Thought 'Ya Knew


Thought 'Ya Knew is the second solo studio album by American singer-songwriter CeCe Peniston, released on January 11, 1994, by A&M Records, and on February 10 in Japan. For this album, Peniston once again collaborated with Chicago-based producer Steve "Silk" Hurley, along with other producers Carsten Schack and Kenneth Karlin from Denmark, David Morales, Sir Jinx, and on one track also with the multiple Grammy Award-nominee Brian McKnight.
Deciding not to get pigeonholed into the dance genre, Peniston recorded several ballads for the album, trying to move into an R&B direction. Unlike its predecessor Finally, Peniston's second album was, therefore, a calculated mixture of pop ballads and R&B beats, though incorporating also other genres, such as jazz, funk, reggae and gospel.
The album received generally mixed reviews from music critics, and commercially, it proved to be a moderate success. Debuting on February 12, 1994, at number 102 on the [Billboard 200|Billboard 200], the album reached its peak a week later at number ninety-six, while spending nineteen weeks on the US chart in total. Overseas, the album entered the UK Albums Chart at number thirty-one, but charted for only two weeks there. Other territories included Switzerland, Japan, Netherlands, and Germany.
Four official singles were released from the album, three of which entered the Billboard Hot 100, as well as the UK Singles Chart. All of them became successful on the dance chart, bringing Peniston two additional number one hits on the US Hot [Dance Club Songs]. In Japan, the album was shortly followed by Remix Collection, which featured alternate versions of songs issued on singles. It was reissued in Japan on September 11, 1996. The album was not accompanied by a worldwide tour.

Critical reception

Thought 'Ya Knew received mainly mixed reviews. In terms of artistic achievement, dancefloor potential or chart performance, the album did not match the success of Peniston's debut album, Finally. Jose F. Promis from AllMusic, however, blamed the record label A&M for marketing the artist to an R&B audience, which he called the "big mistake". Giving the album three stars, he highlighted especially "Hit by Love" as the song closer in spirit to Peniston's early dance hits, but he admitted that by that time of the single's release its "steam had worn off". Billboard magazine wrote, "Miscast in the role of dance diva, singer's best work is grounded in hip-hop/R&B-oriented grooves, both up- and midtempo."
Both critics, Martin Johnson from Chicago Reader and Johnny Huston from Entertainment Weekly agreed that the album's low points occurred on its ballads and that Peniston faltered on slower numbers.. While Huston noticed Patti LaBelle-influenced vocal stylings, Johnson recalled young Chaka Khan and stressed the pungent lower registers of the singer's voice. People magazine found the album's problem in Peniston's big-time pop success and her new need to be seen more serious than just a dance-music artist. Calling ballads "the ballads from hell", the magazine reproached that all the slow stuff did was focus on Peniston's vocal limitations.

Chart performance

On February 5, 1994, the album entered at number thirty-one in the UK Albums Chart, spending two weeks on the chart. Followed by the Oricon list on February 10, Peniston received her first and her only album chart appearance to date in Japan, at number sixty-six After two weeks since its release, the album entered the US Billboard 200 at number one-hundred-two on February 12, 1994. Peaking its top the following week, at number ninety-six on February 19.
On the component, US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, the album climbed to number twenty In Dutch MegaCharts, the record started its five weeks long run on February 19, topping its third week at number sixty-nine. In addition, the album cracked the Swiss Music Charts on February 20, peaking on March 6 at number thirty-two. And on February 28 also the German Media Control Charts, reaching at number ninety-two.

Track listing

Notes
  • signifies an additional producer
  • signifies a remix producer

    Credits and personnel

  • CeCe Peniston – lead vocal, backing vocals, vocal arrangement, executive production
  • Damon Jones – executive production
  • Manny Lehman – executive production
  • Mark Dubuclet – production, mixing, drum programming, programming, keyboards, bass, multi instruments
  • Steve "Silk" Hurley – production, arranging, editing, mixing
  • David Morales – production, arranging, percussion, mixing
  • Richard Wolf – production, guitar, drum programming, keyboards
  • Steven Nikolas – vocal arrangement
  • Brendon Sibley – vocal arrangement
  • Soulshock & Karlin – production, mixing
  • Sir Jinx – production
  • Andres Levin – production
  • Camus Maré Celli – production
  • Andrea Martin – backing vocals, talking
  • Norma Jean Wright – backing vocals
  • Kymberli Armstrong – backing vocals
  • Myron Glasper – backing vocals
  • Jackie Gusheyk – backing vocals
  • Sharon Pass – backing vocals
  • Chantay Savage – backing vocals
  • Katreese Barnes – backing vocals
  • Sherree Ford-Payne – backing vocals
  • Faith Wade – choir, chorus
  • Niomisha Wilson – choir, chorus
  • Brian McKnight – backing vocals, multi instruments, production
  • Rodney Miller – guitar
  • David Fiuczynski – guitar
  • Michael McDonald – guitar
  • Kamaal – bass
  • Greg Mull – engineering, mixing
  • Daryll Dobson – engineering, mixing
  • Scott Ahaus – engineering, remixing
  • Doug Michael – engineering
  • David Sussman – engineering
  • Steve Weeder – engineering
  • Craig Porteils – engineering
  • John Fundingsland – engineering
  • Keith Barrios – engineering
  • Anna Wheaton – engineering
  • Chris Wood – engineering
  • Brian Kinkel – engineering
  • Brad Aldredge – engineering
  • Victor McCoy – engineering assistance
  • Brian Young – engineering assistance
  • Daniel Beroff – engineering assistance
  • Craig Burbidge – mixing
  • Dave Way – mixing
  • Doug DeAngelis – mixing
  • Ken Kessie – mixing
  • Kevin Crouse – mixing assistance
  • Eric Flickinger – mixing assistance
  • Eddie Sexton – mixing assistance
  • Devin Foutz – mixing assistance
  • Christian Delatour – mixing assistance
  • Johnny Rogers – keyboards
  • James Wirrick – keyboards
  • Fernando Harkless – saxophone
  • David Wills – drums
  • Alec Shantzis – programming
  • Satoshi Tomiie – programming
  • Terry Burrus – programming
  • Greg Lawson – drum programming
  • Danny Madden – conducting
  • Bill Ware – vibraphone
  • C-N-A – multi instruments
  • Colleen Donahue-Reynolds – production coordination
  • Michael Lavine – photography

    Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts