The Deele

• Genre: Contemporary R&B
• Hometown: Cincinnati

About

Before becoming the poster boy for romantic R&B that was sweetly seductive without being overtly naughty, Babyface shared singing duties in the Deele, a group that was similarly love-fixated and equally averse to R. Kelly-style bump-and-grind chatter. After two LPs that went virtually unnoticed, the group of crooners finally had success with "Two Occasions," a song that did the rounds on R&B radio and provided the soundtrack for lusty teenage in-car make-out sessions. They quickly faded after their success (another less memorable hit followed, but disappeared as quickly as it arrived), as both Babyface and bandmate L.A. Reid were in heavy demand as producers for other artists. The song, however, remains a staple of Quiet Storm shows and makes frequent appearances on nostalgic compilation albums with names like Soul After Midnight.

- Kali Holloway