Adventures in Paradise (Minnie Riperton album)
Encyclopedia
Adventures in Paradise is the third studio album by Minnie Riperton
, produced by Stewart Levine with music by The Crusaders
. Joe Sample
co-wrote the title song "Adventures in Paradise". The album was a modest success, but didn't match the success of Perfect Angel
. After Lovin’ You and Perfect Angel finished their chart run, Epic wanted a follow-up disc, and fast. With previous co-producer Stevie Wonder
busy recording his Songs in the Key of Life
(which Minnie would also turn up on singing backup on "Ordinary Pain"), Minnie and husband Richard Rudolph hired Stewart Levine
to co-produce her next album. More songs came from the Riperton/Rudolph camp as well as collaborations with Jazz Crusader Joe Sample and songwriter Leon Ware
(who was enjoying a hot streak thanks to his work on Marvin Gaye
’s album I Want You). Guitarist Larry Carlton
was brought in as an arranger. The result, Adventures In Paradise, took on a mellow soul-jazz tone.
Tha album was a standard recording but available in two formats: quadraphonic and stereo. Epic Records
anticipated a soul funky sequel, using Family Stone and Tower Power horn section, which would have been released in November 1975. However, the sessions were never released due to legal issues.
"Inside My Love" became somewhat of a standard, enjoying numerous covers. Chanté Moore covered it in 1995 for the “New York Undercover” soundtrack and Trina Broussard did the same for the soundtrack to “Love Jones” in 1997. Jean-Jacques Smoothie sampled "Inside My Love" for his 2001 hit 2 People. In 2008, it was featured on Grand Theft Auto IV's
fictional Soul/R&B radio station The Vibe 98.8. The song was also sampled by Timbaland
for singer Aaliyah
's song “Heartbroken” from her 1996 album, One in a Million with Timbaland deepening Riperton's whistle register
vocal note that came during an instrumental break of the song.
"Love And It's Glory" was never a hit, but it is an epic love song of two teens struggling to be together, despite parental objections. The girl in the song is named Maya, which is the name of Riperton's daughter.
It was apparently around this time that Riperton discovered she had cancer. In 1976, she told Flip Wilson
on The Tonight Show that she was suffering from breast cancer and had undergone a mastectomy.
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...
, produced by Stewart Levine with music by The Crusaders
The Crusaders
The Crusaders are an American music group popular in the early 1970s known for their amalgamated jazz, pop and soul sound. Since 1961, more than forty albums have been credited to the group , 19 of which were recorded under the name "The Jazz Crusaders" .-History:In 1960, following the demise of a...
. Joe Sample
Joe Sample
Joseph Leslie "Joe" Sample is an American pianist, keyboard player and composer.He is one of the founding members of the Jazz Crusaders, the band which became simply The Crusaders in 1971, and remained a part of the group until its final album in 1991 .- Biography :Sample began playing the piano...
co-wrote the title song "Adventures in Paradise". The album was a modest success, but didn't match the success of Perfect Angel
Perfect Angel
In 1973, a college intern for Epic Records found Riperton in semi-retirement. She had become a homemaker and a mother of two in Gainesville, Florida. After he heard a demo of the song "Seeing You This Way", the rep took the tape to Don Ellis, VP of A&R for Epic...
. After Lovin’ You and Perfect Angel finished their chart run, Epic wanted a follow-up disc, and fast. With previous co-producer Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
busy recording his Songs in the Key of Life
Songs in the Key of Life
Songs in the Key of Life is the 13th album by American recording artist Stevie Wonder, released September 28, 1976, on Motown Records. It was the culmination of his "classic period" albums. An ambitious double LP with a 4-song bonus EP, Songs in the Key of Life became among the best-selling and...
(which Minnie would also turn up on singing backup on "Ordinary Pain"), Minnie and husband Richard Rudolph hired Stewart Levine
Stewart Levine
Stewart Levine is an American record producer. He has worked with such artists as The Crusaders, Minnie Riperton, Lionel Richie, Simply Red, Boy George, Peter Blakeley, Joe Cocker, Oleta Adams, Curiosity Killed the Cat, Jamie Cullum, Aaron Neville, Sly Stone, Hugh Masekela and Killing Joke.Stewart...
to co-produce her next album. More songs came from the Riperton/Rudolph camp as well as collaborations with Jazz Crusader Joe Sample and songwriter Leon Ware
Leon Ware
Leon Ware is a soul music singer, songwriter and producer. Best known for crafting the hit album, I Want You, originally recorded for Ware, until friend and Motown icon Marvin Gaye was assigned to the album in 1976...
(who was enjoying a hot streak thanks to his work on Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
’s album I Want You). Guitarist Larry Carlton
Larry Carlton
Larry Carlton is an American jazz, smooth jazz, jazz fusion, pop, and rock guitarist and singer. He has divided his recording time between solo recordings and session appearances with various well-known bands...
was brought in as an arranger. The result, Adventures In Paradise, took on a mellow soul-jazz tone.
Tha album was a standard recording but available in two formats: quadraphonic and stereo. Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
anticipated a soul funky sequel, using Family Stone and Tower Power horn section, which would have been released in November 1975. However, the sessions were never released due to legal issues.
The songs
The album's best known song is the sensual "Inside My Love". Riperton made it quite clear during the track's initial release that the song wasn't about a woman asking a man to have sex with her. It's about going deeper than that, attaining true intimacy. Despite the singer's groans, a closer listen to the lyrics will prove that in this case love dealt with something way below skin-deep. "Inside My Love" went to number 26 R&B during the summer of 1975, but stalled at #37 on the pop listings. Much of pop radio balked at playing the single due to the lyrical content (“Do you wanna ride, inside my love[...]”) even though Leon Ware claimed that the words were inspired by a church preacher he heard speak when he was a child (the minister said, “let us come into the house of the Lord”)."Inside My Love" became somewhat of a standard, enjoying numerous covers. Chanté Moore covered it in 1995 for the “New York Undercover” soundtrack and Trina Broussard did the same for the soundtrack to “Love Jones” in 1997. Jean-Jacques Smoothie sampled "Inside My Love" for his 2001 hit 2 People. In 2008, it was featured on Grand Theft Auto IV's
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
fictional Soul/R&B radio station The Vibe 98.8. The song was also sampled by Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
for singer Aaliyah
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
's song “Heartbroken” from her 1996 album, One in a Million with Timbaland deepening Riperton's whistle register
Whistle register
The whistle register is the highest register of the human voice, lying above the modal register and falsetto register...
vocal note that came during an instrumental break of the song.
"Love And It's Glory" was never a hit, but it is an epic love song of two teens struggling to be together, despite parental objections. The girl in the song is named Maya, which is the name of Riperton's daughter.
Artwork
The album cover has its own story: Minnie is seen sitting serenely next to a lion. As for the photo session, all was everything but calm. During the shoot, the lion lunged at Minnie without any provocation. Fortunately, the animal’s tamer was on the set and the lion was quickly sedated. A film clip of the incident was aired on Sammy Davis Jr’s talk show Sammy & Company when Minnie was a guest, and can now be found on Youtube.It was apparently around this time that Riperton discovered she had cancer. In 1976, she told Flip Wilson
Flip Wilson
Clerow Wilson, Jr. , known professionally as Flip Wilson, was an American comedian and actor. In the early 1970s, Wilson hosted his own weekly variety series, The Flip Wilson Show...
on The Tonight Show that she was suffering from breast cancer and had undergone a mastectomy.
Track listing
- “Baby, This Love I Have” (Minnie Riperton, Leon WareLeon WareLeon Ware is a soul music singer, songwriter and producer. Best known for crafting the hit album, I Want You, originally recorded for Ware, until friend and Motown icon Marvin Gaye was assigned to the album in 1976...
, Richard RudolphRichard RudolphRichard "Dick" Rudolph is an American composer, guitarist, musician, songwriter, and producer. He was the husband of late soul singer icon Minnie Riperton, and he co-wrote many of her songs including her hits "Lovin' You" and "Memory Lane" . He produced Teena Marie's second album, Lady T...
) – 4:02 - “Feelin' That Your Feelin's Right” (Riperton, Ware, Rudolph) – 4:22
- “When It Comes Down to It” (Riperton, Rudolph) – 3:24
- “Minnie's Lament” (Riperton, Rudolph) – 4:10
- “Love and Its Glory” (Riperton, Ed Brown, Rudolph) – 5:10
- “Adventures in Paradise” (Riperton, Joe SampleJoe SampleJoseph Leslie "Joe" Sample is an American pianist, keyboard player and composer.He is one of the founding members of the Jazz Crusaders, the band which became simply The Crusaders in 1971, and remained a part of the group until its final album in 1991 .- Biography :Sample began playing the piano...
, Rudolph) – 3:15 - “Inside My Love” (Riperton, Ware, Rudolph) – 4:45
- “Alone in Brewster Bay” (Riperton, Rudolph) – 4:25
- “Simple Things” (Riperton, Rudolph) – 3:44
- “Don't Let Anyone Bring You Down” (Riperton, Rudolph) – 2:55
Personnel
- Dorothy Ashby – harp
- Ed Brown – bass
- Eddie Brown – bass
- Larry CarltonLarry CarltonLarry Carlton is an American jazz, smooth jazz, jazz fusion, pop, and rock guitarist and singer. He has divided his recording time between solo recordings and session appearances with various well-known bands...
– guitar - Jim GordonJim Gordon (musician)James Beck "Jim" Gordon is an American recording artist, musician and songwriter. The Grammy Award winner was one of the most requested session drummers in the late 1960s and 1970s, recording albums with many well-known musicians of the time, and was the drummer in the blues-rock supergroup Derek...
– percussion, drums - Jim HornJim HornJim Horn is an American saxophonist and woodwind player. He was born in Los Angeles, and after replacing saxophonist Steve Douglas in 1959, he toured with member Duane Eddy for five years, playing sax and flute on the road, and in the recording studio...
– horn, saxophone - Stewart Levine – producer
- Dean ParksDean ParksDean Parks is an American session guitarist and record producer from Ft. Worth, TX.-Albums:Dean was member of The North Texas State One O'clock Lab Band before moving to Los Angeles to work with Sonny and Cher in 1970. Dean is best-known through his many contributions to albums by Steely Dan...
– guitar - Rik Pekkonen – engineer
- Minnie Riperton – vocals, producer
- Richard RudolphRichard RudolphRichard "Dick" Rudolph is an American composer, guitarist, musician, songwriter, and producer. He was the husband of late soul singer icon Minnie Riperton, and he co-wrote many of her songs including her hits "Lovin' You" and "Memory Lane" . He produced Teena Marie's second album, Lady T...
– guitar, producer - Joe SampleJoe SampleJoseph Leslie "Joe" Sample is an American pianist, keyboard player and composer.He is one of the founding members of the Jazz Crusaders, the band which became simply The Crusaders in 1971, and remained a part of the group until its final album in 1991 .- Biography :Sample began playing the piano...
– keyboards - Tom ScottTom Scott (musician)Tom Scott is an American saxophonist, composer, arranger, conductor and bandleader of the west coast jazz/jazz fusion ensemble The L.A. Express.-Biography:Scott was born in Los Angeles, California...
– saxophone - Sid Sharp – strings
- Masaharu Yoshioka – liner notes
Charts
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Pop Albums Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
18 |
| U.S. Billboard Black Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
5 |