Brother Sister
Album by Brand New Heavies
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Brother Sister is an album by British acid jazz and funk group the Brand New Heavies, released on March 22, 1994, by Delicious Vinyl. It spawned several singles, including "Spend Some Time" which spent two weeks at number two on the American dance charts.[17] A cover of Maria Muldaur's "Midnight at the Oasis" became popular in the UK, but was not included in the US version of the album.
| Brother Sister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 4 April 1994[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1993–94 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 58:07 | |||
| Label | Delicious Vinyl | |||
| The Brand New Heavies chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 UK/International cover | ||||
| Singles from Brother Sister | ||||
| ||||
| Initial reviews (in 1994) | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Billboard | (favorable)[6] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B−[7] |
| Gavin Report | (favorable)[8] |
| The Guardian | (favorable)[9] |
| Knoxville News Sentinel |   [10] |
| Music & Media | (favorable)[11] |
| Music Week | [12] |
| NME | 7/10[13] |
| Orlando Sentinel | [14] |
| Select |   [15] |
Brother Sister was lead singer N'Dea Davenport's last album with the Brand New Heavies before leaving to complete her solo album (which she had put on hold to join the Heavies). She returned to join the band ten years later.
Critical reception
The album received positive reviews from music critics. Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "One of the absolute best albums we have heard in a real long time is Brother Sister by Brand New Heavies. Coming March 8 to a store near you on Delicious Vinyl/EastWest, the set weaves traditional jazz threads into a warm fabric of club-colored funk and R&B patterns. N'Dea Davenport is back in the house, putting her golden alto range to excellent use on sparklers like 'Dream On Dreamer', which has just been nicely retouched by The Angel, Dallas Austin, and David Morales. Gorgeous."[6]
Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "Still punch drunk from the single 'Dream On Dreamer', the heavy weights of acid jazz hit you knock out with this 15-track album. It can be divided into three rounds--a strong opening and end with some shadow boxing inbetween. In "round 1" N'Dea Davenport powerlifts the title track with its electric piano to the level of '70s jazz funk outfit Deodato. When it really comes to hard hitting, in "round 3," she "kills" the 'Fake' opponent with a swing not heard from the UK since the heyday of the Average White Band."[11]
Alan Jones from Music Week gave it three out of five, saying, "The Heavies turn in a professional but rather tepid album, and will probably have only a brief period of chart success, though their potential remains undimmed."[12] Ian McCann from NME gave the album seven out of ten, writing, "Brother Sister is a fine album, as far as it goes. The upbeat vibe they're noted for floods out from the opening tune, 'Have a Good Time', a cool, chiefly instrumental groove, heavy on Maceo Parkerish sax. [...] If you're soulfully inclined, play Brother Sister on sunlit mornings as you walk to the dole office and it'll make perfect sense."[13]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Have a Good Time" | 3:12 |
| 2. | "Brother Sister" | 4:46 |
| 3. | "Dream On Dreamer" (edit) | 4:00 |
| 4. | "Ten Ton Take" | 3:28 |
| 5. | "Mind Trips" | 5:48 |
| 6. | "Fake" | 4:34 |
| 7. | "Spend Some Time" | 4:24 |
| 8. | "Los Burritos" (US only) | 1:09 |
| 9. | "Back to Love" | 4:38 |
| 10. | "Snake Hips" | 2:03 |
| 11. | "Keep Together" | 4:22 |
| 12. | "People Giving Love" | 5:05 |
| 13. | "Forever" | 5:10 |
| 14. | "Day Break" | 5:25 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Have a Good Time" | 3:12 |
| 2. | "Brother Sister" | 4:46 |
| 3. | "Dream On Dreamer" | 4:53 |
| 4. | "Midnight at the Oasis" (UK only) | 4:05 |
| 5. | "Back to Love" | 4:49 |
| 6. | "Ten Ton Take" | 3:28 |
| 7. | "Mind Trips" | 5:47 |
| 8. | "Spend Some Time" | 4:24 |
| 9. | "Keep Together" | 4:21 |
| 10. | "Snake Hips" | 2:04 |
| 11. | "Fake" | 4:34 |
| 12. | "People Giving Love" | 5:06 |
| 13. | "Worlds Keep Spinning" (UK only) | 5:08 |
| 14. | "Forever" | 5:32 |
| 15. | "Day Break" | 5:25 |
Personnel
The Brand New Heavies
- N'Dea Davenport – lead and backing vocals, keyboards, percussion
- Simon Bartholomew – guitar, backing vocals, percussion
- Andrew Levy – bass, backing vocals, keyboards, percussion, string arrangements
- Jan Kincaid – drums, backing and lead vocals, percussion, keyboards
Musicians
- Maxton G. Beesley, Jr. – keyboards
- Brady Blade, Jr. – vocals (background), production coordination
- Mike Boito – keyboards, vocals (background)
- The Brand New Heavies – percussion, producer, engineer, art direction, mixing
- Amp Fiddler – keyboards
- Ray Gaskins – saxophone, vocals (background)
- John Thirkell - trumpet, flugelhorn (Solo on "Dream on Dreamer")
- Gerard Presencer – trumpet, flugelhorn
- Kevin Robinson – trumpet
- Dennis Rollins – trombone, trombone (Tenor)
- Eric Sarafin – strings, engineer, mixing
- Jeff Scantlebury – percussion
- Mike Smith – flute, saxophone
- Steve Williamson – saxophone
- Aaron Zigman – string arrangements
Production
- Matthew Donaldson – photography
- Brian Gardner – mastering
- Chris Jones – engineer
- John Laker – engineer
- Michael C. Ross – executive producer, mixing
- Martin Schmelze – engineer
- Yo-Yo – engineer
Charts
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[18] | 20 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[19] | 67 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[20] | 86 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) | 45 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[21] | 17 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[22] | 31 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[23] | 23 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[24] | 4 |
| UK R&B Albums (OCC)[25] | 2 |
| US Billboard 200[26] | 95 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[27] | 26 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[28] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Remix album
| Excursions: Remixes & Rare Grooves | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Remix album by The Brand New Heavies | |
| Released | 1995 |
| Genre | funk, hip-hop, R&B |
| Label | Delicious Vinyl |
| Singles from Excursions: Remixes & Rare Grooves | |
| |
Excursions: Remixes & Rare Grooves was released in the United States by Delicious Vinyl Records. This album functions as a component to the US release of Brother Sister. Its cover art mimics the UK release of Brother Sister. Among its tracks are the two bonus tracks from the UK version of the album that were unavailable stateside. The UK hit "Close To You" was previously only available on the Prêt-à-Porter motion picture soundtrack. "Bang" and "O-Fa-Fu" were a pair of B-side instrumentals from the UK CD-single of "Stay This Way" in 1992. "Keep It Coming" is an extended version of a Jan Kincaid-penned B-side on The Heavies' "Don't Let It Go to Your Head" single.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Previous Release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mind Trips" (BNH Remix) | 4:58 | |
| 2. | "Bang" | "Stay This Way" UK single | 3:55 |
| 3. | "Brother Sister" (The Angel Remix) | 5:04 | |
| 4. | "Close to You" | Prêt-à-Porter soundtrack | 4:08 |
| 5. | "Dream On Dreamer" (Angel Remix) | 4:25 | |
| 6. | "O-Fa-Fu" | "Stay This Way" UK single | 2:45 |
| 7. | "Keep It Coming" | "Don't Let It Go to Your Head" UK single | 6:14 |
| 8. | "Forever" (Soulpower Remix) | "Forever" UK single | 5:09 |
| 9. | "Keep Together" (Jan Kincaid Version) | 4:59 | |
| 10. | "Country Funkin'" | 4:45 | |
| 11. | "Worlds Keep Spinning" | Brother Sister UK release | 5:08 |
| 12. | "Midnight at the Oasis" (Ian Green Remix) | Brother Sister UK release | 3:45 |