I was reminded of Babyface’s “When Can I See You” while perusing the “From the Vault” piece at the back of the current issue of Rolling Stone, a song I hadn’t heard in years.

“When Can I See You” reached #4 on September 10, 1994, stalking the top 3 from that same position for five weeks straight. As a writer-producer, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds delivered hits for other artists, but while some of those sound a bit dated today (Bobby Brown’s “Humpin’ Around,” anyone?), the acoustic production of “When Can I See You” means his simple plea is as compelling today as it was 15 years ago. Timeless, I think they call it, and the song still remains the biggest of Babyface’s singing career:

Purchase Babyface – “When Can I See You Again” via iTunes, Amazon MP3. And check out the Urban Soul Basement Mix, a club version of the song which originally appeared on the CD single.