I'm Ready (Tevin Campbell album)

I'm Ready
I'm Ready
Studio album by Tevin Campbell
Released	October 26, 1993
Studio	Doppler (Atlanta, Georgia); Ocean Way, Larrabee, Elumba, Record Plant (Los Angeles, California); Tarpan (San Rafael, California); Louis Biancaniello's Homesite 13 (Novato, California); Quad (New York City); Encore (Burbank, California); Olympic (London);
Genre	R&B; new jack swing; soul;
Length	49:22
Label	Qwest; Warner Bros.;
Producer	Babyface; Prince; Daryl Simmons; Narada Michael Walden;
Tevin Campbell chronology
Singles from I'm Ready
	"Can We Talk"; Released: 1993; "Shhh"; Released: 1993; "I'm Ready"; Released: February 1994; "Always in My Heart"; Released: 1994; "Don't Say Goodbye Girl"; Released: November 1994; "Brown Eyed Girl"; Released: July 1995;

I'm Ready is the second studio album by singer Tevin Campbell, released on October 26, 1993. With this album, Campbell showed his skill as a soul singer.^[1] I'm Ready was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best R&B Album category.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, editor Craig Lytle noted that "Campbell emerged as a true soul singer with I'm Ready, his second album. The Texas native had the good fortune of working with some of the best producers and writers in the business to construct an excellent work [...] There is much to savor on this album."^[1]

Commercial performance

The album sold over 2 million copies, reaching double Platinum status, and yielded the biggest R&B hit of his career, the #1 R&B single "Can We Talk". The album produced 3 more charting singles with "I'm Ready", "Always In My Heart" and "Don't Say Goodbye Girl". To date this has been Tevin's biggest selling album and many considered this album to be the high mark of his career despite the fact he was only 16 when he recorded the album. The album was nominated for 3 Grammy Awards: 1994 Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance – Male ("Can We Talk"), 1995 Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance – Male ("I'm Ready"), and Best Rhythm & Blues Album. Prince was credited as Paisley Park for his contributions to the album as a songwriter, arranger, and producer.^[2]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Can We Talk"	Babyface Daryl Simmons	Babyface Simmons	4:44
2.	"Don't Say Goodbye Girl"	Burt Bacharach Sally Jo Dakota Narada Michael Walden	Walden Louis Biancaniello^[a]	4:30
3.	"Interlude"			0:13
4.	"The Halls of Desire"	Prince	Prince	4:36
5.	"I'm Ready"	Babyface	Babyface Simmons	4:45
6.	"What Do I Say"	Dakota Johnny Gill Walden	Walden Mike Mani^[a] Monty Seward^[a]	4:55
7.	"Uncle Sam"	Prince Paula Sherield	Prince Kirk Johnson^[b]	3:57
8.	"Interlude"			0:29
9.	"Paris1798430"	Prince	Prince	3:37
10.	"Always in My Heart"	Babyface Simmons	Babyface Simmons	5:40
11.	"Interlude"			0:09
12.	"Shhh"	Prince	Prince	4:55
13.	"Brown Eyed Girl"	Campbell Dakota Walden	Walden Biancaniello^[a]	3:48
14.	"Infant Child"	Walden	Walden	2:42

Notes

^{^[a]} denotes an associate producer
^{^[a]} denotes an additional producer

Personnel

Credits adapted from album's liner notes.^[3]

Eric Anest – engineer (tracks 4, 7, 9)
Michael B. – drums (tracks 4, 12)
Babyface – producer, instruments, and background vocals (tracks 1, 5, 10)
Tommy Barbarella – keyboards (tracks 4, 12)
Louis Biancaniello – associate producer, keyboards, programming, and synthesizer arrangements (tracks 2, 13)
Vernon "Ice" Black – acoustic guitar (track 6)
Atlanta Bliss – horns (tracks 4, 9, 12)
Nicole Bradin – background vocals (track 14)
Michael Brauer – mixing (tracks 4, 7, 9, 12)
Tevin Campbell – lead vocals (tracks 1, 2, 4-7, 9, 10, 12-14), background vocals (tracks 1, 5, 10)
Milton Chan – assistant engineer (track 10)
Bruck Dawit – assistant mix engineer (tracks 4, 7, 9, 12)
David Eike – assistant engineer (track 6)
David "Frazeman" Frazer – mixing and vocal engineer (tracks 2, 6, 13, 14)
Lori Fumar – assistant engineer (track 10)
Tom Garneau – engineer (tracks 4, 9)
Nikita Germaine – background vocals (track 14)
Brad Gilderman – engineer (track 10)
Preston Glass – sitar (track 6), background vocals (track 14)
William "DJ" Graves – scratches (track 4)
Sandy Griffith – background vocals (track 14)
Ray Hahnfeldt – engineer (tracks 4, 7), additional engineering (track 12)
Jerry Hey – conductor and string arrangements (track 6)
Charlie Hunter – electric guitar (track 6)
Skyler Jett – background vocals (track 14)
Kathleen Johnson – background vocals (tracks 7, 12)
Kirk Johnson – additional production (track 7), percussion (track 4)
Quincy Jones – executive producer
Ellen Keating – background vocals (track 14)
Janice Lee – production coordinator (tracks 2, 6, 13, 14)
Eric Leeds – horns and horn arrangements (tracks 4, 9, 12)
Tony Lindsay – background vocals (track 14)
Mike Mani – associate producer, keyboards, and programming (track 6)
Frank "Killer Bee" Martin – synthesized strings (track 14)
Leslie Matthews – background vocals (track 14)
Benny Medina – executive producer
Steve Noonan – engineer (tracks 4, 9, 12)
Barney Perkins – mixing (track 10)
Prince – producer, arranger, and executive producer (tracks 4, 7, 9, 12)
Marc "Elvis" Reyburn – engineer (tracks 2, 6, 13, 14)
Claytoven Richardson – background vocals (track 14)
Rail Rogut – assistant engineer (tracks 1, 5, 10), strings engineer (track 6)
Matt Rohr – assistant engineer (tracks 2, 6, 13, 14)
Marc Russo – soprano saxophone (track 13)
Levi Seacer Jr. – guitar (track 4)
Monty Seward – associate producer, keyboards, and programming (track 6)
Cynthia Shiloh – production coordinator (tracks 2, 6, 13, 14)
Daryl Simmons – producer (tracks 1, 5, 10)
Ivy Skoff – production coordinator (tracks 1, 5, 10)
Donnell Sullivan – engineer (tracks 1, 5)
Sonny T. – bass (tracks 4, 12)
Jeanie Tracy – background vocals (track 14)
Kevin Walden – production coordinator (tracks 2, 6, 13, 14)
Narada Michael Walden – producer and arranger (tracks 2, 6, 13, 14), rhythm and vocal arrangements (tracks 2, 6), piano (track 14)
Randy Walker – MIDI technician (tracks 1, 5, 10)
Steve Warner – assistant engineer (tracks 1, 5)
Dave Way – mixing (tracks 1, 5)
Ulrich Wild – assistant engineer (tracks 1, 5)
Jim "Z" Zumpano – engineer (tracks 1, 5)

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1993–94)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[4]	14
US Billboard 200^[5]	18
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[6]	3

Year-end charts

Chart (1993)	Position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[7]	92

Chart (1994)	Position
US Billboard 200^[8]	44
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[9]	5

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)^[10]	Gold	35,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)^[11]	2× Platinum	2,000,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Lytle, Craig. Tevin Campbell: I'm Ready > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
^ Light, Elias (February 12, 2021). "A Teenage Tevin Campbell Didn't Feel Ready to Sing Prince's Songs. Now, He's Glad He Did". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
^ I'm Ready (booklet). Qwest, Warner Bros. 1993.
^ "Australiancharts.com – Tevin Campbell – I'm Ready". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
^ "Tevin Campbell Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
^ "Tevin Campbell Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1993". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1995 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
^ "American album certifications – Tevin Campbell – I'm Ready". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links

Tevin Campbell-I'm Ready at Discogs

[AllMusic-1] Lytle, Craig. Tevin Campbell: I'm Ready > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved September 27, 2011.

[2] Light, Elias (February 12, 2021). "A Teenage Tevin Campbell Didn't Feel Ready to Sing Prince's Songs. Now, He's Glad He Did". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2024.

[3] I'm Ready (booklet). Qwest, Warner Bros. 1993.

[ac_Australia_Tevin_Campbell-4] "Australiancharts.com – Tevin Campbell – I'm Ready". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 16, 2020.

[ac_Billboard200_Tevin_Campbell-5] "Tevin Campbell Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2020.

[ac_BillboardRandBHipHop_Tevin_Campbell-6] "Tevin Campbell Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2020.

[7] "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1993". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2020.

[8] "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2020.

[9] "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2020.

[AustraliaTevin_CampbellI'm_ReadyalbumCertRef-10] "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1995 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.

[United_StatesTevin_CampbellI'm_ReadyalbumCertRef-11] "American album certifications – Tevin Campbell – I'm Ready". Recording Industry Association of America.

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v t e Tevin Campbell
Studio albums	T.E.V.I.N. I'm Ready Back to the World Tevin Campbell
Other albums	The Best of Tevin Campbell
Singles	"Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me)" "Round and Round" "Just Ask Me To" "Tell Me What You Want Me to Do" "Goodbye" "Strawberry Letter 23" "Alone with You" "Confused" "Can We Talk" "I'm Ready" "Always in My Heart" "Don't Say Goodbye Girl" "Back to the World" "Could You Learn to Love" "Another Way"
Related articles	Discography Black Men United