...If I Ever Fall in Love: Difference between revisions

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{{about|the album|the album's title track|If I Ever Fall in Love}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox album

| name = ...If I Ever Fall in Love

Line 7 ⟶ 8:

| alt =

| released = December 22, 1992

| recorded = 1991–921991–1992

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = [[contemporary R&B|R&B]]

| length = 49:00

| label = [[MCA Records|MCA]]

| producer =
* Carl "Groove" Martin,
* Marc Gay,
* Darnell VanRensalier

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title = [[Right Back at Cha]]

| next_year = 1993

| misc = {{Singles

| name = ...If I Ever Fall in Love

| type = studio

| single1 = [[If I Ever Fall in Love]]

| single1date = September 1, 1992

| single2 = [[Comforter (song)|Comforter]]

| single2date = January 19, 1993

| single3 = Baby I'm Yours

| single3date = 1993

| single4 = Together Forever

| single4date = 1993

| single5 = Yours

| single5date = 1993

}}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = [[Allmusic]]

| rev1Score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}<ref name="Erlewine"/>

| rev2 = [[Robert Christgau]]

| rev2Score = B−<ref name="Christgau"/>

| rev3 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''

| rev3Score = B−<ref name="Browne"/>

| rev4 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''

| rev4Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="Muze"/>

}}

'''''...If I Ever Fall in Love''''' is the [[studio album|debut album]] of American [[contemporary R&B|R&B]] group [[Shai (band)|Shai]], released December 22, 1992, on [[MCA Records]]. It was produced by group members Carl "Groove" Martin and Darnell Van Rensalier.

The album produced three hit [[single (music)|single]]s, "[[If I Ever Fall in Love]]", "[[Comforter (song)|Comforter]]", and "Baby I'm Yours". On January 13, 1994, ''...If I Ever Fall in Love'' was certified [[RIAA certification|double platinum]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA), for shipments of two million copies in the United States.<ref name="RIAA">[https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=if+i+ever+fall+in+love#search_section RIAA - Recording Industry Association of America]. [[Recording Industry Association of America]]. Retrieved on 2011-07-15.</ref> Although it performed well commercially, the album received generally mixed reviews from [[music criticism|music critic]]s.

== Reception ==

{{AlbumMusic ratings

''[[Rolling Stone]]'' gave the album three-and-a-half out of five stars and complimented its "crisp, precise harmonies that imply explosive vocal power but display few pyrotechnics", adding that "Shai joins the spiritual yearnings of [[Take Six]] with the secular pull of [[Boyz II Men]]".<ref name="Muze">[http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1103600/a/...If+I+Ever+Fall+In+Love.htm Shai - ...If I Ever Fall In Love CD Album]. [[Muze]]. [[CD Universe]]. Retrieved on 2011-07-15.</ref> [[David Browne (journalist)|David Browne]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' found its [[hip hop music|hip hop]] and [[new jack swing]]-oriented songs "fussy [and] unconvincing", but praised the group's [[crooning]] and stated, "They wrap their voices like a thick shag carpet around the choruses of the album's languorous, starry-eyed ballads".<ref name="Browne">[[David Browne (journalist)|Browne, David]] (January 29, 1993). [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,305397,00.html ...If I Ever Fall in Love Review | Music Reviews and News]. ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''. Retrieved on 2011-07-15.</ref>

| rev1 = [[AllmusicAllMusic]]

| rev1Scorerev1score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}<ref name="Erlewine"/>

| rev2 = [[Robert Christgau]]

| rev2Scorerev2score = B−<ref name="Christgau"/>

| rev3 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''

| rev3Scorerev3score = B−<ref name="Browne"/>

| rev4 = ''[[Music Week]]''

| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Alan|last=Jones|title=Market Preview: Mainstream - Albums — Pick of the Week|work=[[Music Week]]|date=January 30, 1993|page=11|accessdate=January 29, 2023|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1993/Music-Week-1993-01-30.pdf}}</ref>

| rev5 = ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]''

| rev5score = {{Rating|3|4}}<ref>Wood, Sam (February 9, 1993). "808 State Defies the Odds Again with a Consistently Fine Album". ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]''.</ref>

| rev4rev6 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''

| rev4Scorerev6score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="Muze"/>

}}

''[[Rolling Stone]]'' gave the album three-and-a-half out of five stars and complimented its "crisp, precise harmonies that imply explosive vocal power but display few pyrotechnics", adding that "Shai joins the spiritual yearnings of [[Take 6|Take Six]] with the secular pull of [[Boyz II Men]]".<ref name="Muze">[http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1103600/a/...If+I+Ever+Fall+In+Love.htm Shai - ...If I Ever Fall In Love CD Album]. [[Muze]]. [[CD Universe]]. Retrieved on 2011-07-15.</ref> [[David Browne (journalist)|David Browne]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' found its [[hip hop music|hip hop]] and [[new jack swing]]-oriented songs "fussy [and] unconvincing", but praised the group's [[crooning]] and stated, "They wrap their voices like a thick shag carpet around the choruses of the album's languorous, starry-eyed ballads".<ref name="Browne">[[David Browne (journalist)|Browne, David]] (January 29, 1993). [https://web.archive.org/web/20090421073021/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,305397,00.html ...If I Ever Fall in Love Review | Music Reviews and News]. ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''. Retrieved on 2011-07-15.</ref>

However, in his consumer guide for ''[[The Village Voice]]'', critic [[Robert Christgau]] gave the album a B− rating and named it "dud of the month",<ref name="Christgau">[[Robert Christgau|Christgau, Robert]] (April 6, 1993). [http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv393-93.php Consumer Guide Apr. 6, 1993]. ''[[The Village Voice]]''. [[Village Voice Media]]. Retrieved on 2011-07-15.</ref> indicating "a bad record whose details rarely merit further thought".<ref>Christgau, Robert (October 15, 2000). [http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/bk-cg90/grades-90s.php CG 90s: Key to Icons]. Robert Christgau. Retrieved on 2011-07-15.</ref> Christgau found the group's singing "indifferent" and panned them as having "no class and no sense of humor; they're too smarmy and too slow", adding that "They epitomize the difference between seduction and betrayal--between shared lie and imposed illusion, rascal and bounder, rogue and complete asshole. There's not a winning wink on the entire album".<ref name="Christgau"/> In a retrospective review, [[AllmusicAllMusic]] editor [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] gave it two-and-a-half out of five stars and stated, "Apart from the gorgeous title track, most of the material on ''...If I Ever Fall in Love'' is underdeveloped; although Shai sound terrific, their material doesn't match their vocal talents"."<ref name="Erlewine">[[Stephen Thomas Erlewine|Erlewine, Stephen Thomas]] (August 1, 2003). [http://www.allmusic.com/album/if-i-ever-fall-in-love-r53378/review ...If I Ever Fall in Love - Shai: Review]. [[AllmusicAllMusic]]. Retrieved on 2011-07-15.</ref>

== Track listing ==

{{Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.<ref name="liner notes">{{cite AV media notes|title= ...If I Ever Fall in Love |year= 1992 |type= booklet |publisher= [[MCA Records|MCA]]}}</ref>

| headline = ''...If I Ever Fall in Love'' track listing

{{Tracklist

| extra_column = Producer(s)

Line 86 ⟶ 107:

| title9 = Waiting for the Day

| writer9 = {{hlist|Martin|[[Gina Go-Go|Gina "Go-Go" Gomez]]|Van Rensalier}}

| extra9 = Martin

| length9 = 4:45

Line 107 ⟶ 128:

== Personnel ==

* Bill Appleberry – keyboards

Credits for ''...If I Ever Fall in Love'' adapted from [[Allmusic]].<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/album/if-i-ever-fall-in-love-r53378/credits ...If I Ever Fall in Love - Shai: Credits]. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2011-07-15.</ref>

* Paul Brown – Engineerengineer, Mixingmixing

* BillJeff AppleberryCarruthers – Keyboardsprogramming

* Mario Castellanos – Photographyphotography

* Paul Brown – Engineer, Mixing

* JeffJim CarruthersEbert – Programmingmixing

* James Elliott – production coordination

* Mario Castellanos – Photography

* JimMarc EbertGay – Mixingkeyboards, producer

* JamesEric ElliottGreedy – Productionassistant Coordinationengineer

* MarcSteve GayHall – Keyboards, Producermastering

* EricKevin GreedyLevi – Assistant Engineersaxophone

* Carl "Groove" Martin – Keyboardskeyboards, Producerproducer, Programmingprogramming

* Steve Hall – Mastering

* KevinKen LeviSchubert – Saxophoneengineer

* Darnell VanRensalier – Drumdrum Programmingprogramming, Keyboardskeyboards, Producerproducer

* Carl "Groove" Martin – Keyboards, Producer, Programming

* KenCyndra SchubertWilliams – Engineermake-up

* Darnell VanRensalier – Drum Programming, Keyboards, Producer

* Cyndra Williams – Make-Up

==Charts==

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! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

|-

{{album chart|Australia|24|artist=Shai %5BUS%5D|album=...If I Ever Fall in Love|rowheader=true|access-date=October 8, 2022}}

|-

{{album chart|Netherlands|21|artist=Shai %5BUS%5D|album=...If I Ever Fall in Love|rowheader=true|access-date=October 8, 2022}}

|-

{{album chart|Billboard200|6|artist=Shai|rowheader=true|access-date=October 8, 2022}}

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{{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|3|artist=Shai|rowheader=true|access-date=October 8, 2022}}

|}

==Certifications==

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for ''...If I Ever Fall in Love''}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1992|certyear=1994|artist=Shai|title=If I Ever Fall in Love|access-date=October 8, 2022|refname=RIAA}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

==References==