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The Sweetest Days

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The Sweetest Days
Studio album by
Vanessa Williams
ReleasedDecember 6, 1994 (1994-12-06)
RecordedJanuary 1993–October 1994
Studio
Genre
Length52:08
Label
Producer
Vanessa Williams chronology
The Comfort Zone
(1991) 		The Sweetest Days
(1994) 		Star Bright
(1996)
Singles from The Sweetest Days
  1. "The Sweetest Days"
    Released: October 18, 1994
  2. "The Way That You Love"
    Released: January 24, 1995
  3. "Colors of the Wind"
    Released: April 25, 1995
  4. "You Can't Run"
    Released: July 17, 1995
  5. "Higher Ground"
    Released: October 10, 1995
  6. "Betcha Never"
    Released: January 30, 1996
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Entertainment Weekly[3]
Muzik[1]
Robert Christgau(neither)[4]

The Sweetest Days is the third studio album by American singer and actress Vanessa Williams. It was released on December 6, 1994, by Wing Records and Mercury Records. The album peaked at number 57 on the US Billboard 200 and at number 25 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[5]

The album includes the singles "You Can't Run", "Betcha Never", "The Way That You Love", and the title track. It also includes the first recording of the song "Higher Ground" later covered by Barbra Streisand as the title track from her 1997 self-titled album, as well as cover versions of songs previously recorded by Patti Austin and Sting. The album was re-released in 1995 with the additional track "Colors of the Wind", the theme from the Disney animated film Pocahontas.

"The Way That You Love" and "You Can't Run" were nominated at the 1996 Grammy Awards for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female and Best R&B Song, respectively.

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro-Lude"
0:55
2."The Way That You Love"
  • J. Dibbs
  • Abenaa
  • Brown
  • Williams
  • J. Dibbs[a]
4:48
3."Betcha Never"BabyfaceBabyface3:55
4."The Sweetest Days"
Keith Thomas3:31
5."Higher Ground"
  • Steve Dorff
  • George Gree
  • Brown
  • Williams
4:19
6."You Don't Have to Say You're Sorry"Patti Austin
  • Brown
  • Williams
4:10
7."Ellamental"
  • Laythan Armor
  • Bunny Hull
  • Brown
  • Williams
6:06
8."Sister Moon"Sting
  • Brown
  • Williams
5:28
9."You Can't Run"BabyfaceBabyface4:27
10."Moonlight Over Paris"
  • Brown
  • Williams
5:07
11."Constantly"Donald Robinson
  • Brown
  • Williams
  • Galdston[a]
5:04
12."Long Way Home"
  • Brown
  • Williams
4:18
1996 Japanese reissue bonus tracks[6]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Love Is" (duet with Brian McKnight)
  • Brown
  • Williams
  • McKnight
4:46
14."Colors of the Wind" (radio mix)
Thomas4:20
1995 Target exclusive edition (bonus CD single)
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."For All the Children"
  • Brown
  • Moroch
3:20
2."Colors of the Wind" (radio mix)
  • Menken
  • Schwartz
Thomas4:18

Notes

[edit]
  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer

Personnel

[edit]

Adapted from AllMusic.[7]

  • Vanessa Williams – vocals, backing vocals (2, 7, 12), arrangements (5, 6, 10), vocal arrangements (8, 11), BGV arrangements (8, 12)
  • Gerry Brown – keyboards (1), special effects (1), arrangements (5, 6, 8, 10, 11), electric piano (7)
  • Leon Pendarvis – acoustic piano (2)
  • J. Dibbs – programming (2), rhythm arrangements (2)
  • Babyface – keyboards (3, 9), drum programming (3, 9)
  • Randy Walker – MIDI programming (3, 9)
  • Keith Thomas – acoustic piano (4), synthesizer programming (4), bass (4), arrangements (4)
  • Joel Diamond – organ (5, 11)
  • Jeff Bova – strings (5), keyboards (8, 10), programming (10), additional synthesizer programming (12), Mellotron (12)
  • Greg Phillinganes – Rhodes electric piano (6)
  • Laythan Armor – Rhodes electric piano (7), programming (7), rhythm arrangements (7)
  • Philippe Saisse – keyboards (8), acoustic piano (8)
  • Joe Mennonna – accordion (10)
  • Phil Galdston – keyboards (12), synthesizer programming (12), arrangements (12), BGV arrangements (12)
  • Dominic Cortese – accordion (12)
  • Nick Moroch – guitars (1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11), Mellotron (5), synth bass (5), arrangements (5, 8, 10, 11), mandolin (10)
  • Ricardo Silveira – guitars (3)
  • Dann Huff – acoustic guitar (4), electric guitar (4)
  • Larry Carlton – guitar solo (6)
  • Bill Malina – guitars (6), arrangements (6)
  • Ira Siegel – guitars (12)
  • Ron Carter – acoustic bass (7, 8)
  • Armand Sabal-Lecco – bass (8)
  • Anthony Jackson – bass (10)
  • Pino Palladino – bass slides (10), bass (12)
  • Mark Hammond – drum programming (4)
  • Kenwood Dennard – drums (8)
  • Peter Erskine – drums (8)
  • James Murphy – drums (12)
  • Roy Ayers – vibraphone (2)
  • Paulinho da Costa – percussion (3, 5, 9)
  • Carol Steele – percussion (12)
  • Ron Blake – saxophone (7)
  • Roy Hargrove – trumpet (7)
  • Toots Thielemans – harmonica (8)
  • The Nashville String Machine – strings (4)
  • Ronn Huff – string arrangements and conductor (4)
  • Clare Fischer – string arrangements (6), string conductor (6, 12)
  • Brent Fischer – string orchestration (12)
  • Carl Gorodetzky – string contractor (4)
  • Morris Repass – string contractor (6)
  • Abenaa – backing vocals (2)
  • Tabitha Fair – backing vocals (4)
  • Kenny Hicks – backing vocals (7), BGV arrangements (8)
  • Bunny Hull – backing vocals (7)
  • Fonzi Thornton – backing vocals (7)
  • Soul Man – rap (7)
  • Sting – backing vocals (8)
  • Brock Walsh – backing vocals (12), arrangements (12), BGV arrangements (12)

Production

  • Ed Eckstine – executive producer
  • Gerry Brown – producer (1, 2, 5-8, 10, 11), mixing (2, 5-7, 10)
  • Vanessa Williams – producer (1, 2, 5-8, 10, 11)
  • J. Dibbs – co-producer (2)
  • Babyface – producer (3, 9)
  • Keith Thomas – producer (4)
  • Phil Galdston – producer (12)
  • Bill Malina – engineer (2, 7), mixing (2, 5-7, 10, 11), recording (5, 6, 10, 11), digital editing
  • Brad Gilderman – engineer (3, 9)
  • Mick Guzauski – mixing (3, 9, 12)
  • Bill Whittington – recording (4), mixing (4)
  • Al Schmitt – engineer (6)
  • Nick Moroch – mixing (11)
  • Mike Scott – engineer (12)
  • Tim Leitner – additional engineer (4)
  • Mike Scott – assistant mix engineer (12)
  • Ryan Arnold – assistant engineer
  • Bryan Carrigan – assistant engineer
  • Tim Conklin – assistant engineer
  • Martin Czembor – assistant engineer
  • Tim Donovan – assistant engineer
  • Suzanne Dyer – assistant engineer
  • Eric Fischer – assistant engineer
  • Carl Glanville – assistant engineer
  • Vaughn Merrick – assistant engineer
  • Jay Militscher – assistant engineer
  • Jen Monnar – assistant engineer
  • Marty Ogden – assistant engineer
  • Greg Parker – assistant engineer
  • Jamey Perenot – assistant engineer
  • Joe Pirrera – assistant engineer
  • Marnie Riley – assistant engineer
  • Rory Romano – assistant engineer
  • Dexter Simmons – assistant engineer
  • Bill Smith – assistant engineer
  • Robert Smith – assistant engineer
  • Brian Sperber – assistant engineer
  • Casey Stone – assistant engineer
  • King Williams – assistant engineer
  • Dann Wojnar – assistant engineer
  • Mick Corey – technical support
  • Barry Duryea – technical support
  • Artie Smith – technical support
  • Christian "Wicked" Wicht – technical support
  • Max Risenhoover – digital editing
  • Herb Powers – mastering at The Hit Factory Mastering (New York City, New York)
  • Victor Winograd – cartage services
  • Jackie Brown – production assistant
  • Derek Duffey – production assistant
  • Ivy Skoff – production coordinator (3, 9)
  • Todd Moore – production coordinator (4)
  • Anthony Block – cover typeset
  • Chris Thompson – art direction
  • Marty Maidenberg – package layout design
  • Peter Lindbergh – photography
  • Marietta Ciriello – stylist
  • Odile Gilbert – hair stylist
  • Stephanie Marais – make-up
  • Hervey & Company – management

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for The Sweetest Days
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[15] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[5] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Jones, Bob (September 1995). "Vanessa Williams: Sweetest Days" (PDF). Muzik. No. 4. p. 81. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2022. "Sweetest Days" is a heady mixture of contemporary R&B, straight pop ballads, and some unplugged acoustic items
  2. ^ AllMusic review
  3. ^ Dyson, Michael Eric (9 March 1995). "Recordings". Rolling Stone. Vol. 703.
  4. ^ Consumer Guide: Vanessa Williams
  5. ^ a b "American album certifications – Vanessa Williams – The Sweetest Days". Recording Industry Association of America. August 1, 1995. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  6. ^ "Sweetest Days : Vanessa Williams". HMV Japan. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  7. ^ The Sweetest Days - Vanessa Williams | Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 2023-02-11
  8. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 303.
  9. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Vanessa Williams – The Sweetest Days" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  10. ^ "スウィーテスト・デイ" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  11. ^ "Vanessa Williams Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  12. ^ "Vanessa Williams Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  13. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  14. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  15. ^ "Japanese album certifications – ヴァネッサ・ウィリアムス (Vanessa Williams) – スウィーテスト・デイズ (The Sweetest Days)" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved March 23, 2020. Select 1995年2月 on the drop-down menu
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