I had two other artists lined up for today’s post.
TWO.

And then I was driving home, listening to some 90s R&B, and Johnny Gill’s “Giving My All to You” came on.
Well, there went those plans. 😂

Because THIS is my jam.
And it’s time I introduced something I want to feature more often on The Soundtrack of Who I Became.

Sleeper Hits. 💿
Those incredible album tracks that never got the attention they deserved.
Songs that weren’t necessarily released as singles, but were every bit as good as the hits everybody knew.

And “Giving My All to You” is a perfect example.

Now, anybody who knows me knows I’ve loved Johnny Gill for years.

I was a fan back when he recorded with Stacy Lattisaw on Perfect Combination, before he ever joined New Edition.
And when Johnny joined New Edition…
Man, he brought something special to that group.
I loved New Edition before Johnny.
They were already great.
But when he joined, they became phenomenal to me.

Then came his 1990 self-titled album.
And THAT was my album. 🔥
“Rub You the Right Way.”
“My, My, My.”
“Wrap My Body Tight.”
“Fairweather Friend.”
Hit after hit.

That album reached No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart, No. 8 on the Billboard 200, and went double platinum.
And deservedly so.
I almost decided to feature the entire album today.
I’ll come back to that another time.

Because right now, I want to talk about track nine.
“Giving My All to You.”

Written and produced by Randy Ran, with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis co-producing, this is five minutes and twenty seconds of R&B that deserved a whole lot more attention.
And you can hear that Jam and Lewis influence all over it.

But Johnny’s VOICE?
Good Lord.
That man can SING.

I’ve been a fan of some incredible male vocalists, and you already know where my boy Luther stands.

But Johnny!
He’s easily among my top twenty male vocalists.
Maybe even my top ten.

And this song reminds me why.
The way Johnny sings this song…
Man, THIS is why I’ve loved that man’s voice for so many years.”

Now, here’s where it gets personal.
This is a very, very, very personal track for me.

I was 21 when this album came out.
And I was living this song.
It was very special to me at that time.
For a very special him.👤
Every word of it.

It became part of a very important chapter of my life.
One that I can still revisit whenever those opening notes start playing.
I can be driving, walking, working out, doing whatever.
And suddenly, I’m 21 again.

That’s what music does.
And that’s why this song belongs in the Soundtrack of My Life category.

I’ve been DJing since late 80s, and one thing I’ve always loved doing is introducing people to music they might otherwise never hear.
I’ve never been the kind of DJ who only plays what’s on the radio.
I listen to the WHOLE album.
Always have.

Sometimes the best song on that album isn’t the one the record company decides to release.
Those songs always made it onto my mixtapes back then, and they make it onto my playlists today.

So expect more Sleeper Hits from me.
Because there’s too much great music sitting on albums waiting for somebody to give it some attention.
And trust me, “Giving My All to You” deserves yours.

It’s easily one of my top five Johnny Gill songs, and probably my favorite from this album.
Yes, even with “My, My, My” sitting right there. 😂

If you’ve never heard it, PLEASE give it a listen.
And if you already know it…
Then you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about.

Thirty-six years later, I’m still playing it.
And I’m still loving every minute of it. 💜

djz7

Direct Listening Links 🎧
Spotify — Giving My All to You (Original 1990 Album Version)
YouTube — Giving My All to You (Audio Recording)
Apple Music — Johnny Gill (1990 Album, Track 9)

#TheSoundtrackofWhoIBecame #JohnnyGill #GivingMyAllToYou #SleeperHits #90sRnB #ClassicRnB #SlowJams #NewEdition #RnBMusic #SoundtrackOfMyLife