Compositions (album)

This article is about the Anita Baker album. For other uses, see Composition (disambiguation).

Compositions is the fourth album by American R&B/soul singer Anita Baker. The album peaked at #5 on the US Billboard 200 and was certified platinum in 1990, making it Baker's third platinum selling album. The album also won the Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 1991 Grammy Awards. Two of its tracks charted on the Billboard Hot 100, with "Talk to Me" peaking at number 44 for three consecutive weeks on July 28 and August 4 and 11 and "Soul Inspiration" at number 72 on October 13, 1990.^[10][11] Compositions would be the last album and collaboration between Baker and producer Michael J. Powell.

Compositions
Studio album by Anita Baker
Released	July 3, 1990[1]
Recorded	1990
Studio	Encore Studios (Burbank, California) Ocean Way Recording (Hollywood, California) Studio Ultimo (Los Angeles, California) Sound Lab 1 (Detroit, Michigan) Ambience Recorders (Farmington Hills, Michigan) Unique Recording Studios (New York City, New York)[2]
Genre	R&B soul jazz smooth jazz
Length	50:27
Label	Elektra
Producer	Michael J. Powell
Anita Baker chronology
Giving You the Best That I Got (1988) Compositions (1990) Rhythm of Love (1994)
Singles from Compositions
"Talk to Me" Released: June 1990 "Soul Inspiration" Released: September 1990 "Fairy Tales" Released: December 1990

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Calgary Herald	A[4]
Chicago Tribune	[5]
Robert Christgau	[6]
Entertainment Weekly	B[7]
Rolling Stone	[8]
Select	4/5[9]

Track listing

1. "Talk to Me" (Baker, Vernon Fails, Michael Powell) – 5:03
2. "Perfect Love Affair" (Baker, Joel Davis) – 5:19
3. "Whatever It Takes" (Baker, Marc Gordon, Gerald LeVert) – 5:35
4. "Soul Inspiration" (Terry Britten, Graham Lyle) – 5:17
5. "Lonely" (Baker) – 4:29
6. "No One to Blame" (Baker, Fails) – 4:41
7. "More Than You Know" (Baker, Vernon Fails, Michael Powell) – 4:48
8. "Love You to the Letter" (James McBride) – 7:20
9. "Fairy Tales" (Baker, Fails, Powell) – 7:55

Personnel

Musicians

• Anita Baker – vocals, backing vocals
• Vernon Fails – keyboards
• Greg Phillinganes – acoustic piano, backing vocals (7)
• Ben Keys – programming
• David Ward – programming
• Michael J. Powell – guitars (1-4, 6, 7, 9), backing vocals (7)
• Earl Klugh – guitars (7)
• Nathan East – bass, backing vocals (7)
• Ricky Lawson – drums (1, 4, 5, 7)
• Steve Ferrone – drums (2, 3, 6, 8, 9)
• Paulinho da Costa – percussion (1, 2, 4-9)
• Perri (Carol, Darlene, Lori and Sharon Perry) – backing vocals (2, 4, 7), BGV arrangement (4)

Production

• Executive Producer – Anita Baker
• Producer – Michael J. Powell
• Engineer – Barney Perkins
• Second engineers – Tom Beiner, Steve Gallagher and Bart Stevens.
• Assistant engineer – Milton Chan
• Additional engineers – Darroll Gustamachio, Elliott Peters and Gerard Smerek
• Mixing – Barney Perkins (tracks 1, 3 & 5–9); Gerard Smerek (tracks 2 & 4)
• Mastering – Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, California)
• Art direction – Anita Baker and Carol Bobolts
• Photography – Adrian Buckmaster

Awards

Grammy Awards

Year	Work	Category	Result
1991	Compositions	Best Female R&B Vocal Performance	Won
		Best Album Package	Nominated

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Compositions Chart (1990) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[12] 54 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[13] 13 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[14] 17 European Albums (Music & Media)[15] 29 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[16] 36 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[17] 20 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 22 UK Albums (OCC)[19] 7 US Billboard 200[20] 5 US Top Contemporary Jazz Albums (Billboard)[21] 4 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[22] 3

Year-end charts 1990 year-end chart performance for Compositions Chart (1990) Position Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[23] 71 US Billboard 200[24] 56 US Top Contemporary Jazz Albums (Billboard)[25] 22 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[26] 28 1991 year-end chart performance for Compositions Chart (1991) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[27] 59

Certifications

Certifications and sales for Compositions

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[28]	Gold	100,000^
United States (RIAA)[29]	Platinum	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.