Wikipedia

Fe Real

Fe Real, stylized as fe Real, is the fifth studio album by the English musician Maxi Priest, released in 1992.[2][3] It was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Reggae Album".[4] The title character of Terry McMillan's novel How Stella Got Her Groove Back listens to the album while on vacation in Jamaica.[5]

Fe Real
Studio album by
Maxi Priest
Released1992
GenreReggae
LabelCharisma[1]
Maxi Priest chronology
Best of Me
(1990) 		Fe Real
(1992) 		Man with the Fun
(1996)

The album peaked at No. 60 on the UK Albums Chart,[6] at No. 130 on the Australian ARIA Chart,[7] and at No. 191 on the Billboard 200.[8]

Production

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The album was recorded in Jamaica, England, and the United States.[9] Many producers worked on the album, including Sly Dunbar.[10][11] Junior Giscombe toasted on "Make My Day".[12]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [13]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music     [14]
MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide     [15]
The Philadelphia Inquirer    [16]

The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote: "Built on a subtle foundation of reggae dance-hall riddems, Priest rides the Caribbean groove and never allows it to become monotonous—rare for the genre."[16] Rolling Stone considered "Hard to Get" "the best of the reggae-tinged tracks."[17] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution praised the "infectious mix of reggae and R&B arrangements."[18]

Singles

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Three singles were released from the album. The first single was "Groovin' in the Midnight",[9] which reached number 50 in the UK Singles Chart[6] and number 63 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[19] The second single from the album was "Just Wanna Know", released as a double A-side with the song "fe Real", which features British singer-songwriter Apache Indian. Despite sharing the same title, "fe Real" wasn't included on Priest's album of the same name, but is included on Apache Indian's debut album, No Reservations. The double A-sided single reached number 33 in the UK Singles Chart.[6] "One More Chance" was the third single released from the album, reaching number 40 in the UK.[6]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Can't Turn Away"
5:02
2."Promises"
4:02
3."Just Wanna Know (U.K. Mix)"
3:50
4."Groovin' in the Midnight"
4:58
5."Make My Day"
4:54
6."Ten to Midnight"
  • Elliott
  • Bennett
  • Michael Spence
  • Ip So Facto
4:24
7."One More Chance"
5:25
8."Sublime"
  • Mick Leeson
  • Peter Vale
5:35
9."Amazed Are We"
4:47
10."Hard to Get"
6:20

References

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  1. ^ Norment, Lynn (Jan 1993). "Sounding Off". Ebony. Vol. 48, no. 3. p. 19.
  2. ^ "Maxi Priest Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ^ Farber, Jim (Jan 1993). "Music — fe Real by Maxi Priest". Seventeen. Vol. 52, no. 1. p. 40.
  4. ^ "Maxi Priest". Recording Academy. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  5. ^ McMillan, Terry (January 1, 2004). How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Penguin.
  6. ^ a b c d "Maxi Priest Full Official Chart History". Official Charts.
  7. ^ "Maxi Priest ARIA chart history to 2024". ARIA. Retrieved 26 July 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  8. ^ "Maxi Priest". Billboard.
  9. ^ a b Rule, Sheila (16 Dec 1992). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. p. C2.
  10. ^ "Album Reviews — fe Real by Maxi Priest". Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 45. Nov 7, 1992. p. 56.
  11. ^ Abbott, Jim (23 Oct 1992). "In the Bin". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 9.
  12. ^ Rife, Eric (February 14, 1993). "Priest transcends conventional music boundaries". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. E8.
  13. ^ "Maxi Priest Fe Real". AllMusic.
  14. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6. MUZE. p. 647.
  15. ^ MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 2000. p. 617.
  16. ^ a b Wood, Sam (10 Nov 1992). "Maxi Priest fe Real". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. C1.
  17. ^ "Maxi Priest: fe Real". Weekend. News & Record. Rolling Stone. November 13, 1992. p. 7.
  18. ^ Murray, Sonia (November 14, 1992). "Soundline". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. L20.
  19. ^ "Maxi Priest". Music Charts Archive. April 29, 2017.
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