"Coming Down from Love" by Bobby Caldwell

Song#:  0135
Date:  04/19/1980
Debut:  89
Peak:  42
Weeks:  10
Genre:  Pop, R&B, Blue-Eyed Soul



Pop Bits:  Caldwell's debut album in 1978 featured the Top 10 pop and R&B smash "What You Won't Do for Love." The album was a platinum seller and two other singles from the album found their way to the R&B chart. His follow-up album failed to capitalize on this success in the US, but in Japan he gained a significant audience and his next releases were best-sellers in that country. However, he regained his US audience in the 90s when he changed up his sound from R&B/Quiet Storm to the newly popular smooth jazz format. This along with a couple of Big Band forays garnered him five Top 15 jazz chart albums. He continues to perform and record with his latest release being 2012's "House of Cards." This song was the first single from his second album, "Cat in the Hat."

ReduxReview:  This ain't no "What You Won't Do for Love," but it's not a bad R&B-lite shuffle. It kind of has that Boz Scaggs feel along with that white-boy soul sound that was going on during this time. It's very well-done, but not as outstanding as his previous hit - and a tidge too smooth-jazzy for my taste.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!:  1) Caldwell's self-titled debut album was in the can and ready, but the label thought it needed a hit single they could push. Caldwell returned to the studio and quickly came up with "What You Won't Do for Love." The song was so popular that the label changed the name of the album to the track's title.  2) Caldwell was on the TK label, famous for KC & the Sunshine Band and other diverse artists. Initially, the label wanted to keep it under wraps that Caldwell was white, thinking it may hurt R&B sales. Even the album cover and trade ads were devoid of any pics of him. Of course, the song was such a hit he had to perform and tour and it didn't take long before the "secret" was revealed. He ended up having more R&B chart songs than pop.

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