There’s just something special about the nineties R&B sound. It was a time when folks would actually dress up to hit a nightclub, when music was not vulgar, and when you went on a date, more time was spent gazing in the eyes of your date than at your phone. As I often mention, one of the most extraordinary things about R&B at the time, was the male groups and one of the genuinely Unsung groups out there, is Intro.
They are primarily known for their elegant cover of Stevie Wonder’s classic “Ribbon in the Sky” and the legendary slow jam “Come Inside.” Intro featured group members and longtime friends Kenny Greene, Buddy Wike, and Jeff Sanders. In my opinion, the group’s first two albums, the 1993 self-titled debut, and 1995’s New Life, both still hold up. However, for this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I wanted to look back at their 2008 EP Good Love, comprised of unreleased material.
The EP opens up with the title track, a slice of nineties R & R&B. The trio’s harmonies sound immaculate, and I love the Reggae flavored rap at the beginning of the song. Lead singer Kenny Greene sounds right at home as he sings with confidence well ahead of his years.
The ballad “Love Is Here” is up next. The group opens the song with a spoken word that recalls the sounds of seventies soul. I like this song because you can clearly hear the sincerity and yearning in the music that the writer wants to present. This song is better than some entire albums hitting streaming sites today.
Intro closes out the EP with “Under Your Spell.” I feel this was a song intended for the pop charts. There is nothing wrong with a crossover track, but “Under Your Spell” is a different vibe from Intro. While Kenny Greene may not get a chance to fully show out on the vocals, the beat is an infectious groove, and I could easily see this being a club hit.
Intro’s initial run may have been short in the nineties, however, music fans know just how influential they are. Particularly with the work they did on Mary J Blige’s debut. While Good Love is only three songs, it is a worthy addition to their catalog.
Final Grade: B+
Good Love is available on all streaming platforms
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I want to revisit 2004 and highlight Romeo’s debut solo album, formerly of Immature. Titled “Food for Thought” and released on June 22nd, this project marked the singer’s change of name to Young Rome in an effort to distance himself from the youthful sound of his group, much like his bandmate Marques Houston had done a year earlier.
In the nineties, Hip-Hop reigned supreme, and every label CEO wanted a share of the lucrative R&B market. One strategy was to keep singers on their roster who could deliver catchy hooks, keeping everything in-house and saving money. Bad Boy had Carl Thomas, Death Row had Danny Boy, and Roc-A-Fella had Rell, our featured artist for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday
Growing up in the eighties, I was surrounded by incredibly talented male R&B singers who could deliver unforgettable love songs. Artists like Luther Vandross, Jeffrey Osborne, and Peabo Bryson dominated the airwaves, but Freddie Jackson was another voice that truly deserved recognition.