Album includes songs that inspired superstar

Edmonds is a three-time Producer of the Year Grammy Award winner.

By JOHN BENSON

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

A ’70s rock cover album may seem like an unlikely choice for R&B artist/songwriting superstar Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. However, the way the Indianapolis native tells it, “Playlist” has been on his mind for more than three decades.

“I wanted to do a record of things that inspired me to become a writer and play the acoustic guitar,” said Edmonds, calling from Los Angeles. “I grew up listening to obviously R&B but there wasn’t a lot of acoustic guitar in that. So when I first picked up the guitar initially just to write, I heard these songs on the radio that had this acoustic guitar sound, and it caught my attention.”

“Playlist” includes songs from the likes of Eric Clapton (“Wonderful Tonight”), Jim Croce (“Time In A Bottle”), Bob Dylan (“Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”), Dan Fogelberg (“Longer”), Bread (“Diary”), Dave Loggins (“Please Come To Boston”) and James Taylor (“Shower The People” and “Fire & Rain”). There are also two Edmonds originals, “The Soldier Song” and “Not Going Nowhere.”

Overall, the track listing for “Playlist” is somewhat of an odd choice by this three-time Producer of the Year Grammy Award winner, who has sold more than 10 million albums in his career.

“It was at a point where I felt like all of the records I had done, I wasn’t so much trying to prove myself as an artist,” Edmonds said. “So I can kind of do what I want creatively and this is something that it didn’t matter ultimately as far as the record company was concerned.

“I was a little nervous about it in the sense of whether I could pull it off, because I don’t necessarily like to do standards like these, and you don’t necessarily want to do something where people say they like the original version much better.”

That’s decidedly not the case with lead single “Fire & Rain” going top 10 at adult contemporary radio, with its follow-up “Not Going Nowhere” currently doing well at urban adult contemporary stations.

As impressive as Edmonds’ solo career has been, it nearly pales in comparison to his songwriting prowess. The 49-year-old musical genius has songwriting/production credit on over 60 hit songs.

His résumé includes hit singles with such artists as TLC (“Baby-Baby-Baby”), Eric Clapton (“Change the World”), Bobby Brown (“Every Little Step” and “Don't Be Cruel”), Boyz II Men (“End of the Road” and “I'll Make Love to You”), Whitney Houston (“I'm Your Baby Tonight”), Mary J. Blige (“Not Gon’ Cry”), Madonna (“Take a Bow”) and more.

“I don’t pay too much attention to it but when I look back I’m like, ‘Wow, I did that?’” Edmonds said. “It’s kind of like it gets to be outside of myself. I don’t remember doing all of this. I had to do a whole lot in a little bit of time.”

Being so busy (and successful) for so long has allowed Edmonds to remain elusive when it comes to touring. This is about to change when the singer/musician comes to Youngstown for a Monday show at the Chevy Centre.

“I’ve never really toured that often,” Edmonds said. “I just never do, but it’s a fun way to kind of connect and see people and for people get to know me in a different way. I think people come away surprised. We have a good time, and I have funny stories I’ll tell about writing the songs or just growing up and how I got to be where I’m at today. It’s pretty entertaining.

“I think some people make the mistake of just thinking of me as just a balladeer, so they think it might only be a slow night, but it’s nothing like that at all. It’s a lot of fun and plenty of things they can dance to and sing along to. It’s a good, fun night.”