When Rachelle Ferrell quietly began her first ascent of the American R&B charts in the summer of 1992, soul and jazz fans alike were wowed with her understated yet dynamic range and style. Boasting the sophisticated production of George Duke (overseeing an enviable rhythm section including keyboardist drummer Ricky Lawson, keyboardist Brian Simpson, guitarist Paul Jackson, Jr., and bassist Larry Kimpel), the melancholy yet self-assured tune of “’Til You Come Back to Me” provided Ferrell with ample melodic room to let her one-of-a-kind phrasing and coloring shine through.
Many fans of the song likely didn’t suspect that the lovely melody and endearing lyrics emanated largely from a contemporary of Ferrell’s who was just coming off a string of top-10 R&B and pop hits. “Superwoman” vocalist Karyn White, who co-wrote much of the material on her own solo albums during the late ‘80s and ‘90s, had scored big with material penned by the likes of L.A. Reid & Babyface and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. Before signature releases such as “The Way You Love Me,” “Romantic,” “Secret Rendezvous,” and “Love Saw It,” however, she was also budding as a songwriter to be reckoned with. SoulTracks’ Justin Kantor recently spoke with White about the experiences leading up to “’Til You Come Back to Me” and Ferrell’s top-20 recording of the tune which has proven to be a timeless classic 25 years on.
Karyn White: I wrote my first song while I was a teenager in a Los Angeles-based group called Legacy. A friend of mine in junior high named Eurisa had made a big impression on me with her writing skills. Not long after I graduated from high school, I was dating a musician named John Paris (who is now the drummer for Earth, Wind & Fire). He introduced me to the late, great Robert Brookins, who was working on material for Stephanie Mills’ first MCA album. We went over to Robert’s house, and I started singing a verse melody to what he was playing. He loved it, and I became a co-writer on the song “Automatic Passion.”
I took the money that I earned from that song and recorded a demo tape in a studio owned by singer Michael Jeffries. He, in turn, introduced me to Jeff Lorber, who gave me my first hit as featured singer on his single, “Facts of Love.” The record was produced by Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers, whom I started writing songs with and learned so much from. When I signed to Warner Bros. Records as an artist, I also signed with the company’s publishing arm. That allowed me to collaborate with further writers such as Steve Harvey from London and the late Marti Sharron.
I was always very influenced by Luther Vandross, and I had his style in mind when I started writing “’Til You Come Back to Me.” If you listen closely (sings: “I can only blame myself…”), you can hear that in there. This was back when we actually used to write about love. People don’t really do that nowadays! [laughs] Steve Harvey came up with the chords, and Valerie Davis helped me with the lyrics. I originally demoed the song for my Ritual of Love album with Jimmy and Terry, but it didn’t quite fit me, vocally, at the time.
It was beautiful to hear what Rachelle did with it. She wasn’t known in the States yet, but she made it her own in a way that I couldn’t hear myself doing it. She’s a master at controlling her notes—how she’s quiet and then opens up. Her finesse is amazing. She’s truly an underrated artist.
by Justin Kantor
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