Mtume, Juicy Fruit | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 181st edition of Throwback Vibez (2024), we recollect and reflect on “Juicy Fruit” by R&B/funk collective, Mtume.   

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 181^st edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2024), we recollect and reflect on “Juicy Fruit” performed by Mtume.

“I need it, I need it / Oh, girl.” Oh, snap! R&B/funk band Mtume struck gold with “Juicy Fruit” in 1983.  “Juicy Fruit” was the second track from the collective’s album, also titled Juicy Fruit. The late James Mtume (1946 – 2022), the leader, composed and produced “Juicy Fruit.” The band’s top-charting song failed to crack the top 40. Bummer! Despite peaking modestly at no. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100, the single and album are certified gold, the group’s sole certifications from the RIAA. Chart success isn’t everything, and “Juicy Fruit” has proven itself iconic beyond its moderate pop showing.

“But you’re the only love / That gives me good and plenty.” Ooh-la-la! The sound of “Juicy Fruit” is crucial to its success.  Drum programming is a signature feature. The production is marvelous, with the groove, big bass line (with slapped bass), guitar, and keys. The riffs shine like a beacon throughout.  The introduction is colorful and naughty, setting up the perfect ‘sex on the track.’ Once the song settles in, the magic, and sensual vibes, are simply irresistible. The playful and powerful vocals by Tawatha Agee are one of the selling points. Background vocals add to the sweetness. Of course, it is the titillating lyrics that catch the ears.  “Candy rain / Comin’ down / Taste you in my mind / And spread you all around,” Agee sings lustily. She adds:

“Cherry blossom kiss

What you’re givin’

Makes my body rock

Keeps me sizzlin’

Do what you want

I don’t care

I’ll be your lollipop

(You can lick me everywhere).”

Damn… Yes, the lyrics and song are about oral sex… That juicy fruit ‘hits’ differently, doesn’t it? “Juicy Fruit,” a 1980s gem, has been sampled by The Notorious B.I.G. (“Juicy”) and Keyshia Cole (“Let It Go”), among others. Biggie Smalls earned a top 40 hit (no. 27), while Cole earned a top-10 hit (no. 7) on the Billboard Hot 100. Need a great sex song? Look no further than “Juicy Fruit”!

Mtume // Juicy Fruit // Sony Music Entertainment Inc. // 1983

Mtume, Juicy Fruit: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 181 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Sony Music Entertainment Inc.; OpenClipart-Vectors, Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Speedy McVroom from Pixabay]