A Time to Love
Encyclopedia
A Time to Love is a 2005 studio album by Stevie Wonder
, his first since 1995's Conversation Peace
. Originally to have been completed in 2004, it was finally released to stores on October 18, 2005, following an exclusive electronic release on Apple's
iTunes Music Store
on September 27. It is his 23rd official studio album.
The first single, issued in April 2005, was "So What the Fuss
", which featured Prince
on guitar and En Vogue
on backing vocals. Follow-up singles included "Positivity" with his daughter Aisha Morris, "From the Bottom of My Heart", and "Shelter in the Rain".
The song "Shelter in the Rain" was in tribute to his first wife, singer Syreeta Wright
.
Wonder makes a brief reference to singer Minnie Riperton
in the song "Positivity".
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, his first since 1995's Conversation Peace
Conversation Peace
Conversation Peace is the twenty-second album released by American musician Stevie Wonder, released on the Motown label in 1995. The album was Wonder's first full-length non-soundtrack studio album since 1987's Characters...
. Originally to have been completed in 2004, it was finally released to stores on October 18, 2005, following an exclusive electronic release on Apple's
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
iTunes Music Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
on September 27. It is his 23rd official studio album.
The first single, issued in April 2005, was "So What the Fuss
So What the Fuss
"So What the Fuss" is a song from Stevie Wonder's 2005 album A Time to Love. The single, which features Prince and the original four members of En Vogue, became a minor hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and went top 40 on Billboard's R&B chart....
", which featured Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
on guitar and En Vogue
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
on backing vocals. Follow-up singles included "Positivity" with his daughter Aisha Morris, "From the Bottom of My Heart", and "Shelter in the Rain".
The song "Shelter in the Rain" was in tribute to his first wife, singer Syreeta Wright
Syreeta Wright
Syreeta Wright , who recorded professionally under the single name Syreeta, was a Grammy-nominated American singer-songwriter most notably known for her work with Stevie Wonder and Billy Preston.-Early life and career:...
.
Wonder makes a brief reference to singer Minnie Riperton
Minnie Riperton
Minnie Julia Riperton was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single "Lovin' You". She was married to songwriter and music producer Richard Rudolph from 1972 until her death in the summer of 1979. They had two children - music engineer Marc Rudolph and actress/comedienne Maya...
in the song "Positivity".
Reception
His first new studio album in a decade, the album was received with generally positive reviews, despite its having been delayed several times during the year of its release.Track listing
- "If Your Love Cannot Be Moved" (featuring Kim BurrellKim BurrellKimberly Burrell is an American gospel singer from Houston, Texas. She calls her musical style jazz gospel. Though she is comparatively new to the gospel music industry, having only performed since 1989, she has quickly become one of the most influential voices in the genre, often named as "this...
) - "Sweetest Somebody I Know"
- "Moon Blue"
- "From the Bottom of My Heart"
- "Please Don't Hurt My Baby"
- "How Will I Know" (featuring Aisha Morris)
- "My Love Is on Fire" (featuring Hubert LawsHubert LawsHubert Laws is an American flutist and saxophonist with a 40+ year career in jazz, classical, and other music genres. Alongside Herbie Mann, Laws is probably the most recognized and respected jazz flutist...
on flute) - "Passionate Raindrops"
- "Tell Your Heart I Love You"
- "True Love"
- "Shelter in the Rain" (featuring Kirk FranklinKirk FranklinKirk Dwayne Franklin is an American Gospel music musician, choir director, and author, and is most notably known for leading urban contemporary gospel choirs such as The Family, God's Property and One Nation Crew .- Early years :...
) - "So What the FussSo What the Fuss"So What the Fuss" is a song from Stevie Wonder's 2005 album A Time to Love. The single, which features Prince and the original four members of En Vogue, became a minor hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and went top 40 on Billboard's R&B chart....
" (featuring En VogueEn VogueEn Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
on backing vocals and PrincePrince (musician)Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
on guitar) - "Can't Imagine Love Without You"
- "PositivityPositivity"Positivity" is the first single off the album A New Morning by Suede, released on September 16, 2002 on Columbia Records. The single is a big departure from the sleazy rock characteristic of the previous two albums, and has a far more warm and acoustic sound to it...
" (featuring Aisha Morris) - "A Time to Love" (featuring India.ArieIndia.ArieIndia.Arie is a Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter and record producer . She has sold over 3.3 million records in the U.S. and 10 million worldwide. She has won four Grammy Awards from her 21 nominations, including Best R&B Album.-Background:Simpson was born in Denver, Colorado...
and Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
on guitar)
External links
- A Time to Love at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
- Stevie Wonder interview with Newsweek, in which he discusses the album
- More information at StevieWonder-Unofficial.com
- Fan-site