Lionel Richie – Back to Front (1992)Back to Front is the first official greatest hits compilation by Lionel Richie, released in September 1992 on Motown Records. The album reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart and sold over 10 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling compilations of the 1990s. Its 16-track running time spans the full breadth of Richie's career — from his years as a member and principal songwriter of The Commodores (Three Times a Lady, Easy, Still, Sail On) through to his extraordinary run of solo success in the 1980s. Richie's solo career produced four consecutive US No. 1 albums and a string of singles that dominated the global pop charts throughout the decade, including Hello — which spent four weeks at No. 1 in the UK — and Say You, Say Me, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song from the film White Nights (1985). The compilation also includes Endless Love, his celebrated duet with Diana Ross, which spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100.Highlights Hello — Richie's most enduring ballad and one of the most recognisable British pop No. 1s of the 1980s; the piano-led melody is immediately familiar, the lyric is a masterclass in romantic directness, and the performance is warm and completely sincere. Its four-week UK No. 1 run and its extraordinary longevity on radio playlists speak to a song of genuine, timeless quality. All Night Long (All Night) — The album's most joyful and celebratory track; a driving, African-influenced party anthem with a melody of irresistible energy and a performance that captures Richie at his most exuberant and crowd-pleasing. Its use at the closing ceremony of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics gave it a global reach that few pop singles have ever achieved. Endless Love (feat. Diana Ross) — The theme from Franco Zeffirelli's 1981 film and one of the great pop duets; Ross and Richie's voices complement each other with complete ease and the song's romantic directness gives it an emotional power that has kept it on playlists for over four decades. Nine weeks at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Say You, Say Me — The Academy Award-winning theme from White Nights (1985) and one of Richie's most melodically generous ballads; a warm, unhurried song with a lyric of simple emotional wisdom and a performance of complete sincerity, and one of the most satisfying and replayable tracks on the compilation. Three Times a Lady (Commodores) — The Commodores classic and the song that first established Richie as one of the great ballad writers of his generation; a spare, piano-led love song of complete simplicity and directness that gave the group their first US No. 1 and demonstrated from the outset the extraordinary melodic gift that would define Richie's career. CD Details Title: Back to Front Artist: Lionel Richie Year: 1992 Label: Motown Records / Universal Music Format: CD Compilation Tracks: 16 Barcode: 0731453001824 ConditionCondition: Used Excellent — see our Condition Grading Guide.Browse our full 1990s CD collection. You might also enjoy our Blu-ray titles or our Vinyl Records.
