Encore Studios (Burbank, California); Yamaha International Recording (Glendale, California); The Sound Suite (Detroit, Michigan); Hitsville Studios (Hollywood, California); TMF Studios (New York City, New York); Gnome Studios (New York City, New York); Producers 1 & 2 (Hollywood, California)
Giving You the Best That I Got is the third album by American R&B/soul singer
Anita Baker, released in 1988. It was Baker's first and only
#1 album in the US, her second
#1 R&B Album, and was certified 3×
platinum in 1989 by the
RIAA.
The
title track was released as the first single from the album and became Baker's highest-charting single in the US, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The album earned Baker three
Grammy Awards and three
Soul Train Music Awards.
Track listing
"Priceless" (Garry Glenn) – 5:00
"Lead Me into Love" (Steve Lane, Larry Prentiss) – 4:45
Alex Henderson of
AllMusic rated the album four points out of five, calling it not "on the par with" Baker's previous albums but better than most of R&B albums released in 1988.[3]
Commercial performance
The album has sold over 5 million copies worldwide (including 3 million from the US).[citation needed]
It became Baker's first and only number one album on
Billboard 200 and her second number-one R&B Album. In March 1989, the album was certified 3× Platinum in 1989 by the
RIAA.[4]
Singles
The title track became Baker's highest charting US hit, peaking at number three on the
Billboard Hot 100, and number one on both the R&B (Hot Black Singles) and Adult Contemporary charts.
"Just Because" peaked at number one on the
Hot Black Singles, making it Baker's second number one and also made the
Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number fourteen.[5] It has since been described as a wedding reception favorite.[6]
"Lead Me into Love" peaked at number four on the
Hot Black Singles and 32 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[5]