Wednesday, August 31, 2022

"You Are the One" by TKA

Song#:  3916
Date:  06/03/1989
Debut:  98
Peak:  91
Weeks:  7
Genre:  Freestyle, Dance


Pop Bits:  This freestyle trio's first two singles would be Top 10 Dance hits including one that was able to cross over to the Pop chart ("One Way Love," #75). An album would follow titled Scars of Love along with a third Dance Top 10 and three other Dance Top 30 entries. The action on the Dance chart helped sell a few copies of the album, which made it to #135. Before moving ahead and recording their second album, the trio got the opportunity to contribute a song to a film soundtrack. They would record "You Are the One," which was written by two members of TKA, for the bio-drama movie Lean on Me starring Morgan Freeman. The song would appear in the film and be included on the associated soundtrack album. It would be issued out as a single and become another Top 30 Dance hit for the trio (#26). It would briefly cross over and become their second single to make the Pop chart where it would float around the bottom for a few weeks. The soundtrack album would not chart.

ReduxReview:  This track was in-line with other freestyle singles of the day. It grooved along okay and the production was fine. It just wasn't all that memorable. TKA's tunes were ripe for the dance floor, but they didn't have that one really great song that was going to break them in a more mainstream way.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  TKA would return with their second album Louder Than Love in the summer of '90. Although it would include this soundtrack song, the official first single from the LP was "I Won't Give Up on You." It would get to #65 Pop/#15 Dance. A second single, "Crash (Have Some Fun)," would feature Seduction vocalist (and future RuPaul's Drag Race star) Michelle Visage. It would get to #7 Dance/#90 Pop. The title track would end up getting to #62 Pop. Following the release of the album, TKA would decided to go their separate ways. However, their label, Tommy Boy, decided to try and eke out some extra funds and issued out a Greatest Hits LP in '92. It would feature a new track that would oddly become their most successful single on the Pop chart. "Maria" would get to #44. The hits album would then peak at #131, which was also their best showing on the chart. Lead singer Louis "Kayel" Sharpe would stay with Tommy Boy and record a solo hip-hop album in '93 under the moniker K7. Swing Batta Swing would reach #54 R&B/#96 Pop and go gold on the strength of the gold single "Come Baby Come" (#18 Pop/#42 R&B/#9 Rap).

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