June 2014
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All good things must come to an end. My final post on DeBarge is really just a cool “best of” playlist I concocted. Tracks of note that I’d recommend y’all touch on are “Time Will Reveal” off the same album “Stay With Me” is of. Something about this track reminds me of Brian Wilson’s adolescent…
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This track, I’ll stress this again: now this track, is the one that left no doubt how important the DeBarges and El DeBarge specifically is to modern R&B. “Stay With Me” from what became their most popular album “In A Special Way”, was released in 1983. Buried deep in the album, was this track that…
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Can a single be so majestic and yet be so tragic at the same time? Well, DeBarges’ masterwork of “All This Love/I’m In Love with You” is both. This was released as the second single off the similarly titled album. This song took me a while to figure out. I remember listening to it as…
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“Oooooh and I like it.” What a track from the DeBarges, the second single from their All This Love album (second album off their discography), is a genuine classic. Just some easy swinging groove and the trio vocal work of El, Randy, and Bunny DeBarge. Riding Randy’s and El’s latin soul rhythm backing, El delivers…
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The DeBarges’ “What’s Your Name” is a fascinating entry in their discography. Released in 1981 and leading off their first self-titled album, talk about a fake out! This has more in common with sunshine pop, think the Free Design or the Association. For once you see them work on creating glorious intertwining group harmonies that…
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Track of the Day: I’m going to indulge just a bit on this Ned Doheny kick. Chaka Khan’s “What Cha’ Gonna Do For Me” written by Ned is a barn burner. Originally slated to be released on one of his own records, he decided to hand it over to Scotland’s funkiest band the Average White…
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My pick for the day is Switch’s “I Call Your Name” from Switch II released in 1979, is really a small ode to the forgotten R&B wunderkinds: the DeBarges. The DeBarges hailed from Detroit, they were mixed race pastor’s kids learning to sing and play through the church. Berry Gordy signed them up near the…
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My friends, this is truly the summer of Ned. Ha, who the hell is Ned Doheny and why am I making this proclamation? Well, because I’m going to clue you guys in on my favorite and perhaps the best west-coast rock/R&B artist ever…that hardly anyone has ever heard. Before that, can I just expound a…
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This is a two-fer. First, if anyone is interested in listening to any of the tracks I’ve shared this month check out this playlist. Then, scroll down to the bottom to find my pick of the day, George Benson’s “Give me the Night” off the same titled album. No one needs me to explain the…
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