One Heartbeat
| One Heartbeat | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 24, 1987 | |||
| Recorded | 1986–1987 | |||
| Studios | Conway, with additional recording at Buckman, Power Trax, and Ocean Way | |||
| Genres | R&B, pop rock, adult contemporary | |||
| Length | 38:10 | |||
| Label | Motown | |||
| Producers | Peter Bunetta, Rick Chudacoff | |||
| Smokey Robinson chronology | ||||
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One Heartbeat is the fourteenth studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson, released in 1987 on Motown Records. This album peaked at No. 26 on the US Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the US Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. One Heartbeat was certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.
Overview
The album contains Robinson's last two US Billboard top 10 singles: "Just to See Her" (which won Robinson a Grammy Award in the category of Best Male R&B Vocal performance) and "One Heartbeat". "What's Too Much" was released as the album's third and final single.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
Ron Wynn of AllMusic called One Heartbeat "another superb Robinson album." David Wild of Rolling Stone declared, "One Heartbeat is another of Smokey's breathy gems; it's his strongest and most accessible effort since 1982's underrated Touch the Sky.
Robert K. Oermann of USA Today ranked this album at No. 1 on his list of 1987's top 50 R&B albums.
Track listing
- "Just to See Her" (Jimmy George, Lou Pardini) - 4:04
- "One Heartbeat" (Brian Ray, Steve LeGassick) - 4:07
- "It's Time to Stop Shoppin' Around" (Robinson, Marsha Gold) - 4:02
- "Why Do Happy Memories Hurt So Bad" (Robinson, Marvin Tarplin) - 4:06
- "You Don't Know What It's Like" (Robinson, Reed Nielsen, Sue Shifrin) - 3:55
- "What's Too Much" (Robinson, Ivory Stone, Lonnie Kirtz, Pepi Talbert) - 4:23
- "Love Brought Us Here Tonight" (duet with Syreeta Wright) (Robinson, Stephen Geyer, Allan Rich) - 3:57
- "Love Don't Give No Reason" (Robinson, Steven Tavani) - 4:25
- "Keep Me" (Robinson) - 4:58
Personnel
- Smokey Robinson – lead vocals
- Robbie Buchanan – keyboards (1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9), arrangements (5, 8)
- Lou Pardini – synthesizer solo (1)
- Rick Chudacoff – arrangements (1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9), synth bass (3), acoustic piano (6)
- Steve LeGassick – keyboards (2), arrangements (2)
- Bill Elliott – keyboards (3)
- Reginald "Sonny" Burke – keyboards (3, 4), acoustic piano solo (6), organ (6)
- Dann Huff – guitars (1, 3–9)
- Brian Ray – guitars (2), drum programming (2), arrangements (2)
- Neil Stubenhaus – bass guitar (1, 4, 9)
- John Robinson – drums (1, 4, 5, 9)
- Peter Bunetta – arrangements (1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9), drums (3), bass synth programming (6), drum programming (6)
- Brad Buxer – drum programming (6, 7), bass synth programming (6), keyboards (7), synthesizer programming (7), rhythm track arrangements (7)
- Tom Seufert – drum programming (8)
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion (1, 3, 9)
- Kenny G – sax solo (2, 9), soprano sax solo (4)
- Danny Pelfrey – alto saxophone (3)
- Greg Smith – baritone saxophone (3)
- Jerry Jumonville – tenor saxophone (3)
- Bruce Paulsen – trombone (3)
- Darrell Leonard – trumpet (3, 6), horn arrangements (3)
- John Thomas – trumpet (3)
- Jerry Peterson – EWI controller (8)
- Leslie Smith – backing vocals (1, 4, 5)
- Tim Stone – backing vocals (1)
- Patti Henley – backing vocals (2, 4–9)
- Ivory Stone – backing vocals (3, 4–9)
- The Temptations – backing vocals (3)
- Howard Smith – backing vocals (4, 5)
- Alfie Silas – backing vocals (5–9)
- Maxayn Lewis – backing vocals (5)
- Kal David – backing vocals (5)
- Syreeta Wright – lead vocals (7)
Production
- Producers – Peter Bunetta and Rick Chudacoff
- Executive Producer – Berry Gordy
- Coordination – Sharon Burston
- Engineered by Daren Klein
- Additional Recording – Richard McKernan and Frank Wolf
- Assistant Engineers – Troy Krueger, Bob Loftus, Richard McKernan, Marnie Riley and Gary Wagner.
- Mixing – Daren Klein (Tracks 1–9); Mick Guzauski (Tracks 1, 2, 4-7 & 9).
- Art Direction – Johnny Lee
- Design – Andy Engel
- Front Cover Photo – Bonnie Schiffman
- Back Cover Photo – Ron Slenzak
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA) | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Singles
| Year | Title | US | US R&B | AC | UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | "Just to See Her" | 8 | 2 | 1 | 52 |
| 1987 | "One Heartbeat" | 10 | 3 | 2 | — |
References
- ↑ "Smokey Robinson - Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- ↑ "Smokey Robinson - Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- ↑ Smokey Robinson (1987). One Heartbeat (album). Motown Records.
- ↑ "Smokey Robinson - One Heartbeat". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- 1 2 Wynn, Ron. "Smokey Robinson - One Heartbeat". AllMusic. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- ↑ Wild, David (April 23, 1987). "One Heartbeat". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- ↑ K. Oermann, Robert (December 31, 1987). "I'm looking over the albums that shook my soul in 1987". USA Today – via newsbank.com.
- ↑ "Smokey Robinson Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
- ↑ "Smokey Robinson Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
- ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1987". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
- ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1987". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
- ↑ "American album certifications – Smokey Robinson – One Heartbeat". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
