El DeBarge: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

NPR Music's Tiny Desk series will celebrate Black History Month with Tiny Desk (home) concerts featuring legends in the world of R&B, jazz, gospel, and hip hop. Each artist in this legacy lineup has helped to define Black music as we know it and will be performing a Tiny Desk concert for the first time.

Bobby Carter | February 4, 2022
Around this time last year, singer-songwriter and R&B royalty El DeBarge took to Instagram to take some requests and play a few hits. "I'd never done anything like that before, and the nerves were showing," he told me. That 23-minute live performance ignited a comeback of sorts, and the greats of today, many of whom he's influenced, wanted to be near him. That video reminded us of his greatness, and stars like Alicia Keys, Fat Joe, and Questlove helped make 2021 a busy year for the torchbearer of the DeBarge moniker. For his Tiny Desk (home) concert, he didn't want to veer far away from what he did on IG, and I quickly concurred. He got together with guitarist, Bennett Walker to play this intimate set of DeBarge classics.

In terms of sheer talent alone, the DeBarge family was arguably on par with the Jacksons at one point. That talent propelled them to the stars in the 1970s and '80s, cranking out hit records and cookout classics. Switch, featuring siblings Bobby and Tommy DeBarge, came first. A couple of years later, the group DeBarge arrived, consisting of siblings James, Bunny, Mark, Randy, and El. Their five albums and El's solo work were a massive part of Motown's success and helped sustain the label in the '80s.

Despite the well-documented odds he's faced over the years, this set feels like a triumph. His voice has aged with grace, and that signature falsetto we've all attempted while singing these songs is perfection here. From his cozy home studio, the Michigan native breezes through a few of his R&B standards, including "All This Love," "Time Will Reveal," "Love Me In A Special Way," and in honor of Black History Month, he reworks "A Dream" as a dedication to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

SET LIST
All This Love
Time Will Reveal
A Dream (Dedication to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.)
Love Me In A Special Way

MUSICIANS
El DeBarge: vocals, keys
Bennett Walker: guitar

CREDITS
Video: Stephen Clay and Declan Osborne
Audio: Bennett Walker

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Video Producer: Joshua Bryant
Audio Mastering: Josh Rogosin
Tiny Production Team: Bob Boilen, Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis, Ashley Pointer
Executive Producer: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#eldebarge #nprmusic #tinydesk #bhmxnprmusic

[recognize]

Is anyone else gonna say anything about how this man sounds EXACTLY like he did when he made these songs? Masterful!!

[trebo]

Please note: El wrote 'Time Will Reveal' when he was 15yrs old! And 'All This Love' and 'Love Me In A Special Way' when he was not much older. Musical Genius. Give him his FLOWERS.

[suecurve-rageous]

Who is listening to El MASTERING these vocals in 2024?

[honeyb]

He survived family trauma, substance abuse, and still has gift!! Thank you for the music El ❤ & Tiny Desk for featuring!!

[TASconfidential]

He needs to do a tour like this:
1.) No other acts
2.) Small, intimate venues
3.) give him piano and his band and a mic.

Call it something like “A Night of Pure Talent with El Debarge”.

It would be fantastic.
This is what pure talent looks like.

[satisfiedcustomer]

Better than 99% of the singers out today! And he's in his 60s!

[dcalso]

He is in his 60s and still has the cleanest falsetto! Bravo El!!

[adrenna]

After everything he's gone through the universe kept his voice. He's a walking testimony. This is what is real music sounds like.

[bobbiegrant]

How is his voice still so clean? Good Lord he is blessed. 60 years old and been through the ringer. El Debarge is clearly blessed.

[tommywoh]

Organic with no autotune....the natural way music should be.

[Msgilt]

El has one of the best falsettos I’ve ever heard. For him to sound exactly as he did 40 years ago after all he’s been through is amazing.

[sexycarolina]

He MURDERED Tiny Desk all by himself. No backup singers and no band only help was on the guitar!!!!

[kevinbass]

Criminally underrated, he, along with his older brother Bobby, might have the PUREST ( and strongest), falsetto voice in the history of soul music

[ContrarianExpatriate]

Remember that this is not studio-enhanced singing. It is LIVE and he sounds that great.

[Copasyetic]

I don't really think this man understands how much he impacted this generation that grew up listened to these songs. He has true talent . I hope he reads this. No words to describe my appreciation.

[TerryCarter]

El Debarge doesn't get his props as one of the most brilliant songwriters! He needs to be placed in that master class with Stevie, Prince, Lionel Richie, MJ, etc... This mans music is TIMELESS

[roberta]

This dude does not get enough credit. He's up there with MJ and Prince IMO

[cor]

Words fail me...El, at 60, can STILL sing, as if he was 15 years old, in the original KEY. I am blown away. Tears are really running down my face. He is NOT using machines to enhance his voice, this is REAL.

[douglassmith]

If you are watching this because you love good ol singing and music, then I know you are a great person in life.

[williamrobinson]

It's crazy because most artists now cannot sound this good over 30+years and bro still got it.