Songoftheday 7/14/20 - I often tell myself that we could be more than just friends, I know you think that if we move too soon it would all end...
from the albums Set It Off (Original Soundtrack) (1996) and EV3 (1997)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #2 (four weeks)
Weeks in the Top-40: 33
Today's song of the day comes from the female soul vocal group En Vogue, who after releasing two successful full-length albums, put out an EP in 1993, Runaway Love, which also spun off a top ten pop hit with their collaboration with rappers Salt-N-Pepa, "Whatta Man", in the beginning of 1994. In 1995, while on a break, member Terry Ellis released a solo album, Southern Gal, and scored a top ten R&B hit with "Wherever You Are" (R&B #10). Two years later, the foursome of Dawn Robinson, Maxine Jones, Terry Ellis, and Cindy Herron returned to record a song for the soundtrack of the black female "buddies in crime" movie Set It Off starring Jada Pinkett and Queen Latifah. Written by the Organized Noize production team (Sleepy Brown, Rico Wade, and Ray Murray), along with Ivan Matias, Andrea Martin, and Marqueze Etheridge, "Don't Let Go (Love)" was an epic breakup ballad with Robinson taking most of the lead vocal parts, and the others also having a turn in the spotlight on the barnburner song. Released at the third single from the soundtrack after "Missing You" from Brandy and friends and "Days Of Out Livez" from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, it ended up being their most successful single at the time...
"Don't Let Go (Love)" spent a month in the runner-up position on the American pop chart in January of 1997. The song topped Billboard magazine's R&B chart for a week, while taking half a year on their Adult Top-40 radio list, peaking at #16. Internationally, the single was their most popular track, going to #1 in Norway and Denmark, and reaching the top ten in the Netherlands (#2), Australia (#3), Ireland (#3), Belgium (#4 F/W), Switzerland (#4), the UK (#5), Sweden (#6), Germany (#7), Finland (#8), Austria (#9), and New Zealand (#10). It also rose to #14 in France, and #23 in Canada. At the Grammy Awards in 1997, the single was nominated for Best R&B Duo/Group Vocal Performance, losing out to the Fugees for their reinterpretation of "Killing Me Softly". When the EV3 album came out in June of 1997, Robinson had already left the group for a (totally ill-fated) solo career. The remaining trio's EV3 went to #8 on the Billboard 200 and R&B charts, tying their best ranking on the former list.
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There was a second version of the music video made which replaced all the scenes from Set It Off once the movie ended its course in the theaters..
and the foursome giving it their all onstage at one of the award shows...
For their MTV Jams appearance to promote the EV3 album in 1997, Jones, Ellis, and Herron compensate for Robinson's departure...
In 2011, British female vocal group Little Mix basically took the trophy for their season of X Factor UK because of their performance of the song, which caused the original to re-enter the British Top-40...
Six years later, Australian singer Greg Gould released two versions of "Don't Let Go (Love)", one featuring En Vogue member Maxine Jones...
And lastly, a reunited En Vogue at the Trumpet Awards singing a medley of their three #2 pop hits, "Hold On", "My Lovin", and "Don't Let Go"...
Up tomorrow: Rapper drives in his sleep?
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