of Seal, which she said stood out amidst "the early-'90s mediocrity of post-hair metal and manufactured synth bands."^[5] Writing for Pitchfork, Philip Sherburne stated that despite its occasionally "asinine" lyrics, "you don't come to Seal for poetry; you come for that voice and the way it navigates Horn's productions". He noted the album's origins in the early 1990s UK rave scene and found that it "drew sustenance from the spirit of that volatile era", calling it "idealistic, unfocused, and beautiful in its innocence."^[10]

Track listing

All lyrics and music written by Seal, except where noted.

1. "The Beginning" (Seal, Guy Sigsworth) – 5:40
2. "Deep Water" – 5:56
3. "Crazy" (Seal, Sigsworth) – 4:47 or 5:57
4. "Killer" (Adam Tinley, Seal) – 4:10 or 6:24
5. "Whirlpool" – 3:56 or 3:51
6. "Future Love Paradise" – 4:20
7. "Wild" (Seal, Sigsworth) – 5:19 or 5:28
8. "Show Me" – 5:59
9. "Violet" (Seal, Sigsworth) – 8:06 or 8:31

Personnel

• Seal – vocals
• Richard Cottle, Mars Lasar, Mark Mancina, Jamie Muhoberac, Guy Sigsworth – keyboards, sampling
• Robin Hancock – programming
• Gary Maughan – Fairlight CMI
• Ian Morrow – keyboard programming, drum programming
• Gus Isidore, Randy Jacobs, Chester Kamen, Trevor Rabin, Kenji Suzuki, Bruce Woolley – guitars
• Chrissie Schefts – all guitars on ("Crazy")^[17]
• Trevor Horn, Steve Pearce, Doug Wimbish, Gota Yashiki – bass guitar
• Curt Bisquera, Denny Fongheiser, Keith LeBlanc, John Robinson, Gota Yashiki – drums
• Paulinho da Costa, Andy Duncan, Luís Jardim, Gota Yashiki – percussion
• Anne Dudley – string arrangements
• Maria Vidal – backing vocals

Production

• Trevor Horn – producer
• Robin Hancock, Gregg Jackman, Steve MacMillan, Tony Phillips, Ren Swan, Tim Weidner – engineers
• Steve Fitzmaurice, Richard Lowe – assistant engineers
• Robin Hancock, Steve MacMillan, Brian Malouf, Tony Phillips, Tim Weidner – mixing
• Michael Nash Associates – design
• Richard Croft – cover photography
• Philippe McClelland – additional photography

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Seal Chart (1991–92) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[18] 22 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[19] 2 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[20] 4 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[21] 7 Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[22] 40 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[23] 6 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[24] 10 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[25] 5 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[26] 2 UK Albums (OCC)[27] 1 US Billboard 200[28] 27

Year-end charts 1991 year-end chart performance for Seal Chart (1991) Position Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[29] 21 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[30] 93 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[31] 11 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[32] 45 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[33] 23 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[34] 21 UK Albums (OCC)[35] 11 1992 year-end chart performance for Seal Chart (1992) Position UK Albums (OCC)[36] 49

Certifications

Certifications and sales for Seal

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[37]	Gold	35,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[38]	Gold	25,000*
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[39]	Gold	100,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[40]	3× Platinum	300,000^
France (SNEP)[41]	Gold	100,000*
Germany (BVMI)[42]	Gold	250,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[43]	Gold	50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[44]	Gold	7,500^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[45]	Platinum	50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[46]	2× Platinum	600,000^
United States (RIAA)[47]	Platinum	1,000,000^
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Crazy BPI". Archived from the original on 7 February 2009.
2. "Seal singles".
3. "Seal singles".
4. "Seal (Debut album) remixed/edited version". Futureloveparadise.co.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
5. Wilson, MacKenzie. "Seal [1991] – Seal". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
6. May, Mitchell (18 July 1991). "Seal: Seal (Sire)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
7. Linden, Amy (16 August 1991). "Seal". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
8. Hochman, Steve (14 July 1991). "Seal, 'Seal,' Sire". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
9. Dalton, Stephen (25 May 1991). "Seal: Seal". NME. p. 52.
10. Sherburne, Philip (17 October 2021). "Seal: Seal". Pitchfork. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
11. Snow, Mat (July 1991). "Seal: Seal". Q. No. 58.
12. Hunter, James (2004). "Seal". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 723. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
13. Harrison, Andrew (July 1991). "Seal: Seal". Select. No. 13. p. 73.
14. Appio, Isabel (July 1991). "Seal Clubbin'". Vox. No. 10. p. 79.
15. Push (25 May 1991). "Flipping Good". Melody Maker. p. 34.
16. Christgau, Robert (3 March 1992). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
17. About Chrissy Shefts
18. "Australiancharts.com – Seal – Seal". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
19. "Austriancharts.at – Seal – Seal" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
20. "Dutchcharts.nl – Seal – Seal" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
21. "Offiziellecharts.de – Seal – Seal" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
22. "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 1991. 42. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
23. "Charts.nz – Seal – Seal". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
24. "Norwegiancharts.com – Seal – Seal". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
25. "Swedishcharts.com – Seal – Seal". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
26. "Swisscharts.com – Seal – Seal". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
27. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
28. "Seal Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
29. "Jahreshitparade Alben 1991". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
30. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 1702". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
31. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1991". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
32. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
33. "Top Selling Albums of 1991". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
34. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1991". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
35. "1991 Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications. 11 January 1992. p. 21. Retrieved 24 May 2022 – via World Radio History.
36. "Top Albums" (PDF). Music Week. 16 January 1993. p. 10. Retrieved 24 May 2022 – via World Radio History.
37. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1992 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
38. "Austrian album certifications – Seal – Seal" (in German). IFPI Austria.
39. "Brazilian album certifications – Seal – Seal" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil.
40. "Canadian album certifications – Seal – Seal". Music Canada.
41. "French album certifications – Seal – Seal" (in French). InfoDisc. Select SEAL and click OK. 
42. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Seal; 'Seal')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
43. "Dutch album certifications – Seal – Seal" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter Seal in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1992 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
44. "New Zealand album certifications – Seal – Seal". Recorded Music NZ.
45. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Seal')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
46. "British album certifications – Seal – Seal". British Phonographic Industry.
47. "American album certifications – Seal – Seal". Recording Industry Association of America.