Top 10 Alert!
Gold Record Alert!
Song#: 3953
Date: 07/01/1989
Debut: 87
Peak: 5
Weeks: 19
Genre: R&B, Pop, Adult Contemporary
Pop Bits: The first two singles from this trio's second album 2nd Wave didn't do much to expand their audience into the mainstream. A first single completely missed the Pop chart while a second single, "Closer Than Friends," would only reach #57. However, that track became their first to reach #1 on the R&B chart so it kept their album selling. They still needed something better to break them wider, so the label gave this third single a try. It ended up being the right selection. The song would be their second to reach #1 at R&B and their first to crack the Pop Top 10. It would also get to #3 AC. That crossover action helped the single sell well and it would go gold. In turn, the album would peak at #5 R&B/#56 Pop and become a platinum seller.
ReduxReview: They probably didn't want to get backed into a corner as being a ballads band and so opted to release a pair of uptempo track first, which paid off fine at R&B, but not at Pop. This song was the obvious crossover hit from the LP and probably should have been issued out first. Waiting and releasing it third was a bit risky since the group hadn't really been breaking through at Pop and the tune could have fell flat. Luckily, the song was strong enough to overcome its release order and it earned the trio their first really big crossover hit. It got them a gold record too. This was a nicely written tune that was ripe for radio on the various formats.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: This trio began writing songs together and recording demos before they even thought of becoming recording artists. They were writers for hire for EMI and in the mid-80s their tunes started to get picked up. They would score their first hit in 1986 when their tune "Reaction" became a #15 Dance/#16 R&B hit for Rebbie Jackson. It would be followed by a couple of minor chart singles recorded by Gwen Guthrie. As Surface was beginning to score hits, the members continued to supply songs to other artists. For two of the members, David Conley and David Townsend, their biggest hit outside of Surface came when their co-write with Derrick Culler, "Don't Take It Personal," got recorded by Jermaine Jackson and became his last solo #1 on the R&B chart in 1989. Conley and Townsend would score another hit in 1990 when Melba Moore got to #10 R&B with "Do You Really (Want My Love)."
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