Brandy - BRANDY Vinyl

Personnel: Brandy Norwood (vocals); Glenn McKinney, Thomas Organ (guitar); Derrick Edmondson (flute, horns, saxophone); Damon Thomas (piano, keyboards); Kenneth Crouch (piano, keyboards, drums, programming); Keith Crouch, Curtis "Sauce" Wilson, Cat Daddy Ro, Arvel McClinton (keyboards, drums, programming); Derek "DOA" Allen (bass); Derek Organ (drums); Sub-Zero (drums, programming); Timbali (percussion); Sound Source Unlimited (programming).
Background vocals: Sherree Ford Payne, Rahsaan Patterson, Tiara Le Macks, Fuzzy, Tamara, Keisah Thomas, Robin Thicke, Jeffrey Young.
Producers: Keith Crouch (tracks 1-4); Somthin' For The People (tracks 5, 8-9, 11, 13-14); Keith Crouch, Kipper Jones (track 6); Damon Thomas, Arvel McClinton (tracks 7); Kenneth Crouch (track 10); Damon Thomas (track 12).
Engineers: Keith Crouch (tracks 1-4, 6); Damon Thomas, Arvel McClinton (track 7); Booker T. Jones III, Kenneth Crouch (track 10); Bobby Brooks (track 12).
Recorded at Human Rhythm Studios; Aire L.A. Studios; Swing Bopulous Studios; Ameraycan Studios.
Brandy was nominated for a 1996 Grammy Award for Best New Artist. The single "Baby" was nominated for a 1996 Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.
Brandy Norwood, the teen television actress on "Thea," began making waves in the pop world with her debut album BRANDY and her Top 10 single "I Wanna Be Down." The album is young, bubbly, and even sexy. Brandy's soul-touched R&B sound mixes sweetly with her jazz-inflected flourishes. Her themes are the concerns of any 15-year old. The midtempo "I Wanna Be Down" deals with teenage desire, "I Dedicate" pays tribute to her musical inspirations and her family, "Best Friend" is a paean to her brother (also a television actor), and "Give Me You" is a piano-driven, upbeat religious affirmation, effectively showcasing her gospel roots.
Her strong voice is more than competent enough to handle the sometimes tricky musical changes. She often displays a breathy, low-register vocalizing that is mature and controlled. Brandy, who also co-wrote some of the material, displays the musical chops to join the league of some of the influential artists she acknowledges in "I Dedicate." She is not a dilettante actress trying to conquer a new field--Brandy is the VSOP of the new school.

• Genre: Pop
• Format: Vinyl