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Word Up!
Studio album by Cameo
Released	September 9, 1986 (1986-09-09)
Recorded	1985–1986
Studio	Quad Recording Counter Point Power Station Sound Ideas (New York City)
Genre	Funk
Length	34:46
Label	Atlanta Artists
Producer	Larry Blackmon
Cameo chronology
Single Life (1985) Word Up! (1986) Machismo (1988)
Singles from Word Up!
"Word Up!" Released: July 1986 "Candy" Released: October 21, 1986 "Back and Forth" Released: February 24, 1987 "She's Mine" Released: June 1987

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
The Village Voice	B

Word Up! is the 13th studio album by American funk group Cameo, released in 1986. The album reached number 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, number 8 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, and was certified Platinum by the RIAA for sales of over 1 million copies. It took Cameo to their highest level of popularity, and solidified them as one of the most successful bands of the 1980s. The album includes three of their biggest hit singles, "Word Up!", "Candy", and "Back and Forth".

Track listing

• Tracks 1–3, 6 and 7 published by All Seeing Eye Music-Better Days Music.
• Tracks 4 and 5 published by All Seeing Eye Music-Better Days Music-Better Nights Music.

Personnel

Cameo

• Larry Blackmon – lead vocals, bass guitar, drums, percussion, backing vocals
• Tomi Jenkins – lead vocals, backing vocals
• Nathan Leftenant – backing vocals

Additional musicians

• Kevin Kendrick – keyboards
• Charlie Singleton – guitar, backing vocals
• Stanley Clarke, Aaron Mills – bass guitar
• Michael Burnett – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Bernard Wright, Eric Rehl, Kenni Hairston, Kevin Kendrick, Merv de Peyer – keyboards
• Duduka Fonseca, Giovanni Hidalgo, Steve Thornton – percussion
• Melvin Wells – saxophone, backing vocals
• Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone (solo on "Candy", "Don't Be Lonely" and "She's Mine")
• Randy Brecker – trumpet
• Arno Hecht – tenor saxophone
• Crispin Cioe – alto saxophone, baritone saxophone
• Robert Funk – trombone
• Paul Litteral – trumpet
• Sammy Merendino – drum programming
• Pat Buchanan – guitars
• Peter Scherer – Synclavier programming
• Willie Morris – backing vocals

Critical reception

Accolades

Word Up! was ranked number 5 among the "Albums of the Year" by NME.

Charts

Certifications

References

1. ^ AllMusic review
2. Christgau, Robert (December 30, 1986). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
3. Henderson, Alex. "Cameo: Word Up! > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
4. O'Donnell, David (December 11, 2008). "One of the most successful bands of the 80s". BBC. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
5. "Albums and Tracks of the Year". NME. 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
6. Kent, David (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
7. "Discografie Cameo - dutchcharts.nl".
8. "charts.nz - Discography Cameo". charts.nz. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
9. "Cameo - hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
10. "CAMEO - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
11. ^ "Word Up! - Cameo". Billboard. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
12. "British album certifications – Cameo – Word Up". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
13. "American album certifications – Cameo – Word Up". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 26, 2018.

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