djzyonseven
Anybody who knows me knows I love a good slow jam.
Quiet Storm music has always had a special place in my heart. 🎶❤️
My first radio gig in college was at the college radio station, and I hosted the nightly Quiet Storm from 10 PM until 1 AM.
Man, I loved that night shift.
It was one of the favorite times in my life.
There was something about being on the air that late at night, putting together the right songs, setting a mood, and knowing people were actually out there listening. 📻🌙
People would call the station just to tell me how much they enjoyed the show.
For a young DJ who already loved music the way I did, that meant everything.
And one of my go-to artists during those Quiet Storm hours was DeBarge.
I’ve always had a thing for family groups. The Jacksons, The Isley Brothers, The Sylvers, The Jets, The Pointer Sisters, and Sister Sledge.
There’s something different that happens when people who grew up together sing together.
You can teach harmony, but family harmony has its own DNA.
DeBarge had that. 🔥
And when it came to slow jams, they knew exactly what they were doing.
I Like It came from DeBarge’s second album, All This Love, released in 1982 on Gordy Records.
The song was written by El DeBarge, Randy DeBarge, and Bunny DeBarge.
I Like It became their first major crossover hit, reaching number 2 on Billboard’s R&B chart and number 31 on the Hot 100.
But charts are only part of this story.
That song is just beautiful.
Randy DeBarge actually sings the opening lead, something I think a lot of casual listeners miss.
Then as the record moves along, El DeBarge starts doing what El does.
That high tenor and falsetto starts floating all over the track, especially through the middle and toward the ending.
Listen to those ad-libs.
El is up there singing like gravity is optional. 😂🎤
That DeBarge blend was serious.
Bunny, Randy, El, James, and Mark could stack vocals in a way that made everything feel warm and effortless.
A lot of groups had great harmony, but DeBarge had a softness to theirs that worked perfectly for romantic R&B.
And the lyrics are simple, which is part of why they work.
The song is basically about noticing the little things you love about somebody.
The way they look.
The way they carry themselves.
The little things they do that make you smile.
Nothing complicated.
You just like everything about them. 😏❤️
I Like It is still my jam to this day.
I would easily put it in my personal Top 20 classic R&B slow cuts of all time.🎶
No hesitation.🚫
And the crazy thing is, the All This Love album gave us another one of my favorite DeBarge songs with the title track All This Love.
So apparently DeBarge decided one Quiet Storm classic simply wasn’t enough. 😂
More than forty years later, I Like It still has that same glow.
Put it on late at night, turn the lights down, and let those harmonies fill the room. 🎧✨
Some records get old.
This one just gets smoother.
DJZ7
#TheSoundtrackOfWhoIBecame, #DeBarge, #ILikeIt, #ElDeBarge, #QuietStorm, #SlowJams, #ClassicRNB, #OldSchoolRNB, #80sRNB, #SoulMusic, #RNBMusic, #MusicMemories
