Imagine you are 27 years old, you've just spent six years pursuing your dream, and now you find yourself reduced to returning home to live with your parents in Miami, Florida.

Lots of people can identify with that awkward time of finding one's way into adulthood and independence. This story might give anyone in that position a bit of hope. It demonstrates the power of perseverance, but also the fickle nature of success, and the importance of being in the right place at the right time.

Some of you may recognize the name Bobby Caldwell. In his young years the Miami native and his band did a gig with 50s rocker Little Richard, who ended up hiring them to replace his backup band. After enduring the grueling touring circuit with Little Richard, they eventually quit and remained in Los Angeles.

Little Richard in his prime

For six long years Bobby played clubs, knocked on doors, and tried to find a way to make it as a recording artist. Eventually he returned home to his parents in Miami. One day his mom gave him the local newspaper with a cover story about KC and the Sunshine Band who was a local hero and star on the Miami based disco label TK Records.

There came a time when disco was clearly on the way out. Above the cast of the prime time soap opera Dallas dancing to KC and the Sunshine Band.

The concern about the future of disco was on the mind of the folks at TK Records. When Bobby knocked on the door with his sensuous after-hours R&B sound he was just what they were after. He was signed and in the studio in no time. He completed an album with which the label was pleased, but the label head didn't hear a single. Bobby had proposed this song, My Flame, but he was instructed to come back with something else.

The rejected single MY FLAME

The Subject of White Privilege Never Came Up

Two days later Bobby came back with the hastily written What You Won't Do For Love. TK Records recognized it as a hit, but also recognized a potential snag. As a disco label they were heavily dependent on African American R&B radio stations to push their music, and Bobby wasn't black.Bobby Caldwell

The solution, for the launch of the single, Bobby was to remain a Mystery Man. He himself actually came up with the idea of using a silhouette on the album cover. It worked! Here is an excerpt from the popular African American TV host Tavis Smiley's interview with Bobby Caldwell. link

Tavis: As a kid growing up in Indiana, I heard that song and fell in love with it. And when I saw a picture of you and saw you were a white man, I about passed out [laugh]. I could not believe that the cat singing that song–I remember my friend, Kai, the one who showed me the picture of you.

He’s like, “This is Bobby.” I said, “Stop lying. That is not Bobby Caldwell.” We had a fight about whether or not that was really you and it turns out that, obviously, it was you.

Caldwell: But that’s the ultimate form of flattery for me because I cut my teeth on Motown and Philly Sound, Muscle Shoals, all of that stuff.

Tavis: So in researching for this conversation, I was fascinated by what the record company decided to do, how they decided to handle the release of that album, not knowing if they could get play on R&B radio. Remind us what the cover of that album looked like.

Caldwell: Well, you know, it was their idea because we did a photo shoot with me, you know, fully disclosed. But, you know, they were a little squeamish about some cracker with long hair on an R&B label [laugh].

Tavis opened the interview by showing this clip of the song. It's one of those songs I never get tired of hearing.

After briefly showing a little bit of the clip Tavis said this:

Tavis: [Laugh] Oh, I wish you could have been in the studio a moment ago! Everybody on the stage floor was singing. We all know the words because that song is on the soundtrack of our lives, Bobby Caldwell. So let me just start by saying thank you, thank you, thank you.

Bobby Caldwell: Well, thanks for that comment. That’s flattering. Thank you.

Tavis: No, I mean that. I’m not flattering. That is on the soundtrack of so many of our lives.

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If you are a fan, here's something interesting. Someone uploaded the very first concert in which Bobby Caldwell played this song, it lacks the smooth intimate sound of the studio version, but is interesting in it's own way.

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Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoyed this little excursion behind the music.

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Photos are YouTube screen captures

To learn more check out this excellent blog post by Jered Stuffco.

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