Bobby Caldwell & Marilyn Scott -- Back To You

(4:47)

I figure that since I provided a special article for the late Carl Anderson with this lovely "Pieces of a Heart", I ought to do the same for this song.

To explain, despite the fact that I've never smoked a day in my life (although I tried to light a Cuban cigar once in Ichikawa...only to fail utterly), I was a fan of those Parliament cigarette commercials in Japan. Those ads may have been somewhat fantastical but man, did they show a deeply romantic side of the high life in either New York or San Francisco. Tuxes and gowns tripping the light fantastic on a balcony above the clouds while the night sky is tinted in deep purples and blues. As wrong as I am for saying this, buying a pack of cigarettes never seemed so appealing.

"Pieces of a Heart" was one of the AOR tunes that adorned the Parliament ads. That song and the beautiful cityscape brought about what would be probably termed now as an ASMR effect. After seeing the ad and hearing the soulful tones of Anderson, I just had to track the song down.

The same thing happened when another Parliament ad popped up on TV one night, and this time it was the delectable duet of Bobby (Mr. AOR) Caldwell and Marilyn Scott. Another ballad to spark off that ASMR! Once again the search began, and I was annoyed that Parliament wouldn't put up the title of the song along with the names of the singers.

It took a while but I did eventually find the tune. It's "Back To You" and it was a track on Caldwell's 1991 album "Stuck On You" which was alternately titled "Solid Ground" for the Japanese version of the CD. What I wouldn't give to hear some of that music again this century. "Back To You" sounds like it was soaring with the camera over those lucky beautiful people dancing the night away. And wouldn't this be a good old-fashioned thing to play for the first dance by a just-married couple at the reception?