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How Come, How Long

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"How Come, How Long"
Single by Babyface featuring Stevie Wonder
from the album The Day
ReleasedJuly 7, 1997
Recorded1996
GenrePop, R&B, soul, soft rock
Length5:10 (album version) 4:11 (radio edit)
LabelEpic, Sony
Songwriter(s)Babyface, Stevie Wonder
Producer(s)Babyface
Music video
"How Come, How Long" on YouTube
Babyface singles chronology
"Every Time I Close My Eyes"
(1997) 		"How Come, How Long"
(1997) 		"(Always Be My) Sunshine"
(1997)
Audio sample
How Come, How Long

"How Come, How Long" is a song written, produced and performed by Babyface (Kenneth Edmonds). It was released as the third single from his fourth album, The Day (1996). It is a duet with American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder.

The lyrics deal with domestic violence, regarding a woman who was killed by her husband after tremendous physical abuse. This release met with mixed reaction by critics and did not chart on any major charts in the United States, finding a better chart performance in the United Kingdom, where it became a top ten hit for the performers. At the 40th Grammy Awards this song received a nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, which it lost to "Don't Look Back" by John Lee Hooker and Van Morrison.[1] The following year, the song received the same nomination with the live version included on Babyface's Unplugged album, losing this time to Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach with their rendition of "I Still Have That Other Girl".[2]

Background

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The track was written, produced and performed by Babyface as a duet with American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, who also co-wrote the song. The lyrics deal with domestic violence and is inspired by the Nicole Brown Simpson case.[3]

Critical reception

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On the Entertainment Weekly review of The Day, David Browne wrote that this "domestic-abuse saga" needed "tougher music to make its point".[4] A reviewer from Music Week rated the song four out of five, stating that "Wonder's input (singing and harmonica-playing) is obvious on this emotionally-charged soul ballad".[5] The magazine's Alan Jones viewed it as "a worthy social commentary piece (about wife beating)".[6]

Music video

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The accompanying music video for this song, directed by F. Gary Gray, shows several residents of an apartment building ignoring the shouts, screams, and arguments between a married couple, ending with a twist, showing that the woman killed her abusive husband, ending with her being arrested. This video received a nomination for Best R&B Video at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, which was awarded to "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy (Sean Combs) featuring Faith Evans and 112.[7] It also was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video, losing to "Got 'til It's Gone" by Janet Jackson.[1]

Track listing

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  • US CD single[8]
  1. "How Come, How Long" – 5:11
  2. "Every Time I Close My Eyes" (Timbaland remix) – 4:23
  • UK CD single (XPCD2161)[9]
  1. "How Come, How Long" (Radio edit) – 4:12
  • CD maxi single (EPC 664402 2)[10]
  1. "How Come, How Long" (radio edit) – 4:12
  2. "How Come, How Long" (Natty & Slaps remix) – 5:08
  3. "How Come, How Long" (Laws & Craigie remix) – 6:28
  4. "Every Time I Close My Eyes" (Timbaland remix) – 4:55

Chart

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[32] Platinum 70,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

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The following people contributed to "How Come, How Long":[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b "40th Grammy Awards". Rock on the Net. 1998-02-25. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  2. ^ "41st Grammy Awards". Rock on the Net. 1999-02-25. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  3. ^ "Babyface - Timeline". Rock on the Net. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  4. ^ Browne, David (1996-11-01). "Baby Grand". Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  5. ^ "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 1997-05-17. p. 13. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
  6. ^ Jones, Alan (1997-05-24). "Talking Music" (PDF). Music Week. p. 18. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
  7. ^ "1997 MTV Video Music Awards". Rock on the Net. 1997-09-04. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  8. ^ a b "How Come, How Long". AllMusic. Macromedia Corporation. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  9. ^ "How Come, How Long Radio Edit". Eli.com. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  10. ^ "How Come, How Long CD Maxi single". Discogs. 27 May 1997. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  11. ^ "Babyface feat. Stevie Wonder – How Come, How Long". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  12. ^ "Babyface feat. Stevie Wonder – How Come, How Long" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  13. ^ "Babyface feat. Stevie Wonder – How Come, How Long" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  14. ^ "Babyface feat. Stevie Wonder – How Come, How Long" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  15. ^ "Babyface feat. Stevie Wonder – How Come, How Long" (in French). Les classement single.
  16. ^ "Babyface feat. Stevie Wonder – How Come, How Long" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  17. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Babyface feat. Stevie Wonder" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  18. ^ "Babyface feat. Stevie Wonder – How Come, How Long" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  19. ^ "Babyface feat. Stevie Wonder – How Come, How Long". Top 40 Singles.
  20. ^ "Babyface feat. Stevie Wonder – How Come, How Long". VG-lista.
  21. ^ "Babyface feat. Stevie Wonder – How Come, How Long". Singles Top 100.
  22. ^ "Babyface feat. Stevie Wonder – How Come, How Long". Swiss Singles Chart.
  23. ^ "ARIA End of Year Singles Chart 1997". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  24. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1997". Ultratop. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  25. ^ "Rapports Annuels 1997". Ultratop. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  26. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  27. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1997". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  28. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1997". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  29. ^ "Romanian Top 100: Top of the Year 1997" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on September 22, 2005.
  30. ^ "Årslista Singlar – År 1997" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  31. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1997 – hitparade.ch". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  32. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1997 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
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