Jodeci "Cry For You"

Album: Diary of A Mad Band (Uptown/ MCA)
Songwriters: DeVante Swing
Hit #1: January 15th, 1994 (4 Weeks)

Released on the heels of "Lately"'s crossover success and with DeVante Swing studio chops better than ever, Jodeci's all-too-important second album, Diary of A Mad Band, should have continued their stratospheric rise. Unfortunately, while the group were getting their strongest reviews, beef with their own label (at one point it seemed like they were going to be shifted over to Death Row Records) resulted in poor promotion for the LP. Label sabotage couldn't take away from their core audience's loyal support, though, as Band's lead single quickly reached the singles penthouse.

"Cry For You" positions Jodeci in their comfort zone: extremely emotive slow jam balladry. Their girl has only been gone for an hour (maybe she went grocery shopping?) and frontmen K Ci & Jo Jo are lying in a flood of salty tears, begging for her to walk back through the door. Atop DeVante's liquidy canvas, K-Ci literally sounds like he's in the midst of a breakdown, his wavery vocals doused in fragility as he's forced to lean on his groupmates' sterling harmonies for support.

Following it's month-long reign at #1, Jodeci would never chart as high again, yet don't take that for meaning their successive output was lacking in any way. Until their "hiatus" in 1996, the group's brand of sex-and-romance-drenched soul remained in high demand; "Feenin'", "Love U 4 Life" and "Freek'n You" ranks amongst the best in 90's R&B while the largely overlooked "Get On Up" is one of the most feel-good summer records ever put to wax. Single song reunions and group cameos have been sporadically released over the past decade, but promises of a new album have so far remained unfulfilled to the frustration of their fans.



DL: "Cry For You" (YFH)