Positive (Peabo Bryson album)

Positive
Studio album by Peabo Bryson
Released	January 1988
Genre	Soul, R&B
Length	45:01
Label	Elektra
Producer	Peabo Bryson Sir Gant Michael J. Powell Dwight W. Watkins
Peabo Bryson chronology
Quiet Storm (1986) Positive (1988) All My Love (1989)

Positive is a studio album by the American singer Peabo Bryson, released in January 1988 by Elektra Records.[1][2] The album peaked at number 157 on the US Billboard 200 and number 42 on the Billboard R&B albums chart. It was the last album Bryson recorded for Elektra before he briefly returned to Capitol Records.[3] Positive was supported by the single "Without You", which was also the theme song to Leonard Part 6.[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]

The Kingston Whig-Standard wrote that Bryson's "voice flutters and soars, delicate one moment, powerful the next, duelling with the different instruments."[5] The Washington Post deemed Bryson "a smoothly persuasive soul man, not too pleading, not too aggressive."[4]

Ron Wynn of AllMusic called Positive "largely undistinguished, although [Bryson] sang with more conviction and got better material and production than on most of his other Elektra albums. He scored another hit with a familiar weapon: the duet. This time his partner was Regina Belle."[3]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Come on Over Tonight"	Jimmy Scott	Michael J. Powell Sir Gant	3:47
2.	"Without You (Love Theme from Leonard Part 6)" (duet with Regina Belle)	Lamont Dozier	Powell Sir Gant	5:15
3.	"Hurt"	Jimmie Crane Al Jacobs	Powell Sir Gant	3:34
4.	"I Want to Know"	Peabo Bryson	Bryson Dwight W. Watkins	4:28
5.	"Tonight"	Bryson	Bryson Watkins	4:41
6.	"Positive"	Allister Campbell Peter Quigley	Powell Sir Gant	5:02
7.	"When We Need It Bad"	Patrick Henderson Pamela Phillips Oland Tsuyoshi Takayanagi	Powell Sir Gant	4:58
8.	"This Time Around"	Bryson	Bryson Watkins	4:29
9.	"Still Water"	Bryson	Bryson Watkins	4:35
10.	"Crazy Love" (CD-only track)	Garry Glenn Dianne Quander	Powell Sir Gant	4:12

Personnel and credits

Musicians

• Peabo Bryson – lead vocals, keyboards (4, 5, 8, 9), arrangements (4, 5, 8, 9)
• Gary Barlough – Synclavier programming (1-3, 6, 7, 10)
• Dean Gant – keyboards (1, 7), Synclavier (1-3, 6, 7, 10), synth bass (1, 7), arrangements (1-3, 6, 7, 10), acoustic piano (2), synthesizers (2-6, 10), BGV arrangements (10)
• Vernon Fails – electric piano (2)
• George Martin – keyboards (4, 5, 8, 9), computer programming (4, 5, 8, 9)
• Dwight W. Watkins – keyboards (4, 5, 8, 9), bass (4, 5, 8, 9), computer programming (4, 5, 8, 9), backing vocals (4, 5, 8, 9), arrangements (4, 5, 8, 9)
• Michael J. Powell – guitars (1-3, 6, 7, 10), arrangements (1-3, 6, 7, 10), BGV arrangements (7, 10)
• Anthony Jackson – bass (2)
• Neil Stubenhaus – bass (3)
• Nathan East – bass (10)
• Vinnie Colaiuta – drums (1, 7, 10)
• Steve Ferrone – drums (2)
• Jonathan Moffett – drums (3)
• Paulinho da Costa – percussion (1, 7, 10)
• Brandon Fields – saxophone solo (1, 6, 7, 10)
• Justo Almario – saxophone solo (3)
• George Del Barrio – string arrangements (2)
• Keni Burke – backing vocals (1, 7, 10), BGV arrangements (1, 7)
• Brenda Jones Williams – backing vocals (1, 4, 5, 7-10)
• Shirley Jones – backing vocals (1, 7, 10)
• Regina Belle – lead vocals (2)
• Jim Gilstrap – backing vocals (2, 6)
• Bunny Hull – backing vocals (2, 6)
• Marva King – backing vocals (2, 6)
• Cindy Mizelle – backing vocals (2), BGV arrangements (2)
• Valerie Pinkston – backing vocals (2, 6)
• Charles Bryson – backing vocals (4, 5, 8, 9)
• Myra Walker – backing vocals (4, 5, 8, 9)

Production

• Dean Gant – producer (1-3, 6, 7, 10)
• Michael J. Powell – producer (1-3, 6, 7, 10)
• Peabo Bryson – producer (4, 5, 8, 9)
• Dwight W. Watkins – producer (4, 5, 8, 9)
• Barney Perkins – engineer (1-3, 6, 7, 10), recording (2-6, 8, 9), mixing (2-6, 8, 9)
• Greg Townley – additional recording (1, 7, 10)
• Tom Wright – additional recording (1, 7, 10), recording (4, 5, 8, 9)
• Fred Law – additional recording (2, 3, 6)
• Keith Seppenen – additional recording (2, 3, 6)
• Milton Chan – assistant engineer (1-3, 6, 7, 10)
• Andy Harper – assistant engineer (1, 7, 10)
• Elliott Peters – assistant engineer (1-3, 6, 7, 10)
• Andrew Spiegelman – assistant engineer (2, 3, 6)
• Gerard Smerek – assistant engineer (2, 3, 6)
• Tom Kidd – recording (4, 5, 8, 9)
• Barry Leff – assistant engineer (4, 5, 8, 9)
• Steve McCormick – assistant engineer (4, 5, 8, 9)
• Lewis Padgett – assistant engineer (4, 5, 8, 9)
• Bernie Grundman – mastering
• Carol Bobolts – art direction, design
• Gilles Larrain – photography

Studios

• Recorded at Cheshire Sound Studios (Atlanta, Georgia); Ambience Recorders (Farmington Hills, Michigan); Yamaha R & D Studio (Glendale, California); Electric Lady Studios (New York City, New York).
• Mixed at Yamaha R & D Studio.
• Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, California).

Charts

Chart (1988)	Peak position
US Billboard 200[6]	157
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[7]	42

References

1. Heim, Chris (4 Mar 1988). "Peabo Bryson, Positive". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 55.
2. Hiltbrand, David (Apr 18, 1988). "Song". People. 29 (15): 22.
3. Wynn, Ron. "Positive". AllMusic. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
4. Brown, Joe (25 Mar 1988). "Ballads Make a Better Bryson". The Washington Post. p. N19.
5. Burliuk, Greg (12 Mar 1988). "Positive Peabo Bryson". Magazine. The Kingston Whig-Standard. p. 1.
6. "Peabo Bryson Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
7. "Peabo Bryson Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2021.