For this week’s slow jam Saturday, I wanted to highlight a track from an ill-fated reunion album that should have been more successful. After releasing their second album, The Future, Guy took a hiatus in 1990. Group members and brothers Aaron and Damion Hall would release solo albums, while Teddy Riley would become an in-demand producer and form another group, Blackstreet.
Despite two soundtrack appearances (“Tell Me What You Like” from New York Undercover and “The Best” from Wild Wild West), it seemed like the group’s reunion would never come to fruition. The R&B trio finally reunited officially, and their third album Guy III hit stores on January 25, 2000. The first single, “Dancin’,” would become the group’s highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100. While the follow-up single “Why You Wanna Keep Me from My Baby” wasn’t as successful, it showcased the pristine vocals of Aaron Hall.
“Love Online,” “Tellin Me No,” and “Not A Day” were all also strong album tracks and are still in my rotation today.
However, one particular song from Guy III is my favorite. “Rescue Me” was produced by Teddy Riley, Daryl “Dezo” Adams, and Walter “Mucho” Scott. The production trio did a creative sample of “Dedicated To The One I Love” by The Tempress. “Resuce Me” starts with a man calling his lady to check on her and realizing she is going through something. From there, listeners experience a five-minute slow jam that showcases the production talent of Teddy Riley and the vocal prowess of the Hall Brothers.
MCA should have released this one as a single, and I can only imagine how great it would sound in concert.
Final Grade: A-
Guy III is available on all streaming platforms.
Thirty years ago, in 1995, Bad Boy Records was a top-notch record label, but over a decade later, it had begun to lose its luster. While the “Bad Boys II” soundtrack and the debut album from Da Band did numbers, no real superstars were left on the label.
Whether it’s the loss of a celebrity you grew up with or a daily dumb remark from our current commander-in-chief, three months in 2025 are already getting crazy. So, for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I decided to change it up and offer something inspirational like Mariah Carey and her 2006 hit “Fly Like A Bird.”
Music video director David Yarovesky brings together Bill Skarsgård and two-time Academy winner Anthony Hopkins for his third feature film, “Locked” from the Avenue. Horror icon Sam Raimi produces the film, while Michael Arlen Ross pens the film’s screenplay.