{"title":"Bobby Caldwell","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"cat-in-the-hat","title":"Cat In The Hat","description":"\u003cp\u003eBobby Caldwell's second album, \u003ci\u003eCat In The Hat\u003c\/i\u003e, from 1980, is one of his\ngreatest moments and another masterwork of soulful sophistication. Featuring\nthe eternal \"Open Your Eyes\", brilliantly sampled by J Dilla for Common's \"The\nLight\", it's about as essential as records get. Like its eponymous predecessor,\nit's been out of print for far too long. To finally release the hugely-anticipated\nreissue is one of our sincerely proudest moments.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhilst Ned Doheny is known in Japan as \"Mr California\", native New Yorker\nBobby Caldwell has always been \"Mr AOR\" to his Far-Eastern friends. His\ndistinct charm is an irresistible blend of soul, jazz, and pop influences. He\npossessed phenomenal songwriting prowess, smooth vocal performances,\nwas both a great soul guitarist and dextrous keyboard player and known for\ngenius chord progressions. It all added up to a multi-layered brilliance entering\nthe studio, and the singular sound he landed on was laced with soulful,\nsweeping strings and funky horns, touching lightly on disco, while allowing his\nsupple voice to carry the stunning tracks he'd crafted.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRight from the off, it's easy to tell that \u003ci\u003eCat In The Hat\u003c\/i\u003e is a deeply special\nrecord. It's fantastically produced and incredibly well-rounded, carving its own\nlane with deep soul, warm jazz and a stunning vocal delivery that really helped\nBobby reach out to some big new audiences at the time. Goosebumps at the\nready for the rolling power-piano funk of \"Coming Down From Love\", opening\nup the album with a track as good as anything Steely Dan or The Doobies\never crafted, with a vocal performance from the heavens. Pumping AOR\nwonder \"Wrong Or Right\" is up there with the slick, classy rhythms of prime\nNed Doheny whilst the cool, skipping soul of guitar-drenched \"To Know What\nYou've Got\" is a funky ballad par excellence, with elemental traces of \"What A\nFool Believes\". No bad thing. Closing out Side A, the folk-funk of \"You\nPromised Me\" is a bright, soulful strut with a wonderful vocal coda that just\nbuilds. Sensational.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe delicate bounce and falsetto self-harmonising of \"It's Over\" offers a truly\ndelightful introduction to Side B, and serves as a great precursor to what\nfollows. Bobby's dynamite \"Open Your Eyes\" is likely the reason you're all\nhere. As if he needed it, the eternal J Dilla further immortalised Caldwell in the\nhip-hop canon with his production of Common’s epochal “The Light,” which\nheavily samples the magical “Open Your Eyes.” On a post paying tribute to\nBobby in March 2023, Questlove claimed that he \"got word Brother Bobby\nloved it\". Bobby's original has seen new life even more recently from the likes\nof Dwele and Kendrick Lamar and deservingly so, as its insistent drums and\nstaccato piano created a modern-soul classic. You'd think that would be hard\nto follow, wouldn't you? Not so, when you're Bobby Caldwell. Indeed, the\nhorn-drenched stepper \"Mother Of Creation\" is absolutely ace, and, whisper it,\npossibly the album's finest track, all funky piano and guitars with horn lines to\ndie for. Exquisite ballad \"I Don't Want To Lose Your Love\" rounds out the\nalbum beautifully.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBobby sadly passed away on 23rd March 2023, after a long struggle with\nmitochondrial damage and oxidative stress, due to an adverse effect from a\nfluoroquinolone antibiotic. The reissue of \u003ci\u003eCat In\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Hat\u003c\/i\u003e is available on\nvinyl across the globe, ensuring that fans of his incomparable talent - and soul\nmusic enthusiasts worldwide - can radiate in the deep beauty of this seminal\nalbum. Meticulously remastered and cut by both Simon Francis and Cicely\nBalston respectively, it has been pressed to the highest possible quality at\nRecord Industry in Holland.\n\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Be With Records","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50417267540299,"sku":"2048698","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/BEWITH159LP_c9fe471b_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726724218"},{"product_id":"what-you-wont-do-for-love-open-your-eyes","title":"What You Wont Do For Love \/ Open Your Eyes","description":"\u003cp\u003eLimited heart-shaped red vinyl reissue! The heart-shape is a replica of the original, with its near-10\" size and 7\" playing surface. Packaged in a beautiful, spined 10\" jacket, the record is housed in a protective, polylined inner sleeve. Released on Valentine's Day 2025, Be With Records are deeply honoured to present the first time reissue of the first *ever* heart-shaped red vinyl 45. Extremely limited!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe smooth titan of blue-eyed soul, Bobby Caldwell transcended genre tags with consummate ease; he was a musical icon of real class and versatility, cherished the world over. Here are two timeless masterpieces of sophisticated jazzy soul brilliance that are strictly canonical. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe originals of these red heart-shaped vinyl records go for stupid money - if you can find one in good condition. Here's your chance to snag a real collectors item for fans of Bobby and, well, LOVE, the world over.   \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe eternal \"What You Won't Do for Love\" became a national anthem. It remains that way - perhaps even more so in the past year or two. It perfectly captured Bobby's ability to infuse a contagious groove with introspective and relatable lyrics. With its instantly recognisable horn riff and Caldwell's soulful delivery, this timeless, chiller anthem continues to captivate audiences and define his musical legacy. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA perennial favourite, it has been heavily sampled, such is its unique allure; Aaliyah sang over snatches of it on \"Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number\" and you can hear Caldwell’s vocal sample used for the hook on Tupac’s posthumously released “Do For Love”. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBobby's dynamite \"Open Your Eyes\" was immortalised by the eternal J Dilla in the hip-hop canon with his production of Common’s epochal “The Light,” which heavily samples the magical “Open Your Eyes.” On a post paying tribute to Bobby in March 2023, Questlove claimed that he \"got word Brother Bobby loved it\". Bobby's original has seen new life even more recently from the likes of Dwele and Kendrick Lamar and deservingly so, as its insistent drums and staccato piano created a modern-soul classic.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Be With Records","offers":[{"title":"Red 10\"","offer_id":51136089817419,"sku":"2240414","price":33.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/BEWITH001HEART_8efd378b_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1737475000"},{"product_id":"bobby-caldwell","title":"Bobby Caldwell","description":"\u003cp\u003eBobby sadly passed away on 23rd March 2023, after a long struggle with\nmitochondrial damage and oxidative stress, due to an adverse effect from a\nfluoroquinolone antibiotic. The reissue of his wonderful eponymous album will\nbe available on vinyl across the globe, ensuring that fans of his incomparable\ntalent - and soul music enthusiasts worldwide - can radiate in the deep beauty\nof this seminal album. Meticulously remastered and cut by both Simon Francis\nand Cicely Balston respectively, it has been pressed to the highest possible\nquality at Record Industry in Holland\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKnown principally as a smooth titan of blue-eyed soul, Bobby Caldwell\ntranscended genre tags with consummate ease; he was a musical icon of real\nclass and versatility, cherished the world over. Tragically passing away in\nMarch 2023 at the too young age of 71, it still feels as if Bobby's true artistry is\nprofoundly under-appreciated. His double platinum self-titled album from 1978\nis a timeless masterpiece of sophisticated jazzy soul brilliance and is strictly\ncanonical. Yes, it's perfect, yet it's been out of press on vinyl for years. We're\ndeeply honoured to present the long-awaited reissue this summer.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhilst Ned Doheny is known in Japan as \"Mr California\", native New Yorker\nBobby Caldwell has always been \"Mr AOR\" to his Far-Eastern friends. His\ndistinct charm is an irresistible blend of soul, jazz, and pop influences. He\npossessed phenomenal songwriting prowess, smooth vocal performances,\nwas both a great soul guitarist and dextrous keyboard player and known for\ngenius chord progressions. It all added up to a multi-layered brilliance entering\nthe studio, and the singular sound he landed on was laced with soulful,\nsweeping strings and funky horns, touching lightly on disco, while allowing his\nsupple voice to carry the stunning tracks he'd crafted.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eString-swept opener \"Special To Me\" immediately sets the tone with its lush\ninstrumentation, rich harmonies, and Caldwell's velvety-smooth vocals. Next\nup, a huge one. The infectious, mid-tempo bounce of \"My Flame\" showcases\nCaldwell's ability to effortlessly blend catchy pop hooks with soulful\narrangements. It's an exquisite, emotive ballad that, at the same time,\nabsolutely SLAPS. Game recognise game, and all that, so, accordingly,\nNotorious B.I.G. memorably ran with “My Flame” for his 1997 single “Sky’s\nThe Limit”. The rolling, disco-very \"Love Won't Wait\" is a slick, uptempo track\ncontaining heartfelt lyrics intertwined with elegant strings and a horn section to\ndie for. Aching - and achingly cool - single \"Can't Say Goodbye\" is a real fan\nfavourite, and it's no surprise. It's a laconic, slow-mo jazz-funk stepper, with\nfantastic, very deliberate playing that closes out the A Side quite exceptionally.\n\"Come To Me\" slows proceedings down elegantly to open Side B before the\nuniversally agreed-upon masterpiece enters proceedings.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"What You Won't Do for Love,\" the standout hit that became a classic in its\nown right, perfectly captured Bobby's ability to infuse a contagious groove with\nintrospective and relatable lyrics. With its instantly recognisable horn riff and\nCaldwell's soulful delivery, this timeless, chiller anthem continues to captivate\naudiences and define his musical legacy. He scored huge with the track,\ntaking over the pop and R\u0026amp;B airways with this mellow soul stepper. It has\nremained a perennial favourite and has been heavily sampled, such is its\nunique allure; Aaliyah sang over snatches of it on \"Age Ain’t Nothing But A\nNumber\" and you can hear Caldwell’s vocal sample used for the hook on\nTupac’s posthumously released “Do For Love”.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUpon submitting the finished album to his label, they requested more material\nin hope of a big single. As Bobby remembered to Wax Poetics a few years\nago: “Now at this point, I’m mentally exhausted...and bear in mind that I got so\nclose to all the songs I’d written. I gave each song a profound amount of\nthought, and maybe too much. So, in haste, I went in and cut this song, \"What\nYou Won’t Do For Love\". Wrote it in a day, cut the rhythm track, overdubbed\nthe horns, I sang the song, and literally turned it in three days after. And lo and\nbehold, the one song I gave the least thought to,” Bobby laughed, “ended up\nbeing a national anthem.”\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe mysterious, magical \"Kalimba Song\" is a cosmic, kalimba-driven melodic-\nfunk instrumental - short but oh, so sweet. It's followed by the supreme tear-\njerker \"Take Me Back To Then\", Bobby's otherworldly voice deeply longing for\na simpler time, \"when life was mellow\". I think we can all get behind this\nsentiment. The final cut is arguably its deepest, its low-key finest moment. For\nus, it is, anyway. The glorious, driving, effortlessly funky guitar-soul jam \"Down\nFor The Third Time\" is a huge melancholic Be With favourite and has been\nplayed by discerning genre-hopping DJs with significant glee for years.\nHypnotic, melodic, beautiful. Like the album it elegantly rounds out.\n\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Be With Records","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":51246013645131,"sku":"2048697","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/BEWITH158LP_b6116974_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1739230821"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/bobby-caldwell.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}