Can't You See

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“Can't You See?”
[[Image:‎|200px|“Can't You See?” cover]]
Single by Total featuring The Notorious B.I.G.
from the album New Jersey Drive, Vol. 1 Soundtrack
Released 1995
Format CD single, Vinyl Single
Genre R&B
Length 4:20
Label Tommy Boy
Bad Boy
Writer(s) Terri Robinson
Sean Combs
Herb Middleton
Christopher Wallace
Joseph Howell
Randal Ryan
Mark South
Terry Williams
James Brown
Producer Puff Daddy
Certification Gold


Total singles chronology
"Can't You See"
(1995)
"No One Else"
(1995)


The Notorious B.I.G. singles chronology
"One More Chance"
(1995)
"Can't You See"
(1995)
"Hypnotize"
(1997)

"Can't You See" was the debut single from R&B girl group Total. The track was released from the "New Jersey Drive Soundtrack" and also later appeared on their debut album. After making their recording debut on his tracks "Juicy", "One More Chance" & "One More Chance (Hip Hop Remix)", The Notorious B.I.G. returned the favour with an intro rap verse to the song. The track was written and arranged by Terri & Monica 's Terri Robinson, produced entirely by Sean "Puffy" Combs with instrumentation provided by associates Herb Middleton and Chucky Thompson and contains a sample from James Brown's "The Payback". The track was a success both on the mainstream U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching number thirteen and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it made number three.

The main edit to the track was the "Bad Boy Remix", which had the girls sing the original lyrics with a different vocal arrangement, The Notorious B.I.G.'s intro rap replaced by one from Keith Murray and its own music video. The track also had inserts of the girls acting as callers to a request line asking for the song to be played, saying such things as "Hey, can you play that Total Remix?". The vocals from this edit were also used on the "So So Def Remix" by Jermaine Dupri. The only remixes using the original track were those from funky house producer E-Smoove.

[edit] Music Video

There were videos filmed for both "Can't You See" and its "Bad Boy Remix":

Total in the "Can't You See" video.
Total in the "Can't You See" video.

Keith Murray in the remix video.
Keith Murray in the remix video.

The original version begins with a Bad Boy Entertainment motto of "Besides every Bad Boy, there is a Bad Girl!". The Notorious B.I.G. and Puff Daddy appear in white attire in a large hall where lights flash on and off in the background. Total then appear in the same area wearing leather outfits. (a shot of which was used for the back insert of their album) They are also shown on a flight of stone steps. (see picture) Later the group appear on a podium dressed in white, this time with The Notorious B.I.G. behind them. On a higher podium sits Puff Daddy in a kingly manner. Shots of this scene were used for the single's cover. The video ends with the girls leaving up the steps and a reappearance of the Bad Boy motto from the beginning.

The remix video sees Keith Murray rapping in front of a car upon whose bonnet Puff Daddy sits. The girls are briefly shown sitting on a basketball hoop bobbing their heads as the scene switches back to Murray rapping. Throughout the rest of the video the girls stand on the basketball court in casual attire and perform their vocals and at one point the word "Remix" flashes across the screen. This was one of the groups three single remix videos. (along with "No One Else" & "Kissin' You")

[edit] Tracklistings

CD Single

  1. Original Version
  2. Bad Boy Remix - Radio Edit
  3. So So Def Remix
  4. Bad Boy Remix Extended - Clean
  5. So So Def Remix Instrumental
  6. E-Smoove's Funky Piano Edit
  7. E-Smoove's Funky Piano Dub


12" Vinyl Single (UK)
Side 1

  1. Vocal
  2. Instrumental

Side 2

  1. No Rap Vocal
  2. TV Track


12" Vinyl Single (US)
Side 1

  1. Bad Boy Remix
  2. So So Def Remix
  3. Bad Boy Remix Instrumental
  4. So So Def Remix Instrumental

Side 2

  1. Original Version
  2. Hard House Vocal Mix
  3. Funky Piano Dub Mix