Something Real (Phoebe Snow album)

Something Real is the seventh studio album by the American musician Phoebe Snow, released in 1989 by Elektra Records.[2][3] It was her first album in eight years.[4] While caring for her disabled daughter, Snow spent five years making demo tapes, and mailing them to labels.[5]

Something Real
Studio album by
Phoebe Snow
ReleasedMarch 1989
StudioThe Hit Factory and The Power Station (New York City, New York).
GenrePop
LabelElektra Records[1]
ProducerRob Fraboni, Ricky Fataar, Russ Titelman, Phil Ramone
Phoebe Snow chronology
Rock Away
(1981)		 Something Real
(1989)		 The New York Rock and Soul Revue: Live at the Beacon
(1991)

The album peaked at No. 75 on the Billboard 200.[6]

Background

According to veteran recorded music maven Charles Koppelman, who had headed Columbia Records music publishing department at the time Snow was on the Columbia roster, his interest in Snow was captured after he recognized hers as the voice singing the jingle for a Bloomingdale's television commercial. Koppelman resultantly attended Snow's Bottom Line gig in July 1986 and - deeming her performance a "knockout" - he began to champion Snow's return to recording, the singer's last album release: Rock Away, having been issued in 1981. With Koppelman's support Snow was signed to Elektra Records by the year's end:[7]

Production

The album was produced by Rob Fraboni and Ricky Fataar; Russ Titelman also worked on the album.[8][5] Mick Taylor played guitar on "Cardiac Arrest".[9] Lou Marini and Tom Scott led the horn section.[10]

Snow shot a video, her first, for the album's first single, "If I Can Just Get Through the Night".[11] The track "Something Real" which served as second single - also being afforded a video - was hailed by WAPO music critic Joe Brown would describe the title cut of Something Real as "'Poetry Man' revisited...[The earlier] song's ingenuously adulterous protagonist has wised up in a decade. This time around, she wants" - quoting the lyrics of "Something Real" - something real - something I don't have to steal.[12] However Snow would state her vision for the song was "not [as] a vulnerable fragile song...I thought it could be a more powerful R&B ballad like something Whitney Houston might sing But everybody who heard my homemade demo thought [that acoustic version] was too good to change."[13]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[14]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[15]
Los Angeles Times[16]
MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide[8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[17]
Vancouver Sun[18]

The Los Angeles Times thought that "while this album is classy and polished, there isn't much that approaches classic Snow territory, aside from 'We Might Never Feel This Way Again', with its touching, grab-the-moment romanticism, and the softly tender 'I'm Your Girl', which Snow wrote for her late mother."[16] The Buffalo News wrote that the singer "still has trouble resisting instrumental sucrose in the background, but the sound of Phoebe Snow singing 'I'm Your Girl' or 'If I Can Just Get Through the Night' is the essence of pop authenticity."[19] The Boston Globe concluded that Something Real "has a couple of slick, poorly chosen cover songs, but her four original songs on the album are sparkling."[9]

The Vancouver Sun opined that "the highly produced musical packaging feels too slick and hip for conveying truly honest emotions."[18] The Washington Post declared: "With a voice that's equally suited to pop, R&B and gospel, she has no difficulty reviving the old Emotions' hit 'Best of My Love' or emulating James Taylor's tuneful insouciance on 'Soothin'', but other song choices don't pan out nearly as well."[20] The New York Times deemed Something Real Snow's "most coherent album," writing that her "excesses are reined in just enough to make her sound bighearted and benevolent rather than overwrought."[21]

AllMusic called the album "a sturdy, respectable set," writing that Snow "tends to de-emphasize the more unusual aspects of her voice, although not so much that you'd confuse it with anybody else's."[14]

Aftermath

At the time of the album's release, Snow would say of Something Real: “We’ve made our statement on this record: it's got the right amount of everything. But I want my next [album] to reduce the margin for error - [to have] strong powerful music...that expresses how I envision myself."[13] Snow would in fact abandon the recording of her second Elektra Records album after cutting six tracks which (Phoebe Snow quote:) "were just wrong. They weren't who I am. I was like the gal singer who phoned her part in." Snow asked for release from her Elektra Records contract, recording what would be her final two studio albums: I Can't Complain (1998) and Natural Wonder (2003), for indie labels.[22]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Something Real"Phoebe Snow3:50
2."Mr. Wondering"Don Yowell3:21
3."Touch Your Soul"Snow4:36
4."We Might Never Feel This Way Again"Rhonda Schuster3:50
5."I'm Your Girl"Snow5:21
6."If Can Just Get Through the Night"Peter Anders4:09
7."Stay Away"Sue Sheridan, Sue Shifrin4:14
8."Soothin'"Joe Mason4:06
9."Best of My Love"Al McKay, Maurice White3:48
10."Cardiac Arrest"Snow3:34

Personnel
  • Phoebe Snow – vocals, acoustic guitar (1, 3), backing vocals (2, 8), harmony vocals (2, 6, 10)

Session players/ singers

  • Robbie Kondor – keyboards (1, 6, 8), synth string arrangements (2)
  • Joy Askew – keyboards (2, 6, 7, 8), acoustic piano (2)
  • Jeff Bova – keyboards (3, 5)
  • Robbie Kilgore – keyboards (3, 5)
  • Rob Mounsey – keyboards (3, 5)
  • Eric Rehl – keyboards (4), drums (4)
  • Ivan Neville – keyboards (8), acoustic piano (10), Hammond B3 organ (10)
  • David Frank – keyboards (9), arrangements (9)
  • Pat Thrall – guitars (2, 6, 7, 8)
  • John McCurry – guitars (4)
  • Mick Taylor – guitars (5, 7, 10)
  • Larry DeBari – guitars (6)
  • Shane Fontayne – guitars (10)
  • Ricky Fataar – bass (1), percussion (1, 2, 7, 10), drums (2, 5-8, 10), additional drums (3), acoustic guitar (7), guitars (8), backing vocals (8)
  • Anthony Jackson – bass (2, 6, 7, 8)
  • Jimmy Bralower – drum machine programming (3, 5)
  • Errol "Crusher" Bennett – percussion (8)
  • Carol Steele – percussion (9)
  • Paul McGovern – saxophone (2)
  • Tom Scott – alto saxophone (9)
  • Lou Marini – saxophones (9)
  • Bob Mintzer – saxophones (9)
  • Dave Bargeron – trombone (9)
  • Randy Brecker – trumpet (9)
  • Jon Faddis – trumpet (9)
  • Darryl Johnson – backing vocals (6, 7, 10), bass (10)

Session players/ singers (cont.)

  • Blondie Chaplin – backing vocals (8)
  • Lani Groves – backing vocals (9)
  • Brenda King – backing vocals (9)
  • Vaneese Thomas – backing vocals (9)

Production

  • Don Rubin – executive producer
  • Hank Medress – associate executive producer
  • Phoebe Snow – pre-production
  • Ricky Fataar – producer (1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10)
  • Rob Fraboni – producer (1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10)
  • Russ Titelman – producer (3, 5, 9)
  • Phil Ramone – producer (4)
  • Steve Boyer – recording (1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10), mixing (1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10)
  • Steve Rinkoff – recording (3, 5, 9), mixing (3, 5, 9)
  • Jay Healy – recording (4), mixing (4)
  • Joe Pirrera – recording (4), mixing (4)
  • Bruce Calder – additional engineer (1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10), assistant engineer (1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10)
  • Dan Gellert – assistant engineer (3, 5, 9)
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering at Masterdisk (New York City, New York)
  • Karen Fine – production coordinator (1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10)
  • Jill Dell'Abate – production coordinator (3, 5, 9)
  • Alexandra Saraspe-Conomos – production assistant (3, 5, 9)
  • Carol Bobolts – art direction
  • Michele Clement – photography
  • Chip Rachlin and CHR Management – management

References
  1. Jones IV, James T. (27 Mar 1989). "Her new LP packs a wallop". USA Today. p. 1D.
  2. "Phoebe Snow Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-10-01. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  3. Holden, Stephen (April 26, 2011). "Phoebe Snow, Bluesy Singer-Songwriter, Dies at 60". Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021 – via NYTimes.com.
  4. "PHOEBE SNOW RETURNS WITH AN INTROSPECTIVE 'SOMETHING REAL'". Orlando Sentinel.
  5. Moon, Tom (9 Apr 1989). "PHOEBE SNOW: THE VOICE IS BACK WITH A NEW GLOSS". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. F1.
  6. "Phoebe Snow | Billboard". Archived from the original on 2021-10-01. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  7. New York Daily News June 25 1989 "Phoebe Snow: second time around" by Roger Friedman p.257
  8. MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 526.
  9. Morse, Steve (7 Apr 1989). "PHOEBE SNOW'S COMEBACK". The Boston Globe. ARTS AND FILM. p. 37.
  10. Persall, Steve (2 Apr 1989). "Phoebe Snow sings of survival and sadness in latest offering". St. Petersburg Times. p. 2F.
  11. Takiff, Jonathan (10 Apr 1989). "ACTING THEIR AGE: FEMALE POP ARTISTS ARE LETTING THEIR WORK REFLECT THEIR YEARS". Philadelphia Daily News. Features. p. 41.
  12. Washington Post August 18 1989 "Snow Flurries of True Power" by Joe Brown
  13. Miami Herald August 25 1989 "New Power Charges Phoebe Snow's Welcome Return" by Doug Adrianson p.168
  14. "Something Real - Phoebe Snow | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". Archived from the original on 2021-10-01. Retrieved 2021-10-01 – via www.allmusic.com.
  15. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 585.
  16. Johnson, Connie (23 Apr 1989). "PHOEBE SNOW 'Something Real'. Elektra". Los Angeles Times. Calendar. p. 69.
  17. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 652.
  18. Todd, Douglas (29 July 1989). "RECORDINGS". Vancouver Sun. p. D2.
  19. Simon, Jeff. "IN THE NICK OF TIME, SOMETHING REAL FOR POP MUSIC". The Buffalo News. Archived from the original on 2021-10-01. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  20. Joyce, Mike (26 Mar 1989). "Phoebe Snow: `Something Real'". The Washington Post. p. G2.
  21. Pareles, Jon (19 Mar 1989). "Lifted Voices From Women Of a Certain Age". The New York Times. p. A28.
  22. Minneapolis Star Tribune 23 August 1998 "Where is the Phoebe Snow of Yesteryear? She's back on track album and a 'turned-around life" by Michael Anthony p.85
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