LittleBLUECorvette said:

Who implied that he was?

Graycap23 said:

How is it an insult to Prince, El is a very talented man?

LittleBLUECorvette said:

But Prince is a much more talented and accomplished man, you do agree with that don't you?

MuthaFunka said:

Yeah of course I do, but its know need o hate on the DeBarge boy.
[Edited 7/5/07 12:10pm]

Raze said:

I don't know what u r smoking, but P and El have 2 different styles. Prince is a cooler cat that El.

daPrettyman said:

It's a new drug. It's called "CARSASM"!!! Great feel.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

I'm sayin' ?!?!
I dig Prince as much as the next orger....
but, out of ALL that amazing catalogue
Prince's music NEVER made it into the "Fake Book"
El DeBarge's "ALL THIS LOVE" is in there.
along with other songwriting greats, like Ellington & others
Stevie Wonder has TWO songs in there ( All in love's Fair & Golden Lady )
just sayin' for those that got jokes about El's talent one way or the other.
Prince is a beast...but, I don't recall ANY of his melodies as striking
as El's verse : "As the sun has it's place up in the sky"

Oh really?:

- I guess my eyes can only see as far as U - (With U)

- 2 fall in love was a table reserved 4 fools - (Eye Hate U)

- U're saving your love 4 some soldier who'd much rather die than stay by your side - (Desire)

- Help me 'cause I'm drowning, mass confusion in my head. Will U accept my tears 2 pay the fare? - (Lady Cab Driver)

- My pants were wet, they came off, but she didn't see the movie cuz she hadn't read the book first - (The Ballad of Dorothy Parker)

Let's be serious here, El is cool and all, but he can't fuck with Prince lyrically.

MsLegs said:

PRINCE AND THE GROUP SWITCH CAME OUT THE SAME YEAR 1978

EL DEBARGE CAME OUT WITH THE GROUP THE DEBARGES (THERE WERE 4 OR THEM AT THE TIME) IN 1981

FalseSetto said:

It's also safe to say that the songs:


All This Love
I Like It
A Dream
Stay With Me


... Those four songs have probally been sampled more then Prince's whole catalogue combined.

MuthaFunka said:

sorry, I just can't hear the name "DeBarge" and take anything said after it seriously.

DeBarge and Prince had been out for years but had a completely different sound. "Real Love" is a very "Princely" sounding song, so that would mean that El DeBarge was copying the Prince sound (as many others were doing in the late 1980s) because Prince had that sound first. DeBarge had been known previously for mostly ballads.

Raze said:

No disrepect by ANY means....
but, Prince's Hybrid of songwriting is Beautifully strange & artistic
yet, regarding the Masses....this type of thing leaves ALOT to be desired
however , I LOVE it ! but, let's be honest, Jose Feliciano & Stevie Wonder
appearently JUMPED at the chance to record on those wonderful melodies
FAR before it was a sit-com where they ALL were past their prime &
FINALLY decided to hook-up. this was like '84 ? or so when these GIANTS
wanted to be on that track !

c'mon now.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

"A Dream" for sure. It has been a BIG hit twice in the last 10 years (Blackstreet's "Don't Leave" and 2Pac's "I Ain't Mad At Cha"). Let us not 4get that Mary J. Blige had a minor hit with the remake of the song for the soundtrack to Money Talks.

Raze said:

I guess if u only look at songs like "Who's Johnny", "Rhythm of the Night", "Who's Holding Donna Now" etc, u won't take them too seriously. However, you must remember that Diane Warren wrote most of the groups biggest hits. Those just happen to be the songs that are "cheesy".

Raze said:

How witty

To me, "In A Special Way" was their best album. I got it (on cassette) when it first came out. Another one of their baddest cuts - and a staple of fashion shows - was "You Wear It Well", which featured Jesse Johnson on guitar (Prince connection).

El DeBarge is actually a kick-ass keyboardist - that's him all over Chico DeBarge's "comeback album".

I even dug the Diane Warren stuff, but I just take it for what it is - catchy songs with an "airy" fell to them. Nothing earth-shattering, but enjoyable nonetheless.

JesseDezz said:

El can play multiple-instruments. Also, I didn't know that was Jesse on "You Wear it Well"

El & his family also have their connection with the Jackson clan
as well. ( it was Jermaine who signed them 2 motown )
I'm glad this thread was started cause it made me appreciate
their Family's contribution to the music scene & how it should NOT
be taken "Lightly" IMHO El DeBarge was THE 1st to have the TRUE
sound of Marvin Gaye, NOT D'angelo or ANY of the others.
His "Gemini" lp showed El at his Finest ! "Broken Dreams"
"Turn the Page" "Somebody Loves you" etc. His chuuuch roots
are un-deniable. a Major & OVER-LOOKED artist.

MsLegs said:

If i am not mistaken jermaine jackson was instrumental in getting switch
signed to motown.

phunkdaddy said:

Yeah he discorved them sometime in 1975. I belive it was at a Thelma Houston show or something like that.

I am not going to get into the heated prince-el debarge talk here.
I do remember in 1991 el had a prince sounding song called my heart belongs
to you which was the leadoff single from his after the storm cd. Even though it sounded like prince it still was funky. He followed that single up with a nice remake of marvin gaye's after the dance which was a huge hit for him.

MuthaFunka said:

Prince is a BEAST of a showman...NO QUESTION
but, to say El isn't AS talented is insane ?!?
just because he's not THAT dood onstage.

Hell, "Stevie Wonder" doesn't dance either
or "Herbie Hancock" or "Donny Hathaway" these kats
are just DIFFERENT in What THEY do !

People, I KNOW this isn't Debarge.org
but, let's NOT tear down one talent to big-up another ?!?
That would be silly. ( and, Wrong )

phunkdaddy said:

That was due to the lp's producer : KEITH CROUCH !
HE was responsible for that being a Huge Prince fan.
I think Keith Crouch never got the credit due him either
Brandy's 1st cd had a HUGE influence on where R&B was headed
even more than the Neo-soul movement did.
IMHO

FalseSetto said:

Yeah i used to dig keith crouch's sound. It had somewhat of a funk vibe to it.
He also produced most of the songs on ray j's first album which sounds better than any of the garbage he is doing today. He has also worked with lalah hathaway, tevin campbell, and toni braxton. I wish brandy would get back with him after she settles her legal problems.

phunkdaddy said:

Phunkdaddy, U ain't neva Lied !
Keith Crouch IS the Truth man!!
I think that would be the ONLY way Brandy could make it
back ( Musically ) to go right back to where it started
WITH KEITH CROUCH !

daPrettyman said:

i happen to love "Who's Johnny"


but the name DeBarge and anything tied to it is a joke. sorry.

JesseDezz said:

I guess I'm witty even when I'm not trying to be.


I'm so awesome!


.
[Edited 7/6/07 23:03pm]