Sons of Soul

Sons of Soul
A group of four pictures is bordered by a black background with the name "Tony Toni Toné" written four times in blue. The upper right corner photo of the group of pictures is a black and yellow image of a man in a hat and sunglasses. The upper left corner photo depicts a white house with a dark blue sky and a blue window. The lower left photo contains a red an black image of a man with sunglasses and dreadlocks. The lower right corner photo depicts a man in a black suit and gloves with white circles on them. He is seated in front of a piano that is facing the viewer. In the center of the photo, a circle contains the phrase "Sons of Soul".
Studio album by
Tony! Toni! Toné!
ReleasedJune 22, 1993 (1993-06-22)
Recorded1993
Studio
  • Air L.A.
  • Paramount Recording
  • Westlake Recording (Hollywood)
  • Pajama (Oakland)
  • J.Jam Recording (Oakland Hills)
  • Paradise Recording (Sacramento)
  • Caribbean Sound Basin (Maraval)
Genre
Length68:54
Label
ProducerTony! Toni! Toné!
Tony! Toni! Toné! chronology
The Revival
(1990) 		Sons of Soul
(1993) 		House of Music
(1996)
Singles from Sons of Soul
  1. "If I Had No Loot"
    Released: June 1, 1993
  2. "Anniversary"
    Released: September 14, 1993
  3. "(Lay Your Head on My) Pillow"
    Released: January 11, 1994
  4. "Leavin'"
    Released: April 12, 1994
  5. "Slow Wine"
    Released: July 19, 1994

Sons of Soul is the third album by American R&B band Tony! Toni! Toné!, released on June 22, 1993, by Wing Records and Mercury Records. It follows the success of their 1990 album The Revival, which had extended their popularity beyond R&B audiences and into the mainstream.

The band originally held recording sessions for Sons of Soul at several studios in California, including Westlake Recording Studios in Hollywood and Paradise Recording Studio in Sacramento. When they became jaded with the various people frequenting those studios, Tony! Toni! Toné! moved their sessions to Caribbean Sound Basin in Trinidad, where they ultimately wrote and recorded most of the album. It was produced entirely by the group, who worked with various session musicians and utilized both vintage and contemporary recording equipment.

Sons of Soul was recorded as an homage to Tony! Toni! Toné!'s musical influences—classic soul artists of the 1960s and 1970s. Its music incorporated live instrumentation, funk, and hip hop elements such as samples and scratches. Lead singer and bassist Raphael Wiggins handled most of the songwriting, which was characterized by quirky, flirtatious lyrics and reverent ballads.

A commercial success, Sons of Soul charted for 43 weeks on the Billboard 200 and earned a double platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). With the album, Tony! Toni! Toné! became one of the most popular R&B acts during the genre's commercial resurgence in the early 1990s. It was also a widespread critical success, ranking as one of 1993's best records in many critics' year-end lists.