"Two Occasions" is an R&B song written by Babyface, Darnell Bristol 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 who served as president and CEO of Arista Records from 2000 to 2004, as well as chairman and CEO of the Island Def Jam Mus ...

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 (The Deele song), Body Talk" and "Two Occasions". When the group began recording in the early 1980 ...

'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 were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

was released as the album's second single in December 1987. It is the only song on the album that features Babyface on lead vocals, which alternate between him, 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 database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, 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 ...

, "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 po ...

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 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

chart.

Charts

Legacy

The song and Babyface were referenced by

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...

in her 2005 hit song, " We Belong Together", 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