Seal, II
SealSEAL II.
Seal gave his second album the same title as his first, which is why everyone ended up calling it Seal II. The record then became even bigger than the debut.
Album artwork shown for commentary and historical reference. Image source: Cover Art Archive / MusicBrainz.
SEVEN THINGS
WORTH KNOWING.
Recording stories, credits, physical details and numbers worth keeping with the record.
Seal's second eponymous album debuted in May 1994 and is commonly called Seal II to distinguish it from his 1991 debut.
The album contains 11 tracks and was produced by Trevor Horn.
Joni Mitchell appears on the duet "If I Could."
Rhino also credits Jeff Beck among the album's guest musicians.
"Bring It On" features Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman, known for their work with Prince and the Revolution.
"Kiss From a Rose" initially had modest success, then exploded after being used in Batman Forever, eventually reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The album topped the UK chart, reached No. 15 in the United States and was certified four-times Platinum in the U.S.
WHY THIS
ALBUM MATTERS.
Seal II is a Trevor Horn production in the fullest sense: enormous arrangements, meticulous detail and enough space for Seal's voice to remain the center of the record even when the instrumentation becomes cinematic.
THE
NUMBERS.
TRACKS
The original album contains eleven songs.
UK ALBUM
Seal II topped the UK album chart.
PLATINUM
Rhino lists the album at four-times Platinum in the United States.
THE
PHYSICAL OBJECT.
The second self-titled sleeve helped create the nickname Seal II out of necessity. The visual identity is strong, but the repeated title means the cover has to do extra work to tell the albums apart.
RESEARCH SOURCES
Facts are checked against artist, label, archival and recording-credit sources before publication.
KEEP
DIGGING.
More recording stories, strange credits, cover art, chart numbers and details hiding inside the records.