Misplaced Pages

Real Men... Wear Black
Studio album by Cameo
Released	June 11, 1990
Recorded	1989–1990
Studio	Bazooka Studios (Miami, Florida) Encore Studios (Burbank, California)
Genre	Funk black rock
Length	40:35
Label	Atlanta Artists/Polygram Records
Producer	Larry Blackmon
Cameo chronology
Machismo (1988) Real Men... Wear Black (1990) Emotional Violence (1991)

Real Men... Wear Black is a studio album by the funk group Cameo released in 1990 on Atlanta Artists/Mercury Records. The album reached No. 18 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Los Angeles Times
Chicago Tribune
New York Times	(favourable)
USA Today	(favourable)
Rolling Stone
People	(favourable)
Select	2/5

Jon Pareles of the New York Times stated that "Larry Blackmon's cracked nasal voice keeps the band funny and unpretentious, especially when kicking up its well honed midtempo funk". Allmusic gave the album a three out of five star rating. Chris Heim of the Chicago Tribune noted "The sound is a bit harder and the themes a bit lighter, but this new album basically continues down the path Cameo has followed since trimming down to a trio in the early 1980s. It was then that the group began seriously to experiment with what Blackmon tagged ”black rock,” a musical mix Cameo has never really been adequately credited for helping create. ”Real Men” is another solid example of Cameo`s approach to the sound." Don Waller of the Los Angeles Times also proclaimed "using a krazee-quilt combination of synthetic/organic keyboards ‘n’ hipshot! percussion, greazy basslines and goofbawl vocals, (heavy on the minor sevenths), Cameo rolls back the rug for a wall-to-off-the-wall dance party".

Singles

I Want It Now reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart. Close Quarters also reached No. 38 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart.

Track listing

Personnel

Cameo

• Larry Blackmon – lead vocals, backing vocals, drums, percussion
• Tomi Jenkins – lead vocals, backing vocals
• Nathan Leftenant – backing vocals, trumpet

Additional musicians

• Billy Allen – keyboards, programming
• Kevin Kendricks – keyboards, programming
• Charlie Singleton – keyboards, guitars, backing vocals
• Robert Smith – keyboards, programming
• Aaron Mills – bass
• Melvin Wells – saxophones
• Jeryl Bright – trombone
• Smoove & Konduko – scratches
• Willie Morris – lead vocals, backing vocals

Production

• Larry Blackmon – producer
• Barney Perkins – recording, mixing
• Christopher Rutherford – recording
• Milton Chan – assistant engineer
• Paul Speck – assistant engineer
• Sterling Sound (New York, NY) – mastering location
• Reiner Design Consultants, Inc. – album design
• David Vance – photography
• Fleur Thiemeyer – fashion
• Anderson Phillips – hair

Charts

References

1. ^ Pareles, Jon (August 19, 1990). "HOME ENTERTAINMENT/RECORDINGS: AND KEEP IN MIND". The New York Times.
2. ^ Heim, Chris (July 1, 1990). "CAMEO "Real Men Wear Black"". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune.
3. ^ Cameo: Real Men... Wear Black. Atlanta Artists/Mercury Records. 1990.
4. ^ "Cameo: Real Men... Wear Black (Top Soul Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
5. ^ "Cameo: Real Men... Wear Black". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
6. ^ Waller, Don (July 1, 1990). "CAMEO "Real Men Wear Black"". Los Angeles Times.
7. Jones, James T (9 July 1990). "Rap works its way into vets' R&B". USA TODAY. p. 4D. ProQuest 306386869.
8. Linden, Amy (September 6, 1990). Cameo: Real Men Wear Black. Rolling Stone.
9. "Picks and Pans Review: Real Men Wear Black". people.com. People. July 16, 1990.
10. Perry, Neil (July 1990). "When Men Are Men And Larry's A Lamb". Select. p. 87.
11. "Cameo: I Want It Now (Hot R&B Songs)". billboard.com. Billboard.
12. "Cameo: Close Quarters (Hot R&B Songs)". billboard.com. Billboard.

• Cameo (band) albums
• 1990 albums
• Mercury Records albums