A Quiet Storm

A Quiet Storm is the 1975 third solo album by American soul singer, songwriter, and producer Smokey Robinson.

This article is about the Smokey Robinson album. For other uses, see Quiet storm (disambiguation).
A Quiet Storm
Studio album by
Smokey Robinson
ReleasedMarch 26, 1975[1]
Recorded1974–1975
GenreSoul, smooth jazz
Length36:01
LabelTamla
ProducerSmokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson chronology
Pure Smokey
(1974)		 A Quiet Storm
(1975)		 Smokey's Family Robinson
(1976)

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB[2]
MusicHound R&B4/5[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[4]

This is one of the most highly acclaimed soul albums of the 1970s. A longtime innovator at Motown, Robinson responded to the Funk revolution in black music (Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield, Al Green) with an effective counterpoint: the stylish and mature album, "A Quiet Storm". This landmark album spawned and lent its name to the "quiet storm" musical programming format which began in 1976. The album spawned three hit singles, including Robinson's first disco hit ,"Baby That's Backatcha", rising to number 7 on the Billboard Disco chart (Top 10 R&B). This album re-established Robinson's reputation as a master songwriter and producer and solidified his solo success after leaving his influential group, the Miracles.

In a contemporary review for Rolling Stone, Robert Palmer said A Quiet Storm proved Robinson was "still a dynamic creative force" as it succeeded on the strength of his singing and production, although he highlighted the "sexy directness" of the title track and "Baby That's Backatcha".[5] Vince Aletti ranked it as the year's third best album in his ballot for the 1975 Pazz & Jop critics poll.[6] Robert Christgau was less enthusiastic, believing the title track was somewhat bold for concentrating Pure Smokey's "drift into a style", but finding much of the record lacking rhythm, with the exception of "Love Letters" and "Coincidentally".[2]

A Quiet Storm was later named one of the greatest Motown albums of all time in a 1999 edition of Q.[7] According to Pitchfork journalist Eric Harvey, the record reinvented Robinson's brand of "contemplative romantic soul" with the Miracles, revitalized his career after two underperforming solo albums, and typified what would become known as the quiet storm radio format.[8]

Miracles member Marv Tarplin was also a contributor to this album.

Track listing

All tracks composed and arranged by Smokey Robinson; except where indicated.

  1. "Quiet Storm" 7:47 (Robinson, Rose Ella Jones [Robinson's real-life sister])[9]
  2. "The Agony and the Ecstasy" 4:43
  3. "Baby That's Backatcha" 3:36
  4. "Wedding Song" 3:20
  5. "Happy" – Love Theme from Lady Sings the Blues (Robinson, Michel Legrand) 7:05
  6. "Love Letters" 4:04
  7. "Coincidentally" 4:22

Personnel
  • Smokey Robinson – lead vocals
  • Melba Bradford – background vocals
  • Joseph A. Brown, Jr. – drums, percussion
  • Carmen Bryant – background vocals
  • Gary Coleman – percussion
  • Shawn Furlong, Terry Furlong – sound effects, sopranino
  • Michael Jacobsen – electric cello
  • Gene Pello – drums
  • James "Alibe" Sledge – bongos, conga, background vocals
  • Fred Smith – horns, woodwind
  • Russ Turner – musical arrangements, keyboards, background vocals
  • Marv Tarplin – guitar

Charts
Year Album Chart positions[11]
US US
R&B
1975 A Quiet Storm 36 7

Singles
Year Single Chart positions[12]
US US
R&B		 US
Dance
1975 "Baby That's Backatcha" 26 1 7
"The Agony and the Ecstasy" 36 7 —
1976 "Quiet Storm" 61 25 —

References
  1. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r16689/review
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: R". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 12, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. Graff, Gary; du Lac, Josh Freedom; McFarlin, Jim, eds. (1998). "Smokey Robinson". MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. ISBN 1578590264.
  4. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). "Smokey Robinson". The Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 693. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  5. Palmer, Robert (July 31, 1975). "A Quiet Storm". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  6. Christgau, Robert (December 29, 1975). "It's Been a Soft Year for Hard Rock". The Village Voice. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  7. Anon. (October 1999). "Best Motown Records of All Time". Q. p. 161.
  8. Harvey, Eric (May 15, 2012). "The Quiet Storm". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  9. Smokey Robinson Mourns Death of Sister | EURweb
  10. The Jacksons, Fred Bronson (2017-10-24). "The Jacksons: Legacy". Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  11. "Smokey Robinson US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-06-30.
  12. "Smokey Robinson US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-06-30.
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