Maps of Music

Lionel Richie (1982)

Where the lyrics of Lionel Richie take you, and where it was really made.

Motown first proposed this as a side project, yet the album went on to top the Cashbox albums chart.

Key places

Recording at A&M Recording Studios (1982)

Recording site A&M Recording Studios — The recording place for this album is listed as A&M Recording Studios. The album credits also name A&M Studios as the mastering site. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Self-titled debut solo studio album by Lionel Richie
• Released October 6, 1982 on Motown
• Recorded and released while Richie was still a member of the Commodores
• Richie left the group shortly after the album's release
• Eagles member Joe Walsh provided the guitar solo for “Wandering Stranger”

Background

• Originally conceived at Motown's suggestion as a side project
• The album came out during Richie's final period with the Commodores
• It marks the point at which Richie officially launched his solo career

Recording

• The credits list Calvin Harris for recording and mixing
• Bernie Grundman mastered the album at A&M Studios
• Producers are James Anthony Carmichael and Lionel Richie
• Brenda Harvey-Richie is credited as production assistant
• Jane Clark, Jim Cassell, Michael Johnson, Fred Law and Stephan Smith are credited for additional mixing and second engineering

Cover

• Johnny Lee is credited for art direction
• David Alexander is credited for photography

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org

Artist

Formation

• Born June 20, 1949, in Tuskegee, Alabama; grew up on the Tuskegee Institute campus and attended Tuskegee Institute on a tennis scholarship.
• In the late 1960s he joined the Commodores as singer and saxophonist; they moved from Atlantic to Motown, first as a support act to The Jackson 5.
• Commodores' early funky sound ("Machine Gun", "Brick House") gave way to romantic ballads he wrote and sang, such as "Easy", "Three Times a Lady", "Still" and "Sail On".

Career

• 1974: first commercial songwriting success with "Happy People", recorded by The Temptations as a No. 1 R&B hit.
• 1980: wrote "Lady" for Kenny Rogers, a US No. 1; produced Rogers' album Share Your Love in 1981.
• 1981: "Endless Love", a duet with Diana Ross, became one of Motown's biggest hits.
• 1982: debut solo album Lionel Richie, with the No. 1 single "Truly", sold over 4 million copies.
• 1983: Can't Slow Down won Album of the Year and sold over twice as many copies; "All Night Long" was a No. 1 hit.
• 1985: co-wrote "We Are the World" with Michael Jackson; "Say You, Say Me" from White Nights won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.
• 1986: Dancing on the Ceiling, his last widely popular album; a break from recording followed until the 1992 hits collection Back to Front.
• Sold over 90 million records worldwide and won four Grammy Awards.
• Judge on American Idol from its 16th season (2018 onward).
• 2022: inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Released October 6, 1982 on Motown
• Recorded and released while Richie was still a member of the Commodores
• Richie left the group shortly after the album's release
• “Truly” topped the Billboard Hot 100 as the first single from the album
• The follow-up single “You Are” reached number four, and “My Love” reached number five

Records

• The album reached number one on the Cashbox albums chart on December 11, 1982, about two months after release
• Portuguese Wikipedia's artist page says the album sold more than four million copies
• Richie officially launched his solo career with this album in 1982
• All three singles from the album placed in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100
• The chart milestone is credited to Cashbox, not to Billboard

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Joe Walsh of the Eagles played the guitar solo on “Wandering Stranger”.
• In a third-season episode of Friends, Chandler is seen holding a copy of this album and singing “Endless Love”, but that song is not on this album.
• Calvin Harris is credited for recording and mixing.
• Johnny Lee handled art direction and David Alexander took the photography.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

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