Can't Slow Down (Lionel Richie album)
Can't Slow Down | ||||
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File:Richieslow.jpg | ||||
Studio album by Lionel Richie | ||||
Released | October 11, 1983 | |||
Recorded | March–September 1983 | |||
Genre | Dance-pop,[1] R&B, pop[2] | |||
Length | 40:56 | |||
Label | Motown | |||
Producer | James Anthony Carmichael, Lionel Richie, David Foster | |||
Lionel Richie chronology | ||||
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Singles from Can't Slow Down | ||||
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Can't Slow Down is the second solo album by American recording artist Lionel Richie. It was released on October 11, 1983 by Motown Records.
Contents
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" suits Richie more than the Commodores' funk had and predicted that, considering his "well-established appeal to white people," Can't Slow Down has the potential to become a "mini-Thriller".[1] Don Shewey of Rolling Stone magazine gave the album four out of five stars and said that, although the ballads are monotonous, Richie successfully broadens his music for different listeners and draws 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."[3]
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.[4] 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".[5]
Commercial performance
The album reached #1 on the Billboard album chart.[6] 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.[citation needed] 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 USA by Bruce Springsteen and Purple Rain by Prince. By 1986 the album had sold 15 million copies,[7] eventually selling over 20 million.[8]
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 #1. Other hits include "Stuck on You" (US #3), "Running With the Night" (US #7), and "Penny Lover" (US #8).[citation needed] The ballad "The Only One" was a significant song from the album which was never released as a single, yet remains a popular staple of Richie's live performances.
The single "Stuck on You" also reached #24 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart (now Hot Country Songs).[citation needed]
20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
On May 6, 2003, a 2-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
Original album (1983) | |||
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No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
1. | "Can't Slow Down" | Lionel Richie, David Cochrane | 4:43 |
2. | "All Night Long (All Night)" | L. Richie | 6:25 |
3. | "Penny Lover" | L. Richie, Brenda Harvey-Richie | 5:34 |
4. | "Stuck on You" | L. Richie | 3:13 |
5. | "Love Will Find A Way" | L. Richie, Greg Phillinganes | 6:16 |
6. | "The Only One" | L. Richie, David Foster | 4:21 |
7. | "Running with the Night" | L. Richie, Cynthia Weil | 6:01 |
8. | "Hello" | L. Richie | 4:14 |
20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Bonus Tracks (2003) | |||
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No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
9. | "All Night Long (All Night)" (12-inch Version) | L. Richie | 6:42 |
10. | "Penny Lover" (7-inch Single Remix) | L. Richie, B. Harvey-Richie | 3:48 |
11. | "All Night Long (All Night)" (12-inch B-Side Instrumental Version) | L. Richie | 6:43 |
12. | "Running With The Night" (12-inch B-Side Instrumental Version) | L. Richie, C. Weil | 6:57 |
20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition CD2 (2003) | |||
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No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
1. | "Can't Slow Down" (Alternate Version) | L. Richie, David Cochrane | 4:55 |
2. | "Ain't No Sayin' No" (Unfinished Demo) | L. Richie, G. Phillinganes | 4:57 |
3. | "Tell Me" (Unfinished Demo) | L. Richie, D. Foster | 4:57 |
4. | "All Night Long (All Night)" (Original Demo Version) | L. Richie | 7:20 |
5. | "Penny Lover" (Alternate Version) | L. Richie, B. Harvey-Richie | 6:24 |
6. | "Stuck On You" (Original Demo Version) | L. Richie | 3:00 |
7. | "Can't Find Love" (Unfinished Demo) | L. Richie | 5:50 |
8. | "Love Will Find A Way" (Original Demo Version) | L. Richie, G. Phillinganes | 6:35 |
9. | "The Only One" (Original Demo Version) | L. Richie, D. Foster | 4:28 |
10. | "The Groove" (Instrumental Interlude) | L. Richie | 1:15 |
11. | "Running With The Night" (Undubbed Version) | L. Richie, C. Weil | 6:14 |
12. | "Hello" (Original Demo Version) | L. Richie | 4:26 |
13. | "Blues" (Outro) | 1:12 |
Personnel
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Charts
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Chart (1983–1984) | Peak position |
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U.S. Billboard 200 | 1 |
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 55 |
UK Albums Chart | 1 |
Australian Albums Chart | 1 |
Media Control Charts | 2 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Sales/shipments |
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Canada (Music Canada)[9] | Diamond | 1,000,000 |
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[10] | Platinum | 50,608[10] |
France (SNEP)[11] | Gold | 357,000[12] |
Germany (BVMI)[13] | Gold | 250,000 |
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[14] | Platinum | 20,000 |
United Kingdom (BPI)[15] | 3× Platinum | 900,000 |
United States (RIAA)[16] | Diamond | 10,000,000 |
*sales figures based on certification alone |
See also
References
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- ↑ Allmusic review
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- ↑ Album chart positions from allmusic.com Retrieved 24 March 2009.
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Preceded by | Billboard 200 number-one album December 3–23, 1983 |
Succeeded by Thriller by Michael Jackson |
Preceded by | UK number one album November 12, 1983 – November 18, 1983 March 31, 1984 – April 13, 1984 |
Succeeded by Colour by Numbers by Culture Club Now That's What I Call Music II by Various Artists |
Preceded by
Throbbin' '84 by Various artists
|
Australian Kent Music Report number-one album June 18 – July 8, 1984 |
Succeeded by Breaking Hearts by Elton John |
- Pages with reference errors
- Pages with broken file links
- Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters
- Articles with unsourced statements from July 2013
- Certification Table Entry usages for Canada
- Certification Table Entry usages for Finland
- Certification Table Entry usages for France
- Certification Table Entry usages for Germany
- Certification Table Entry usages for Hong Kong
- Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom
- Certification Table Entry usages for United States
- 1983 albums
- Lionel Richie albums
- Albums produced by David Foster
- Grammy Award winners for Album of the Year
- Universal Deluxe Editions
- Motown albums