I’m Ready Tevin Campbell album

Warner Bros. Records

album

You know exactly who produced it once the first chorus starts.

Tevin Campbell, a gospel soloist from Waxahachie, Texas, was discovered aged 12 by talent manager Benny Medina in 1988 and auditioned by jazz flautist Bobbi Humphrey. This drew the attention of Michael Jackson’s producer Quincy Jones who signed him to his label Qwest Records, imprint of Warner Bros. Records.

In June 1990, Jones featured Campbell in a single titled Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me) that topped Billboard’s R&B chart. Prince phoned the rising star to see if he was interested to collaborate on a song titled Round And Round, which they recorded at Paisley Park Studios in December 1989. Prince featured the track in the Graffiti Bridge movie in 1990. It was remixed that summer by Junior Vasquez and that version was included in the Graffiti Bridge soundtrack as well as released as a single on 20 August 1990, charting at 12 in the Hot 100. Round And Round was later reissued as the opener for the 14-year-old’s debut LP T.E.V.I.N. released under Qwest Records on 19 November 1991. Round And Round picked up a Grammy nomination in 1991 for Best R&B Vocal Performance (Male), although lost to Luther Vandross. T.E.V.I.N. peaked at number 38 on the Billboard album chart and on 11 July 1994 received RIAA’s Platinum certification. Prince approaching Campbell was uncharacteristic considering each one of his protegees before and since were female – potentially drawn by Campbell’s high and pure voice.

At age 16 and concerned that his voice remained too high on the register compared against other male artists and feeling pressure to improve on the success of his debut LP, Campbell turned to Prince for help with his second LP, I’m Ready. Prince wrote seven tracks for the album, which during production was whittled down to four: The Halls of Desire, Uncle Sam, Paris 1798430 and Shhh. Their recording took place at Paisley Park Studios throughout September 1992.

The tracks Uncle Sam and Paris 1798430 tackle the race issues continuing to plague America, whereas The Halls of Desire and Shhh take a sexual narrative. At such a tender age, Campbell felt unconnected to the subject matter of the songs, to the point during rehearsals to perform Shhh live as part of the TV special The Beautiful Experience at Paisley Park Studios on 13 February 1994, he asked Prince if he could instead perform the album’s lead single Can We Talk, written by Babyface. Not wishing to play someone else’s song in his set Prince decided to perform Shhh himself and Campbell was removed from the show’s billing. This led to Prince reclaiming the song, which he rerecorded and issued on The Gold Experience in 1995.

For I’m Ready, Tevin Campbell preferred to work with a mixture of songwriters, including Boyz II Men producer Babyface, and so three of Prince’s tracks were dropped. One of those Prince wrote for I’m Ready was Holly Don’t Care which was later given to Mayte and rerecorded as Baby Don’t Care and released on her debut LP Child Of The Sun. The other two, Down (emerging out of an improvisation) and The P (as in penis) remain unreleased. I’m Ready charted at 18 in Billboard and was certified Double Platinum on 8 September 1994. It was quite the hit and collected a trio of Grammy nominations: Best R&B Vocal Performance (Male) for Can We Talk and I’m Ready, and Best R&B Album 1995.

Campbell issued his third record in 1996, titled Back to the World, it peaked in Billboard at 47. His fourth LP came on 23 February 1999 self-titled Tevin Campbell, also released on Qwest Records. It charted at 88. Neither received Prince input. At one stage touted as the next Michael Jackson, Tevin Campbell subsequently withdrew from the pressures of recording and in 2004 began a six year Broadway stint cast in the musical Hairspray.

Performers

Lead vocals: Tevin Campbell
All instruments: Prince ^{The Halls Of Desire, Uncle Sam, Shhh and Paris 1798430}
Drums: Michael B ^{The Halls Of Desire and Shhh}
Bass Guitar: Sonny T ^{The Halls Of Desire and Shhh}
Keyboards: Tommy Barbarella ^{The Halls Of Desire and Shhh}
Saxophone: Eric Leeds ^{The Halls Of Desire and Shhh}
Baritone Sax: Kathy Jensen ^{Paris 1798430}
Tenor Sax: Brian Gallagher ^{Paris 1798430}
Trumpet: Matthew Blistan ^{The Halls Of Desire and Shhh}; Dave Jensen ^{Paris 1798430}; Steve Strand ^{Paris 1798430}
Trombone: Michael B. Nelson ^{Paris 1798430}
Percussion: Kirk Johnson ^{The Halls Of Desire}
Scratches: William "DJ" Graves ^{The Halls Of Desire}
Backing vocals: Kathleen Johnson ^{The Halls Of Desire, Uncle Sam and Shhh}

Data

Producers

Prince, Babyface and Narada Michael Walden

Label

Qwest Records

Distribution

Warner Bros. Records

Cover/Design

F Scott Schafer and Greg Ross

Released

32 years ago on 26 October 1993

Running Time

49:10

US Chart Peak

US R&B Peak

UK Chart Peak

Did not chart

Orig. Formats

Tracklist

Can We Talk (4:44)
Don’t Say Goodbye Girl (4:30)
Segue (0:13)
The Halls Of Desire [feat. Prince] (4:36) ¹
I'm Ready (4:45)
What Do I Say (4:55)
Uncle Sam (3:57) ²
Segue (0:29)
Paris 1798430 [feat. Prince] (3:37) ¹
Always In My Heart (5:40)
Segue (0:09)
Shhh [feat. Prince] (4:55) ¹
Brown Eyed Girl (3:48)
Infant Child (2:42)

Released as a single

¹ Written by Prince.
² Written by Prince; rap written by Paula Sherield.

I’m Ready album review

I’m Ready opens with the album’s lead single Can We Talk written by Babyface at the time the producer was also writing material for none other than Michael Jackson. It sets the polish expected for a Quincy Jones release, who executive produces the record with Benny Medina, 14 tracks showcasing Tevin Campbell’s considerable vocal talent.

I’m Ready has that glossy feel worthy of its double Platinum certification, shifting an impressive two million units. On it are four specially penned Prince songs; two focusing on race, two on Prince’s best subject, sex, recalling that Controversy dichotomy vibe. The Halls Of Desire is an upbeat walk-through imagining a corridor with a different willing girl behind every door. Then there is Shhh familiar to any a Prince fan as this is the original version Prince wrote for I’m Ready, Campbell doing the job admirably. Prince took back the track for himself to put on The Gold Experience in one of those Kiss moments, realising it was simply just too good to give away. Working on Carmen at the time, the interludes are reputedly the influence of Prince, a tell tale sign considering they lead into his The Halls Of Desire, Paris 1798430 and Shhh. Prince’s cuts are typically Prince – sharp, one cue and seriously funky. As Prince’s input accounts for the sensual songs on the LP, the lyrics about seducing women “after school like some homework” weighed uneasy on Campbell who at the time of recording was a mere 16-year-old (he came out as gay aged 19). Which is beguiling because you could never think this was the voice of a child listening to this record, holding the standard of an old hand.

The highlights are Uncle Sam and Paris 1798430, packing a serious message beneath a typically delicious Prince bass line. Campbell’s rendition of Shhh is not at all shabby either and not out of place on this album. I’m Ready races out of the blocks and maintains the pace, quality and interest throughout.

I’m Ready is rated 4.5 out of 5 by Goldies Parade.

Prince trivia