Winans, The - Decisions

Name: The Winans    
Album: Decisions
Year: 1987
Style: Gospel, Smooth RnB
Similar Bands: Dixie Hummingbirds, Gerald Levert, Teddy Pendergrass, Luther Vandross, George Benson
"One-Word" Review: sleek synth spirituals
Based Out Of: Detroit MI
Label: Qwest Records, Warner Bros. / Communications

Cover, Sleeve, Record

Back, Sleeve, Record

Decisions (1987)

1. Ain't No Need to Worry 5:43
2. Millions 4:19
3. Breaking of Day 4:43
4. What Can I Say? 4:41 /
5. Right, Left in a Wrong World 6:08
6. The Real Meaning of Christmas 4:40
7. Love Has No Color 4:13
8. Give Me You 4:46
9. How Can You Live Without Christ 4:23

Album Rating (1-10): 2.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Marvin Winans - Writer, Producer, Percussion (Testimonial Singers, Stevie Wonder, Kenny G, R.Kelly, Wayman Tisdale, Lalah Hathaway, Ricky Van Shelton, Kenny Loggins, Perfect Praise Choir, Andrae Crouch, Maria Muldaur, Kellie Copeland, Scott Johnson, Michael Jackson, George Duke, Tim Bowman, Anita Baker, Kirk Franklin, Lavine Hudson, Mervyn Warren, )
• Carvin Winans - Co-Producer, Writer (Testimonial Singers, Stevie Wonder, Kenny G, R.Kelly, Wayman Tisdale, Lalah Hathaway, Ricky Van Shelton, Kenny Loggins, Gospel Buggy Choir, Andrae Crouch, Keith Green, Kellie Copeland, Scott Johnson, Michael Jackson, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Annita Baker)
• Michael Winans - Co-Producer, Writer (Testimonial Singers, Stevie Wonder, Kenny G, R.Kelly, Wayman Tisdale, Lalah Hathaway, Ricky Van Shelton, Kenny Loggins, Andrae Crouch, Michael Jackson, Anita Baker)
• Ronald Winans - Co Producer, Writer  (Testimonial Singers, Stevie Wonder, Kenny G, R.Kelly, Wayman Tisdale, Lalah Hathaway, Ricky Van Shelton, Kenny Loggins, Andrae Crouch, Kellie Copeland, Scott Johnson, Michael Jackson, Lavine Hudson, Kelli Williams, Anita Baker, Sounds of Blackness)
• Barry Hankerson - Co & Executive Producer, Writer, MGMT, Percussion (Rob Milner)
• Quincy Jones - Executive Producer
• Benny Medina - Executive Producer
• Anita Baker - Vox (Chapter 8, Melba Moore, Howard Hewett, Stevie Wonder, Cyrus Chestnut, Frank Sinatra, Marek Niedzwiecki, Dave Koz, Aaron Robinson, Andreus)
• Michael McDonald - Vox (All Star Choir, Artists United for Nature, Del-Rays, Doobie Brothers, The Guild, NY Rock 'n Soul Review, Steely Dan, Guy Finley, Carly Simon,  Jack Jones, Paul Williams, Tommy James, Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, Craig Fuller, Eric Kaz, Dirt Band, Stephen Bishop, Gary Wright, Rita Coolidge, Kenny Loggins, Elton John, Christopher Cross, Donna Summer, Helen Redy, Paul Anka, Diana Ross, Joni Mitchell, Toto, Sergio Mendes, El DeBarge, Patti LaBelle, Wang Chung, Alan Silvestri, Aretha Franklin, Pointer Sisters, Dave Matthews Band, Vince Gill, John Tesh, Edwin McCain, Boz Scaggs, Kenny Rogers, many)
• Percy Bady - Writer
• Karen Jones - Project Coordinator
• Laythan Armour - Keys, Drums & Synth Programming (Hinton Battle, Chico DeBarge, Will Downing, La Rue, Jeremy Jordan, Alison Limerick, Frankie Knuckles, Tavares, Bobby Bland, Mystic Merlin, Mighty Clouds of Joy, Alberto Fortis, Alfie, Durell Coleman, Dynasty, Stop the Madness, Vesta Williams, Sherrick, Imagination, NJ Mass Choir, Herb Alpert, Joan Baez, Magic Lady, Beau Williams, LA Mass Chour, Bert Robinson, Cassandra, Yours Truly, Vanessa Williams, Classixx)
• Wayne Linsey - Keys (Maze, Frankie Beverly, Tonight Show Band, Linseym, Bobby Thurston, Starpoint, Enchantment, Lenny Williams, Emotions, Stanley Clarke, Bobby Womack, George Howard, Garry Glenn, Ray Parker Jr, Paul Jackson Jr, Brenda Russell, Mighty Clouds of Joy, By All Means, Nancy Wilson, Jackie Jackson, James JT Taylor, Jacksons, Paul Jackson, Whitney Houston, Marva Hicks, Patti Austin, Andrew Logan, Gene Rice, Nona Gaye, Gerald Alston, John Pagano, Norman Brown, James Ingram, Phil Perry, Terence Trent D'Arby, Dean James, Harbvey Mason, Doc Powell, Brigette McWilliams, Babyface, Arnold McCuller, Gary Taylor, Donnie, Frank McComb, David Nathan, Trina Broussard, Gerald Albright, Impromp2, Traincha, Lynne Fiddmont, Dwayne Smitty Smith, Smokey Robinson, Miles Davis, Leon Ware, Jermaine Lockhart)
• Harlan Rogers - Keys (Koinonia Sonlight, 3rd Ave Blues Band, Andrae Crouch, Reba, maria Muldaur, Gordon Lightfoot, Johnny Rivers, Maranatha Singers, Katinas,  more)
• Thomas A Whitfield - Keys (James Cleveland, Craig Bros, Gospel Soul Children, Mel Carter, Edwin Hawkins, Beverly Glenn, Howard Lemon Singers, James Cleveland, Voices of Tabernacle, Keith Pringle, Gospel Soul Children of NOLA, Aretha Franklin, Vanessa Bell Armstrong)
• Loris Holland - Keys (Mel Carter, Patti Labelle, Celine Dion, R.Kelly, Millie Jackson, Mariah Carey, Jeff Buckley, Lauryn Hill, Whitney Houston, Santana, Mary J Blige, Smokey Robinson, more)
• John Bokowski - Keys (Teena Marie, Rick Dees, Charlene, Four Tops, KoKo PoP, Rockwell, Bobby Womack, Teen Dream, Chill Factor, Tracie Spencer, Angela Bofill, Pointer Sisters, Paul Jackson Jr, Club Nouveau, Helen Baylor, Louis Price, Power of Seven, Rodney Mannsfield, For Lovers Only, Donnie McClurkin, Phyllis St James)
• Michael Rochelle - Keys, Synth (Gift of Dreams, The GT's, Buddy Montgomery, Rudy Copeland, Kristine, Natalie Cole, West Coast Crew, Michael Jackson, Magic Lady)
• Dean Parks - Guitar (Johnny Rivers, LA Boogie Band, Karizma, Koinonia, Patrick Williams,Ray Conniff, Lyle Lovett, Madeleine Peyroux, North TX Lab Bands, Helen Reddy, Sonny & Cher, David Cassidy, Wayne Newton, Vicki Carr, Partridge Family, T-Bone Walker, Billy Joel, Garfunkel, Donald Byrd, Righteous Bros, Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, Neil Sedaka, Glen Campbell, Lulu, Rita Coolidge, Tavares, lots)
• Hadley Hockensmith - Guitar (Koinonia, Sonlight, 3rd Ave Blues Band, Big John Hall, Pam Thum, Bruce Hibbard, Kelly Willard, Andreae Crouch, Arlo Guthrie, Reba, Imperials, Barbara Mandrell, America, Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Diamond, more)
• Abraham Laboriel - Bass (Los Traviesos, Johnny Mathis, Gary Burton, Michel legrand, Ella Fitzgerald, 3prime, Friendship, Henry Mancini, Koionia, Los Profetas, Open Hands, Jazz Ministry, Akira Jimbo, Leo Sayer, Al Jarreau, Pointer Sisters, Commander Cody, Stephen Bishop, Grimaldi/Zeiher, Barbara Streisand, Captain & Tennille, Dolly Parton, Stan Getz, Tom Jones, Leonard Cohen, Peter Allen, Herb Alpert, Jimmy Cliff, Barry Manilow, Debby Boone, George Benson, Lionel Richie, Chaka Khan, Kenny Rogers, Quincy Jones more)
• Andrew Gouche - Bass (NPG-Q, Andrae Crouch, Michael Jackson, Julio Iglesias, Pattie Howard, David Foster, Moments of Faith, James Cleveland, S.Cali Comm. Choir, Voices of Cornerstone, Mighty Clouds of Joy, Gangs Back, LaQuint, Aguilar, Cheryl Lynn, Michael Trammell & Blest, Edwin Hawkins, LA Gospel Messengers, Sandra Crouch, NJ Mass Choir, Tramaine Hawkins, Philip Bailey, Crystal Lewis, 32Phreeze, Beau Williams, Debbie McClendon, Melba Moore, Louis Price,  Lonnie Morgan, Andre David Brooks, Arvis Strickling Jones, PH Factor, Randy Crawford, Coolio, Five Star, Montell Jordan, Paul Russon, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Michael Ruff, Mary mary, TQ, Warren G, Ann Nesby, Smokey Robinson, Ruben Studdard, Patti Labelle, Heather Headley, Chaka Khan, Snoop Dogg, Jackie Gouche, Keb Mo, Dorian Holley, Quincy Jones, Kurupt, Lowell Pye, Terrance Martin, Aretha Franklin, Bridgette Bryant, Murs, Prince, Judith Hill, Mano Brown, Bottom 40, Mike Phillips, Carole Simmons)
• Lanar Brantley - Bass (James Cleveland, Vernard Johnson, Clark Sisters, Linda, Keith Pringle, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Gospel Sould Children of NOLA, Royce Javan, Minister Thomas A Whitfield, Aretha Franklin, Clark Sisters, Lavine Hudson, Rev. Charles Nicks Jr, Truthettes, Bert Robinson, Eddie Murphy, Jade, LL Cool J, Karen Clark-Sheard, Will Smith, Boys Choir of Harlem)
• Dean Gant - Bass (Don Kinsey, Chosen Ones, Invisible Man's Band, Stargard, Linda Clifford, Spinners, Stephanie Mills, Larry Graham, Jones Girls, Madonna, Keni Burke, Anita Baker, Outkast, Peabo Bryson, Sunfire more)
• Bill Maxwell - Drums (Andrae Crouch, Koinonia, Open Hands, Sonlight, 3rd Ave Blues Band, Elton John, Leon Russell, Melody Gardot, Barbara Mandrell, Maria Muldaur, Qunicy Jones, Alpha Band, Phil Driscoll, T-Bone Burnett, more)
• Greg Phillingame - Synth Programming (Steve Vai, Toto, Quincy Jones, Donna Summer, Lionel Richie, Eric Clapton, Ray Parker Jr, Neil Diamond, Denise Williams, Kenny Koggins, Patti Austin, George Harrison, Richie Sambora, Rickie Lee Jones, Boz Scaggs, Rod Stewart, Isley Bros, Santana, David Gilmour, Stevie Wonder many)
• Justo Almario - Horn (Jazz on the Latin Side Allstars, Open Hands, Koinonia, Roy Ayers, Ubiquity, Tolu, Mongo Santamaria, Peabo Bryson, Linda Ronstadt, Engelbert, Placido Domingo more)
• Alex Acuna - Percussion ( Weather Report, Perez Prado, Elvis Presley, Diana Ross, Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Ella Fitzgerald, Chick Corea, Whitney Houston, Placido Domingo, Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana, Antonio Carlos Jobmin, Beck, Roberta Flack, Al Jarreau, Acuna-Hoff-Mathisen Trio, Birds of a Feather, Bob Mintzer, Bobby Lye, Caldera, Clare Fischer's Latin Sound, Friendship, GRP All Star Big Band, Jazz on the Latin Side Allstars, Koinonia, Los Hijos del Sol, Session II, Blues Caravan, Tia Dia, Tolu, Toon Roos Group, many)
• Ollie Brown - Percussion, Linn Drum (Raydio, Ollie & Jerry, Ollie Baba, Blackbyrds, Ray Parker Jr, Fire Fox, James Ingram, Tahiti, Tracie Spencer, Paul Jackson Jr, Stevie Wonder, Joe Cocker, Bill Cosby, Temptations, Rolling Stones, Eric Carmen, Van Morrison, Billy Preston, Diana Ross, Grease (sndtk), Deniece Williams , Sly & Family Stone, Moulin Rouge, Commodores, Jermaine Jackson, LaToya Jackson, Blondie Pointer Sisters, Quincy Jones, Kenny Rogers, Village People, Gloria Gaynor, DeBarge, Wilson Pickett, Michael Jackson, more)
• Melvyn Williams - Additional Vox (Williams Bros, Verlin Sandles, Gospel Concerto, Johnnie Taylor, Latimore, Mississippi Mass Choir, Anita Baker, Regina Belle, United Inspirational Quire of Columbus OH, Jackson Southernaires, Truthettes, Leomia Boyd, Friends, Gospel Miracles, Sammy Stevens & the Ephesians, Ralph Favors)
• Doug Williams - Additional Vox (Paradise, Williams Bros, Johnnie Taylor, Latimore, Mississippi Mass Choir, New Frontiers, Yolanda Adams, Anita Baker, Gospel Miracles, Jackson Southernaires)
• Kevin Session - Backing Vox 
• Kevin Jackson - Backing Vox (Andy Stokes, Marcell Russell, BeBe & CeCe)
• Victor Adams - Backing Vox (Active Force, Bobby Barth, EZB & DJ Los)
• Celeste McKinney - Backing Vox
• Jerome Earl Wright - Backing Vox (Andrew Wartts, Gospel Storytellers, Thomas Whitfield, NOLA Gospel Soul Children, Keith pringle, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Commissioned, Aretha Franklin, Witness, Angelo & Veronica, Randy Crawford)
• Dwayne Whitehead - Backing Vox (The MOB)
• Debra Renee Winans - Backing Vox (BeBe-CeCe-Vickie-Ron-Daniel Winans, Tim Miner, Melba Moore, Carman, Bobby Brown)
• Regina Winans - Backing Vox (various Winans members)
• Angelique Winans - Backing Vox  (various Winans, Tim Miner, Lavine Hudson, Melba Moore, Bobby Brown, Kelli Williams, IDOL King, Donnie McClurkin, Darwin hobbs, Michelle Williams, TD Jakes)
• Benjamin BeBe Winans - Backing Vox (Andrae Crouch, PTL Club, BeBe & CeCe, 3 Winans Bros, Artists (United) for Haiti, Tammy Faye Bakker, Howard & Vestal, Melba Moore, Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown, Gladys Knight, Anastacia, Sam Moore, Dionne Warwick, Chicago, Louie Vega, more)
• Deborah Winans - Backing Vox (various Winans members, Tim Miner. Lavine Hudson, Margaret Becker, Mark Lowry, Carman, Margaret Bell, IDOL King, Donnie McClurkin, Yolanda Adams)
• Fred Hammond - Backing Vox (Andrae Crouch, Commissioned, Brian McKnight, Ruben Studdard,  more)
• Mario Winans - Child Vox (The Hitmen, Puff Daddy, Lil Kim, Jennifer Lopez, Ginuwine, R. Kelly, 98 Degrees, Limp Bizkit, Faith Evans, Whitney Houston, Beyonce, Mary J Blige, Keyshia Cole, Jay-Z, more)
• Marvin "Coconut" Winans Jr - Child Vox (Erica Campbell, Vickie Winans)
• Michael "Baby Mike" Winans Jr - Child Vox (P. Diddy)
• LaShay Winans - Child Vox (Danity Kane, P.Diddy)
• Carvin "Bronco" Winans Jr - Child Vox (Kim Fields, Gospel Buggy Choir)
• Juan Winans - Child Vox (Kim Fields, Gospel Buggy Choir, Michelle Williams, Michael Bolton)
• Joy Winans - Child Vox (Kim Fields, Gospel Buggy Choir)
• Steve King - Engineer
• Barney Perkins - Engineer, Mixing
• Craig Bervage - Engineer
• Win Kutz - Engineer
• Peter Hadon - Engineer
• Mary Ann Dibs - Art Direction
• Russell Comfort - Photos

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band. At first, when i bought the record, i thought it would be a new age sort of album: abstract/fossil art & the band name font suggested as much. But the band image on the back and sleeve, prompted me to change my guess to Smooth Jazz...1987 was a solid year for both genres. But since the band consists of family members with Winans as the last name, and songs like Real Meaning of Xmas & How Can You Live Without Christ, i now believe this will be some sort of christian cult gospel band with smooth jazz leanings.

Album Review: Smooth RnB spirituals starts from the first track, with vocals layered over each other, and what sounds to be all synth production. I can automatically tell, this is not an album for me, and had to turn it off before the last song finished. I know Anita Baker is on the first (Grammy winning, top 20 R&B charting) track, "Ain't No Need to Worry," and it was weird hearing Michael McDonald on "Love Has No Color."

The band / family (10 siblings) has kept their religious beliefs close to their hearts, with most surviving members still preaching or recording gospel records. All this despite a strict upbringing of no music (other than gospel) or theater/movies/TV. They've won grammys and one sibling, not on this record, CeCe (Pricilla) is the #1 selling gospel artist of all time. This is the fifth of their records and it reached #1 on the Gospel Album Chart (Billboard), and they are revered for updating gospel's sound by mixing in Soul & RnB.

Stand Out Track:

Links:
Wiki

Family Wiki

Discogs

Allmusic
Detroit Free Press: Winans family member on Songland May'20

Michael W. Jr Jailtime
Encyclopedia . com
NY Times Father passing 2009

Grove Music Online
BeBe website
DT Free Press: Covid + Winans

Winans Online

Makoto - Nside

Name:  Makoto
Album(s): Nside
Years: 1985
Style: Fusion, Jazz –Funk, R&B
Similar Bands:  Billy Ocean, Deniece Williams, Chaka Khan, Teena Marie, Kenny G
"One-Word" Review:  Smooth, Dated, Non-threatening Miami Vice
Based Out Of:  Japan & California
Label: Qwest, Warner Bros.

 

Nside - Cover & Record

Nside - Back & Record

Nside (1985)

1. Nside 3:45
2. Rich Man, Poor Man 4:29
3. Day In Day Out 3:48
4. Tokio Dream 4:05
5. Fragile Handle With Care 4:25/
6. Mind Reader 4:37
7. I Don’t Know (instrum.) 4:57
8. Wings (instrum.) 4:55
9. Yin & Yang (instrum.) 6:20

 Album Rating (1-10): 4.5

Members & Other Bands:
Billy “Shoes” Johnson – Drums (Maze & Frankie Beverly, MFSB, Billy Paul, John Lee Hooker, Peaches & Herb)

Phillip Woo – Keys (Maze & Frankie Beverly, Roy Ayers, )

Kav DeLuxe – Art Direction

Zand Gee – Art Direction, Design, Photography
Mary Ann Dibs - Design
Akira Kurosaki - Cover Art "Camouflage World 8"

Hiroyuki Shido – Bass

Makoto Horiuchi – Guitar, Producer

Peter Fujii – Guitar (Pharoah Sanders, LJ Reynolds)

June Kuramoto – Koto

Bernie Grundman – Mastering

Steve Williams – Mixing, Engineer, Recording

John Santos – Percussion

Brian Fessenden – Photography

Larry Schneider – Sax, Flute, Reeds

Claytoven Richardson – Vox

Portia Griffin - Vox
George Abe - Yokobue & Shakuhachi
Siedah Garrett - Vox
Michael Andre Ortega - Synth Programming
Jim Suhy - Simmons Drum Programming
Dale Ervinham - Engineering
Keith Seppanen - Engineering
Craig Burbridge - Engineering
John Chung - Business Manager
Gordon W. Chew - Stylist
Elanor Marie Chew - Make up
Quincy Jones - Sensei

Unknownness:  I’ve never heard of this band, but from the art deco design on the front, I’m guessing I’m not going to like it too much. Too pastel and I’ve never been a fan of the design. And the picture of the “band” on the back reminds me of something of the smooth jazz nature. Not sure why I picked this record up…only one way to find out what it is really like.

Album Review:

“Nside” begins with what sounds like a synth drum intro, and the song kicks in with an over produced 80’s smooth synth feel. The female vocals are very dated to the 80’s r&b style. The song is still somewhat catchy, despite it’s too clean style. The female vocals give it a real emotional edge that balances the xylophone and other electronic elements in the background. The chorus is a vocal chorus of female voices with a bit of call and response.

“Rich Man, Poor Man” keeps the stereotypical 80’s smooth pop style going with clean, non-threatening instrumentation, and a smooth r&b male vocal, reminding me of Billy Ocean. There are some hooks in the song, but the production is so bland that nothing really stands out.  Having the music on feels like background, incidental music. I cannot believe there are actually real instruments used here. Everything has that squiggly wah-wah effect that synthesizers place on music to give it an accent, which, novel for the time, just comes off as extremely dated.

“Day In Day Out” is a mystical dream sequenced song. A drum loop and tubular bell keyboard setting plod along behind the much more interesting female r&b vocals. Even the flute solo sounds completely produced, like all white stucco on a frame of a house, or like the fake TV’s and VCRs you’d see at IKEA.

“Tokio Dream” has some sort of picked instrument in the beginning, and swirling synth effects, that give a vague impression of Japanese culture. It feels like what the music for Sonic the Hedgehog would have sounded like if it were made 10 years earlier. It is mostly an instrumental, with the only voices a female chorus of the song title. Again the electronic wavering notes accent nearly every line of music. The music could continue forever, with minimal changes, and the song eventually fades out.

“Fragile Handle With Care” is a soft R&B ballad-duet. This is a slow dance at a middle school dance. Or a music video with lots of smoke, people in robes, and candelabras. It kind of reminds me of a slower, less catchy, adult contemporary version of the New Kids on the Block’s “I’ll Be Loving You (Forever).” 

“Mind Reader” begins with more techno and almost industrial effects. Then the effects are minimized and the song becomes is a funky, overproduced pop song. It still feels like it is missing one big element that would make the song really catch and become interesting. But it just careens along a steady non-threatening path. Again, underneath the song could be some good hooks and ideas, but it feels like it is supposed to be a 3-D image, which has been, instead, flattened to 2-D.

“I Don’t Know” is the first time I can recall hearing synthesized electric guitars. The song is very progressive, with many slight pauses and time changes in the keys, slap bass and guitar sounds. It a very weird ironic  song, where the parts that are supposed to be bombastic and powerful are rendered down to meet the minimum energy as if to not stir the pot. An electric guitar then picks up and wails along in an interesting solo, which leads right back to the meandering prog song, which is really driven along by the bass line. Overall, it feels like a musical intro to some tabloid show or something from FOX news.

“Wings” is a much more calming, pool side lay-about, but the background “guitar” melody is so very familiar (later I figured that it is “Oveture” from Bjork’s movie Dancer in the Dark [at :36]). It never rises about gentle monotony. A smooth sax comes in about half way, further dating the song, and solidifying it as smooth jazz. This could be theme music to run-of-the-mill sit-coms from the late 70’s.

“Yin & Yang” is a new agey organic bell/guitar strumming sound, also included is a harp.  This could be on the echoes radio show on XPN. The main melody is driven by what sounds to me like a steel drum effect. The song continues to build in one of the early sections, going above and beyond where you would expect it to stop. Then it transitions into Cosby Show smooth, but energetic jazz fusion. The song employs its name sake by balancing smooth calm sections against the smooth energetic sections. This ends the album at an entirely different place than where it began. It is almost like these last three tracks were from a different album than the first 6. And it is not just because of the lacking of vocals, it is something about the production and prog/jazz feel of the latter three. The composition of the first 6 are also more pop-song oriented.

Stand Out Track: Nside

Links: 

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