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Positive

Studio album by

Peabo Bryson

Released

January 1988

Genre

Soul, R&B

Length

45:01

Label

Elektra

Producer

Peabo Bryson
Sir Gant
Michael J. Powell
Dwight W. Watkins

Peabo Bryson chronology

Quiet Storm
(1986)

Positive
(1988)

All My Love
(1989)

Positive is a studio album by the American singer Peabo Bryson, released in January 1988 by Elektra Records.^[1]^[2] The album peaked at number 157 on the US Billboard 200 and number 42 on the Billboard R&B albums chart. It was the last album Bryson recorded for Elektra before he briefly returned to Capitol Records.^[3] Positive was supported by the single "Without You", which was also the theme song to Leonard Part 6.^[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[3]

The Kingston Whig-Standard wrote that Bryson's "voice flutters and soars, delicate one moment, powerful the next, duelling with the different instruments."^[5] The Washington Post deemed Bryson "a smoothly persuasive soul man, not too pleading, not too aggressive."^[4]

Ron Wynn of AllMusic called Positive "largely undistinguished, although [Bryson] sang with more conviction and got better material and production than on most of his other Elektra albums. He scored another hit with a familiar weapon: the duet. This time his partner was Regina Belle."^[3]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Come on Over Tonight"	Jimmy Scott	Michael J. Powell Sir Gant	3:47
2.	"Without You (Love Theme from Leonard Part 6)" (duet with Regina Belle)	Lamont Dozier	Powell Sir Gant	5:15
3.	"Hurt"	Jimmie Crane Al Jacobs	Powell Sir Gant	3:34
4.	"I Want to Know"	Peabo Bryson	Bryson Dwight W. Watkins	4:28
5.	"Tonight"	Bryson	Bryson Watkins	4:41
6.	"Positive"	Allister Campbell Peter Quigley	Powell Sir Gant	5:02
7.	"When We Need It Bad"	Patrick Henderson Pamela Phillips Oland Tsuyoshi Takayanagi	Powell Sir Gant	4:58
8.	"This Time Around"	Bryson	Bryson Watkins	4:29
9.	"Still Water"	Bryson	Bryson Watkins	4:35
10.	"Crazy Love" (CD-only track)	Garry Glenn Dianne Quander	Powell Sir Gant	4:12

Personnel and credits

Musicians

Peabo Bryson – lead vocals, keyboards (4, 5, 8, 9), arrangements (4, 5, 8, 9)
Gary Barlough – Synclavier programming (1-3, 6, 7, 10)
Dean Gant – keyboards (1, 7), Synclavier (1-3, 6, 7, 10), synth bass (1, 7), arrangements (1-3, 6, 7, 10), acoustic piano (2), synthesizers (2-6, 10), BGV arrangements (10)
Vernon Fails – electric piano (2)
George Martin – keyboards (4, 5, 8, 9), computer programming (4, 5, 8, 9)
Dwight W. Watkins – keyboards (4, 5, 8, 9), bass (4, 5, 8, 9), computer programming (4, 5, 8, 9), backing vocals (4, 5, 8, 9), arrangements (4, 5, 8, 9)
Michael J. Powell – guitars (1-3, 6, 7, 10), arrangements (1-3, 6, 7, 10), BGV arrangements (7, 10)
Anthony Jackson – bass (2)
Neil Stubenhaus – bass (3)
Nathan East – bass (10)
Vinnie Colaiuta – drums (1, 7, 10)
Steve Ferrone – drums (2)
Jonathan Moffett – drums (3)
Paulinho da Costa – percussion (1, 7, 10)
Brandon Fields – saxophone solo (1, 6, 7, 10)
Justo Almario – saxophone solo (3)
George Del Barrio – string arrangements (2)
Keni Burke – backing vocals (1, 7, 10), BGV arrangements (1, 7)
Brenda Jones Williams – backing vocals (1, 4, 5, 7-10)
Shirley Jones – backing vocals (1, 7, 10)
Regina Belle – lead vocals (2)
Jim Gilstrap – backing vocals (2, 6)
Bunny Hull – backing vocals (2, 6)
Marva King – backing vocals (2, 6)
Cindy Mizelle – backing vocals (2), BGV arrangements (2)
Valerie Pinkston – backing vocals (2, 6)
Charles Bryson – backing vocals (4, 5, 8, 9)
Myra Walker – backing vocals (4, 5, 8, 9)

Production

Dean Gant – producer (1-3, 6, 7, 10)
Michael J. Powell – producer (1-3, 6, 7, 10)
Peabo Bryson – producer (4, 5, 8, 9)
Dwight W. Watkins – producer (4, 5, 8, 9)
Barney Perkins – engineer (1-3, 6, 7, 10), recording (2-6, 8, 9), mixing (2-6, 8, 9)
Greg Townley – additional recording (1, 7, 10)
Tom Wright – additional recording (1, 7, 10), recording (4, 5, 8, 9)
Fred Law – additional recording (2, 3, 6)
Keith Seppenen – additional recording (2, 3, 6)
Milton Chan – assistant engineer (1-3, 6, 7, 10)
Andy Harper – assistant engineer (1, 7, 10)
Elliott Peters – assistant engineer (1-3, 6, 7, 10)
Andrew Spiegelman – assistant engineer (2, 3, 6)
Gerard Smerek – assistant engineer (2, 3, 6)
Tom Kidd – recording (4, 5, 8, 9)
Barry Leff – assistant engineer (4, 5, 8, 9)
Steve McCormick – assistant engineer (4, 5, 8, 9)
Lewis Padgett – assistant engineer (4, 5, 8, 9)
Bernie Grundman – mastering
Carol Bobolts – art direction, design
Gilles Larrain – photography

Studios

Recorded at Cheshire Sound Studios (Atlanta, Georgia); Ambience Recorders (Farmington Hills, Michigan); Yamaha R & D Studio (Glendale, California); Electric Lady Studios (New York City, New York).
Mixed at Yamaha R & D Studio.
Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, California).

Charts

Chart (1988)	Peak position
US Billboard 200^[6]	157
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[7]	42

References

^ Heim, Chris (4 Mar 1988). "Peabo Bryson, Positive". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 55.
^ Hiltbrand, David (Apr 18, 1988). "Song". People. 29 (15): 22.
^ ^a ^b ^c Wynn, Ron. "Positive". AllMusic. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
^ ^a ^b Brown, Joe (25 Mar 1988). "Ballads Make a Better Bryson". The Washington Post. p. N19.
^ Burliuk, Greg (12 Mar 1988). "Positive Peabo Bryson". Magazine. The Kingston Whig-Standard. p. 1.
^ "Peabo Bryson Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
^ "Peabo Bryson Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2021.

v t e Peabo Bryson
Discography
Studio albums	Peabo (1976) Reaching for the Sky (1977) Crosswinds (1978) We're the Best of Friends (1979) Paradise (1980) I Am Love (1981) Born to Love (1983) Straight from the Heart (1984) Take No Prisoners (1985) Quiet Storm (1986) Positive (1988) All My Love (1989) Can You Stop the Rain (1991) Through the Fire (1994) Peace on Earth (1997) Unconditional Love (1999) Missing You (2007) Stand for Love (2018)
Live albums	Live & More (1980)
Singles	"What You Won't Do for Love" (1979) "Let the Feeling Flow" (1981) "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" (1983) "I Just Came Here to Dance" (1984) "If Ever You're in My Arms Again" (1984) "Without You" (1987) "Show & Tell" (1989) "Can You Stop the Rain" (1991) "A Whole New World" (1992) "By the Time This Night Is Over" (1993)