Maps of Music

Paid Vacation (1993)

Where the lyrics of Paid Vacation take you, and where it was really made.

The lead single Now and Forever spent 11 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, yet the album itself peaked at only No. 37 on the Billboard 200.

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Album story

Overview

• Paid Vacation: fourth studio album by American singer/songwriter Richard Marx
• Released in 1994
• Lead single: Now and Forever
• Dedicated to Marx's then-wife Cynthia Rhodes and sons Brandon, Lucas, and Jesse Marx
• Album results were weaker than his earlier records, even though its singles did well

Background

• Now and Forever: Marx's ninth and final Top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
• Now and Forever: his most successful single on the Adult Contemporary chart
• Now and Forever stayed at the top of the Billboard A/C chart for 11 consecutive weeks
• Follow-up single The Way She Loves Me reached the Top 20 on the Hot 100
• The Way She Loves Me hit No. 3 on Adult Contemporary radio
• The album sold well globally, especially in Japan, where it gave Marx his first Gold record
• The album also did well in Southeast Asia, selling over 1.1 million copies by 1995 alongside Ballads

Recording

• Richard Marx produced tracks 1 to 3 and 5 to 13; Terry Thomas produced track 4
• Fee Waybill co-produced the lead vocals on tracks 3, 5 and 10
• Bill Drescher engineered tracks 1 to 3 and 5 to 12 and mixed most of the album
• Mastering was done by Wally Traugott
• Mastering was done at Capitol Studios
• Bruce Gaitsch played guitars on several tracks
• Jeff Porcaro played drums on track 12
• Randy Jackson played bass on several tracks
• Lionel Richie and Luther Vandross sang backing vocals on track 1
• Dick Marx wrote the string arrangements, and strings appear on Now and Forever

Cover

• Art direction by Larry Vigon
• Design by Brian Johnson and Larry Vigon
• Photography by Nels Israelson
• Inner photos by Al Silfen

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

Artist

Early life

• Born September 16, 1963 in Chicago, Illinois; American singer-songwriter.
• Only child of former singer Ruth and jazz musician Dick Marx, founder of a jingle company.
• Began his career at age five singing commercial jingles written by his father's company.
• At 17, a tape of his songs reached Lionel Richie, who encouraged him to move to Los Angeles.

Career

• Scored number one hits as a songwriter with "What About Me?" (1984) and "Crazy" (1985).
• Debut album (1987) went triple platinum; "Don't Mean Nothing" reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
• Repeat Offender (1989) rose to No. 1 on the Billboard album chart and sold over 5 million copies in the US.
• "Right Here Waiting" reached No. 1 in several European countries and gave him his first UK top ten.
• Won a Grammy for Song of the Year for "Dance with My Father" co-written with Luther Vandross (2004).
• Has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and holds 14 Billboard number one singles as performer and songwriter.

Recent activity

• Released Songwriter (2022) and After Hours (2026).
• Became a coach on The Voice Australia in 2025.

Reception

At release

• The album ran on the U.S. Billboard 200 for 23 weeks
• It peaked at No. 37 on the Billboard 200
• Its predecessor Rush Street peaked higher, at No. 35
• The album did not match the chart results of Marx's previous efforts
• Lead single Now and Forever was his ninth and final Top 10 hit on the Hot 100
• Now and Forever led the Adult Contemporary chart for 11 consecutive weeks
• The follow-up single The Way She Loves Me reached the Top 20 on the Hot 100

Reappraisal

• The album sold well globally after release
• Sales were especially strong in Japan
• In Japan the album gave Marx his first Gold record
• In Southeast Asia it sold over 1.1 million copies by 1995, alongside Ballads
• The Southeast Asia sales figure is given together with the Ballads album

Records

• Received a fourth successive Platinum certification from the RIAA in late 1994
• Chart peak on the Billboard 200: No. 37
• Adult Contemporary chart: Now and Forever at No. 1 for 11 consecutive weeks
• The Way She Loves Me: No. 3 on Adult Contemporary radio
• Southeast Asia: over 1.1 million copies by 1995

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Lionel Richie and Luther Vandross sang backing vocals on the first track
• Marx wrote in a note that there was no better drummer than Jeff Porcaro, who played drums on track 12
• The international edition lists Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway), a Billy Joel cover, as an extra track
• The extra tracks were not included in the edition released in North America
• The strings on Now and Forever were arranged by Dick Marx

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com · it.wikipedia.org

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