Soul (Seal album)

2008 studio album by Seal

Soul

Studio album by

Seal

Released| 10 November 2008
Recorded| 2008
Studio|

* Chartmaker (Malibu)
* Capitol (Hollywood)
* Record Plant (Los Angeles)

Genre|

* Soul
* R&B

Length| 41:13
Label|

* 143
* Warner Bros.

Producer|

* David Foster
* Jochem van der Saag

Seal chronology
| System
(2007)  | Soul
(2008)  | Seal 6: Commitment
(2010)

|
|

Singles from  Soul

1. "It's a Man's Man's Man's World"
Released: 10 November 2008 (UK)
2. "A Change Is Gonna Come"
Released: 22 November 2008 (UK)
3. "It's Alright"
Released: 16 March 2009 (UK)
4. "I Can't Stand the Rain"
Released: March 2009 (Brazil)[1]
5. "If You Don't Know Me by Now"
Released: March 2009 (US)[2]

Professional ratingsAggregate scores

Source| Rating
Metacritic| 59/100[3]
Review scores
Source| Rating
AllMusic| [4]
Billboard| positive[5]
Entertainment Weekly| B−[6]
PopMatters| [7]
Robert Christgau| [8]
Rolling Stone| [9]
The Toronto Star| [10]
Vibe| [11]
"A Change Is Gonna Come" single cover

Soul is the sixth studio album by British singer Seal, which was released on 10 November 2008. The album was produced by David Foster, and co-produced, engineered and mixed by Jochem van der Saag.[12] It is made up of cover versions of eleven soul music classics.[13][14]

The album charted within the top 10 in twelve countries. In the United Kingdom, the album charted at number twelve. As of January 2012, the album had sold 419,841 copies in the UK.[15] The album peaked at number thirteen in the United States on the Billboard 200 albums chart. It has since sold 547,000 copies in the US.[16]

## Track listing[edit]

No.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "A Change Is Gonna Come"| Sam Cooke| 3:55
2.| "I Can't Stand the Rain"| Ann Peebles, Don Bryant, Bernard Miller| 3:35
3.| "It's a Man's Man's Man's World"| James Brown, Betty Jean Newsome| 3:53
4.| "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)"| Al Green, Mabon Hodges| 4:10
5.| "I've Been Loving You Too Long"| Otis Redding, Jerry Butler| 3:08
6.| "It's Alright"| Curtis Mayfield| 3:47
7.| "If You Don't Know Me by Now"| Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff| 3:50
8.| "Knock on Wood"| Eddie Floyd, Steve Cropper| 3:22
9.| "I'm Still in Love with You"| Al Green, Willie Mitchell, Al Jackson Jr.| 4:37
10.| "Free"| Henry Redd, Susaye Green, Nathan Watts, Deniece Williams| 3:27
11.| "Stand by Me"| Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller| 4:06
12.| "People Get Ready"| Curtis Mayfield| 3:35

## Personnel[edit]

* Seal – vocals, backing vocals
* Dean Parks, Michael Thompson – guitar
* Marcus Brown, Nathan East – bass guitar
* David Foster – piano, string and horn arrangements
* Jochem Van Der Saag – Hammond organ, synthesizer, programming
* Teddy Campbell – drums on "Knock on Wood"
* John Robinson – drums on "Stand by Me"
* Jerry Hey – string and horn arrangements
* Don Sebesky – string and horn arrangement on "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" and "Knock on Wood"
* Brad Dechter – string and horn arrangement on "I'm Still in Love with You"

## Charts[edit]

### Weekly charts[edit]

Chart (2008–2009)  | Peak
position

|

Argentinean Albums (CAPIF)[17] | 12
Australian Albums (ARIA)[18] | 16
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[19] | 8
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[20] | 2
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[21] | 1
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[22] | 11
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[23] | 5
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[24] | 6
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[25] | 23
French Albums (SNEP)[26] | 1
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[27] | 15
Irish Albums (IRMA)[28] | 21
Italian Albums (FIMI)[29] | 5
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[30] | 22
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[31] | 7
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[32] | 9
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[33] | 12
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[34] | 6
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[35] | 4
UK Albums (OCC)[36] | 12
US Billboard 200[37] | 13
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[38] | 4

### Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (2008)  | Position

|

Australian Albums (ARIA)[39] | 98
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[40] | 33
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[41] | 41
French Albums (SNEP)[42] | 2
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[43] | 34
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[44] | 58
UK Albums (OCC)[45] | 40
Chart (2009)  | Position

|

Belgian Albums (Ultratop overal)[46] | 1
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[47] | 16
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[48] | 1
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[49] | 44
French Albums (SNEP)[50] | 2
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[51] | 14
UK Albums (OCC)[52] | 145
US Billboard 200[53] | 75
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[54] | 28

## Certifications[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Australia (ARIA)[55] | Gold  | 35,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[56] | Gold  | 10,000*
Belgium (BEA)[57] | 2× Platinum  | 60,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[58] | Platinum  | 80,000^
France (SNEP)[59] | Diamond  | 750,000*
Germany (BVMI)[60] | Gold  | 100,000^
Italy (FIMI)[61] | Gold  | 35,000*
Norway (IFPI Norway)[62] | Gold  | 15,000*
Portugal (AFP)[63] | Gold  | 10,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[64] | Gold  | 40,000^
Sweden (GLF)[65] | Gold  | 20,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[66] | Platinum  | 30,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[67] | Platinum  | 300,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[68] | 2× Platinum  | 2,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## References[edit]

1. ^ [1] Archived 22 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
2. ^ [2][dead link]
3. ^ Metacritic score
4. ^ AllMusic review
5. ^ "Billboard review". Archived from the original on 15 November 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2012.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
6. ^ Entertainment Weekly review
7. ^ PopMatters review
8. ^ Robert Christgau review
9. ^ "Rolling Stone review". Archived from the original on 29 November 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2010.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
10. ^ The Toronto Star review
11. ^ "Vibe review". Archived from the original on 21 December 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2012.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
12. ^ http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr09/articles/it_0409.htm Article by Paul Tingen on van der Saag's work on Soul, in Sound on Sound magazine
13. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (1 October 2008). http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1043914/seal-sings-from-his-soul-on-new-album Seal Sings from His 'Soul' on New Album. Billboard. Retrieved 4 October 2008.
14. ^ Seal's Soul Archived 12 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Auspop (4 October 2008). Retrieved 4 October 2008.
15. ^ Jones, Alan (30 January 2012). "Official Chart Analysis: Sales slow, but Sheeran and Cover Drive reign". Music Week. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
16. ^ Caulfield, Keith (1 February 2012). "Tim McGraw Scores Top Billboard 200 Debut, Adele Still No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
17. ^ "Representando a la Industria Argentina de la Música" (in Spanish). CAPIF. 31 January 2010. Archived from the original on 9 October 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
18. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Seal – Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
19. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Seal – Soul" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
20. ^ "Ultratop.be – Seal – Soul" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
21. ^ "Ultratop.be – Seal – Soul" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
22. ^ "Seal Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
23. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Seal – Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
24. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Seal – Soul" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
25. ^ "Seal: Soul" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
26. ^ "Lescharts.com – Seal – Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
27. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Seal – Soul" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
28. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Seal". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
29. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Seal – Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
30. ^ "Charts.nz – Seal – Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
31. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Seal – Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
32. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Seal – Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
33. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Seal – Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
34. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Seal – Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
35. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Seal – Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
36. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
37. ^ "Seal Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
38. ^ "Seal Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
39. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 2008". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
40. ^ "Rapports Annuels 2008". Ultratop. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
41. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2008". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
42. ^ [3] Archived 2 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
43. ^ "Årslista Album – År 2008" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
44. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2008". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
45. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2008". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
46. ^ De Belgische entertainmentmarkt 2009 – Top 10 Albums 2009 Belgium (p. 14 – 16)
47. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2009" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
48. ^ "Rapports Annuels 2009". Ultratop. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
49. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2009". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
50. ^ "Tops & Flops musicaux en 2009" (in French). Chartsinfrance.net. 28 December 2009. Retrieved 4 September 2010.
51. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2009". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
52. ^ "UK Year-End 2009" (PDF). Charts Plus. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
53. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
54. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
55. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2008 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
56. ^ "Austrian album certifications – Seal – Soul" (in German). IFPI Austria.
57. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2009". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
58. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Seal – Soul". Music Canada.
59. ^ "French album certifications – Seal – Soul" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 26 November 2021. Select SEAL and click OK.
60. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Seal; 'Soul')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
61. ^ "Italian album certifications – Seal – Soul" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Select "Tutti gli anni" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Soul" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
62. ^ "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
63. ^ "Portuguese album certifications – Seal – Soul" (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
64. ^ "Spanish album certifications – Seal – Soul". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
65. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2008" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011.
66. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Soul')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
67. ^ "British album certifications – Seal – Soul". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Soul  in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
68. ^ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2010". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 June 2023.

## External links[edit]

* Soul at Metacritic

* v
* t
* e

Seal

Discography

Studio albums|

* Seal (1991)
* Seal (1994)
* Human Being (1998)
* Seal IV (2003)
* System (2007)
* Soul (2008)
* Seal 6: Commitment (2010)
* Soul 2 (2011)
* 7 (2015)
* Standards (2017)

Live albums|

* Live in Paris (2005)

Compilations|

* Best 1991–2004 (2004)
* Hits (2009)

Unreleased albums|

* Togetherland (2001)

Singles|

* "Crazy" (1990)
* "Future Love Paradise" (1991)
* "The Beginning" (1991)
* "Killer" (1991)
* "Violet" (1992)
* "Prayer for the Dying" (1994)
* "Kiss from a Rose" (1994)
* "Newborn Friend" (1994)
* "I'm Alive" (1994)
* "Don't Cry" (1996)
* "Fly Like an Eagle" (1997)
* "Human Beings" (1998)
* "This Could Be Heaven" (2001)
* "Les Mots" (2001)
* "My Vision" (2002)
* "Get It Together" (2002)
* "Love's Divine" (2003)
* "Waiting for You" (2003)
* "Walk On By" (2004)
* "Killer 2005" (2005)
* "Amazing" (2007)
* "The Right Life" (2008)
* "A Change Is Gonna Come" (2008)
* "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" (2008)
* "I Can't Stand the Rain" (2009)
* "If You Don't Know Me by Now" (2009)
* "Secret" (2010)

Related articles|

* Heidi Klum
* The Bullitts

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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