"Don't Let Go (Love)" by En Vogue

     Hey friends! Today, the Dial brings you a notable tune from a soulful quartet of lovely ladies who dominated the pop and R&B charts during the first half of the ‘90s. Without further ado, let’s turn the spotlight toward En Vogue and their smash hit "Don’t Let Go (Love)"!

"I often tell myself, that we could be more than just friends…
I know you think that if we move too soon it would all end…"

Originally featured on the soundtrack for the 1996 motion picture Set It Off, and later released on En Vogue’s 1997 EV3 album, Don’t Let Go introduces us to a woman whom is declaring her passion for a male friend by advising him that she’s looking not only for romance, but also marriage, and an intense physical relationship.

Dawn Robinson’s lead vocals possess a palpable weariness, speaking to the fact that she’s been holding her emotions in check for too long, and she’s finally willing to lay it all on the line in an effort to win the guy’s affections.

However, there is an unusual line in the second verse about wanting to wear this fellow's clothes and pretend she was him… and subsequently lose control. What does this mean? Maybe she is just SO MUCH in love that she wants to experience EVERYTHING about the guy, and the comment is largely harmless. On the other hand, maybe she’s becoming dangerously obsessive, possibly due to sequestering her true emotions for so long. Or is she just into role playing? Maybe she’s a drama major. Ultimately, what goes on behind closed doors is her business.

"I live in misery when you’re not around.
And I won’t be satisfied ‘till we’re taking those vows…"

Peaking at #2, this funk ballad holds the honor as En Vogue’s biggest hit on the pop chart, holding at the runner-up position for 4 weeks.

Now, the girls reached the #2 slot before, courtesy of their debut single "Hold On" from 1990, and also 1992’s classic "My Lovin’ (You're Never Gonna Get It)". However, neither of those singles held the position for as long as Don’t Let Go, making this soundtrack extraction their biggest hit. Although they never earned a #1 pop hit, the ladies enjoyed no less than six chart toppers on the US R&B singles chart (including Don’t Let Go), which probably did much to sooth any disappointment from not reaching the top of the pops.

Just this past July I caught "Don’t Let Go" on the radio for the first time since its original release. Hard to believe that as big as the song was in 1995, that it tends to be overlooked by radio programmers nowadays. At least in my part of the world it’s forgotten by radio, but your mileage may vary.

"There’ll be some lovemaking, heart breaking, soul shaking…"

Now, as I’ve referenced periodically over the years, I didn't really "get" much ‘90s R&B. To my ears, most of the popular acts of the era seemed either annoyingly whiny, or obnoxiously aggressive, which dissuaded me from listening to the genre much further.

However, I always dug En Vogue. Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones possess a vocal maturity and class that I didn’t often hear from of most of their contemporaries. Whether they were belting out the awesome hard rock anti-racism anthem "Free Your Mind", duetting with Salt-N-Pepa on the classic jam "Whatta Man", dabbling in neo-soul or classical based tunes, or covering acts as diverse as The Andrews Sisters, Aretha Franklin, the Jackson 5, and The Beatles, En Vogue’s harmonies were splendid… beautiful… magnificent even. Yes sir, I loves me some En Vogue.

So what’s it gonna be? Are you gonna log off this page and never look back, or are you going to stick around and listen to En Vogue’s classic tune in the window below? We certainly hope you give it a listen and check in with a comment below. The blog deserves that… En Vogue deserves that, and YOU deserve that!

And don’t forget to continue to tune into the Dial for more songs that jog your memory in the weeks to come. On the docket for next time, an early ‘90s alt pop hit from a classic Gen X Cameron Crowe movie!

Kyle’s Radio Dial… the more you listen, the MORE you remember!

"What’s it gonna be? ‘Cause I can’t pretend…
Don’t you wanna be more than friends…?
Hold me tight and don’t let go… don’t let go…
Have the right to lose control... don't let go." 

 

 

 



"Weatherman Says" by Jack Wagner

       What’s up, friends? As summer draws to a close, the Dial brings you a blast of ‘80s rock that deserved to be a big hit, even though it stalled in the lower reaches of the hot 100. Crank up your A/C, ‘cuz it’s gonna get hot tonight courtesy of Jack Wagner and "Weatherman Says".
　
"Alone, I’m going ‘round in circles… moving aimlessly…
Giving so much time for the future, got nothing left for me."

"Weatherman" details one man’s euphoria upon discovering his soul mate and the intense emotional attraction that results. The meteorological reference point of the chorus describes the anticipation of the inevitable physical encounter. Weatherman peaked at US #67, and was the lone single extracted from Jack’s third LP, 1987's Don't Give up Your Day Job.

Most folks initially equate the name Jack Wagner with the police detective Andrew "Frisco" Jones on General Hospital, as Jack, an actor by trade, revisited the role multiple times on the popular daytime soap following the character’s original ‘84-‘91 run.

"Running restless through the city… to find my fantasy…
Looked into your eyes and found it… lookin’ back at me."

However, Jack was all over the radio in late ‘84 and early ‘85 with his US #2, AC #1 smash ballad "All I Need". He tried to replicate this success with a few other tunes later on, the lower charters "Lady of My Heart" (US #76), and "Too Young" (US #52). Weatherman was to be Wagner’s final charting song. As it stands now, he’s considered a one-hit-wonder, as All I Need is his only lasting hit.

Certainly, Weatherman’s chugging bass, bouncy keyboard, soulful female harmonies and Jack’s perfect AOR styled vocals poised the tune to fit in nicely among the top 40 landscape of summer ’87. But with tough competition from soon-to-be classics like U2’s "With or Without You", Whitney’s "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", and the Cutting Crew’s "(I Just) Died in your Arms Tonight" among many others, Jack’s tune unfairly stumbled. Perhaps my humble blog entry will garner some new fans for Weatherman, as it deserved to be a much bigger hit.

"Now that the winter’s over… sweet love is taking over…
All of those dark clouds have faded away…"

Luckily, I managed to record Weatherman off the radio back then onto one of my mix tapes titled "Song Pak 4" (I eventually recorded up through Song Pak 32), where Jack’s tune ended up sandwiched between Huey Lewis and the News' "Jacob's Ladder", and Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al" - and yes, I just dug out my beloved old cassettes to bring you that peace of info – no need to thank me, I know you appreciate it.

So, in looking over the Kyle’s Radio Dial immediate weather forecast, I see a power pop based high pressure system converging with an AOR steeped warm front over the atmosphere surrounding your device, creating a 100% chance of rockin’ sounds from your speakers! Weatherman says that you should check out Jack’s awesome tune below, and be sure to drop me a comment with your thoughts!

"Weatherman says it’s gonna get hot tonight! There’s a fever in the air that I can’t control…
Now I’m gonna be a fool for love, but I think it’s alright…And I never wanna let this feeling go."

"I Love You" by The Climax Blues Band

     Welcome back, friends! It’s once again time to explore a great song from the past which has been unfairly ignored by radio stations nowadays. For this review, the Dial turns it’s receivers toward a top 20 track from a band that belongs to the club of “two-hit” wonders… it’s “I Love You” by Stafford England’s Climax Blues Band!

“When I was… a younger man… I hadn’t a care...

Foolin' around... hitting the town... growing my hair."

 

A sweet love song that inches right up to the saccharine line, yet doesn’t quite cross it, this mid-tempo “yacht rock” tune carries along the singer’s romantic tale of meeting his lady, falling in love, and living happily ever after, like a soft breeze on a springtime day.

Extracted from 1981’s Flying the Flag LP, “I Love You” was a sizable hit as it peaked at US #12, but it interestingly enough, it was not the lead single from the album. That honor was bestowed upon “Gotta Have More Love” which fell short of expectations and the top 40 charts as well, by peaking at #47.
 

I recently rediscovered this great tune while perusing my copy of The Billboard Book of Top 40 hits (9th edition), Joel Whitburn’s excellent compendium of top 40 chart data from the beginning of the rock era (1955) through current day… well, 2009 as of that specific edition.

While glancing at the entry for the Climax Blues Band, I noticed the rather generic song title of “I Love You”, and its respectable US #12 position. With a peak that high, I figured I surely must know the song, even though the title rang no bells at the time, and the only CBB tune I could place was the iconic “Couldn’t Get It Right”.

I looked it up online, and as soon as I heard the opening line "When I was… a younger man… ", I knew right away that I had rediscovered a long forgotten tune, and it felt like being reunited with an old friend.

“You came along and stole my heart when you entered my life…

Ooh babe, you got what it takes so I made you my wife."

This was one of many tunes that I really enjoyed upon its original release (at the young age of seven!), but I never knew the title or artist. As the years rolled on, I would occasionally hear it on a soft rock station, or perhaps in a store as background music, and I would wonder… who did this song? Pablo Cruise? Ambrosia? Firefall?

Eventually, I forgot about the tune entirely as it was basically abandoned by terrestrial stations (and retail store playlists) heading into the new millennium.

So here we have a case of a beautiful, romantic, and memorable song being saddled with an unmemorable title and a soft rock sound that belonged to many of the CBB’s contemporaries. Further complicating matters is that “I Love You” sounds nothing like the memorable pop-funk boogie of "Couldn't Get it Right", so I never even suspected this was a Climax Blues Band recording. Hopefully, this humble little blog entry will do its part in reawakening awareness of this great song.

“Thank you babe, for being a friend… and shining your light in my life…

‘Cause ooooo I need you.”

While listening to it again after so many years, I was struck by how much Peter Haycock’s guitar solo echoes the work of one George Harrison. In addition, I’m detecting a strong “Sir Paul” influence throughout the lyrics. In fact, I wouldn’t have been surprised had I learned that “I Love You” was actually a Beatles remake or more likely, a solo McCartney or Wings cover. Turns out, it’s an original composition by CBB lead singer Derek Holt. Clearly, the Fab Four were on his mind when writing the song.

And dig that awesome album cover, juxtaposing Niagara Falls into the middle of NYC, with a sailboat containing the band members positioned precariously near the edge of the falls! This was the type of album cover that would just draw in my imagination as a kid…. And as an adult too, I must admit.

So give CBB’s final top 40 hit a spin below, and see if it awakens some long forgotten memories for you! Be sure to leave a comment below, and stay tuned for more great tunes from our collective past!

Kyle’s Radio Dial – the more you listen, the MORE you remember!

“If ever a man had it all… It would have to be me…And ooooo I love you”.