What Is (What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me

Overview

"(What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me" is a classic R&B single released in 1988 by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. The song was written by legendary producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who crafted the track for O'Neal's second studio album, "Hearsay," released in 1987. This smooth ballad showcases O'Neal's silky vocal delivery and became one of his signature performances, demonstrating his ability to convey emotional vulnerability through sophisticated R&B production.

The song's production exemplifies the Minneapolis sound that dominated 1980s R&B and pop music. With its polished arrangement, lush instrumentation, and memorable melodic hooks, "(What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me" resonated with audiences worldwide and established Alexander O'Neal as a versatile vocalist capable of delivering both upbeat dance tracks and intimate ballads. The inclusion of Lisa Keith's soaring backing vocals added an extra dimension to the song's emotional depth, creating a layered vocal arrangement that became the track's defining characteristic.

How It Works

The song's structure and production elements work together to create its distinctive appeal and emotional resonance. Understanding these components helps explain why the track became such a successful single.

• Vocal Arrangement: Alexander O'Neal delivers the lead vocals with characteristic warmth and sincerity, supported by the powerful backing vocals of session singer Lisa Keith, whose voice weaves through the chorus to create a rich, multi-layered vocal texture that emphasizes the song's emotional plea.
• Production Style: Written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the track employs their signature Minneapolis sound production style, featuring synthesized drums, layered keyboards, and polished drum programming that was revolutionary for mid-1980s R&B production.
• Harmonic Structure: The song utilizes sophisticated chord progressions and harmonic movements typical of contemporary adult contemporary R&B, creating a sophisticated sonic landscape that appeals to both radio listeners and dedicated R&B fans.
• Melodic Content: The central hook and melodic line are designed for maximum memorability, with the title phrase repeated throughout the chorus to emphasize the song's central theme about expressing love and devotion.
• Instrumentation: The track features electric bass, synthesizer strings, electronic percussion, and additional keyboard textures that create depth and movement throughout the composition, with arrangements that build in intensity during the chorus sections.
• Recording Context: As the fifth single from the "Hearsay" album, the song benefited from Alexander O'Neal's growing popularity and the established success of the album's previous releases, giving it significant promotional momentum.

Key Details

The chart performance and release history of "(What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me" provide important context for understanding its commercial success and cultural significance in 1980s popular music.

The song's commercial trajectory demonstrated Alexander O'Neal's consistent ability to generate successful singles throughout the late 1980s. While the UK chart position of #27 represented significant international success, the song's R&B chart performance reflected the track's positioning within the contemporary adult contemporary R&B market. The fact that this represented O'Neal's eleventh top 40 hit illustrates his established commercial viability and fan base at the time of the song's release.

Why It Matters

"(What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me" holds importance for multiple reasons within the context of 1980s popular music and R&B history.

• Producer Legacy: The track represents exemplary work from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis during their peak creative period, showcasing their ability to craft sophisticated, commercially viable R&B productions that defined the sound of the era.
• Vocal Performance Showcase: Alexander O'Neal's performance on the track demonstrated the vocal sophistication and emotional delivery that distinguished him from other R&B vocalists of the period, influencing subsequent generations of soul and R&B artists.
• Minneapolis Sound Influence: The song contributed to the global popularity and influence of the Minneapolis sound production style, which became one of the dominant sonic signatures of 1980s popular music across multiple genres.
• Collaborative Success: The featuring of Lisa Keith's backing vocals illustrates the importance of professional session singers and vocal collaborations in creating memorable, layered R&B arrangements that enhanced commercial appeal.
• Chart Success Pattern: The song's chart performance across multiple territories demonstrated the continuing commercial viability of sophisticated, adult-oriented R&B ballads in mainstream markets during the late 1980s.

The enduring legacy of "(What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me" reflects its quality as a production and its cultural significance within R&B music history. The track remains a touchstone example of professional 1980s R&B production and vocal artistry, continuing to influence contemporary R&B artists and producers who study the era's sophisticated sonic architecture and arrangement techniques.