''Doin' It Now!'' is the fourth studio album by American singer

Sybil Sibyls were oracular women believed to possess prophetic powers in ancient Greece. Sybil or Sibyl may also refer to: Films * ''Sybil'' (1921 film) * ''Sybil'' (1976 film), a film starring Sally Field * ''Sybil'' (2007 film), a remake of the 1 ...

, released in 1993.

Background

For this album, Sybil worked with different producers, including

Mike Stock Michael Stock (born 3 December 1951) is an English songwriter, record producer, musician, and member of the songwriting and production trio Stock Aitken Waterman. He has been responsible for over a hundred top-40 hits in the UK, including 16 n ...

and

Pete Waterman Peter Alan Waterman (born 15 January 1947) is an English record producer, songwriter, and television personality. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman production and songwriting team, he co-wrote and co-produced many UK hit singles. An av ...

, Denise Rich,

Prince Charles Alexander Charles Alexander (born April 2, 1958), known professionally as Prince Charles Alexander, is an American record producer, audio engineer and professor of music. He received a Grammy for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album in 2003. Early life an ...

and others. The album was released in the US and Canada only. In Europe during the same year, Sybil released a different album titled '' Good 'N' Ready'' that shares four songs with ''Doin' It Now!'': "You're the Love of My Life", "

The Love I Lost "The Love I Lost" is a song by American R&B group Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. Group member Teddy Pendergrass sang lead vocals. Originally written as a ballad by Philly soul songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, the song was transformed int ...

", "Guarantee of Love" and "Now or Never", but otherwise both albums go in a different musical direction.

Next Plateau NeXT, Inc. (later NeXT Computer, Inc. and NeXT Software, Inc.) was an American technology company headquartered in Redwood City, California that specialized in computer workstations for higher education and business markets, and later develope ...

, Sybil's label in the US, decided to showcase Sybil's R&B/soul sensibilities for the American market (which was popular at the time), whereas in Europe, PWL Records, Sybil's UK label, decided to release a more dance-orientated album with some Eurohouse sound as well as her soul music showcase. The album includes two covers: the

Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were an American soul and R&B vocal group. One of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s, the group's repertoire included soul, R&B, doo-wop, and disco. Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in ...

song "

" and the standard " What a Diff'rence a Day Makes", first made famous by

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (; born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, one of the most popular black female recording artists of the 1950s. Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performed and recorded in a ...

in 1959. Two songs on ''Doin' It Now!'' had previously been released on other Sybil albums, although the versions included are different mixes: "Love's Calling" had previously been released on her 1989 album ''

'' and "Let It Rain" had first been released on her 1990 album '' Sybilization'', and released as a single in 1991.

Singles

The first single from the album was a double A-side single of "You're the Love of My Life" (co-written by Sybil) and "The Love I Lost", which was released on its own in the UK and became Sybil's biggest hit there, peaking at #3. The single peaked at #90 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, but both songs were bigger hits on other charts: "You're the Love of My Life" peaked at #37 on the R&B charts, while "The Love I Lost" peaked at #18 on the Dance chart. No further singles from the album were released in the US. However, " Beyond Your Wildest Dreams", a song included on the European ''Good 'N' Ready'' album, was released as a single in September 1993 in the US. The European version of the song was a ballad, whereas for the US market the song was given a

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

makeover and a male rapper was added to the song, making it a mid-tempo hip-hop/R&B song. It peaked at #90 in the R&B charts.

Critical and commercial reception

Justin Kantor of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

praised Sybil's voice but criticized the inconsistent material. The album failed to chart in the US.

Track listing

#"You're the Love of My Life" – 4:50 #"We" – 4:30 #"Oh, How I Love You" – 4:11 #"Take Me Back" – 3:56 #"Let It Rain" – 5:56 #"Breathe a Prayer" – 4:39 #"When It's Gone Away" – 4:20 #"

" – 3:24 #"Now or Never" – 4:00 #"Guarantee of Love" – 4:01 #" What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" – 5:56 #"Love's Calling" – 3:40 #"Back Together Again" – 3:38

References

{{Authority control 1993 albums Sybil (singer) albums