Face The Music (New Kids on the Block album)
Encyclopedia
Face the Music is the fourth studio album
by New Kids on the Block
, released in January 1994. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album has sold 138,000 copies in the U.S.
, the New Kids went back into the studio and began recording their fourth studio album (sixth overall), before splitting up a year later. By this point, due to a strong backlash and allegations of lip-synching, the group pushed for a more mature image and song selection that would appeal to fans. In addition, they had outgrown the "New Kids" name; Joey McIntyre was 21, Jordan Knight
was 23, Donnie Wahlberg
and Danny Wood
were 24, and Jonathan Knight
was 25 years old. Jordan Knight, Wahlberg, and Wood fought for creative input and control on the album, as most of their material was previously rejected in favor of Maurice Starr
-penned compositions.
Having been dogged with an "uncool" stigma the years previous, the boys decided to sever their ties with producer and songwriter Maurice Starr
, who had been instrumental in their early success. At the request of Columbia Records
, they shortened their name to the more mature-sounding NKOTB and developed a harder sound with which they hoped to reconnect with members of their fanbase, and appeal to a wider audience. "Dirty Dawg" did fairly well on the charts, but a Canadian station (MuchMusic
) banned the music video
due to its suggested violence and misogynistic themes. Although not a major commercial success, the critical reception was positive, and a cross-country tour was in the works. However, NKOTB only could find bookings at nightclubs and theatres, a far cry from the arenas and stadiums they had been accustomed to playing in while in their peak years. During the tour, Jonathan Knight dropped out of the band due to increased panic attack
s and anxiety, and the rest of the group decided to cancel the rest of the tour.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block are an American boy band from Boston, Massachusetts, assembled in 1984 by producer Maurice Starr. The band currently consists of brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood.New Kids on the Block enjoyed success in the late 1980s and...
, released in January 1994. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album has sold 138,000 copies in the U.S.
Album history
In 1993, after about two years out of the limelightLimelight
Limelight is a type of stage lighting once used in theatres and music halls. An intense illumination is created when an oxyhydrogen flame is directed at a cylinder of quicklime , which can be heated to 2572 °C before melting. The light is produced by a combination of incandescence and...
, the New Kids went back into the studio and began recording their fourth studio album (sixth overall), before splitting up a year later. By this point, due to a strong backlash and allegations of lip-synching, the group pushed for a more mature image and song selection that would appeal to fans. In addition, they had outgrown the "New Kids" name; Joey McIntyre was 21, Jordan Knight
Jordan Knight
Jordan Nathaniel Marcel Knight is an American singer-songwriter best known as the lead singer in the boy band, New Kids on the Block , and actor, who rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s. He is best known for his distinctive falsetto style of singing, influenced by The Stylistics. After New Kids On...
was 23, Donnie Wahlberg
Donnie Wahlberg
Donald Edward "Donnie" Wahlberg, Jr. is an American singer, actor and film producer. He is a member of the popular 1980s and 1990s boy band New Kids on the Block. His work background includes music, feature films, and television...
and Danny Wood
Danny Wood
Daniel William "Danny" Wood is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and occasional actor. He is also a member of the American boy band New Kids on the Block and also serves as one of the key choreographers.-Life and career:...
were 24, and Jonathan Knight
Jonathan Knight
Jonathan Rashleigh Knight is an American singer. Knight is part of the boyband New Kids on the Block. The band also includes Donnie Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood and Jonathan's younger brother Jordan...
was 25 years old. Jordan Knight, Wahlberg, and Wood fought for creative input and control on the album, as most of their material was previously rejected in favor of Maurice Starr
Maurice Starr
Maurice Starr is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer.-Biography:Starr, originally from Florida, moved to Boston with his brother Michael in the early 1970s. After moving to Boston he recorded two unsuccessful R&B albums, Flaming Starr and Spacey Lady...
-penned compositions.
Having been dogged with an "uncool" stigma the years previous, the boys decided to sever their ties with producer and songwriter Maurice Starr
Maurice Starr
Maurice Starr is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer.-Biography:Starr, originally from Florida, moved to Boston with his brother Michael in the early 1970s. After moving to Boston he recorded two unsuccessful R&B albums, Flaming Starr and Spacey Lady...
, who had been instrumental in their early success. At the request of Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, they shortened their name to the more mature-sounding NKOTB and developed a harder sound with which they hoped to reconnect with members of their fanbase, and appeal to a wider audience. "Dirty Dawg" did fairly well on the charts, but a Canadian station (MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
) banned the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
due to its suggested violence and misogynistic themes. Although not a major commercial success, the critical reception was positive, and a cross-country tour was in the works. However, NKOTB only could find bookings at nightclubs and theatres, a far cry from the arenas and stadiums they had been accustomed to playing in while in their peak years. During the tour, Jonathan Knight dropped out of the band due to increased panic attack
Panic attack
Panic attacks are periods of intense fear or apprehension that are of sudden onset and of relatively brief duration. Panic attacks usually begin abruptly, reach a peak within 10 minutes, and subside over the next several hours...
s and anxiety, and the rest of the group decided to cancel the rest of the tour.
Chart positions
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | U.S. Billboard 200 | 37 |
| 1994 | Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
46 |
| 1994 | Dutch Albums Chart | 72 |
| 1994 | Swiss Albums Chart | 38 |
| 1994 | Australian ARIA Albums Chart | 18 |
Track listing
- "Intro: Face the Music" (D. Wahlberg)
- Lead vocals by Donnie Wahlberg
- "You Got the Flavor" (A. Dickey/C. Hannibal/M. Riley/Teddy Riley)
- Lead vocals by Jordan Knight
- Rap by Donnie Wahlberg
- "Dirty DawgDirty Dawg"Dirty Dawg" is a song by NKOTB , which became their final single to chart on the Billboard Top 100 until the 2008 single "Summertime". It was featured on their 1994 album Face the Music. The lead vocals were sung by Jordan Knight and Donnie Wahlberg rapped in the song, but he rapped only small...
" (D.Wahlberg/J.Johnson/J.Knight/J.R.Jackson/Larry Thomas/Nice&Smooth)- Lead vocals by Jordan Knight
- Rap by Nice & Smooth and Donnie Wahlberg
- Live Instrumentals & Background Vocals by Larry Thomas
- "Girls" (A. Dickey/Albert Goodman/Harry Ray/Songs written by Leon F. Sylvers IIILeon Sylvers IIILeon Frank Sylvers III is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist. He was a member of the family group The Sylvers and became one of the most successful producers in black music in the late 1970s to the mid 1980s through his association with Dick Griffey's SOLAR...
/M. Riley/Teddy Riley/Virginia Dodson/W. Morris)- Lead vocals by Jordan Knight
- Rap by Donnie Wahlberg
- "If You Go AwayIf You Go Away (New Kids on the Block song)"If You Go Away" is a song by pop group New Kids on the Block, although the group was listed as NKOTB. The lead vocals were sung by Jordan Knight and Joey McIntyre. It was spoken by Danny Wood...
" (John Bettis/T. Lorenz/Walter Afanasieff)- Lead vocals by Jordan Knight and Joe McIntyre
- Spoken by Danny Wood
- "Keep on Smilin'" (Narada Michael Walden/Sally Jo Dakota/Sylvester Jackson)
- Lead vocals by Jordan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood, and Joe McIntyre
- "Never Let You GoNever Let You Go (New Kids on the Block song)"Never Let You Go" is a single performed by New Kids on the Block from their 1994 album Face the Music.The song features Jordan Knight singing lead vocals and Donnie Wahlberg rapping. It was released during the group's drop in popularity and failed to perform well on the US charts.It reached #42...
" (A. Dickey/Leon F. Sylvers III/M. Riley/Teddy Riley)- Lead vocals by Jordan Knight
- Rap by Donnie Walhberg
- "Keepin' My Fingers Crossed" (Donnie Wahlberg/Jordan Knight/J. Wirick/Richard Wolf)
- Lead vocals by Jordan Knight
- Rap by Donnie Wahlberg
- "Mrs. Right" (Donnie Wahlberg/J. Johnson/Joe McIntyre/Larry Thomas/R. Jackson)
- Lead vocals by Joe McIntyre
- Live Instrumentals by Larry Thomas
- "Since You Walked into My Life" (Jordan Knight/John Bettis/Walter AfanasieffWalter AfanasieffWalter Afanasieff is a multiple Grammy-award-winning record producer and songwriter. He is best known for his long association with Mariah Carey, for whom he was producer and co-writer for several years, beginning in 1990...
)- Lead vocals by Jordan Knight and Joe McIntyre
- Spoken by Danny Wood
- "Let's Play House" (Donnie Wahlberg/Danny Wood/Jason Hess/Melissa Ritter)
- Lead vocals by Jordan Knight
- "I Can't Believe It's Over" (Jordan Knight/Narada Michael Walden/S. Dakota)
- Lead vocals by Jordan Knight
- "I'll Still Be Loving You" (Mike Mani/Monty Seward/Narada Michael WaldenNarada Michael WaldenNarada Michael Walden is an American producer, drummer, singer, and songwriter. He was given the name Narada by guru Sri Chinmoy in the early 1970s and his musical career spans three decades, in which he was awarded several gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards...
/Sally Jo Dakota)- Lead vocals by Joe McIntyre
- "I'll Be Waitin'" (B. McClain/Brian Young/Danny Wood/Dow Brain/E. Barrier/W. Griffin)
- Lead vocals by Danny Wood and Joe McIntyre
Singles
- If You Go AwayIf You Go Away (New Kids on the Block song)"If You Go Away" is a song by pop group New Kids on the Block, although the group was listed as NKOTB. The lead vocals were sung by Jordan Knight and Joey McIntyre. It was spoken by Danny Wood...
- February 17, 1992 (First released on Greatest Hits Album "H.I.T.S.") - Dirty DawgDirty Dawg"Dirty Dawg" is a song by NKOTB , which became their final single to chart on the Billboard Top 100 until the 2008 single "Summertime". It was featured on their 1994 album Face the Music. The lead vocals were sung by Jordan Knight and Donnie Wahlberg rapped in the song, but he rapped only small...
- December 21, 1993 - Never Let You GoNever Let You Go (New Kids on the Block song)"Never Let You Go" is a single performed by New Kids on the Block from their 1994 album Face the Music.The song features Jordan Knight singing lead vocals and Donnie Wahlberg rapping. It was released during the group's drop in popularity and failed to perform well on the US charts.It reached #42...
- January 11, 1994