"I Don't Know" by Michael Morales

Song#:  4134

Date:  12/09/1989

Debut:  92

Peak:  81

Weeks:  6

Genre:  Pop, Rock

 

Pop Bits:  After the second single from Morales' self-titled debut album, the cover tune "What I Like About You," managed to crack the Pop Top 30 (#28), his label decided to give this third single a try. This time around the tune didn't catch on and it would only spend a few weeks near the bottom of the Pop chart. The single obviously didn't help sell the album any further, which had already topped out at #113.

ReduxReview:  This was a is good, serviceable mid-tempo pop/rock song. It had a nice chorus and was well produced. It had all the basic elements needed for a Pop Top 40 entry. Yet it was one of those records that despite having everything in place didn't stand out from the pack. It probably didn't help that this style of pop/rock wasn't what the kids were gravitating towards at the time. Morales would return with a second album, but after an initial single faltered (it was actually a pretty good tune), there was no second single, which usually indicates a lack of label support. It seems the cards were stacked against Morales and unfortunately he came out on the losing end.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  With his first album making some inroads, Morales was given the green light to record a follow up. In 1991, he would release Thump, an album mainly written, performed, and produced by Morales along with an assist from his brother Ron. Its first single, "I Don't Wanna See You," would fail to make an impact stalling at #73. A second single was not issue out and that left the LP disappearing quickly along with his label contract. However, by that point Morales and his brother had already opened up their own studio and were working with other artists. One project that the brothers would producer (also engineer and mix), singer Freddy Fender's 2002 album La Musica de Baldmar Huerta, would earn them a Grammy when the LP won for Best Latin Pop Album. The brothers would work on other albums that would go on to win Grammys including Selena's 1993 Live! and 1998's Said and Done by Flaco Jiménez.

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