How Could It Be
Studio album by
Eddie Murphy
ReleasedSeptember 1985[1]
Recorded1985[2]
StudioWonderland Studios, Joint Recording Studios, Soundworks Studios, Clinton Recording, Power Station
Length34:53
LabelColumbia
Producer
Eddie Murphy chronology
Eddie Murphy: Comedian
(1983)		 How Could It Be
(1985)		 So Happy
(1989)
Singles from How Could It Be
  1. "Party All the Time"
    Released: September 23, 1985
  2. "How Could It Be"
    Released: 1985

How Could It Be is the debut musical studio album by comedian/actor Eddie Murphy. The album was released in September 1985[1] on Columbia Records and was produced by Aquil Fudge, with the exception of the hit top ten single "Party All the Time", which was produced by Rick James.

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Robert Christgau(C-)[4]
New York Daily News(unfavorable)[5]
New York Daily News[6]
The Cincinnati Post[7]
The Cincinnati Enquirer[8]
Detroit Free Press[9]
The Boston Globe(unfavorable)[10]
The Gazette(favorable)[11]
The Buffalo News(unfavorable)[12]
The Commercial Appeal(favorable)[13]
Gannett News Service(unfavorable)[14]
The Honolulu Advertiser(unfavorable)[15]
The Canadian Press(unfavorable)[16]
Copley Press(favorable)[17]
Daily Press(favorable)[18]
The Morning Call(unfavorable)[19]
The Daily Oklahoman(favorable)[20]
Oakland Tribune[21]
Lexington Herald-Leader(unfavorable)[22]
Los Angeles Times[23]

The album was a commercial success, making it to No. 26 on the Billboard 200 and No. 17 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Two singles were released: "Party All the Time", which made it to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the title track, which became a minor R&B hit. This studio album was recorded as part of fulfilling a $100,000 bet that Richard Pryor had made with Eddie Murphy that he could not sing. In the album's liner notes, Eddie Murphy wrote the following "To Richard Pryor, my idol, with whom I have a $100,000 bet. No, motherfucker, I didn't forget."[24]

Background

For this album, Murphy enlisted other well-known musicians to help him create his first musical studio album. The record has two Stevie Wonder produced and written tracks, "Do I" and "Everything's Coming Up Roses." There are also two songs that Rick James produced and wrote—the title track (a minor R&B hit) and the successful hit, "Party All the Time".[2]

Murphy wrote three tracks on the album in which he also gets sole writing credit for: "C-O-N Confused", a disco track, "I, Me, Us, We", a Parliament homage, and "My God Is Color Blind", an anti-racism song. Murphy took an experimental approach to test himself in what he could do with music.[2]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Do I"Stevie Wonder3:56
2."C-O-N Confused"Murphy3:41
3."How Could It Be" (featuring Crystal Blake)Frank Hamilton, Rick James, Murphy4:39
4."I Wish (I Could Tell You When)"David Allen Jones, Murphy4:28
5."Party All the Time" (featuring Rick James)Rick James4:12
6."I, Me, Us, We"Murphy4:41
7."My God Is Color Blind"Murphy4:42
8."Everything's Coming Up Roses"Stevie Wonder4:34

Personnel

  • James Allen, Dennis Davis, Rick James – drums, Oberheim DMX (track 5)
  • Aquil Fudge – percussion
  • Frank Hamilton, Michael McKinney, Fred Washington – bass
  • Gordon Banks, Ben Bridges, Kenny Hawkins, Larry John McNally, Mike O'Neil, Paul Pesco, Greg Poree, David Williams, Larry Menally – guitar
  • Frank Hamilton, Greg Levias, Jeff Lorber, Greg Phillinganes, Darryl Ross, Levi Ruffin, Bill Wolfer,[25] Stevie Wonder, Bill Young – keyboards, synthesizers, Roland Juno-60 bass (track 5)
  • Abdoulaye Soumare, Bob Bradlove – synthesizer programming
  • Stevie Wonder – harmonica
  • Steve Porcaro – synths on "Party All the time"
  • Larry Fast – synth
  • Earl Gardner, Richard Gibbs, Larry Gittens, Bob Malach, Keith Quinn – horns
  • Roderick Bascom, Crystal Blake, Alvin "Blues" Broussard, Anthony Clark, Carlotta Clark, Lisa Clark, Paul Freudenburg, Larry Gittens, Rod Gordon, Cynthia Green, Bruce Hawes, Rick James, David Allen Jones, Jacque Kimbrough, Derek Lawrence, Lorelei McBroom, Daryl Murphy, LaMorris Payne, Darryl Phinnessee, William Rivera, Dwayne Roberson, Darryl Ross, Levi Ruffin, Howard Smith, Spartacus R., Michelle Wiley, Philip "Bully" Williams, Steven Lindstrom – backing vocals
Technical
  • Larkin Arnold – executive producer
  • Nancy Greenberg – art direction
  • Annie Leibovitz – photography

Charts

Chart (1985–86) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Top Current Albums[26] 26
U.S. Billboard 200[27] 26
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[28] 17
U.S. Cash Box Top 200 Pop Albums[29] 25
U.S. Cash Box Top 75 Black Contemporary Albums[30] 23

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[31] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. 1 2 "New Releases" (PDF). Billboard. Billboard Publications, Inc. September 7, 1985. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Blest, Paul (2015-01-28). "Put a Boogie in Your Butt: A Look Back at the Musical Career of Eddie Murphy". Vice. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  3. ↑ Flota, Brian. "How Could It Be – Eddie Murphy | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
  4. ↑ "CG: Eddie Murphy". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
  5. ↑ Wyatt, Hugh (September 27, 1985). "Can Eddie Murphy sing, too?". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  6. ↑ Hinckley, David (October 6, 1985). "PLAY TIME". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  7. ↑ Nager, Larry (September 28, 1985). "Prince's clones can't even hold his guitar". The Cincinnati Post. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  8. ↑ Radel, Cliff (October 3, 1985). "Good Music Makes Good Neighbors". The Cincinnati Enquirer.
  9. ↑ Graff, Gary (September 29, 1985). "Pop: Wonder's new album is worth the wait; Marshall Crenshaw's isn't". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  10. ↑ Morse, Steve (October 3, 1985). "RECORDS". The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  11. ↑ Hogan, Dick (October 4, 1985). "'How Could It Be' a notable first singing effort for Eddie Murphy". The Gazette. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  12. ↑ Allen, Carl (October 11, 1985). "RECORDS: SOUL". The Buffalo News. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  13. ↑ Dawson, Walter (October 11, 1985). "Big names add glitter for Yule". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  14. ↑ Radel, Cliff (October 1985). "Murphy: a singer? How could it be?". Gannett News Service. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  15. ↑ Harada, Wayne (October 26, 1985). "Taylor-made for listenin'". The Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  16. ↑ Lawson, Michael (October 1985). "No laughing matter". Canadian Press. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  17. ↑ Welles, Robin (October 1985). "Record Reviews". Copley Press. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  18. ↑ Farr, Jory (November 3, 1985). "Diana Ross' new album wimpy; Eddie Murphy really can sing". Daily Press. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  19. ↑ Mule, Bill (November 9, 1985). "RECORDS". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  20. ↑ Davis, Chuck (November 10, 1985). "Recordings: Comedy". The Daily Oklahoman. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  21. ↑ Kelp, Larry (November 10, 1985). "Eddie Murphy strong as singer". Oakland Tribune. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  22. ↑ Tunis, Walter (December 18, 1985). "Choices numerous when giving the sound of music". Lexington Herald-Leader.
  23. ↑ "STYLISH COPS, URGENT POP--A SHOPPER'S GUIDE TO THE TOP 40". Los Angeles Times. December 8, 1985. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Photographic image of record sleeve" (JPG). Img.discogs.com. Retrieved 2022-04-03.
  25. ↑ "Bill Wolfer | Credits". AllMusic.
  26. ↑ "Top Current Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  27. ↑ "Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  28. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  29. ↑ "Top 200 Pop Albums". Cash Box. New York City, New York, United States: Cash Box Publishing Co., Inc. December 28, 1985. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  30. ↑ "Top 75 Black Contemporary Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. New York City, New York, United States: Cash Box Publishing Co., Inc. December 28, 1985. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  31. ↑ "American album certifications – Eddie Murphy – How Could It Be". Recording Industry Association of America.
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