Best Of Keith Sweat: Make You Sweat CD

Recorded between 1987 & 1997. Includes liner notes by Tracey Helen New.

Singer/songwriter Keith Sweat struck gold, platinum actually, right out of the gate with the multi-million-selling MAKE IT LAST FOREVER, an electric debut that spawned four top-10 R&B hits, one of which crossed over to the top-10 pop charts. That record was one of the earliest successes of producer Teddy Riley and his trademark hip-hop/soul hybrid, the new jack swing sound. However, his accomplishment owed as much to Sweat's smoothly sensual vocal style, exemplified on the huge breakout hit "I Want Her," a wonderfully funky song that featured Sweat's elastic voice alternating from a Teddy Pendergrass growl to a Freddie Jackson croon.

Over the following decade and a half, Sweat managed to remain remarkably durable, consistently scoring hits amidst a sea of R&B fly-by-nights, thanks to that powerful and agile voice, which never betrays even a hint of insincerity. MAKE YOU SWEAT captures snapshots of Sweat's career at different stages, from the sweet old-school soul of "Nobody" to the infectiously danceable "Make You Sweat" to the sly gangsta slow jam of "Come and Get with Me." The collection ends with a treat, a previously hard-to-find remix of tender ballad "Make It Last Forever, concisely summing up the career of a remarkably consistent R&B talent.

Compilation producer: Barry Benson.

Personnel: Keith Sweat (vocals, drum programming); Gerald LeVert, Johnny Gill (vocals); LL Cool J (rap vocals); Keith Robinson (guitar); Fitzgerald Scott (keyboards, drum programming, background vocals); Fred McFarlane, Eric McCaine, Bobby Wooten (keyboards, drum programming); Clifford Branch (keyboards, background vocals); Allen "Grip" Smith, John Adams , Bobby Douglas (keyboards); Artie Reynolds (bass synthesizer); Darrell "Delite" Allamby (vocoder, background vocals); Alex Bugnon (vocoder); Gary Dow, Karl Heilbron (bass guitar); Charles "Poogie" Bell, Jr. (drum programming); Curtis Jefferson, Thomas Walter Hilton, Rahiem LeBlanc, George Heylinger, Jenny Douglas, Jacci McGhee, Jeff Neiblum, Lincoln Browder, Kut Klose, Alton "Wokie" Stewart, Antoinette Roberson, Steve Russell, Vivian Sessoms (background vocals).

Audio Remasterer: Scott Levitin.

Liner Note Author: Tracey Helen New.

Photographers: Joe Major; George Campos; Ron Wolfson; Laura Levine.

Personnel: Keith Sweat, LSG, Jacci McGhee (vocals); Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J (rap vocals); Bobby Wooten, Fitzgerald Scott, Darryl Allamby (various instruments); Keith Robinson (guitar); Teddy Riley (keyboards, programming, background vocals); Alex Bugnon (vocodor); Gary Dow (bass); Poogie Bell (programming); Kut Klose (background vocals).

Producers include: Keith Sweat, Fitzgerald Scott, Bobby Wooten, Eric McCaine, Teddy Riley.