Love or Physical

Love or Physical is an album by the American musical duo Ashford & Simpson, released in 1989.^[2]^[3] The first single was "I'll Be There for You".^[4] The duo would not record another album until their collaboration with Maya Angelou in 1996, Been Found.^[5] The album peaked at No. 135 on the Billboard 200.^[6]

The title track was originally called "Honest to Goodness Love"; it in part alludes to AIDS and infidelity.^[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[8]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	^[9]
Los Angeles Times	^[10]

The Los Angeles Times wrote that "In Your Arms" "is the loveliest and most genuinely sensual ballad this husband-and-wife duo has recorded in a long time."^[10] The St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted that "their sound is impeccably produced but actually quite sparse in spots."^[11]

The Advocate stated that "the title track is a fresh urban-contemporary approach to male-female relationships."^[12] USA Today concluded that the album "goes beyond carnal concerns and explores deeper matters."^[13] The Dallas Morning News concluded that "it's still a pleasure to listen when the vocal interplay between these two veterans turns dexterous, as it does on the romantic ballad 'I'll Be There for You'."^[14]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Love or Physical"		4:24
2.	"I'll Be There for You"		4:38
3.	"Comes with the Package"		4:15
4.	"Til We Get It Right"		5:07
5.	"Something to You"		4:59
6.	"In Your Arms"	Bruce Roberts, Edgar Bronfman, Jr.	4:39
7.	"Cookies and Cake"		4:43
8.	"Timing"		4:52

Personnel

Nickolas Ashford – vocals on all tracks; arrangements on all tracks except "Comes with the Package"; additional percussion on "Love or Physical" and "Timing"; drum programming and percussion on "I'll Be There for You" and "Cookies and Cake"; backing vocals on "Til We Get It Right"
Valerie Simpson – vocals on all tracks; arrangements on all tracks except "Comes with the Package"; additional synthesizers on "Love or Physical"; synthesizers on "I'll Be There for You", "Til We Get It Right" and "Something to You"; additional percussion on "Love or Physical" and "Timing", drum programming and percussion on "I'll Be There for You" and "Cookies and Cake"; backing vocals on "Til We Get It Right"; synth solo on "Cookies and Cake"
Kevin Jones – Synclavier programming
Danny Sembello – keyboards and synthesizers on "Love or Physical"; keyboard solo on "Love or Physical"; synthesizers on "Timing"; drum programming and arrangements on "Love or Physical" and "Timing"
Joseph Joubert – additional synthesizers on "Love or Physical", "In Your Arms" and "Cookies and Cake"; synthesizers and arrangements on "I'll Be There for You", "Til We Get It Right" and "Something to You"
David Frank – synthesizers and arrangements on "Comes with the Package"
Leon Pendarvis – synthesizers and arrangements on "In Your Arms"
Lenny Underwood – keyboard overdubs on "Cookies and Cake"
Ira Siegel – guitars on "Comes with the Package" and "In Your Arms"
Nile Rodgers – guitars on "Timing"
Jimmy Bralower – drum programming on "Til We Get It Right", "Something to You", and "In Your Arms"
Bashiri Johnson – congas and percussion on "Something to You"
V. Jeffrey Smith – saxophone solo on "Something to You"
Mic Murphy – arrangements on "Comes with the Package"
Edgar Bronfman Jr. – arrangements on "In Your Arms"
Bruce Roberts – arrangements on "In Your Arms"

Production

Nickolas Ashford – producer on all tracks except "Comes with the Package"
Valerie Simpson – producer on all tracks except "Comes with the Package"
David Frank – producer on "Comes with the Package"
Mic Murphy – producer on "Comes with the Package"
Kevin Jones – recording on all tracks except "Comes with the Package"; vocal recording on "Cookies and Cake" and "Timing"
Stephen Seltzer – recording and mix assistant on "Comes with the Package"
Jimmy Simpson – vocal recording on "Cookies and Cake" and "Timing"
Michael Hutchinson – mixing and supervision on all tracks except "Cookies and Cake" and "Timing"
François Kervorkian – mixing on "Cookies and Cake"; mixing and guitar recording on "Timing"
Nick Delre – mix assistant on "Love or Physical", "I'll Be There for You", "Til We Get It Right", "Something to You", and "In Your Arms"
Goh Hotoda – mix assistant on "Cookies and Cake" and "Timing"
George Marino – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York, NY)
Tee Alston – album coordinator
Tommy Steele – art direction
Susan Silton – design
Timothy White – album photography
James Finney – hair, make-up

v t e Ashford & Simpson
Nickolas Ashford Valerie Simpson
Albums	Is It Still Good to Ya (1978) Stay Free (1979) High-Rise (1983) Solid (1984) Real Love (1986) Love or Physical (1989)
Singles	"Found a Cure" (1979) "Solid" (1984)
Related articls	Songs written

Critical reception

Track listing

Personnel

Production

References

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