"Girl, I Am Searching for You" by Stevie B

Song#:  4063

Date:  10/07/1989

Debut:  87

Peak:  56

Weeks:  15

Genre:  Freestyle

Pop Bits:  Stevie B's second album In My Eyes would only peak at #75, but thanks to a pair of Pop/Dance Top 40 singles it would end up going gold in August of '89. To try and keep sales going, this third single was issued out. While it wouldn't do quite as well, it still got near the halfway mark on the Pop chart. A fourth single, "Love Me for Life," would surprisingly get inside the Pop Top 30 at #29 early in '90. It was Stevie B's best result to-date.

ReduxReview:  The problem I was having was that the songs Stevie B were tossing out were good, but they weren't great. Although the tracks sounded fine and were easy listens, none were sticking in my brain. He just wasn't coming up with that one breakthrough tune that would excite the mainstream. He certainly had fans in the freestyle community and that helped in making the album go gold. Yet he still needed that one special song that would take him to the next level. Unfortunately, this one wasn't it, however, later in '90 he'd finally grab a major hit.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Stevie B's third album, 90's Love & Emotion, got off to a solid start when the new jack swing title track reached #15 on the Pop chart (#43 Dance). Although known for his dance/freestyle tracks, the next single selected from the album ended up being a ballad. It ended up being the right choice as "Because I Love You (The Postman Song)" would go on to spend four weeks at #1 at Pop while also topping the AC chart for two weeks. It would become a gold seller. In turn, the album would reach #54 and also go gold. The success of the single and album helped the sales of his '88 debut Party Your Body and it would also go gold. For a follow up to "Because I Love You," the label chose another ballad "I'll Be By Your Side." It would reach #12 Pop/#16 AC. Unfortunately, the hits would quickly come to a halt. Stevie B. would switch labels to Epic Records and his first effort for them, '92's Healing, would fail to chart with only the track "Pump That Body" making the Dance chart at #15. Stevie B's time at Epic would then come to an end. He would continue to record albums on indie labels and grab one last Pop Top 30 single with '95's "Dream About You" (#29). Still recording and performing, along the way Stevie B was anointed the title "King of Freestyle," which he has gladly accepted and actively promotes. It is odd however, that the King of Freestyle's two biggest hits were pop ballads.

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