Love's_the_Place_to_Be Knowpia

Love's the Place to Be
Love's the Place to Be
Studio album by Will Downing
Released	1993
Studio	Skyline Studios and Electric Lady Studios (New York, NY); East Bay Studios (Tarrytown, NY); Record One (Los Angeles, CA);
Length	56:34
Label	Mercury
Producer	Bob Baldwin; Barry Eastmond; Ronnie Foster; Rex Rideout;
Will Downing chronology

Love's the Place to Be is the fourth studio album by the American musician Will Downing, released by Mercury Records in 1993.^[1]^[2] His first album for the label,^[3]^[4] it peaked at number 166 on the US Billboard 200.^[5] "There's No Living Without You" peaked at number 67 on the UK Singles Chart.^[6]

Production edit

Among the album's many producers were Barry Eastmond and Ronnie Foster.^[3] Stevie Wonder contributed harmonica to "That's All".^[3] Rachelle Ferrell duets with Downing on "Nothing Has Ever Felt Like This".^[7]

Critical reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[8]
The Charlotte Observer	^[9]
Daily Breeze	^[10]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	^[1]
Music Week	^[12]
MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide	^[11]

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called the album "the kind of romantic, elegant material that fans of the highly touted Luther Vandross wish he would return to."^[13] The Charlotte Observer deemed it "a masterpiece," writing that "the three-song suite 'Do You Still Love Me'/'Hey Girl'/'Break Up to Make Up' is one of the best things to hit CD in a long time."^[9] The Dallas Morning News thought that "Downing has matured into a stunning stylist, caressing such classics as Nat 'King' Cole's 'That's All' [and] the Stylistics' 'Break Up to Make Up' ... with a reverence that still leaves room for redefining."^[14]

The Daily Breeze wrote that "most of the 11 tracks spin at the same speed and intensity, thus there is no chance for the highs and lows."^[10] The New York Times said that Downing's "rich baritone is tailor-made for intimacy, his phrasing both deliberate and effortless."^[15]

AllMusic editor Jason Birchmeier wrote that "these songs were all some of Downing's best work ... showcasing his vocal prowess."^[8]

Track listing edit

*Love's the Place to Be* track listing
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"There's No Living Without You"	Greg Smith Conner Reeves	Rex Rideout Will Downing	4:15
2.	"Sailing on a Dream"	Bob Baldwin James Robinson Downing	Baldwin Downing	6:09
3.	"One Moment"	Ronnie Garrett Vastine Pettis Rideout	Barry Eastmond	4:43
4.	"Nothing Has Ever Felt Like This" (featuring Rachelle Ferrell)	Ferrell	Eastmond	6:21
5.	"Love's the Place to Be"	Ronnie Foster	Foster	5:00
6.	"Lovers Paradise"	Susaye Greene Foster	Foster	4:42
7.	"Everything to Me"	Rideout Downing	Rideout Downing	4:20
8.	"Do You Still Love Me"	Eastmond Downing	Eastmond	4:55
9.	"Hey Girl"	Gerry Goffin Carole King	Baldwin Downing	5:25
10.	"Break Up to Make Up"	Thom Bell Linda Creed Kenneth Gamble	Baldwin Downing	5:07
11.	"That's All"	Alan Brandt Bob Haymes	Foster	5:37
Total length:				56:34

Personnel edit

Will Downing – vocals, backing vocals (1-3, 6-10)
Rex Rideout – all instruments (1), keyboards (7), drum programming (7)
Bob Baldwin – keyboards (2, 9, 10), acoustic piano solo (2), backing vocals (2)
Barry Eastmond – keyboards (3, 8), electric piano (4), acoustic piano solo (8)
Jason Miles – synthesizer programming (3, 8)
Rachelle Ferrell – grand piano (4), vocals (4), arrangements (4)
Ronnie Foster – keyboards (5, 6, 11), vibraphone solo (5), arrangements (5, 6), backing vocals (6), string arrangements (11)
Eddie Martinez – guitars (3, 8)
Kevin Eubanks – guitars (4), guitar solo (9)
Mike Campbell – guitars (4)
Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars (6, 11)
Mike Ciro – guitars (7)
Clarance "Binky" Brice – guitars (9)
Georg Wadenius – sitar (10)
Larry Kimpel – bass (2)
Victor Bailey – bass (3)
Anthony Jackson – bass (4, 8, 10)
Jimmy Johnson – bass (5)
Gerald Albright – bass (6), sax solo (10)
Carl Carter – bass (9)
Freddie Washington – bass (11)
Omar Hakim – drums (2)
Rayford Griffin – drums (3, 8)
Buddy Williams – drums (4, 10)
Harvey Mason – drums (5, 6, 11)
Neal Adams – drums (9)
Bashiri Johnson – percussion (3, 8)
Steve Thornton – percussion (4)
Luis Conte – percussion (6)
Steve Kroon – percussion (9, 10)
Marion Meadows – saxophone (8)
Stevie Wonder – harmonica solo (11)
Chris Cameron – string arrangements (5)
Onaje Allan Gumbs – string arrangements (10)
George Del Barrio – string conductor (5), string arrangements (11)
B.J. Nelson – backing vocals (1)
Paulette McWilliams – backing vocals (2, 10)
Cindy Mizelle – backing vocals (3, 8)
Audrey Wheeler – backing vocals (3, 7-9), vocals (7)
Craig Derry – backing vocals (9)
Curtis King – backing vocals (10)
Vaneese Thomas – backing vocals (10)

Charts edit

Chart performance for *Love's the Place to Be*
Chart (1993)	Peak position
US Billboard 200^[16]	166
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[17]	24

References edit

^ ^a ^b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. pp. 104–105.
^ Hudson, Alexia (8 Oct 1993). "Music Reviews: Love's the Place to Be Will Downing". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 7E.
^ ^a ^b ^c Smith, Danyel (Aug 14, 1993). "Downing Plays to Listener Loyalty". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 33. p. 18.
^ McNally, Owen (28 Oct 1993). "Hot Autumn Night". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 6.
^ "Will Downing". Billboard.
^ "Will Downing Full Official Chart History". Official Charts.
^ "Five Touring Performers Joining Forces for Jazz Explosion". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. November 13, 1994. p. 1E.
^ ^a ^b "Love's the Place to Be". AllMusic.
^ ^a ^b "R&B". The Charlotte Observer. February 11, 1994. p. 5F.
^ ^a ^b Tranfa, Anthony D. (November 19, 1993). "Will Downing, 'Love's the Place To Be'". Daily Breeze. p. K15.
^ MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 183.
^ Jones, Alan (August 7, 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream – Albums" (PDF). Music Week. p. 13. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
^ Murray, Sonia (April 15, 1994). "Preview – Will Downing". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. P3.
^ "Will Downing". The Dallas Morning News. November 11, 1993. p. 5C.
^ Linden, Amy (26 Sep 1993). "Pop Briefs". The New York Times. p. H45.
^ "Will Downing Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
^ "Will Downing Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2022.

[CL-1] Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. pp. 104–105.

[2] Hudson, Alexia (8 Oct 1993). "Music Reviews: Love's the Place to Be Will Downing". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 7E.

[BB-3] Smith, Danyel (Aug 14, 1993). "Downing Plays to Listener Loyalty". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 33. p. 18.

[4] McNally, Owen (28 Oct 1993). "Hot Autumn Night". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 6.

[5] "Will Downing". Billboard.

[6] "Will Downing Full Official Chart History". Official Charts.

[7] "Five Touring Performers Joining Forces for Jazz Explosion". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. November 13, 1994. p. 1E.

[auto-8] "Love's the Place to Be". AllMusic.

[CO-9] "R&B". The Charlotte Observer. February 11, 1994. p. 5F.

[DB-10] Tranfa, Anthony D. (November 19, 1993). "Will Downing, 'Love's the Place To Be'". Daily Breeze. p. K15.

[MH-11] MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 183.

[12] Jones, Alan (August 7, 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream – Albums" (PDF). Music Week. p. 13. Retrieved January 30, 2023.

[13] Murray, Sonia (April 15, 1994). "Preview – Will Downing". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. P3.

[14] "Will Downing". The Dallas Morning News. November 11, 1993. p. 5C.

[15] Linden, Amy (26 Sep 1993). "Pop Briefs". The New York Times. p. H45.

[Billboard200-16] "Will Downing Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2022.

[BillboardRandBHipHop-17] "Will Downing Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2022.

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