Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade

Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade is a 1990 album by Soul II Soul. The album reached No. 1 in the UK in May 1990, and contained three UK hits, "Get a Life", which reached No. 3 (and which peaked at No. 54 on America's Billboard Hot 100), "A Dream's a Dream", which made No. 6 (and peaked at No. 85 on the Hot 100), and "Missing You", which reached No. 22 (and did not chart on the Hot 100).

The album was recorded following the departure of Caron Wheeler (the Soul II Soul collective's best known singer). Guest performers included singers Kym Mazelle, Lamya, Marcia Lewis, and Victoria Wilson-James, saxophonist Courtney Pine and New York hip-hop scenester Fab 5 Freddy.

Critical reception
Reviewing Vol. II for Spin, Nathaniel Wice found Soul II Soul's music successful at communicating positivity "in a sly, critical way." "Soul II Soul's harmony," he wrote, "works because it is part of a movement defined in adversity to racism, materialism and Britain's attempts to regulate parties."

Personnel

 * Jazzie B - musical director, co-producer, mixing, vocals on "Get a Life" & "Our Time Has Now Come"
 * Nellee Hooper - co-producer, mixing
 * Tony "Dobie" Campbell - assistant producer
 * Howard Bernstein - engineer
 * Marcia Lewis - vocals on "Get a Life", "People"
 * Philip "Daddae" Harvey - vocals on "Get a Life"; guitars/percussion/keyboards (uncredited)
 * Lamya Hafidh Sultan Al-Mugheiry - vocals on "Love Come Through" & "In the Heat of the Night"
 * Kym Mazelle - vocals on "Missing You"
 * Courtney Pine - saxophone on "Courtney Blows"
 * Pinise Sula - vocals on "1990. A New Decade" & "Our Time Has Now Come"
 * Sonti Mndebele - vocals on "1990. A New Decade" & "Our Time Has Now Come"
 * Nomsa Caluza - vocals on "1990. A New Decade" & "Our Time Has Now Come"
 * Bambi Fazakerley - vocals on "1990. A New Decade" & "Our Time Has Now Come"
 * Victoria Wilson-James - vocals on "A Dream's a Dream"
 * Fred "Fab 5 Freddy" Brathwaite - vocals on "Our Time Has Now Come"
 * Simon Law - keyboards (uncredited)
 * Michael McEvoy - piano 'People', 'A Dreams A Dream' and 'Time', keyboards 'Love Come Through', 'Missing You'