A RADIO DIAL EXTRA: "What You Don't Do" by Lianne La Havas

          Hello friends, as you all know, I don't typically dabble in modern music, but when a recent song catches my ear like nothing before, I turn the Dial's attention its way, and call it a Radio Dial Extra.

Tonight, I invite you to take a listen to South London born Lianne La Havas and her outstanding neo-soul number “What You Don't Do”. Taken from her second LP Blood, and following the lead single “Unstoppable”, Lianne has concocted a sophisticated musical cocktail that builds from an R&B base, adds upbeat doo-wop and smoky jazz flavors, and tops it all off with clever lyrics that turn the negative phrase “What You Don't Do” into a positive affirmation about the love of her life.

Astute listeners will detect vocal hints of Whitney Houston, Erykah Badu, and Ella Fitzgerald, along with echos of Sly & The Family Stone, George Michael, and Prince layered throughout this incredibly danceable melody.

Released just this past July, La Havas hasn't hit the Hot 100 just yet, but “What You Don't Do” did reach #30 on Billboard's Adult R&B Charts. Why this instant classic didn't cross over to the Mainstream R&B singles chart, and then storm up the Top 40 is perplexing to me.

“I know what I got and I know where we're going... You don't need to show it, I already know it all ! It's what you don't do, it's what you don't say...

(It's what you don't do) I know you love me, I don't need proof !”

"Wild World" by Maxi Priest, and Mr. Big

           Good evening, everyone, and thanks for tuning into the Dial! We're going to do something a little different here tonight, as we offer up two charting covers of the same classic tune, released only 4 years apart, and in two different styles. Our selections? Maxi Priest's, and Mr. Big's remakes of Cat Stevens' “Wild World”.

“Now that I've lost everything to you... you say you wanna start something new...”

Cat's original version of “Wild World”, a US #11 hit in '71, is still played frequently on soft rock and oldies radio formats, and with good reason. It's a folk rock classic dealing with romantic loss, in which Stevens says his final goodbyes to his lady as she prepares to leave him forever. On the surface, the lyrics seem sweet and caring, but they also carry a dark and threatening undercurrent. Check out the lyrics below.

“I hope you have a lot of nice things to wear... But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there.”

“I hope you make a lot of nice friends out there.. But just remember there's a lot of bad and beware.”

Of course it's normal to grieve over the loss of a relationship, and there's bound to be some resentment, but these lyrics make me think he's warning that her departure may come with some unpleasant repercussion. In short, when she least expects it... she should expect it. I imagine that most listeners only take away the sweet and loving vibe perpetuated by the soft music and soothing vocal quality of Cat himself, without ever recognizing the bitter flip-side to it all.

Once we fast-forward seventeen years, we find that “Wild World” had become a well-recognized pop standard, and as such, it was ripe for a revival of the track to hit the US singles chart. Stepping up to the plate was London based “reggae fusion” artist Maxi Priest with the first cover of the iconic tune to hit the Top 40.

“Maxi” (real name: Max Alfred Elliott) re-imagined the classic tune with a bouncy, playful, “island” vibe that successfully masks the original's bitterness. Pulled from 1988's “Maxi” LP (titled “Maxi Priest” in the US), Priest took his rendition up to #25 on the US charts in early '89, but scored much higher in his native UK, by earning a #5, his first top 10 single.

A little over four years later, Los Angeles' own Mr. Big, a hard rock quartet consisting of lead vocalist Eric Martin, guitarist Paul Gilbert, Billy Sheehan on bass, and Pat Torpey on drums, released their spin on the classic cut as the lead single from their 1993 LP, “Bump Ahead”.

The band’s rock ballad rendition, which is much closer in tempo and style to Cat's original recording, (though it still downplays the darkness below the surface) earned them a US #27 hit, very nearly equaling Maxi's peak position. This modest chart success did not follow them “across the pond” however, as their remake stalled at UK #59.

It's interesting to note that both Maxi Priest and Mr. Big only scored a few singles on the US Top 40 chart. Maxi Priest charted with five, and Big only managed with three, but each act can count a #1 smash among them. (Priest's “Close To You” hit #1 in 1990, and “To Be With You” hit the top spot for Mr. Big the following year.) Another fun fact is that Maxi's version of “Wild World” was his first US Top 40 hit, but Mr. Big's cover was their final song on that chart.

“You know I've seen a lot of what the world can do... And it's breakin' my heart in two...
Because I never wanna see you sad, girl... don't be a bad girl”

Because of the relatively small four year window between the two covers, I wondered if anybody hearing the Mr. Big version for the first time in '91 assumed the band was remaking Maxi's Priest's reggae tune from a few years prior. Not everyone delves into pop music's past like the Dial and our loyal listeners, so I'm sure somebody out there was unaware of the 1971 original, and only knew of the two modern incarnations instead.

So which one do you prefer? Maxi’s Caribbean-flavored interpretation, or Mr.Big’s power ballad rendition? Or perhaps you are a purist, and only the original Cat Stevens track will do. Drop us a note, with your thoughts! There’s no wrong answer here, as all three are great versions.

Be sure to stay tuned to the Dial for more classic, overlooked tracks from the past… because the more you listen, the MORE you remember!

“Oh, baby, baby, it's a Wild World... It's hard to get by just upon a smile...
Oh, baby, baby, it's a Wild World... And I'll always remember you like a child, girl.”

"Rocket 2 U" by The Jets

            What's up everybody! Thanks for tuning in to the latest installment of the blog which makes your memory jog! Tonight, we fine tune our signal for the utmost clarity to bring you a true guilty pop pleasure, The Jets with “Rocket 2 U” !

“Baby, baby, when I called you on the phone today… you sounded frantic when you said ‘Come over right away' “

Hailing from the South Pacific island of Tonga, (by way of Minneapolis, Minnesota), The Jets comprised of eight siblings of the Wolfgramm family; Elizabeth, Haini, Moana, Eddie, Rudy, Kathi, LeRoy, and Eugene. Founding member Eugene appeared on early albums with the group, but left before the release of “R2U” (and its 1987 parent LP Magic), to form the R&B group Boys Club, best known for “I Remember Holding You” (US #8, ’89).

The Jets were interesting in that they traded lead vocals among themselves, however, most listeners considered Elizabeth to be the family ensemble's true lead because of her gentle and sweet voice on their biggest hits, the memorable ballads “You Got It All” (US #3 ’86), and “Make It Real” (US #4 ’88).

However, brother Haini (real name Heinrich, also The Jets bass guitarist) took the lead on “R2U”, giving a the group their only top 10 pop hit (US #6, early '88) sung from a male point of view. It also earned the group high marks on the R&B singles chart (#5), and the Hot Dance Music chart (#3). Not too shabby.

“Don’t call me when your car just won’t go into second gear… or when your kitchen sink is shooting water in your ear…”

“R2U” is a dance floor stomper with a dash of funk and a quirky sense of humor, as Haini's character rejects a young woman's constant requests to perform appliance maintenance. This girl has issues with her TV, her sink, her car, her radio... either she just has the worst luck with... well, everything, or she's making it all up just to get Haini over to her place for some ulterior motive. But nobody would be that deceitful just to earn romance, would they? Nahhh... even in a pop song, that would never happen.

If that is her “M.O.”, it seems Heine sees right through it, as he asserts he's of no use as a handyman, but he can serve nicely as her lover.

“I’m not the one to call when you need a handy man… unless whatever needs fixing girl, is you.”

“R2U” is so unquestionably tied to the era from which it came, and as such, it feels like a blueprint for 80s r&b dance pop, especially as it highlights all the influences (and cliches) of the genre. 

Tongue-in-cheek sexual euphamism in the chorus... CHECK.

Rap break...CHECK.

Synthesizers... CHECK.

Name dropping a then-current cultural phenom (TV's “All My Children”)... CHECK.

Wacky sound in place of a word (“bubbling” effect for her busted shower)... CHECK.

Deep voice effect saying “RAWK IT” (think of the outtro on Prince's “1999”)... CHECK

Closing the song acapella style... CHECK.

There's also a Michael Jackson-like “whooo” near the end adlibs, and the whole production suggests a funkier DeBarge, as if Rick James had produced their work. There's also the Prince-styled spelling of the title that acts as the cherry on top of this pop sundae.

Yep, the whole thing is a guilty pleasure, to be sure. But it's one that is sure to get your feet moving and maybe provide a chuckle at the self-aware campiness of the whole affair. Blow off those chores and give it a spin!

“Baby, I can rocket 2 U… honey, the only thing I can do… baby, I can rocket all night… one thing I know I can do.”