The Dana Owens Album
Encyclopedia
The Dana Owens Album is the fifth studio album
by American recording artist Queen Latifah
, released in the United States on September 28, 2004 by Interscope Records
. Unlike Latifah's previous hip hop
/R&B
-oriented efforts, this album showcases a jazz
vocal performance. Even though Latifah has sung songs and choruses during her rap career, she has never put out a full singing album before. The album's title—Latifah's birth name—indicates the different style of music contained on the album. It is her best-selling album to date, becoming her first album to surpass sales of half a million copies. Moreover, the album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album
in 2005. July 2005, Latifah performed on ABC's Good Morning America concert series. R&B singers Erykah Badu
and Jill Scott
joined her in a singing tribute to singer Luther Vandross
.
Latifah, Badu and Scott headlined together for a summer concert tour, 2005's Sugar Water Festival Tour
.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American recording artist Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
, released in the United States on September 28, 2004 by Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
. Unlike Latifah's previous hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
/R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
-oriented efforts, this album showcases a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
vocal performance. Even though Latifah has sung songs and choruses during her rap career, she has never put out a full singing album before. The album's title—Latifah's birth name—indicates the different style of music contained on the album. It is her best-selling album to date, becoming her first album to surpass sales of half a million copies. Moreover, the album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album
Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album
The Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album has been presented since 1977. Until 2001 this award was titled the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance...
in 2005. July 2005, Latifah performed on ABC's Good Morning America concert series. R&B singers Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
and Jill Scott
Jill Scott
Jill Scott is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter, poet, and actress. In 2007, Scott made her cinematic debut in the films Hounddog and in Tyler Perry's feature film, Why Did I Get Married? That year, her third studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, was released on...
joined her in a singing tribute to singer Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
.
Latifah, Badu and Scott headlined together for a summer concert tour, 2005's Sugar Water Festival Tour
Sugar Water Festival Tour
-Tour dates:...
.
Track listing
- "Baby Get LostBaby Get Lost"Baby Get Lost" is a July, 1949 single by Dinah Washington . The single was Dinah Washington's second number one on the R&B chart where it stayed at the top for two weeks...
" (Leonard FeatherLeonard FeatherLeonard Geoffrey Feather was a British-born jazz pianist, composer, and producer who was best known for his music journalism and other writing.-Biography:...
) – 3:42 - "I Put a Spell on YouI Put a Spell on You"I Put a Spell on You" is a 1956 song written by Screamin' Jay Hawkins, whose recording was selected as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It was also ranked #320 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.Although Hawkins'...
" (Screamin' Jay HawkinsScreamin' Jay HawkinsJalacy Hawkins , best known as Screamin' Jay Hawkins was an American musician, singer, and actor...
) – 3:08 - "Simply BeautifulSimply Beautiful"Simply Beautiful" is a 1972 song by Al Green from his album I'm Still in Love with You. It was sampled by Kanye West for Talib Kweli's song "Good To You," on Kweli's 2002 album Quality . Hip Hop group G-Unit also sampled the song on "Good To Me", from their popular mixtape, "Return of the Body...
" (Al GreenAl GreenAlbert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
) – 4:11 - "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh+'Justments-Reception:Legal tussles between Withers and Sussex prevented further recording sessions until Columbia signed the singer a year later. Columbia bought Withers' back catalog, re-releasing his earlier hit records, but +'Justments was not reissued on CD until 2010.The album cover shows Withers...
" (Bill WithersBill WithersWilliam Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"...
) – 3:53 - "Moody's Mood for LoveMoody's Mood for Love"Moody's Mood for Love" is jazz saxophonist James Moody's 1949 instrumental solo based on Jimmy McHugh's 1935 song "I'm in the Mood for Love" with lyrics later added by Eddie Jefferson.-History:...
" (James MoodyJames Moody (saxophonist)James Moody was an American jazz saxophone and flute player. He was best known for his hit "Moody's Mood for Love," an improvisation based on "I'm in the Mood for Love"; in performance, he often improvised vocals for the tune.-Biography:James Moody was born in Savannah, Georgia...
, Dorothy FieldsDorothy FieldsDorothy Fields was an American librettist and lyricist.She wrote over 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films...
, Jimmy McHughJimmy McHughJames Francis McHugh was a U.S. composer. One of the most prolific songwriters from the 1920s to the 1950s, he composed over 270 songs...
) – 3:59 - "Close Your EyesClose Your Eyes (1933 song)"Close Your Eyes" is a popular song written by American composer Bernice Petkere. The song was published in 1933.The song is featured in the film The Abominable Dr...
" (Bernice Petkere) – 2:55 - "California Dreamin'California Dreamin'"California Dreamin is a popular song by The Mamas & the Papas, first released in 1965. The song is #89 in Rolling Stones list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time...
" (John PhillipsJohn Phillips (musician)John Edmund Andrew Phillips , was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter and promoter . Known as Papa John, Phillips was a member and leader of the singing group The Mamas & the Papas...
, Michelle PhillipsMichelle PhillipsMichelle Phillips is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She gained fame as a member of the 1960s group The Mamas & the Papas, and is the last surviving original member of the group.-Early life:...
) – 3:42 - "Hard TimesDr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band (album)Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band is the debut album by disco group Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, released in 1976 on RCA and including the band's best-known and most successful track "Cherchez La Femme". The album peaked at #22 on the Billboard albums chart and #31 on the R&B listings...
" (Stony Browder, August DarnellKid Creole and the CoconutsKid Creole and the Coconuts is an American musical group created and led by August Darnell. Its music incorporates a variety of styles and influences, in particular "American and Latin American, South American, Caribbean, Trinidadian, Calloway" and conceptually inspired by the big band era...
) – 5:21 - "Mercy, Mercy, MercyMercy, Mercy, Mercy"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" is a song written by Joe Zawinul in 1966 for Julian "Cannonball" Adderley and his album Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Live at 'The Club. The song is the title track of the album and became a surprise hit, reaching #11 on the Billboard charts in Feb. 1967...
" (Gail FisherGail FisherGail Fisher was an American actress who was one of the first African American women to play substantive roles in American television...
, Vincent Levy, Joe ZawinulJoe ZawinulJosef Erich Zawinul was an Austrian-American jazz keyboardist and composer.First coming to prominence with saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, Zawinul went on to play with trumpeter Miles Davis, and to become one of the creators of jazz fusion, an innovative musical genre that combined jazz with...
) – 3:27 - "Hello StrangerHello Stranger"Hello Stranger" was a 1963 hit single by Barbara Lewis which spent two weeks at number one on the R&B singles chart in Billboard crossing over to #3 Pop.-Original version:...
" (Barbara LewisBarbara LewisBarbara Lewis , is an American singer and songwriter whose smooth style influenced rhythm and blues.-Career:Lewis was born in Salem, near Ann Arbor, Michigan...
) – 3:00 - "If I Had You" (Jimmy Campbell, Reginald ConnellyIrving KingJimmy Campbell and Reg Connelly were British music publishers and songwriting team...
, Ted ShapiroTed ShapiroTed Shapiro was a United States popular music composer, pianist, and sheet music publisher.Shapiro was born in New York City. He became a Tin Pan Alley songwriter and accompanied notable star vaudeville singers of the day, including Nora Bayes and Eva Tanguay. In 1921 he was hired as accompanist...
) – 4:04 - "Lush LifeLush Life (song)"Lush Life" is a jazz standard with lyrics and music written by Billy Strayhorn from 1933 to 1938. However, the song was only performed privately by Strayhorn until he and vocalist Kay Davis performed it on November 13, 1948 with the Duke Ellington Orchestra at Carnegie Hall...
" (Billy StrayhornBilly StrayhornWilliam Thomas "Billy" Strayhorn was an American composer, pianist and arranger, best known for his successful collaboration with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington lasting nearly three decades. His compositions include "Chelsea Bridge", "Take the "A" Train" and "Lush Life".-Early...
) – 4:25
Charts
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
16 |
| U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
11 |
Singles
| Single | Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| "Simply Beautiful" | U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles | 15 |