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Fourplay: The best of Fourplay

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Warner Bros. Records
Released: 1997
Time:
 62:48
Category: Jazz
Producer(s): See Artists ...
Rating: ********.. (8/10)
Media type: CD
Web address: www.fourplayjazz.com
Appears with:
Purchase date: 2001.11.05
Price in €: 7,99



 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Max-O-Man (H.Lang/M.Mason) - 5:33
[2] 101 Eastbound (N.East/M.East) - 5:56
[3] Higher Ground (S.Wonder) - 4:57 *
[4] 4 Play and Pleasure (L.Ritenour) - *5:30
[5] Chant (B.James) - 6:25
[6] After the Dance (M.Gaye) - 4:11
[7] Bali Run (B.James/L.Ritenour) - 5:33
[8] Play Lady Play (B.James/L.Ritenour) - 4:38
[9] Between the Sheets (E.Isley/M.Isley/C.Jasper/R.Isley/O.Isley/R.Isley) - 3:56
[10] Amoroso (H.Mason) - 5:50
[11] Any Time of Day (N.East/S.Purkin) - 6:17 *
[12] Why Can't It Wait Till Morning [Remix] (P.Collins) - 4:02 *

* - New releases 

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


BOB JAMES - Keyboards, Executive Producer, Arranger, Producer
NATHAN EAST - Bass, Lead Vocals on [9], Arranger, Producer, Producer on [3]
HARVEY MASON Sr. - Drums, Synthesizer, Arranger, Producer
LEE RITENOUR - Guitar, Arranger, Producer

PHIL COLLINS - Lead Vocals on [12]
CHAKA KHAN - Lead Vocals on [9]
EL DEBARGE - Lead Vocals on [6]
DAN SHEA - Keyboards
DAVID PORTER THOMAS - Lead Vocals on [3]
TAKE 6 - Vocals on [3]

HARVEY MASON Jr. - Producer & Synth Programming on [3]
PAUL BROWN - Arranger, Remixing on [12]
MARCEL EAST - Arranger
MICHAEL LANG - Arranger
SAM PURKIN - Arranger
DON MURRAY - Engineer, Mixing on [1]-[2], [4]-[12]
BRAD GILDERMAN - Engineer on [3]
MATT PIERSON - Compilation Executive Producer
MARK WEXLER - Mangement
DEBRA JOHNSON - Production Coordination
LINDA COBB - Art Direction, Design
JAMES MINCHIN - Photography
HANS NELEMAN - Photography  

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


1997 CD Warner Brothers 46661
1997 CS Warner Brothers 46661



Combining the biggest hits from their trio of chart-topping albums, The Best Of Fourplay brings together a long string of radio smashes--including 'After The Dance,' 'Between The Sheets,' 'Bali Run' and 'Play Lady Play'--from four of the finest musicians on Earth. And, as if that weren't enough, the album includes three new tracks and a stunning new version of 'Why Can't It Wait Till Morning' featuring Phil Collins. The album's new tracks include an oh-so-funky version of Stevie Wonder's 'Higher Ground' with Take 6 on lead vocals (destined to be a smash at Urban and Urban AC formats); '4 Play And Pleasure,' a new Lee Ritenour composition that's smooth jazz in the classic Fourplay style; and Nathan East's 'Any Time Of Day,' previously available only on the Japanese version of the Elixir album. Of special note: a completely revamped version of Elixir's 'Why Can't It Wait Till Morning,' with lead vocals by Phil Collins. The original track has been substantially remixed and rerecorded by Fourplay and producers Paul Brown (Boney James) and Dan Shea (Mariah Carey, Michael Bolton). Fourplay stand unparalleled as the pre-eminent jazz supergroup of the 90's, with a string of Gold albums, sold-out tours and smash hits at a variety of radio formats to their credit. Expect extensive demand from the group's fans, as well as heavy airplay for the new tracks included here.



What looked at first like a premature marketing ploy — a greatest-hits collection after only three albums? — now makes some historical sense, for founding member Lee Ritenour left the quartet not long after the CD's release. So this is in essence a summary of Fourplay's first edition, a collection of mildly funky, ethereally voiced selections from Fourplay, Between the Sheets and Elixir, where Ritenour, Bob James, Nathan East and Harvey Mason integrate their personalities into a smoothly homogenized whole. To sweeten the pot for the hardcore fans, Fourplay recorded three new tracks for the album — Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" with vocals by Take 6, "4 Play and Pleasure" and "Any Time of Day" — all fairly uneventful. The musicianship is impeccable, the production velvety, and despite the suitable-for-lovemaking-and-commuting stamp of approval, one wishes that these fine players would just cut loose and really rip once in a while.

Richard S. Ginell, All-Music Guide, © 1992 - 2001 AEC One Stop Group, Inc.



Many great Jazz artists and groups have flourished with the popularity of Contemporary Jazz music today. Many musicians come together with one idea in mind, "selling albums". With a funky beat or tune almost anyone can put out a fairly decent album. Nevertheless, there exists no ensemble quite like the renowned group, "Fourplay". Fourplay features Bob James on keyboards, Lee Ritenour on guitar, Nathan East on Bass and Harvey Mason on drums. Each of these great Jazz artists can stand alone on their own musical merits, however put them together and you have a music producer's dream team. Morrice's Jazz Review has assembled its fans favorite jazz artists in its "Fantasy Jazz Band" feature. However, I don't believe that any group of artists can blend together a smooth fusion of music quite like Fourplay. Over the years Fourplay has graced us with three great albums; "Fourplay" in 1991, "Between the sheets" in 1993 and one of my personal favorites, "Elixir" in 1995. The best of Fourplay not only features select tunes from these previous albums but also gives us two compositions recorded especially for this album. Fourplay presents a track previously unreleased in the U.S., "Any Time of Day", along with bringing in the vocals of the Grammy-winning group Take 6 featured on "4 Play and Pleasure". As an additional bonus this album remixes the Elixir track "Why Can't It Wait Till Morning" with the unmatched vocals of Phil Collins. This best of album is jam packed with old favorites along with a few new tunes to stir up the mix. The Best of Fourplay is both uplifting and calming all in the same breath. This album is truly a must buy!

Copyright © 1997-2001 The Jazz Review. All Rights Reserved.



Combining the biggest hits from their trio of chart-topping albums, The Best Of Fourplay brings together a long string of radio smashes--including 'After The Dance,' 'Between The Sheets,' 'Bali Run' and 'Play Lady Play'--from four of the finest musicians on Earth. And, as if that weren't enough, the album includes three new tracks and a stunning new version of 'Why Can't It Wait Till Morning' featuring Phil Collins. The album's new tracks include an oh-so-funky version of Stevie Wonder's 'Higher Ground' with Take 6 on lead vocals (destined to be a smash at Urban and Urban AC formats); '4 Play And Pleasure,' a new Lee Ritenour composition that's smooth jazz in the classic Fourplay style; and Nathan East's 'Any Time Of Day,' previously available only on the Japanese version of the Elixir album. Of special note: a completely revamped version of Elixir's 'Why Can't It Wait Till Morning,' with lead vocals by Phil Collins. The original track has been substantially remixed and rerecorded by Fourplay and producers Paul Brown (Boney James) and Dan Shea (Mariah Carey, Michael Bolton). Fourplay stand unparalleled as the pre-eminent jazz supergroup of the 90's, with a string of Gold albums, sold-out tours and smash hits at a variety of radio formats to their credit. Expect extensive demand from the group's fans, as well as heavy airplay for the new tracks included here.

by John Hilderbrand
copyright © 2001 ContemporaryJazz.com



Perhaps the most successful contemporary jazz group of the decade released their first collection this year. Best of Fourplay collects tracks from the band's three albums but also includes three unreleased (at least in the U.S.) tunes and a remix. The collection includes the vocals "After the Dance" (with El DeBarge), "Between the Sheets" (with Chaka Khan and Nathan East), and the remix of Phil Collins' "Why Can't It Wait Until Morning." The new vocal is Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground," performed with Take 6 on vocals. The other two unreleased tracks are Lee Ritenour's "4Play and Pleasure" and Nathan East's "Any Time of Day." I was disappointed in Best of Fourplay. The selection of tracks is great, but some of them (including "Bali Run" and "After the Dance") are the shortened radio mixes of the songs. The new vocal with Take 6 (which fails to feature their awesome abilities) doesn't fit the smooth style of previous Fourplay vocals, and its sound is almost harsh compared to the rest of the release. The other new compositions are good but unexceptional, certainly not representative of the "best" of the group. Warner Bros., as with all of their 'best of' collections, does an excellent design on the package and includes all artists credits. Unlike their other releases, though, no effort was made to get outside material. It would have been nice to see the two tracks from Bob James' Grand Piano Canyon that served as the origin of the band, or music from Rit's Wes Bound CD which also featured the group. It certainly would have added more value to a collection that can only use material from three albums. I usually recommend 'best of' collections since they often serve as a good introduction to the artist. However, for the best representation of the music of Fourplay, check out their first, self-titled album.

Warne Bros.
  

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