Chillin'
Studio album by
Force MDs
ReleasedDecember 15, 1985
GenreHip hop, pop, R&B
LabelTommy Boy[1]
ProducerRobin Halpin (tracks 1-4, 7, 8; additional production on track 6), Joey Gardner and John Hickman (track 5), Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (track 6)
Force MDs chronology
Love Letters
(1984)		 Chillin'
(1985)		 Touch and Go
(1987)

Chillin' is an album by the American R&B vocal group Force MDs.[2] The hit single "Tender Love" also appears on the soundtrack to Krush Groove.[1]

The album peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard 200.[3]

Production

The album was mostly produced by Tommy Boy house producer Robin Halpin, with the exception of two tracks.[4] "Tender Love" was written by the production duo of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.[5][6] The album marked a shift in the group's sound, downplaying the rap songs in favor of more ballads.[7] "Force MD's Meet the Fat Boys" is set to the theme song to Gilligan's Island.[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Robert ChristgauC+[10]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[11]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[12]

Trouser Press wrote: "From the ridiculous rap of 'Force M.D.’s Meet the Fat Boys' (partially sung to the melody of 'Gilligan’s Island' and guest-starring the tubby three) to the catchy, falsetto-over-scratch-beats title track, the versatile M.D.’s mix credible urban savvy with enough smooth showbiz to please hard beatboys and mature soul fans alike."[4] The Washington Post thought that "the Force M.D.'s give their intoxicating harmonies the believable edge of impatient desires and streetwise arrangements."[2]

The Los Angeles Times opined: "More comfortable with dreamy balladry than razor-edged rapping, the M.D.'s may not look as harmless as New Edition, but its love songs are equally sweet."[13] The Seattle Times praised the group's "smooth, polished sound," and called "One Plus One" "a high-powered tune influenced by [the] Jackson Five."[14]

AllMusic declared that the group "quietly reinvented quiet storm/R&B for the '80s with their doo wop-heavy 'Tender Love'."[9]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."One Plus One"Antoine Lundy, Jessie D, Robin Halpin4:07
2."Here I Go Again"Antoine Lundy, Robin Halpin6:24
3."Uh Oh!"Robin Halpin, Trisco Pearson4:28
4."Chillin'"Antoine Lundy, Charles Nelson, Jessie D, Robin Halpin, Steven Lundy, Trisco Pearson4:35
5."Force MD's Meet the Fat Boys"George Wyle, Sherwood Schwartz, Wally Holmes4:07
6."Tender Love"James Harris III, Terry Lewis3:54
7."Will You Be My Girlfriend?"Antoine Lundy, Steven Lundy4:25
8."Walking on Air"Robin Halpin4:17

Personnel

  • Paul Pesco - guitar, drum programming
  • Robin Halpin, Vince Madison - keyboards, synthesizer
  • Bashiri Johnson - percussion
  • Skip McDonald - guitar on "Here I Go Again"
  • Doug Wimbish - bass on "Here I Go Again"
  • Keith LeBlanc - drums on "Here I Go Again"
  • Eric Calvi - drum programming
  • John "M.J." Hickman - keyboards on "Force MD's Meet the Fat Boys"
  • The Fat Boys - vocals on "Force MD's Meet the Fat Boys"

References

  1. 1 2 "Tommy Boy-Warners Deal Bears First Fruit". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. April 5, 1986 – via Google Books.
  2. 1 2 "Has Success Spoiled New Edition?". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  3. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2010). Top Pop Albums (7th ed.). Record Research. p. 284.
  4. 1 2 "Force M.D.'s". Trouser Press. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  5. ↑ "Force M.D.'s | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  6. ↑ Hiltbrand, David (26 Sep 1987). "Young Singers, Old-Fashioned Soul". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. C8.
  7. ↑ Catlin, Roger (February 23, 1986). "3rd Album Quirky but Strong Violent Femmes Bounces Back". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald. p. 1.
  8. ↑ Gingold, Dave (14 Feb 1986). "Force's hip-hop doo-wop". Spotlight. Santa Cruz Sentinel. p. 12.
  9. 1 2 "Chillin' - Force M.D.'s | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  10. ↑ "Robert Christgau: CG: Force M.D.'s". www.robertchristgau.com.
  11. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 534.
  12. ↑ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 257.
  13. ↑ Johnson, Connie (23 Mar 1986). "Spring Album Roundup: Silk from the Streets". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 60.
  14. ↑ MacDonald, Patrick (September 5, 1986). "Boston Quartet Brings Hit Sound to Tacoma". Tempo. The Seattle Times. p. 5.
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