Back to Front (Lionel Richie album)
1992 compilation album by Lionel Richie
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Back to Front is the first compilation album by American singer Lionel Richie, which was released on May 5, 1992, by Motown. It contains songs from both his successful solo career and as part of the band the Commodores, along with three new tracks (1–3). The international version of the album also includes the tracks "Dancing on the Ceiling" and "Stuck on You". It debuted atop both the UK Albums Chart and the ARIA Albums Chart, and spent 12 weeks at number one on the Dutch Album Top 100. The single "Do It to Me" reached number 21 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.[5]
| Back to Front | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | May 5, 1992 | |||
| Recorded | 1976–1992 | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 68:28 | |||
| Label | Motown | |||
| Producers |
| |||
| Lionel Richie chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Back to Front | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [3] |
| Chicago Tribune | [4] |
Track listing
All songs are performed by Lionel Richie, unless stated otherwise. All songs are written by Lionel Richie, with additional writers noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Do It to Me" | Previously unreleased | 6:04 | |
| 2. | "My Destiny" | Previously unreleased | 4:50 | |
| 3. | "Love, Oh Love" | Brenda Harvey-Richie | Previously unreleased | 5:48 |
| 4. | "All Night Long (All Night)" (single version) | Can't Slow Down, 1983 | 4:20 | |
| 5. | "Easy" (The Commodores) | Commodores, 1977 | 4:18 | |
| 6. | "Still" (The Commodores) | Midnight Magic, 1979 | 3:47 | |
| 7. | "Endless Love" (Lionel Richie & Diana Ross) | Endless Love OST, 1981 | 4:28 | |
| 8. | "Running with the Night" (single version) | Cynthia Weil | Can't Slow Down | 4:10 |
| 9. | "Sail On" (The Commodores) | Midnight Magic | 4:00 | |
| 10. | "Hello" | Can't Slow Down | 4:10 | |
| 11. | "Truly" | Lionel Richie, 1982 | 3:22 | |
| 12. | "Penny Lover" (single version) | Harvey-Richie | Can't Slow Down | 3:47 |
| 13. | "Say You, Say Me" | Dancing on the Ceiling, 1986 | 4:03 | |
| 14. | "Three Times a Lady" (The Commodores, single version) | Natural High, 1978 | 3:37 | |
| Total length: | 60:44 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Dancing on the Ceiling" |
| Dancing on the Ceiling | 4:21 |
| 10. | "Sail On" (The Commodores) | Midnight Magic | 4:00 | |
| 11. | "Hello" | Can't Slow Down | 4:10 | |
| 12. | "Truly" | Lionel Richie | 3:22 | |
| 13. | "Penny Lover" | Harvey-Richie | Can't Slow Down | 3:47 |
| 14. | "Stuck on You" | Can't Slow Down | 3:10 | |
| 15. | "Say You, Say Me" | Dancing on the Ceiling | 4:03 | |
| 16. | "Three Times a Lady" (The Commodores) | Natural High | 3:37 | |
| Total length: | 68:28 | |||
Personnel
Tracks 1, 2 & 3
- Lionel Richie – lead vocals, keyboards, rhythm arrangements, vocal arrangements, backing vocals (1, 2)
- Brad Cole – synthesizers, synthesizer programming
- Michael Landau – guitars (1, 2, 3)
- David Williams – guitars (2)
- Freddie Washington – bass
- Quincy Jones III – drum programming (1, 2)
- Jim Keltner – drums (3)
- Lenny Castro – percussion
- Marc Russo – saxophone solo (1)
- Stewart Levine – rhythm arrangements
- Paul Buckmaster – horn and string orchestrations (2, 3)
- Jim Gilstrap, Terry Holcomb, Marva King, Darlene Koldenhoven, Laura Lombardo, Benjamin McCrary, Quincy McCrary, Eve Reinhardt, Alice Sanderson, Richard Stuart, Carmen Twillie and Myla Twillie – backing vocals (3)
Track 7
- Lionel Richie – lead vocals, vocal arrangements
- Diana Ross – lead vocals
- Reginald "Sonny" Burke – Fender Rhodes
- Barnaby Finch – acoustic piano
- Paul Jackson Jr. – electric guitar, acoustic guitar solo
- Fred Tackett – guitar
- Nathan East – bass
- Rick Shlosser – drums
- Gene Page – horn, rhythm and string arrangements
- Harry Bluestone – concertmaster
Production
- Stewart Levine – producer (1, 2, 3)
- Lionel Richie – producer (1–4, 7, 8, 10–15)
- James Anthony Carmichael – producer (4, 5, 6, 8–16)
- Commodores – producers (5, 6, 9, 14, 16)
- Darren Klein – recording (1, 2, 3), mixing (1, 2, 3)
- Marnie Riley – assistant engineer (1, 2, 3)
- Reginald Dozier – engineer (7)
- Guy Costa – mixing (7)
- Bernie Grundman – mastering
- Johnny Lee – art direction, design
- Matthew Rolston – photography
- Studios
- Tracks 1, 2 & 3 recorded and mixed at Conway Studios (Hollywood, California).
- Track 7 recorded at Devonshire Sound Studios (Hollywood, California). Mixed at Motown Recording Studios (West Hollywood, California).
- Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, California).
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[34] | 2× Platinum | 140,000^ |
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[35] | Platinum | 50,000* |
| Canada (Music Canada)[36] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| France (SNEP)[37] | 3× Platinum | 1,006,800[38] |
| Germany (BVMI)[39] | Platinum | 500,000^ |
| Italy (FIMI)[40] sales since 2009 |
Gold | 25,000* |
| Netherlands (NVPI)[41] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[42] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
| Spain (Promusicae)[43] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[44] | 2× Platinum | 100,000 |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[45] | 4× Platinum | 1,793,978[46] |
| United States (RIAA)[47] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
| Summaries | ||
| Worldwide | — | 8,000,000[48] |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
