Circle of One
Circle of One is the third album by American vocalist, pianist, and songwriter Oleta Adams and was released in 1990. Circle of One was Adams' first album to receive wide distribution; her two earlier albums (an untitled album in 1982 and Going on Record in 1983) were self-financed and received only local distribution.
| Circle of One | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 14, 1990 | |||
| Recorded | Real World Studios | |||
| Genre | R&B, soul | |||
| Length | 47:05 | |||
| Label | Fontana | |||
| Producer | Roland Orzabal and David Bascombe | |||
| Oleta Adams chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Circle of One | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Entertainment Weekly | A−[2] |
History
After a successful collaboration with Tears for Fears on their 1989 album The Seeds of Love, Adams was offered a record deal of her own with Tears for Fears then-label Fontana Records. Produced by Tears for Fears' Roland Orzabal with Dave Bascombe, the album was initially unsuccessful as were the first two singles "Rhythm of Life" and "Circle of One". However, Adams had a hit in early 1991 with the third single from the album, her cover of Brenda Russell's "Get Here," which peaked at #4 in the UK Singles Chart and #5 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The album, which had received considerable critical acclaim,[3] was re-released with two additional tracks and peaked at #1 in the UK Albums Chart and made the Top 20 of the US Billboard 200. It was certified Gold in both the UK and the US[3] and received two Grammy nominations.[4]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rhythm of Life" | Nicky Holland, Roland Orzabal | 4:23 |
| 2. | "Get Here" | Brenda Russell | 4:36 |
| 3. | "Circle of One" | Oleta Adams | 3:54 |
| 4. | "You've Got to Give Me Room" | Adams | 5:17 |
| 5. | "I've Got to Sing My Song" | Adams | 4:01 |
| 6. | "I've Got a Right" | Adams | 4:00 |
| 7. | "Will We Ever Learn" | Holland, Ellen Shipley | 5:14 |
| 8. | "Everything Must Change" | Benard Ighner | 6:53 |
| 9. | "Don't Look Too Closely" | Adams | 4:27 |
| 10. | "Circle of One (Remix)" | Adams | 4:16 |
| Total length: | 47:05 | ||
- Note: Tracks 9 and 10 were not on the original 1990 release.
Personnel
- Oleta Adams – vocals, keyboards
- John Cushon, Luís Jardim, Carol Steele – drums, percussion
- Pino Palladino – bass guitar
- Roland Orzabal – guitar, keyboards
- Neil Taylor – guitar
- Dave Bascombe, Simon Clark – keyboards
- Matthew Vaughan – programming
- Adele Bertel, Andy Caine, Carol Kenyon, Tessa Niles, Biti Strauchn, Ian Wilson – backing vocals
- Phil Todd – brass, saxophone
- Will Gregory – saxophone
- Guy Barker, Chris White – brass
- Anne Dudley – string and brass arrangements
Charts
| Date | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | US Billboard 200 | 20 |
| 1991 | US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 11 |
| September 6, 1990 | Dutch album chart | 28 |
| March 2, 1991 | UK Albums Chart[5] | 1 |
References
- AllMusic review
- Entertainment Weekly review
- Billboard.com Biography Oleta Adams. Accessed: October 2, 2006
- Ebony Norment, Lynn, "Moving on and up with Oleta Adams: with new husband and renewed religious faith, soulful singer scores with new album", August 1996, Accessed: October 2, 2006
- TheOfficalCharts.com Archived 2006-11-12 at the Wayback Machine Oleta Adams - Circle Of One. Accessed: October 2, 2006