"You Wear It Well" by El DeBarge with DeBarge

Song#:  2443
Date:  08/31/1985
Debut:  76
Peak:  46
Weeks:  10
Genre:  R&B



Pop Bits:  This family group's fourth album Rhythm of the Night would be their best effort thanks to two Pop Top 10 hits including the title track (#3 Pop, #1 R&B, #1 AC, #3 Dance). This third single would continue their Top 10 streak at R&B getting to #7 and it would become their first and only song to top the Dance chart. However, it couldn't quite break through on the Pop chart with the single petering out before making the Top 40. By this time, the album had already been certified a gold seller - their third consecutive one.

ReduxReview:  Unlike their previous two singles that were from outside writers, this one was written by El and Chico DeBarge. It's a well-done tune with a hooky chorus, but it's just not quite as memorable as their other singles. The songs on their first three albums were mainly all written by group members and Rhythm only featured three of their compositions, so my guess is that this one was pushed out as a single to get El and Chico some further royalties instead of another single by an outside writer. It paid off a bit via R&B and Dance, but it just wasn't strong enough to conquer the Pop chart.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  While the album's two previous singles were credited to DeBarge, this single got credited to "El DeBarge with DeBarge." Due to unfortunate situations within the family, El was the stable member that oversaw the completion of the album. He was also beginning to break out on his own and this was most likely the record company's way to show support for him and to start setting him apart from the group as a potential solo star. Around this time, El was also doing promotional bits on his own including an appearance on the hit TV series The Facts of Life. The episode he appeared on was about the girls getting entered into a singing/songwriting contest where the prize was to be the backup vocalists for El during one of his shows. The girls end up singing this song with El in a recording studio. Also appearing in the episode was singer/songwriter Siedah Garrett who plays "Rhonda," a girl from another group competing for the prize.

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