Time

Personnel: Lionel Richie (vocals, keyboards); Michael Thompson, Larry Byron, Jon Clark, Dean Parks (guitar); David Foster (piano, keyboards); Lloyd Tolbert (keyboards, programming); John Hobbs, James Anthony Carmichael (keyboards); Michael Boddicker (synthesizer); Keith Rouster, Joe Chemay, Nathan East (bass); John Robinson, Paul Leim (drums); Munyungo Jackson (percussion); Felipe Elgueta, Guy Poche (programming); Marva King, Ricky Jones, Sherrie Woodward, Sue Ann Carwell, Jacquelin Simley, Phyllis Williams, Da Boogie Man, Jeff Pescetto (background vocals).
Producers: James Anthony Carmichael, Lionel Richie, David Foster.
Engineers: Ralph Price Sutton, Felipe Elgueta, David Reitzas.
Recorded at The Castle Music Group, Franklin, Tennessee; Chartmaker Studios, Malibu, California; Ocean Way Recording, Hollywood, California; Conway Recording Studios and The Village Recorder, Los Angeles, California.
Silky-voiced Richie intersperses his typical romantic ballads with funkier, R&B and rap influenced songs on TIME. Standouts include the thought-provoking "Zoomin'," ("One mother's love shot down in a minute/But y'know there's two mothers crying/One son has paid the price, lost his life/One's locked away") and "To the Rhythm," which features overtly political (if mellow) rapping. Richie's melodic sense and soulful vocals lend themselves especially well to smooth tunes like "Everytime," with its quietly passionate undertones: "Cause everytime I feel my heart on fire/All it takes is just one kiss from the girl I can't resist/Cause I just can't stop this burning inside."