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 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 opens with an interpolation of the jazz song So What by Miles Davis.
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 After she signed to Universal Records, Badu 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. Baduizms commercial and critical success helped establish Badu as one of the emerging neo soul genre's leading artists.O'Donnell, David. Review: Baduizm. BBC Music. Retrieved 3 August 2009. Her particular style of singing drew many comparisons to Billie Holiday. 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. RIAA
Badu recorded the live album while pregnant with son Seven, and the release of the recording coincided with his birth.
Reception
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: "Not only does it illustrate the depths of Badu's talents, but Live is as strong and captivating as Baduizm." A reviewer of Entertainment Weekly praised the album's jazz influenced sounds, calling the album "sassy" and "relaxed".
The album was released on November 18, 1997, and reached number four on the US Billboard 200
and number one on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The album was certified two times platinum by RIAA for shipments of over two million copies.
Track listing "Rimshot (Intro)" (Erykah Badu, Madukwu Chinwah, Miles Davis) – 3:50 "Otherside of the Game" (Badu, Questlove, Richard Nichols, James Poyser, The Roots) – 8:21 "On & On" (Badu, Jaborn Jamal) – 5:30 "Reprise" – 2:15 "Appletree" (Badu, Robert Bradford) – 4:04 "Ye Yo" (Badu) – 4:59 "Searching" (Roy Ayers) – 4:18 "Boogie Nights/All Night" (James A. Johnson, Rodney L. Temperton) – 6:28 "Certainly" (Badu, Chinwah) – 6:58 "Stay" (Rufus, Richard Calhoun, Chaka Khan) – 4:50 "Next Lifetime (Interlude)" (Badu, Tone The Backbone [Anthony Scott]) – 1:30 "Tyrone" (Badu, Norman "Keys" Hurt) – 3:41 "Next Lifetime" (Badu, Tone the Backbone [Anthony Scott]) – 12:07 "Tyrone" [Extended Version] (Badu, Hurt) – 5:45
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1997–98) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA) N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart. 171 UK Albums (OCC) 195
Year-end charts Chart (1998) Position Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) 27 US Billboard 200 48 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 9
Personnel Erykah Badu – vocals Charles "Poogie" Bell Jr. – drums Karen Bernod – background vocals Hubert Eaves IV – bass Norman "Keys" Hurt – keyboard N'dambi – background vocals Joyce M. Strong – background vocals
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
References