Africa to America: The Journey of the Drum
A 1994 album by Sounds of Blackness.
Africa to America: The Journey of the Drum is an album by the vocal and instrumental ensemble Sounds of Blackness, released in 1994. It includes the singles "I'm Going All the Way", "I Believe", "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright" and "Black Butterfly".
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Sounds of Blackness
- Released
- 1994
- Genre
- Gospel, R&B
- Length
- 64:10
- Label
- Perspective, A&M
- Producer
- Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Gary Hines
Facts from the source article.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hold On, Pt. 1 | Negro spiritual | 1:06 |
| 2 | I'm Going All the Way | Ann Bennett-Nesby, Jimmy Wright | 4:52 |
| 3 | Ah Been Buked, Pt. 1 | Negro spiritual | 0:41 |
| 4 | I Believe | James Harris III, Terry Lewis, Gregory Webster, Andrew Noland, Walter Morrison, Marshall Jones, Leroy Bonner, Ralph Middlebrook, Marvin R. Pierce, Norman Napier | 4:39 |
| 5 | Hold On, Pt. 2 | Negro spiritual | 1:19 |
| 6 | Everything Is Gonna Be Alright | Harris, Lewis, Burt Bacharach, Hal David | 4:48 |
| 7 | Sun-Up to Sundown | Traditional work song | 0:41 |
| 8 | The Lord Will Make a Way | Harris, Lewis, Wright | 5:09 |
| 9 | He Took Away All My Pain | Harris, Wright, Bennett-Nesby | 4:46 |
| 10 | A Place in My Heart | Harris, Lewis, Bennett-Nesby, Wright | 6:09 |
| 11 | The Harder They Are the Bigger They Fall | Harris, Lewis | 4:01 |
| 12 | The Drum (Africa to America) | Harris, Lewis, Gary Hines, Joseph Young | 2:55 |
| 13 | African Medley: Royal Kingdom/Rise/My Native Land | Hines, Carrie Harrington, Alecia Russell | 5:55 |
| 14 | A Very Special Love | Billy Steele | 5:21 |
| 15 | Strange Fruit | Lewis Allan | 2:43 |
| 16 | Black Butterfly | Harris, Lewis | 3:59 |
| 17 | You've Taken My Blues and Gone | Poem by Langston Hughes | 0:26 |
| 18 | Livin' the Blues | Hines | 4:13 |
| 19 | Ah Been Buked, Pt. 2 | Negro spiritual | 0:28 |
Track listing from the source article.
Critical reception
Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic rated the album four out of five stars. He noted that producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were "on top of their game" at the time of release and brought "no shortage of their trademark dense percussive rhythms" to the album. Birchmeier added that while the production sounded "a little calculated and perhaps even outdated for its time, it made for some amazing songs." The album won Best Gospel Album at the 1995 Soul Train Music Awards.
Singles
The album's first single, "I'm Going All the Way," landed in the UK in 1993 and climbed to number 27. Early 1995 saw a UK re-release of "I'm Going All the Way," which became the group's biggest hit there at number 14. In the US, that same single reached number 39 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop and number 41 on Dance Club Songs. Finally, "Black Butterfly" peaked at number 86 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which label released Africa to America: The Journey of the Drum?
Africa to America: The Journey of the Drum was released by Perspective and A&M.
Who produced Africa to America: The Journey of the Drum?
Africa to America: The Journey of the Drum was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Gary Hines.
More in A&M Records Albums
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