This Mother's Daughter

***This Mother's Daughter*** is the 32nd studio album by American singer Nancy Wilson and was released on April 7, 1976 by Capitol Records. Following the release of *Come Get to This* (1975), *This Mother's Daughter* is Wilson's first album since *All in Love Is Fair* (1976) without Billy and Gene Page's involvement. Produced by Eugene McDaniels, the album is primarily R&B, with more jazz-funk and jazz-fusion elements, compared to Wilson's earlier records, and features musicians such as Blue Mitchell, Steve Gadd, Dave Grusin, George Duke, and Hugh McCracken. Grusin serves as an arranger for most of the tracks, with additional arrangements by Duke and McCracken. The album was all recorded at the Record Plant in Hollywood. Lyrical themes are centered around love, relationships, and motherhood.

The album was an unexpected critical and commercial success, making it a major breakthrough during the ongoing height of disco music. Two weeks after it's release, it peaked at number one on *Billboard* 200 chart. *This Mother's Daughter* spent 35 non-consecutive weeks atop of the *Billboard* 200, longest for any female album and second longest-running for an act overall, behind Michael Jackson's *Thriller*. The album also topped numerous charts around the globe, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

It produced five *Billboard* Hot 100 number-one singles, making Wilson the only act to have two albums achieve this record. The album was also Wilson's third consecutive album and fourth overall to produce five or more Hot 100 top-ten hits, making her the only act to achieve this record. *This Mother's Daughter* produced a record-breaking eight top-ten hits, a record held for nearly 45-years, until Drake's *Certified Lover Boy* surpassed this feat. It still holds the record for most top-five hits from an album.

The album includes "From You To Me To You", " China", "He Never Had It So Good", "Love Has Smiled On Us", "I Don't Want a Sometimes Man", "This Mother's Daughter", "Tree Of Life", and "Now". It was the best-selling album in the United States in 1976 and the world's best-selling album of 1976 and 1977, selling over 31 million copies by 1978, surpassing *All In Love Is Fair* as the best-selling album at the time. Within seven months after its release, it became the fastest album ever to receive a Diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for shipments of 12 million copies.

Critics praised Wilson's vocal ability and the record's innovative production. The album won seven Grammy Awards, including an Album Of The Year (tied with Stevie Wonder's *Songs in the Key of Life*), Song Of The Year for "This Mother's Daughter" and Record Of The Year for "Now" at the 19th Annual Grammy Awards. The album has since become one of the greatest and most influential albums of all time. It was voted number 23 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums and ranked number 7 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In March 2023, *This Mother's Daughter* was certified 32× platinum in the United States, by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In the United States, its the second best-selling non-compilation album, best-selling album by a woman and third-best selling album in the nation overall. To date, the album sold over 60 million copies worldwide, making it the world's second best-selling album, best-selling album by a woman and Wilson’s best-selling record overall. In 1997, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and in 2001, the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry of "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant recordings"

## Background and recording

After the blockbuster successes of her predecessors, *All In Love Is Fair* and *Come Get To This*, Wilson wanted to make an album that had a more 'stripped back feel' and that represented her being a mother and wife. Capitol Records was initially hesitant about the releasing an with such 'mellow tunes' because they felt it wasn't going to sell as well as her mid-70s predecessors, especially during the growing height of disco music. *This Mother's Daughter* would be Wilson's third album to fulfill out her four-album $32 million contract that she signed with Capitol back in 1973. Wilson stated that she felt that 'pressure' was put on her to create an album that would be as good or better than her predecessors. In mid-1975, Wilson, Billy and Gene Page decided to take a break due to creative differences. She discussed why she parted ways with the Page brothers in a 1976 *Billboard* interview.

> *"I felt mentally I was in a different space, which I wanted to translate in my music. I've seen the tabloids with folks saying that I had a fall out with the Page brothers, which is total nonsense. My relationship with Billy and Gene is wonderful and we still constantly talk with one another. What folks need to understand is that at the time, I was moving in different musical direction from what the brothers were doing, so we decided to take a creative break from each other at that point.*
>
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> - Nancy Wilson, *Billboard*, 1976
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Unlike Wilson's previous albums that were recording at The Sound Factory in New York, New York. *This Mother's Daughter*'s recording sessions took place at Record Plant studios in Sausalito, California, from October 1975 to February 1976. Wilson collaborated with producer Eugene McDaniels, who produced from artists such as Roberta Flack. Arranger Dave Grusin was recruited to bring the album together. Songwriters, Rachael Perry and Jon Mayer served as the album's primary songwriters, along with McDaniels. Eight out of ten of the album's tracks were original songs, besides "I Don't Want A Sometimes Man", which was recorded by Vikki Carr in 1972 and "Tree of Life"., which Aretha Franklin originally sang. Musician, George Duke was also involved in the production of the album, providing the piano, Moog synthesizer and background vocals. Duke also served as the arranger for "China".

### Music and lyrics

*This Mother's Daughter* is primarily a R&B record, with elements of jazz, blues, soul and disco. The record is more 'mellow' and 'softer-sounding' compared to her predecessors. Replacing percussion and brass-heavy sounds from *All In Love Is Fair* and *Come Get to This,* in favor of more organs and synths*.* Wilson stated in a 1976 *Ebony* magazine interview, "I intentionally wanted the record to be more mellow compared to my last two records, but still enjoyable enough for the listener to absorb it."

## Commercial performance

*This Mother's Daughter* was released on April 7, 1976, by Capitol Records. It peaked at number one of the *Billboard* Top LP and Tapes chart, within two weeks after it's release and remained atop of the chart for 35 non-consecutive weeks, becoming the only female solo act to achieve this, as well as spending 78 weeks in the top-ten. The album sold an nearly three million copies in the United States in its first week (pre-Soundscan era data), making it the largest sales week by act up to that point. It became the best-selling album in the United States in 1976, selling over 10 million copies in nation by the end of that year. *This Mother's Daughter* was also the world's best-selling album for two years, 1976 and 1977, selling 18 million copies in its first year and an additional 13 million copies in 1977. The album sold a total of 31 million copies by the end of 1977. It remained the world's best-selling album until 1984, after the release of Michael Jackson's '*Thriller*'. By February 1977, the album was certified 12x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of 12 million copies. To date, it is the fastest album ever to receive a diamond certification. In 1981, *This Mother's Daughter* was certified double-diamond for shipments of 20 million copies in the United States, becoming the first album to achieve double-diamond status.

The album peaked at number one in other global markets as well, such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Austria, Canada, the Netherlands and New Zealand. It has since received multiple diamond certifications in Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Italy and South Africa. In the UK, the album peaked at number one for 11 weeks in 1976. The album re-peaked at number one in the nation, for two weeks, following the death of Wilson in 2018. *This Mother's Daughter* has spent a total of 81 weeks in the top-ten of the UK Albums Chart and a total of 492 weeks on the chart. It has since been certified 16x Platinum in May 2023 by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and is the ninth best-selling album in the UK.

On March 3, 2023, the album was certified 32x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with 32 million album-equivalent units shipped. The album is the third album in the nation to receive a triple diamond certification and is third best-selling album in the United States. To date, the album sold over 60 million copies worldwide and is the second best-selling album of all time.

### **Singles**

Eight songs from '*This Mother's Daughter'* were released, with all of them reaching the top-ten on the *Billboard* Hot 100 and five of them going number one. This made Wilson the only artist ever to have two albums produce five Hot 100 number one singles.

The album's lead single, "This Mother's Daughter" was the first single released from the album in December 1975. Within four weeks of the release of the single, it finally reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remained there for eight weeks and remained in the top-ten for 21 weeks. In the UK, it peaked at number one for 11 weeks. The song was number one in other international territories, including Australia, Austria, France, Italy, Mexico, Japan and other countries. This single helped the album sell as well as it did and it was the best-selling single of 1976, selling over 14 million copies worldwide. "This Mother's Daughter" won Song Of The Year at the 19th Annual Grammy Awards in 1977.

"I Don't Want A Sometimes Man" was the second single released from the album in February 1976. It remained at the number one spot for four weeks and remained in the top-ten for 15 weeks. The single peaked at number one in the UK and reached the top-ten and other territories. It was one the best-selling singles of 1976 and sold over 6 million copies to date.

The third single, "From You To Me To You" was released in March 1976 and was the album's third consecutive number one single on the *Billboard* Hot 100, remaining there for two weeks and in the top-ten for 10 weeks. It was moderate success in global markets.

"Love Has Smiled On Us" was the the fourth single released, after the release of *This Mother's Daughter.* This single peaked at number one the Hot 100 and was moderately successful globally. It stayed atop of the chart for two consecutive weeks and in the top-ten for nine.

The fifth single "Tree of Life" were released in May 1976. "Tree of Life" performed well, reaching number two on the *Billboard* Hot 100 and reaching number one the *Billboard* Hot Black Singles chart.

In July 1976, "Now" was released as the sixth single from *This Mother's Daughter*. It became the album's fifth and final Hot 100 number-one hit, holding the position for three non-consecutive weeks. It was the second best-performing Hot 100 single from the album. "Now" garnered further success in international territories, peaking at number one in Australia, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom.

'China" was released in October 1976. It was a critical and commercial success, peaking at number three on the Hot 100, as well peaking at number one in various countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan and Australia.

The final single, "He Never Had It So Good" was released in January 1977. It became the album's eight consecutive top-ten hit on the *Billboard* Hot 100, peaking at number four. Internationally, "He Never Had It So Good" performed well moderately in numerous territories.

## Critical reception

The album received universal praise for numerous critics, finding it as an improvement to her previous effort, *Come Get to This* and noting the production quality and its innovative qualities, its extended intros and outros in particular. Many critics list it to be Wilson's best work to date, with some listing it we her other success like *All In Love Is Fair, A Touch of Today, Come Get to This, Now I'm A Woman* and *I've Never Been to Me. This Mother's Daughter* has been constantly listed as one of the greatest albums of all time by numerous magazines, such a *Billboard*, *Rolling Stone,* and *Time*. Many praised Wilson for pushing creative boundaries and expressing her versatility as an artist. Some critics have said "From You to Me To You", "China" and "Now" were the album's highlights.

AllMusic critic, Jason Ankeny wrote a statement about the album, saying "*This Mother’s Daughter* remains the most soulful record cut by Nancy Wilson during her Capitol tenure — producer Eugene McDaniels proves an inspired if surprising choice to helm the session, and his subtle but ingenious jazz-funk flourishes are essential to the project’s immediacy and appeal." Furthermore, he says "McDaniels couches Wilson in settings as smooth and rich as velvet, crafting a series of mellow, gently propulsive grooves that flirt with contemporary soul but pay heed to the singer’s roots in jazz. Wilson responds with a performance that’s sophisticated yet saucy, commanding the spotlight with an intensity that’s missing from her lesser Capitol efforts". Reviewers praised Wilson for creating a body of work that 'stood out' from the rest of the rock and disco-oriented mid-70s.

The album won seven Grammy Awards at the 19th Annual Grammy Awards in 1977. *This Mother's Daughter* won the highest honor of the night, Album Of The Year, tied with Stevie Wonder's *Song In The Key of Life*, thus being the only tied for that category in Grammys history. Other Grammy Awards include "This Mother's Daughter" won Song Of The Year and Best Female R&B Performance, and "Now" for Record Of The Year, making WIlson the only act to win the honor for three consecutive years. At the American Music Awards the following year, the album won five awards, including Best Pop/Rock Album and Best Soul/R&B Album.

## Legacy and influence

*This Mother's Daughter* has been constantly listed as one of the greatest albums of all time by numerous magazines, such as *Billboard* and *Rolling Stone*. The album further established Wilson as a pop icon, as well pushing more racial and gender barriers, such as creating more representation for music. Some even said that the album broke down the ageist standards in the music industry, with Wilson nearly 40-year old at the time of the albums release. *This Mother's Daughter* helped the R&B and then new, jazz fusion genres receive more international attention. During the rock and disco-dominated eras of the 70s, Wilson herself mentioned that she didn't expect the album to do as well as it did because in her opinion, she felt it wasn't "an album for the charts." It has been noted constantly that *This Mother's Daughter* was of the key influences for the emerging radio format and genre, quiet storm.

Despite Capitol's initial thoughts about *This Mother's Daughter* flopping on the charts due to it's music stylings and minimal promotion, it influenced many huge music acts such as David Bowie, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney to release material without heavy commercialization. A critic from *Billboard* mentioned "Without *This Mother's Daughter*, there would be no *Thriller*. " It was noted by multiple accounts that the album would often sell out of stores quickly, during its peak.

The album helped change the landscape of R&B and pop music, influencing numerous acts in the long run. The extended intros and outros that is included in numerous songs throughout This Mother's Daughter have impacted artists such as Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake. John Legend stated "Listening to *This Mother's Daughter* growing up is definitely one of the biggest reasons why I perused music." Michael Jackson said it was "one of his all-time favorites". Australian neo-soul band Hiatus Kaiyote's Nai Palm stated "This *Mother's Daughter* had a profound influence on me as a musical artist". American jazz rock band Steely Dan noted that their 1977 album *Aja* was 'greatly-influenced' by *This Mother's Daughter*. *Time* magazine called *This Mother's Daughter* "the musical standard", in 1981. The album solidified Wilson as one of the most-versatile musical acts of all-time.

After the release of the album, Wilson became the most bankable music act of the 1970s, making over $1 billion dollars to date (2020 adjusted for inflation) off *This Mother's Daughter's* royalties ($3.80 off each album sold). Since the release of the album, Capitol Records has made more than $3 billion dollars in revenue, solely off album and single sales. The album has spent 763 weeks on the *Billboard* 200 and counting. *This Mother's Daughter* still sales on average 200,000 copies per year.

## Track Listing

### **Side 1**

1. "From You To Me To You" (Rachel Perry) – 3:54
2. "Love Has Smiled on Us" (Jon Mayer, Perry) – 3:48
3. "I Don't Want a Sometimes Man" (Perry) – 3:48
4. "Tree of Life" (Eugene McDaniels) – 4:19
5. "China" (Dennis Collins Johnson, McDaniels, John Wood) – 3:40

### **Side 2**

1. "Now" (Mayer, Marcia Hillman) – 4:54
2. "This Mother's Daughter" (McDaniels) – 3:55
3. "He Never Had It So Good" (Mayer, Perry) – 3:10
4. "When We Were One" (Mayer, Leida Snow) – 3:55
5. "Stay Tuned" (McDaniels, Perry) – 4:35

## Personnel

From the original liner notes:

* Nancy Wilson – vocals
* Blue Mitchell – flugelhorn solo
* Dave Grusin – piano, Fender Rhodes
* George Duke – piano, Fender Rhodes, Moog synthesizer, background vocals
* Hugh McCracken – guitar
* Jeff Miranoy – guitar
* Chuck Rainey – bass guitar
* Steve Gadd – drums
* Oliver C. Brown – percussion
* Eugene McDaniels – background vocals
* Morgan Ames – background vocals, arranger of background vocals
* Carolyn Willis – background vocals
* Jackie Ward – background vocals
* Lisa Roberts – background vocals
* Carla Bee – background vocals
* Afreeka Trees – background vocals
* Jim Gilstrap – background vocals

Technical personnel;

* Eugene McDaniels – producer
* Larkin Arnold – executive producer
* John Mayer – production assistant
* Dave Grusin – arranger
* George Duke – arranger ("China")
* Hugh McCracken – arranger ("When We Were One")
* Roy Kohara – art director
* Mel Dixon – photographer

## Charts

### Year-end charts

 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)
 UK Albums Chart (OCC)
 US *Billboard* 200
 Chart (1977)
 UK Albums Chart (OCC)
 US *Billboard* Top R&B Albums[89] | 1