The legendary Stevie Wonder had already received his flowers numerous times when the R&B duo Black Coffey covered his lush ballad “Rocket Love” in 2002. The song initially appeared on Wonder’s nineteenth studio album, Hotter than July, which arrived ins stores on September 29, 1980.
Black Coffey was composed of brothers Jason and Clay Coffey, born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. Growing up, the brothers developed their passion and talent in music from their early years, singing in church choirs. Eventually, their skills found them signed to Motown. In the spring of 2003, the group’s cover of “Rocket Love” would make its way to the tribute album Conception – An Interpretation Of Stevie Wonder’s Songs. However, the group’s self-titled album never saw the light of day.
The song “Rocket Love” is a beautiful ballad about the Wonder of falling in love only to discover that despite the mutual feelings, the relationship is no longer the same. Similarly to Stevie Wonder’s interpretation of the lyrics of “Rocket Love,” Black Coffey’s version finds the pair nostalgically reflecting on a past relationship that has grown sour over time.
The couple seemed to have reached a point in their relationship when things started to feel like “heaven.” Although she was praised for being “sensitive & warm” and metaphorically took the man on board “her rocket,” she has since let go of him and moved on. The man now feels he has been dropped back into “this cold, cold world” in the wake of this experience. From a visual standpoint, the strong reminds me of the strong that Jacqueline put through after they put Marques through the wringer in Boomerang.
Beautifully, Black Coffey depicts the love and elegance of a woman. In addition, they do not downplay her bitter coldness in any way. Stevie’s lyrics effectively combine themes that relate to the appraisal of this past lover and the description of her indifference in a cohesive manner.
Furthermore, am I the only one who feels that the woman Stevie wrote about in Lately is the same one Stevie wrote about in “Rocket Love”? Black Coffey’s album may not have been released, but their cover of this Stevie classic showed endless potential.
Final Grade: B+
“Rocket Love” from Conception – An Interpretation Of Stevie Wonder’s Songs IS available on all streaming platforms.
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I took a trip back to 2007 and revisited “Don’t Talk Just Listen” from the group B5. Hailing from the Peach State, B5 comprised the Breeding Brothers, Bryan, Carnell, Dustin, Kelly, and Patrick. Initially finding success two years earlier with their cover of The Jackson 5’s “All I Do,” their debut did just enough with their preteen fans to warrant a second album.
With the exception of a few cases, R&B groups experienced a period of stagnation in 2007. While some groups continued to tour and perform their renowned classics, releasing new music was infrequent. To commemorate this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I would like to acknowledge a notable piece from Jagged Edge’s sixth album, “Baby Makin Project,” titled “Whole Town’s Laughing At Me.”
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, we are taking a trip to the Great Lake State and showing some love to R&B Band Ready for The World and their self-titled debut album. Arriving in stores on May 14, 1985, via MCA Records, the album on which the band produced their first single was “Tonight.”
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