Adventures in Paradise (Minnie Riperton album)

Adventures in Paradise
Studio album by Minnie Riperton
Released	May 22, 1975
Recorded	Wally Heider Studio Three, Los Angeles
Genre	Soul R&B quiet storm smooth soul
Length	40:12
Label	Epic
Producer	Minnie Riperton Richard Rudolph Stewart Levine
Minnie Riperton chronology
Perfect Angel (1974) Adventures in Paradise (1975) Stay in Love (1977)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Adventures in Paradise is the third studio album by Minnie Riperton, produced by Stewart Levine with music by The Crusaders. Joe Sample co-wrote the title song "Adventures in Paradise". The album was a modest success, but didn't match the success of Perfect Angel.^[2] After Lovin’ You and Perfect Angel finished their chart run, Epic wanted a follow-up disc, and fast. With previous co-producer Stevie Wonder busy recording his Songs in the Key of Life (which Minnie would also turn up on singing backup on "Ordinary Pain"), Minnie and husband Richard Rudolph hired Stewart Levine to co-produce her next album.^[3] More songs came from the Riperton/Rudolph camp as well as collaborations with Jazz Crusader Joe Sample and songwriter Leon Ware (who was enjoying a hot streak thanks to his work on Marvin Gaye’s album I Want You).^[4] Guitarist Larry Carlton was brought in as an arranger. The result, Adventures In Paradise, took on a mellow soul-jazz tone.

The album was a standard recording but available in two formats: quadraphonic and stereo. Epic Records anticipated a soul funky sequel, using Family Stone and Tower of Power horn section, which would have been released in November 1975. However, the sessions were never released due to legal issues.

Music

The album's best known song is the sensual "Inside My Love". Riperton made it quite clear during the track's initial release that the song wasn't about a woman asking a man to have sex with her - it was about going deeper than that, attaining true intimacy.^[5] "Inside My Love" went to number 26 R&B during the summer of 1975, but stalled at #76 on the pop listings. Much of pop radio balked at playing the single due to the lyrical content (“Do you wanna ride, inside my love[...]”) even though Leon Ware claimed that the words were inspired by a church preacher he heard speak when he was a child (the minister said, “let us come into the house of the Lord”).^[6]

"Love and its Glory" was never a hit, but it is an epic love song of two teens struggling to be together, despite parental objections. The girl in the song is named Maya, which is the name of Riperton's daughter.

Artwork

On the album cover of Adventures in Paradise, Minnie is seen sitting serenely next to a lion. Though the actual album photo session was calm, things spiraled out of control on a promotional photo shoot with a different lion.^[7] The animal lunged at Minnie without any provocation.^[8] Fortunately, the animal’s tamer was on the set and the lion was quickly subdued. It was around this time that Riperton discovered she had cancer.^[9] In 1976, she told Flip Wilson on The Tonight Show that she was suffering from breast cancer and had undergone a mastectomy.^[10]

Track listing

All tracks written by Minnie Riperton and Richard Rudolph, unless otherwise noted.

Personnel

• Vocals – Minnie Riperton
• Arranged By – Larry Carlton
• Bass – Ed Brown
• Strings – Sid Sharp
• Conductor – Larry Carlton
• Directed By – Stewart Levine
• Harp – Dorothy Ashby
• Drums – Jim Gordon
• Engineer – Rik Pekkonen
• Guitar – Dean Parks (tracks: 6, 7, 9), Larry Carlton, Richard Rudolph
• Keyboards – Joe Sample
• Mastered By – Doug Sax
• Percussion – Jim Gordon
• Photography By – Kenneth McGowan
• Producer – Minnie Riperton, Richard Rudolph, Stewart Levine
• Recorded By – Gary Starr
• Saxophone, Horn – Jim Horn, [Additional saxophone] Tom Scott
• Masaharu Yoshioka – liner notes

Credits taken from album liner notes^[11]

Charts

Singles

References