''I'm Ready'' is the second studio album by singer

Tevin Campbell Tevin Jermod Campbell (born November 12, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He performed gospel in his local church from an early age. Following an audition for jazz musician Bobbi Humphrey in 1988, Campbell was signed to War ...

, released on October 26, 1993. With this album, Campbell showed his skill as a soul singer. ''I'm Ready'' was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

in the

Best R&B Album The Grammy Award for Best R&B Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the Contemporary R&B, R&B mus ...

category.

Critical reception

In a retrospective review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, editor Craig Lytle noted that "Campbell emerged as a true soul singer with ''I'm Ready'', his second album. The Texas native had the good fortune of working with some of the best producers and writers in the business to construct an excellent work ..There is much to savor on this album."

Commercial performance

The album sold over 2 million copies, reaching

double Platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music Sound recording and reproduction, recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video ...

status, and yielded the biggest R&B hit of his career, the #1 R&B single "

Can We Talk "Can We Talk" is a song performed by American R&B singer-songwriter Tevin Campbell. It was written and produced by Babyface and Daryl Simmons, and released in September 1993, by Qwest Records, as the lead single from Campbell's second studio a ...

". The album produced 3 more charting singles with " I'm Ready", " Always In My Heart" and " Don't Say Goodbye Girl". To date this has been Tevin's biggest selling album and many considered this album to be the high mark of his career despite the fact he was only 16 when he recorded the album. The album was nominated for 3

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

: 1994 Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance – Male ("Can We Talk"), 1995 Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance – Male ("I'm Ready"), and Best Rhythm & Blues Album.

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

was credited as

Paisley Park Paisley Park is a 65,000 square foot estate in Chanhassen, Minnesota, United States, once owned by American musician Prince. It was opened to the public as a museum in October 2016. History Construction of the $10 million complex began in Jan ...

for his contributions to the album as a songwriter, arranger, and producer.

Track listing

Notes * denotes an associate producer * denotes an additional producer

Personnel

Credits adapted from album's liner notes. * Eric Anest – engineer * Michael B. – drums *

Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...

– producer, instruments, and background vocals *

Tommy Barbarella Tommy Barbarella (born Thomas Elm) is an American keyboardist. He was a member of The New Power Generation, Prince (musician), Prince's recording and stage band, from 1991 to 1996. Career Barbarella also played on Miley Cyrus's album ''Breakou ...

– keyboards *

Louis Biancaniello Louis John Biancaniello is an American songwriter and record producer. Career Biancaniello's skills were developed while working alongside producer Narada Michael Walden with whom he produced hits for Shanice '' I Love Your Smile'', Whitney H ...

– associate producer, keyboards, programming, and synthesizer arrangements * Vernon "Ice" Black – acoustic guitar *

Atlanta Bliss Matthew "Atlanta Bliss" Blistan (born c. 1952) is an American jazz trumpeter. He is best known for his work with Prince from 1985–1991. He won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for the 1986 single "Kiss" by ...

– horns * Nicole Bradin – background vocals *

Michael Brauer Michael H. Brauer is an American mix engineer. Career He received a Grammy for "Best Pop Vocal Album" for his work on John Mayer's '' Continuum'', "Best Alternative Album" for Coldplay's '' Parachutes'', and also "Best Rock Album" for Coldplay' ...

– mixing *

– lead vocals , background vocals * Milton Chan – assistant engineer *

Bruck Dawit Bruck Dawit is an Ethiopian–American musician, music producer, record mixer, composer and author. Musical Bruck Dawit and his writing partner the singer France Gall, wrote the musical '' Résiste''. The musical had its first representation ...

– assistant mix engineer * David Eike – assistant engineer * David "Frazeman" Frazer – mixing and vocal engineer * Lori Fumar – assistant engineer * Tom Garneau – engineer * Nikita Germaine – background vocals * Brad Gilderman – engineer *

Preston Glass Preston Glass (born January 9, 1960) is an American musician, songwriter and producer. Glass is the winner of six BMI Awards. He has also worked with several famous artists such as Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Kenny G, Natalie ...

– sitar , background vocals * William "DJ" Graves – scratches * Sandy Griffith – background vocals * Ray Hahnfeldt – engineer , additional engineering *

Jerry Hey Jerry Hey (born 1950) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, horn arranger, string arranger, orchestrator and session musician who has played on hundreds of commercial recordings, including Michael Jackson's '' Thriller'', '' Rock with Y ...

– conductor and string arrangements *

Charlie Hunter Charlie Hunter (born May 23, 1967) is an American guitarist, composer, producer and bandleader. First coming to prominence in the early 1990s, Hunter plays custom-made seven- and eight-string guitars on which he simultaneously plays bass line ...

– electric guitar * Skyler Jett – background vocals * Kathleen Johnson – background vocals * Kirk Johnson – additional production , percussion *

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...

– executive producer * Ellen Keating – background vocals * Janice Lee – production coordinator *

Eric Leeds Eric Leeds is an American saxophone player, mostly known for his work with Prince (musician), Prince. He has recorded mostly music in the Pop music, pop and funk genres, but is a studied jazz musician.Cole, George.Eric Leeds: Interviews: The Las ...

– horns and horn arrangements *

Tony Lindsay Anthony Mark Lindsay (born 1954) is a vocalist and longest-tenured lead singer of Santana. He first joined the band 1991 and performed with Santana from 1995 to 2015, the group's period of greatest commercial success, during which it released the ...

– background vocals * Mike Mani – associate producer, keyboards, and programming * Frank "Killer Bee" Martin – synthesized strings * Leslie Matthews – background vocals *

Benny Medina Benny Medina (born January 24, 1958) is an American record executive, talent manager, and television producer. Early life and education Medina was born in East Los Angeles, California, into a poor family. The death of his mother and abandonment ...

– executive producer * Steve Noonan – engineer * Barney Perkins – mixing *

– producer, arranger, and executive producer * Marc "Elvis" Reyburn – engineer *

Claytoven Richardson Claytoven Richardson (born May 23, 1956) is an American singer, instrumentalist, producer, songwriter, and author. His musical career spans nearly three decades, during which he has been awarded several gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards. ...

– background vocals * Rail Rogut – assistant engineer , strings engineer * Matt Rohr – assistant engineer * Marc Russo – soprano saxophone * Levi Seacer Jr. – guitar * Monty Seward – associate producer, keyboards, and programming * Cynthia Shiloh – production coordinator *

Daryl Simmons Daryl L. Simmons is an American R&B record producer and songwriter. Best known for his production work with L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Simmons was credited on the majority of albums by their label LaFace Records, as well as sev ...

– producer * Ivy Skoff – production coordinator * Donnell Sullivan – engineer *

Sonny T. Sonny T. (born Sonny Thompson) is an American bass player. He was a member of The New Power Generation, Prince's recording and stage band, from 1991–1996. Sonny T. was a member of the Minneapolis bands Back to Black and The Lewis Connection ...

– bass * Jeanie Tracy – background vocals * Kevin Walden – production coordinator *

Narada Michael Walden Narada Michael Walden ( ; Michael Walden; born April 23, 1952) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He acquired the nickname Narada from Sri Chinmoy. He began his career as a drummer, working primarily in the jazz ...

– producer and arranger , rhythm and vocal arrangements , piano * Randy Walker – MIDI technician * Steve Warner – assistant engineer *

Dave Way Dave Way is a Grammy Award winning American producer, mixer and audio engineer based in Los Angeles, California, United States. He has worked with Fiona Apple, Sheryl Crow, Kesha, Pink, Iron And Wine, Fall Out Boy, Al Green, 21 Pilots, Yebba, Vic ...

– mixing *

Ulrich Wild Ulrich Wild (born December 31, 1969), is an American record producer, engineer and mixer specializing in the rock and metal genres. Born and raised in Switzerland, Ulrich is now a naturalized citizen in the United States, living in Los Angeles. ...

– assistant engineer * Jim "Z" Zumpano – engineer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links

Tevin Campbell-I'm Ready at Discogs
{{Authority control 1993 albums Tevin Campbell albums Qwest Records albums Warner Records albums Albums produced by Prince (musician) Albums produced by Babyface (musician) Albums produced by Narada Michael Walden