The group has also two number one singles on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play, “Say It’s Gonna Rain” and “Fading Away”, and continues to create music into the 21st century- and is currently performing live (Bob Rosenberg and Elin Michaels).
The early years:
Bob Rosenberg was born on January 18, 1959, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His mother, Gloria Mann, was a pop singer who had two Top 40 pop hits in the mid-1950s on the Sound Records label, "Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)" and "Teen Age Prayer". After attending school in Florida, Rosenberg became a DJ at various local events, and by 1985 he was working at a Miami CHR radio station, WHQT (Hot 105). He remixed and edited songs as a radio-mix DJ for the station, and these mixes became popular in the Miami area. Rosenberg created a rap record in 1985 that was titled "Miami Vice", based on the popular TV show and its theme song, but MCA Records claimed that Rosenberg had infringed on their copyright. He also remixed and edited the song "Beat Box" for 2 Live Crew's 1986 debut album, The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are.
During 1986 and 1987, Rosenberg worked with various other musicians to create original music. He chose the name Will to Power for the group as homage to German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's theory of an individual's fundamental Will to Power.
1986 to 1988: Rosenberg wrote "Dreamin'" as a tribute to his sister, Robin, after she had died. Radio program director Bill Tanner was the first PD to play "Dreamin" on Power 96 in Miami, Florida.Released in Miami on the Thrust Records label; "Dreamin'" became a regional hit and got the attention of Epic Records, who picked up the song for distribution to radio stations and dance clubs around the country. The song peaked at No. 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in August 1987. It also reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart in September of that year. Epic Records asked Rosenberg if he had enough material for an album. In June 1988, Will to Power released a follow-up single, "Say It's Gonna Rain", This song reached No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in July 1988 and spent two weeks atop the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in August and September of that year.
In the spring of 1987, after Dreamin single was released on Rosenberg’s label Thrust records, CBS/Epic and other labels took note of it. The single became an instant hit. Bob Rosenberg was exclusively offered a record deal, and was signed with CBS/Epic Records in April 1987. Although he was signed with just a single, Rosenberg along with his then girlfriend, and one of the five vocalists on the song Dreamin’, Suzi Carr, and her friend, Saxaphonist, Dr J, began touring and performing back-to-back at different shows nationwide.
Rosenberg’s contract included the opportunity to record various albums. Rosenberg began the planning and spent much of 1987 and early 1988 working on new material with a variety of different session vocalists, (Carr, Newman, Lorenzo, and others), and musicians including (keyboardists Lawrence Dermer, Lester Mendez and David Rosenthal). Will to Power’s self-titled debut album, was released on Epic Records in March 1988. Along with the aforementioned songs "Dreamin'" and "Say It's Gonna Rain", the album contained a medley of two popular rock songs from the 1970s, "Baby, I Love Your Way" (a 1976 hit record for Peter Frampton) and "Free Bird" (a well-known track by the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1973). This medley, titled "Baby I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley (Free Baby)" Although Epic was reluctant to release this hybrid song as a single, Rosenberg had distributed copies of the song to various radio stations in the Miami vicinity, including WPOW (Power 96). According to Rosenberg, "they played it, and a few other stations caught onto it, so Epic put it out." This song became the group's biggest hit, spending a week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching No. 2 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart in December 1988. It also became the group's highest-charting hit in the UK, reaching No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart. That month, the album reached its peak position of No. 68 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. A fourth single from the album, "Fading Away", which spent two weeks atop the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in early 1989.
1989 to 1991: Journey Home
After the success of the debut album, Will to Power's follow-up album, Journey Home, was released in late 1990. Rosenberg continued with the group, producing the album, recording vocals and writing most of the songs. The primary female vocalist was then Elin Michaels, a dance-pop singer who sang all of the background vocals (along with Rosenberg's cousin, Rachel Newman, and former Expose singer, Ale Lorenzo), on all of the songs for the first album. Elin, Rachel, and Ale’s background voices are prominent in both, “Say It's Gonna Rain and "Fading Away”. Singer Elin Michaels had respectively released some 12" singles on the Knockout Records label in the mid-1980s. Additional musicians who worked on the album include Donna Allen, Dee Dee Wilde, Wendy Pederson and Harry King on additional vocals, Ed Calle and Tony Concepción on horns, Orlando Hernandez on drums and Lester Mendez on keyboards. The album appeared on the Billboard 200 albums chart in February 1991, peaking at #178.
The first single to be released from the album was "I'm Not in Love", a cover version of a song by the British art rock band 10cc that was a No. 1 UK and No. 2 US pop hit in 1975. Will to Power's version made the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 7 in January 1991 in addition to reaching No. 4 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart. The song reached No. 29 in the UK pop chart. The follow-up single was a cover of the disco hit "Boogie Nights" by the band Heatwave; however, this version failed to chart. Other songs on the album include "Fly Bird" and "Clock on the Wall".
1992 to present
In 1996, Sony Music Entertainment (the parent company of Epic Records) released a Will to Power compilation album, Love Power, on their Sony Special Products label. It consists of songs that had appeared on the group's first two albums, including their two US pop top ten songs, "Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley" and "I'm Not in Love".
The group released a new album, Spirit Warrior, in 2004 on Straight Blast Records, which was followed by an EP in 2006 titled Spirit Warrior: The Remixes. For this album, Rosenberg collaborated with vocalists such as Gioia Bruno (member of the freestyle music group Exposé), Donna Allen and Wendy Pederson, and remixers such as Giuseppe D and the Wonder Twins.
Critical reception:
Allmusic's retrospective reviews of the group's first two albums are generally positive, with Will to Power receiving four stars out of a possible five and Journey Home receiving three stars. Entertainment Weekly gave Journey Home a D+ rating in a February 1991 review by Bill Wyman, stating, "The material is predominantly colorless pop songs". However, music journalist Chuck Eddy mentions tracks from Journey Home in his 1997 book, The Accidental Evolution of Rock 'n' Roll: A Misguided Tour Through Popular Music. In the section titled "Automotive Rock", Eddy mentions that the song "Journey Home" is the title track of what may have been his favorite album of the 1990s, that it is seemingly based on the 1981 song "Cruising with the Deuce" by Quarterflash and that Rosenberg "says he's got to keep his motor running, but not only can you feel the machine's momentum (in the rhythm), you can also feel stormclouds settling in (in the voices)."
Baby I Love Your Way / Freebird
Will to Power Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And they're moving across the page
Suddenly, the day turns into night
Far away from the city
But don't hesitate
'Cause your love, your love won't wait, oh, no, no
(Ooh) Wanna tell you I love your way every day
(Ooh) Wanna be with you night and day, hey, yeah
I love your way
If I leave here tomorrow
Would you still remember me
For I must be traveling on now
There's so many places I gotta see
But if I stayed here with you, girl
Things just wouldn't be the same
'Cause I'm as free as a bird now
And this bird will never change
And this bird will never change
Shadows grow so long before my eyes
With the help of some fireflies
I wonder how they have the power to shine
I can see them under the pines
But don't hesitate
'Cause your love, your love won't wait
Ooh, baby, I love your way (every day)
(Ooh) Wanna tell you I love your way (night and day)
(Ooh) Oh, baby, I love your way (every day)
Every day now
(Ooh) I wanna tell you I love your way (night and day, night and day)
I love your way
(Ooh) Oh, baby, I love your way ('cause I'm as free as a bird now)
Give me your way, wanna tell you I love your way (as free as a bird now)
Oh, baby, I love your ways
(Ooh) Oh, baby, I love your way (every day)
(Ooh) Wanna tell you I love your way (night and day)
(Ooh) Oh, baby, I love your way (every day, every day)
(Ooh) wanna tell you I love your way (night and day, night and day, oh-oh)
(Ooh) Oh, baby, I love your way
The song "Baby I Love Your Way" by Will to Power is an ode to a lover expressing how much they adore and appreciate them. The lyrics depict the singer being transported to a serene, idyllic location, far away from the bustling city life, where nature engulfs them. Shadows grow long before the singer's eyes as the day turns into night and fireflies come out to shine, highlighting the magic of nature. But despite the beauty of the moment, the singer knows that they have to leave and travel to different places. However, the singer assures their lover that their love won't wait and they will always be there for them.
The chorus of the song is the most memorable part, emphasizing the singer's love for their partner. The repetition of "Ooh baby I love your way every day, wanna be with you night and day" reinforces the depth of their love for their loved one. The second verse raises a question, "If I leave here tomorrow, will you still remember me?" This suggests that the singer is uncertain if their love will be remembered if they have to go away. However, the singer chooses to leave in search of new adventures as they are "free as a bird now," but they will "never change."
Line by Line Meaning
Shadows grow so long before my eyes
I'm getting lost in my thoughts and feeling overwhelmed
And they're moving across the page
My mind is racing and I can't focus on anything
Suddenly the day turns into night
My mood shifts and everything seems dark and hopeless
Far away from the city
I'm feeling isolated and disconnected
But don't hesitate
Even though I'm struggling, I'm still willing to try for love
'Cause your love, your love won't wait oh no no
I know that your love is patient and understanding, and I don't want to lose it
Ooh baby I love your way every day
I feel so in love with you, and I want to make sure you know that
Ooh wanna tell you I love your way every day
I can't stop thinking about how much I love you
Ooh wanna be with you night and day
I want to spend every moment with you
Hey yeah
I'm feeling excited about the prospect of being with you
If I leave here tomorrow
I know that life is unpredictable and I might have to leave
Will you still remember me
I want to make a lasting impression on you even if I have to go away
For I must be traveling on now
I'm aware that there are many paths in life, and I need to go explore them
There's so many places I gotta see
I have a thirst for adventure and exploration
But if I stayed here with you girl
If I chose to stay with you, it would mean sacrificing my freedom
Things just wouldn't be the same
I need to follow my own path and be true to myself
'Cause I'm as free as a bird now
I'm finally living life on my own terms
And this bird will never change
I am who I am, and I won't compromise for anyone
With the help of some fireflies
But even though I'm free, I still appreciate the beauty in the world
I wonder how they have the power to shine
I'm curious about the mysteries of nature
I can see them under the pines
I'm grateful for the little things in life
Every day now
My love for you grows stronger every day
Give me you way, wanna tell you I love your way
I want to give myself to you and express my love fully
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Peter Kenneth Frampton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pierfreire
Shadows grow so long before my eyes
And they're moving across the page
Suddenly the day turns into night
Far away from the city
But don't hesitate
'Cause your love, your love won't wait oh no no
Ooh baby I love your way every day
Ooh wanna tell you I love your way every day
Ooh wanna be with you night and day
Hey yeah I love your way
If I leave here tomorrow
Will you still remember me
For I must be traveling on now
There's so many places I gotta see
But if I stayed here with you girl
Things just wouldn't be the same
'Cause I'm as free as a bird now
And this bird will never change
And this bird will never change
Shadows grow so long before my eyes
With the help of some fireflies
I wonder how they have the power to shine
I can see them under the pines
But don't hesitate
'Cause your love won't wait
Ooh baby I love your way (every day)
Ooh wanna tell you I love your way (night and day)
Ooh baby I love your way (every day)
Every day now
Ooh wanna tell you I love your way
(Night and day, night and day)
I love your way
Ooh baby I love your way
('Cause I'm as free as a bird now)
Give me your way, wanna tell you I love your way
@MonkeyBoo
Such an awesome song!
That girl can sing... gives me chills!
@suzicarr9847
Thank you MonkeyBoo!
xo
@arnellhightower
Who told that girl she couldn't sing.
@ghettowizard378
MonkeyBoo Same here!!! I always get chills when I hear that POWERFUL VOICE!!!!
@richardb2089
Suzi Carr incredible voice and performance
@cali420king
The original is better. Both songs.
@wernerheusser9556
I am an old men now, I've had my best times (between 20 and 30) in the 80's, when I hear these song again, I understand; I was blessed!
@alphashaitan65
You say this, but did you ever have a mullet like Will to Power's Bob Rosenberg?
@JannifferMonteiroGalvao-of6pw
😀😉😍😘💤✨💜💗💔💋💞💓💎💍👣💭💙💛
@zoranmrdjenovic8127
This song is proof that the 80s were the best time for music. 80s were the best! We may not have had cell phones, but we knew how to have fun. 80s forever! Listen to good music every day and be happy. Greetings from Smyrna, Georgia. ❤80s❤