Irreplaceable (George Benson album)

Irreplaceable is a studio album by American musician George Benson. The album, released by GRP Records in 2003, was recorded in contemporary R&B style. However, four songs were re-recorded in a more smooth jazz style and released in 2004, together with three new songs, and leaving out three songs from the original 2003 edition.

Irreplaceable
Studio album by George Benson
Released	2003 (first edition) June 8, 2004 (second edition)
Genre	Contemporary R&B, Smooth jazz
Length	41:32 (first edition) 39:36 (second edition)
Label	GRP Records
Producer	Joshua Paul Thompson, Hakim Bell, William Irving, Joe Thomas
George Benson chronology
Absolute Benson (2000) Irreplaceable (2003) Givin' It Up (2006)

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Tom Hull	C–[2]

Tom Hull dismissed the album as a "dud" in his "Jazz Consumer Guide" for The Village Voice in September 2004.[3] In a commentary published on his website, he explained, "The three instrumentals are minor groove pieces for uninspired guitar and synth beats, but at least they don't have to carry the exceptionally lame lyrics of the other seven songs. The songs come with neatly groomed layered voices. We tend to classify this sort of soul fluff as easy listening, but easy playing is more like it. It's not like anyone can actually listen."[2]

Track listing

First edition (2003)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Six Play"	Mike Clark, John Fiore, Joshua P. Thompson	4:13
2.	"Whole Man"	Hakim Bell, William Irving, Shoshyne, Hasan Smith, Joshua P. Thompson	3:52
3.	"Irreplaceable"	Mike Clark, John Fiore, Joshua P. Thompson	4:17
4.	"Loving Is Better Than Leaving"	Mike Clark, Joe Thomas, Joshua P. Thompson	4:15
5.	"Strings of Love"	John Fiore, Allan Rich, Joshua P. Thompson, Philip White	3:27
6.	"Cell Phone"	Randy Beasley, Joshua P. Thompson, Stephanie Thompson	4:12
7.	"Black Rose"	Joe Thomas, Joshua P. Thompson	4:40
8.	"Stairway to Love"	Olivia Longott, Quincy Patrick, Joshua P. Thompson	4:20
9.	"Reason for Breathing"	Scott Andrews, Quincy Patrick, Joe Thomas, Joshua P. Thompson, Warren Wilson	4:50
10.	"Missing You"	Tim Kelly, Bob Robinson, Joe Thomas, Joshua P. Thompson	3:22

Second edition (2004)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Irreplaceable"	Mike Clark, John Fiore, Joshua P. Thompson	4:17
2.	"Cell Phone" (Remix by Paul Brown & DC)	Randy Beasley, Joshua P. Thompson, Stephanie Thompson	3:44
3.	"Black Rose" (Remix by Joshua P. Thompson & John Roper)	Joe Thomas, Joshua P. Thompson	4:40
4.	"Take You Out"	Warryn Campbell, Harold Lilly, John Smith	3:54
5.	"Strings of Love"	John Fiore, Allan Rich, Joshua P. Thompson, Philip White	3:28
6.	"Missing You"	Tim Kelly, Bob Robinson, Joe Thomas, Joshua P. Thompson	3:22
7.	"Six Play" (Remix by Paul Brown & DC)	Mike Clark, John Fiore, Joshua P. Thompson	4:04
8.	"Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise"	Sigmund Romberg, Oscar Hammerstein II	3:58
9.	"Stairway To Love" (Remix by Paul Brown & DC)	Olivia Longott, Quincy Patrick, Joshua P. Thompson	3:59
10.	"Arizona Sunrise"	George Benson, Paul Brown, Thomas Klemperer	3:58

Personnel

• George Benson – lead vocals, backing vocals (1-4, 6-10), electric guitar (1, 3, 7), lead guitar (2, 5, 8, 10)
• Joshua Paul Thompson – acoustic guitar (1-4, 7, 10), keyboards (1, 3, 5), bass (1, 6), drum programming (1, 3), vocal arrangements (1-8, 10), synth bass (3), harmony guitar (5), guitar (6), strings (7)
• Georg Wadenius – rhythm electric guitar (2), electric guitar (8), guitar (9)
• Joe Thomas – electric guitar (4), keyboards (4), drum programming (4), backing vocals (4, 6), vocal arrangements (4, 6)
• Bill Blast – electric piano (2)
• Melvin Lee Davis – Hammond B3 organ (2)
• Bobby Douglas – keyboards (6, 7, 9)
• Richard Bona – bass (2-10), percussion (4, 8), chant (5), vocal arrangements (5)
• David "Pic" Conley – drum programming (1, 3, 5, 6, 8), flute (7)
• Hakim Bell – drum programming (2)
• Ali Jackson – drum programming (7, 9, 10), live cymbal (9), live hi-hat (10)
• Mike Hobbs – finger snaps (1)
• Grégoire Maret – harmonica solo (8)
• Terry Carpenter – backing vocals (1, 3), additional vocal arrangements (1)
• Philip White – backing vocals (1, 3, 5), vocal arrangement (1, 3, 5)
• Chyna Royal – lead vocals (1)
• Hasan Smith – backing vocals (2, 7), vocal arrangement (2, 7)
• Randy Beasley – backing vocals (3)
• Nakiea – lead vocals (3)
• Shoshannah – lead vocals (4)
• Andrea Simmons – lead and backing vocals (6)
• Sean Albrecht – backing vocals (9)
• Lisa Fischer – backing vocals (8), vocal arrangement (8)
• Carlos Ricketts – backing vocals (9, 10), vocal arrangements (10)
• John Fiore – backing vocals (9)

Production

• Producers – Joshua Paul Thompson (Tracks 1, 3, 5-10); Hakim Bell and William Irving (Track 2); Joe Thomas (Track 4).
• Recorded and Mixed by John Roper at Tallest Tree Studio (West Orange, NJ).
• Mastered by Tom Coyne at Sterling Sound (New York, NY).
• Album Coordinators – Kelly Pratt and Robert Silverburg
• Art Direction – Hollis King
• Design – Rika Ichiki
• Photography by Kwaku Alston, David Alan Brandt and Donna Ramieri.
• Management – Dennis Turner and Stephanie Guervitz-Gonzalez for Turner Management Group, Inc.

References

1. Widran, Jonathan. George Benson: Irreplaceable > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved May 12, 2013.
2. Hull, Tom (September 28, 2004). "September 2004 Notebook". tomhull.com. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
3. Hull, Tom (September 28, 2004). "Jazz Consumer Guide (2): The Caribbean Tinge". The Village Voice. Retrieved June 25, 2020 – via tomhull.com.