Poison (Bell Biv DeVoe album)

1990 studio album by Bell Biv DeVoe

Poison

Studio album by

Bell Biv DeVoe

Released| March 20, 1990
Recorded| 1989–1990
Studio|

* Echo Sound
* Greene St. Recording
* Battery Studios, New York
* George Tobin Studios
* M'Bila Studios

Genre|

* New jack swing[1][2]
* funk[3]
* R&B[3]
* hip hop[3]

Length| 47:28
Label| MCA
Producer|

* Louil Silas, Jr. (exec.)
* Bell Biv DeVoe
* Carl Bourelly
* D'Lavance
* Dr. Freeze
* Timmy Gatling
* Hiriam Hicks
* Eric "Vietnam" Sadler
* Hank Shocklee
* Keith Shocklee
* Alton "Wokie" Stewart

Bell Biv DeVoe chronology
|  | Poison
(1990)  | WBBD-Bootcity!: The Remix Album
(1991)

|
|

Singles from  Poison

1. "Poison"
Released: March 6, 1990
2. "Do Me!"
Released: June 10, 1990
3. "B.B.D. (I Thought It Was Me)?"
Released: September 18, 1990
4. "When Will I See You Smile Again?"
Released: 1991
5. "She's Dope!"
Released: 1991

Poison is the debut studio album from American R&B/hip hop group Bell Biv DeVoe, released March 20, 1990, on MCA Records.

The album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 chart. By April 1995, it was certified quadruple-platinum in sales by the RIAA, after sales exceeding 4,000,000 copies in the United States.

## Release and reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [2]
Pitchfork| 7.4/10[4]
Select| [5]

The album peaked at five on the U.S. Billboard 200 and reached the top spot on the R&B Albums chart.[6] The album was certified platinum in May 1990, and reached quadruple-platinum status by April 1995.[7]

Alex Henderson at AllMusic noted that the album "delivered some of New jack swing's most worthwhile material," and also gave the group credit for being one of "the form's more creative and imaginative figures."[2]

## Track listing

[edit]

No.| Title| Lyrics| Music| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Dope!" (aka "She's Dope!" Remix)| Dr. Freeze| Dr. Freeze, Eric "Vietnam" Sadler, Hank Shocklee, Keith Shocklee| 3:44
2.| "B.B.D. (I Thought It Was Me)?"| Durant, Hooks, Sadler, Shocklee, Stewart| Eric Sadler, Hank Shocklee, Keith Shocklee| 4:35
3.| "Let Me Know Something?!"| Durant, Hooks, Sadler, Shocklee| Eric "Vietnam" Sadler, Hank Shocklee, Keith Shocklee| 4:40
4.| "Do Me!"| Bell, Bivins, Bourelly, DeVoe| Bell Biv DeVoe, Carl E. Bourelly| 4:33
5.| "Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, Mike, Ralph and Johnny (Word to the Mutha)!"| Bell, Bivins, DeVoe| Bell Biv DeVoe, Peace Production (Wolf & Epic)| 4:30
6.| "Poison (Remix)"| Dr. Freeze| Dr. Freeze, Eric "Vietnam" Sadler, Hank Shocklee, Keith Shocklee| 4:22
7.| "Ain't Nut'in' Changed"| Durant, Sadler, Shocklee, Shocklee| Eric "Vietnam" Sadler, Hank Shocklee, Keith Shocklee| 3:30
8.| "When Will I See You Smile Again?"| Gatling, Stewart| Alton "Wokie" Stewart, Timmy Gatling| 5:08
9.| "I Do Need You"| Gatling| Alton "Wokie" Stewart, Timmy Gatling| 4:36
10.| "Poison [Extended Club Version]"| Dr. Freeze| D'Lavance| 7:50

## Production and personnel

[edit]

* Tracks 1 & 6 Produced by Dr. Freeze; associate producer (track 1): Howie Hirsch. Recorded by Jay Henry. Mixed (and remixed) by Eric Sadler and Hank/Keith Shocklee; track 6 mixed by Dr. Freeze & Jay Henry. All Instruments by Dr. Freeze.
* Tracks 2, 3 & 7 Produced by Eric Sadler/Hank & Keith Shocklee. Recorded & Mixed by Dan Wood, Jamie Staub, Kirk Yano, Nick Sansano & Rod Hui. All Music arranged & performed by Hank Shocklee & Roney Hooks.
* Track 4 Produced by Bell Biv Devoe & Carl Bourelly. Music Arranged by Carl Bourelly; vocals arranged by Bell Biv Devoe. Recorded by Barbara Milne; assisted by Karen Bohannon & Michael Allair. Mixed by Bell Biv Devoe. Kevin Johnson: Drums, Percussion; Carl Bourelly: Keyboards; Chris Floberg & Sherman Foole: Programming.
* Track 5 Produced by Bell Biv Devoe & Peace Productions. Recorded by Stephen P. Blazina. Mixed by Bell Biv Devoe & Stephen P. Blazina. All Instruments, Vocals and Arrangements by Bell Biv Devoe.
* Tracks 8 & 9 Produced by Alton Stewart & Timmy Gatling. Recorded & Mixed by Kurt Upper. Drum Programming & Keyboards by Howie Hirsch & Timmy Gatling. Alto sax solo on track 9 by John Doheny.

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

| Chart (1990)  | Peak
position

|

Australian Albums (ARIA)[8] | 83
Canadian Albums (RPM)[9] | 12
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[10] | 13
UK Albums (OCC)[11] | 35
US Billboard 200[12] | 5
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[13] | 1

### Year-end charts

[edit]

| Chart (1990)  | Position

|

US Billboard 200[14] | 12
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[15] | 7
Chart (1991)  | Position

|

US Billboard 200[16] | 33
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[17] | 19

## Certifications

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

United States (RIAA)[18] | 4× Platinum  | 4,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## See also

[edit]

* List of number-one R&B albums of 1990 (U.S.)

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Eddy, Chuck (March 2011). "Essentials: R&B Rubs Hip-Hop the Right Way and the New Jack Swing Era Is Born". Spin. New York: 84. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
2. ^ a b c Henderson, Alex. "allmusic ((( Poison > Review )))". AllMusic. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
3. ^ a b c "Poison - Bell Biv DeVoe | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
4. ^ Frederick, Brendan (July 29, 2018). "Bell Biv Devoe Poison". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
5. ^ Hewitt, Paolo (September 1990). "Bell Biv DeVoe: Poison". Select. No. 3\. p. 76.
6. ^ "allmusic ((( Poison > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". AllMusic. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
7. ^ "RIAA - Gold & Platinum - June 21, 2011 : Search Results - Bell Biv DeVoe". RIAA. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
8. ^ "Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing August 19, 1991". Retrieved August 19, 2022.
9. ^ "Item". Library and Archives Canada. July 17, 2013.
10. ^ "Charts.nz – Bell Biv DeVoe – Poison". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
11. ^ "Bell Biv DeVoe | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
12. ^ "Bell Biv DeVoe Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
13. ^ "Bell Biv DeVoe Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
14. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
15. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
16. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
17. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
18. ^ "American album certifications – Bell Biv DeVoe – Posion". Recording Industry Association of America.

## External links

[edit]

* Poison at Discogs

* v
* t
* e

Bell Biv DeVoe

* Ricky Bell
* Michael Bivins
* Ronnie DeVoe

Albums|

| Studio|

* Poison (1990)
* Hootie Mack  (1993)
* BBD (2001)
* Three Stripes (2017)

|

Remix|

* WBBD-Bootcity!: The Remix Album (1991)

Singles|

* "Poison"
* "Do Me!"
* "B.B.D. (I Thought It Was Me)?"
* "When Will I See You Smile Again?"
* "She's Dope!"
* "Word to the Mutha!"
* "Gangsta"
* "Above the Rim"
* "Something in Your Eyes"

Featured singles|

* "The Best Things in Life Are Free"

Related articles|

* New Edition
* Biv 10 Records

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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