From the Bottom Up

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From the Bottom Up
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Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 10, 1995
Length57:25
Label
Producer
Brownstone chronology
From the Bottom Up
(1995)
Still Climbing
(1997)
Singles from From the Bottom Up
  1. "Pass the Lovin'"
    Released: August 23, 1994
  2. "If You Love Me"
    Released: October 24, 1994
  3. "Grapevyne"
    Released: April 11, 1995
  4. "I Can't Tell You Why"
    Released: July 25, 1995

From the Bottom Up is the debut studio album by American girl group Brownstone.[1] It was released by Epic Records and Michael Jackson's MJJ Music on January 10, 1995, in the United States.[2] Brownstone worked with a wide range of producers and songwriters on the album, including Jorge Corante, Dave "Jam" Hall, Soulshock & Karlin, and Gordon Chambers.[3] From the Bottom Up spawned four singles, including the top 10 R&B hits "If You Love Me" and "Grapevyne," and a cover of The Eagles' "I Can't Tell You Why". In addition, "Sometimes Dancin'" was featured in the Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home soundtrack.

The album debuted at number 48 on the US Billboard 200 and peaked at number 29 on March 11, 1995. It spent 37 consecutive weeks on the chart and earned a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on August 16, 1995.[4] From the Bottom Up received critical acclaim and garnered several accolades, including a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "If You Love Me," and five Billboard Music Award nominations, winning one for Top Hot R&B Single Airplay for "If You Love Me."

Promotion

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To promote the album, Brownstone embarked on a concert tour throughout the United States during the summer of 1995, performing at various venues such as the House of Blues[5] in North Hollywood, California, and participating in festivals like Jam 4 Peace in Milwaukee, Budweiser Superfest in Chicago, KUBE Summer Jam in Quincy, Washington, and the Cincinnati Jazz Festival.[6]

The trio also made appearances on several local and international television programs such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Video Soul, Top of the Pop, and Hey Hey Its Saturday.

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svg[7]
Entertainment WeeklyB−[8]
Knoxville News SentinelStarStarHalf starFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svg[9]
Los Angeles TimesStarStarStarFile:Star empty.svg[10]
MademoiselleStarStarStarStar[11]
Music WeekStarStarStarFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svg[12]
The Washington Post(favorable)[13]

Upon its release the album received positive reviews from critics. William Cooper from AllMusic called From the Bottom Up a "solid debut." He found that the album "showcases the group's considerable vocal talents, but Brownstone is somewhat distinctive in that the group's members also had a hand in writing their own material. Predictably, the album's songs alternate between R&B funk workouts and slinky slow jams, but the vocals rise above the material, making the album a delightful listen [...] From the Bottom Up is somewhat undermined by an overabundance of producers. But this doesn't take away from the quality of the songs and the solid vocal performances."[7]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Party wit Me"
  • Nichole Gilbert
  • Jorge Corante
  • Corante
  • N. Gilbert
4:44
2."Grapevyne"
Hall5:39
3."If You Love Me"
Hall5:04
4."Sometimes Dancin'"
Soulshock & Karlin5:03
5."I Can't Tell You Why"4:06
6."Don't Cry for Me"
  • Brownstone
  • Darin Whittington
Whittington5:21
7."Pass the Lovin'"
  • N. Gilbert
  • Whittington
  • Charmayne Maxwell
Ken Kessie3:51
8."Fruit of Life"
  • Corante
  • N. Gilbert
  • Monica Doby
  • Corante
  • N. Gilbert
5:15
9."True to Me"
  • N. Gilbert
  • Jonah
  • O'Brien
  • N. Gilbert
  • Jonah
  • O'Brien
3:51
10."Wipe It Up"
  • N. Gilbert
  • Gerald Baillergeau
  • Ron Marlin
  • Doby
  • Maxwell
Baillergeau3:25
11."Deeper Feelings (Ooh La La)"
  • N. Gilbert
  • Shawn Lilly
  • Dewey Browder
  • Maxwell
Dewey Browder5:30
12."Half of You" (featuring Gordon Chambers)
  • N. Gilbert
  • Chambers
Chambers5:42

Samples

  • "If You Love Me" embodies portions of the composition "Spellbound" as performed by K-Solo.
  • "Sometimes Dancin'" contains elements from "Kamazaki" as performed by Prince Jammy.

Personnel

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Adapted credits from the liner notes of From the Bottom Up.[14]

  • Alan Yoshida – mastering (A&M Mastering Studios)
  • Jono Kohan – A&R (MJJ Music)
  • Mary Mourer – art direction
  • Doug Erp – design
  • Warren Mantooth – photography
  • Cheri Grey – front cover/logo design

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[26] Silver 60,000^
United States (RIAA)[27] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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  7. ^ a b AllMusic review
  8. ^ Jackson, Devon (February 10, 1995). "From the Bottom Up". Entertainment Weekly.
  9. ^ Campbell, Chuck (January 27, 1995). "Brownstone Effort Muddied By Producers". Knoxville News Sentinel.
  10. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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  13. ^ Himes, Geoffrey (April 16, 1995). "Rock-Solid Debut for Brownstone". The Washington Post. p. G11.
  14. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  15. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Brownstone – From the Bottom Up". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  16. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 9161". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  17. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Brownstone – From the Bottom Up" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  18. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Brownstone – From the Bottom Up" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  19. ^ "Charts.nz – Brownstone – From the Bottom Up". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  20. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  21. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  22. ^ "Brownstone Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  23. ^ "Brownstone Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  24. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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