Real Men... Wear Black
Studio album by
Cameo
ReleasedJune 11, 1990
Recorded1989–1990
Genre
Length40:35
LabelAtlanta Artists/Polygram Records
ProducerLarry Blackmon
Cameo chronology
Machismo
(1988)		 Real Men... Wear Black
(1990)		 Emotional Violence
(1991)

Real Men... Wear Black is a studio album by the funk group Cameo released in 1990 on Atlanta Artists/Mercury Records.[3] The album reached No. 18 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart.[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[5]
Los Angeles Times[6]
Chicago Tribune[2]
New York Times(favourable)[1]
USA Today(favourable)[7]
Rolling Stone[8]
People(favourable)[9]
Select2/5[10]

Jon Pareles of the New York Times stated that "Larry Blackmon's cracked nasal voice keeps the band funny and unpretentious, especially when kicking up its well honed midtempo funk".[1] Allmusic gave the album a three out of five star rating.[5] Chris Heim of the Chicago Tribune noted that Real Men is another solid example of Cameo`s approach to the sound" of "black rock."[2] Don Waller of the Los Angeles Times also proclaimed "using a krazee-quilt combination of synthetic/organic keyboards ‘n’ hipshot! percussion, greazy basslines and goofbawl vocals, (heavy on the minor sevenths), Cameo rolls back the rug for a wall-to-off-the-wall dance party".[6]

Singles

I Want It Now reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart.[11] Close Quarters also reached No. 38 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart.[12]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Close Quarters"Larry Blackmon, Robert Smith, Billy Allen6:11
2."I Want It Now"Larry Blackmon, Robert Smith, Billy Allen4:32
3."Me"Larry Blackmon, Robert Smith, Billy Allen4:31
4."Attitude"Larry Blackmon3:44
5."Get Paid"Larry Blackmon, Robert Smith, Billy Allen4:58
6."Am I Bad Enough"Larry Blackmon, Robert Smith, Tomi Jenkins, Billy Allen5:25
7."Time, Fire & Space"Kevin Kendricks, Tomi Jenkins, Larry Blackmon3:40
8."Nan-Yea"Jemeal Leftenant, Larry Blackmon, Nathan Leftenant4:36
9."Just a Broken Heart"Larry Blackmon, Robert Smith, Tomi Jenkins, Billy Allen4:34

[3]

Personnel

  • Backing Vocals – Charlie Singleton, Larry Blackmon, Nathan Leftenant, Tomi Jenkins, Willie Morris
  • Bass – Aaron Mills
  • Design – Reiner Design Consultants, Inc.
  • Drums, Percussion – Larry Blackmon
  • Engineer [Assistant] – Milton Chan, Paul Speck
  • Engineer [Mixing] – Barney Perkins
  • Engineer [Recording] – Barney Perkins, Christopher Rutherford
  • Guitar – Charlie Singleton
  • Keyboards – Charlie Singleton, Kevin Kendricks, Robert Smith, Billy Allen
  • Lead Vocals – Larry Blackmon, Tomi Jenkins, Willie Morris

Photography By – David Vance

  • Producer – Larry Blackmon
  • Programmed By – Kevin Kendricks, Robert Smith, Billy Allen
  • Saxophone – Melvin Wells
  • Scratches – Smoove & Konduko
  • Trombone – Jeryl Bright
  • Trumpet – Nathan Leftenant[3]

Charts

Year Chart Peak
position
1990 US Billboard Top Soul Albums 18[4]
US Billboard 200 84

References

  1. 1 2 3 Pareles, Jon (August 19, 1990). "HOME ENTERTAINMENT/RECORDINGS: AND KEEP IN MIND". The New York Times.
  2. 1 2 3 Heim, Chris (July 1, 1990). "CAMEO "Real Men Wear Black"". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune.
  3. 1 2 3 Cameo: Real Men... Wear Black. Atlanta Artists/Mercury Records. 1990.
  4. 1 2 "Cameo: Real Men... Wear Black (Top Soul Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  5. 1 2 "Cameo: Real Men... Wear Black". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
  6. 1 2 Waller, Don (July 1, 1990). "CAMEO "Real Men Wear Black"". Los Angeles Times.
  7. ↑ Jones, James T (9 July 1990). "Rap works its way into vets' R&B". USA TODAY. p. 4D. ProQuest 306386869.
  8. ↑ Linden, Amy (September 6, 1990). Cameo: Real Men Wear Black. Rolling Stone.
  9. ↑ "Picks and Pans Review: Real Men Wear Black". people.com. People. July 16, 1990.
  10. ↑ Perry, Neil (July 1990). "When Men Are Men And Larry's A Lamb". Select. p. 87.
  11. ↑ "Cameo: I Want It Now (Hot R&B Songs)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  12. ↑ "Cameo: Close Quarters (Hot R&B Songs)". billboard.com. Billboard.
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