Spanish Fly (album)

Spanish Fly is an album by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, released in 1987.[9] The singles "Head to Toe" and "Lost in Emotion" both reached number one in the United States. The album peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200.[10] It has sold more than a million copies.[11]

Spanish Fly
Studio album by
Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
ReleasedApril 8, 1987
RecordedSeptember 1986—March 1987
GenreContemporary R&B, dance-pop, Latin freestyle
Length42:43
LabelColumbia[1]
ProducerFull Force
Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam chronology
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force
(1985)		 Spanish Fly
(1987)		 Straight to the Sky
(1989)
Singles from Spanish Fly
  1. "Head to Toe"
    Released: March 9, 1987
  2. "Lost in Emotion"
    Released: June 7, 1987
  3. "Someone to Love Me for Me"
    Released: September 28, 1987
  4. "Everything Will B-Fine"
    Released: January 27, 1988
  5. "I Promise You"
    Released: 1988
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Robert ChristgauC+[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
Los Angeles Times[5]
Orlando Sentinel[6]
The Philadelphia Inquirer[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[8]

Production

The album was written and produced by Full Force.[12]

Critical reception

People wrote that Lisa has "a rich, versatile sound and the vocal strength to penetrate the album’s percussion-heavy arrangements."[13] The Globe and Mail thought that Lisa's "accounts of her various sex and dance urges are both funny and salacious."[14] The Los Angeles Times called the album "an urban contemporary kitchen sink—everything is in there, from dance to doo-wop to crackling funk to spicy salsa."[15] USA Today deemed Lisa "today's Ronnie Spector: a technically limited singer who succeeds by projecting a girlish attitude that's both vulnerable and indomitable."[16]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Full Force, with additional "Someone to Love Me for Me" writing by Lisa Lisa

No.TitleLength
1."Everything Will B-Fine"5:11
2."Head to Toe"5:03
3."A Face in the Crowd"6:10
4."Someone to Love Me for Me"4:51
5."Talking Nonsense"1:08
6."I Promise You"4:46
7."A Fool Is Born Everyday"5:23
8."Lost in Emotion"5:07
9."Playing With Fire"5:04
10."Spoken Word"0:24

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart (1987) Peak
position
Canadian Albums (RPM)[17] 18
US Billboard 200[18] 7
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[19] 7

Year-end charts
Chart (1987) Position
US Billboard 200[20] 42
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[21] 31
Chart (1988) Position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[22] 67

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[23] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[24] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Personnel
  • Lisa Lisa (Lisa Velez): Vocals
  • Michael Hughes: Congas, timbales, talking
  • Spanador: Guitars, Bass, keyboards
  • Full Force: Performer
  • Arranged and produced by Full Force
  • Engineered by Glenn Rosenstein
  • Mixed by Full Force and Glenn Rosenstein
  • Jurgen S. Korduletsch, Don Orilo, Steve Salem: Executive Producers

References
  1. "Jet's Top 20 Albums". Jet. 72 (19): 62. Aug 3, 1987.
  2. AllMusic review
  3. "Robert Christgau: CG: Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam".
  4. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 5. MUZE. p. 257.
  5. Johnson, Connie (June 21, 1987). "FORCING THE ISSUE". Los Angeles Times. Calendar. p. 82.
  6. Duffy, Thom (May 10, 1987). "LISA LISA & CULT JAM". Orlando Sentinel. Calendar. p. 6.
  7. Tucker, Ken (May 3, 1987). "Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam Spanish Fly". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. H5.
  8. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 426.
  9. "Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  10. "Lisa Lisa And Cult Jam". Billboard.
  11. Van Matre, Lynn. "Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam may be..." chicagotribune.com.
  12. "LISA LISA, FULL FORCE, SO-SO". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  13. "Picks and Pans Review: Spanish Fly". PEOPLE.com.
  14. Lacey, Liam (June 4, 1987). "INSIDE THE SLEEVE POP Spanish Fly Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam". The Globe and Mail. p. C3.
  15. Hunt, Dennis (July 5, 1987). "LISA LISA IS COOKIN' IN HELL'S KITCHEN". Los Angeles Times. Calendar. p. 86.
  16. Milward, John (May 6, 1987). "Popular". USA Today. p. 4D.
  17. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada".
  18. "Lisa Lisa And Cult Jam Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  19. "Lisa Lisa And Cult Jam Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  20. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1987". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 24, 2015. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  21. "1987 The Year in Music & Video" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 99, no. 52. December 26, 1987. p. Y-29. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  22. "1988 The Year in Music & Video" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 100, no. 52. December 24, 1988. p. Y-24. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  23. "Canadian album certifications – Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam – Spanish Fly". Music Canada.
  24. "American album certifications – Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam – Spanish Fly". Recording Industry Association of America.
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