| Romances | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 12 August 1997 (1997-08-12) | |||
| Recorded | 1997 | |||
| Studio | Ocean Way Recording (Hollywood) The Hit Factory (New York City) | |||
| Genre | Bolero | |||
| Length | 54:05 | |||
| Language | Spanish | |||
| Label | WEA Latina | |||
| Producer | Luis Miguel | |||
| Luis Miguel chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Romances | ||||
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Romances is the twelfthstudio album by Mexican singerLuis Miguel, released on 12 August 1997, byWEA Latina. It is the third album of theRomance series, in which Luis Miguel covers Latin songs from 1940 to 1978. Aside from Luis Miguel, the production also involvedarrangerBebu Silvetti, andArmando Manzanero, who directed all of Luis Miguel'sRomance albums.Romances consists of twelvecover versions and two new compositions by Manzanero and Silvetti. Recording took place in early 1997 at the Ocean Way recording studio in Los Angeles, California.
Romances has sold over 4.5 million copies and received platinum certifications in several Latin American countries, the United States and Spain. Luis Miguel promoted the album by touring the United States, Latin America and Spain. Upon its release,Romances received generally positive reviews from music critics. They mainly praised his vocals and production of the album although few reviewers found the arrangements to be repetitive and the record too similar to its predecessors. The album earned Luis Miguel several awards, including theGrammy Award for Best Latin Pop Performance in the United States. Six singles were released: "Por Debajo de la Mesa", "El Reloj", "Contigo (Estar Contigo)", "De Quererte Así (De T'Avoir Aimee)", "Bésame Mucho", and "La Gloria Eres Tú".
In 1991 Luis Miguel releasedRomance, a collection of classic Latin ballads, the oldest of which dates back to the 1940s. The album wasproduced by Armando Manzanero and arranged by Bebu Silvetti,[1] and was credited for revitalizing thebolero genre.[2] It also made history as the first Spanish-language album to be certified gold by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in the United States.[3] A follow-up toRomance was released in 1994 under the titleSegundo Romance (Second Romance), which was produced by Luis Miguel, Juan Carlos Calderón and Kiko Cibrian.[4] Both albums received a platinum certification by the RIAA in the United States and also became successful in countries outside of Latin America and the United States, such asFinland andSaudi Arabia,[5] selling over twelve million copies combined.[5][6][7]
In December 1996 Luis Miguel held a press conference inBuenos Aires,Argentina, where he announced his desire to record a thirdRomance album and mentioned the possibility of working with Manzanero andJuan Gabriel. He also expressed an interest in singing in Italian and Portuguese,[8] although the album's songs are originally all in Spanish. Two months later Manzanero confirmed that he was working with Luis Miguel on another bolero-inspired ballads album, under the tentative titleTercer Romance ("Third Romance").[9] Luis Miguel's record label confirmed that fourteen tracks would be included on the album under the titleRomances.[10]
Luis Miguel collaborated with Silvetti for the arrangement ofRomances, while Manzanero was in charge of direction.[11] Recording began on 18 March 1997,[12] atOcean Way Recording inHollywood and atThe Hit Factory in New York City.[13] During the recording ofRomances, as inRomance, Silvetti employed his signature style of arrangements known as the "Silvetti Sound", whichLeila Cobo ofBillboard describes as "anchored in sweeping melodies, lush string arrangements, acoustic instrumentation, and above all, unabashedromanticism".[14] Silvetti has stated that when he produces an album he does not simply copy his own arrangements, because he feels that would be "ridiculous", and prefers to be creative within his own style.[14] About the selection of songs for the album, Manzanero stated that "I give [Luis Miguel] the songs, and he chooses what he wants to record."[15] Participants in the recording sessions included sixty-one musicians from theLos Angeles Philharmonic.[16]
Luis Miguel covers twelve ballads inRomances, including songs by José Antonio Méndez, Carlos Arturo Briz,Consuelo VelázquezÁlvaro Carrillo,Roberto Cantoral,María Grever,Enrique Santos Discépolo,Agustín Lara.[1][4] He also covers songs from other musical styles includingtango ("Uno"),bossa nova ("Mañana de Carnaval"), and French ("De Quererte Así").[17] Luis Miguel had performed some of the aforementioned composers' songs on his previousRomance albums. Luis Miguel recorded Manazero's songs "Voy a Apagar la Luz/Contigo Aprendí" ("I Am Going To Turn Off The Lights/With You I Learned") and "Amanecer" ("To Be Awake").[18] The two original compositions were "Por Debajo de la Mesa" ("Underneath the Table") by Manzanero and "Contigo (Estar Contigo)" ("To Be With You") by Bebu Silvetti and Sylvia Riera Ibáñez.[18]
Luis Miguel launched hisRomances Tour, consisting of 79 concerts, in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 12 September 1997. The performances featured Luis Miguel performing dance-pop and bolero arrangements for two-and-a-half hours.[19] Adam Sandler ofVariety expressed a mixed reaction to the concert in theUniversal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. He noted that Luis Miguel rarely acknowledged his audience or ventured out from center stage.[20] Robert Hilburn of theLos Angeles Times had a more positive reaction, which he described as a "marvelously designed and wonderfully executed blend of Latin music tradition".[19] Another Times contributor, Ernesto Lechner, wrote that Luis Miguel's bolero performance at theArrowhead Pond arena in California "brought the house down" and stated that the experience at the concert was "pretty close" toBeatlemania.[21] In New York City, Luis Miguel performed five consecutive shows in theRadio City Music Hall. InMexico City he performed seventeen consecutive concerts in theNational Auditorium, where it was the highest-grossing concert by a Latin artist that year.[22] The tour also traveled to South America; includingChile, and Argentina; and continued until May 1998, when Luis Miguel performed throughout Spain.[23] Luis Miguel was the first Latin artist to be inducted to thePollstar "Top 20 All-Time Grossing Tours" for most tickets sold for consecutive concerts at one venue in 1997.[24]
"Por Debajo de la Mesa" was released as thelead single from the on 15 July 1997,[27] and reached number one on theBillboard Hot Latin Songs chart two months later.[28] Themusic video for the song was filmed at theRainbow Room in New York City and was directed by Daniela Federici.[29] The second single released, "El Reloj" ("The Clock"),[30] reached number two on the Hot Latin Songs chart, as did the third single, "Contigo (Estar Contigo").[28][31]
"Bésame Mucho" ("Kiss Me More") was released as the fourth single and reached number one on the Mexican ballads chart and was among the top ten best-performing songs of 1998 in Venezuela according toRecord Report.[32][33][34] The fifth single, "De Quererte Así (De T'Avoir Aimee)", peaked at number twenty-three on the Hot Latin Songs chart and number seven on the Mexican ballads chart.[28][35] "La Gloria Eres Tú" was released as the sixth and final single from the album in 1998.[36] In addition to the singles, "Sabor a Mí" ("Taste From Me") peaked at number six on the Hot Latin Songs chart.[28]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| Chicago Tribune |  [37] |
| Los Angeles Daily News | [38] |
| Los Angeles Times | [39] |
| The San Diego Union-Tribune | [40] |
| The Sydney Morning Herald | [41] |
Upon its release,Romances was met with mostly positive reviews by music critics. Terry Jenkins ofAllMusic praised the collaborative work of Silvetti and Manzanero and calledRomances "a sensuous, enchanting album".[11]Achy Obejas of theChicago Tribune called Luis Miguel's voice the album's strong point and noted the "presence of electronic instruments and the darker, more somber mood".[37] On the other hand, she felt that Luis Miguel was beginning "to slip", citing the tracks "Jurame" and "Por Debajo de la Mesa" as examples. Fernando Gonzalez wrote for theOrange County Register noting although the album is "Impeccably produced, arranged and recorded", he felt that boleros "demand more than that". Gonzalez elaborated: " He sounds simply loud, rather than romantic, in "Sabor a Mi; he comes across as (soap) operatic rather than tormented in "El Reloj "; he is a star—not a humble student—in "Contigo Aprendi"."[42] TheCorpus Christi Caller-Times music critic Rene Carbrera wrote a positive review of the album praising the string arrangements as "elegantly done" and complimented Luis Miguel's take on "Sabor a Mí" and "La Gloria Eres Tu" as he had done it "delightfully done in the traditional way and flavored withTrio Los Panchos requinto "cling" endings."[43] Mario Tarradell ofThe Dallas Morning News wrote an unfavorable review of the recording; he criticized its productions for having all the tracks "awash in silky keyboards and airy strings with just a hint of percussion in the background". He also panned its lead single "Por Debajo de la Mesa" for coming off as a "love song for the chaste" due to its arrangements being "so stifling, so precious, it's difficult to feel any sensuality".[25] Luis M. Garcia ofThe Sydney Morning Herald referred to the album as a "lush, expensive recording", stating, "he has taken a basketful of classic, romantic boleros, updated some, rearranged others and come up with a fairly acceptable collection of what marketers would probably call 'songs for lovers'... Smooth? Syrupy? Over the top? You bet. But then again, what would you expect from a disc calledRomances?".[44]
Los Angeles Times editor Ernesto Lecnher gave the album one-and-a-half out of four stars and claimed thatRomances "sinks under its own weight, delivering mostly bloated versions of timeless material".[39] FellowLos Angeles Times contributor Ed Morales disagreed with his review: "Lechner needs to go into his music room, turn down the lights, snuggle up with his significant other and really listen to 'Romances.' I give his review * and 'Romances' ****" .[45] Anne Valdespino of theLos Angeles Daily News praised the selection of songs and Luis Miguel's performance, calling the performer a "class act".[38]The San Diego Union-Tribune music critic Ernesto Portillo Jr. ratedRomances three-out-of four stars and claimed that Luis Miguel's "interpretations are first-rate and the music, with production help from famed composer Armando Manzanero, is executed with exquisite precision". However, he questioned the need for a third in theRomance series as he felt it "diminishes the specialness" ofRomance andSegundo Romance noted that not all tracks in the album are "true boleros".[40]El Nuevo Herald editor Eliseo Cardona wrote a mostly positive review of the album. He complimented Luis Miguel's vocals and the productions but stated that Luis Miguel's interpretation of "La Gloria Eres Tu" "pales" compared toLucho Gatica andJosé José's cover of the song.[46] Ramiro Burr of theSan Antonio Express-News saidRomances "sparkles with the joy of visiting good friends" and lauded its "timeless music, beautiful orchestration" and complimented Silvetti's arrangements. Burr commented while "we've heard all these classics before, and seemingly a million times" Luis Miguel "does it so well, it hardly seems to matter."[26]
At the40th Annual Grammy Awards in the 1998, Luis Miguel won the award forBest Latin Pop Performance.[47] Luis Miguel also received aBillboard Latin Music Award for "Male Pop Album of the Year" and aWorld Music Award for "Best Selling Latin Artist" in the same year.[2][48]Luis Miguel received a Premio Amigo and Premio Onda for "Best Latin Singer of the Year" in Spain,[3] and the album was nominated for a Premio Amigo for "Best Latin Album".[49]
The album was released on 12 August 1997, in the United States and, by the week of 23 August 1997, it debuted at number two on theBillboard Top Latin Albums chart.[50] A week later it became number one, which it has been for a total of eleven non-consecutive weeks.Romances was even more successful in theBillboard Latin Pop Albums chart, having been number one for 13 weeks.[51] On theBillboard 200 chart it peaked at number fourteen, with sales of over 57,000 units within the first week[52]—a record at that time for a Spanish-language album.[3] It was also Luis Miguel's highest-peaking album in theBillboard 200 until the release ofCómplices in 2008, which peaked at number ten.[53] It was the second best-selling Latin album in the United States during 1997, afterTango byJulio Iglesias.[54] As of October 2017[update], it has sold 687,000 copies in the US, making it the 19th bestselling Latin album in the country according toNielsen SoundScan.[55] By October 1997 it had sold over a million copies in Mexico and was certified quadruple platinum in the country, as well as across Central America.[56][57] A year after release it received a platinum certification in the United States by the RIAA.[58] In Argentina it reached number one on theCAPIF albums chart and was the best-selling album of 1997 in the country, with sales of approximately 781,000 copies.[59][60] In Spain the album reached number one on thePROMUSICAE chart and was certified nonuple platinum, selling over 900,000 copies.[61][62][63] In South America the album was certified gold in Brazil, Platinum in Ecuador and Peru, double platinum in Colombia and Paraguay, sextuple platinum in Venezuela,[57] octuple platinum in Chile, and diamond in Argentina.[3][64] According to theGuinness World RecordsRomances was the best-selling Spanish-language album of 1997.[65] ADVD-Audio for the album was released in 2001.[66] Over 4.5 million copies of the album were sold in 53 countries, as of 1999[update].[67][68][69]
Warner Music released a three-disccompilation album titledTodos Los Romances ("All The Romances") in 1998, which contains all the tracks from Luis Miguel'sRomance albums.[70] The album peaked at number twelve in theBillboard Top Latin Albums chart and at number six in theBillboard Latin Pop Albums chart.[71] It was certified gold in Argentina.[72]Romances was followed by one more bolero album,Mis Romances (2001) which was produced by Luis Miguel.[73]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Year of composition[13] | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Voy a Apagar la Luz / Contigo Aprendí" | Armando Manzanero |
| 4:11 |
| 2. | "Sabor a Mí" | Álvaro Carrillo | 1959 | 3:06 |
| 3. | "Por Debajo de la Mesa" | Manzanero | 1997 | 3:05 |
| 4. | "La Gloria Eres Tú" | José Antonio Mendez | 1952 | 3:21 |
| 5. | "Amanecer" | Manzanero | 1978 | 3:31 |
| 6. | "Encadenados" | Carlos Arturo Briz | 1956 | 3:59 |
| 7. | "Bésame Mucho" | Consuelo Velázquez | 1941 | 5:26 |
| 8. | "Contigo (Estar Contigo)" |
| 1997 | 4:11 |
| 9. | "Noche de Ronda" | Agustín Lara | 1940 | 4:16 |
| 10. | "El Reloj" | Roberto Cantoral | 1956 | 3:02 |
| 11. | "Júrame" | María Grever | 1959 | 3:57 |
| 12. | "De Quererte Así (De T'Avoir Aimee)" |
| 1958 | 3:14 |
| 13. | "Uno" |
| 1943 | 4:48 |
| 14. | "Mañana de Carnaval (Manhã de Carnaval)" |
| 1960 | 4:07 |
Adapted from AllMusic and theRomances liner notes:[13][18]
|
| VocalsFor "La Gloria Eres Tu"
For "Bésame Mucho"
Additional musicians
|
Weekly charts[edit]
Monthly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina (CAPIF)[64] | Diamond | 781,000[60] |
| Bolivia[3] | 2× Platinum | |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[81] | Gold | 200,000[80] |
| Central America (CFC)[57] | 4× Platinum | |
| Chile (IFPI)[3] | 8× Platinum | 433,000[82] |
| Colombia (ASINCOL)[57] | 2× Platinum | 88,000[83] |
| Ecuador (IFPI)[57] | Platinum | |
| Mexico (AMPROFON)[84] | 4× Platinum+2× Gold | 1,675,000[85] |
| Paraguay (IFPI)[57] | 2× Platinum | |
| Peru (IFPI)[57] | Platinum | |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[61] | 9× Platinum | 1,000,000[67] |
| United States (RIAA)[58] | Platinum | 687,000[55] |
| Venezuela (APFV)[57] | 6× Platinum | |
| Summaries | ||
| Argentina & Mexico Sales in 1997 | — | 2,000,000[86] |
| Asia-Pacific | — | 50,000[87] |
| Worldwide Worldwide sales up to 1999 | — | 4,500,000[67][68] |
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)El album Romances, de acuerdo a la compañia, se ha vendido en 53 paises.
Luis Miguel, que sólo en Argentina y México vendió dos millones de unidades en 1997
