2 Occasions Song
| 'Two Occasions' | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The Deele | ||||
| from the album Eyes of a Stranger | ||||
| Released | December 23, 1987 | |||
| Recorded | 1987 | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 4:17 | |||
| Label | Solar | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds, Darnell 'Dee' Bristol, Sid Johnson | |||
| Producer(s) | L.A. Reid & Babyface for Deelesongz Inc | |||
| The Deele singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| 'Two Occasions' on YouTube | ||||
'Two Occasions' is an R&B song written by Babyface, Darnell Bristol and Sid Johnson (who was the former manager for Babyface's early group, Manchild).[1] It was produced by Babyface and L.A. Reid for The Deele's third studio album Eyes of a Stranger (1987). The ballad was released as the album's second single in December 1987.[2] It's the only song on the album that features Babyface on lead vocals,[3] which alternate between himself, Bristol, and Carlos 'Satin' Greene throughout the course of the song. It has since been remade into a live version with added vocals from Babyface with all original vocals from The Deele intact; this version appeared on the 12' maxi single and also three years later on his album, A Closer Look.[4]
Reception[edit]
Craig Lytle, in his review of the album for AllMusic, called 'Two Occasions' a 'quiet-storm classic' with 'superb arrangement and production', declaring the song 'worthy of a number-one ranking.'[3] In 1989, the song won a BMI Pop Award.[5]
Although the band's first hit 'Body Talk' actually had a higher placement on the R&B chart, 'Two Occasions' is widely considered The Deele's most successful single. It peaked at number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number four on the Hot Black Singles chart and number 21 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[2]
Charts[edit]
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[2] | 10 |
| US Hot Black Singles (Billboard)[2] | 4 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[2] | 21 |
'Two Occasions' is an R&B song written by Babyface, Darnell Bristol and Sid Johnson. It was produced by Babyface and L.A. Reid for The Deele's third studio album Eyes of a Stranger. The ballad was released as the album's second single in December 1987. It's the only song on the album that features Babyface on lead vocals, which alternate between himself, Bristol, and Carlos 'Satin' Greene throughout the course of the song. It has since been remade into a live version with added vocals from Babyf. Listen to Two Occasions on Spotify. The song was also influenced by the Archies' classic 'Sugar, Sugar' with its repeated lines of, 'Pour a little sugar.' This song went clear to No. 2 on the pop singles chart in the United States with a heavier rock crunch than most mainstream pop.
Legacy[edit]
The Whispers cut a version of the song that appeared on their 1997 album Songbook : Volume One - The Songs of Babyface.
The song and Babyface were later referenced by Mariah Carey in her 2005 hit song, 'We Belong Together.'[6]
The song is also sampled in the 2009 hit song 'Want It, Need It' by Plies featuring Ashanti. It was also sampled in the song 'I Still Love You' by Next on their Rated Next album. Rap/hip hop artist Charlie Manhattan released his version of 'Two Occasions' in 2007, from his solo debut album The Manhattan Project.[7]
Faye Wong also covered the song in Cantonese, titled as 'Miss You Night and Day' found in her 1992 album, Coming Home.
Notes[edit]
- ^The Deele small biography, SoulTracks
- ^ abcde'Billboard'. Billboard.com – Artist Chart History – The Deele. Retrieved 1988.Check date values in:
accessdate=(help) - ^ ab'Allmusic'. allmusic (((Eyes of a Stranger > Overview))).
- ^https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-closer-look-r1094
- ^'Babyface Awards'. Babyface Fan – Awards. November 5, 1989. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011.
- ^Sanneh, Kelefa (August 4, 2005). 'New York Times'. The Summer Buzz: Cicadas and Mariah Carey. Retrieved 2005.Check date values in:
accessdate=(help) - ^Marisa Brown. 'Charlie Manhattan – Music Biography, Streaming Radio and Discography – AllMusic'. AllMusic.
| Origin | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
|---|---|
| Genres | Post-disco, R&B |
| Years active | 1981–1993, 2007–present |
| Labels | Solar |
| Members | Darnell 'Dee' Bristol Kevin 'Kayo' Roberson Carlos 'Satin' Greene Stanley 'Stick' Burke Leon Qui |
| Past members | Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds Antonio 'L.A.' Reid Steve 'Tuck' Walters |
The Deele (pronounced /deal/) is an American band from Cincinnati, Ohio who achieved success in the 1980s with such hit singles as 'Body Talk' and 'Two Occasions'. When the group began recording in the early 1980s, the lineup consisted of Indianapolis native Kenny 'Babyface' Edmonds along with Cincinnati musicians Antonio 'L.A.' Reid, Carlos 'Satin' Greene, Darnell 'Dee' Bristol, Stanley 'Stick' Burke, and Kevin 'Kayo' Roberson.[1] In 2007, Bristol, Greene, Roberson & Burke reformed the group with several new members.
A March 2016 BET Honors performance, featuring Babyface and Reid reuniting with their former bandmates on stage, led to a more permanent reunion of the classic Deele lineup that has continued to the present.
Biography[edit]
The Deele was formed in 1981 and originally comprised local Cincinnati musicians drummer Antonio 'L.A.' Reid, bassist Kevin 'Kayo' Roberson, vocalist/percussionist Darnell 'Dee' Bristol, lead vocalist Carlos 'Satin' Greene, guitarist/keyboardist Stanley 'Stick' Burke,[1] and guitarist Steve 'Tuck' Walters.[2] Reid, Roberson, and Walters had been members of a previous Cincinnati-based band, Pure Essence. Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds, hailing from Indianapolis, would join later in 1981, and Walters left the band before they began recording their debut album, Street Beat.
The group would record three albums in total during the 1980s, scoring several hitsingles.[1] The above-mentioned Street Beat album was released in 1983, and the following year, a single from this album, 'Body Talk' became The Deele's first hit, reaching #3 on the R&B chart and #77 on the Billboard Hot 100pop chart.[2] Burke left the band prior to the recording of a follow-up album. Recorded as a quintet, Material Thangz was released in 1985. It was not as successful as their debut album.[2]
Following a brief hiatus, during which Babyface recorded his debut solo album, Lovers, the band regrouped to record. They reached the apex of their career in 1987 with the release of their third album, Eyes of a Stranger, which produced two top-10 R&B singles: 'Shoot 'Em Up Movies' and perhaps their best-known song, 'Two Occasions.' The latter track reached #4 on the R&B charts and cracked the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.[2]Music videos were made for both songs. The video for the 'Shoot 'Em Up Movies' track was directed by Martin Pitts and produced by Mickey Shapiro. It was during this time that L.A. Reid and Babyface Edmonds began crafting their talents as songwriters for other artists.[2] They wrote and produced 'Girlfriend' (which featured backing vocals from Deele members[3] and became a top ten hit) for Reid's girlfriend, and eventual wife Pebbles. During this period, they also wrote and produced The Whispers' 'Rock Steady'.[1]
In 1988, encouraged by their songwriting success with other artists, both Babyface and Reid left The Deele and founded LaFace Records in 1989.[4] At the beginning of the 1990s, Reid and Edmonds would become successful record producers.[4] Although not as recognized as Reid and Edmonds, another Deele member, Kevin 'Kayo' Roberson maintained his association with the two, and was an instrumental part of the production team's success behind the scenes as a songwriter, co-producer, and studio bassist. Babyface would also embark on a very successful run as a solo artist.[1]
In 1993, Greene and Bristol reunited again as The Deele (without Reid, Edmonds, or Roberson)[5] to record the album, An Invitation to Love. This album found the group adopting a more new jack swing-based sound and incorporating rap into many of their songs. Failing to make a dent in the charts, the group called it quits later that same year.
Their hit song 'Two Occasions' was referenced by rapper The Game in the song 'One Night' in 2006, and by Plies in his 2009 hit song, 'Want It, Need It' featuring Ashanti. MF Doom samples the track 'Shoot 'Em Up Movies' in his 1999 opus 'Red & Gold'.
Classic Lineup Reunion[edit]
In March 2016, all members of the classic Deele lineup, including Babyface and L.A. Reid, reunited to perform at a BET Honors event where Reid was recognized. This performance led to a more permanent reformation in the summer and plans to tour and record.[6]
Original members[edit]
- Darnell 'Dee' Bristol: vocals
- Stanley 'Stick' Burke: guitar, keyboards (left after the first album)
- Kenny 'Babyface' Edmonds: keyboards, guitar, vocals
- Carlos 'Satin' Greene: vocals
- Antonio 'L.A.' Reid: drums
- Kevin 'Kayo' Roberson: bass
- Steve 'Tuck' Walters: guitar, vocals (left before first album, 1982)
Discography[edit]
Studio albums[edit]
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Street Beat | Solar Records |
| 1985 | Material Thangz | |
| 1987 | Eyes of a Stranger | |
| 1993 | An Invitation to Love |
Singles[edit]
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B [7] | US Adult Con. [7] | US Pop [7] | |||
| 1983 | 'Video Villain' | ― | — | — | |
| 'I Surrender' | 66 | ― | — | ||
| 'Just My Luck' | 25 | ― | ― | ||
| 'Body Talk' | 3 | — | 77 | ||
| 1985 | 'Sweet Nothingz' | ― | ― | ― | |
| 'Suspicious' | 66 | ― | — | ||
| 'Material Thangz' | 14 | — | — | ||
| 1987 | 'Can U-Dance' | 48 | — | — | |
| 'Two Occasions' | 4 | 21 | 10 | ||
| 1988 | 'Shoot 'Em Up Movies' | 10 | ― | ― | |
| 1993 | 'Imagination' | ― | ― | — | |
| 2007 | 'The Only 1' | ― | ― | — | |
| 'All I Want for Christmas' | — | ― | ― | ||
| '—' denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||
Compilation albums[edit]
- Deep Cover (movie soundtrack) (1992)
- Greatest Hits (1994)
- The Best Of The Deele (1996)
- Shoot 'Em Up (The Best Of The Deele) (2002)
Two Occasions Song Meaning
Appearances in media[edit]
The song 'Body Talk' was featured in the pilot episode for the television series Miami Vice.
References[edit]
2 Occasions Deele
- ^ abcdeNathan, David. 'The Deele Biography'. Soul Tracks. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
- ^ abcdeErlewine, Stephen Thomas. 'Artist Biography'. AllMusic. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
- ^'Pebbles - 'Girlfriend' lyrics'. Demon Lyrics. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
- ^ abGibbs, Luann. 'Top 20 most successful musicians from Cincinnati: 20-11'. Cincinnati.com. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
- ^Liner notes of The Deele - An Invitation to Love. Cassette Tape (1993). Retrieved May 28, 2010.
- ^'The Deele Launches Fan Club & Reunion Tour'. Electronic Urban Report. July 15, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
- ^ abc'The Deele Songs ••• Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography ••• Music VF, US charts'. Retrieved May 29, 2020.