Better Days Ahead is the third studio album by jazz guitarist Norman Brown, released in 1996 on Motown Records. Earth, Wind & Fire Horns appear on the album.[2] The album reached No. 2 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.[3]
| Better Days Ahead |
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 |
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| Released | June 18, 1996 |
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| Studio |
- Titan Recording (Van Nuys, California)
- In Your Ear Recording (Los Angeles, California)
- Ocean Way Recording, Record Plant and Music Grinder Studios (Hollywood, California)
- Larrabee Sound Studios (North Hollywood, California)
- Saturn Sound (Studio City, California)
- The Enterprise (Burbank, California)
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| Genre | Jazz |
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| Label | Motown |
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| Producer | Norman Brown, The Characters, Charles Farrar, Herman Jackson, Troy Taylor, Michael Vail Blum |
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|
After the Storm
(1994)
|
Better Days Ahead
(1996)
|
Celebration
(1999)
| |
Professional ratings| Review scores |
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| Source | Rating |
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| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Title | Writer(s) |
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| 1. | "This Time Around" | Norman Brown | 4:25 |
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| 2. | "Better Days Ahead" | Norman Brown | 5:42 |
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| 3. | "After the Love Has Gone" | Bill Champlin, David Foster, Jay Graydon | 5:03 |
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| 4. | "Places in the Heart" | Norman Brown | 6:32 |
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| 5. | "Third World" | Norman Brown | 5:16 |
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| 6. | "Come Closer to Me" | Norman Brown | 4:59 |
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| 7. | "N-Control" | Norman Brown | 5:27 |
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| 8. | "Serenade" | Norman Brown | 6:10 |
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| 9. | "Your Body's Callin'" | R. Kelly | 5:49 |
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| 10. | "Facts of Love" | Norman Brown, Kenneth William Hirsch, Kimberly Ross | 5:55 |
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- Norman Brown – guitars (1-9), arrangements (1-9), vocal scat (3), vocal arrangements (3, 6), lead guitar (10)
- Gail Johnson – keyboards (1), organ (7), synthesizers (7)
- Wayne Livsey – keyboards (1, 7)
- Herman Jackson – keyboards (2, 4-6, 8), synthesizer programming (3), drum programming (3), arrangements (3), grand piano (4, 8)
- The Characters (Charles Farrar and Troy Taylor) – instruments (9, 10)
- Troy Taylor – backing vocals (9, 10), additional arrangements (8), synthesizer programming (10), drum programming (10), rhythm and vocal arrangements (10)
- Larry Kimpel – bass (1, 2, 4-8)
- James Manning – bass (3)
- Rayford Griffin – drums (1, 2, 4-8)
- Munyungo Jackson – percussion (1, 2, 4-6)
- Gary Bias – horns (6, 7)
- Reggie Young – horns (6, 7)
- Ray Brown – horns (6, 7), orchestration (6, 7)
- Bridgette Bryant – backing vocals (3), vocals (6)
- Lynne Fiddmont-Linsey – backing vocals (3), vocal arrangements (3, 6), vocals (6)
- Arnold McCuller – backing vocals (3)
- Carl "Neuron" Thomas – backing vocals (9)
- Bruce Walker – executive producer
- Norman Brown – executive producer, producer (1-8, 10)
- Herman Jackson – co-producer (1-8)
- Michael Vail Blum – co-producer (1, 2, 4-8), recording, mixing
- The Characters – producers (9, 10)
- Eliud "Lou" Ortiz – recording, mixing
- Ralph Sutton – recording
- Richard Huredia – recording assistant
- Tony Rambo – recording assistant
- James Saez – recording assistant
- Michael Sangrey – recording assistant
- Erick Labson – mastering at MCA Music Media Studios (North Hollywood, California)
- Eric Talbert – A&R direction
- Chad Gary – A&R production coordinator
- Kimberly Ross – production management assistant
- David Irvin – design
- Carol Friedman – art direction, photography
- Ellen Silverstein – wardrobe styling
- Michael Evans – hair stylist
- Quitefire – make-up
- Bruce Kramer – management
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