GONNA TAKE A MIRACLE: BEST OF - Deniece Williams

Personnel: Deniece Williams, Johnny Mathis (vocals); Bill Neale (conductor, guitar, background vocals); Thom Bell (conductor, keyboards, background vocals); Gene Page (conductor); Ray Parker, Jr. (guitar, background vocals); Jeffrey Baxter, Bobby Eli, Charles Fearing, Marlo Henderson, Paul Jackson, Jr., Steve Luthaker, Tim May, Al Mckay, Wah Wah Ragin, Lee Ritenour, John Rowin, Jr., Michael Sembello, David T. Walker (guitar); Dorothy Jeanne Ashby (harp); Lee Oskar (harmonica); Bill Green, Terry Harrington, John Heitmann, Plas Johnson, Ray Pizzi, Sheridon Stokes, Ernie Watts (woodwinds); Oscar Brashear, Chuck Findley, Michael Harris, Steve Madaio (trumpet); Sidney Muldrow, Alan Robinson, Gale Robinson, Marilyn Robinson (French horn); Randall Aldcroft, George Bohanon, Azar Lawrence, Charles Loper, Donald Myrick, George Patterson, Louis Satterfield, Andrew Woolfolk (trombone); George Merrill (keyboards, background vocals); George Duke, Larry Dunn, Larry Farrow, Russel Ferrante, David Foster, Jerry Peters, Greg Phillinganes, Sylvester L. Rivers, Jr., Michel Rubini (keyboards); Richard Elliot (lyricon); Gary Coleman, Victor Feldman (vibraphone); Bob Babbitt, Nathan East, Scott Edwards, David Hungate, Louis Johnson, David Shields, Lee Sklar, "Ready" Freddie Washington, Nathan Watts, Verdine White (bass); Maurice White (drums, percussion, background vocals); Mike Baird, Ollie E. Brown, Charles Collins, Paulinho Da Costa, Alan Estes, David Garibaldi, Ed Greene, Ricky Lawson, Jeff Porcaro, Denny Seiwel, Ed Shay, Tommy Vig, Larry Washington, Freddie White, Bob Zimmitti (drums, percussion); Philip Bailey, Sydney Barnes, Carl Carwell, Bill Champlin, Dyanne Chandler, Carl Helm, Joseph B. Jefferson, Shannon Rubicam, Maxine Willard Waters, Oren Waters (background vocals).
Producers include: Maurice White, Charles Stepney, Ray Parker, Jr., David Foster, Thom Bell.
Compilation producer: Leo Sacks.
Engineers include: Dick Bogert, Peter Chaiken, Dirk Devlin.
Includes liner notes by Virginia Prescott.
This is part of Legacy's Rhythym & Soul series.
Personnel: Deniece Williams (vocals, background vocals); David Hungate, Verdine White (vocals); Bill Neale, Ray Parker, Jr. (guitar, background vocals); David T. Walker, John Rowin, Jeff Baxter, Al McKay, Lee Ritenour , Melvin "Wah Wah" Ragin, Michael Sembello, Paul Jackson, Jr. , Steve Lukather, Timothy May , Marlo Henderson, Charles Fearing, Bobby Eli (guitar); Jeanne Ashby, Dorothy Ashby (harp); Don Renaldo (strings, horns); Lee Oskar (harmonica); John Heitmann, Plas Johnson , Ray Pizzi, Terry Harrington (woodwinds, French horn); Ernie Watts, Bill Green , Sheridon Stokes (woodwinds); George Bohannon, Don Myrick, George Patterson, Randall Aldcroft, Andrew Woolfolk, Azar Lawrence, Charles Loper, Louis Satterfield (trumpet, trombone); Chuck Findley, Michael Harris, Oscar Brashear, Steve Madaio (trumpet); Marilyn Robinson, Gale Robinson, Sidney Muldrow, Alan Robinson (French horn); George Merrill, Thom Bell (keyboards, background vocals); George Duke, Sylvester Rivers, Greg Phillinganes, Larry Farrow, Jerry Peters, Larry Dunn, Michel Rubini, Russell Ferrante, David Foster (keyboards); Richard Elliot (lyricon); Victor Feldman, Gary Coleman (vibraphone, vibraslap, background vocals); Maurice White (drums, percussion, background vocals); Michael Baird , Alan Estes, Bob Zimmitti, David Garibaldi, Denny Seiwell, Ed Greene, Freddie White, Tommy Vig, Ed Shay, Jeff Porcaro, Larry Washington, Mike Baird, Ollie E. Brown, Paulinho Da Costa, Ricky Lawson, Charles Collins (drums, percussion); Bob Babbitt, Nathan East (percussion); Carl Carwell, Dyanne Chandler, Carl Helm, Joseph B. Jefferson, Maxine Willard Waters, Oren Waters, Philip Bailey, Shannon Rubicam, Sidney Barnes, Bill Champlin, Nathan Watts (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Tom Tom 84; Gene Page; David Foster.
Liner Note Author: Viriginia Prescott.
Recording information: A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA; Burbank Studios, Burbank, CA; Complex; Davlen Recorders; Devonshire Studios; Gonks West; Ho; Wally Heider 3.
Unknown Contributor Roles: David Garibaldi; Mike Tarsia.
Arrangers: Gene Page; Bill Neale; Thom Bell.
This 16-track, 72-and-a-half-minute compilation contains Deniece Williams' two number one pop/R&B hits, "Let's Hear It for the Boy" and "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" (a duet with Johnny Mathis), as well as her remake of "It's Gonna Take a Miracle," an R&B number one and Top Ten pop hit, and "Free," which just missed the top of the R&B chart and made the pop Top 40. Otherwise, the collection is somewhat idiosyncratic, compilation producer Leo Sacks' idea of Williams' best, rather than her greatest hits. Her success on the R&B singles chart, where she scored 18 Top 40 hits, is shortchanged, as the set fails to contain such major R&B hits as "Never Say Never" and "You're All I Need to Get By." At the same time, Sacks finds room for the eight-minute album track "If You Don't Believe" and Williams' early gospel composition "God Is Amazing." Such tracks serve to emphasize the diversity in Williams' catalog, but R&B fans may find the set wanting. ~ William Ruhlmann

• Genre: Pop
• Released: 3/12/1996
• Format: CD
• Released: 03/12/1996
• Genre: Pop
• Released: 3/12/1996
• Format: CD