Song#: 0976
Date: 04/03/1982
Debut: 83
Peak: 47
Weeks: 10
Genre: R&B
Pop Bits: Fields promoted his own singing career early on by purchasing a nightclub and becoming the headliner. Located in San Francisco, the Cold Duck Music Lounge is where Fields honed his skills for many years before getting the attention of Casablanca Records. Signed to the Boardwalk label, Fields issued an LP that featured his first R&B chart song, a remake of The Penguins' "Earth Angel." His second LP boasted this tune which became his biggest hit. Reaching #1 on the R&B chart, it crossed over to pop and got near the Top 40. Fields would put out more singles and albums (and eventually just go by "Dimples"), but nothing would come close to this peak moment. Unfortunately, he died of a stroke in 2000.
ReduxReview: This guy had an odd career where he did some rather randy tunes like "A Woman at Home (A Freak on the Side)" and then did innocent stuff like "Earth Angel" and "Sincerely." This song is kind of a head scratcher. With lyrics of how bad things are, including him talking about an ugly woman having his baby (not to mention the whole section referring to the bible!), it is really amazing this did so well. Maybe folks saw this as more of a novelty song. I really don't know. Good for him I guess that he got at #1 out of it, but for me this is pretty awful.
ReduxRating: 2/10
Trivia: Double Shot! 1) Fields had put out some recordings in the 70s before signing with Boardwalk. His album "Spoiled Rotten!" contained his first version of this song. With a slightly slower tempo and spacy keyboard sounds, the song did not contain any of the spoken word passages heard in his updated version. 2) Fields' first album contained the song "She's Got Papers on Me," which has turned into a sort of R&B cult classic. In the song, Fields is talking about how he wants to leave his wife for his mistress but can't. Later in the song, R&B star Betty Wright comes on and lays down the law from her side in a spoken word section. The song itself is not all that great, but Wright's contribution is perfection.
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ReplyDeleteI have no idea. Sometimes odd songs like this can get attention. I'm thinking some kind of novelty factor was in play.
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