{"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\/products\/bobby-caldwell","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}