If there were ever a question on Jeopardy with a category about R&B bands and the question centered on Cameo, I’m sure it would be on one of their signature songs, “Candy” or “Word Up!” However, as R&B purists know, the group already had a thick catalogue before either one of the songs hit the airwaves.
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I want to highlight the group’s eleventh album, “Single Life.” Released in stores on June 17, 1985, “Single Life” set the stage for the group’s next wave of success as they began to adapt to the changing sounds of the 1980s while maintaining their signature musicianship.
The album’s lead single, “Attack Me With Your Love,” was written by members Larry Blackmon and Kevin Kendrick. With a dancefloor-ready groove, the track explores the group’s longing to experience an intense demonstration of affection from their desired person. The lyrics reveal how they understand their love is not returned, yet they choose to wait for their affection to be reciprocated. Cameo uses metaphors of attack to illustrate how quickly and powerfully they feel their desire (“attack me with your love”, “bushwhack me with your love”, “excite me with your love”, “entice me with your love”).
“Single Life” presents a captivating contradiction as the second single. It delves into the exhilarating joys and numerous advantages of embracing a carefree, unattached lifestyle. The lyrics vividly capture the group’s joy in enjoying the freedom of being single while playfully expressing a desire to avoid serious commitments. The song celebrates the liberating essence of living life on one’s terms, accompanied by an upbeat and infectious rhythm.
The rest of the album features diverse styles that work in Cameo’s favor. The song “A Good-Bye” leans towards rock ballad characteristics instead of R&B ballad elements, and “Little Boys, Dangerous Toys” presents political reggae influenced by Cold War tensions and nuclear arms competition. “Urban Warrior” delves into social commentary and also flirts with Hip-Hop.
Cameo was already well known in the musical landscape, and “Single Life” is another strong entry in their catalog.
Final Grade: B
“Single Life” is available on all streaming platforms.
My introduction to Nate Dogg goes back to Dr. Dre’s 1992 debut, The Chronic, and the song “Deeez Nuuuts.” Even then, something about Nate’s voice set him apart from everybody else. He wasn’t just singing on rap records. He was bringing soul, gospel, street knowledge, and West Coast cool into the same space. He set the standard for hook singers in hip-hop, and dare I say, he’s still vastly underrated.
For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to give Stevie Wonder his due as he prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his masterpiece, “Songs in the Key of Life,” on tour. While the easy choice could have been “Knocks Me Off My Feet”—a classic that still resonates fifty years later—I chose “From the Bottom of My Heart,” the second single from his twenty-third studio album, “A Time to Love,” released in 2005.
It’s hard to believe that an iconic singing competition like American Idol has produced only two Black male winners in its more than two-and-a-half-decade history. Jamal Roberts made history last year when he won the show, following Ruben Studdard’s well-deserved victory in Season Two.