For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to venture to Ohio and show some love to Zapp and their classic song “Computer Love”. The lead single from their fourth album, “The New Zapp IV U”, “Computer Love” features vocals from Shirley Murdock and Charlie Wilson. The song was written by Murdock, Zapp Band leader Roger Troutman, and his brother Larry Troutman.
As someone who met his spouse of seventeen years online, I’ve always felt that “Computer Love” was a bit ahead of its time. “Computer Love” by Zapp is a song about love and how technology can bring two people together. Charlie Wilson is on a quest to find a woman with whom he can share his love of technology. The lyrics of the song state that sometimes people have to find love through technology.
In the song, there is an implication that technology is the new normal. The lyrics mention astrology and how the narrator used to use it to try to find love, but now he has found his match with the help of a computer. The narrator states that with the use of computer programs and technology, he has found what he was looking for.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase “Shooby-doo-bop” several times in a row. This is a form of repetition that is used to create emphasis. The lyrics of the song make it seem as if the narrator is searching for love and is willing to take it from whoever is available to him, even if that person is someone he has only seen on a computer screen.
“Computer Love” is about how technology has enabled a new way to date and form relationships. The song encourages openness and the courage to take chances in love.
Final Grade: A
“Computer 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.