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Chillin'
Studio album by Force MDs
Released	December 15, 1985
Studio	Tommy Boy, Unique Recording, and Quadrasonic (New York City, New York) Flyte Tyme (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Genre	Hip hop, pop, R&B
Label	Tommy Boy
Producer	Robin Halpin (tracks 1-4, 7, 8; additional production on track 6) Joey Gardner and John Hickman (track 5) Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (track 6)
Force MDs chronology
Love Letters (1984) Chillin' (1985) Touch and Go (1987)

Chillin' is an album by the American R&B vocal group Force MDs. The hit single "Tender Love" also appears on the soundtrack to Krush Groove.

The album peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard 200.

Production

The album was mostly produced by Tommy Boy house producer Robin Halpin, with the exception of two tracks. "Tender Love" was written by the production duo of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The album marked a shift in the group's sound, downplaying the rap songs in favor of more ballads. "Force MD's Meet the Fat Boys" is set to the theme song to Gilligan's Island.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Robert Christgau	C+
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
The Rolling Stone Album Guide

Trouser Press wrote: "From the ridiculous rap of 'Force M.D.’s Meet the Fat Boys' (partially sung to the melody of 'Gilligan’s Island' and guest-starring the tubby three) to the catchy, falsetto-over-scratch-beats title track, the versatile M.D.’s mix credible urban savvy with enough smooth showbiz to please hard beatboys and mature soul fans alike." The Washington Post thought that "the Force M.D.'s give their intoxicating harmonies the believable edge of impatient desires and streetwise arrangements."

The Los Angeles Times opined: "More comfortable with dreamy balladry than razor-edged rapping, the M.D.'s may not look as harmless as New Edition, but its love songs are equally sweet." The Seattle Times praised the group's "smooth, polished sound," and called "One Plus One" "a high-powered tune influenced by Jackson Five."

AllMusic declared that the group "quietly reinvented quiet storm/R&B for the '80s with their doo wop-heavy 'Tender Love'."

Track listing

Personnel

Force MDs

• Jesse D (Jesse Daniels)
• Antoine "T.C.D." Lundy
• Stevie D (Steven Lundy)
• Charles "Mercury" Nelson
• Trisco Pearson

Musicians

• Robin Halpin – keyboards (1-4, 7, 8), synthesizers (1-4), arrangements (1-4, 7, 8), string arrangements (2)
• Vince Madison - keyboards (1-4, 7, 8), synthesizers (1-4, 7, 8), arrangements (4)
• John "M.J." Hickman – keyboards (5)
• Jimmy Jam – acoustic piano and keyboards (6)
• Paul Pesco – guitars (1, 3, 4, 7), drum programming (1, 3, 7), additional drum programming (8)
• Skip McDonald – guitars (2)
• Doug Wimbish – bass (2)
• Keith LeBlanc – drums (2)
• Eric Calvi – drum programming (3, 4, 8), arrangements (4)
• Bashiri Johnson – percussion (1, 3, 4, 7)
• The Fat Boys – vocals (5)

Production

• Tom Silverman – executive producer
• Force MDs – BGV arrangements (1-4, 6-8)
• Eric Calvi – engineer (1-4, 7, 8), editing (1, 3, 4, 6, 7), recording (5), mix engineer (5, 6), mixing (5), creative consultant
• Tom Lord-Alge – mix engineer (1-3, 7, 8)
• Robin Halpin – mixing (1-4, 7, 8), editing (1, 3, 4, 7), remixing (6), overdubs (6)
• Joey Gardner – mixing (5), remixing (6), editing (6)
• Bruce Miller – second engineer (2, 4)
• Jon Smith – editing (8)
• Herb Powers Jr. – mastering at Frankford/Wayne Mastering Labs (New York, NY)
• Monica Lynch – art direction
• Doug Rowell – photography

References

1. ^ "Tommy Boy-Warners Deal Bears First Fruit". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. April 5, 1986 – via Google Books.
2. ^ "Has Success Spoiled New Edition?". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
3. Whitburn, Joel (2010). Top Pop Albums (7th ed.). Record Research. p. 284.
4. ^ "Force M.D.'s". Trouser Press. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
5. "Force M.D.'s | Biography & History". AllMusic.
6. Hiltbrand, David (26 Sep 1987). "Young Singers, Old-Fashioned Soul". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. C8.
7. Catlin, Roger (February 23, 1986). "3rd Album Quirky but Strong Violent Femmes Bounces Back". Entertainment. Omaha World-Herald. p. 1.
8. Gingold, Dave (14 Feb 1986). "Force's hip-hop doo-wop". Spotlight. Santa Cruz Sentinel. p. 12.
9. ^ "Chillin' - Force M.D.'s | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
10. "Robert Christgau: CG: Force M.D.'s". www.robertchristgau.com.
11. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 534.
12. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 257.
13. Johnson, Connie (23 Mar 1986). "Spring Album Roundup: Silk from the Streets". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 60.
14. MacDonald, Patrick (September 5, 1986). "Boston Quartet Brings Hit Sound to Tacoma". Tempo. The Seattle Times. p. 5.
15. "The Story behind the song "Tender Love" @ YouTube. Retrieved 11 February 2024.

• Force MDs albums
• 1985 albums
• Tommy Boy Records albums
• Albums produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis