Can We Talk

1993 single by Tevin Campbell

"Can We Talk"

Single by Tevin Campbell

from the album I'm Ready

Released

October 26, 1993

Genre

R&B
adult contemporary
ballad

Length

4:45

Label

Qwest

Songwriter(s)

Babyface
Daryl Simmons

Producer(s)

Babyface
Simmons

Tevin Campbell singles chronology

"One Song"
(1993)

"Can We Talk"
(1993)

"I'm Ready"
(1994)

"Can We Talk" is a song performed by American R&B singer-songwriter Tevin Campbell. It was written and produced by Babyface and Daryl Simmons, and released in 1993 by Qwest Records as the lead single from Campbell's second studio album, I'm Ready (1993). The song hit top ten on the American pop charts, peaking at numbers nine and seven on the US Billboard Hot 100^[1] and Cash Box Top 100.^[2] It also spent a total of three weeks at number one on the Billboard R&B chart.^[3] It sold 500,000 copies and earned a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).^[4]^[5] The song was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and won the Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single – Male.

Music video

The music video for "Can We Talk" was shot in NYC's Central Park. Tevin and friends traverse the park while he tries to catch the eye of his love interest.

Track listings

US single
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Can We Talk" (Edit)	Babyface Daryl Simmons	Babyface Simmons	4:21
2.	"Look What We'd Have (If You Were Mine)"	Narada Michael Walden Tevin Campbell Tony Lindsay	Walden	4:40

US promo CD
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Can We Talk" (Remix Radio Version)	Babyface Simmons	Babyface Simmons Def Def^[a] Meech Wells^[a]	3:53
2.	"Can We Talk" (Full Remix)	Babyface Simmons	Babyface Simmons Def Def^[a] Wells^[a]	4:55
3.	"Can We Talk" (Let's Talkstramental Mix)	Babyface Simmons	Babyface Simmons Def Def^[a] Wells^[a]	4:26
4.	"Can We Talk" (Backward Beats Mix)	Babyface Simmons	Babyface Simmons Def Def^[a] Wells^[a]	4:21
5.	"Can We Talk" (Album Radio Edit)	Babyface Simmons	Babyface Simmons Def Def^[a] Wells^[a]	4:21

European CD maxi-single
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Can We Talk" (Edit)	Babyface Simmons	Babyface Simmons	4:21
2.	"Strawberry Letter" (Club Mix)	Shuggie Otis	Quincy Jones Quincy D III^[a]	6:28
3.	"Strawberry Letter" (LP Version)	Otis	Jones Quincy D III^[a]	4:07
4.	"Strawberry Letter" (QD III Mix With Rap)	Otis	Jones Quincy D III^[a]	4:12

Notes

^{^[a]} denotes co-producer

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.^[6]

Tevin Campbell – lead and background vocals, additional background vocals Michael Jackson (Not Credited)
Babyface – writer, composer, producer, all music and background vocals
Daryl Simmons – writer, composer and producer
Randy Walker – MIDI technician

Jim Zumpano, Donnell Sullivan – recording engineers
Rail Rogut, Steve Warner, Ulrich Wild – assistant engineers
Dave Way – mixing engineer
Ivy Skoff – production coordinator

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1993–1994)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[7]	12
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[8]	50
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[9]	26
US Billboard Hot 100^[10]	9
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[11]	1
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)^[12]	14
US Rhythmic (Billboard)^[13]	3
US Cash Box Top 100^[2]	7

Year-end charts

Chart (1993)	Position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[14]	75

Chart (1994)	Position
Australia (ARIA)^[15]	50
US Billboard Hot 100^[16]	36
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[17]	4

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)^[18]	Gold	35,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)^[19]	Gold	500,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Code Red version

"Can We Talk"

Single by Code Red

from the album Scarlet

Released

1997

Genre

Pop

Length

4:04

Label

Polydor

Songwriter(s)

Babyface, Daryl Simmons

Producer(s)

babyface, Simmons

Code Red singles chronology

"This Is Our Song"
(1996)

"Can We Talk"
(1997)

"Is There Someone Out There"
(1997)

The song was covered by many other artists, most successfully by British boy band Code Red in 1996 for their debut album Scarlet. It was released as the album's third single in 1997, reaching number 29 on the UK Singles Chart.^[20]

References

^ www.billboard.com Chart History (website has changed layout, link needs updating)
^ ^a ^b "Top 100 Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. LVII. January 22, 1994. p. 14. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 99.
^ "Best-Selling Records of 1993". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 3. BPI Communications. January 15, 1994. p. 73. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
^ "American certifications – Campbell, Tevin – Can We Talk". Recording Industry Association of America.
^ Tevin Campbell - I'm Ready (CD liner notes) - Qwest/Warner Bros 9362-45388-2
^ "Tevin Campbell – Can We Talk". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2354." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
^ "Tevin Campbell – Can We Talk". Top 40 Singles.
^ "Tevin Campbell Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
^ "Tevin Campbell Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
^ "Tevin Campbell Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
^ "Tevin Campbell Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard.
^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1993". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1994". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1994". Archived from the original on 2009-03-01. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 48.
^ "American single certifications – Tevin Campbell – Can We Talk". Recording Industry Association of America.
^ "Music Video". Youtube.com. 2006-02-02. Archived from the original on 2011-11-14. Retrieved 2011-12-26.