Introducing Joss Stone

Infobox Album
Name = Introducing Joss Stone
Type = studio
Artist = Joss Stone


Released = Start date|2007|3|9|df=yes
(see release history)
Recorded = April 2006 – January 2007 at
Blakeslee Recording Co.
(North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States)
Compass Point Studios
(Nassau, Bahamas)
Electric Lady Studios
(New York City, New York, United States)
The Plant Studios
(Sausalito, California, United States)
Genre = Soul, R&B, neo soul, funk, alternative hip hop
Length = 47:57
Label = Relentless
Producer = Raphael Saadiq
Reviews = *Allmusic rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:hpfixzl5ldse link]
*"Billboard" (positive) [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/content_display/reviews/albums/e3ibd39c4aa721578f2f61b30720f30758a link]
*"Blender" rating|3|5 [http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=4456 link]
*"Entertainment Weekly" (B) [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20015126,00.html link]
*PopMatters (7/10) [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/31400/joss-stone-introducing-joss-stone/ link]
*"Rolling Stone" rating|3|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/13623552/review/13711248/introducing_joss_stone link]
*Slant Magazine rating|3|5 [http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=1079 link]
*"The Guardian" rating|3|5 [http://music.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,,2029462,00.html link]
*"The Independent" rating|2|5 [http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-joss-stone--none-onestar-twostar-threestar-fourstar-fivestar-439375.html link]
*"The Times" rating|2|5 [http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/cd_reviews/article1488648.ece link]
Last album = "Mind, Body & Soul"
(2004)
This album = "Introducing Joss Stone"
(2007)
Next album =
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate covers
Type = Studio album


Lower caption = Deluxe edition cover Extra album cover 2


Lower caption = Japanese cover Singles
Name = Introducing Joss Stone
Type = studio
Single 1 = Tell Me 'bout It
Single 1 date = 5 March 2007
Single 2 = Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now
Single 2 date = 23 July 2007
Single 3 = Baby Baby Baby
Single 3 date = 14 January 2008

"Introducing Joss Stone" is the third studio album by English soul singer Joss Stone, released in March 2007 (see 2007 in music) in the United Kingdom by Relentless Records and in other parts of the world by Virgin Records and EMI.

Album information

The album's production is solely credited to renowned neo soul musician Raphael Saadiq, who had previously worked with the likes of D'Angelo, Macy Gray, Mary J. Blige, Kelis, and The Roots. "Raphael is the most incredible musician I've ever met in my whole life", Stone says. "Musically, I feel like he reads my mind. I'll give him a look and he'll know exactly what I want."cite web |url=http://www.shopemi.com/news_view.asp?id=80&news_id=1432 |title="Introducing Joss Stone" Out on March 20, 2007 |accessdate=2008-04-06 |date=6 March 2007 |work=ShopEMI.com] Stone began writing the lyrics in Barbados in May 2006, [cite web |url=http://www.psychopedia.com/dailynews/2006/10/my_town_barbadossoul_princess.html |title=Soul Princess Joss Stone's Favorite Isle |accessdate=2007-03-09 |date=13 October 2006 |work=psychoPEDIA] and spent two months recording with Saadiq at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas, followed by the album's mixing at New York City's Electric Lady Studios. Other collaborators include Lauryn Hill, Common, Novel, Joi, and Mix Master Mike.

Virgin Records describes it as "an electrifying mix of warm vintage soul, '70s-style R&B, Motown girl-group harmonies, and hip-hop grooves."cite web |url=http://harpmagazine.com/news/detail.cfm?article=10828 |title=Joss Stone Discusses New Album, Due March 20, With HARP |accessdate=2007-01-27 |date=18 January 2007 |work=Harp] Stone herself describes it as "truly me. That's why I'm calling it "Introducing Joss Stone". These are my words, and this is who I am as an artist."

The deluxe edition of the album includes a bonus DVD containing thirty-five minutes of material including recording footage, interviews with Stone, and the music video for "Tell Me 'bout It".

Chart performance

"Introducing Joss Stone" debuted moderately at number twelve on the UK Albums Chart the week of 24 March 2007 selling over 27,000 copies in its first week, and spent only four weeks on the chart, failing to reprise the success of Stone's previous efforts. Nevertheless, the album topped the United World Chart the week of 7 April 2007 selling 191,000 copies, the week's largest sales increase, [cite web |url=http://www.mediatraffic.de/albums-week14-2007.htm |title=Global Album Chart – week 14 / 2007 |accessdate=2008-04-30 |work=Media Traffic] after debuting at number twenty-nine the week before with 66,000 copies sold. [cite web |url=http://www.mediatraffic.de/albums-week13-2007.htm |title=Global Album Chart – week 13 / 2007 |accessdate=2008-04-30 |work=Media Traffic] Also in the week of 7 April 2007 it debuted strongly on the U.S. "Billboard" 200 at number two behind Modest Mouse's "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank" with first-week sales of over 118,000 copies, [cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003563939 |title=Modest Mouse Steers Its 'Ship' To No. 1 Debut |accessdate=2008-04-30 |last=Hasty |first=Katie |date=28 March 2007 |work=Billboard] earning Stone her most successful album in the United States to date as well as the highest-charting debut for a British female solo artist on the "Billboard" 200, outdoing the record previously held by fellow soul-singing Briton Amy Winehouse, whose album "Back to Black" had debuted at number seven the week before. [cite web |url=http://www.mtv.co.uk/channel/mtvuk/news/29032007/joss_beats_winehouse |title=Joss Beats Winehouse |accessdate=2007-03-29 |last=James |first=Sarah-Louise |date=29 March 2007 |work=MTV UK] This record would later be broken by Leona Lewis's "Spirit", which debuted at number one on the "Billboard" 200 the week of 26 April 2008. [cite web |url=http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=f740df1e-f0b0-4ace-8777-a06238236cd5 |title=That's the "Spirit"! Leona Lewis' Historic No. 1 |accessdate=2008-04-20 |last=Jenison |first=David |date=16 April 2008 |work=E! News] The album also charted highly in Canada and many European countries, reaching the top five and the top ten in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands (where it landed at number one in its third week on the run), Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal, and Greece.Introducing Joss Stone has gone on to sell over 2,000,000 copies worldwide.

ingles

The album's lead single "Tell Me 'bout It" was released in March 2007, and debuted at number twenty-eight on the UK Singles Chart as well as number one on the U.S. Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles, peaking at number eighty-three inside the Hot 100 two weeks later—which gave Stone her first charted solo single on the chart—, while follow-up single "Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now" (featuring Common) charted outside the UK top eighty. The Diane Warren-penned "Bruised but Not Broken" went for adds at urban AC radio stations on 16 July 2007 and so managed to chart at number fifty-five on both the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, but was not commercially released as a single. The third official single, "Baby Baby Baby", received a physical release on 14 January 2008.

Track listing

#"Change (Vinnie Jones Intro)" (Glenn Standridge, Tarsha Proctor-Standridge) – 0:35
#"Girl They Won't Believe It" (Joss Stone, Raphael Saadiq) – 3:15
#"Headturner" (Stone, Billy Mann, Otis Redding) – 3:16
#*Contains an interpolation of Otis Redding's "Respect" (Otis Redding).
#"Tell Me 'bout It" (Stone, Saadiq, Robert Ozuna) – 2:48
#"Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now" (featuring Common) (Stone, Alonzo "Novel" Stevenson, Tony Reyes, Lonnie Lynn) – 4:22
#"Put Your Hands on Me" (Stone, Saadiq) – 2:58
#"Music" (featuring Lauryn Hill) (Stone, Stevenson, Reyes, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Samuel Michel) – 3:41
#*Contains an interpolation of the Fugees' "The Mask" (Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Samuel Michel).
#"Arms of My Baby" (Stone, Danny P, Jonathan Shorten) – 2:52
#"Bad Habit" (Stone, P, Shorten) – 3:48
#"Proper Nice" (Stone, Saadiq, Ozuna, Chalmers "Spanky" Alford, Vincent Corea, Jeanne Roberts) – 3:24
#*Contains an interpolation of Pretty Poison's "Catch Me (I'm Falling)" (Vincent Corea, Jeanne Roberts).
#"Bruised but Not Broken" (Diane Warren) – 4:15
#"Baby Baby Baby" (Stone, P, Shorten) – 4:34
#"What Were We Thinking" (Stone, Saadiq) – 4:24
#"Music Outro" (Stone, Saadiq) – 3:48
#*Includes hidden track featuring Vinnie Jones.

=iTunes edition=

#

"Nothing Better Than" – 3:52
#Digital Booklet - "Introducing Joss Stone"

Japanese edition

#

"Big Ol' Game" – 4:31
#"My God" (Stone, Saadiq) – 3:47
#"Tell Me 'bout It" (Video)

Deluxe edition bonus DVD

#In the Studio
#Common
#Strings
#Choosing Songs
#On the Set - "Tell Me 'bout It"
#Tour Rehearsal
#"Tell Me 'bout It" (Video)

pecial edition bonus CD

#"L-O-V-E"
#"Gimme Shelter" (Angélique Kidjo featuring Joss Stone)
#"Big Ol' Game"
#"My God"
#"Music" (Live from Bowery Ballroom)
#"Super Duper Love" (Live from Bowery Ballroom)
#"Tell Me 'bout It" (Live from Bowery Ballroom)
#"What Were We Thinking" (Live from Bowery Ballroom)
#"Tell Me 'bout It" (A Yam Who? Rework)

Leftover tracks

*"Flower Child" — presented on Guy Chambers's [http://myspace.com/guychambers MySpace]
*"Busful of Love" — presented on Guy Chambers's MySpace
*"L-O-V-E" — cover version of Nat King Cole's 1965 song, presented in the Coco Mademoiselle commercial, appears on the re-release of the album and as a B-side to the "Baby Baby Baby" single
*"All I Want for Christmas" — presented on her MySpace for the Christmas season
*"Did I Forget" — presented on her [http://jossstone.imeem.com/ imeem page] for the Christmas season
*"I Can't Breathe" — presented on her imeem page for the Christmas season
*"Love What You're Given" — presented on her imeem page for the Christmas season
*"Mama's Got a Brand New Bag" — presented on her imeem page for the Christmas season
*"Mr. Wankerman" — presented on her imeem page for the Christmas season
*"What If I" — presented on her imeem page for the Christmas season
*"Not Real Love"
*"I Wish"

Tentative singles

*"Put Your Hands on Me"
*"Arms of My Baby"
*"Bad Habit"
*"Girl They Won't Believe It"

Personnel

Musicians

*Joss Stone – lead vocals
*Jawara Adams – trumpet
*Richard Adkins – violin
*Chalmers "Spanky" Alford – guitar
*Sanford Allen – violin, contractor
*Miguel Atwood-Ferguson – viola
*Peggy Baldwin – cello
*Steve Baxter – horn
*Duane Benjamin – horn
*Sandra Billingslea – violin
*Charlie Bisharat – violin
*Ida Bodin – bass
*Joseph Bongiorno – bass
*Kevin Brandon – bass
*Richard Brice – viola
*Ron Brown – horn
*Mark Cargill – violin, concertmaster
*Susan Chatman – violin
*Robert Chausow – violin
*Jeffrey Clayton – horn
*Anthony Coleman – trumpet, horn
*Louis Colin – harp
*Common – vocals
*Salvator Cracciolo – horn
*Cenovia Cummins – violin
*Yvette Devereaux – violin
*Gayle Dixon – violin
*Barry Finclair – violin
*Eileen Folson – cello
*James Ford – horn
*Matthew Frank – horn
*Erik Friedlander – cello
*Pamela Gates – violin
*Joi Gilliam – backing vocals
*Charlie Happiness – claves
*Lauryn Hill – vocals
*Lionel Holoman – organ, horn, keyboards, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer
*Stanley Hunte – violin
*Keisha Jackson – backing vocals
*Christopher Jenkins – viola
*Priscilla Jones Campbell – backing vocals
*Vinnie Jones – voiceover
*Ronald Lipscomb – cello
*Leon Maleson – bass
*Miguel Martinez – cello
*Lori Miller – violin
*Mix Master Mike – turntables
*Jorge Moraga – viola
*Patrick Morgan – viola
*Robert Ozuna – percussion, drums, sitar, turntables
*Khari Parker – percussion, drums
*Cameron Patrick – violin
*Jermaine Paul – backing vocals
*Kathleen Robertson – violin
*Robin Ross – viola
*Raphael Saadiq – bass, guitar, piano, keyboards, backing vocals
*Neil Symonette – percussion
*Lesa Terry – violin
*Alexander Vselensky – violin
*Kenneth "Scooter" Whalum III – horn, baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone
*Belinda Whitney – violin
*Benjamin Wright – conductor
*James Zellar – trombone, horn
*Frederick Zlotkin – cello

Production

*Raphael Saadiq – producer, horn arrangements
*Joss Stone – executive producer, art direction, A&R
*Isaiah Abolin – assistant engineerer
*Chris Anokute – A&R
*Mike Boden – assistant engineer
*Oswald "Wiz" Bowe – assistant engineer
*Brian Bowen Smith – photography
*Chuck Brungardt – engineer, mixing
*Jonathan Cohen – body painting, graffiti
*Tom Coyne – mastering
*Reginald Dozier – string and horn engineer
*David Gorman – design
*Steve Greenwell – engineer
*Justin Kessler – Pro Tools operator
*Dave Larring – engineer
*Joshua Lutz – mural
*Jeremy Mackenzie – Pro Tools operator
*Marlon Marcel – assistant engineer
*Kate McGregor – art coordinator
*Sean Mosher-Smith – art direction
*Bob Scott – photography
*Ian Shea – assistant engineer
*Luke "Lukvatine" Smith – assistant engineer
*Scott Somerville – assistant engineer
*Glenn Standridge – engineer, production coordinator, mixing
*Charlie Stavish – assistant engineer
*James Tanksley – assistant engineer
*John Tanksley – assistant engineer
*Amy Touma – A&R
*Seamus Tyson – assistant engineer
*Benjamin Wright – string arrangements

Charts

Certifications

*Platinum::flagicon|Switzerland IFPI: 30,000 [cite web |url=http://swisscharts.com/awards.asp?year=2007 |title=Swiss Certifications – Awards 2007 |accessdate=2008-03-21 |work=SwissCharts.com]
*Gold::flagicon|Austria IFPI: 10,000 [cite web |url=http://www.ifpi.at/?section=goldplatin |title=IFPI Austria – Gold & Platin Datenbank |accessdate=2008-03-21 |date=12 March 2007 |work=IFPI |language=German] ::flagicon|Canada CRIA: 50,000 [cite web |url=http://www.cria.ca/gold/0407_g.php |title=CRIA: Gold & Platinum – April 2007 |accessdate=2008-02-09 |date=11 April 2007 |work=CRIA] ::flagicon|USA RIAA: 500,000 [cite web |url=http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH |title=RIAA – Searchable Database |accessdate=2008-02-09 |date=1 May 2007 |work=RIAA]

Release history

References

succession box
before = "Unwind" by VanVelzen
title = Dutch Albums Chart number-one album
years = 31 March 2007
after = "Maak me gek" by Gerard Jolingsuccession box
before = "Home" by Mr. Children
title = United World Chart number-one album
years = 7 April 2007
after = "Ai am Best" by Ai Otsuka