# Real Men... Wear Black

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***Real Men... Wear Black*** is a studio album by the [funk](/source/Funk) group [Cameo](/source/Cameo_(band)) released in 1990 on [Atlanta Artists](/source/Atlanta_Artists)/[Mercury Records](/source/Mercury_Records).[3] The album reached No. 18 on the *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))* [Top Soul Albums](/source/Top_R%26B/Hip-Hop_Albums) chart.[4]

## Critical reception

Jon Pareles of the [New York Times](/source/New_York_Times) stated that "[Larry Blackmon](/source/Larry_Blackmon)'s cracked nasal voice keeps the band funny and unpretentious, especially when kicking up its well honed midtempo funk".[1] [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic) gave the album a three out of five star rating.[5] Chris Heim of the [Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune) noted "The sound is a bit harder and the themes a bit lighter, but this new album basically continues down the path Cameo has followed since trimming down to a trio in the early 1980s. It was then that the group began seriously to experiment with what Blackmon tagged ”black rock,” a musical mix Cameo has never really been adequately credited for helping create. ”Real Men” is another solid example of Cameo`s approach to the sound."[2] Don Waller of the [Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times) also proclaimed "using a krazee-quilt combination of synthetic/organic keyboards ‘n’ hipshot! percussion, greazy basslines and goofbawl vocals, (heavy on the minor sevenths), Cameo rolls back the rug for a wall-to-off-the-wall dance party".[6]

## Singles

[I Want It Now](/source/I_Want_It_Now_(Cameo_song)) reached No. 5 on the *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))* [Hot R&B Songs](/source/Hot_R%26B/Hip-Hop_Songs) chart.[7] Close Quarters also reached No. 38 on the *Billboard* [Hot R&B Songs](/source/Hot_R%26B/Hip-Hop_Songs) chart.[8]

## Personnel

**Cameo**

- [Larry Blackmon](/source/Larry_Blackmon) – lead vocals, backing vocals, drums, percussion
- Tomi Jenkins – lead vocals, backing vocals
- Nathan Leftenant – backing vocals, trumpet

**Additional musicians**

- Billy Allen – keyboards, programming
- Kevin Kendricks – keyboards, programming
- Charlie Singleton – keyboards, guitars, backing vocals
- Robert Smith – keyboards, programming
- Aaron Mills – bass
- Melvin Wells – saxophones
- [Jeryl Bright](/source/Brainstorm_(American_band)) – trombone
- Smoove & Konduko – [scratches](/source/Turntables)
- Willie Morris – lead vocals, backing vocals

### Production

- Larry Blackmon – producer
- Barney Perkins – recording, mixing
- Christopher Rutherford – recording
- Milton Chan – assistant engineer
- Paul Speck – assistant engineer
- Sterling Sound (New York, NY) – mastering location
- Reiner Design Consultants, Inc. – album design
- David Vance – photography
- Fleur Thiemeyer – fashion
- Anderson Phillips – hair

[3]

## Charts

Chart (1990) Peak position US Billboard 200[4] 84 US Top R&B Albums (Billboard)[4] 18

## References

1. Pareles, Jon (August 19, 1990). ["HOME ENTERTAINMENT/RECORDINGS: AND KEEP IN MIND"](https://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/19/arts/home-entertainment-recordings-and-keep-in-mind.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*

1. Heim, Chris (July 1, 1990). ["CAMEO "Real Men Wear Black""](https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-09-20-9003180841-story.html). *chicagotribune.com*. [Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune)

1. *Cameo: Real Men... Wear Black*. [Atlanta Artists](/source/Atlanta_Artists)/[Mercury Records](/source/Mercury_Records). 1990.

1. ["Cameo: Real Men... Wear Black (Top Soul Albums)"](https://www.billboard.com/artist/cameo/chart-history/blp/). *billboard.com*. [Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))

1. ["Cameo: Real Men... Wear Black"](https://www.allmusic.com/album/real-men-wear-black-mw0000654330). *allmusic.com*. [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)

1. Waller, Don (July 1, 1990). ["CAMEO "Real Men Wear Black""](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-07-01-ca-820-story.html). *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)*

1. ["Cameo: I Want It Now (Hot R&B Songs)"](https://www.billboard.com/artist/cameo/chart-history/bsi/). *billboard.com*. [Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))

1. ["Cameo: Close Quarters (Hot R&B Songs)"](https://www.billboard.com/artist/cameo/chart-history/bsi/). *billboard.com*. [Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Real Men... Wear Black](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Men..._Wear_Black) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Men..._Wear_Black?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.