Sparkle (Sparkle album)
Sparkle is the 1998 self–titled debut album by American singer, Sparkle. It was released on May 20, 1998 through Interscope Records and was entirely produced by her former mentor R. Kelly. The album was a success in large part to the Sparkle-R. Kelly duet "Be Careful", which peaked at 3 on the Rhythmic Top 40 and 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. The album itself peaked at 3 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Gold on December 7, 2000.
| Sparkle | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 19, 1998 | |||
| Recorded | November 1997–February 1998 at (Chicago Recording Company) Chicago, Illinois | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 60:00 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | R. Kelly(exec.) | |||
| Sparkle chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Sparkle | ||||
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| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
Background
In addition to "Be Careful", "Time to Move On" and "Lovin' You" were also released as singles, but neither made it to the Billboard charts. Entertainment Weekly (6/19/98, p. 74) - "Unlike her wannabe-diva peers, this R. Kelly protegee remembers what the 'B' in R&B stands for....R. Kelly surrounds her with blaxploitation-vintage wah-wah guitars, haunting strings, and blue-collar blues; the resulting soul digs far deeper than Kelly's usual bump'n' grind..." - Rating: B+
Track listing
- "Good Life"- 3:46 (featuring Cam'ron and Nature)
- "Time to Move On"- 4:03
- "Lean on Me"- 4:22
- "I'm Gone"- 5:14
- "Turn Away"- 4:43
- "What About"- 4:47
- "Be Careful"- 5:17 (featuring R. Kelly)
- "Nothing Can Compare"- 4:09
- "Quiet Place"- 1:39
- "Lovin' You"- 4:08
- "Straight Up"- 4:46
- "Vegas"- 4:08 (featuring Strings)
- "No Greater"- 3:04
- "Play On"- 5:07
- "Plenty of Good Lovin'"- 3:24
Samples
- "Time to Move On" sampled "Intimate Friends" by Eddie Kendricks
- "Lovin' You"- "Loving You" by Minnie Riperton
- "Good Life"- "Good Times" by Chic
Singles
- Be Careful
Released: March 23, 1998
Credits
Peter Mokran - Head Engineer, Mixing, Programmer
Jason Bacher- Assistant Engineer
Percy Bady- Keyboards
Rick Behrens- Assistant Engineer, Engineer, Mixing Assistant
Chris Brickley- Assistant Engineer, Engineer, Mixing Assistant, Programming
Cam'ron- Rap
Lafayette Carthon, Jr.- Keyboards
Trey Fratt -Assistant Engineer
Stephen George -Engineer, Mixing, Programming
Keith Henderson- Guitar
Cynthia Jernigan -Vocals (Background)
Mark Johnson -Mixing Assistant
R. Kelly- Arranger, Executive Producer, Mixing, Performer, Producer, Songwriter, Vocals (Background)
Jeff Lane- Mixing Assistant
Ron Lowe -Assistant Engineer, Engineer, Mixing Assistant
Mr. Lee -Mixing, Programming
Nature -Rap
Joshua Shapera-Engineer
Sparkle -Vocals (Background)
Martin Stebbing -Engineer, Programming
Ed Tinley- Assistant Engineer
Tone & Poke -Mixing
Jeff Vereb- Assistant Engineer, Mixing Assistant
Recorded at Chicago Recording Company, Battery Studios, Chicago Trax, Chicago, Illinois.