Stop! (album)
1988 studio album by Sam Brown
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stop! is the debut studio album by the English singer-songwriter Sam Brown, released on 8 June 1988 by A&M Records.[1] It includes Brown's biggest and best-known single, the title track "Stop!".
- The Power Plant (London)
- Greene Street (New York City)
- 54:45 (CD)
- 43:50 (vinyl)
| Stop! | ||||
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| Released | 8 June 1988 | |||
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| Label | A&M | |||
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Background
Produced by Sam Brown, her brother Pete Brown, Pete Smith, Danny Schogger, and John Madden, the album was recorded at the Power Plant in London, with then-Pink Floyd member David Gilmour's guitar parts on "This Feeling" and "I'll Be in Love" being recorded at Greene Street Studios in New York City. The track "Merry Go Round" has lyrics slightly adapted from W. H. Davies poem "Leisure". The CD edition of the album includes cover versions of Marvin Gaye's "Can I Get a Witness" and Ike & Tina Turner's "Nutbush City Limits".
Release
On release, Stop! was received favourably by the majority of music critics. Brown's most commercially successful album, it went on to peak at number four on the UK Albums Chart and reached number 13 on the Australian ARIA Charts, also reaching the top 10 in countries such as Austria, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. It spawned three charting singles in the United Kingdom: "Stop!" peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart; "This Feeling" peaked at number 91; "Can I Get a Witness" at number 15. The album has sold over two and a half million copies worldwide.[2] It has been certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and platinum by Music Canada.[1][3]
Critical reception
Billboard noted that "in a year already jammed with fine debuts by distinctive female writer/singers, here comes another one. Brown has a strong, bluesy voice, and the string settings often lend fascinating counterpoint. The title track is an absolutely stunning blues - drenched number."[5]
Cashbox stated "what a year this is for distinctive female voices! Sam Brown is a British export with a soulful set of pipes that can go from a whisper to a keening lament to a growl, all within the same bar. Her artfully textured, jazzified funk shares some of the same turf as Rickie Lee Jones and Kate Bush, but she's a huge talent in her own right and likely to set a standard by which others are compared for years to come."[6]
In their review Music & Media called the album "rather old-fashioned poprock that nevertheless is more than just another record. Brown's voice is strong and expressive and her songs are largely excellent...both the material and Brown's voice are reminiscent of Kate Bush's first album. The songs vary from the sub PM grind of "Walking Back To Me" to the African influenced "Your Love Is All" and the excellent single "Stop".[7]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Walking Back to Me" |
| 3:40 |
| 2. | "Your Love Is All" |
| 4:09 |
| 3. | "Stop!" |
| 4:53 |
| 4. | "It Makes Me Wonder" |
| 4:33 |
| 5. | "This Feeling" |
| 3:21 |
| 6. | "Tea" | S. Brown | 0:41 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Piece of My Luck" | S. Brown | 3:00 |
| 8. | "Ball and Chain" |
| 4:34 |
| 9. | "Wrap Me Up" |
| 3:10 |
| 10. | "I'll Be in Love" |
| 5:16 |
| 11. | "Merry Go Round" |
| 3:07 |
| 12. | "Sometimes You Just Don't Know" |
| 3:05 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Can I Get a Witness" | 2:59 | |
| 14. | "High as a Kite" (not on Australian pressing) |
| 3:24 |
| 15. | "Nutbush City Limits" (not on Australian pressing) | Tina Turner | 4:25 |
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[8]
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Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[24] | Gold | 35,000^ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[3] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[30] | Gold | 25,000[30] |
| Germany (BVMI)[31] | Gold | 250,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[1] | Gold | 100,000^ |
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^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||