In addition to offering scene-stealing moments in the first two House Party films, Hip Hop and R&B group Full Force made a name for themselves as in-demand producers. Initially, the group crafted tracks for artists such as UTFO, Doctor Ice, Samantha Fox, Patti LaBelle, The Force M.D.s, and of course, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam. Those records would lead to the group working with icon artists Bob Dylan, Patti LaBelle, and James Brown. When the resurgence of teen pop arrived in the late nineties, Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, and ‘N Sync were all blessed with the Full Force magic.
Full Force has ten albums in their discography, and I wanted to give them some flowers for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday. Naturally, I could’ve gone with “All In My Mind,” one of the group’s biggest hits from 1987’s Guess Who’s Comin’ to the Crib? Instead, I chose “Your Place Or Mine” from the group’s sixth album, 1992’s Don’t Sleep.
The group switched labels for this album and primarily handled the production once again. The song starts with a little bit of a jazzy vibe before a transition into that signature nineties R&B sound. The group vocals stay within their natural register, and the lyrics are relatable.
Ideally, the song is about a man who has been dating a lady for a while. He’s ready to take the relationship to the next level as long as she’s ready for that type of physical intimacy. Credit to the group for crafting a mature song that sets the mood that acknowledges it’s always a woman’s choice.
Although the music was quality as a group, Full Force never had the same success they did when producing for other artists. Nevertheless, “Your Place Or Mine” is one of many impressive slow jams in their catalog.
Final Grade: B+
“Your Place Or Mine” from Don’t Sleep is available on all streaming platforms.
One of the great things about buying a soundtrack when I was in my DJ prime was discovering a slow jam that I could put on my mix CDs. For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to highlight one of the songs: Jagged Edge’s cover of Air Supply’s, “All Out of Love.”
After twenty-six years in the game, Atlanta-based quartet Jagged Edge is currently on the road celebrating the anniversary of their magnum opus sophomore album, “J.E. Heartbreak,” with a tour titled “An Intimate Evening With Jagged Edge.” To kick off our seventh wedding anniversary celebration, my wife and I will be the D.C. date on the tour this coming Wednesday.
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I wanted to travel back to 1999 and show some love to R&B group Amyth, which was initially signed to LL Cool J Rock the Bells Records. Hailing from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the group was formed in 1995 while the members were students at Southern University.