For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to take it back it 1987 and give some flowers to Mr. Miles Jaye. The first time I felt the lyrics to Jaye’s hit “I’ve Been A Fool For You” was when I was 24. During this time, I was stationed in England and spent a lot of time watching DVD Box Sets of TV series.
Season 1 of A Different World was one such show. The character of Jaleesa takes bets on how Dwayne will act when a graduate student tries to seduce him, in the episode “Does He, or Doesn’t He?”. Throughout the episode, we see how Dwayne reacts when being played for a fool. Now while Dwayne wasn’t in a relationship with the graduate student the lyrics of the song tie into how he feels. Throughout five minutes Jaye effectively croons :
“We had a chance to find true love
And make it last forever
From the first dance
I knew it was just you and I, together
What made you try those childish games?
What made you want to use me?
So now today, we’re not the same
And you’re about to lose me”.
World-renowned producer Dexter Wansel produced the song, and it would feel right at home with the production he was doing for Philadelphia International in the seventies. We must remember that one thing to remember is never to judge a book by its cover. As music historians know, Jaye was once a member of The Village People. No one could have predicted that a singer with a soulful voice could bring us such a poignant song. This song is about a situation we have all been through at some point in our lives.
Final Grade: B+
“I’ve Been A Fool For You” 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.