Hello friends, and welcome to Kyle’s Radio Dial, the blog that dusts off
those old songs that radio stations have unfairly abandoned. In the spirit of
February 14th, (Valentine’s Day to you and me), the Dial is
featuring a tune which is the very epitome of smooth, a collaboration between
jazz icons Stanley Clarke and George Duke, entitled “Sweet Baby”.
“When
I think about your lovin’… the Sunday evenings, the fun we used to share…”
Pulled from 1981’s “Clarke/Duke
Project” LP, the first of three such collaborations between Return to Forever’s
bassist Stanley Clarke, and jazz fusion pioneer George Duke, “Sweet Baby” glides
along on George’s relaxed keyboard vibe, accented by Stanley’s groovy keyboard
work, and soulful vocals courtesy of both gentlemen.
Hitting #19 pop and #6 R&B,
“Sweet Baby” was the biggest hit from the Clarke/Duke Project LP, which also
features a funk styled cover of the rock classic “Louie Louie”. Lyrically, “Sweet Baby” tells the story of a male
protagonist hoping to rekindle a romance that may have been “only set aside”
too soon. He tells the object of his affection that he will never be free from
her embrace and that he will always be by her side. The song never clues us in
as to if the singer’s romantic pleas are successful, but in the spirit of
Valentine’s Day, we certainly hope they were.
“Looking
through the memories in my mind, since I’ve laughed and cried and thought it
over, Now I realize that it’s never over only set aside…”
There were quite a few jazz-soul-pop
blends on top 40 radio back in the early 80s, highlighted by hits like Lee
Ritenour’s “Is It You” (#15), and “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington
Jr. and Bill Withers (US #2), and also including much of the output of George
Benson, Champaign, Smokey Robinson, Al Jarreau, and many others, all of which stand
out as highly recommended for fans of mellow pop and soul.
As the 80s progressed, these jazz
blends directly influenced the growing UK based “sophisti-pop” genre, which brought
soulful acts like Sade, Basia, Simply Red, and Joe Jackson to the airwaves in
the mid to late part of the decade.
I recently heard “Sweet Baby” on the
radio due to a repeat of an American Top 40 broadcast, and I was instantly
transported back to the age of seven, riding in the back of my parents’ 1978
Plymouth Gran Fury, watching the scenery pass by outside as I enjoyed the
mellow vibe that Stanley and George were laying down from the car’s radio.
“Sweet Baby” had quite a bit of
longevity in my home market of Washington DC, turning up fairly frequently on
soft rock stations well into the ‘90s. But sadly, it’s been at least 10 -15
years since I’ve heard it on any station anywhere (prior to the AT40 repeat),
which is an undignified fate for such a smooth slice of pop.
Check it out, give it a listen, and see
if the mellow sounds of “Sweet Baby” take you back to a simpler time, as they
do for me…. And hey, Happy Valentine’s Day to you from the whole family here at
Kyle’s Radio Dial.
“Oh
it’s you… sweet baby… I will never be free from your embrace…
Sweet
baby… only hopin’ it’s not too late to try again… it’s you sweet baby…
Ever
always captured by your smile, sweet baby…
I
will always be right there by your side… right by your side.”
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