CombiNation

by Maxi Priest

Overview

Few artists have explored the possibilities of pop-reggae fusion as successfully as Maxi Priest, who is enormously popular in his native Britain and has achieved a level of stateside success that other reggae artists (with the exception of UB40) can only wish for. His smooth voice and his comfort with soul and hip-hop have only increased his marketability; purists may scoff, but there's no denying his talent. CombiNation finds him working in an explicitly soul-influenced style -- "What a Woman Needs" and "Wasn't Meant to Be" are seductive smooth groove ballads that have no noticeable connection to any reggae tradition -- with frequent detours into muscular hip-hop and dancehall grooves. "Mary's Got a Baby" is a monstrously funky collaboration with Beenie Man (a stripped-down remix ends the album); "Tell Your Man to Take a Walk" takes a similar approach, this time in partnership with the DJ Red Rat. Slow love songs predominate, although they don't provide most of the album's highlights. Recommended. ~ Rick Anderson

Product Details

Release Date:	07/13/1999
Label:	Virgin
UPC:	0724384756925

Tracks

1. We Tomorrow's People
2. Mary's Got a Baby
3. What a Woman Needs
4. Back Together Again
5. She Wants to Dance
6. Golden Lady
7. Wasn't Meant to Be
8. Try
9. It's a Lady's Night
10. I Only Have One Heart
11. The One
12. Tell Your Man to Take a Walk
13. Here We Go
14. So What If It Rains
15. God Watches over Us
16. Mary's Got a Baby

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Maxi Priest   Primary Artist,Vocals (Background),Vocals
Elisha LaVerne   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Glamma Kid   Guest Artist,Featured Artist
Red Rat   Guest Artist,Featured Artist
General Degree   Guest Artist,Featured Artist
Beenie Man   Guest Artist,Featured Artist
Degree   Featured Artist
Robbie Shakespeare   Guest Artist,Bass
Sly Dunbar   Guest Artist,Drums
Wayne Hector   Vocals (Background)
Lain Gray   Vocals (Background)
Paul Robinson   Vocals (Background)
Pharrell Williams   Multi Instruments
Dalton Browne   Vocals (Background)
Simon Fischer   Violin
Fiona McCapra   Violin
Paul Lee   Vocals (Background)
Kevin Robinson   Trumpet
Crissy D   Vocals (Background)
Chad Hugo   Multi Instruments
Winston Rollins   Trombone
Delouie Avant   Vocals (Background)
Livingstone Brown   Guitar
Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick   Guitar
Maysa   Vocals (Background)
Hazel Fernandez   Vocals (Background)
Gordon Chambers   Vocals (Background)
Heather Cummings   Vocals (Background)
Samantha Smith   Vocals (Background)
John Thirkell   Trumpet
Gordon Dukes   Vocals (Background)
Danny Browne   Bass,Drums,Synthesizer,Multi Instruments,Vocals (Background)
Gary Barnacle   Saxophone
Lloyd "Gitsy" Willis   Guitar
Stephen Hussey   Violin
Chris Taggart   Drums
Romeo Williams   Guitar (Bass)
Lee Hamblin   Multi Instruments
Mark Anthoni   Vocals (Background)
Nicky Brown   Piano
L. Yendole   Viola
Ryan Elliott   Rap
Wondress Hutchinson   Vocals (Background)
Lamya Al-Mughiery   Vocals (Background)
Simon "The Funky Ginger" Law   Multi Instruments
Gary Sanctuary   Keyboards
Gadget   Keyboards
LaJuan Carter   Vocals (Background)
Debbie Ffrench   Vocals (Background)
Joe Thomas   Multi Instruments,Vocals (Background)
Chris DeMargary   Saxophone
Trevor Skatta Bonnick   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick   Composer,Producer,Mixing
Wayne Hector   Composer
Paul Robinson   Arranger
Jim Janik   Engineer
Maxi Priest   Vocal Arrangement,Executive Producer,Arranger,Producer
Ash Howes   Mixing,Engineer
Glamma Kid   Performer
Patrick Viala   Engineer
Sly Dunbar   Mixing,Producer
Smiley Culture   Executive Producer
Simon Cotsworth   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Drum Programming
Simon Gogerly   Mixing
Kenny Gamble   Composer
Joe   Composer
James "J.T." Taylor   Composer
D'Influence   Mixing,Producer,Remixing
James Mtume   Composer
Earl Toon   Composer
General Degree   Performer
Jason Sterling   Engineer
Livingstone Brown   Arranger,Composer,Producer,Programming
Robert "Kool" Bell   Composer
Robbie Shakespeare   Mixing,Producer
Joshua Thompson   Composer
Hugh Palmer   Mixing
Iyael Constable   Composer
Louis Yule Brown   Composer
Moses Davies   Composer
Ernest Toppin   Composer
Ronald Bell   Composer
Jason Stasium   Assistant Engineer
Red Rat   Performer
Meekaaeel Muhammad   Composer
The Neptunes   Remixing
George Michael   Composer
Handel Tucker   Composer
Gordon Chambers   Composer,Vocal Arrangement
Moses Davis   Composer
Stevie Wonder   Composer
Reggie Lucas   Composer
Gordon Dukes   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Vocal Arrangement
Danny Browne   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Gary Benson   Composer,Producer
Beenie Man   Performer
Dennis "D.T." Thomas   Composer
Leon Huff   Composer
Robert Livingston   Mixing,Composer,Producer,Vocal Arrangement
Phillip Smart   Engineer
Jerry Ross   Composer
Earl Cohen   Mixing
Gemma Corfield   Executive Producer
Lee Hamblin   Mixing,Producer
Paul Blake   Composer
Richard Browne   Mixing
Hideo Oida   Photography
Rory Baker   Engineer
Nicky Brown   Programming,Vocal Arrangement
Ed Baden-Powell   String Arrangements
K. Miller   Composer
Keith Miller   Composer
Ryan Elliott   Composer
L. Brown   Composer
Simon "The Funky Ginger" Law   Mixing,Producer
Gary Sanctuary   Composer,Programming
Gadget   Associate Producer,Rhythm Arrangements
Kevin Stone   Engineer
Max Elliott   Composer
Daniel Maunick   Drum Programming
Toby Ludwig   Executive Producer
Dan Hirsch   Mastering
Joe Thomas   Composer,Producer
Christopher Branch   Composer
George "Funky" Brown   Composer
Ron A. Schafer   Mixing
Paul Emmanuel   Mixing
Kent Brainerd   Composer
Claydes Smith   Composer
Wayne Anthony Hector   Composer