Surprise (Crystal Waters album)
| Surprise | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 25, 1991 | |||
| Recorded | 1990–1991 | |||
| Genre | House | |||
| Length | 45:33 | |||
| Label | Mercury | |||
| Producer | The Basement Boys | |||
| Crystal Waters chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Surprise | ||||
| ||||
Surprise is the debut album by American singer-songwriter Crystal Waters released on June 25, 1991,[1] by Mercury Records. It includes the hit singles "Makin' Happy", "Surprise" and the top ten hit "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)", which peaked at number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100,[2] and number 2 on the UK Singles Chart.
Although the album stalled at number 197 on the US Billboard 200, it performed better in both the club/dance and urban music markets, peaking at number 65 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It also peaked at number 23 on the Top Heatseekers chart.[3]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [4] |
| Robert Christgau | [5] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A[6] |
| Los Angeles Daily News | (favorable)[7] |
| Melody Maker | (mixed)[8] |
| Music & Media | (favorable)[9] |
| NME | 5/10[10] |
Jennifer Bowles from Chicago Sun-Times wrote that Waters' debut album "sports a wide variety of characters, including a fashion-conscious homeless woman who sings "'La da dee, la da da" and battered wives who love their abusive husbands." She added, "The jazz influence on the album, most notably the song 'Twisted', can be traced to Waters' childhood."[11] Peter Watrous from The New York Times noted that "the tension between Ms. Waters's eccentric, melodic songwriting and the streamlined, dance-floor production makes for quirky, modern music."[12]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Gypsy Woman" (Radio Mix) | Neal Conway, Crystal Waters | 3:48 |
| 2. | "Surprise" | Neal Conway, Crystal Waters | 4:24 |
| 3. | "Makin' Happy" | Neal Conway, Mark Harris, Crystal Waters | 5:33 |
| 4. | "Small Cry" | Bert Collins, Crystal Waters | 4:43 |
| 5. | "Tell Me" | Bert Collins, Crystal Waters | 9:11 |
| 6. | "Good Lovin'" | Neal Conway, Crystal Waters | 5:02 |
| 7. | "Twisted" | Wardell Gray, Annie Ross | 2:27 |
| 8. | "Deepest of Hearts" | Crystal Waters | 2:54 |
| 9. | "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)" (Basement Boy(s) "Strip to the Bone" Mix) | Neal Conway, Crystal Waters | 7:31 |
Chart positions
Album
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) [13] | 177 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[14] | 23 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[15] | 81 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[16] | 45 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[17] | 24 |
| US Billboard 200[18] | 197 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[19] | 65 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)" | US Hot Dance Music/Club Play[20] | 1 |
| 1991 | "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)" | US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales[21] | 1 |
| 1991 | "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)" | US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks[22] | 25 |
| 1991 | "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)" | US Billboard Hot 100[23] | 8 |
| 1991 | "Makin' Happy" | US Hot Dance Music/Club Play[20] | 1 |
| 1991 | "Makin' Happy" | US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales[21] | 1 |
| 1991 | "Makin' Happy" | US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks[22] | 63 |
| 1991 | "Surprise" | US Hot Dance Music/Club Play[20] | 35 |
| 1992 | "Surprise" | US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales[21] | 9 |
References
- ^ "Inquirer.com: Philadelphia local news, sports, jobs, cars, homes". Inquirer.com. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ Billboard.com – Artist Chart History – Crystal Waters
- ^ "Crystal Waters Chart History: Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ "Crystal Waters". Robert Christgau. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
- ^ "Surprise". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
- ^ Bruce Britt (1991). "Crystal Waters – Surprise. Los Angeles Daily News – via Milwaukee Journal. (September 8, 1991).
- ^ Push (July 27, 1991). "Albums". Melody Maker. p. 32. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 32. August 10, 1991. p. 10. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
- ^ Glennie, Jo (August 3, 1991). "Long Play". NME. p. 26. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ Bowles, Jennifer (September 16, 1991). "Crystal Waters puts performing above preaching". Chicago Sun-Times.
- ^ Watrous, Peter (June 9, 1991). "'Gypsy Woman': Of Pathos and Pride". The New York Times. p. A26.
- ^ "Crystal Waters ARIA chart history 2024". ARIA. Retrieved July 19, 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Crystal Waters – Surprise" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Crystal Waters – Surprise" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Crystal Waters – Surprise" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Crystal Waters – Surprise". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ "Crystal Waters Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ "Crystal Waters Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Crystal Waters Chart History: Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Crystal Waters Chart History: Dance Singles Sales". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ a b "Crystal Waters Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ "Crystal Waters Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2022.