“Casanova” (1987) by LeVert | Classic Songs Revisited

Casanova

LeVERT

written and produced by Reggie Calloway

I’m making this page July 13th, 2021, which would have been the

55th birthday of Gerald Edward Levert, RHS, who together with

brother Sean headed up the new jack swing group LeVert (stylized

with the capital ‘V’). He was also the son of fronting O’Jay

Eddie Levert. Happy Posthumous Birthday, GL.

Actually, it wasn’t all that long ago—just 27 days, in fact—that I made the page for Eddie’s own birthday tribute (which is just right... here). He and his wife Martha had Gerald on this date, 1966, in Canton, Ohio. He was brought up in Cleveland suburb Shaker Heights, already born into a family of pop music, and middle-named after his father. At 16 or 17, he and kid bro Sean formed LeVert together with their mutual pal Marc Gordon. The group debuted with minor-label I Get Hot (1985) before signing with a big label name, Atlantic. LeVert released six further albums with Atlantic, through to 1997.

Their second album, ’86’s Bloodline, banged out a US R&B #1, “(Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop) Goes My Mind.” But they peaked with record three, The Big Throwdown, the following year. Writer/producer Reggie Calloway—en route to a short recording career of his own—penned them The Big Throwdown’s big winner and opener, “Casanova.” It was the sole LeVert single to dent all US charts, as well as those of Canada and the UK. The rest of their albums likewise spawned a string of a dozen and change singles.

Gerald also went solo in the midst of LeVert’s career, recording and releasing on EastWest—staying within the Warner/Elektra/Atlantic family—starting in the early ’90s. His own solo records didn’t perform so shabbily themselves. Sadly, though, by 40, health issues put him on so much medication, prescription drugs and painkillers, he overdosed on them in the fall of 2006, taking his life. The next February, Atlantic honored his memory by releasing his final album, In My Songs.

RIP Gerald, 7/13/66 to 11/10/06.

Have notes to add? Let me know!

YT:

full version

music video

1987

Lyrics

Oh-ohhh-oh / (Dah, dah, dah, dah) / Mmm (dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah) / Oh-ohhh-oh, (dah) mm, baby / I ain’t much on Casanova / Me and Romeo ain’t never been friends / Can’t you see how much I really love ya / Gonna sing it to ya time and time again / Oh, Casanova, Casanova / Oh, Casanova, Casanova / Every man deserves a good woman / And I want you to be my wife / Time is so much better spent, baby / With a woman just like you in my life / So let me love ya / Fill you up inside, I want to hold ya, baby / So let me squeeze ya / Don’tcha know that I’ll get down on my knees for ya, baby, you see / x1 / Every time I wanna see ya / I can’t find the words to tell ya so / But I love, I love, I love, I love, I love you, babe / And I just got to let ya know / How much I need ya / Show you what you mean to me each day, baby / So let me hold you / Keep ya safe and warm, I’ll be your sweetheart, babe... baby, baby, baby / And when I told you, girl, I’m an average guy / You seem to know just how I really feel / Cause I can’t let ya go / I need you, I want you to stay right here with me / But baby, I never knew love, until you came along / Casanova, a-tell me what to say / Casanova, I can’t let her get away / Oh, Casanova, tell me what to do, I ain’t no / Casanova, I just wanna be with you, listen, baby / I wanna hold you, wanna squeeze ya too / I wanna make sweet love to you (Casanova) / I wanna be there when you’re feelin’ low / Never let ya go, no / Casanova, I’m just a man baby / And I want to love you, love you, love you, love you, baby / Oh, Casanova / I ain’t much on Casanova / Me and Romeo ain’t never been friends (friends, friends) / Can’t you see how much I really love you / I’m gonna sing it to ya time and time again / Oh, whoa, whoa, I love you / I’ll get down on my knees for ya, baby / No, I ain’t no, I ain’t no / Casanova, no-whoa-oh-whoa-oh-whoa-oh-whoa-whoa / Casanova, I’m just a man, baby / Casanova, a-can’t you understand / Casanova, I get down on my knees for ya, baby (oh-ohhh-oh) / I wanna hold you, wanna squeeze ya too (hoo!) / I wanna make sweet love to you (Casanova) / I wanna be there when you’re feelin’ low / Got to let you know, know / Casanova, I ain’t no Romeo / Casanova, I’m just a man, baby, oh-ohhh-oh / Oh-ohhh-oh, oh-ohhh-oh / I wanna be a part of your life / I want you to be my wife (oh-ohhh-oh) / I want you there with me day and night / Make it mine, I ain’t no / Casanova, (Casanova, Casanova, Casanova, Casanova) I just wanna be your lover, baby / Casanova (Casanova, Casanova, Casanova, Casanova) / Casanova (Casanova, Casanova, Casanova, Casanova) / Casanova / Casanova/[fade]

first release: Casanova (single) (1987/06/20)

second/album release: The Big Throwdown (1987/07/01)

audio treated sample

This page was originally made on July 13th, 2021 and last edited on July 23rd, 2021