Life's Aquarium

Life's Aquarium is their first studio recording after their departure from Perspective Records, the record company that produced their three previous albums.[1] They made their debut as Elektra artists on the soundtrack to the motion picture Why Do Fools Fall in Love with the song "Love is for Fools".[2] They were originally signed to Elektra subsidiary East West Records,[3] but were later moved to Elektra proper for the release of Life's Aquarium.

Released in November 1999, the album was originally scheduled for release in October of that year. The month-long pushback was due to the label waiting for the reception to the album's first single "If You Love Me". The song originally appeared as a solo track by Stokley Williams on the soundtrack to the 1998 Jada Pinkett Smith film Woo.[4] The song was re-recorded with the band and a featured a string section that was arranged and composed by legendary conductor Clare Fischer.[5] The music video was directed by Bille Woodruff.[6] "If You Love Me" peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and 5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks. A second single was released- "Is This Pain Our Pleasure" and peaked at number 42 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. The low charting of the song was due primarily to a music video never being made for the song.

Upon release, Life's Aquarium charted at number 64 on the Billboard 200 and number 7 on the R&B albums charts. To date, it is the lowest selling Mint Condition album released on a major label. Life's Aquarium is notable for being their last album as a sextet. One year after its release, keyboardist Keri Lewis would leave the band- reducing the band to a quintet.[1] It is also notable for being their last album released on a major label- as they would go independent for their subsequent releases.[1]

[7]

All music is composed by Mint Condition.

Note

• The hidden tracks "DeCuervo's Revenge" and "If We Play Cards" appear at the end of the song "Leave Me Alone".[8]

Credits adapted from liner notes.[9]

• Stokley Williams - lead and background vocals, bass synth, drums, keyboards, guitar, bass
• Keri Lewis - piano, keyboards, guitar, drum programming, moog keyboard, background vocals
• O'Dell - drum programming, keyboards, guitar, background vocals
• Lawrence El - keyboards, fender rhodes, accordion, background vocals
• Jeffrey Allen - saxophone, fender rhodes, keyboards, background vocals
• Ricky Kinchen - bass, background vocals
• Chris "Daddy" Dave - drums
• Dei Dei Dionne, Esther Godinez - additional vocals
• Clare Fischer - string arrangement
• Prince Charles Alexander - record engineering
• Jeff “Madjef” Taylor - record engineering
• Xavier Smith - record engineering
• Tony Maserati - mixing
• Steve Hodge - mixing
• Prince Charles Alexander - mixing
• Jeff “Madjef” Taylor - mixing
• Warren Riker - mixing
• Herb Powers - mastering
• Scott Schafer - photography
• Ricky Kinchen - photography
• Jim deBarros - design

• Billboard article
• Billboard review
• Allmusic review