Posted on 03/15/2023 5:07:43 PM PDT by fidelis
BOBBY CALDWELL, THE oft-sampled, blue-eyed soul singer behind the late Seventies smash “What You Won’t Do for Love,” has died at the age of 71.
“Bobby passed away here at home,” Caldwell’s wife Mary tweeted Wednesday. “I held him tight in my arms as he left us. I am forever heartbroken. Thanks to all of you for your many prayers over the years.”
While no cause of death was provided, Caldwell had struggled with health issues over the past six years, which Mary cited as a result of an adverse reaction to fluoroquinolone antibiotic.
Caldwell was best known for his 1978 hit “What You Don’t Do for Love,” a soul single that rose to Number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 thanks in part to its cross-demographic appeal; early in his career, Caldwell’s label TK Records obscured the fact that he was a white singer (including silhouetting him on his album cover), which allowed the single to rise on R&B-dominant radio stations. However, when Caldwell finally began making public appearances in support of the track, it didn’t lessen the single’s commercial success with Black audiences.
“What You Don’t Do for Love” was later covered by artists like Boyz II Men, Natalie Cole & Peabo Bryson, Michael Bolton, and Jessie Ware, and sampled by Tupac Shakur for the rapper’s posthumous single “Do for Love.”
In fact, much of Caldwell’s contemporary success comes from his catalog being a go-to for hip-hop producers: J Dilla sampled his “Open Your Eyes” for Common’s 2000 single “The Light,” and Kendrick Lamar used the same song for his “R.O.T.C.” Caldwell’s “My Flame” was utilized on the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Sky’s the Limit” with 112, and his “Carry On” was sampled by A$AP Rocky and Lil Nas X, the latter of whom faced a $25 million lawsuit filed by Caldwell over the internet-only track.
While Caldwell never matched the solo success of “What You Don’t Do for Love,” he penned the hit “The Next Time I Fall in Love” for Peter Cetera and Amy Grant, a Grammy-nominated song that reached Number One on the Hot 100 in 1986.
I loved that song. Couldn’t hear it enough times.
RIP Bobby Caldwell
I guess he would do that.
Back in the day, Bobby's record company tried to disguise the fact he was a white man. Yes, even almost 50 years ago, this nonsense was afoot and recording company wanted him to appear to be black.
For those willing to dig in, this is a story of perseverence. Bobby hung out on the west coast for years trying to make it. Finally he went home to Miami and that is when he finally scored the big hit.
RIP
Great song. Our school Jazz Workshop did the instrumental version and did a good job.
Great tune, love this song and really wish I had seen him perform. RIP.
His career was ruined by being white.
I think he did alright. A lot of good artists are just one hit wonders. On the other hand, there have been a number of successful "blue-eyed soul" acts before and after Caldwell including the Righteous Brothers, Hall and Oates, Michael Bolton, and Michael McDonald.
You’ve tried everything but, you just gave up....
Rest in Peace.
I sing that in Karoake...
chicks dig it.
Oh, THAT song! I didn’t know his name. As soon as I heard the staccato trumpet intro and nightclub beat, I knew it. Here I was thinking that was Bobby Womack all these years. That’s pure Soul Music, with a capital S. It sounds close to the music later on done by
Sade; unhurried and sensuous.
Yes, but one difference is all the artists you site had a base audience that was white/on the pop charts. Hall and Oates did take I Can't Go For That to no. 1 on the soul chart, but all their his were even bigger on the Hot 100. (I just looked it up: Only Do What You Want, Be What You Are peaked higher on the soul chart at #29, than the Hot 100, #39.
What You Won't Do for Love was no. 10 on the pop and AC chart, but made it to #6 on the soul chart. His base audience was the soul audience, which wasn't the case for the others.
So beautiful. What a great song. RIP, Mr. Caldwell. Thank you for sharing your talent.
RIP.
Ahem— She Loves My Car-— a major almost hit for Ronnie Milsap, friends long ago produced and played on it. Muscle Shoals, Wishbone Studios. Complete with bass keyboard, a thing of the eighties.
Here’s Ronnie’s attempted 1984 video/hit crossover of a phenomenal composition (check out the modulation, the chord sequence— all great ) See if you can ID who is in the video-Britt Eckland among them..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aiim9sVWWXA
Bobby fronted a big band in New Jersey area a while ago-
very talented pianist/composer... Harry Connick couldn’t touch him in all reality.
And, dear Bobby Caldwell’s original RIP Bobby!- you did your best:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lth55rGyFIM
RIP
Just yesterday, listened to his hit as part of a 1978 compilation.
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