Love or Physical

Love or Physical is an album by the American musical duo Ashford & Simpson, released in 1989.^[2][3] The first single was "I'll Be There for You".^[4] The duo would not record another album until their collaboration with Maya Angelou in 1996, Been Found.^[5] The album peaked at No. 135 on the Billboard 200.^[6]

Love or Physical
Studio album by Ashford & Simpson
Released	1989
Studio	Above Asia, New York City Science Lab, New York City Axis Studios, New York City Sigma Sound, New York City
Label	Capitol[1]
Producer	Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson
Ashford & Simpson chronology
Real Love (1986) Love or Physical (1989) Been Found (1996)

Production

The title track was originally called "Honest to Goodness Love"; it in part alludes to AIDS and infidelity.^[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[8]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[9]
Los Angeles Times	[10]

The Los Angeles Times wrote that "In Your Arms" "is the loveliest and most genuinely sensual ballad this husband-and-wife duo has recorded in a long time."^[10] The St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted that "their sound is impeccably produced but actually quite sparse in spots."^[11]

The Advocate stated that "the title track is a fresh urban-contemporary approach to male-female relationships."^[12] USA Today concluded that the album "goes beyond carnal concerns and explores deeper matters."^[13] The Dallas Morning News concluded that "it's still a pleasure to listen when the vocal interplay between these two veterans turns dexterous, as it does on the romantic ballad 'I'll Be There for You'."^[14]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson; except where noted.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Love or Physical"		4:24
2.	"I'll Be There for You"		4:38
3.	"Comes with the Package"		4:15
4.	"Til We Get It Right"		5:07
5.	"Something to You"		4:59
6.	"In Your Arms"	Bruce Roberts, Edgar Bronfman, Jr.	4:39
7.	"Cookies and Cake"		4:43
8.	"Timing"		4:52

Personnel

• Nickolas Ashford – vocals on all tracks; arrangements on all tracks except "Comes with the Package"; additional percussion on "Love or Physical" and "Timing"; drum programming and percussion on "I'll Be There for You" and "Cookies and Cake"; backing vocals on "Til We Get It Right"
• Valerie Simpson – vocals on all tracks; arrangements on all tracks except "Comes with the Package"; additional synthesizers on "Love or Physical"; synthesizers on "I'll Be There for You", "Til We Get It Right" and "Something to You"; additional percussion on "Love or Physical" and "Timing", drum programming and percussion on "I'll Be There for You" and "Cookies and Cake"; backing vocals on "Til We Get It Right"; synth solo on "Cookies and Cake"
• Kevin Jones – Synclavier programming
• Danny Sembello – keyboards and synthesizers on "Love or Physical"; keyboard solo on "Love or Physical"; synthesizers on "Timing"; drum programming and arrangements on "Love or Physical" and "Timing"
• Joseph Joubert – additional synthesizers on "Love or Physical", "In Your Arms" and "Cookies and Cake"; synthesizers and arrangements on "I'll Be There for You", "Til We Get It Right" and "Something to You"
• David Frank – synthesizers and arrangements on "Comes with the Package"
• Leon Pendarvis – synthesizers and arrangements on "In Your Arms"
• Lenny Underwood – keyboard overdubs on "Cookies and Cake"
• Ira Siegel – guitars on "Comes with the Package" and "In Your Arms"
• Nile Rodgers – guitars on "Timing"
• Jimmy Bralower – drum programming on "Til We Get It Right", "Something to You", and "In Your Arms"
• Bashiri Johnson – congas and percussion on "Something to You"
• V. Jeffrey Smith – saxophone solo on "Something to You"
• Mic Murphy – arrangements on "Comes with the Package"
• Edgar Bronfman Jr. – arrangements on "In Your Arms"
• Bruce Roberts – arrangements on "In Your Arms"

Production

• Nickolas Ashford – producer on all tracks except "Comes with the Package"
• Valerie Simpson – producer on all tracks except "Comes with the Package"
• David Frank – producer on "Comes with the Package"
• Mic Murphy – producer on "Comes with the Package"
• Kevin Jones – recording on all tracks except "Comes with the Package"; vocal recording on "Cookies and Cake" and "Timing"
• Stephen Seltzer – recording and mix assistant on "Comes with the Package"
• Jimmy Simpson – vocal recording on "Cookies and Cake" and "Timing"
• Michael Hutchinson – mixing and supervision on all tracks except "Cookies and Cake" and "Timing"
• François Kervorkian – mixing on "Cookies and Cake"; mixing and guitar recording on "Timing"
• Nick Delre – mix assistant on "Love or Physical", "I'll Be There for You", "Til We Get It Right", "Something to You", and "In Your Arms"
• Goh Hotoda – mix assistant on "Cookies and Cake" and "Timing"
• George Marino – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York, NY)
• Tee Alston – album coordinator
• Tommy Steele – art direction
• Susan Silton – design
• Timothy White – album photography
• James Finney – hair, make-up