Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade
Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade is a 1990 album by Soul II Soul. The album reached No. 1 in the UK in May 1990, and contained three UK hits, "Get a Life", which reached No. 3 (and which peaked at No. 54 on America's Billboard Hot 100), "A Dream's a Dream", which made No. 6 (and peaked at No. 85 on the Hot 100), and "Missing You", which reached No. 22 (and did not chart on the Hot 100).
Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 21 May 1990 | |||
Recorded | 1989-90 | |||
Genre | Electronica, R&B, new jack swing | |||
Length | 46:23 | |||
Label | Virgin | |||
Producer | Jazzie B., Nellee Hooper | |||
Soul II Soul chronology | ||||
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The album was recorded following the departure of Caron Wheeler (the Soul II Soul collective's best known singer). Guest performers included singers Kym Mazelle, Lamya, Marcia Lewis, and Victoria Wilson-James, saxophonist Courtney Pine and New York hip-hop scenester Fab 5 Freddy.
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Chicago Tribune | [2] |
Entertainment Weekly | A[3] |
Los Angeles Times | [4] |
NME | 9/10[5] |
Record Mirror | 3/5[6] |
Rolling Stone | [7] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [8] |
Sounds | [9] |
The Village Voice | A−[10] |
Reviewing Vol. II for Spin, Nathaniel Wice found Soul II Soul's music successful at communicating positivity "in a sly, critical way." "Soul II Soul's harmony," he wrote, "works because it is part of a movement defined in adversity to racism, materialism and Britain's attempts to regulate parties."[11]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Get a Life" | Trevor Beresford Romeo, Hayden Maclaren Browne | 3:42 |
2. | "Love Come Through" | Romeo, Michael McEvoy, Lamya Almugheira | 4:30 |
3. | "People" | Romeo, Browne | 4:55 |
4. | "Missing You" | Romeo, Simon Law, Kym Mazelle | 5:24 |
5. | "Courtney Blows" | Romeo, Browne | 4:33 |
6. | "1990 A New Decade" | Romeo, Tony Campbell | 4:01 |
7. | "A Dream's a Dream" | Romeo, Law | 5:37 |
8. | "Time (Untitled)" | Romeo, Browne | 6:05 |
9. | "In the Heat of the Night" | Romeo, Browne | 3:39 |
10. | "Our Time Has Now Come" | Romeo, Browne, Campbell | 3:57 |
Personnel
- Jazzie B - musical director, co-producer, mixing, vocals on "Get a Life" & "Our Time Has Now Come"
- Nellee Hooper - co-producer, mixing
- Tony "Dobie" Campbell - assistant producer
- Howard Bernstein - engineer
- Marcia Lewis - vocals on "Get a Life", "People"
- Philip "Daddae" Harvey - vocals on "Get a Life"; guitars/percussion/keyboards (uncredited)
- Lamya Hafidh Sultan Al-Mugheiry - vocals on "Love Come Through" & "In the Heat of the Night"
- Kym Mazelle - vocals on "Missing You"
- Courtney Pine - saxophone on "Courtney Blows"
- Pinise Sula - vocals on "1990. A New Decade" & "Our Time Has Now Come"
- Sonti Mndebele - vocals on "1990. A New Decade" & "Our Time Has Now Come"
- Nomsa Caluza - vocals on "1990. A New Decade" & "Our Time Has Now Come"
- Bambi Fazakerley - vocals on "1990. A New Decade" & "Our Time Has Now Come"
- Victoria Wilson-James - vocals on "A Dream's a Dream"
- Fred "Fab 5 Freddy" Brathwaite - vocals on "Our Time Has Now Come"
- Simon Law - keyboards (uncredited)
- Michael McEvoy - piano 'People', 'A Dreams A Dream' and 'Time', keyboards 'Love Come Through', 'Missing You'
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[25] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada)[26] | Gold | 50,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[27] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[28] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- Henderson, Alex. "Vol II: 1990 – A New Decade – Soul II Soul". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
- Kot, Greg (31 May 1990). "Soul II Soul: Vol. II, 1990—A New Decade (Virgin)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- Sandow, Greg (1 June 1990). "Vol. II 1990 A New Decade". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
- Hunt, Dennis (27 May 1990). "Soul II Soul 'Vol. II—1990—A New Decade' Virgin". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- Hewitt, Paolo (19 May 1990). "Jazzie's Dream". NME. p. 32.
- Halasa, Malu (19 May 1990). "Soul II Soul: Vol II (1990 A New Decade)". Record Mirror. p. 19.
- Considine, J. D. (28 June 1990). "Soul II Soul: Vol. II 1990 – A New Decade". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 8 October 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
- Considine, J. D. (2004). "Soul II Soul". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 762. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade (press advertisement). 10 Records. 1990. Archived from the original on 5 August 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
{{cite AV media}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - Christgau, Robert (31 July 1990). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- Wice, Nathaniel (August 1990). "Soul II Soul: Vol. II: 1990 A New Decade". Spin. Vol. 6, no. 5. p. 74. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
- "Australiancharts.com – Soul II Soul – 1990 A New Decade Vol. II". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- "Austriancharts.at – Soul II Soul – 1990 A New Decade Vol. II" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Soul II Soul – 1990 A New Decade Vol. II" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Soul II Soul – 1990 A New Decade Vol. II" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- "Charts.nz – Soul II Soul – 1990 A New Decade Vol. II". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- "Swedishcharts.com – Soul II Soul – 1990 A New Decade Vol. II". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- "Swisscharts.com – Soul II Soul – 1990 A New Decade Vol. II". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- "Soul II Soul | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- "Soul II Soul Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- "Soul II Soul Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- "Top Selling Albums of 1990". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
- "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1990 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- "Canadian album certifications – Soul II Soul – Volume II 1990 – A New Decade". Music Canada. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- "British album certifications – Soul II Soul – Club Classics Vol Ii - 1990 A New Decade". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- "American album certifications – Soul II Soul – 1990 – A New Decade". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
External links
- Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade at Discogs (list of releases)