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United
Studio album by Commodores
Released	October 7, 1986
Recorded	1986
Studio	Motown Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California) Conway Studios and Soundcastle (Hollywood, California)
Genre	Funk soul R&B
Length	38:22
Label	Polydor
Producer	Dennis Lambert
Commodores chronology
The Very Best Of (1985) United (1986) Rock Solid (1988)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
People	(favourable)

United is the 12th studio album by the Commodores, released on October 7, 1986 on Polydor Records.

Overview

The album reached number 17 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. "Goin' to the Bank" climbed to number two on Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart. "Take It from Me" peaked at No. 38 on the US Billboard R&B singles chart. Another single, "United in Love", peaked at No. 22 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

Covers

The Commodores covered Peabo Bryson's "Let's Apologize" from his 1985 studio album Take No Prisoners.

Track listing

Personnel

Commodores

• Walter Orange – drums, lead vocals (1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 10), backing vocals (4), arrangements (10)
• J.D. Nicholas – rap (1), lead vocals (2, 3, 4, 6–9), backing vocals (3, 4, 6)
• William King – keyboards, arrangements (7), BGV arrangements (7)
• Milan Williams – keyboards, arrangements (8), BGV arrangements (8)

Additional musicians

• Claude Gaudette – keyboards (1–4, 6), electronic programming (1–4, 6), arrangements (2, 3, 4, 6)
• Casey Young – special effects (1), keyboards (5, 9, 10), electronic programming (5, 9, 10)
• Greg Mathieson – keyboards (5, 10), arrangements (5, 9, 10)
• John Barnes – synthesizers (7, 8)
• Michael Boddicker – synthesizers (7, 8)
• Harold Hudson – synthesizers (7, 8), arrangements (7), BGV arrangements (7), backing vocals (7, 8)
• Sheldon Reynolds – guitars (1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10), arrangements (2, 6), guitar synthesizer (6), backing vocals (6, 7, 8)
• Paul Jackson Jr. – guitars (3, 5, 9, 10)
• Dann Huff – guitars (4)
• Michael Thompson – guitars (9)
• Paulinho da Costa – percussion (5, 7, 8, 10)
• Isaac Morris – arrangements (6), drum overdubs (7)
• Gary Herbig – saxophone solo (10)
• James Anthony Carmichael – arrangements (7, 8)
• Siedah Garrett – backing vocals (1, 2, 3, 6), rap (1)
• Dennis Lambert – backing vocals (1, 2), BGV arrangements (1, 2, 3)
• Phil Perry – backing vocals (1, 2)
• Darryl Phinnessee – backing vocals (1, 2)
• Julia Tillman Waters – backing vocals (3, 9, 10)
• Maxine Willard Waters – backing vocals (3, 9, 10)
• Bill Champlin – backing vocals (5, 9, 10)
• Jason Scheff – backing vocals (9, 10)

Production

• Dennis Lambert – producer (1–4, 6)
• Jeremy Smith – producer (1, 2, 6), recording (1, 2, 3, 6), mixing (1–4, 6)
• Greg Mathieson – producer (5, 9, 10)
• James Anthony Carmichael – producer (7, 8)
• Lloyd Tolbert – assistant producer (7, 8)
• Milan Williams – producer (8)
• Paul Ericksen – assistant engineer (1, 2, 6), mixing (3, 4), recording (4)
• Mick Guzauski – recording (5, 9, 10), mixing (5, 9, 10)
• Bino Espinoza – assistant engineer (5, 10)
• Don Murray – assistant engineer (5, 10)
• Calvin Harris – recording (7, 8), mixing (7, 8)
• Fred Law – additional recording (7, 8)
• Karen Siegel – assistant engineer (7, 8)
• Stephen Marcussen – mastering at Precision Lacquer (Los Angeles, California).
• Bill Levy – art direction
• John Kosh – package design
• Chris Callis – photography

Charts

Album

References

1. Henderson, Alex. "Commodores: United". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
2. "Picks and Pans Review: United". people.com. People. December 1, 1986.
3. Commodores: United. Polydor Records. October 1986.
4. "Commodores: United". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 24, 2018.
5. "Commodores: Goin' To The Bank (Hot R&B Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 26, 2018.
6. "Commodores: United in Love (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 24, 2018.
7. "Commodores: Take It From Me (Hot R&B Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 24, 2018.
8. "Let's Apologize by Peabo Bryson". secondhandsongs.com.
9. Commodores - United, Hitparade, retrieved 2024-11-15
10. "Commodores - United". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
11. "Commodores - United". www.offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 2024-11-15.

• Commodores albums
• 1986 albums
• Polydor Records albums