Rene & Angela's obvious enthusiasm and for-real emotions make listening to
Street Called Desire a pleasure. The uptempo numbers aren't jokes -- the throbbing beat on
"I'll Be Good" is mind locking, but the two ballads,
"You Don't Have to Cry" and
"Your Smile," are outstanding. What makes them work is their unpredictability. No particular or predetermined pattern is set. No attempt is made to divide the lines and choruses equally; each singer unselfishly contributes what's necessary.
"Smile" is mostly
Angela until
Rene repeatedly chants "No other love can light my life, no one can make things right, 'til my baby smiles."
Rene has more juice on
"You Don't Have to Cry," matching alternating verses with
Angela, who gives an incredible performance on the heart-stopping ballad.
Rene's brother
Bobby Watson (formerly of
Rufus) co-produced the sides with
Bruce Swedien.
"Save Your Love for Number #1" and
"Your Smile" both reached number one R&B;
"You Don't Have to Cry" went to number two, and
"I'll Be Good" climbed to number four.
Billboard's pop chart proved a tougher nut for
R&A to scale, as a number 47 ranking for
"I'll Be Good" was their highest number. Due to personal problems and conflicts, the duo called it quits and released no more LPs. This one is essential for any soul music aficionado. [
Mercury's 1997 reissue adds several bonus tracks:
"Set Me Free" was lifted from the
Jumpin' Jack Flash soundtrack, and the other five selections are 12-inch versions of original album sides.] ~ Andrew Hamilton
