Elliott Yamin (album)

Elliott Yamin is the self-titled debut album by American pop singer (former American Idol finalist) Elliott Yamin, released on March 20, 2007 by the independent label Hickory Records and distributed through Sony BMG-owned RED Distribution. Yamin collaborated with Sony/ATV Music Publishing to write, produce, and market the record.[1] The album includes 11 tracks, although several bonus tracks are offered at different retailers.

Elliott Yamin
Studio album by
Elliott Yamin
ReleasedMarch 20, 2007
RecordedPulse Recording, Los Angeles, California & other venues
Genre
Length41:57
LabelHickory/RED(US)
avex Group(Japan)
Producer
Elliott Yamin chronology
Elliott Yamin
(2007)		 Fight for Love
(2009)
Singles from Elliott Yamin
  1. "Wait for You"
    Released: March 13, 2007
  2. "One Word"
    Released: October 16, 2007

Elliott Yamin debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and spawned three singles (one promotional and two official): "Movin' On", "Wait for You" and "One Word". It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in the United States. To promote the record, Yamin went on a world tour across North America and Southeast Asia that consisted of clubs, small theatres and radio-station holiday shows.

On Billboard's end of decade charts, the album placed at number 39 on the top independent albums of the decade list.

Background and development

Yamin commented on the album:[2]

My main thing was that I wanted to write some songs on this, and wanted to make sure that we got some music out to the vast fan base that I've established through 'Idol.' A lot of people have been getting antsy, anticipating some music from me. We've really tried to focus on getting it out to the fans while not compromising any style or integrity.

Yamin described his CD as "a vocally driven mix of r & b/pop crossover material with hints of blues and a few club-bangers."[3]

Promotion

Previews of four songs were made available on AOL Music First Listen on February 13, 2007: pre-album promo single "Movin' On", a full version of his acclaimed cover of "A Song for You", a love song titled "You are the One", and "Find a Way".[2] The radio premiere of the first official single, "Wait for You", was on March 1, 2007, on KIIS-FM. The song was released to online music services, including iTunes, on March 13, 2007. Yamin promoted the album during 2007 with a nine-month tour of clubs, small theaters and radio-station holiday shows across the United States, plus shows in Canada, the Philippines, and Malaysia. [4]

The album was released in Japan on May 21, 2008 by Avex Trax. This version was retitled Wait for You and includes "In Love With You Forever" and "Believe" as bonus tracks.[5] It was certified Gold there in September 2008.[6] On October 8, 2008, a Premium Edition of the album was released in Japan, including 2 more tracks: "A Whiter Shade of Pale" and "I'll Make You Dance", plus Yamin's cover of "Home", originally from Japanese singer Yusaku Kiyama, who recorded a Japanese version of "Wait for You" in return.[5]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com[7]
AllMusic[8]
Entertainment WeeklyB[9]
USA Today[10]

Daniel Wolfe of About.com praised both the genre variety on the record's track list and Yamin's vocal talents over them, saying that, "Whether it is his transcendent vocal on the choir-backed "Free" or his show-stopping cover of Leon Russel's "A Song For You," Elliott Yamin proves on his debut album that he is one of the most talented recording artists American Idol has produced."[7] In a dual review with Paris Bennett's Princess P, Vibe writer Sean Fennessey noted how Yamin maintains his vocal identity when performing traditional tracks ("A Song for You") and the album's more "vibrant and modern" material ("Wait for You" and "Movin' On").[11] Entertainment Weekly's Dave Karger described how to approach the record: "To get the most out of Elliott Yamin, the debut CD from last season's scruffily soulful third-place finisher on American Idol, treat each track like a different episode of the show. "Wait for You" is ballad week: "You did your thing, dawg," Randy might say. "Alright" is hip-hop week: "It sounded like last call at some ghastly karaoke bar" would be Simon's reply. And "A Song for You," the Leon Russell/Donny Hathaway classic Yamin performed at his first Idol audition, is standards week: Cut to Paula, in tears."[9] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine was mixed about the album, noting how the tracks can be hit or miss at times with either misplaced styles or manufactured production but gave praise to Yamin's performance for having enough personality to sell the lyrics, saying that "He still sounds effortless and charming, which is why it's a shame he doesn't have the support he would have had if had won Idol: he would have had the biggest budget and the best collaborators, something that would help him make a record as distinctive as he is."[8] Elysa Gardner of USA Today found the album to be a typical Idol release with adequate but generic tracks that are competently performed by Yamin's technically sound delivery, saying that "To his credit, he apes Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway as adroitly as Taylor Hicks does Michael McDonald. If that passes for interpretive singing these days, we have Idol, and ourselves, to blame."[10]

Commercial performance

The album debuted on the US Billboard 200 chart at number three, selling 90,000 copies in its first week.[12] It was certified Gold on October 12, 2007.[13] As of March 2010, the album has sold 527,000 copies in the United States.[14]

Track listing
Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Movin' On"Leor Dimant, Oliver Goldstein, Ely Weisfeld, Elliott Yamin3:41
2."Wait for You"Taj Jackson, Mikkel S. Ericksen, Tor Erik Hermansen4:21
3."Find a Way"Tony Reyes, Weisfeld, Yamin3:42
4."One Word"Jackson, Espen Lind, Amund Bjorklund, Ericksen, Hermansen3:38
5."You Are the One"Dimant, Goldstein, John O'Brien, Tony Reyes, Yamin4:17
6."I'm the Man"Marshall Altman, Paul Fox4:08
7."Train Wreck"Derek Bramble, Michelle Lewis, Yamin3:02
8."Free"Kevin Risto, Wayne Nugent, Louis Biancaniello, Sam Watters, Robert L. Daniels, Mar'Liana I. Kemp4:06
9."Alright"Dimant, Reyes, Yamin3:12
10."Take My Breath Away"David Ryan Harris3:49
11."A Song for You" (cover version of Donny Hathaway)Leon Russell3:56
American Idol official site bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Believe"Altman, Amy Powers4:02
iTunes Store bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."A Whiter Shade of Pale" (cover version of Procol Harum) 5:14
13."In Love with You Forever"Altman, Mike Busbee4:20
14."Wait for You" (feat. Bruce Waynne) (Midi Mafia Radio Edit)Jackson, Espen Lind, Amund Bjorklund, Ericksen, Hermansen3:38
15."Let Your Heart Lead"Benjamin Anderson, Jeremy Johnson3:39
16."I'll Make You Dance"Oliver Goldstein, Aaron Goldstein, Reyes, Yamin3:42
Rhapsody bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
12."Sign Your Name" (cover version of Terence Trent D'Arby) 
Target bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Let Your Heart Lead"Benjamin Anderson, Jeremy Johnson3:39
13."I'll Make You Dance"Oliver Goldstein, Aaron Goldstein, Reyes, Yamin3:42
Wal-mart bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
12."Train Wreck" (Acoustic) 
13."A Song for You" (Full Band Version) 
Yahoo Music bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
12."You Are the One" (Acoustic) 
13."Sharing the Night Together" (cover version of Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show) 
Zune bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
12."Sharing the Night Together" (cover version of Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show) 

Singles

Charts and certifications

References
  1. "Elliott Yamin Readies Solo Debut". IGN. Ziff Davis. January 29, 2007. Archived from the original on February 10, 2007. Retrieved February 8, 2007.
  2. "First Listen: Elliott Yamin's New Songs". AOL Music. Archived from the original on February 12, 2007. Retrieved February 9, 2007.
  3. Treacy, Christopher John (March 15, 2007). "Yamin and Locke are anything but idle". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on March 26, 2007. Retrieved March 15, 2008.
  4. Ruggieri, Melissa (January 23, 2008). "Yamin: R&R and writing". Richmond Times Dispatch. Berkshire Hathaway. Retrieved March 15, 2008.
  5. "NEWS: Elliott Yamin Official Website (Japan)". Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. Retrieved October 15, 2008.
  6. "月次認定作品　認定年月：2008年 9月" [Certified Works by Month, Certification Month September 2008] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  7. Wolfe, Daniel. "Elliott Yamin - Elliott Yamin". About.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2007. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  8. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Elliott Yamin - Elliott Yamin". AllMusic. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  9. Karger, Dave (March 16, 2007). "Elliott Yamin Review". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  10. Gardner, Elysa (March 19, 2007). "This week's reviews: Mouse, Joss, Rich, Elliott and more". USA Today. Gannett. Archived from the original on March 24, 2007. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  11. Fennessey, Sean (August 2007). "Elliott Yamin 'Elliott Yamin'". Vibe. Vibe Media. 15 (8): 74. ISSN 1070-4701. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  12. Hasty, Katie (March 28, 2007). "Modest Mouse Steers Its 'Ship' To No. 1 Debut". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  13. "American album certifications – Elliott Yamin – Elliott Yamin". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  14. Mansfield, Brian (March 4, 2010). "Bonus numbers! Kelly Clarkson, Kris Allen, Allison Iraheta, more". USA Today. Gannett. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  15. "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2008-06-09" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  16. "Elliott Yamin Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  17. "Elliott Yamin Chart History (Digital Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  18. "Elliott Yamin Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  19. "Internet Albums : Apr 07, 2007". Billboard.biz. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  20. "Elliott Yamin Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  21. "2007 Year-End Charts: Billboard 200 Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  22. "2007 Year-End Charts: Independent Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  23. "2007 Year-End Charts: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
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