Robert Hunter Caldwell (born August 15, 1951) is an American singer and songwriter who recorded the hit single "What You Won't Do for Love" in 1978. After several R&B and smooth jazz albums, Caldwell turned to singing standards from the Great American Songbook and the repertoire of Frank Sinatra. He maintains a large, loyal following in Japan.
Career
bobby caldwell - it's over - Bobby Caldwell is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who, despite a prolific musical output over his 30-year career, is still best known for his 1978 hit single "What...
Bobby Caldwell was born in Manhattan but grew up in Miami. His mother sold real estate and one of her clients was reggae singer Bob Marley. Caldwell and Marley became friends. Growing up in Miami exposed him to a variety of music, such as Haitian, Latin, reggae, and R&B. He grew up listening to the music of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. When he was twelve, he started playing piano and guitar. He was drawn to rock and roll but also jazz and rhythm and blues. At seventeen, he worked with his band in Las Vegas, then moved to Los Angeles.
He signed with TK Records in Miami. In 1978, after songs for his first album were recorded, executives told him they enjoyed the album but thought it was lacking a hit. Caldwell returned to the studio for two days and wrote "What You Won't Do for Love". TK was mainly an R&B label popular among African American listeners. Executives at the label wanted to conceal that Caldwell was white, so they kept his face off the album cover. When he toured with Natalie Cole to support the album, most of the audience was black and most were surprised that he turned out to be white.
"What You Won't Do for Love" reached the top ten on the Billboard Pop (No. 9) R&B (No. 6), and Adult Contemporary (No. 10) charts. The song has been covered, remade, and sampled many times. Caldwell remade it in 1998. It was covered by Go West, Phyllis Hyman, and Boyz II Men and has been sampled by John Legend, Common (rapper) and Tupac Shakur.
The debut album was followed by Cat in the Hat (1980) and Carry On (1982). For the latter album, he played all the instruments, was the producer, and helped with arranging and mixing. In 1983 Caldwell released August Moon only in Japan. It was released in the United States in the 1990s.
Singer Boz Scaggs advised him to write songs for other musicians after TK Records shut down. Caldwell wrote "The Next Time I Fall", which became a hit for Amy Grant and Peter Cetera, and songs for Roy Ayers, Chicago, Natalie Cole, Neil Diamond, Roberta Flack, Al Jarreau, and Boz Scaggs.
On Blue Condition (1996) Caldwell turned from R&B to recording big band arrangements of songs from the Great American Songbook, particularly those sung by Frank Sinatra. He also portrayed Sinatra in tributes to the Rat Pack in Las Vegas. He continued to sing standards on Come Rain or Come Shine (1999), The Consummate Bobby Caldwell (2010), and After Dark (2014). In 2015, he collaborated with record producer Jack Splash on the album Cool Uncle.
Film soundtracks
Caldwell wrote and performed songs for the movies Back to School ("Educated Girl"), Mac and Me ("Take Me, I'll Follow You"), Salsa ("Puerto Rico"), and its sequel ("Every Teardrop"). Due to what he has cited in interviews as a lower cost of use than the original recordings, his versions of big band standards have appeared in several films. Examples include Simone (2001) and Lake Boat (2002).
He 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.
Aside from a minor role in 1988's Salsa, Caldwell portrayed Frank Sinatra from October 1999 to January 2000 in the Las Vegas musical The Rat Pack is Back.
Japanese audience
Caldwell is popular in Japan, where was nicknamed "Mister AOR." In Japan, the term "AOR", or "Adult Oriented Rock", is used to describe the style commonly called Adult Contemporary in the United States. In 1992, he received the Japan's equivalent of a Grammy Award for Best International Artist.
Sampling
Caldwell's music has been sampled often by rappers.
"What You Won't Do for Love"
- Aaliyah's "Age Ain't Nothin' But a Number"
- Da Brat and Mariah Carey's "Gotta Thing 4 You"
- 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"
- Tatyana Ali's "Boy You Knock Me Out"
- The Luniz's "Playa Hata"
- Charles Hamilton's "Where I've Been"
- Charles Hamilton's "Him"
- Guru's "Something in the Past"
- Esham's "24/7"
- Raheem DeVaughn and DJ Jazzy Jeff's "My Soul Ain't for Sale"
- Goldie's "What You Won't Do for Love" (drum and bass cover)
- Mona Lisa's "Jus Wanna Please U"
- Kool G Rap's "Blowin' Up in the World"
- Master P featuring Steady Mobb'n's "If I Could Change"
- Gym Class Heroes "Viva La White Girl" (references the song)
- DJ Rashad's "Ghetto Tekz Runnin It"
- Sweetback's "Love is the Word"
- Janelle Monáe's "Oh, Maker"
"My Flame"
- Notorious B.I.G.'s "Sky's the Limit"
- Portrait's "Heartstrings"
- 5th Ward Boyz "Bitch Please"
"Open Your Eyes"
- Common's "The Light" (samples "Open Your Eyes")
- Dwele's "Open Your Eyes" (samples "Open Your Eyes")
- John Legend's "Open Your Eyes" (samples "Open Your Eyes")
- Kendrick Lamar's "R.O.T.C. (Interlude)" (samples "Open Your Eyes")
Other songs
- Charles Hamilton's "Oversaying" (samples "Saying It's Over")
- Murs & 9th Wonder's "Barbershop" (samples "Coming Down from Love")
- Da Nappy Headz â€" I'm Nappy (samples "Down For The Third Time")
- MED's "Can't Hold On" (samples "Carry On")
Discography
Albums
Compilation albums
Singles
References
External links
- Official site
- Complete discography and lyrics