One of the best things about growing up in the nineties was experiencing the joy of a Bad Boy remix. The label’s female R&B trio Total was enjoying the success of their song “Kissing You” when Puff dropped the remix in the late fall of 1995. The remix h carried the subtitle Oh Honey and was smoother than the original version.
While my DJ days were about nine years away, I was always an album credit reader and discovered the artist Diddy and co-producer sampled for the remix. Delegation was a United Kingdom-based soul group compromised of original members Len Coley, Roddy Harris, and Rick Bailey on lead vocals. Eventually, Ray Patterson and Bruce Dunbar would replace Coley & Harris.
The group’s debut, The Promise of Love, would be released in 1977, and Oh Honey was one of the featured songs. The smooth ballad gave the group their first US hit in 1979. Christian Gold and Michael Denne penned, with Gold also producing. “Oh Honey” is a love song that celebrates the unconditional devotion and support you receive from your partner. The song’s lyrics express the sentiment that no matter what, you will always be there for your partner through joy and sorrow.
When you find the one, you realize that love is a force that never waves. The lyrics depict a partner that is the speaker’s source of inspiration, strength, and comfort in times of trouble. In the song, Bailey is so appreciative of their partner that they thank them for “giving [them] a brand new start,” showing the level of devotion in the relationship. The song overall is a positive and uplifting message about the power of love and connection.
Final Grade: A –
“Oh Honey” by Delegation is available on most streaming platforms
It’s hard to believe that an iconic singing competition like American Idol has produced only two Black male winners in its more than two-and-a-half-decade history. Jamal Roberts made history last year when he won the show, following Ruben Studdard’s well-deserved victory in Season Two.
One wonderful aspect of supporting physical media is that I never run short of albums to choose from when deciding what to cover for Second Listen Sunday. Often, I’ll head to the man cave, browse through my CD collection, and an album will pop out at me. This week’s pick is T-Pain’s fourth album, “Revolver.”
One of my favorite singers, Mr. Eric Roberson, is performing this weekend at America’s legendary music venue, The Birchmere. To show Eric some love, I want to highlight something longtime R&B fans have always known: he’s had remarkable songwriting talent.