Credits

I would like to give credit where credit is due. Videos are from YouTube and other sources such as NicoNico while Oricon rankings and other information are translated from the Japanese Wikipedia unless noted.

Thursday, July 31, 2025

DeBarge -- I Like It

 

Welcome to another Reminiscings of Youth entry for this Thursday, the final day of July 2025. And what better way to end it with something nice and groovy from the 1980s? Referring back to my article "If I Had an All-Night Radio Show...", I rather regret not having included DeBarge in my midnight playlist but I just had so many candidates to put up. Still, easily, something like their "All This Love" would have gotten airplay on that first episode.

This would be another sure bet from them. "I Like It" was their 3rd single from August 1982 and it was the one that preceded "All This Love" which was my introduction to the singing family. Instead of the swaying love ballad that "All This Love" is, "I Like It" is more in the mid-tempo range but still has Randy and El singing about someone fully in love with his significant other through all things big and small. I like it...or I love it rather for those mellow horns, the bass and the overall rhythm which could represent that someone constantly eyeing his girlfriend or wife as she's doing the most mundane things such as washing the dishes or trying out a new dress. The song managed to reach No. 31 on US Billboard.

I'm going to go way down on the Oricon list to see what else was hitting the Japanese charts in August 1982. I have Nos. 18 and 19.

18. Hideki Saijo -- Sei Shojo (聖・少女)


19. Naoko Kawai -- Natsu no Heroine (夏のヒロイン)

3 comments:

  1. As I have said, I would be more than happy to tune into your radio show! Okay, this is the first I have heard of DeBarge’s "I Like It”. I guess the only song of theirs I really heard was "Rhythm of the Night". I am always happy to see Naoko Kawai's smile and her genki performance. 夏のヒロイン would have been released during Naoko's second year as an idol. I never noticed this before, but it seems Naoko followed him.er own path when it came to hairstyles. She never seemed to copy the typical idol hairstyles. On the most recent eposode of ミュージックジェネレーション there was some mention of Naoko and early video clips. https://www.fujitv.co.jp/musicgeneration/

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    Replies
    1. Hello, Brian. Have a listen to some of DeBarge's other songs. Very soulful except for "Rhythm of the Night" which is probably the group's most pop tune.

      It seems as if Naoko never really changed her hairstyle unlike Seiko who seemed to take on a new look every six months.

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    2. Yeah, I will try to listen to more song on DeBarge's discography.

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