Larrieux and Wilson didn’t really want “Tell Me” on their album, but Epic Records insisted. Their 1993 original recording was capable, but got buried on the B-side of a single that sunk better than it swam. It was then shipped overseas to UK quartet Rhythm N Bass. It was written for Mariah Carey’s spotlight-stealing “I’ll Be There” duet partner Trey Lorenz, but didn’t make the cut of his 1992 solo effort. Surprisingly, their breakthrough hit almost escaped them. Larrieux arrived fully equipped with a notepad full of sapient lyrics, and an unvarnished voice, lithe and majestic like baby’s breath in Minnie Riperton’s hair. The bass had hump, and his custom refunked beats felt like old-turned-new. Wilson’s hip-hop angled tracks bounced like hydraulics on a topless Jeep. Their self-titled debut alchemized R&B when it dropped on October 24, 1995. These two had something special going on. Silent partner Bryce Wilson nodded along, becoming the crush of a thousand fans without singing a note. The video for that inescapable hit introduced us to an angelic Amel Larrieux sporting Prada gear, exuding unbothered cool with her two-step. “I’ve been doing my own thing / Love has always had a way of having bad timing.” If you know the first line of Groove Theory’s “Tell Me,” then you can probably sing the whole thing from memory. Happy 25th Anniversary to Groove Theory’s eponymous debut album Groove Theory, originally released October 24, 1995.
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