Album: Ill Na Na (Def Jam; 1996)
Songwriters: Samuel Barnes, Ronald Broomfield, Sean Carter, McKinley Horton and J.C. Olivier
R&B Peak Position: #10 (Airplay Only)
"I'm 'bout to say peace to my mans for you/ When it's all said and done I got plans for you..."
Born in Miami as Ron Broomsfield, the singer/ songwriter eventually known as Eugene Wilde participated in various regional R&B groups throughout the 1970's and early '80's before launching an initially promising solo career. His 1984 eponymous debut would be led off by "Gotta Get You Home Tonight", a slinky midtempo ballad inspired by the horny atmosphere of a London nightclub he and songwriting partner McKinley Horton had attended.
While arguably a near copy of Marvin Gaye's then-two-year-old "Sexual Healing", "Gotta Get You Home" was still embraced as a slow jam staple, it's gleaming, sophisticated groove making for perfect slow dance fodder as Wilde tried his best to woo some lady to his bedroom for the evening ("I'll do those things/ That are good to you lady/ I've got the tools I'm sure you 'gon like"). The single rocketed to #1 on the R&B charts, hinting that Wilde was on his way to becoming one of the 80's top lovermen. But his career never really took flight; his albums garnered an only mild appreciation and though he grabbed radio play with a few more singles, titles like the "Gotta Get U Home" sound-alike (and second #1) "Don't Say No (Tonight)" and "How About Tonight" proved he was quite limited when it came to the lyrics.
DL: "Gotta Get You Home Tonight" (YFH)
Given how sample-happy hip hop is, it was only a matter of time before somebody "borrowed" the Eugene Wilde track for themselves. That person became Foxy Brown, who revamped the record (with Blackstreet on the hook) as the first track from her 1996 intro LP, Ill Na Na.
Buoyed by the Trackmasters' comforting production sheen, Foxy's "Get Me Home" documented how an ordinary night out with her man ended with her being swept off her feet by a much "bling"-ier dude. Her attention caught after being sent a bottle of "Crown Royale with a note attached", Brown sized up the new option. His shoe game is on point, "suit flows nice" and he seems to share her appreciation for the ice? Forget the guy she came in with, she's leaving with this fella.
A re-polished classic beat, fluidly penned mix of the rapper's sexual and materialistic desires in a widely accessible PG-13 format, and some sturdy vocal support from Blackstreet made "Get Me Home" the ideal radio jump-off for Miss Brown, who's Ill Na Na would eventually earn nearly four million in worldwide sales.
Best Moment: Foxy's request for her new paramour to "twist my body like The Exorcist". (1:40)
DL: "Get Me Home" (YFH)
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