1989 Quincy Jones – Back On The Block
Back on the Block is a 1989 studio album produced by Quincy Jones. The album features legendary musicians and singers from across three generations, including Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul, Ice-T, Big Daddy Kane, Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, George Benson, Luther Vandross, Dionne Warwick, Barry White, Chaka Khan, Take 6, Bobby McFerrin, Al Jarreau, Al B. Sure!, James Ingram, El DeBarge and Ray Charles.
Multiple singles were lifted from the album and found success on Pop and R&B radio, including “I’ll Be Good To You”, “I Don’t Go For That”, “The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)”, and “Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me)” which was originally an instrumental track on The Brothers Johnson’s Look Out for #1 set. “Tomorrow” is also noteworthy for introducing a young Tevin Campbell to the music scene. Back on the Block won the 1991 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Jones’ track, Setembro (Brazilian Wedding Song) was featured on the soundtrack of the 1991 film, Boyz n the Hood. Back on the Block topped the R&B Albums chart at number-one for twelve weeks, and topped the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart as well.
Back on the Block featured the last studio recordings of jazz singers Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan.
Fitzgerald and Jones had previously worked together on her 1963 album with Count Basie, Ella and Basie!. Jones had produced three albums with Sarah Vaughan when they both worked for Mercury Records.
At the 33rd Grammy Awards, Back on the Block won seven Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
Tracks
1 Prologue (Big Daddy Kane, Quincy Jones) 1:06
2 Back On The Block (Big Daddy Kane, Quincy Jones, Caiphus, Semenya, Ice-T, Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel, Rod Temperton, Siedah Garrett) 6:35
3 I Don’t Go For That (Ian Prince) 5:13
4 I’ll Be Good To You (George Johnson, Louis Johnson, Sonora Sam) 4:57
5 The Verb To Be (Mervyn Warren) 0:33
6 Wee B. Dooinit (Ian Prince, Quincy Jones, Siedah Garrett) 3:34
7 The Places You Find Love (Caiphus Semenya, Clif Magness, Glen Ballard) 6:30
8 Jazz Corner Of The Word (Big Daddy Kane, Kool Moe Dee) 2:55
9 Birdland (Joe Zawinul) 5:36
10 Setembro (Brazilian Wedding Song) (Gilson Peranzzetta) 5:06
11 One Man Woman (Harriet Robert, Ian Prince, Siedah Garrett) 3:46
12 Tomorrow (A Better You,Better Me) (George Johnson, Louis Johnson, Siedha Garrett) 4:48
13 Prelude To The Garden (Jorge Calandrelli) 0:56
14 The Secret Garden (El DeBarge, Quincy Jones, Rod Temperton, Siedah Garrett) 6:39
Biography
Musicians
1 Prologue
| Drums (programming) | Rod Temperton |
| Vocals | Quincy Jones |
| Vocals | Quincy Jones III |
2 Back On The Block
| Bass | Louis Johnson |
| Drums (programming) | Michael Boddicker |
| Drums (programming) | Quincy Jones III |
| Drums (programming) | Quincy Jones |
| Drums (programming) | Rod Temperton |
| Keyboards | Greg Phillinganes |
| Synthesizer | Joe Zawinul |
| Vocals | Tevin Campbell |
| Background Vocals | Alfie Silas |
| Background Vocals | Andrae Crouch |
| Background Vocals | Caiphus Semenya |
| Background Vocals | Howard McCrary |
| Background Vocals | Jean Johnson |
| Background Vocals | Perry Morgan |
| Background Vocals | Rose Banks |
| Background Vocals | Sandra Crouch |
| Background Vocals | Tammi Gibson |
| Background Vocals | Vonciele Faggett |
| Rap | Big Daddy Kane |
| Rap | Ice-T |
| Rap | Kool Moe Dee |
| Rap | Melle Mel |
3 I Don’t Go For That
| Keyboards | Herbie Hancock |
| Keyboards | Ian Prince |
| Synthesizer | Ian Underwood |
| Synthesizer | Larry Williams |
| Background Vocals | Ian Prince |
| Background Vocals | Nadirah Ali |
| Background Vocals | Siedah Garrett |
4 I’ll Be Good To You
| Bass | Louis Johnson |
| Drums | Harvey Mason |
| Guitar | George Johnson |
| Keyboards | David Paich |
| Keyboards | Greg Phillinganes |
| Keyboards | Ian Prince |
| Synthesizer | Steve Porcaro |
| Synthesizer | Ian Underwood |
| Synthesizer | Larry Williams |
| Synthesizer | Michael Boddicker |
| Vocals | Chaka Khan |
| Vocals | Ray Charles |
| Background Vocals | George Johnson |
| Background Vocals | James Ingram |
| Background Vocals | Louis Johnson |
| Background Vocals | Phil Perry |
| Background Vocals | Siedah Garrett |
| Background Vocals | Syreeta Wright |
5 The Verb To Be
| Vocals | Mervyn Warren |
6 Wee B. Dooinit
| Vocoder | Ian Prince |
| Percussion | Quincy Jones |
| Vocals | Siedah Garrett |
| Vocals | Bobby McFerrin |
| Background Vocals | Edie Lehmann |
7 The Places You Find Love
| Bass | Louis Johnson |
| Drums | JR Robinson |
| Guitar | Mike Landau |
| Guitar | Paul Jackson Jr |
| Keyboards | David Paich |
| Keyboards | Jerry Hey |
| Keyboards | Randy Kerber |
| Keyboards | Larry Williams |
| Synthesizer | Steve Porcaro |
| Synthesizer | Rhett Lawrence |
| Synthesizer | Michael Boddicker |
| Percussion | Bill Summer |
| Percussion | Paulinho Da Costa |
| Vocals | Siedah Garrett |
| Vocals | Chaka Khan |
8 Jazz Corner Of The Word
| Guitar | George Benson |
| Synthesizer | Joe Zawinul |
| Sax | James Moody |
| Trumpet | Dizzy Gillespie |
| Trumpet | Miles Davis |
| Vocals | Sarah Vaughan |
| Vocals | Ella Fitzgerald |
| Vocals | Big Daddy Kane |
| Vocals | Kool Moe Dee |
9 Birdland
| Bass | Nathan East |
| Guitar | George Benson |
| Keyboards | Ian Prince |
| Keyboards | Larry Williams |
| Sax | James Moody |
| Trombone | Bill Reichenbach |
| Trumpet | Dizzy Gillespie |
| Trumpet | Miles Davis |
| Trumpet | Gary Grant |
| Trumpet | Jerry Hey |
| Vocals | Ella Fitzgerald |
| Vocals | Sarah Vaughan |
10 Setembro (Brazilian Wedding Song)
| Guitar | George Benson |
| Fender Rhodes | George Duke |
| Keyboards | Herbie Hancock |
| Keyboards | David Paich |
| Keyboards | Greg Phillinganes |
| Keyboards | Ian Prince |
| Synthesizer | Herbie Hancock |
| Sax | Gerald Albright |
| Percussion | Paulinho Da Costa |
11 One Man Woman
| Keyboards | George Duke |
| Keyboards | Greg Phillinganes |
| Keyboards | Ian Prince |
| Percussion | Sheila Escovedo |
| Vocals | Siedah Garrett |
12 Tomorrow (A Better You,Better Me)
| Bass | Neil Stubenhaus |
| Drums | JR Robinson |
| Guitar | Steve Lukather |
| Fender Rhodes | Greg Phillinganes |
| Keyboards | Randy Kerber |
| Percussion | Ollie E. Brown |
| Sax | Gerald Albright |
| Vocals | Tevin Campbell |
13 Prelude To The Garden
| Keyboards | Larry Williams |
14 The Secret Garden
| Bass | Neil Stubenhaus |
| Drums | JR Robinson |
| Guitar | Steve Lukather |
| Keyboards | Larry Williams |
| Percussion | Bruce Swedien |
| Vocals | Al B Sure |
| Vocals | Barry White |
| Vocals | Al Debarge |
| Vocals | James Ingram |
Liner Notes
Producer – Quincy Jones
Producer (Associate) – Rod Temperton
Arranged By – Jerry Hey (Track 12)
Arranged By (Horns) – Jerry Hey, Quincy Jones (Track 9)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Quincy Jones (Tracks 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Bill Summers (Tracks 2, 8)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Rod Temperton (Tracks 2, 9, 14)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Quincy Jones III (Track 2)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Ian Prince (Tracks 3, 9, 11)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Clif Magness, Glen Ballard (Track 7)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Greg Phillinganes (Track 10)
Arranged By (Rhythm) – Jerry Hey (Track 12)
Arranged By (Synthesizer Strings) – Jorge Calandrelli (Track 13)
Arranged By (Synthesizer) – Jerry Hey (Track 14)
Arranged By (Vocal) – Quincy Jones (Tracks 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14)
Arranged By (Vocal) – Andrae Crouch (Tracks 2, 7)
Arranged By (Vocal) – Ian Prince (Track 3)
Arranged By (Vocal) – Siedah Garrett (Tracks 5, 14)
Arranged By (Vocal) – Mark Kibble, Rod Temperton(Track 5)
Arranged By (Vocal) – Caiphus Semenya (Track 7)
Arranged By (Vocal) – Mark Kibble (Track 10)
Arranged By (Vocal) – Rod Temperton (Track 12, 14)
Conductor (Choir) – Andrae Crouch, Sandra Crouch (Track 2)
Engineer – Bruce Swedien
Engineer (Additional) – Bernie Kirsh
Engineer (Assistant) – Dana Jon Chappelle, Don Kunz, Kevin Becka, Rail Rogut
Mastered By – Bernie Grundman
Mixed By – Bruce Swedien
Recorded By – Bruce Swedien
Recorded By (Additional) – Bernie Kirsh, Brad Sundberg, David Frazer, Don Cobb
Technician – Brad Sundberg
Art Direction – Jeri Heiden
Design – Alan Disparte, Margo Chase
Photography – Matthew Rolston
Mastered At Bernie Grundman Mastering
Mixed At Ocean Way Recording
Mixed At Record One, Los Angeles
Recorded At Ocean Way Recording
Recorded At Record One, Los Angeles
Recorded At Digital Recorders
Recorded At Westlake Audio
Recorded At -Lighthouse Studios
Recorded At -Tarpan Studios
Recorded At -Garden Rake Studio
Phonographic Copyright Qwest Records
Copyright Qwest Records