Natural High is the sixth studio album by the musical group Commodores, released in 1978. "Three Times a Lady", released as a single, became their first Billboard Hot 100 number one. The album topped Billboard's R&B Album charts for 8 non-consecutive weeks and peaked at number three on the Billboard 200.
| Natural High | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 1978 | |||
| Recorded | 1978 | |||
| Genre | Pop, Adult Contemporary, dance, disco, funk | |||
| Label | Motown | |||
| Producer | James Carmichael The Commodores | |||
| Commodores chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Natural High | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Village Voice | C−[3] |
Natural High earned the group a 1979 Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus.[4]
Record World called the single "Flying High" a "classically slick r&b hip swinger with cross format appeal."[5]
Track listing
editMotown – M7-902R1
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fire Girl" | William King, David Cochrane, Darryl Jones | 4:12 |
| 2. | "X-Rated Movie" | Milan Williams | 4:45 |
| 3. | "Flying High" | Lionel Richie, Thomas McClary | 5:11 |
| 4. | "Three Times a Lady" | Lionel Richie | 6:37 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Such a Woman" | Walter Orange | 4:40 |
| 2. | "Say Yeah" | Lionel Richie, Ronald LaPread | 5:44 |
| 3. | "I Like What You Do" | Lionel Richie, Walter Orange | 4:49 |
| 4. | "Visions" | Lionel Richie, Thomas McClary | 5:43 |
| Total length: | 41:41 | ||
Personnel
editCommodores
edit- Lionel Richie – vocals, saxophones, keyboards
- Milan Williams – keyboards
- Thomas McClary – vocals, guitars
- Ronald LaPread – bass
- Walter Orange – vocals, drums, percussion
- William King – trumpet
Additional musicians
edit- Cal Harris – synthesizer programming
- James Anthony Carmichael – horn and string arrangements
The Mean Machine
- Eddie "Bongo" Brown
- David Cochrane
- Harold Hudson
- Winston Sims
Production
edit- Commodores – producers, arrangerments
- James Anthony Carmichael – producer, arrangerments
- Cal Harris – engineer, mixing
- Jane Clark – engineer
- Norm Ung – art direction, design
- David McMacken illustration
- Jim Shea – photography
- Suzee Ikeda – project manager
Charts
edit| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia[6] | 14 |
| Netherlands[7] | 5 |
| New Zealand[8] | 5 |
| Norway[9] | 19 |
| US Pop | 3 |
| US R&B | 1 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands (NVPI)[10] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[11] | Gold | 7,500^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[12] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[13] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "BPI certifications for Commodores".
- ^ Henderson, Alex. "Natural High - Commodores". allmusic.com. AllMusic.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (September 4, 1978). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
- ^ "Commodores". grammy.com. The Recording Academy.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. September 9, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 72. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Commodores: Heroes". dutchcharts.nl. Dutch Charts.
- ^ "Commodores: Heroes". charts.nz. The Official New Zealand Music Chart.
- ^ "Commodores: Heroes". norwegiancharts.com. VG-Lista.
- ^ "Dutch album certifications – Commodores – Natural High" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 28 May 2021. Enter Natural High in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1979 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
- ^ Conlee, John (10 November 1979). "AMOA Juke Box Awards – Commodores" (PDF). Cashbox. worldradiohistory.com. p. AMOA–22. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- ^ "British album certifications – Commodores – Natural High". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- ^ "American album certifications – Commodores – Natural High". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 28 May 2021.