I didn't know much about Paris at the time, and MTV wasn't playing the video for "My One Temptation," as far as I can remember, but I found it on YouTube the other day. I know I've seen pictures of Paris before, but when I watched the video I couldn't help but think, "Oh, so that's what she looks like."
I wonder if there's a name for that phenomenon—if it can even be called a phenomenon. Maybe it's that I was seeing Mica Paris in motion for the first time, whereas before I'd only seen still photos.
Or maybe I felt like I was seeing her for the first time because I'm in love.
That's right, Ms. Paris, it's your move now. Just promise me you won't give your love to Keith Sweat instead.
Great call on this song. Her LP was consistently great, and was always an in-store play favorite at Peaches, where I worked at the time. I could never figure out why, in the days of Sade, Basia, and Swing Out Sister, this was not a huge record. Maybe the Bacharach-sounding arrangement was a little too ahead of it's time..
ReplyDeleteI apologize for not responding much, much sooner, but where were you living when you worked at Peaches?
DeleteI think you're right: if "My One Temptation" had been released ten years later, when Bacharach's sound was being revived by Elvis Costello, Ben Folds Five, and others, it might've been a smash.
Yeah, fine album indeed. Her duet with the excellent and successless Paul Johnson, "Words Into Action", and "So Good" were fantastic as well.
ReplyDeleteIn case you need it, here's a link to "My One Temptation", from my little blog:
zshare.net/audio/288274174b3aa4/
Thanks for that link (he said eight years later)!
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