Buffalo-based new jack swing group burst onto the scene with the debut single, the catchy “Live and Learn.” However, their self-titled debut also featured an elegant ballad in the form of “I Miss You.” The track starts with an elegant instrumental before lead singer Kevin Scott comes in to croon how he feels about a love lost. The group produces the song along with Lionel Job with a sound in the vein of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. The lyrics in the song are relatable, and I am sure anyone can relate to them:
I miss you, it’s been so long
Since I had you wake up next to me
I miss you, I’m coming home
There’s no place that I would rather be
I wake up every morning
And reach to pull you close to me
There’s nothing but the pillow
And not your sexy body I called you up
Just to hear your voice
I can’t wait ’till get home to you
Then we’ll spend some time alone.
Songs about heartbreak were a staple of nineties R&B, and “I Miss You” is an excellent addition to the catalog of nineties slow jams.
Final Grade: A-
“I Miss You” from Joe Public is available on all streaming forms.
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.