Lalah Hathaway Live
Lalah Hathaway Live is the first live album by American singer Lalah Hathaway. It was released on October 30, 2015 through her own label, Hathaway Entertainment, and eOne. The album won Best R&B Album at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2017.[1] She also earned a Grammmy for Best Traditional R&B Performance for her cover of "Angel" by Anita Baker.
| Lalah Hathaway Live | ||||
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| Live album by | ||||
| Released | October 30, 2015 | |||
| Length | 78:49 | |||
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| Lalah Hathaway chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Lalah Hathaway Live | ||||
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It is the spiritual successor to her father Donny's Live, which was recorded in 1972. In addition to her own songs, there are covers of many songs by artists like Baker ("Angel"), Luther Vandross ("Forever, for Always, for Love"), Vesta Williams ("I'm Coming Back"), Randy Crawford ("When Your Life Was Low"), as well as her father's hits ("Little Ghetto Boy" and "You Were Meant for Me").
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
AllMusic editor Andy Kellman rated the album four out of five stars. He wrote: "Like her father's album [Live], Lalah's includes a performance of "Little Ghetto Boy," and the faithful version here opens a set that easily bounces from point to point in her discography. Among the standouts are the consecutive "Baby Don't Cry" and "I'm Coming Back," both originally recorded for Lalah Hathaway, and an 11-minute version of Luther Vandross' "Forever, for Always, for Love" that best displays the increased depth and richness of Hathaway's voice [...] Topped off with a pair of new, high-quality studio cuts that help fill the compact disc edition to capacity, this is essential for Hathaway fans."[2]
SoulTracks critic L. Michael Gipson note that "compared to what is currently in the marketplace, discovering this album is akin to striking oil in the Dakotas. Lalah Hathaway's enormous talent and technical proficiency are all evident throughout and Hathaway at 80% is better than too many to name at their fullest throttle [...] Perhaps the potential success of this project will encourage Hathaway to make more than one live recording, outside of the revered guest spots on Marcus Miller's and Kirk Whalum's respective concert recordings. Her own legacy, independent of her father's, certainly deserves it."[3]
Commercial performance
Lalah Hathaway Live debuted at number 33 on the US Billboard 200 chart in the week of November 11, 2015, selling 15,000 copies in its first week.[4] It also debuted at number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number three on the Independent Albums chart, marking her highest-charting set yet on the former chart,[4] while becoming her first entry on the latter.[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Little Ghetto Boy" |
| 3:56 |
| 2. | "Baby Don't Cry" | Angela Winbush | 3:21 |
| 3. | "Change Ya Life" | Gary Taylor | 8:01 |
| 4. | "You Were Meant for Me" | William Peterkin | 4:29 |
| 5. | "Angel" | 5:42 | |
| 6. | "These Are the Things" | Keith Crouch | 3:01 |
| 7. | "Little Girl"/"Breathe" |
| 6:29 |
| 8. | "This Is Your Life" |
| 5:11 |
| 9. | "When Your Life Was Low" | 7:03 | |
| 10. | "Forever, for Always, for Love" | Luther Vandross | 11:14 |
| 11. | "Lean on Me" (featuring Robert Glasper) |
| 7:20 |
| 12. | "Mirror" |
| 3:53 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Brand New" |
| 5:45 |
| 14. | "Whatever" |
| 3:35 |
| Total length: | 78:49 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Give It to Me" |
| 5:04 |
| 16. | "Love Don't Love Nobody" |
| 3:11 |
Personnel
- Lalah Hathaway – vocals
- Michael Aaberg – keyboards, organ
- Dennis Clark – vocals
- Brian Collier – drums
- Errol Cooney – guitar
- DJ Spark – DJ
- Ben Jones – bass, guitar
- Vula Malinga – vocal arrangements, vocals
- Jason Morales – vocals
- Jairus Mozee – guitar
- Phil Peskett – piano
- Eric Seats – drums
- Eric Smith – bass
- Bobby Sparks II – keyboards, organ
- Stacey Lamont Sydnor – percussion
- Lynette Williams – keyboards
Production
- Producers: Darhyl Camper, Divageek, Lalah Hathaway, Ben Jones, Eric Smith
- Engineers: Les Cooper, Anthony Jeffries, Benita Lewis (mixing engineer), Coobie Lewis (mastering, mixing), Josh Lewis, Jimi Randolph (monitor engineer), Jeremy Underwood, Brian Vibberts
Charts
| Chart (2015–16) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[6] | 33 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[5] | 3 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[7] | 2 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | October 30, 2015 |
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[8][9] |
References
- Unterberger, Andrew (6 December 2016). "Here Is the Complete List of Nominees for the 2017 Grammys". Billboard. Archived from the original on 6 December 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- Kellman, Andy. "(Lalah Hathaway Live > Overview)". AllMusic. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
- Gipson, L. Michael. "Lalah Hathaway – Live (2015)". SoulTracks. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
- Mendizabal, Amaya (November 11, 2015). "Lalah Hathaway Has Best Week Ever on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
- "Lalah Hathaway Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- "Lalah Hathaway Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- "Lalah Hathaway Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- "Lalah Hathaway Live by Lalah Hathaway on Apple Music". Itunes.apple.com. 2015-10-30. Archived from the original on 2016-08-23. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
- "Lalah Hathaway Live - Lalah Hathaway | Awards". AllMusic. 2015-10-30. Archived from the original on 2016-09-24. Retrieved 2016-07-20.