Once in a While (Johnny Mathis album)

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Once in a While
Mathis-Once.jpg
Studio album by
Johnny Mathis
ReleasedMay 23, 1988[1]
RecordedDecember 1987-March 1988[1]
StudioConway Studios,
Hollywood, California,
The Five Spot,
Los Angeles, California,
Ignited Studios,
Los Angeles, California,
Kren Studios,
Los Angeles, California,
Lion Share Studios,
Los Angeles, California,
Ocean Way Studios,
Hollywood, California,
Studio Ultimo,
West Hollywood, California[2]
Genre
Length39:23
LabelColumbia
ProducerPeter Bunetta
Rick Chudacoff
Preston Glass
Robert Kraft[2]
Johnny Mathis chronology
The Hollywood Musicals
(1986) 		Once in a While
(1988) 		In the Still of the Night
(1989)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic2.5/5 stars[3]

Once in a While is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on May 23, 1988,[1] by Columbia Records and found him returning to the practice of covering contemporary hits but also mixing in lesser-known songs already recorded by other artists along with a few new ones ("Daydreamin'", "From a Whisper to a Scream", "Two Strong Hearts").

Although the album did not make it onto Billboard magazine's Top Pop Albums chart, the song "I'm on the Outside Looking In" did reach number 27 during its 12 weeks on the magazine's list of the 40 Hot Adult Contemporary songs of the week in the US that began in the issue dated July 2 of that year.[4]

Reception[]

The album received a positive retrospective review from Allmusic, where Bil Carpenter praised the "outstanding street corner-style singing" on the title track and "I'm on the Outside Looking In" and also had kind words for "From a Whisper to a Scream" and "Two Strong Hearts".[3]

Track listing[]

  1. "I'm on the Outside Looking In" (Teddy Randazzo, Bobby Weinstein) – 3:24
  2. "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference" (Todd Rundgren) – 4:01
  3. "Two Strong Hearts" performed with Dionne Warwick (Andy Hill, Bruce Woolley) – 4:00
  4. "Once in a While" (Michael Edwards, Bud Green) – 3:28
  5. "Fallen" (Lauren Wood) – 3:33
  6. "Daydreamin'" (Noel Closson, Preston Glass, Larry Graham) – 4:30
  7. "From a Whisper to a Scream" (Steven Birch, Glass) – 4:25
  8. "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)" (Dennis Lambert, Brian Potter) – 4:08
  9. "Just Like You" (Jeff Pescetto) – 3:50
  10. "Love Brought Us Here Tonight" (Stephen Geyer, Allan Rich, Smokey Robinson) – 4:04

Recording dates[]

From the liner notes for The Voice of Romance: The Columbia Original Album Collection:[1]

  • December 6, 1987 – "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)", "Daydreamin'", "From a Whisper to a Scream", "Two Strong Hearts"
  • December 1987–March 1988 – "Fallen", "I'm on the Outside Looking In", "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference", "Just Like You", "Love Brought Us Here Tonight", "Once in a While"

Song information[]

Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra spent seven weeks at number one in Billboard magazine in 1937 with "Once in a While",[5] which is the oldest of the songs Mathis covers this time around. "I'm on the Outside Looking In" by Little Anthony and the Imperials reached number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100[6] and number eight on the magazine's Hot R&B singles chart in 1964.[7] And the recording of "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)" by The Four Tops earned Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America and peaked at number two R&B,[8] number four pop,[9] and number 14 on the magazine's list of the 40 most popular Easy Listening songs of the week in the US in 1973.[10]

Todd Rundgren's "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference" first appeared on his 1972 album Something/Anything?,[11] and "Just Like You" was recorded by Dennis Edwards for his 1984 LP Don't Look Any Further.[12] Smokey Robinson included "Love Brought Us Here Tonight" on his 1987 album One Heartbeat,[13] and Lauren Wood's original recording of "Fallen" appeared on her 1981 release Cat Trick[14] but received its widest exposure as one of the songs heard in the 1990 film Pretty Woman[15] and on its soundtrack album,[16] which was released two years after this album and sold 3 million copies.[17] The duet on this album, "Two Strong Hearts" (with Dionne Warwick), was also released as a solo outing in 1988 by John Farnham on his Age of Reason album;[18] his version got as high as number 38 on Billboard magazine's Adult Contemporary chart[19] and number five in Australia.[20]

Personnel[]

From the liner notes for the original album:[2]

  • Johnny Mathis – vocals
  • Jay Landers – executive producer
  • Bobby Yosten, Toluca Lake – wardrobe
  • Lore Patterson – styling
  • Nancy Donald – design
  • Tony Lane – design
  • David Vance – photographer
  • Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, California
  • Mixed at Conway Studios, Hollywood, California, using the GML Automation System

Tracks 1-5[]

  • Peter Bunetta – producer; drums
  • Rick Chudacoff – producer; bass
  • Bill Elliott – keyboards
  • Paulinho da Costa – percussion
  • Dann Huff – guitar (except "Once in a While")
  • Leslie Smith – background vocals
  • David Woodford – soprano sax ("Fallen")
  • Michael Thompson – guitar ("It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference", "Once in a While")
  • Fred Tackett – acoustic guitar ("It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference", "Once in a While")
  • Melvin Franklin – background vocals ("Once in a While")
  • Kipper Jones – background vocals ("Once in a While")
  • Roderick White – background vocals ("Once in a While")
  • Fred White – background vocals ("Once in a While")
  • Ricky Nelson – background vocals ("Once in a While")
  • Lynne Fiddmont – background vocals ("Two Strong Hearts")
  • Syreeta – background vocals ("Two Strong Hearts")
  • Recorded and mixed at Conway Studios, Hollywood, California
  • Daren Klein – recording engineer
  • Additional recording at Lion Share Studios, Los Angeles, California
  • Frank Wolf – additional recording engineer
  • Gary Wagner – additional recording engineer
  • Tom Vicari – additional recording engineer
  • Mick Guzauski – mixing engineer
  • Marnie Riley – assistant engineer
  • Bryant Arnett – assistant engineer
  • Karen Siegel – assistant engineer
  • Ray Pyle – assistant engineer

Tracks 6-8[]

  • Preston Glass – producer; arranger; keyboards; drum and percussion programming
  • Frankie Blue – background vocals
  • Joe Ericksen – background vocals
  • DeVere Duckett – background vocals
  • Craig Thomas – sax solo ("Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)"); background vocals
  • Jorge Bermudez – live percussion, Bermudez Triangle ("From a Whisper to a Scream")
  • Jim Studer – acoustic piano solo ("Daydreamin'")
  • Recorded at Studio Ultimo, West Hollywood, California
  • Mixed at One on One Studios, North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
  • Maureen Droney – recording engineer, mixing engineer
  • Mitch Zelezny – assistant engineer
  • Bernard Frings – assistant engineer

Tracks 9-10[]

  • Robert Kraft – producer; piano; synthesizers; additional percussion ("Love Brought Us Here Tonight")
  • Tom Walsh – drums
  • Neil Stubenhaus – bass
  • Nick Brown – guitar
  • Jorge Bermudez – percussion
  • Michael Paulo – saxophone
  • Darryl Phinnessee – background vocals
  • Dorian Holley – background vocals
  • Sheryl Crow – background vocals
  • Lynn David – background vocals
  • Greg Bartheld – additional synth programming
  • David Benson – project coordination/technical director
  • Recorded in Los Angeles at Ocean Way Studios, The Five Spot, Ignited Studios, Kren Studios
  • Ed Thacker – engineer; mixing engineer ("Just Like You")
  • "Just Like You" mixed at The Grey Room, Hollywood, California
  • Daren Klein – mixing engineer ("Love Brought Us Here Tonight")
  • "Love Brought Us Here Tonight" mixed at Ocean Way Studios, Hollywood, California

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d (2017) The Voice of Romance: The Columbia Original Album Collection by Johnny Mathis [CD booklet]. New York: Sony Music Entertainment 88985 36892 2.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c (1988) Once in a While by Johnny Mathis [album jacket]. New York: Columbia Records OC 44156.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Once in a While - Johnny Mathis". allmusic.com. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  4. ^ Whitburn 2007, p. 179.
  5. ^ Whitburn 1986, p. 135.
  6. ^ Whitburn 2009, p. 580.
  7. ^ Whitburn 2004, p. 354.
  8. ^ Whitburn 2004, p. 212.
  9. ^ Whitburn 2009, p. 366.
  10. ^ Whitburn 2007, p. 101.
  11. ^ (1972) Something/Anything? by Todd Rundgren [album jacket]. Burbank: Warner Bros. Records 2BX 2066.
  12. ^ (1984) Don't Look Any Further by Dennis Edwards [album jacket]. Detroit: Motown Records 6057 GL.
  13. ^ (1987) One Heartbeat by Smokey Robinson [album jacket]. Detroit: Motown Records 6226 ML.
  14. ^ (1981) Cat Trick by Lauren Wood [album jacket]. Burbank: Warner Bros. Records BSK 3517
  15. ^ "Pretty Woman (1990) - Soundtracks". imdb.com. Amazon.com. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  16. ^ (1990) Pretty Woman – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by various artists [CD booklet]. Hollywood: Capitol Records CDP-7-93492-2.
  17. ^ Whitburn 2010, p. 902.
  18. ^ (1988) Age of Reason by John Farnham [album jacket]. New York: RCA Records 9687-1-R.
  19. ^ Whitburn 2007, p. 93.
  20. ^ Kent 1993, p. 189.

Bibliography[]

  • Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  • Whitburn, Joel (1986), Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories, 1890-1954, Record Research Inc., ISBN 0898200830
  • Whitburn, Joel (2004), Joel Whitburn Presents Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles, 1942-2004, Record Research Inc., ISBN 0898201608
  • Whitburn, Joel (2007), Joel Whitburn Presents Billboard Top Adult Songs, 1961-2006, Record Research Inc., ISBN 0898201691
  • Whitburn, Joel (2009), Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 1955-2008, Record Research Inc., ISBN 0898201802
  • Whitburn, Joel (2010), Joel Whitburn Presents Top Pop Albums, Seventh Edition, Record Research Inc., ISBN 0-89820-183-7
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