For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to travel across the pond and show some love to Craig David’s third album, “The Story Goes,” …..and the contributions from The Underdog’s “Take Em Off” and “My Love Don’t Stop.”
The singer was fresh off the success of the 3.5 million-selling “Slicker Than Your Average,” so it made sense that he would link up with the in-demand Underdogs for some heat. I heard “Take Em Off” on a Quiet Storm radio station during my military leave in late 2004 and was instantly hooked on the song. David’s vocal styling perfectly matched The Underdogs brand of R&B.
Craig begins the song by expressing his intense sexual desire for a woman and his intent to engage in a physical relationship with her. The lyrics depict a scenario where both Craig and the woman feel comfortable with each other, although nothing has happened yet. Craig promises to be gentle, sensing that the woman also desires him. He encourages her to remove her clothes so that he can satisfy his yearning. Although the song was never officially released, it could have easily become a hit record if it had reached an American singer.
Usually, I don’t highlight two songs on Slow Jam Saturday, but “My Love Don’t Stop,” David’s second collaboration with The Underdoogs album, is just as worthy. The song’s almost angelic production allows Craig to express his wish to transform his longstanding friendship into a romantic relationship. He recognizes their longstanding mutual acquaintance yet reveals they’ve kept their genuine emotions hidden until now. They’ve decided to stop pretending they don’t care and want to take action now.
The lyrics of “My Love Don’t Stop” evoke memories and recognition between the two characters. Craig sings about how they grew up together, with their mothers bonding and maintaining friendships over the years. He expresses a deep desire to move beyond friendship and experience physical intimacy, wanting to “make love.” The song’s strength lies in its relatable message about deciding whether to preserve an existing friendship or act on a significant physical attraction toward that friend.
Sadly, Craig’s label didn’t have faith in the project and wouldn’t release it in America until 2007, two years after the rest of the world; nevertheless, both songs from The Underdogs are the best in Craig’s catalog.
Final Grade: A
“The Story Goes” is available on all streaming platforms.
As a longtime music enthusiast, I’ve often wondered how quickly record labels expect lead singers from groups to release solo albums. This question came to mind recently when my iPod played “So You Like What You See” by Samuelle. Listening to the song, I realized he would be a great choice for this week’s Second Listen Sunday.
You know the voice. The moment Michael Marshall starts singing the hook in Luniz’s “I Got 5 on It,” anyone who grew up in the nineties knows exactly what time it is. However, nearly a decade before that 1995 hip-hop classic, Marshall was already responsible for another instantly recognizable vocal.
There are some albums you revisit because of nostalgia, and then there are albums you return to because they remind you just how high the standard used to be. Anita Baker’s Rapture falls into that second category. Released in 1986, the album did more than make Baker a star. It helped define what sophisticated, grown R&B could sound like without losing any soul, sensuality, or personality.