Live (Erykah Badu album)

Live is a live concert album by American singer Erykah Badu, released in 1997. Released in the fall of 1997, with her debut album Baduizm released earlier that year, Live quickly went double platinum with the radio hit "Tyrone".

Live
Live album by
Erykah Badu
ReleasedNovember 18, 1997 (1997-11-18)
Recorded1997
StudioSony Music Studios, New York
Genre
Length76:58
Label
Producer
  • Kedar Massenburg
  • Erykah Badu
  • Norman Hurt
Erykah Badu chronology
Baduizm
(1997)		 Live
(1997)		 Mama's Gun
(2000)

Live includes cover versions of songs by Rufus featuring Chaka Khan ("Stay"), Roy Ayers ("Searchin'") and a medley of Heatwave's "Boogie Nights", The Mary Jane Girls' "All Night Long", and Funkin' for Jamaica (N.Y.) by Tom Browne.

The album was nominated for Best R&B Album at the 1999 Grammy Awards, while the track "Tyrone" was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

Background

Following Badu signing to Universal Records, she released her debut studio album Baduizm, in early 1997. The album was met with critical and commercial success, debuting at number two on the Billboard charts and number one on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[1][2] Baduizm's commercial and critical success helped establish Badu as one of the emerging neo soul genre's leading artists.[3] Her particular style of singing drew many comparisons to Billie Holiday.[4] Baduizm was certified three times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, Gold by the British Phonographic Industry and the Canadian Recording Industry Association. [5] [6] [7] Badu recorded her first live album, while pregnant with Seven, and the release of the recording coincided with his birth.[8]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link
Entertainment WeeklyB+[9]
Los Angeles Timesfavorable[10]
Rhapsodyfavorable link
Robert Christgau link
Rolling Stone link

Upon release Live was met with acclaim from music critics. Leo Stanley of Allmusic praised Badu's decision to release a live album so shortly after releasing her debut continuing to praise the album Stanley said; "Not only does it illustrate the depths of Badu's talents, but Live is as strong and captivating as Baduizm."[11] A reviewer of Entertainment Weekly praised the albums Jazz composition, continuing to call the album "sassy" and "relaxed". [9]

The album was released on November 18, 1997 and reached number four on the US Billboard 200 [12] and number one on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[13][14] The album was certified two times platinum by RIAA for shipments of over two million copies.[5]

Track listing
  1. "Rimshot (Intro)" (Erykah Badu, Madukwu Chinwah) – 3:48
  2. "Otherside of the Game" (Badu, Bro.Questlove, Richard Nichols, James Poyser, The Roots) – 8:21
  3. "On & On" (Badu, Jaborn Jamal) – 5:25
  4. "Reprise" – 2:13
  5. "Appletree" (Badu, Robert Bradford) – 2:54
  6. "Ye Yo" (Badu) – 6:07
  7. "Searching" (Roy Ayers) – 4:26
  8. "Boogie Nights/All Night" (James A. Johnson, Rodney L. Temperton) – 6:03
  9. "Certainly" (Badu, Chinwah) – 7:06
  10. "Stay" (Rufus, Richard Calhoun, Chaka Khan) – 4:58
  11. "Next Lifetime (Interlude)" (Badu, Tone The Backbone [Anthony Scott]) – 1:30
  12. "Tyrone" (Badu, Norman "Keys" Hurt) – 3:56
  13. "Next Lifetime" (Badu, Tone the Backbone [Anthony Scott]) – 12:05
  14. "Tyrone" [Extended Version] (Badu, Hurt) – 5:40

Charts
Chart (1997) Peak
position
US Billboard 200 4[12]
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 1[15]

Personnel

Production
  • Producers: Erykah Badu, Norman "Keys" Hurt
  • Executive producers: Erykah Badu, Kedar Massenburg
  • Engineers: Erykah Badu, Norman "Keys" Hurt, Gorden Mack, Kenny Ortíz
  • Mixing: Erykah Badu, Norman "Keys" Hurt, Gorden Mack, Kenny Ortíz
  • Mastering: Tom Coyne
  • Art direction: D. Simmons, M. Warlow
  • Cover art concept: Erykah Badu, Clymenza Hawkins
  • Design: P. Geczik, Lance Ong
  • Layout design: P. Geczik
  • Photography: Imari Dusauzay, Imari Dusauzay
  • Artwork: P. Geczik, Lance Ong

See also
  • List of number-one R&B albums of 1997 (U.S.)

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Netherlands (NVPI)[16] Platinum 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[17] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References
  1. https://www.billboard.com/music/erykah-badu/chart-history/
  2. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: December 09, 2000 | Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard. December 9, 2000. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  3. O'Donnell, David. Review: Baduizm. BBC Music. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
  4. "Erykah Badu". Rock on the Net. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
  5. RIAA Archived February 25, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Archived January 15, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  7. "Gold and Platinum". Cria.ca. December 1, 2011. Archived from the original on April 12, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  8. Archived May 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  9. Considine, J.D. (November 28, 1997). "Live". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  10. Hilburn, Robert (May 5, 1998). "The Wonder of Baduizm". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  11. http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-mw0000596174
  12. "Album Info: Live – Erykah Badu". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  13. "R&B/Hip Hop Albums: Week of December 06, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  14. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: December 06, 1997". Billboard. December 6, 1997. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  15. "R&B/Hip Hop Albums: Week of December 06, 1997". Billboard. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  16. "Dutch album certifications – Erykah Badu – Live" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter Live in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  17. "American album certifications – Erykah Badu – Live". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
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