"Meeting in the Ladies Room" by Klymaxx

Song#:  2313
Date:  05/11/1985
Debut:  89
Peak:  59
Weeks:  11
Genre:  R&B



Pop Bits:  Singer/songwriter/drummer Bernadette Cooper had a vision of creating an all-girl R&B band. After a year in college, she dropped out in order to pursue her dream. She eventually brought on board five other women to round out the band, which she ended up naming Klymaxx. The unique all-girl outfit attracted the attention of Dick Griffey and he signed them to his Solar Records label in 1981. Their first album, Never Underestimate the Power of a Woman, didn't get very far and a second LP, Girls Will Be Girls, did about the same. When the first single from their next album failed to chart, the album was scrapped and the girls figured it was time to make a change. They moved over to the MCA offshoot label Constellation and created their official third LP Meeting in the Ladies Room. The first single from the album, "The Men All Pause," took off and got to #5 R&B and #9 Dance. The song wasn't able to make the Pop chart initially (a reissue would make a brief appearance later). With a hit to their credit, this second single was issued. It did even better at R&B getting to #4 while going to #22 Dance and finally becoming their first Pop chart entry.

ReduxReview:  This jam sounds like something Prince should have written for one of his protégé artists. It also falls in line with material from Midnight Star (see below). It should have done better at Pop, but solid R&B outings like this were still having a hard time breaking though at Pop. I've quoted this song many times over the years. I've often gone out with friends and at some point when I had to use the restroom I've gotten up and said "excuse me, but I gotta meetin' in the ladies room." Or when a couple female friends head off to the restroom together I'll say "is there a meeting in the ladies room?" You know you've done your job as a songwriter if folks are quoting your lyrics when they are out partying.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Although Cooper and a couple of her band mates would write the majority of the material for the album (and produce four of the tracks), this song was written by Midnight Star members Reggie Calloway, Vincent Calloway, and Boaz Watson. The Calloways also produced the track. Midnight Star was having significant success of their own, but members had begun to branch out and work with other artists. This song was one of the first major hits that the Calloways and Watson had outside of their own band.

_________________________________________________________________________________