BILLBOARD (August 12, 2000) pg.21
Section: Reviews & Previews
TAMIA Can't Go For That (3:51)
PRODUCER: Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott
WRITERS: M. Elliott, R. Harrell, D. Hall, J. Oates, S. Allen
PUBLISHERS: Mass Confusion Music/WB Music Corp.,
ASCAP; One Shot Deal, SESAC; Unichappel Music Inc./Hot-Cha Music
Co., BMI
Elektra 1494 (CD promo)
Quincy Jones protegee Tamia returns on a new label and with a new
sound. Previously on Jones' Qwest Records, Tamia initially had a
sweet, young image with a voice that matched. She had several single
releases from the time of her debut on the Jones set "The Secret
Garden" in 1995 to her solo album debut in 1998. But it wasn't until
she performed a duet with Eric Benet on "Spend My Life With You" from
his sophomore project that the masses really began to take notice.
Now on Elektra Records and produced by hip-hop mistress
Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Tamia releases her new single and her
new image: sexy, sultry, and all grown up. "Can't Go For That" is an
adaptation of Daryl Hall & John Oates' 1981 No. 1 R&B/pop hit "I
Can't Go For That (No Can Do)." Slowed down and funked up with a
strong female point of view in the lyric, "Can't Go For That" retains
the chorus of the original but adds a melody that is more adaptable
to today's R&B radio. The album version features Tamia's rich vocals,
with just a touch of her higher range to add some spice (but
thankfully, not the irritatingly high-pitched notes of some other
divas out there). One misstep: a high-energy club remix by Jonathan
Peters, presumably for rhythmic/top 40 radio, that incorporates a
vocal track that's been manipulated to the point of being piercing.
Tamia's voice is so much more pleasant in the lower range; stick to
the album version of "Can't Go For That," and the world is a happy
place.
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