Duotones

{{distinguish|text=Duotone, a generic term for multitone printing}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Duotones

| type = studio

| artist = Kenny G

| cover = Duotones.jpg

| alt =

| released = {{Start date|1986|9|29}}

| recorded = 1985–1986

| studio = Tarpan Studios (San Rafael, California); Studio G (Seattle, Washington)

| genre = {{hlist|Smooth jazz|jazz-funk}}

| length = {{Duration|m=46|s=54}}

| label = Arista

| producer = {{hlist|Kenny G|Narada Michael Walden|Preston Glass}}

| prev_title = Gravity

| prev_year = 1985

| next_title = Silhouette

| next_year = 1988

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Duotones

| type = studio

| single1 = Songbird

| single1date = March 1987

| single2 = Don't Make Me Wait for Love

| single2date = August 1987https://www.45cat.com/record/as19625

}}

{{Music ratings

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/duotones-mw0000190494|title=Duotones - Kenny G - Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic|accessdate=January 24, 2019}}

}}

Duotones is the fourth studio album by American saxophonist Kenny G, released on September 29, 1986 by Arista Records. It features one of Kenny G's best-known songs, "Songbird", which reached number four on the US Billboard Hot 100.

The album peaked at number one on the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart, number five on the Jazz Albums chart, number six on the Billboard 200 and number eight on the R&B Albums chart.{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r38566/charts-awards|pure_url=yes}}|title=Charts & Awards|work=AllMusic|publisher=Rovi Corporation|accessdate=September 23, 2010}} The album was later certified 5× Platinum by the RIAA.{{cite web|title=Gold & Platinum - RIAA|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=KENNY+G&ti=DUOTONES|website=Riaa.com|accessdate=September 16, 2016}}

Track listing

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Lead vocal(s)

| headline = CD track listing

| total_length = 47:40

| title1 = Songbird

| writer1 = Kenny G

| length1 = 5:03

| title2 = Midnight Motion

| writer2 = Kenny G

| length2 = 4:08

| title3 = Don't Make Me Wait for Love

| writer3 = Walter Afanasieff, Preston Glass, Narada Michael Walden

| extra3 = Lenny Williams

| length3 = 4:05

| title4 = Sade

| writer4 = Kenny G

| length4 = 4:20

| title5 = Champagne

| writer5 = Kenny G, Kenny McDougald

| length5 = 4:45

| title6 = What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)

| writer6 = Johnny Bristol, Vernon Bullock, Harvey Fuqua

| extra6 = Ellis Hall

| length6 = 4:06

| title7 = Slip of the Tongue

| writer7 = Preston Glass, Narada Michael Walden, Lloyd Pianka

| length7 = 4:53

| title8 = Three of a Kind

| writer8 = Kenny G, Preston Glass, Narada Michael Walden, Lloyd Pianka

| length8 = 4:46

| title9 = Esther

| writer9 = Kenny G, Lloyd Pianka

| length9 = 5:24

| title10 = You Make Me Believe

| writer10 = Walter Afanasieff, Kenny G, Preston Glass, Narada Michael Walden

| extra10 = Claytoven Richardson

| length10 = 5:19

}}

An alternate track listing of this album also exists.{{Cite web|title=Kenny G (2) - Duotones|url=https://www.discogs.com/Kenny-G-Duotones/release/3827445|access-date=2021-01-26|website=Discogs|language=en}} It includes a slightly altered track order. In addition, this version includes slightly longer versions of "Don't Make Me Wait For Love" and "What Does it Take (To Win Your Love)" and adds an extra track: "And You Know That". The track listing is as follows:

{{Track listing

| headline = CD version 2 track listing

| title1 = What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)

| length1 = 5:00

| title2 = Midnight Motion

| length2 = 4:08

| title3 = Don't Make Me Wait for Love

| length3 = 4:46

| title4 = Sade

| length4 = 4:20

| title5 = Champagne

| length5 = 4:45

| title6 = And You Know That

| length6 = 4:45

| title7 = Slip of the Tongue

| length7 = 4:53

| title8 = You Make Me Believe

| length8 = 5:19

| title9 = Songbird

| length9 = 5:03

| title10 = Three of a Kind

| length10 = 4:45

| title11 = Esther

| length11 = 5:25

| total_length = 53:09

}}

Personnel

Musicians

Kenny G – all saxophones, keyboards, synth bass, drum machine, backing vocals, all instruments (9), EWI controller (violins) (9)
Walter Afanasieff – keyboards, synth bass
Preston Glass – keyboards, drum machine, wind chimes (1), backing vocals
Roger Sause – keyboards
Alan Glass – guitars
John Raymond – guitars
Corrado Rustici – guitars
Randy Jackson – bass guitar, synth bass
Cory Lerios – synth bass, drum machine
Joe Plass – bass guitar
Gigi Gonaway – drums, percussion
Kenny McDougald – drums
Tony Gable – percussion
Sal Gallina – EWI controller (string sounds, violins and French horns) (3)
Kitty Beethoven – backing vocals
Gina Glass – backing vocals
Yolanda Glass – backing vocals
Claytoven Richardson – backing vocals
Lenny Williams – backing vocals

Production

Produced by Preston Glass
Executive producer – Narada Michael Walden
Co-producer on tracks 1, 2, 4 and 9 – Kenny G
Engineered by Gordon Lyon
Assistant engineers – Kay Arbuckle, Stuart Hirotsu, Matt Rohr and Jim Weyeneth
Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York)
Art direction and design – Kevin K. Takishita
Photography – Steven Rothfield
Styling – Kurt DeMunbrun

Charts

=Weekly charts=

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

|+Weekly chart performance for Duotones

! scope="col"| Chart (1986–1988)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

{{album chart|Australia|28|artist=Kenny G|album=Duotones|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2023}}

{{album chart|Austria|11|artist=Kenny G|album=Duotones|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2023}}

{{album chart|Netherlands|23|artist=Kenny G|album=Duotones|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2023}}

{{album chart|Germany4|21|id=8575|artist=Kenny G|album=Duotones|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2023}}

{{album chart|New Zealand|20|artist=Kenny G|album=Duotones|rowheader=true|access-date=November 13, 2023}}

{{album chart|UK|28|artist=Kenny G|rowheader=true|accessdate=December 20, 2020}}

{{album chart|Billboard200|6|artist=Kenny G|rowheader=true|accessdate=December 20, 2020}}

{{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|8|artist=Kenny G|rowheader=true|accessdate=December 20, 2020}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+1987 year-end chart performance for Duotones ! scope="col"\| Chart (1987) ! scope="col"\| Position
scope="row"\| US Billboard 200{{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1987/top-billboard-200-albums\|title=Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1987\|magazine=Billboard\|accessdate=December 20, 2020}} \| 15
scope="row"\| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1987/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums\|title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1987\|magazine=Billboard\|accessdate=December 20, 2020}} \| 6

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

|+1987 year-end chart performance for Duotones

! scope="col"| Chart (1987)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| US Billboard 200{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1987/top-billboard-200-albums|title=Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1987|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=December 20, 2020}}

| 15

scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1987/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums|title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1987|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=December 20, 2020}}

| 6

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+1988 year-end chart performance for Duotones ! scope="col"\| Chart (1988) ! scope="col"\| Position
scope="row"\| US Billboard 200{{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1988/top-billboard-200-albums\|title=Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1988\|magazine=Billboard\|accessdate=December 20, 2020}} \| 59
scope="row"\| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1988/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums\|title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1988\|magazine=Billboard\|accessdate=December 20, 2020}} \| 60

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

|+1988 year-end chart performance for Duotones

! scope="col"| Chart (1988)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| US Billboard 200{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1988/top-billboard-200-albums|title=Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1988|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=December 20, 2020}}

| 59

scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1988/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums|title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1988|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=December 20, 2020}}

| 60

Certifications

{{certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for Duotones}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Canada|artist=Kenny G|title=Duotones|award=Platinum|certyear=1989|relyear=1986|accessdate=October 3, 2019}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Hong Kong|artist=Kenny G|title=Duotones|award=Gold|certyear=1990|relyear=1986|accessdate=October 3, 2019}}

{{Certification Table Entry |region=Malaysia|nocert=yes|salesamount=11,000|salesref={{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A65UAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA20&dq=Malaysia&article_id=2817,3292089&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi14NKV7Z-MAxV_SDABHbJaPGM4HhDoAXoECAwQAw#v=onepage&q=Malaysia&f=false|title=Sale of international music releases up|newspaper=New Straits Times|access-date=23 March 2025|date=29 November 1988|page=20|first=R.S.|last=Murthi}}}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United States|artist=Kenny G|title=Duotones|award=Platinum|number=5|certyear=1995|relyear=1986|accessdate=October 3, 2019}}

References

Category:1986 albums

Category:Arista Records albums

Category:Kenny G albums

Category:Albums produced by Narada Michael Walden