Early life
Bobby Caldwell was born in Manhattan to Bob and Carolyn Franklin, the hosts of Suppertime, an early television variety show. Living in Memphis and, chiefly, Miami (which he has called an influential "dumping ground" for all kinds of music), he took up piano and guitar as a preteen. Forming his own band at 17, he took the group on the road, later recording an album entitled Kathmandu.
Caldwell's first performances were more rock-oriented than the bulk of his career would indicate; early dates had him playing Jimi Hendrix and Cream covers in small clubs.
[edit] Recording career
[edit] Bobby Caldwell (What You Won't Do for Love)
Bobby Caldwell was signed to legendary Miami label TK Records, home to many different kinds of musical acts: the pop-disco of KC & The Sunshine Band, the Latin-flavoured funk of Foxy, the down-home soul of George McCrae and his wife Gwen McCrae, and the futuristic, jazzy disco of Peter Brown and T-Connection.
For this very hot label, Bobby recorded his double platinum-attaining self-titled solo album, scoring hits with the singles "What You Won't Do for Love", "My Flame" and, in Britain, "Down for the Third Time." In order to ensure significant airplay on the African American-dominated R&B radio format of the time, Caldwell's management took certain steps — such as portraying the artist only in silhouette on the cover and in advertisements — to hide the fact that he was white. The secret was, for obvious reasons, shattered by his first live appearances.
After the tracks were first recorded and the record was considered "complete," TK owner Henry Stone said that he enjoyed the album but couldn't hear a hit. Attempting to address this issue, Caldwell and his band re-entered the studio, laying down the song's now-familiar rhythm tracks. After he quickly penned a set of lyrics, "What You Won't Do for Love" was born.
"What You Won't Do for Love" in its novelty vinyl incarnation
Reaching the top ten on both the pop (#9) and R&B (#6) charts, the song proved to be a success, though a bit of a surprise one due both to the haste with which it was written and the fact that Caldwell assumed "My Flame", the LP's second track ("What You Won't Do for Love" is the sixth), would wind up as the standout single. The album which contained it was later re-released under the song's title. The single was also marketed in the form of a distinctive red heart-shaped 45-RPM vinyl record (advertised as "the single that gets to the heart of the matter"), now a collector's item frequently seen on eBay. Although the record is heart-shaped, the grooves on the vinyl, of course, are round, even though the sleeve would lead one to think otherwise. (The What You Won't Do for Love album also received a novelty release on yellow vinyl.)
While the original song still receives frequent airplay today, it has been covered, re-made (once, in 1998, by Caldwell himself) and sampled many times since 1978. Phyllis Hyman for her Living All Alone album, Go West's version rose high in the adult contemporary charts, and Boyz II Men's version in 2004, Tupac Shakur's "Do for Love," which samples the lyric, also attained a good deal of popularity. Goldie covered it on his 1998 EP Ring of Saturn (the lyrics were sung by Diane Charlemagne), In 2007 it was given a funky house makeover by Central Avenue featuring Simon Green. In addition, "My Flame" was covered by actress/singer Vanessa Williams for her 1999 Greatest Hits CD and also sampled by Bad-Boy recording artist The Notorious B.I.G. and integrated into the song Sky's the Limit; which was also another major Rap/Hip-Hop hit.Another version is to notice from Ricky Peterson in the 90's.
The Cat in the Hat through August Moon
Caldwell's sophomore period involved the considerable task of following up such a staggering success as What You Won't Do for Love; during this time, his Japanese audience steadily eclipsed his American one. The Cat in the Hat (1980) and Carry On (1982), were artistic improvements upon the first album, but did not match its commercial success. They were, however, bestsellers in Japan -- The Cat went platinum and Carry On gold—and sealed Bobby's reputation as a superstar in that country.
1983 saw Bobby Caldwell put out August Moon, a project bearing a much more rock- than soul-oriented sound, in Japan only; it was released in the United States in the 1990s.
Heart of Mine through Where is Love
Though August Moon went gold, Caldwell subsequently took a hiatus from recording, instead directing his efforts toward composing songs for other performers (and make his own version of this song), most notably "Heart of Mine" for Boz Scaggs, "The Next Time I Fall" for Amy Grant and Peter Cetera, "Janet" for the Commodores, "Niagara Falls" for Chicago, "The Real Thing" for Kalapana and "All or Nothing at All" for Al Jarreau.
Caldwell sold albums at a steady pace throughout the 1990s, producing 1991's Stuck on You, recorded with a sixty-piece orchestra, and 1993's Where is Love, the latter having been recorded with musicians who had previously played with Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett along with a twenty-four piece orchestra.
During this period, the airplay of his music shifted from the declining R&B radio format to the then-nascent smooth jazz stations. Caldwell is frequently cited as a staple of the genre, with "What You Won't Do for Love" as well as lesser-known singles such as "Real Thing", "All or Nothing at All" (both from Heart of Mine) still featuring prominently on programmers' playlists.
[edit] Soul Survivor through Come Rain or Come Shine
1995 saw the release of Soul Survivor, marking a turn toward coverage of others' songs. Though a handful of originals were present, the album was for the most part focused on, appropriately, soul standards such as "Walk on By" and "Your Precious Love".
He later turned to singing nothing but big band standards and original, yet big band standard-like songs (such as the much-promoted "Tomorrow") on 1996's Blue Condition and 1999's Come Rain or Come Shine. Blue Condition was recorded in real-time, live with a sixty-piece string section and twenty-piece jazz band in the same Capitol Records studios used by such icons as Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Bobby Darin.
[edit] Perfect Island Nights
In 2005, Caldwell released Perfect Island Nights, his first album of mostly original studio material since 1993. The record features a new version "Rain", a track which made its debut on his second anthology release, Time and Again, as well as versions of Phil Perry's "Perfect Island Night", "Where is the Love" (rendered as a duet with Deniece Williams) and "Our Day Will Come". Guest players include saxophonist George Shelby and percussionist Russ Miller.
Film soundtracks
Caldwell has contributed music to a number of movies. He has both written and performed original songs for 1986's Back to School ("Educated Girl"), 1988's Mac & Me ("Take Me, I'll Follow You"), 1988's Salsa ("Puerto Rico") and its sequel ("Every Teardrop").
Songs penned by Caldwell but performed by others have appeared in films such as 1989's Ghostbusters 2 ("The Promised Land," performed by James "J.T." Taylor, the lead singer of Kool & the Gang) and 1987's Princess from the Moon ("Stay With Me," performed by Peter Cetera).
Due to what Caldwell has cited in interviews a lower cost of use than the original recordings, his versions of big band standards have appeared in several films. Examples include 2002's LakeBoat and 2001's Simone.
Caldwell also composed and performed "Don't Quit," the theme song for Body by Jake's workout video of the same name. He also appears in the associated music video, musically urging an actor portraying a weak young man to engage in weight training in order to defeat the bully of a local beach.
[edit] Sampling
Caldwell's music has been a popular source material for other artists, sometimes of differing genres, to sample. Of the many releases that make use of pieces of Caldwell's work, the following are some of the most prominent:
* Aaliyah's "Age Ain't Nothin' But a Number" (samples "What You Won't Do for Love")
* Da Brat and Mariah Carey's "Gotta Thing 4 You" (samples the chorus of "What You Won't Do for Love")
* 2Pac's "Can I Get Your Number", "What I Won't Do For Love (Unreleased)" "Do for Love"(Posthumous) and "Heaven Ain't Hard 2 Find" (sample "What You Won't Do for Love")
* Tatyana Ali's "Boy You Knock Me Out" (samples "What You Won't Do for Love") On Kiss The Sky (1998)
* Common's "The Light" (samples "Open Your Eyes")
* Notorious B.I.G.'s "Sky the Limit" (samples "My Flame")
* Portrait's "heartstrings" (samples "My Flame")
* The Luniz's "Playa Hata" (samples "What You Wont' Do for Love")
* Guru (rapper)'s "Something in the Past" (samples "What You Wont' Do for Love")
* Esham's "24/7" (samples "What You Wont' Do for Love")
* Raheem DeVaughn and DJ Jazzy Jeff's "My Soul Ain't for Sale" (samples "What You Won't Do for Love")
* Goldie's "What You Won't Do for Love" is a drum & bass re-working of "What you Won't Do for Love"
* Mona Lisa's "Jus Wanna Please U" (samples "What You Won't Do For Love")
* Medaphoar's "Can't Hold On" (samples "Carry On")
* Gym Class Heroes "Viva La White Girl" (references "What You Won't Do For Love")
* Kool G Rap "Blowin' Up in the World" (samples "What You Won't Do For Love")
* Master P featuring Steady Mobb'n's "If I Could Change" (samples "what you won't do for love") in 1997.
* On The New York Undercover episode Singer Montell Jordan cover the song.
[edit] Acting
Aside from a minor role in 1988's Salsa, Caldwell portrayed Frank Sinatra from October 1999 to January 2000 in the Las Vegas stage musical The Rat Pack is Back, garnering positive reviews.
[edit] Personal life
Caldwell resides on a horse farm in NJ with his wife, Mary, and their children.
[edit] Current activity
Bobby Caldwell is presently devoting his time to live performances.
[edit] Japanese audience
Like several other singers (such as Boz Scaggs, Peter Cetera, and Daryl Hall), Caldwell has attained a great deal of popularity in Japan. In 1992, he received the nation's equivalent of a Grammy as the "best international artist."
His current career reflects his fame in that country. His albums tend to be released in that country before his own, his tours typically include many prestigious well-attended dates at such venues as the Nagoya Blue Note and, in the early 1990s, he married (and fathered twin daughters with) a woman from Japan.
The Japanese soul/jazz group Skoop on Somebody covered What You Won't Do for Love in their album,「undressed～club SOS～」.
TV
* In one episode of "New York Undercover" Montell Jordan performs "What You Won't Do for Love".
Discography
LPs
* What You Won't Do for Love (1978) Initially released as Bobby Caldwell. Reached double platinum status in the United States and gold status in Japan.
* Cat in the Hat (1980) Reached gold status in the United States and platinum in Japan.
* Carry On (1982) Reached gold status in Japan.
* August Moon (1984) Initially a Japan-only release, where it reached gold status.
* Heart of Mine (1988) Reached double platinum status in Japan and received Ad Lib magazine's Best Record of the Year 1989 award.
* Stuck on You (1991) Released in Japan as Solid Ground
* Where is Love (1993)
* Soul Survivor (1995)
* Blue Condition (1996)
* Timeline: The Anthology (1998)
* Come Rain or Come Shine (1999)
* Time and Again: The Anthology Part 2 (2001)
* Perfect Island Nights (2005)
Singles
* "What You Won't Do for Love" (1978)
* "Coming Down from Love" (1980)
* "Jamaica" (1982)
* "All of My Love" (1982)
Quotes
* "It got to where I could just send the hat to the show and stay home!" - on why he no longer wears his former trademark fedora during live performances
* "The record label went to great lengths to hide the fact that I was white, and I just deferred to what I didn't understand." - on his career immediately post-"What You Won't Do for Love"
"Bobby Caldwell Lounges Hard" - Louis Boston
Cry
Bobby Caldwell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't ask how I've been
Don't concern yourself with that
'Cause you've got better things to do
Than to wonder where my heads at
I hear you're happy
And you're doing well
But there's no one to take your place
I see you in every face
It's been hard forgetting you
Guess until I do
I'm gonna cry
Cry
Can't seem to keep the tears from my eyes
So baby I just have to cry
We said forever
That's what I believed
And to you it must seem so long ago
For me it feels like yesterday
But you probably don't want to know
My friends have told me
"You've got to move on"
Though I've tried and I've tried inside I know
Someone else makes love to you
That's what tears me right in two
Quicksand wouldn't be as bad
As drowning in the memories
So I cry
Cry
Remembering how you told me goodbye
Haunts my mind
Till I just have to cry
And hope that I can stay
Well above the water line
I try to keep the tears away
But on any given night
I'll break down and cry
All I do is cry
Cry
Everytime I see you walk by
Well baby I want to break down and cry
Cry
And I'm wondering how I'll ever get by
Will these tears ever dry
Or do I just have to cry
The song "Cry" by Bobby Caldwell is a powerful and emotional ballad about heartbreak and longing for someone who has moved on. The lyrics convey the singer's intense pain and sadness, as well as their struggle to cope with their feelings of loss.
The first verse sets the stage for the song, with Caldwell telling the listener not to ask about how he's been, because they have better things to do than worry about him. He then admits that he hears that his former partner is happy and doing well with someone new, but that he can't forget them and still cries over the loss.
The second verse shows Caldwell grappling with the reality that they had promised to be together forever, but life has moved on for his former partner. Even though he knows he needs to move on, he can't help but be consumed by his memories and emotions.
The chorus of the song is a simple repetition of the word "cry," which emphasizes the intensity of the singer's sadness and longing. He hopes to one day be able to move on and keep the tears away, but for now, all he can do is cry.
Caldwell's powerful vocals and heartfelt lyrics make "Cry" a timeless classic that continues to resonate with audiences today.
Line by Line Meaning
If you should see me
If we happen to cross paths in public
Don't ask how I've been
Please don't inquire into my emotional state
Don't concern yourself with that
It's not important enough for you to worry about
'Cause you've got better things to do
You have more important things to focus your attention on
Than to wonder where my heads at
Than to speculate on my mental and emotional state
I hear you're happy
I have heard that you are content and satisfied
And you're doing well
You are thriving in life
And you've found somebody new
You have established a new romantic relationship
But there's no one to take your place
There's no one who could substitute you in my heart and mind
I see you in every face
I perceive you in the features of every person I encounter
It's been hard forgetting you
It has been incredibly challenging to let go of your memory
Guess until I do
I suppose until I move on and forget you
I'm gonna cry
I'll continue shedding tears
Can't seem to keep the tears from my eyes
I'm unable to control my emotions
So baby I just have to cry
Therefore, I have no choice but to weep
We said forever
We promised to stay together eternally
That's what I believed
I genuinely trusted in that commitment
And to you it must seem so long ago
But maybe to you that oath seems like ancient history
For me it feels like yesterday
However, for me it feels as if it happened so recently
But you probably don't want to know
Although I would like to discuss this with you, I know it's not what you desire
My friends have told me
Some of my companions have shared advice with me
"You've got to move on"
They have suggested that I need to let go and start afresh
Though I've tried and I've tried inside I know
Despite my attempts, I recognize that I'm still struggling to release the past
Someone else makes love to you
Another person is now physically intimate with you
That's what tears me right in two
That's what upsets me terribly and causes me deep pain
Quicksand wouldn't be as bad
The degree of my emotional torment is worse than being trapped in quicksand
As drowning in the memories
Because I feel like I'm drowning when reflecting on our past
So I cry
Therefore, I weep
Remembering how you told me goodbye
Recollecting the moment when you bid me adieu
Haunts my mind
It continues to torment my thoughts and memories
Till I just have to cry
To the point where I must weep
And hope that I can stay
I aim to remain
Well above the water line
Far clear of a dangerous situation
I try to keep the tears away
I endeavor to hold back my tears
But on any given night
However, when night falls
I'll break down and cry
I'll inevitably break down and cry
All I do is cry
All I have been doing is weeping
Everytime I see you walk by
Every moment when I see you passing along my way
Well baby I want to break down and cry
I want to cry out loud badly, baby
And I'm wondering how I'll ever get by
I'm questioning how I'll manage to go on living
Will these tears ever dry
I'm anxious and hopeless that these tears will ever dry up
Or do I just have to cry
Or do I need to keep crying forever
Contributed by Hailey N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.