This 1996 release reaches beyond soul, funk, jazz and hip hop into a brand new groove. Her heavy bass lines and deep funk vocals shimmer, and the incisive lyrics cut deep and true. She squarely tackles religion, and a whole bunch of ' -isms" with Leviticus: Faggot, Deuteronomy: Niggerman, a seducing of Mary Magdelene and a spiritual God Shiva, amongst other cuts, and comes through shining. Me'shell gets a little help from Billy Preston on organ and Joshua Redman on sax on this stupendous, so-good-it-almost-hurts album.

Peace Beyond Passion is an album by Me'shell Ndegeocello. It was released June 25, 1996 on Maverick Records. The album peaked at #63 on the Billboard Top 200 list in 1996. The album also peaked at #15 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart. It went on to become Me'shell's most commercially successful album. The album was positively received by music critics. The album was also nominated for the 'Best R&B Album' Grammy Award in 1997.

The first single "Leviticus: Faggot" peaked at #15 on Billboard's Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart in 1996. The music video was positively received on R&B outlets, despite its heavy storyline.

The second single and biggest hit off the album was a Bill Wither's cover "Who Is He (And What Is He To You?)". The single hit #1 on Billboard's Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart in November of 1996, as well as peaking at #34 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.

The non-LP single, "Never Miss The Water" (a duet with Chaka Kahn) hit #1 on Billboard's Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart in February of 1997. It was also nominated for the 1997 Grammy Award for 'Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group' that same month.

The third and final single was a remixed version of the ballad "Stay". "Stay" peaked at #15 on Billboard's Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart and #67 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.

Personnel

*Me'Shell Ndegéocello – Bass, Guitar, Percussion, Arranger, Multi Instruments, Drum Programming

*Billy Preston – Organ

*Joshua Redman – Horns, Saxophone, Horn section

*Oliver Lake – Horns

*Bennie Maupin – Bass Clarinet

*Wendy Melvoin – Guitar, Arranger, Guitar Arrangements

*Allen Cato – Guitar

*David Torn – Guitar

*David Fiuczynski – Guitar

*Wah Wah Watson – Guitar, Wah Wah Guitar

*Federico Pena – Percussion, Fender Rhodes

*Daniel Sadownick – Percussion

*Luis Conte – Percussion

*Gene Lake – Drums

*David Gamson – Arranger, Drums, Producer, Engineer, Vocal Arrangement, Drum Programming, Atmosphere

*Paul Riser – String Arrangements

*Tom Coyne – Mastering

*Bob Power – Mixing

*Rail Jon Rogut – Engineer

*Mike Krowiak – Engineer

*Charles Nasser – Engineer

*Suzanne Dyer – Engineer

*Gregory-Trevor Gilmer – Art Direction

*Guzman/Rotterdam Conservatory Orquesta Tipica – Photography

*Melvone Farrell – Make-Up

*Kahlil Gibran – Inspirador

Category:Me'shell Ndegeocello albums

Category:1996 albums

Category:Maverick Records albums

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