Oh, did I catch hell for this. I'll tell ya what though; you can say all you want about the acid wash jeans, the 'doo-doo faces', the monobrow (with parts cut into the center. ugh), and the uncomfortably lush falsetto coming from a man of Mr. Sure's stature...but when I first heard this song, I knew that is was the JAM.
Man, there was no way you couldn't tell me that Al B. Sure! wasn't the FUTURE. Okay? 'Nite And Day' was a MONSTER hit. I remember going to the mall to buy Mr. Sure's album and being bummed that there was no full release. There was however, a maxi-single featuring the extended mix of 'Nite And Day' as well as the French and Spanish versions ('Nuit Y Jour' and 'Noche Y Diaz'. Oui, Oui! Si, SI!). I copped that and waited for the future of R&B to come with the full album. The cassingle made me aware that Mr. Sure was not only a 'SONY Innovator', but he was also co-signed by none other than Quincy Jones himself.
A few weeks later, I popped into the mall again and right there, in the window was the display for Al B. Sure's debut release, 'In Effect Mode'. You had a cassette that was broken into two sides; the 'Nite' side and the 'Day' side (wow, we are really riding this thing, eh?). The smash hit starts the album, rightfully. Then it's off into the ballads...'Oooh, This Love Is So', a cover of 'Killing Me Softly' (way before L-Boogie laced it and made it hers) and the classic booty-rubber, slow-grinder, 'Naturally Mine', which always reminded me of an Isley Brothers song.
ahhhh, yeeeeeah.....
The second half of the album focused more on the dancefloor, kicking off with 'Rescue Me' and bouncing into the second single, 'Off On Your Own (Girl)'. 'Off...' is still one of my favorite pieces of 80's R&B, combining bubbly synths, orchestra hits, and even a faux 'Slick Rick' style rap from Al himself. The album winds up with 'If I'm Not Your Lover', where Al let go of the falsetto for the lead vocal (with mixed results) and 'Just A Taste Of Lovin' which is as much a showcase for the banging production of Kyle West.
As stated before in my posting about 'Big Thing', I stay with you. I know for a fact that everybody from the hardest of hard-rocks to baby-mama's and babysitters was FEELING 'Nite And Day'. Trust me on this one...love it, mayne. It is a certified classic joint. As for the rest of the album, I can't say that it has held up quite as well. The follow-up to this album, 'Private Times And The Whole Nine' was massively forgettable, totally fell off the radar and Mr. Sure was soon to follow suit. Al B. has popped up again recently, supporting his son on a crappy talent show on MTV.
*Click the title of the post to see the future of B. Sure's to come*
Some might knock him as a one-hit wonder with a silly name, but for one summer, you can be sure that Al B. Sure was on a lotta peoples' mind. If you were to ask me, I'd say it's easily the best 'new jack swing' album that wasn't produced by Teddy Riley (though he did lend his golden touch to 'If I'm Not Your Lover'. Yep yep.)
Stay 'In Effect Mode', y'all...on the STRENGTH!
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