How Could It Be | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 1985 [1] | |||
Recorded | 1985 [2] | |||
Studio | Wonderland Studios, Joint Recording Studios, Soundworks Studios, Clinton Recording, Power Station | |||
Length | 34:53 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer |
| |||
Eddie Murphy chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from How Could It Be | ||||
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How Could It Be is the debut musical studio album by comedian/actor Eddie Murphy. The album was released in September 1985 [1] on Columbia Records and was produced by Aquil Fudge, with the exception of the hit top ten single " Party All the Time", which was produced by Rick James.
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
Robert Christgau | (C-) [4] |
New York Daily News | (unfavorable) [5] |
New York Daily News | [6] |
The Cincinnati Post | [7] |
The Cincinnati Enquirer | [8] |
Detroit Free Press | [9] |
The Boston Globe | (unfavorable) [10] |
The Gazette | (favorable) [11] |
The Buffalo News | (unfavorable) [12] |
The Commercial Appeal | (favorable) [13] |
Gannett News Service | (unfavorable) [14] |
The Honolulu Advertiser | (unfavorable) [15] |
The Canadian Press | (unfavorable) [16] |
Copley Press | (favorable) [17] |
Daily Press | (favorable) [18] |
The Morning Call | (unfavorable) [19] |
The Daily Oklahoman | (favorable) [20] |
Oakland Tribune | [21] |
Lexington Herald-Leader | (unfavorable) [22] |
Los Angeles Times | [23] |
The album was a commercial success, making it to No. 26 on the Billboard 200 and No. 17 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Two singles were released: " Party All the Time", which made it to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the title track, which became a minor R&B hit. This studio album was recorded as part of fulfilling a $100,000 bet that Richard Pryor had made with Eddie Murphy that he could not sing.[ citation needed] In the album's liner notes, Eddie Murphy wrote the following "To Richard Pryor, my idol, with whom I have a $100,000 bet. No, motherfucker, I didn't forget." [24]
In an interview in 1987, Murphy said: "My album could have been much better but it came out okay". [25]
For this album, Murphy enlisted other well-known musicians to help him create his first musical studio album. The record has two Stevie Wonder produced and written tracks, "Do I" and "Everything's Coming Up Roses." There are also two songs that Rick James produced and wrote—the title track (a minor R&B hit) and the successful hit, "Party All the Time". [2]
Murphy wrote three tracks on the album in which he also gets sole writing credit for: "C-O-N Confused", a disco track, "I, Me, Us, We", a Parliament homage, and "My God Is Color Blind", an anti-racism song. Murphy took an experimental approach to test himself in what he could do with music. [2]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Do I" | Stevie Wonder | 3:56 |
2. | "C-O-N Confused" | Murphy | 3:41 |
3. | "How Could It Be" (featuring Crystal Blake) | Frank Hamilton, Rick James, Murphy | 4:39 |
4. | "I Wish (I Could Tell You When)" | David Allen Jones, Murphy | 4:28 |
5. | " Party All the Time" (featuring Rick James) | Rick James | 4:12 |
6. | "I, Me, Us, We" | Murphy | 4:41 |
7. | "My God Is Color Blind" | Murphy | 4:42 |
8. | "Everything's Coming Up Roses" | Stevie Wonder | 4:34 |
Chart (1985–86) | Peak position |
---|---|
U.S. Billboard Top Current Albums [27] | 26 |
U.S. Billboard 200 [28] | 26 |
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums [29] | 17 |
U.S. Cash Box Top 200 Pop Albums [30] | 25 |
U.S. Cash Box Top 75 Black Contemporary Albums [31] | 23 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States ( RIAA) [32] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
How Could It Be | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 1985 [1] | |||
Recorded | 1985 [2] | |||
Studio | Wonderland Studios, Joint Recording Studios, Soundworks Studios, Clinton Recording, Power Station | |||
Length | 34:53 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer |
| |||
Eddie Murphy chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from How Could It Be | ||||
|
How Could It Be is the debut musical studio album by comedian/actor Eddie Murphy. The album was released in September 1985 [1] on Columbia Records and was produced by Aquil Fudge, with the exception of the hit top ten single " Party All the Time", which was produced by Rick James.
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
Robert Christgau | (C-) [4] |
New York Daily News | (unfavorable) [5] |
New York Daily News | [6] |
The Cincinnati Post | [7] |
The Cincinnati Enquirer | [8] |
Detroit Free Press | [9] |
The Boston Globe | (unfavorable) [10] |
The Gazette | (favorable) [11] |
The Buffalo News | (unfavorable) [12] |
The Commercial Appeal | (favorable) [13] |
Gannett News Service | (unfavorable) [14] |
The Honolulu Advertiser | (unfavorable) [15] |
The Canadian Press | (unfavorable) [16] |
Copley Press | (favorable) [17] |
Daily Press | (favorable) [18] |
The Morning Call | (unfavorable) [19] |
The Daily Oklahoman | (favorable) [20] |
Oakland Tribune | [21] |
Lexington Herald-Leader | (unfavorable) [22] |
Los Angeles Times | [23] |
The album was a commercial success, making it to No. 26 on the Billboard 200 and No. 17 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Two singles were released: " Party All the Time", which made it to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the title track, which became a minor R&B hit. This studio album was recorded as part of fulfilling a $100,000 bet that Richard Pryor had made with Eddie Murphy that he could not sing.[ citation needed] In the album's liner notes, Eddie Murphy wrote the following "To Richard Pryor, my idol, with whom I have a $100,000 bet. No, motherfucker, I didn't forget." [24]
In an interview in 1987, Murphy said: "My album could have been much better but it came out okay". [25]
For this album, Murphy enlisted other well-known musicians to help him create his first musical studio album. The record has two Stevie Wonder produced and written tracks, "Do I" and "Everything's Coming Up Roses." There are also two songs that Rick James produced and wrote—the title track (a minor R&B hit) and the successful hit, "Party All the Time". [2]
Murphy wrote three tracks on the album in which he also gets sole writing credit for: "C-O-N Confused", a disco track, "I, Me, Us, We", a Parliament homage, and "My God Is Color Blind", an anti-racism song. Murphy took an experimental approach to test himself in what he could do with music. [2]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Do I" | Stevie Wonder | 3:56 |
2. | "C-O-N Confused" | Murphy | 3:41 |
3. | "How Could It Be" (featuring Crystal Blake) | Frank Hamilton, Rick James, Murphy | 4:39 |
4. | "I Wish (I Could Tell You When)" | David Allen Jones, Murphy | 4:28 |
5. | " Party All the Time" (featuring Rick James) | Rick James | 4:12 |
6. | "I, Me, Us, We" | Murphy | 4:41 |
7. | "My God Is Color Blind" | Murphy | 4:42 |
8. | "Everything's Coming Up Roses" | Stevie Wonder | 4:34 |
Chart (1985–86) | Peak position |
---|---|
U.S. Billboard Top Current Albums [27] | 26 |
U.S. Billboard 200 [28] | 26 |
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums [29] | 17 |
U.S. Cash Box Top 200 Pop Albums [30] | 25 |
U.S. Cash Box Top 75 Black Contemporary Albums [31] | 23 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States ( RIAA) [32] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |