The Best of Donell Jones

by Donell Jones

Overview

Each successive Donell Jones album has charted higher than the one that preceded it -- topping out at number 30, number six, number two, then number one, at least on the R&B/hip-hop albums chart -- and yet, the singer still seemed like something of a cult artist as late as 2007, releasing the occasional single that most R&B radio listeners know, while never really becoming a full-blown star. In fact, his first single, 1999's cool and breezy "U Know What's Up" -- written by a cast that included a pre-notoriety Anthony Hamilton and the undervalued Balewa Muhammad -- is the only one that cracked the Top Ten of Billboard's mainstream singles chart. That the equally excellent "Spend the Night" (from 2006) follows "U Know What's Up" on The Best of Donell Jones goes to show how Jones' frustrated bafflement would be justifiable; it didn't even touch the mainstream chart and peaked at number 74 on the R&B chart. While each of Jones' four albums through 2006's Journey of a Gemini is rather consistent, this disc is pretty close to faultless as a highlights summary. Excepting "In the Hood" (an odd omission) and "Ooh Na Na" (a very minor and late charter), it contains each single Jones released from 1996 through 2006. At only 53 minutes, it wouldn't have hurt to be all-inclusive with the singles while throwing in a couple deserving album cuts, but that would decrease the chances of casual fans backtracking and getting the albums, wouldn't it? ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	05/26/2015
Label:	Bmg / Sony Music / Sony Music Entertainment
UPC:	0888751053625

Tracks

1. U Know What's Up
2. Spent the Night
3. Where I Wanna Be
4. I'm Gonna Be
5. You Know That I Love You (Main)
6. This Luv
7. Shorty (Got Her Eyes on Me)
8. Better Start Talking (Main)
9. Where You Are (Is Where I Wanna Be), Pt. 2
10. Cry
11. Still
12. Put Me Down
13. Knocks Me off My Feet

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Donell Jones   Primary Artist
Jermaine Dupri   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Kyle West   Producer,Composer
Sean Garrett   Composer,Producer
Edward Ferrell   Composer
Eric Williams   Composer
Sheldon Goode   Composer,Producer
Jermaine Dupri   Composer
Ryan Leslie   Composer,Producer
Balewa Muhammad   Composer
Darren Lighty   Composer,Producer
Anthony Hamilton   Composer
Tim Kelley   Composer
Stevie Wonder   Composer
Cliff Lighty   Composer
Darin Whittington   Producer
John Oates   Composer
Mike City   Composer,Producer
Wesley Hogges   Composer,Producer
Daryl Hall   Composer
Donell Jones   Arranger,Composer,Producer
Richard Jon Smith   Producer
Melvin Lewis   Composer
Noel Absalom   Producer
Thomas Martin   Composer
Eric "E Ballad" Williams   Producer
Jamie Hawkins   Producer
Mark Pitts   A&R
Chris Absolam   Composer,Producer
Jeff Gilligan   Design
Leticia Hilliard   A&R
Clay Patrick McBride   Photography
Veronica McKenzie   Composer
Bob Robinson   Composer