Moving On (Oleta Adams album)
Moving On is the fifth album by American vocalist, pianist and songwriter Oleta Adams, released in 1995.[4] It saw Adams move towards a more straightforward R&B sound, working with established R&B producers Vassal Benford (who had produced Rebbie Jackson, Jade and Toni Braxton) and Michael J. Powell (producer of Randy Crawford, Anita Baker and Regina Belle) who helped to mix her usual soul, pop and gospel styles with R&B. Adams wrote or co-wrote six of the twelve songs on the album, and for the first time produced two of the songs.
| Moving On | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 23, 1995 | |||
| Recorded | Various studios | |||
| Genre | R&B, soul | |||
| Length | 56:31 | |||
| Label | Fontana Records (Mercury Records) | |||
| Producer | Michael J. Powell, Vassal Benford, Scott Mayo, Oleta Adams | |||
| Oleta Adams chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Moving On | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Cash Box | (favorable)[2] |
| Los Angeles Times | [3] |
Singles
Four singles were released from the album. The lead single, "Never Knew Love", was the most R&B-sounding song on the album, and gave Adams her fourth Top 40 hit in the UK. The second single, a re-recorded and remixed song from her first album, "Rhythm of Life" (only included in some editions of the album), gave Adams her last Top 40 hit in the UK to date. The final two singles from the album, the ballads "We Will Meet Again" and "Life Keeps Moving On", performed less well.
Commercial performance
The album had limited success, peaking at #59 in the UK Albums Chart and at #194 on the US Billboard 200, staying only one week on both charts. This was Adams' last charting album on both countries' main chart and the lack of commercial success led to Moving On being her last studio album released through Fontana Records.
The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 39th Grammy Awards.[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Never Knew Love" | Kathy Wakefield, Oleta Adams, Vassal Benford | Vassal Benford | 3:32 |
| 2. | "Once in a Lifetime" | Wakefield, Adams, Benford | Benford | 5:24 |
| 3. | "I Knew You When" | Donny Kees, Shawna Harrington-Burkhart | Michael J. Powell | 4:20 |
| 4. | "You Need To Be Loved" | Adams | Oleta Adams, Scott Mayo | 4:41 |
| 5. | "Slow Motion" | Ed Fox, Evan Pace | Powell | 5:13 |
| 6. | "We Will Meet Again" | Allan Rich, Brenda Russell | Powell | 4:47 |
| 7. | "This Is Real" | Curtiss Boone, Michael J. Powell | Powell | 5:02 |
| 8. | "Life Keeps Moving On" | Adams | Benford | 5:32 |
| 9. | "Long Distance Love" | Lowell George | Powell | 4:15 |
| 10. | "Love Begins at Home" | Rich, Jud Friedman, Adams | Powell | 4:51 |
| 11. | "If This Love Should Ever End" | Boone, Powell | Powell | 4:45 |
| 12. | "New Star" | Adams | Adams, Mayo | 4:17 |
| Total length: | 56:21 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Between Hello and Goodbye" | George Lyter, Michael O'Hara, Denise Rich | Powell | 6:11 |
| 14. | "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" | Elton John, Bernie Taupin | Roland Orzabal | 5:53 |
- Note: Track 14 was originally released in 1991 on the album Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin and was also released as a single, but up until the release of Moving On had never been included on an Adams album.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Rhythm Of Life" (Phil Coxon Edit) | Nicky Holland, Roland Orzabal | 5:17 |
| 14. | "Never Knew Love" (Phil Coxon Edit) | Wakefield, Adams, Benford | 4:04 |
Charts
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[6] | 194 |
| US Billboard Top R&B Albums | 49 |
| Dutch album chart | 14 |
| UK Albums Chart[7] | 59 |
References
- "Oleta Adams Moving On Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- Robertson IV, Gil L. (18 November 1995). "Urban" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 11. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
- Rosenbluth, Jean (5 November 1995). "In Brief". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- "Oleta Adams Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- "Oleta Adams". Recording Academy. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
- "Oleta Adams". Billboard.
- "OLETA ADAMS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.