Earlier this week, Tommy DeBarge of R&B Band Switch, and the famous musical family, DeBarge, was laid to rest. I wanted to look back at Tommy’s Motown debut with his group Switch. The group was not a stranger to the industry, having previously recorded as White Heat and Hot Ice. Switch arrived in record stores on June 17th, 1978. The group members were Greg Williams, Philip Ingram, Jody Sims, Eddie Fluellen, and the DeBarge Brothers, Bobby, and Tommy.
One of the great things about Switch was that everyone’s talent was evident and vital to the band’s overall sound. Bobby DeBarge and Philip Ingram primarily handled lead vocals, while the remaining members played instruments and backing vocals.
Switch opens with the lush “I Wanna Be with You” before moving into the legendary “There’ll Never Be.” From the song’s opening harmony to Tommy’s cold bass line rift, the song is pure R&B heaven. Furthermore, the song’s message can be either a Gospel song or an R&B track.
One of my all-time favorite songs, “I Wanna Be Closer,” is up next. A perfect blend of voices of Philip and Bobby, and comes from the pen of Jermaine Jackson. Then, of course, the band in the background with Gregory Williams on keys, Jody Sims on the drums, and Tommy on guitar. The song is better than some people’s entire catalogs. “It’s So Real” is another excellent ballad and a strong album track.
Switch was not just about the ballads, as the group also knew how to party. There is an excellent trilogy of dance floor tracks in “We Like to Party…Come On”, “Fever,” and “You Pulled a Switch.”
Clocking in at only thirty-two minutes and featuring just eight songs, Switch is one album that all aspiring musicians and singers should study.
Final Grade: A-
Switch 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.