Seal (1991 album)

Seal
Studio album by Seal
Released	24 May 1991 (UK) 7 June 1991 (US)
Recorded	November 1990 – April 1991
Genre	Soul R&B electro new jack swing
Length	52:17
Label	ZTT Warner Music UK Sire
Producer	Trevor Horn
Seal chronology
Seal (1991) Seal (1994)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Chicago Tribune	[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[3]
Entertainment Weekly	A[4]
Los Angeles Times	[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[6]
The Village Voice	[7]

Seal is the eponymous debut studio album by Seal, released in 1991. It contains singles "Crazy", "Future Love Paradise", "The Beginning" and "Violet". The album debuted at #1 in the UK. Seal's following album, released in 1994, was also named Seal it is usually referred to as Seal II.

The song "Crazy" was covered by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on their album Take a Break, by Mushroomhead on their album XIII, by Talisman on their 1995 album Life, by Alanis Morissette on her 2005 compilation album Alanis Morissette: The Collection, and by German power metal band Iron Savior.

Many of the songs (including various ZTT mixes) were featured in the Greg Stump 1991 film Groove Requiem in the Key of Ski. Later Seal tracks appeared in other Stump films as well.

The track "Killer" was also featured on the American crime series Homicide: Life on the Streets and was included on the 2-disc soundtrack album.

There are two versions of the album, with minor and major differences in three songs.^[8] The shorter version of "Wild" is more rock-based and heavy than the original. The shorter version of "Violet" contains no dialogue within the singing. Track lengths of both versions are given for each song affected.

The album won Best British Album at the 1992 Brit Awards.

Track listing

All lyrics and music written by Seal, except where noted.

1. "The Beginning" (Seal, Guy Sigsworth) – 5:40
2. "Deep Water" – 5:56
3. "Crazy" (Seal, Guy Sigsworth) – 4:47 or 5:57
4. "Killer" (Adam Tinley, Seal) – 6:22
5. "Whirlpool" – 3:56 or 3:51
6. "Future Love Paradise" – 4:20
7. "Wild" (Seal, Guy Sigsworth) – 5:19 or 5:28
8. "Show Me" – 5:59
9. "Violet" (Seal, Guy Sigsworth) – 8:06 or 8:31

Personnel

• Seal - vocals
• Trevor Horn, Andy Duncan, Bruce Woolley, Chester Kamen, Chrissie Schefts, Curt Bisquera, Denny Fongheiser, Doug Wimbish, Gary Maughan, Gota Yashiki, Gus Isidore, Guy Sigsworth, Ian Morrow, Jamie Muhoberac, John Robinson, Keith LeBlanc, Kenji Suzuki, Luís Jardim, Maria Vidale, Mark Mancina, Mars Lasar, Paulinho Da Costa, Randall Jacobs, Richard Cottle, Robin Hancock, Steve Pearce, Trevor Rabin - musicians
• Anne Dudley - string arrangements
• Richard Croft - cover photography

Singles

Release date	Title	Peak
23 November 1990	"Crazy"	2
12 April 1991	"Future Love Paradise"	12
19 July 1991	"The Beginning"	24
22 November 1991	"Killer"	8
14 February 1992	"Violet"	34

References

1. Wilson, MacKenzie. "Seal [1991] – Seal". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
2. May, Mitchell (18 July 1991). "Seal: Seal (Sire)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
3. Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-857-12595-8.
4. Linden, Amy (16 August 1991). "Seal". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
5. Hochman, Steve (14 July 1991). "Seal, 'Seal,' Sire". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
6. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-743-20169-8.
7. Christgau, Robert (3 March 1991). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
8. "Seal (Debut album) remixed/edited version". Futureloveparadise.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-06-03.