"Forever Yours" by Tony Terry

Song#:  3559

Date:  06/25/1988

Debut:  89

Peak:  80

Weeks:  5

Genre:  R&B, Doo Wop

Pop Bits:  Terry's debut album Forever Yours was doing well. It featured a pair of R&B Top 10 hits including "She's Fly." Both were early new jack swing tunes, but neither made an impression at pop radio with only "She's Fly" making the Pop chart (#80). For a third single, Terry's label, Epic, decided to take a chance on this retro-leaning ballad. The song became his third hit at R&B reaching #16. While the tune did get Terry back on the Pop chart, it stalled at the same #80 as his previous entry. With little to support the LP in a more mainstream way, the album only got to #151 at Pop. A fourth single, "Young Love," would just be a blip on the R&B chart at #88.

ReduxReview:  After a pair of NJS tunes, this was not what I was expecting as a follow up. It was so retro that I had to look it up to see if it was a remake of a 50s song. Alas, it was not. It was written by Gary Henry and Ted Currier. Both were remixers who also wrote and produced songs. Each had some success in the 80s with Henry co-writing "No Frills Love" for Jennifer Holliday (#1 Dance)  and Currier co-writing "Fly Girl" for The Boogie Boys (1986, #6 R&B). With New Edition having some success with their "Earth Angel" remake a couple years previous, it probably seemed like a good idea to push this track out. It did fairly well at R&B, but pop radio just wasn't interested. The song itself was fine and a good attempt at recreating a 50s doo wop ballad, but there was nothing special about it that would warrant a single release.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Terry's second album wouldn't arrive until 1990. The self-titled effort started off a bit slow, but its second single, "Everlasing Love," earned Terry his third R&B Top 10 (#6). It also cracked the Pop chart at #81. A third single barely made the R&B Top 40, but then the fourth single "With You" would become Terry's biggest crossover single. The song got to #6 R&B and #14 Pop thanks to a little intervention from another music star. According to Terry, his label didn't even want the song on the album, but Terry fought to get it on. Feeling it was special, Terry then was able to get it out as a fourth single. However, the label wouldn't promote it. Then Terry got a surprise call from singer Anita Baker, who was saying how much she loved the tune. She wondered about the video, but then Terry informed her there was none because the label would not support the song. Well, Baker wasn't having that. She felt it was a hit so she fronted the money to film a video. Baker also put Terry in touch with L.A. Law star Blair Underwood who would direct the video and make a cameo. It would be pushed out when completed and it quickly made a difference. The song began to climb not only the R&B chart, but the Pop chart as well. Perhaps due to the lack of support from Epic, Terry would move over to Virgin Records for his 1994 third album. Unfortunately, it fared poorly and Terry wouldn't record another LP until 2001. Although his charting days were over, Terry continued to record and perform while also branching out to acting. He has appeared in several stage musicals including national tours of shows like The Wiz.

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