"Two Occasions" is an R&B song written by

Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...

Darnell Bristol Darnell "Dee" Bristol is a member of The Deele and a songwriter who co-wrote The Deele's " Two Occasions". Years later, he would be credited as a co-writer of Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together "We Belong Together" is a song by American sin ...

and Sid Johnson (who was the former manager for Babyface's early group, Manchild). It was produced by Babyface and

L.A. Reid Antonio Marquis "L.A." Reid (born June 7, 1956) is an American record executive, A&R representative, and record producer. He is the founder and served as co-chairman of Hitco Entertainment. He also previously served as the chairman and CEO of Ep ...

for

the Deele The Deele (pronounced like "deal") is an American band from Cincinnati, Ohio who achieved success in the 1980s with such hit singles as " Body Talk" and " Two Occasions". When the group began recording in the early 1980s, the lineup consisted of ...

's third studio album '' Eyes of a Stranger'' (1987). The

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

was released as the album's second

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

in December 1987. It is the only song on the album that features Babyface on lead vocals, which alternate between himself, Bristol, and Carlos "Satin" Greene throughout the course of the song. It has since been remade into a live version with added vocals from Babyface with all original vocals from the Deele intact; this version appeared on the 12-inch maxi single and also three years later on his album, '' A Closer Look''.

Reception

Craig Lytle, in his review of the album for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, called "Two Occasions" a " quiet-storm classic" with "superb arrangement and production", declaring the song "worthy of a number-one ranking." In 1989, the song won a BMI Pop Award. Although the band's first hit " Body Talk" actually had a higher placement on the

R&B chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

, "Two Occasions" is widely considered The Deele's most successful single. It peaked at number 10 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, number four on the

Hot Black Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

chart and number 21 on the

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

chart.

Charts

Legacy

The song and Babyface were referenced by

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...

in her 2005 hit song, "

We Belong Together "We Belong Together" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her 10th studio album, ''The Emancipation of Mimi'' (2005). The song was released on March 15, 2005, through Island Records, as the second single from the album. ...

", and sampled in the remix.

References

{{Reflist 1987 singles The Deele songs Songs written by Babyface (musician) Song recordings produced by Babyface (musician) Songs written by Darnell Bristol 1987 songs 1980s ballads Contemporary R&B ballads Song recordings produced by L.A. Reid Quiet storm songs SOLAR Records singles