Songoftheday 1/14/21 - Did I hear you say that you want another chance, you need another try you're ready to reclaim your prize...
"Too Gone, Too Long" - En Vogue
from the album EV3 (1997)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #33 (two weeks)
Weeks in the Top-40: 3
Today's song of the day comes from the R&B vocal group En Vogue, who had landed their biggest pop hit with "Don't Let Go (Love)" only to lose member Dawn Robinson shortly after (she will reappear on a SOTD soon). That cut did make their next album EV3 though, along with their follow-up "Whatever", which made the pop top-20 in the summer of 1997. The third and final single from the record was the mid-tempo track "Too Gone, Too Long". Written by song doctor supreme Diane Warren and produced by David Foster, the song has Cindy Herron, Terry Ellis, and Maxine Jones telling their respective ex's that want to get back that it ain't going to happen. All with a key change to boot. While it wasn't groundbreaking in lyrical material (as it was Warren after all), it was very polished and the women were in fine vocal form throughout...
"Too Gone, Too Long" became En Vogue's eleventh, and so far most recent, top-40 pop hit in America in October of 1997. The song also climbed to #25 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart, and #19 on the Adult R&B list as well. Internationally, the single reached the top-40 in the UK (#20) and New Zealand (#39).
A year later, the trio returned with a track from the movie Why Do Fools Fall In Love. "No Fool No More", also written by Warren, made the top-40 on the R&B chart at #37, while stopped at #57 on the pop Hot 100. In 2000, En Vogue released their fourth studio effort Masterpiece Theatre. An ambitious album that reunited them with producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy, the set fused pop and soul sensibilities with classical music appropriations. It didn't get the love it deserved. with lead single "Riddle" stiffing on the charts at #92 on the pop Hot 100 and #95 on the R&B list. (It did much better overseas, reaching the top-40 in the UK, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands). Dropped by their label, the next years were a bit shaky, with Jones leaving and two replacements cycled in with Amanda Cole recording a holiday set while Rhona Barrett was on board for the group's next album Soul Flower, which had a couple hits at the Adult R&B format with "Ooh Boy" reaching #22 in 2004. Then things got really crazy, which included all four reuniting for a short bit then splitting into two fighting version of En Vogue, then an aborted stint with an indie label caused the release of another EP. Finally, in 2018, Herron, Ellis, and Bennett came together for their most recent album Electric Cafe. Lead single "Rocket" rose to #8 on the Adult R&B chart, while follow-up "Reach 4 Me" got to #16. The reformed new trio reunited with Jones and Robinson for a one-off concert, but who knows what will happen next.
(7/10)
(Click below to see the rest of the post)
And lastly, with a live band backing them...
Up tomorrow: Cinematically-named singer serenades about Sally Starr?
Comments