Sunday, June 2, 2019

"Man Size Love" by Klymaxx

Song#:  2787
Date:  07/05/1986
Debut:  85
Peak:  15
Weeks:  15
Genre:  Dance-Pop, R&B, Soundtrack



Pop Bits:  This all-female band broke through with their fourth album Meeting in the Ladies Room. In addition to featuring two R&B Top 10's, the LP also boasted their first Pop Top 10 with the ballad "I Miss You" (#5). The hits would turn the album platinum and set them up for their next effort, which wouldn't come out until late in '86.  In the meantime, the band recorded this song for the soundtrack to the Billy Crystal/Gregory Hines comedy Running Scared. It would be the second single lifted from the soundtrack album following Michael McDonald's "Sweet Freedom" (#7 Pop/#4 AC). It would also serve as the first single from their upcoming self-titled album. The song did well getting into the Pop Top 20 while making it to #18 Dance and #43 R&B.

ReduxReview:  Although I remembered the hook of this song, the rest of it wasn't quite as strong as I thought. It seems slightly sluggish whereas I remember this being more of a Patti LaBelle "New Attitude" workout. Obviously I was wrong, but then again I hadn't heard the song since its days on the radio. It's a pretty good piece of dance-pop and its chart showing seems appropriate. I guess I'm just not as much of a fan of the song as I had thought.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Although all-female bands had been around since the 1920's, it wasn't until the early 60s and the advent of rock music that more all-female bands began to develop and get attention. Several were signed to labels and released singles, but it wasn't until 1971 that an all-female band finally cracked the Pop Top 40. The rock band Fanny reached #40 with the title track to their second album "Charity Ball." They would have two more lower charting singles before putting out their best effort in 1975, the #29 "Butter Boy." As the 80s rolled around, more all-female bands emerged and had success on the charts including The Go-Go's and The Bangles. Klymaxx was considered the first all-female R&B band to break through on the charts. (Note that all-female bands differ from girl groups in that AFB's play their own instruments whereas girl groups are mainly vocal groups only.)

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