"The Blues" by Tony! Toni! Tone!

       Hey, friends! We got something real special for you on the Dial tonight. A 1990 R&B single which dropped right before the group who recorded it broke huge into the pop mainstream. We think hearing this one again will bring a smile to your face, as opposed to giving you what its title predicts. So without further ado, let us present Tony! Toni! Tone! with “The Blues”!

“Spending’ all my time trying to show how I feel when there is so much I can do…”

Scoring a much deserved #1 on the US R&B singles chart, “The Blues” just missed the top 40 by a few positions at US #46. This lead single from 1990's “The Revival” LP was followed by three more US R&B chart toppers, which enjoyed varying degrees of success on the Hot 100: “Feels Good” (US #9), “It Never Rains in Southern California” (US #34), and “Whatever You Want” (US #48).

A lament from a fellow who constantly gives his all to his lady yet gets nothing in return, set to a party-ready new jack swing groove, Tony Toni Tone’s ode to romantic frustration reflects strongly of a Parliment/Funkadelic influence, especially with regard to the harmonies during the chorus. You can also hear elements of The Jacksons’ “Dancing Machine” in the cadence of the verses.

“Just because he drives a Porsche and girl, I drive a Nova, what about the man inside?

Oh, if that is what you’re into, why don’t you let me know instead of always giving me the blues.”

Personally, I never really “got” the directions that most r&b and hip hop took in the ‘90s. I never heard the appeal of “booty songs” (too crass and juvenile), and harmonic crooners like Boyz II Men came across as poor imitations of true soul to me… much too whiny, and far too many overdubs.

There was no way I could ever identify with gangsta rap, but I did like some of the alternative hip hoppers like PM Dawn, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest. I was about 50/50 on new jack swing, for instance, I liked Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative”, and Bell Biv Devoe “Poison”, but hated Brown’s “Humpin Around”, and BBD’s “Do Me!”

Now, neo-soul artists like Maxwell and Groove Theory impressed me as they were reaching back to “old school” R&B of the 60s and the 70s for their inspiration, and as such, they carried the banner for “true” soul as far as my ears were concerned. That’s why I appreciate Tony Toni Tone’s sophomore LP “The Revival”, as it was designed as a throwback to the artists that influenced them. Not just Parliament and The Jacksons, but also James Brown, Duke Ellington, Kool and The Gang, and many others. Plus I really dig the album cover, which features several old neon signs reworked to display the band’s name, including a Denny’s restaurant sign now updated to show “Tony”.

So go ahead and give Tony Toni Tone’s smash R&B hit a listen. If you’re anything like me, their up-tempo ode to an ungrateful woman will actually get your feet tapping, your head boppin’, and will remove any traces of “The Blues” from your mood.

“Spending all my time pleasing you… all you ever give me is the blues.”