AL B. SURE!
During the late '80s, Al B. Sure! enjoyed a brief run as one of new jack swing's most popular romantic singers. Born Al Brown in Boston, he grew up in Mount Vernon, NY, listening to smooth crooners like Marvin Gaye and Johnny Mathis; he later became interested in rap and added that skill to his vocal repertoire. At age ten, he and a friend performed on a song written by Ellie Greenwich for the soundtrack of Sesame Street, and later he began writing songs with his cousin Kyle West. While in high school (where he quarterbacked the football team), he became friends with Edward Ferrell, aka DJ Eddie F, who was working with rapper Heavy D at the time. Eddie F introduced the still-teenaged Al B. Sure! to Heavy D's manager/Uptown label head Andre Harrell, who had him sing backing vocals on several Heavy D tracks and helped him get a deal with Warner Brothers. Featuring production from DJ Eddie F and a number of co-writes with West, Al B. Sure!'s debut album, In Effect Mode, was released in 1988 and became a platinum-selling sensation thanks to the single "Nite and Day," which reached the Top Ten on the pop charts and topped the R&B charts for three weeks. The follow-up, "Off on Your Own (Girl)," was also a number one R&B hit, and he became a bona fide star among urban audiences, though he didn't remain a presence on the pop charts. His second album, Private Times...and the Whole 9, appeared in 1990 and produced another R&B number one in "Misunderstanding," as well as a duet with Diana Ross called "No Matter What." His third album, 1992's Sexy Versus, wasn't as successful, and he took a hiatus from recording, eventually landing a vice president position at Motown. In 1996, he survived a potentially nasty car accident in New York, and in 2002, he began hosting a quiet storm-style radio show in the San Francisco Bay Area. Signed to the Hidden Beach label, he finally returned with Honey I'm Home, his first album in 17 years, in 2009.
© Steve Huey /TiVo
Discography
10 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Sexy Versus
R&B - Released by Rhino - Warner Records on 22 Sep 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Very Best Of Al B. Sure! (Remastered)
R&B - Released by Rhino - Warner Records on 27 May 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Private Times... And The Whole 9!
R&B - Released by Rhino - Warner Records on 24 Feb 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Rhino Hi-Five: Al B. Sure!
Rock - Released by Rhino - Warner Records on 19 Apr 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
If I'm Not Your Lover (Remixes)
Miscellaneous - Released by Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group on 7 Feb 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Missunderstanding (Remixes)
Miscellaneous - Released by Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group on 10 Jan 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Princess Remix
Duo Live, Fabolous, AL B. SURE!
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Redemption Music Group on 15 Jan 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Killing Me Softly (Radio Edit)
Miscellaneous - Released by Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group on 24 Jan 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo