Metal Lungies

“Searching” is a 1995 single by Pete Rock & CL Smooth, released just prior to the duo’s breakup . It was remixed and re-released in ’96 as a promotional 12′.

The original version can be found on the group’s second album, The Main Ingredient, but the remix was only made available in CD format on the import-only Rare Tracks compilation.

Both versions are produced by Pete Rock. The lyrics are the same in both versions, with the exception of a new chorus added to the remix.  Pete does a call-and-response, reciting the following lyrics with CL’s sampled vocals  answering the first two lines. After that, a female vocalist answers Pete’s lines.

Let me break the chorus down, just so I have an excuse to type the word “sextafied.”

PR: Searching to find the one and have fun

CL: I’m thirsty for your love, sugar can I get a sip?

PR: Sextafied women who rank from 10 to 1, honey

CL: You know what it takes and you know how I want it

PR: Do you like it? (Yeah…)

Do you want it? (Yeah…)

Well, if you got it, why not flaunt it? (Hell yeah!)

Searching…

The original instrumental is butter smooth, with sultry female backing vocals and warm vibes. Sample vocals chant “searching” on the chorus and the backing vocalist plays off the samples. Pete adlibs all over the track, as he is wont to do.

The remix will please hard-rocks who thought the original was too soft, flipping the summery feel of the original into a much darker sounding instrumental. Pete employs an eerie string loop that should sound familiar to any 90s rap scholar and dark sounding vibes. He utilizes crisper, harder drums than he did on the OG and brings in muted horns every few bars. Pete drops the sampled “searching” vocals at the end as the beat fades out.

I respect that Pete & CL could pull off a credible ballad in such a hardcore-minded period of hip hop, and both versions of “Searching” are gems.

Download:

Pete Rock & CL Smooth – “Searching” (The Main Ingredient, 1994)

Pete Rock & CL Smooth – “Searching (Remix)” (Rare Tracks, 1999)

Special thanks goes to Buhizzle who held down Remix Tuesdays last week with an exemplary post about Cormega.