What’s the most common song title in history? I don’t actually know the answer to that question, but I wouldn’t be surprised if “Real Love” was somewhere near the top. After all, it’s what most of us want out of life.
I was on Twitter looking for playlist ideas when a good friend suggested that I create a list of songs with the title “Real Love”, and while I don’t think I own enough to make a playlist (at least not one that would last longer than 35 minutes), I do have enough in my memory bank to make a top five list of solid jams. Without further ado, here we go…
5) “Real Love”-Jody Watley (1989)
Jody’s self-titled debut solo album was a Grammy-winning smash, so the singer/dancer knew she had to usher in her second LP with a bang. “Real Love” was confident and filled with attitude, and it shot up the charts with the quickness, landing at #1 R&B and #2 pop. It also topped Billboard’s Dance chart and the eye-catching video (directed by David Fincher) was nominated for 6 VMAs.
4) “Real Love”-Skyy (1989)
This heart-rending ballad topped the R&B charts in early 1990, representing a swan song for Skyy, a New York group that first found fame in the disco era. Originally signed to legendary dance label Salsoul Records, the late ’80s found them on Atlantic and adapting to a more contemporary R&B sound. Lead singer Denise Dunning’s vocal is passionate and pleading on this slow jam, and “Real Love” is also notable for being one of the last R&B hits to boast a mid-song spoken-word breakdown.
3) “Real Love”-El DeBarge (1989)
When Motown launched El DeBarge’s solo career, they aimed straight for the middle of the road. His 1986 debut was sanitized to a pop sheen, removing any traces of the heartache that was at the center of most of DeBarge’s biggest hits. It also removed any trace of funk. Thankfully, by the time El’s second album, Gemini, came out in spring 1989, the funk had returned. The album’s first single, “Real Love”, was a slammin’ dance jam that found El making liberal use of the vocoder, that robotic device that Roger Troutman was so fond of. It also found the formerly rhythm-deficient vocalist busting some serious dance moves in the video. One thing it didn’t find, unfortunately, was success. Although “Real Love” was a top 10 R&B hit, it didn’t cross over, and Gemini was a commercial dud. I’d imagine that the manipulation of El’s vocals on this cut didn’t lend itself very well to voice recognition when radio played “Real Love”, either. Recognizable vocals or not, “Real Love” is a jam and a half. Plus, I love the sample of Janet Jackson’s “Control” at the beginning of the second verse and the shouts to James Brown’s “Soul Power” at the song’s conclusion.
2) “Real Love”-The Doobie Brothers (1980)
Thematically, “Real Love” is a cousin to The Doobie Brothers’ biggest hit, 1978’s “What A Fool Believes”. The striking first lines set the tone: “Darling I know I’m just another head on your pillow. If only just tonight, girl, let me hear you lie just a little.” After getting hurt in a series of casual encounters, the song’s protagonist is convinced that he and his female foil both need something more substantial. The song’s notable for its abandonment of traditional verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus/fade out structure, containing exactly one verse, a pre-chorus, and something vaguely resembling a chorus (really just endless repetitions of the title phrase). It also contains one of Michael McDonald’s most passionate vocals. Perfect late night yacht soul.
1) “Real Love”-Mary J. Blige (1992)
Mary J. Blige introduced herself to the world with “You Remind Me”, a pleasant if somewhat anonymous slice of new jack swing. The follow-up, “Real Love”, was on some other shit entirely. If you want to mark the moment new jack transitioned into hip-hop soul, this might be it. MJB does her best Aretha over the classic “Top Billin'” beat, and the result is one of the defining singles of the ’90s. Shit, throw this on in a club today and people will still go nuts. I was a senior in high school, living in Brooklyn, when “Real Love” was at its peak, and it was one of those songs that was inescapable, but no one wanted to get away from it anyway. Still the first song I think of when Mary comes to mind, and it set off a legendary career that will probably land the diva in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame within a decade or so’s time.