Search - Rosie Gaines :: Closer Than Close

A lost gem

Warren | Canada | 05/09/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I discovered Rosie Gaines after hearing her amazing vocals on her UK club hit, "I Surrender". Her power house voice turned what would have been a bland, standard dance-pop song with any other singer into a soulful club anthem. That song, however, is not on this album. After hearing her amazing voice, I set out to find more information on her. I found out that she was a protege of Prince ( i shouldn't need to explain who he is :). The only songs I could find of hers were ones she did with Prince and a couple of other club songs in the "i surrender" vein. I found out she had released this album back in 1995 on Motown, but it was long out of print. Luckily, I managed to obtain a copy of "Closer Than Close" from ebay and here I am. I was initally expecting a dance album, but what I got was far from that. What "Closer Than Close" is, for the most part, is a simple soul record. While modern day R&B singers become lost among the heavy drum beats, samples, and countless backup singers, Rosie went for a more organic apporach, meaning that the main instruments used in this album are a set of REAL drums, pianos and guitars. Rosie's voice is given plenty of room, which is always a good thing. No need for an overwhelming number of backup singers here. The album starts off with "I Want U", which was co-penned by the purple one himself. It's a very upbeat number, and even though it's over 6 and a half minutes long, it isn't tedious, and is a good opener for the album. Most of the songs here do stretch past the 5 minute mark, but, instead of being repetitve like most long songs are, Rosie keeps all the tracks floating along very well. The original version of "Closer Than Close" sounds kind of odd after hearing the club version, but after a couple of listens, the relaxed stylings of the original version are much more welcome than the pounding dance beat of the club mix. Another great track to mention is "Concrete Jungle", which sounds kind of spooky with its intro of police sirens and gun shots. The only thing I would've liked to be changed with this album is there be a couple more fast-paced songs added. However, Rosie shines on this album, as a vocalist, and intstrumentalist (she performed most of the music on this album, according to the liner notes)..... All in all, if you want to hear some REAL R&B/soul music without all the modern day gadgetry... this is for you....."

Rashida from the boogie down bronx

Rashida Coleman | the boogie down bronx | 11/14/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I purchase this album when it was released back in 95, and I still listen to it over and over again. I was very upset that her record company didn't not promote this album. the album has a very mature grown up sound. but i guess in a world of one hit wonders true music never gets it's due."

They (We) Were Not Ready Then (But we should be now)

Truth | DC | 11/30/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While there is not much good new music out now, I'm still jamming. I have grown a better appreciation for "Closer Than Close" by Rosie Gaines. Some people might remember her from Prince & the New Power Generation where she sang vocals on songs such as "Diamonds & Pearls", "Get Off", and "Cream". While a house remix of the title track was popular in Baltimore, the only single/video from the album was for "I Want U (Inner City Blue)" (Earth Mama Version) - one of my favorite songs, ever (it plays in my head every time I like someone); the airplay may have been limited to only once on BET's "Video Soul". While I always liked the nearly a cappella ballad "I Almost Lost You", I now dig the other songs (13 in total, including a second version of "I Want U"), particularly "Slowman", "Get the Ghetto Off Your Mind", "Googaga" (aka "Making it up as we go along"), "Are You Ready", "Can You Handle It", and her two Bob Marley covers: her re-make of "Turn Your Lights Down Low" and her 7+ minute re-take on "Concrete Jungle". The album was completed and ready for release just around the time Prince started beefing with Warner Brothers Music - that was problematic for Rosie Gaines because her album was slated to be released on Prince's Paisley Park label, a subsidiary of Warner Brothers which was dissolved shortly before the scheduled release date (around the time when Prince started insisting on being known by a symbol). In 1995 Closer Than Close was released on Motown Records, but was insufficiently promoted. Sadly, Ms. Gaines never had another major-label US release and Closer Than Close is out-of-print. But I can say this album, which I rated as only average when I first got it for my birthday 10 years & some months ago, has really grown on Me. I don't think the album was so much ahead of it's time as it was ahead of my time. I think it took this long for Me to "get it" because it is grown-folks' music."