Words (Tony Rich album)

Words is the debut album by American R&B musician Tony Rich (under the moniker "The Tony Rich Project"), released January 16, 1996 on LaFace Records. The album is produced, written, arranged and performed by Rich. In 1997, the album won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album.[11]

Words
Studio album by
The Tony Rich Project
ReleasedJanuary 16, 1996
Recorded1995
StudioDoppler Studios
GenreR&B, neo soul
Length41:34
LabelLaFace, Arista
ProducerTony Rich
The Tony Rich Project chronology
Words
(1996)		 Birdseye
(1998)
Singles from Words
  1. "Nobody Knows"
    Released: November 7, 1995
  2. "Like a Woman"
    Released: August 5, 1996
  3. "Leavin'"
    Released: November 11, 1996
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Robert Christgau(3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)[2]
Entertainment WeeklyA[3]
The Guardian[4]
Los Angeles Times[5]
Muzik[6]
New York Times(favorable)[7]
Q[8]
Rolling Stone[9]
USA Today[10]

At the start of 1996 with the acoustic R&B ballad, "Nobody Knows", the song was a hit, peaking at number two for two weeks, going platinum, and spending almost a year on the Billboard Hot 100 (47 weeks).[12]

In total three singles were released from Words: "Nobody Knows", "Like a Woman", and "Leavin'".

Track listing

All songs written by Tony Rich except "Nobody Knows" (written by Joe Rich & Don DuBose).[13]

  1. "Hey Blue" – 3:48
  2. "Nobody Knows" – 5:06
  3. "Like a Woman" – 4:08
  4. "Grass is Green" – 4:08
  5. "Ghost" – 4:21
  6. "Leavin'" – 3:44
  7. "Billy Goat" – 4:11
  8. "Under Her Spell" – 4:24
  9. "Little Ones" – 3:37
  10. "Missin' You" – 3:49

Personnel
  • Tony Rich – all instruments, vocals, programming
  • Nuri – additional vocals on "Under Her Spell"
  • Joe Rich – keyboards on "Nobody Knows"
  • John Frye – second acoustic guitar on "Ghost"
  • Peter Moore – acoustic guitar on "Nobody Knows" and "Missin' You"
  • Reggie Griffin – electric guitar on "Hey Blue" and "Missin' You", solo and rhythm guitars on "Like a Woman", feedback on "Ghost", wah wah guitar on "Billy Goat"
  • Colin Wolfe – bass guitar on "Ghost"

Charts
Chart performance for Words
Chart (1996) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[14] 31
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[15] 27
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[16] 71
UK Albums (OCC)[17] 27
US Billboard 200[18] 31
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[19] 18

Certifications
Certifications for Words
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[20] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Words - The Tony Rich Project". AllMusic. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
  2. Christgau, Robert (May 21, 1996). "Consumer Guide May 21, 1996". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on August 5, 2009.
  3. Browne, David (February 23, 1996). "WORDS Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
  4. Sullivan, Caroline (May 17, 1996). "Music: This week's pop CD releases". The Guardian.
  5. Hilburn, Robert (January 28, 1996). "A Savory, Soulful Debut". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
  6. Springer, Jacqueline (February 1996). "The Tony Rich Project: Words" (PDF). Muzik. No. 9. p. 80. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  7. Columnist. "The Tony Rich Project: Words". The New York Times: 30. February 11, 1996.
  8. Columnist. "The Tony Rich Project: Words". Q: 115. March 2000.
  9. "Rolling Stone Music | Album Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 1 February 2013.
  10. Ayers, Anne. "The Tony Rich Project, Words". USA Today: 3.D. January 30, 1996.
  11. "Tony Rich's GRAMMY Awards history". grammy.com. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  12. "The Tony Rich Project Chart History: Nobody Knows". Billboard.com. n.d. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  13. Words (liner notes). The Tony Rich Project. LaFace. Arista. 1996. ARCD-6022.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. "Australiancharts.com – The Tony Rich Project – Words". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  15. "Dutchcharts.nl – The Tony Rich Project – Words" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  16. "Offiziellecharts.de – The Tony Rich Project – Words" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  17. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  18. "Tony Rich Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  19. "Tony Rich Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  20. "American album certifications – Tony Rich Project – Words". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
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