"Hey, how did you make it... make me go out of my mind… poisoned arrows, burning fever, strings in my heart."
A sweet, uptempo R&B track about the euphoria surrounding first love, "Symptoms…" was extracted from Tracie’s 1988 debut LP Tracie Spencer, which was recorded when she was only eleven years old. This made her the youngest female artist to sign a record deal with a major label, Capitol Records. Tracie first gained prominence as the winner of the junior vocalist competition on Star Search in 1986, and for those that don’t know, Star Search was basically the American Idol of the ‘80s and ‘90s. (but how could you NOT know that?)
To date, Tracie has released only three albums (her aforementioned self-titled LP, and the follow ups Make the Difference, and Tracie), but she has charted several singles, including her biggest pop hit "This House" (US#3, R&B #7 in 1990), her biggest R&B hit "Tender Kisses" (US#42, R&B #1, ‘91), her mature comeback single "It’s All About You (Not About Me)" (US#18, R&B #6, ‘99), and her ambitious and lovely 1989 rendition of the timeless John Lennon classic "Imagine", which even though it barely registered on the Hot 100 at US #85, and only charted modestly at R&B #31, it is still well worth a listen.
Spencer also enjoyed a side modeling career in the late 90s, and was highly involved with various "Stay In School" programs, created to help reduce high school dropout rates. In the new millennium, she worked as a songwriter and has appeared as a background singer on tracks by hip hop artists such as Eve, Kanye West, and 50 Cent.
"I know what the cure is… I know a thing to take away… all the headache… all the heartache… all of my pain."
I recorded "Symptoms…" off of the radio back then and listened to it over and over on my Walkman (play, rewind, play, rewind…), all the while noticing that it was disappearing from the local top 40 stations rather quickly. It just didn’t enjoying the airplay longevity that I expected it would, when compared to other hit songs of the time. Not too much later I found out it peaked at a surprisingly low #38, and there was my answer. It should have at least reached the top 20.
Even now, thirty years later, (it’s unbelievable to me that it has been that long!) Tracie’s tune is quite catchy, and sounds great played alongside other teen pop queens of the era such as Martika, Taylor Dayne, Debbie Gibson, and Tiffany.
When I revisited "Symptoms" for this article, I was quickly reminded of an early Mariah Carey tune entitled "Sent from Up Above", which was an album cut on Carey’s 1990 debut LP. The cadence of the chorus and the overall rhythm of Mariah’s tune echo’s Tracie’s minor hit fairly closely. Carey’s tune came out two years after "Symptoms", which made me wonder if the songs possibly shared songwriters or producers. After comparing the personnel listings for both tracks, there doesn’t seem to be any connection. I suppose it’s just a coincidence. But then again, maybe it’s one of those "subconscious plagiarism" issues, like what was detailed in the lawsuit surrounding George Harrison’s "My Sweet Lord" and The Chiffons’ "He’s So Fine". Look it up, it’s a fascinating read.
So click that video below to be transported back three decades to a simpler time in pop music, and enjoy Tracie’s early entry not only in her own career, but in the soon to be dominate new jack swing format. And keep it tuned right here for the Dial’s upcoming Halloween review, where we look at a pop song from the past that uses a bizarre horror movie style story to drive its message of environmentalism. Kyle’s Radio Dial… the more you listen, the MORE you remember!
"Symptoms of true love take my breath away… make me shake… I cannot get enough of your kisses Babe… tender touch…"
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