Songoftheday 2/4/21 - Early one morning while you were asleep, I received a letter, but there was no addressee...

 

 

"I Don't Ever Want To See You Again" - Uncle Sam

from the album Uncle Sam (1997)

Billboard Hot 100 peak: #6 (three weeks)

Weeks in the Top-40: 22

 

Today's song of the day comes from soul singer Sam Turner, who records under the name "Uncle Sam". Discovered and signed to Boyz II Men's Stonecreek Records, Sam's debut (and only) album was produced by the group's Nathan Morris. Its lead single "Can You Feel It" spent a month on the lower reaches of Billboard magazine's R&B chart, peaking at #86, but it would be his second try that would grant Sam his biggest success. "I Don't Ever Want To See You Again" was written by Morris, who could've sued himself for plagiarism for basically rewriting that group's #1 hit "I'll Make Love To You" with the same chord progression and everything, only changing the lyrical plot to be a man who finds his love has been cheating with his best friend (a common theme in these cheating songs). Boyz II Men's Michael McCrary also cameos to provide the deep-voiced bridge of reason. The thing I don't get if it was his close friend, why did they send it anonymously? Did they think Sam wouldn't figured it out? Weird. Anyway, it brought what really was a classic Boyz II Men production back to radio, and fans of the group went for this in droves...

 

 "I Don't Ever Want See You Again" became Uncle Sam's first and only pop hit, reaching the top ten in February of 1998. The song spent two weeks at #2 on Billboard's R&B chart as well. Internationally, the single climbed to #8 in New Zealand, and made the top 40 in the Netherlands (#21), the UK (#30), and Australia (#36). The album reached #68 on the Billboard 200 sales chart, and #24 on the R&B-specific genre list, going on to sell over a half a million copies. However, the lack of a follow-up left Uncle Sam behind, after a one-off cover of Bad English's #1 hit "When I See You Smile" for the TV show Touched By An Angel.

(5/10)

Up tomorrow: Rock band is asking about the nature of things.