Conversation Peace

{{Short description|1995 studio album by Stevie Wonder}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Conversation Peace

| type = studio

| artist = Stevie Wonder

| cover = Conversationpeace.jpg

| alt =

| released = March 21, 1995

| recorded = 1993–1995

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = R&B

| length = 73:32

| label = Motown

| producer = Stevie Wonder

| prev_title = Jungle Fever

| prev_year = 1991

| next_title = Natural Wonder

| next_year = 1995

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Conversation Peace

| type = studio

| single1 = For Your Love

| single1date = February 1995

| single2 = Tomorrow Robins Will Sing

| single2date = April 1995

| single3 = Treat Myself

| single3date = July 1995

}}

}}

Conversation Peace is the twenty-second album released by American musician Stevie Wonder, on the Motown label in 1995. The album was Wonder's first full-length non-soundtrack studio album since 1987's Characters. This album yielded the hits "For Your Love" (a Grammy winner for Wonder for Best R&B Male Vocal Performance) and the reggae-flavored "Tomorrow Robins Will Sing". This album also saw Wonder reuniting with Robert Margouleff, who assisted during Wonder's "classic period" from 1972 to 1974.

Wonder wrote about 40 songs in 1993 after being invited to stay for six weeks in Ghana by President Jerry John Rawlings. A number of these songs were eventually shaped into album form.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c1U2WpNdn8MC&pg=PA79 |page=79 |title=Stevie Wonder: Musician |last=Brown |first=Jeremy K. |publisher=Infobase |year=2010 |isbn=9781438134222}}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y5uyLgEfk34C&pg=PT269 |page=269 |title=Higher Ground: Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, and the Rise and Fall of American Soul |last=Werner |first=Craig |publisher=Random House |year=2007 |isbn=9780307420879}} Motown announced in August 1993 that Conversation Peace would be released later that year;{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6BEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA82 |page=82 |title=Motown Adds Might to Polygram Roster |last=Jeffrey |first=Don |date=August 14, 1993 |magazine=Billboard |volume=105 |number=33 |issn=0006-2510 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media}} however, Wonder continued to work on the album through 1994 until its release in March 1995, when Vibe magazine reported that the album had been in development "off and on for at least the past four" years.

A circulating outtake from these sessions, "Ms and Mr Little Ones", was later released on Natural Wonder (1995).{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SSwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA98 |page=98 |date=March 1995 |journal=Vibe |title=Revolutions: Stevie Wonder – Conversation Peace – Motown |volume=3 |number=3 |issn=1070-4701 |publisher=Vibe Media Group}}

Reception

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}

| rev2 = Chicago Tribune

| rev2score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}

| rev3 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev3score = B−{{cite web|url=https://ew.com/article/1995/03/31/conversation-peace/|title=Conversation Peace|author=Hiltbrand, David|date=March 31, 1995|publisher=Entertainment Weekly|website=ew.com}}

| rev4 = Los Angeles Times

| rev4score = {{Rating|2|5}}

| rev5 = NME

| rev5score = 7/10{{cite magazine|first=Dele|last=Fadele|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/53406647040/|title=Long Play|work=NME|date=March 18, 1995|page=47|access-date=December 25, 2023|author-link=Dele Fadele}}

| rev6 = The New York Times

| rev6score = (favorable){{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/26/arts/recordings-view-what-if-love-can-t-save-the-world.html|title=RECORDINGS VIEW; What if Love Can't Save The World?|author=Pareles, Jon|author-link=Jon Pareles|date=March 26, 1995|work=The New York Times|via=nytimes.com}}

| rev7 = Rolling Stone

| rev7score = {{Rating|4|5}}

| rev8 = Select

| rev8score = {{rating|2|5|full=U+25A0.svg|empty=U+25A1.svg|rating=medal}}{{cite magazine|author=MH|url=https://selectmagazinescans.monkeon.co.uk/showpage.php?file=wp-content/uploads/2013/01/albums3.jpg|title=New Albums: Soundbites|work=Select|date=April 1995|page=|access-date=December 9, 2024}}

| rev9 = Stereo Review

| rev9score = (favorable){{cite work|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E4JUAAAAMAAJ&q=Stevie+Wonder|title=Stevie Wonder: Conversation Peace|page=78 & 79|volume=60|date=August 1995|publisher=Stereo Review}}

| rev10 = The Village Voice

| rev10score = A

}}

Critics felt that the album was a return to Wonder's classic period of the 1970s. John Milward in a 1995 review in Rolling Stone gave it four stars and felt that while the album is "reminiscent" of Wonder's classic albums, its "lean execution" gives it a "modern sound".{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/conversation-peace-206054/|title=Stevie Wonder: Conversation Peace|date= March 23, 1995|author=John Milward|publisher=Rolling Stone|website=rollingstone.com}} While the quality of the work was appreciated, Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune and Jean Rosenbluth of the Los Angeles Times felt that the style was a bit too familiar and well-worn to be interesting,{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1995/04/06/not-so-wonder-ful/|author=Greg Kot|via=chicagotribune.com |work=Chicago Tribune|title=Not So Wonder-ful|date=April 6, 1995}}{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-03-19-ca-44397-story.html|author=Jean Rosenbluth|via=articles.latimes.com|work=Los Angeles Times|title= Record Rack|date=March 19, 1995|access-date=February 20, 2013}} though Robert Christgau of The Village Voice gave it an "A−" and remarked that while listeners may have "heard all this before, that doesn't mean it's worn out its welcome."{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|date=July 11, 1995|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv695-95.php|title=Consumer Guide|newspaper=The Village Voice|location=New York|accessdate=October 19, 2014}} Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave it two-and-a-half stars in a retrospective review for AllMusic and felt the music was not contemporary enough to get radio play.{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r209754|pure_url=yes}}|title=Conversation Peace|publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=February 10, 2012}}

Commercial performance

Conversation Peace debuted at number 17 on the US Billboard 200, selling 53,000 copies in its first week.{{cite web|date=October 26, 2005|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/simpson-strikes-back-ashlee-scores-2nd-no-1-60926/|title=Simpson Strikes Back: Ashlee Scores 2nd No. 1|publisher=Billboard|access-date=April 9, 2025}} It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on June 14, 1995.

As of October 2005, the album had sales 361,000 copies in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Stevie Wonder, except where noted.

  1. "Rain Your Love Down" – 6:08
  2. "Edge of Eternity" – 6:04
  3. "Taboo to Love" – 4:25
  4. "Take the Time Out" – 5:05
  5. "I'm New" – 5:41
  6. "My Love Is with You" – 5:54
  7. "Treat Myself" (Wonder, Stephanie Andrews) – 4:55
  8. "Tomorrow Robins Will Sing" (Wonder, Edley Shine) – 4:46
  9. "Sensuous Whisper" – 5:47
  10. "For Your Love" – 5:00
  11. "Cold Chill" – 6:53
  12. "Sorry" – 6:15
  13. "Conversation Peace" – 6:39

Personnel

Personnel involved in the album include:

Charts

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

|+ Weekly chart performance for Conversation Peace

! Chart (1995)

! Peak
position

scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA){{cite Ryan|page=305}}

| {{center|81}}

{{albumchart|Austria|17|artist=Stevie Wonder|album=Conversation Peace|rowheader=true|refname="atchart"|access-date=January 30, 2021}}
{{albumchart|Wallonia|25|artist=Stevie Wonder|album=Conversation Peace|rowheader=true|refname="bewachart"|access-date=January 30, 2021}}
{{albumchart|Canada|48|artist=Stevie Wonder|album=Conversation Peace|chartid=6892|rowheader=true|access-date=January 30, 2021}}
{{albumchart|Netherlands|19|artist=Stevie Wonder|album=Conversation Peace|rowheader=true|refname="nlchart"|access-date=January 30, 2021}}
{{albumchart|Germany4|34|artist=Stevie Wonder|album=Conversation Peace|rowheader=true|refname="dechart"|id=2046|access-date=January 30, 2021}}
scope="row"|Japanese Oricon Albums Chart{{cite web| url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/release/d/203384/1/ | title= Highest position and charting weeks of Conversation Peace by Stevie Wonder|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070510090937/http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/release/d/203384/1/|archive-date= May 10, 2007|url-status=dead|language=ja| work=oricon.co.jp| publisher=Oricon Style|access-date=January 30, 2021}}

| {{center|11}}

{{albumchart|New Zealand|15|artist=Stevie Wonder|album=Conversation Peace|rowheader=true|refname="NZchart"|access-date=January 30, 2021}}
{{albumchart|Norway|23|artist=Stevie Wonder|album=Conversation Peace|rowheader=true|refname="nochart"|access-date=January 30, 2021}}
{{albumchart|Scotland|39|date=19950319|rowheader=true|access-date=January 30, 2021}}
{{albumchart|Switzerland|28|artist=Stevie Wonder|album=Conversation Peace|rowheader=true|refname="chchart"|access-date=January 30, 2021}}
{{albumchart|UK2|8|date=19950319|rowheader=true|refname="UKchart"|access-date=January 30, 2021}}
{{albumchart|Billboard200|16|artist=Stevie Wonder|rowheader=true|refname="USchart"|access-date=January 30, 2021}}
{{albumchart|BillboardRandBHipHop|2|artist=Stevie Wonder|rowheader=true|access-date=March 14, 2021}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+ Year-end chart performance for Conversation Peace

!Chart (1995)

!Position

scope="row"|Japanese Albums (Oricon){{cite book|title=Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005|publisher=Oricon Entertainment|location=Roppongi, Tokyo|year=2006|isbn=4-87131-077-9}}

|151

scope="row"|US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1995/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums|title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1995|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=March 14, 2021}}

|63

{{col-end}}

Certifications

{{certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Japan|award=Gold|relyear=1995|certyear=1995|certmonth=3|salesamount=158,000|salesref=|access-date=July 14, 2022}}

{{certification Table Entry|title=Conversation Peace|artist=Stevie Wonder|relyear=1995|certyear=1995|type=album|region=United States|award=Gold|access-date=February 20, 2013|refname="RIAA"}}

{{certification Table Bottom|nosales=yes}}

References

{{Reflist|30em}}