On this day in music history: October 17, 1988 - Giving You The Best That I Got, the third album by Anita Baker is released. Produced by Michael J. Powell, it is recorded at Encore Studios in Burbank, CA, Yamaha International Recording in Glendale, CA, Sound Suite Studio, Gnome Studios in Los Angeles, CA, Hitsville Studios in Hollywood, CA, and TMF Studios in New York City from Late 1987 - Mid 1988. Issued as the follow up to her multi-platinum, Grammy winning breakthrough Rapture, Bakers label Elektra Records will pressure the singer to hand the album in by a certain date when they feel she is taking an excessive amount of time mixing the record. Her then manager Sherwin Bash will take early mixdown reels from the studio with the intent of giving them to the label for manufacture. When Baker finds out, she will order that the tapes be returned immediately and destroyed. When the album is finally mixed to her satisfaction, the master tapes are turned in to Elektra. It will be a huge critical and commercial success upon its release, spinning off three singles including Just Because (#1 R&B, #14 Pop) and the title track (#1 R&B, #3 Pop). It will also win Baker three Grammy Awards including her second wins for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female in 1989. Giving You The Best That I Got will spend eight weeks (non-consecutive) at number one on the Billboard R&B album chart, four weeks at the top of the Top 200, and is certified 3x Platinum in the US by the RIAA.
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 01:00:11 +0000