Songoftheday 8/10/21 - For so long I've waited for you to come and love me, don't waste my time 'cause I need you to let me know if you want me too...

 

 

"Hold Me" - Brian McKnight featuring Tone and Kobe Bryant

from the album Anytime (1997)

Billboard Hot 100 peak: #35 (one week)

Weeks in the Top-40: 2

 

Today's song comes from R&B singer/songwriter Brian McKnight, whose third album Anytime had already scored two decent hits with "You Should Be Mine (Don't Waste My Time)" and "Anytime", the latter reaching the top ten on the radio component of the Hot 100 in the spring of 1998. A third track from the album promoted to radio, "The Only One For Me", like "Anytime" wasn't released as a commercial single and as such wasn't able to place on the official charts, but got to #7 on the R&B Airplay list and #60 on the radio component of the pop Hot 100 that summer. That song was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1999 for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, which Stevie Wonder stole for his version of "St. Louis Blues" from a Herbie Hancock Gershwin tribute album. 

The fourth offering from Anytime, and the second retail single, was "Hold Me". Written by Mcknight with producers the Trackmastters (Jean-Claude "Poke" Olivier and Samuel "Tone" Barnes) along with Katreena and Jenny Barnes, the single release sported a remix from the original album version that substituted girl-group Willie Max for "Tone" rapping along with basketball star and wannabe hip-hop artist Kobe Bryant. Riding on a subtle sample of Juicy's #1 R&B hit "Juicy Fruit", the record starts with Tone's verse, before Brian comes in with unusual swagger from his previous romantic ballad leanings. Bryant doesn't embarrass himself on his turn, but Tone's flow definitely outshines. It all sounds groovy, even if a bit slight like its more of an attitude than a music piece. But damn does Brian look fine in this music video...

"Hold Me" became McKnight's fourth official top-40 pop hit in January of 1999. The song also climbed to #12 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart. Brian will return to this series. Sadly, Kobe Bryant died tragically in a plane crash in 2020.

(5/10)

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Here's the album version of the song featuring Willie Max, which used a bunch of different samples, including 2Pac's "I Get Around" and Zapp's "Computer Love"...

And lastly, McKnight performing "Hold Me" live...

Up tomorrow: Newcomer wunderkind picks fights with stars and scores.