Martha Wash is the debut self-titled solo studio album by American singer and songwriter Martha Wash. It was released on February 23, 1993 through RCA Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in 1992 at several studios, after leaving her then-group The Weather Girls. The tracks in the album are a mixture of uptempo songs and ballads, which are basically inspired by R&B and house genres; it also features elements of soul and pop music. The album produced two US Billboard Dance chart number-one singles: "Carry On" and "Give It to You", and a top-ten single "Runaround".
Reception
Critical
In an Allmusic review, Alex Henderson notes that 'Martha Wash's work with the Weather Girls and Black Box was so strong that one couldn't help but greet this debut solo album with high expectations'. Henderson praised the 'dance-floor gems on the album ' but wrote that 'most of the tracks fall under the heading of decent but not outstanding.' Describing Wash as a 'big-voiced diva', he noted 'album has more going for it than most of the faceless, soundalike releases flooding the urban contemporary market in 1992, but Wash is capable of so much more.' In Entertainment Weekly, David Browne also praised Wash's voice, expressing 'Martha Wash’s voice is diva incarnate, a big, lusty tornado that’s like Patti LaBelle without the bombast' but also expressed disappointment, writing 'stretched out over Martha Wash, an album of generic beats and rhyme-by-numbers material, she’s merely Zelma Davis with chops'.
Commercial
Martha Wash peaked at number one-hundred-and-sixty-nine on the US Billboard 200, where it spent a total of 2 weeks. More successful on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, it spent a total of 10 weeks and peaked at number forty-two.
Singles
The album spawned two consecutive number one hits on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart; "Carry On" and "Give it to You", which each spent a total of 13 weeks on the chart. Though "Carry On" failed to appear on the US Hot 100 and its ninety-seven peak on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart remains her lowest, the single experienced warmer reception in Europe where it was a top 10 hit in the Netherlands, peaking at number seven. "Carry On" also reached the top 50 of the UK Singles Chart. "Give It to You" endured greater success in the US, reaching the top 50 of the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with a number forty-eight peak and spending a total of 12 weeks on the chart. Furthermore, the single rose to number ninety on the Hot 100 and was also Wash' first and only appearance on the Radio Songs chart, where it peaked at seventy-five. "Give it to You" also bettered its predecessor's showing in the UK, where it peaked at thirty-seven. "Runaround" was the last charting single released from the album. It became Wash's third consecutive top ten hit on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, where it spent a total of 9 weeks and third top 50 appearance on the UK Singles Chart.
Track listing
Personnel
Credits obtained from the album's liner notes. ; Managerial
Background vocals – Arif St. Michael, Biti Strauchn, Brian A. Morgan, Carl Hall, Carmen Gonzales, Charlene Moore, Damon Horton, Douglas Kibble, Jeanie Tracy, Katreese Barnes, Linda Pino, Marlon D. Saunders, Martha Wash, Melanie Daniels*
Engineering – Alec Head, Arty Skye, Axel Niehaus, Bill Klatt, Brian A. Morgan, "Bonzai" Jim Caruso, Larry Funk, Pat Green, Pavel De Jesus, Rusty Cutchins*, Steve Skinner
Engineering assistants – Axel Niehaus, Chris Barnett, David Carpenter, Jim Farrell, Nat Foster, Neil King*
