"I Like It" by Dino

Top 10 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  3896

Date:  05/13/1989

Debut:  89

Peak:  7

Weeks:  25

Genre:  Dance-Pop, New Jack Swing

Pop Bits:  By this point in time, Dino's debut album, 24/7, had hit an initial peak of #127 on the Pop chart. It got there thanks to the title track second single getting to #42 Pop/#12 R&B. The results were not bad, but they were not great either. Dino needed a bigger hit to turn the album around and the label ended up giving this third single a try. It ended up being the right choice. After a slow three month climb up the Pop chart, the song finally cracked the Top 10. It would also do well at Dance getting to #3 while getting to #25 R&B. The single's lengthy run boosted sales and it would eventually go gold. The hit helped the album rebound and by the end of August it would reach a new peak of #34. By the fall it would be certified gold.

ReduxReview:  While I preferred the more sultry "24/7," this new jack track was quite well done and was even more radio friendly. It had a memorable chorus and the production was nice and punchy. With new jack catching on more, this tune was bound to be a hit. There's not a lot of depth or uniqueness to Dino's voice, but he carries the song just fine. It was lucky he came up with this track for the album, otherwise it might have disappeared after the second single and he might not have been able to record a follow-up.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Dino, aka Dino Esposito, would later have a song he wrote appear in a hit film and on its soundtrack album. Dino would write, produce, and play nearly all the instruments on the song "Watch Me Shine." However, he did not do the vocals. That job went to singer Joanna Pacitti. Pacitti began to pursue a career in pop music in her teens. She had some pro experience already under her belt when she starred in the 20th anniversary touring revival of the Broadway show Annie. A few years later, she got the attention of A&M Records who signed her on. One of her first tasks was to record "Watch Me Shine" for the soundtrack to the film Legally Blonde starring Reese Witherspoon. It would not released as a single, but thanks to the film becoming a hit, the soundtrack would squeak onto the chart at #171. Pacetti would do a few more soundtrack songs, but was never able to record an album for A&M. She would then sign on with Geffen and finally record her 2006 debut album This Crazy Life. Its first single, "Let It Slide," would not chart. The album failed to make the Pop chart, but it did get on the Heatseekers Album chart at #31. She ended up off the Geffen roster the following year. In 2009, Pacetti would audition for American Idol. She would pass the initial audition and make it through three rounds of the Hollywood auditions. However, after passing the third round, Pacetti was disqualified and left the show. It seems that the person who helped get her signed to A&M became an exec at 19 Entertainment, the company that produced American Idol. Pacetti's relationship with the exec and another at 19 was against the rules and she was disqualified. In 2010, Pacetti would be the lead singer for the short-lived alternative rock band City (Comma) State.

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