Secret Rendezvous

Album: Karyn White (1988)
Charted: 52 6
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Songfacts®:

  • Karyn White anticipates a secret rendezvous with her lover in this uptempo track from her debut album. In 2012, she told SoulCulture that producers Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds and Antonio "LA" Reid, who also wrote the tune with Daryl Simmons, were trying to emulate Prince's sound on the pop hit. "Prince was hot back then and who wouldn't have tried to produce a song reminiscent of his style. He was a big influence of mine and theirs," she said.
  • "When we were recording 'Secret Rendezvous,' we would play some of the mixes, test it in the clubs, and go back to the studio," White recalled. "At that time, I was learning and soaking it all in. I really didn't understand that I would be around geniuses. This was truly my training ground and of course, we would have our debates because I like to debate."
  • This features backing vocals from O'Bryan Burnette, an R&B singer who recorded under the stage name O'Bryan. White was discovered by Burnette and legendary producer (and Soul Train creator) Don Cornelius after she was ousted by the LA-based band Legacy, who thought her voice wasn't commercial enough to be their lead.
  • This also hit #1 on the dance chart and #4 on the R&B chart.

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