Soul Provider
| Soul Provider | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Soul-provider-michael-bolton-album-cover.jpg | ||||
| Studio album by Michael Bolton | ||||
| Released | June 19, 1989 | |||
| Recorded | 1988-89 | |||
| Genre | AOR, pop rock, adult contemporary | |||
| Length | 42:41 | |||
| Label | Columbia 45012 |
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| Producer | Peter Bunetta & Rick Chudacoff (tracks 1 & 9), Michael Bolton (tracks 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10) , Desmond Child (track 5), Barry Mann (track 10), Guy Roche (track 7), & Michael Omartian (tracks 3, 4, 10), Susan Hamilton (track 2), Walter Afanasieff (track 7) | |||
| Michael Bolton chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Soul Provider | ||||
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Soul Provider is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Bolton. The album was released on June 19, 1989 by Columbia Records. This was the album that turned Bolton into a superstar.
Supported by five top 40 hits (including three that reached the top 10), Soul Provider achieved longevity on the charts. The album spent almost four years on the Billboard 200 and peaked at #3.[1] It was awarded 6x Platinum in the U.S.[2] and sold over 12,500,000 copies worldwide.
For the single version of "Georgia on My Mind" CBS edited out Michael Brecker's saxophone solo and replaced it with one by Kenny G. [3]
Contents
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Robert Christgau | C−[5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
Soul Provider has received generally mixed reviews from critics. AllMusic described it as "more of the same", but noted that due to this album, Bolton "was now stoking the romantic fires in bedrooms across America".[4] Robert Christgau gave the album a negative review, declaring Bolton to be "indistinguishable from pop metal except in the wattage of his guitar parts and the shamelessness of his song doctors."[5] The Rolling Stone Album Guide described the album as the beginning of Bolton's descent into overdone and disrespectful covers, though they added that some of the self-penned performances on the album showed potential.[6]
On a recent episode of the award winning podcast, Never Not Funny, comedian Jimmy Pardo attributed this album as getting him through a "horrible horrible break-up".
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Soul Provider" | Michael Bolton, Andrew Goldmark | 4:28 |
| 2. | "Georgia on My Mind" | Hoagy Carmichael, Stuart Gorrell | 4:58 |
| 3. | "It's Only My Heart" | Bolton, Diane Warren | 4:33 |
| 4. | "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" | Bolton, Doug James | 4:50 |
| 5. | "How Can We Be Lovers?" | Bolton, Warren, Desmond Child | 3:55 |
| 6. | "You Wouldn't Know Love" | Bolton, Warren | 3:54 |
| 7. | "When I'm Back on My Feet Again" | Warren | 3:47 |
| 8. | "From Now On" (Duet with Suzie Benson) | Bolton, Eric Kaz | 4:07 |
| 9. | "Love Cuts Deep" | Bolton, Warren, Child | 3:49 |
| 10. | "Stand Up for Love" | Bolton, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil | 4:44 |
|
Total length:
|
42:41 | ||
Chart positions
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Australian ARIA Albums Chart | 1 |
| 1990 | US Albums Chart | 3 |
| 1990 | UK Albums Chart[7] | 4 |
| 1990 | New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart | 6 |
| 1990 | Finnish Albums Chart[8] | 32 |
Singles
| Release Date | Title | U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. AC |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 1989 | "Soul Provider" | 17 | 3 |
| October 1989 | "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" | 1 | 1 |
| March 1990 | "How Can We Be Lovers" | 3 | 3 |
| May 1990 | "When I'm Back on My Feet Again" | 7 | 1 |
| August 1990 | "Georgia on My Mind" | 36 | 6 |
Personnel
- Kyf Brewer, Jocelyn Brown, Joe Cerisano, Desmond Child, Robin Clark, Patricia Darcy, John Fiore, Milt Grayson, Jeanette Hawes, Richard Marx, Kate McGunnigle, Lou Merlino, Jeff Pescetto, Sharon Robinson, Vicki Sue Robinson, Leslie Smith, Fonzi Thornton, Joe Turano, Myriam Naomi Valle, Wanda Vaughn, Syreeta Wright: Backing Vocals
- Dann Huff, Mike Landau, Steve Lukather, John McCurry: Guitars
- Walter Afanasieff: Keyboards, Bass, Drums, Percussion
- Michael Omartian: Keyboards, Drums, Percussion
- Phillip Ashley, Robbie Buchanan, Brad Cole, Gregg Mangiafico, Barry Mann, Richard Tee, Diane Warren: Keyboards
- Eric Rehl: Synthesizers
- Schyuler Deale, Hugh McDonald, Neil Stubenhaus: Bass
- Bobby Chouinard, John Keane, Chris Parker, John "J.R." Robinson: Drums
- Paulinho da Costa: Percussion
- Michael Brecker, Kenny G., Jerry Peterson: Saxophone
Covers
Cher covered "You Wouldn't Know Love" on her 1989 album Heart of Stone. Sunstorm also did a cover of the song for their 2012 album Emotional Fire.
| Preceded by | Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album May 6–12, 1990 May 20 - June 2, 1990 |
Succeeded by Forever Your Girl by Paula Abdul |
References
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 AllMusic review
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Robert Christgau Consumer Guide
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ EveryHit.com
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Cover albums | |
| Compilation albums | |
| Songs | |
| Related articles | |
