Give It to You

*Todd plays "Give It to You" on the piano*

***JORDAN KNIGHT - GIVE IT TO YOU
A one-hit wonder retrospective***

**Todd:** So, did you know they’re bringing TRL back?

> *(Footage of Total Request Live)*
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> **Carson Daly:** Hey, what's goin on, welcome to the show. For the next hour, giving you the top ten...
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**Todd (VO):** Yes, MTV is bringing back Total Request Live. And that's a big deal to me because Total Request Live was my introduction to...

**Todd:** ...well, basically all popular music.

> *(Montage clips of DMX - "Party Up (Up in Here)", Korn - "Falling Away from Me", Eminem - "My Name Is")*
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**Todd (VO):** And for what it's worth, they played a whole lot of different kinds of music on that show.

**Todd:** But it's always gonna be associated with one genre.

> *(Footage of NSYNC on TRL)*
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> **NSYNC:** Bye bye bye...
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**Todd (VO):** Yes; late 90's teen-pop. I was there. And it was watching the endless "Backstreet Boys vs. NSYNC", "Britney vs. Christina" wars, where I began to form my own critical opinions. Opinions like: "Backstreet Boys suck" and "NSYNC are all gay".
**Todd:** Look, we all gotta start somewhere.

> *(Clip of Backstreet Boys - I Want it That Way)*
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**Todd (VO):** So I wanted to revisit that genre, but when you're talking about a genre where all the fans are super-obsessive preteen girls, it's difficult to find an act who were only supported long enough to have one hit.
**Todd:** But I found one; he is a one-hit wonder.... kind of.

> *(Video begins to play for "Give It To You")*
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> **Jordan Knight:** You say it's been too long, since you...
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**Todd (VO):** Yes, today we're gonna look at the solo career of one Jordan Knight. The big new pop idol of 1999.
**Todd:** Except, he wasn't new.

> *(Brief introductory clip by Arsenio Hall from the 1989 MTV VMAs)*
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> **Arsenio Hall:** ...time to get busy y'all: New Kids on the Block!
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> *(Clip of New Kids on the Block performing "The Right Stuff", live at the Mayan Theatre L.A., in 1989)*
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> **Jordan Knight:** Kick!
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**Todd (VO):** Once upon a time, sure, he was the New Kid on the Block.
**Todd:** Ahem.

> *(Video for "Give It To You")*
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**Todd (VO):** But by 1999, he was the older man in the neighborhood. Everyone thought his career was dead, and that he didn't have *(Video for...)* "The Right Stuff". But, *(Video for...)* "Step By Step", he proved that he was *(Video for...)* "Hangin' Tough".
**Todd:** Shut up, you love it.

> **Jordan Knight:** Baby you know I can give it to you
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**Todd (VO):** And with his Top 10 single "Give It to You," Jordan Knight became the big musical comeback story of 1999. After *(Video for "Smooth" by...)* Santana. And *(Video for "Believe" by...)* Cher. And *(Video for "Maria" by...)* Blondie. And *(Video for "What It's Like" by Everlast)* the guy who rapped "Jump Around", and so on and so on.

> **Jordan Knight:** Me holding you down in my bed
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**Todd (VO):** It's the story all of show business loves: Remember that teen idol you had a crush on when you were a kid?

**Todd:** Well, now they're grown up and really hot.

**Todd (VO):** And you already invested so much time into worshiping them; why stop now? And yet, Jordan blew his second chance pretty bad, and the reign of the boybands would continue without interruption. What happened?

**Todd:** And, are we also gonna talk about Joey's solo career in this episode?

> *(Clip of Joey McIntyre - "Stay the Same")*
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> **Joey McIntyre:** Stay the same
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**Todd:** No, no we are not.

> **Jordan Knight:** You know it, you know I give it to you
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***Before The Hit***

*(Video for New Kids on the Block - "You Got It (The Right Stuff)")*

**Todd (VO):** You already know this part, right?

**Todd:** There was a boy band in the late '80s, early '90s...

**Todd (VO):** Joey, Jordan, Jonathan, Danny and Donnie... *(Photo of...)* the New Kids, on the Block.

**Todd:** They had a stupid dance.

*(Live Performance of "The Right Stuff" at the Mayan Theatre plays again)*

> **NKOTB:** Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
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> Oh-oh, oh-oh
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> Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
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**Todd (VO):** Actually the "New Kids" were one of the first pop acts I was even really aware of, even though I wasn't, like...

**Todd:** ...technically allowed to listen to them because I was 6.

**Todd (VO):** But to the extent I was aware of them, I knew I didn't like them.

**Todd:** And that's an impression that lasted me into adulthood.

**Todd (VO):** Like this song *("The Right Stuff")*, specifically, it's like in my bottom ten; it's a-, it's an all time worst.

**Todd:** But this episode has given me the opportunity to do a deep dive into the NKOTB discography and... I am pleasantly surprised.

*(Video for "Tonight")*

**Todd (VO):** They were a pretty eclectic group. One of their biggest hits was basically an ELO song.

> **NKOTB:**  ...buttons and the pins and the loud fanfares, Tonight...
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**Todd:** They got this on the radio in...

**Todd (VO):** ...1990? The year of Vanilla Ice? Good for them, wow. *(Video for "Step by Step" plays)* So yeah; they were a much more interesting group than I realized. For the most part, their good stuff was actually pretty good. And their bad stuff...

**Todd:** ...was hilarious. So rather than summarize their biography I think I'll just share the highlights.

> **1.** *(Footage from the TV special, "NKOTB: No More Games Live!" plays, where the band is about to perform "Step by Step")*
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> **Jordan Knight:** Right now, I wanna get funky!
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> **2.** *(Footage of the band performing "Funky, Funky Xmas" on Arsenio Hall, 1990)*
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> **NKOTB:** Have a funky, funky Christmas
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> **Jordan:** Funky Christmas, and a funky new year, I swear
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> **3.** *(Music video for "Games" begins)*
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> **Donnie Wahlberg:** It's about being smart, you suckeeeerrrrrrrr!
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> **4.** *(More footage from "No More Games Live!" plays, this time showing a performance of "Baby, I Believe in You", where Jordan is busting out some MJ-style moves on stage)*
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> **5.** *(Brief clip of the music video for "Hangin' Tough")*
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> **6.** *(Music video for "This One's for the Children" plays)*
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> **Jordan:** Many people are happy, and many people are sad
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> **7.** *(Live footage of "My Favourite Girl" plays, taken from a 1991 MTV interview with Jordan Knight)*
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> **Jordan:** You make my heart skip a beat!
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> **8.** *(The ending of the "Games" music video plays)*
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> **NKOTB:** Peace!
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**Todd (VO):** (Sighs with delight) Oh, that's wonderful.

**Todd:** Anyway, this was before my time so I never, really learned who was who in the band. I knew...

**Todd (VO):** ... *(photo of...)* Danny, was the one no one liked, *(photo of...)* Donnie was the one from *(poster for...) Saw II*,...

**Todd:** ...and that's about it.

> *(Footage plays of a 1991 MTV interview featuring Jordan Knight)*
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**Todd (VO):** But apparently, Jordan was the frontman.

> **John Norris:** ...only one New Kid, handles the majority of lead vocals. And only one, is most often mentioned, as having great potential as a solo artist.
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**Todd (VO):** Jordan was the one pegged for stardom. Why?
**Todd:** Because he had that amazing falsetto obviously.

> *(Music Video plays for "I'll Be Loving You Forever")*
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> **Jordan:** I'll be loving you forever...
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**Todd (VO):** Falsetto singing is um... it's one of those things where if it's only like...
**Todd:** ...98% good, it sounds terrible. And Jordan...

> **NKOTB:** I'll be loving you...
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> **Jordan:** Loving yooooooouuuuu...
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**Todd:** Yeah a good solid 98% is right where Jordan's at, I think.

> (*Music Video plays for "Dirty Dawg")*
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**Todd (VO):** Well anyway, New Kids released their final album in 1993, which was not a great time for teen pop.

> **NKOTB:** Dawg!
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> **Jordan:** Dirty Dawg.
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> **NKOTB:**Dawg!
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> **Jordan:**Dirty Dawg.
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> **NKOTB:**Dawg!
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**Todd (VO):** Granted, it would probably never be a good time for this. So unsurprisingly, the band broke up.

**Todd:** One would expect Jordan to try out for a solo career right away, but...

**Todd (VO):** ... *(photo of Jordan in the mid-90's)* he was smart enough to lie low until the tides turned...

**Todd:** ...and America was ready for some bubblegum pop again.

> *(1994: Green Day - "Longview")*
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**Todd (VO):** No.

> *(1995: Coolio - "Gangsta's Paradise")*
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**Todd (VO):** No.

> *(1996: Alanis Morissette* *- "Ironic")*
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**Todd (VO):**No.

> *(1997: Hanson - "MMMBop")*
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**Todd (VO):** Getting there.

> *(1998: Backstreet Boys - "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)")*
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**Todd (VO):** Okay just make sure it's not a fluke.

> *(1999: Backstreet Boys - "I Want It That Way")*
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> **AJ:** Tell me why
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> **BSB:** Ain't nothin'....
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**Todd (VO):** OK, yes, yes,...

**Todd:** ...let's go.

***The Big Hit***

> *(Video begins for "Give It To You")*
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**Todd:** Look I'm not gonna tell you that "Give It to You" is the most memorable song of the late 90's or anything.

**Todd (VO):** In fact, I don't think I've heard it even a single time this millennium. But it does have one thing I don't think *(Photo of...)* 98 Degrees ever had.

**Todd:** It starts SO weird.

> *The song's "Waltz" introduction is played in it's entirety*
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**Todd:** Yes I believe that this is the only circus music-themed pop song of the late 90s.
**Todd (VO):** And it's not just the intro; the carnival theme comes back. A lot.

> **Jordan Knight:** It's creepin' around in your head.
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**Todd:** The song doesn't have anything to do with circuses, or clowns, or carnivals.

> **Jordan:** Anyone can make you sweat.
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**Todd (VO):** Uh, they got some amusement park rides in the background...
**Todd:** ...that's eh, you know that's about it.

> **Jordan:** Baby you know I can give it to you
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> I Can't deny, I'd do it right
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**Todd (VO):** So 8 years after New Kids had their last hit, Jordan was back. Like I said, he had to wait til the time was right, but 8 years is a long, long time to be out of the spotlight.

**Todd:** But Jordan managed a huge get; he scored...

**Todd (VO):** ...*(Photo of...)* Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis as his producers. *(Music Video for "Control" by Janet Jackson)* Best known for writing, producing all of Janet Jackson's early stuff, *(Video for "All For You" by Janet Jackson)* and later stuff...

**Todd:** ...like literally; all of her stuff is them...

**Todd (VO):** ...*(Video for Boyz II Men - "On Bended Knee")* plus a bunch of hits for other people. Most people associate them with *(Video for Usher - "U Remind Me")* their Janet stuff but, they age into the late 90's pretty well.

**Todd:** I mean, I initially took this for a Timbaland beat.

> **Jordan:** I'm the place to be, and...
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**Todd (VO):** I mean it's not Timbaland, but you can hear it right? And Jordan, you know he put those extra years to good use. *(Video for "Tearing Up my Heart" by NSYNC)* The boy bands... like it's...it's in their name; the-they're boy bands, they're boys, they're kids.
**Todd:** Jordan, was not a new kid anymore and that's the way he plays it.

> **Jordan:** You say I turn you on
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**Todd (VO):** I mean what really strikes me is that this is so much more risqué than his peers.
**Todd:** Do you remember when NSYNC tried to claim they were "dirty pop"?

> (*Music video for NSYNC - "Pop")*
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> **Justin Timberlake:** Dirty, dirty, dirty...
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**Todd (VO):** What horseshit was that?! Like, not one of their songs would force a single edit on Kidz Bop! Weren't remotely dirty. Among boys...
**Todd:** ...Jordan was a man.

> **Jordan:** Just let you know when I'll give it to you
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> Show me where, I'll taste you there
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**Todd:** OK maybe "man" is overstating it...

**Todd (VO):** ...but at the very least he wasn't as innocent as the boy banders who, who never got any more suggestive than (*Video for "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" by Backstreet Boys)* "rock your body", I mean "rock your body"; that could mean anything, it could,...

**Todd:** ...could mean dancing, it could mean they're gonna...

**Todd (VO):** ... *(cartoon of children on the swing)* push you on the swing set.

**Todd:** Jordan is not that ambiguous.

> **Jordan:** Your body needs a man like me
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**Todd (VO):** None of that G-rated stuff for little kids; Jordan's pushing it all the way up,...
**Todd:** ...to PG-13!

> **Jordan:** I don't care who leads
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**Todd (VO):** Yeah, he's kind of boy band, but he's also got like more in common with the R&B stuff like Usher. And you can see how this kind of sound and not Max Martin pop was gonna be the future of popular music.
**Todd:** This is the sound that all the other teeny boppers jumped on when they wanted to become adults.

> *(Video for "Cry Me a River" by Justin Timberlake)*
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> **Justin Timberlake:** Now there's just no chance (No chance), for you and me (You and me),
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> There'll never be...
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**Todd (VO):** I wouldn't be surprised if Justin Timberlake took "Give It to You" as a model for his own solo career. And from him, you can make a straight line to *(Video for "Boyfriend" by...)* Justin Bieber, *(Video for "Lost Without U" by...)* Robin Thicke... especially Robin Thicke actually.

> **Jordan:** Anyone can make you sweat, but I, can keep you wet
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**Todd (VO):** Jordan straight up sounds like Robin Thicke. Which, shouldn't be a surprise because Robin Thicke *(Screen-shot of the song's Wikipedia entry, where Robin Thicke's name (circled) is shown to be listed under "Songwriter(s)")* God-damn wrote the thing!

**Todd:** Look at this: here's a picture...

**Todd (VO):** ...*(Said photo is shown...)* of Jordan in the studio with 20 year-old nobody Robin Thicke. Managing to look *(close up of Robin's face)* even skeevier than he does now as a grown man. *(Back to the "Give It to You" video)* Yes, this song may have brought Jordan Knight back. But this song was the REAL launching pad for one young, unknown co-writer and studio engineer *(Video for Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines")* who would only grow more and more successful, *(Screen-shot of a headline that says "Robin Thicke's 'Paula' Sells Just 530 First-Week Copies in U.K.")* and then very much not successful. Hell, he even released a single called "Give It 2 U".

> (*Video for "Give It 2 U" by Robin Thicke)*
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> **Robin:** ...give it to you, tonight
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**Todd (VO):** Looks like in addition to ripping off Marvin Gaye, he can also plagiarize himself.
**Todd:** And honestly, I prefer Robin's second "Give It to You" to Jordan's.

> *(Video for Jordan's "Give It to You" plays again)*
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**Todd (VO):** I mean uh, this, this Jordan Knight song, it, it doesn't really hold up to repeat listens. The hook is kind of weak. It's a little repetitive. There's a reason no one remembers this one.

**Todd:** But still, at the time, it had to be encouraging right?

**Todd (VO):** Jordan Knight is now a proven hit maker over the course of a decade at this point. He's established. He's hot shit...

**Todd:** ...how did ROBIN THICKE, of all people, capitalize on it, and he didn't?

***The Failed Follow Up***

**Todd:** Jordan Knight's second solo single is called...

**Todd (VO):** ...*(Image of single cover for...)* I Could Never Take the Place of Your Mmmmmm....

**Todd:** ...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

> *(Long tense pause, as Todd angrily looks at the single cover again twice, before he checks to see who wrote it. Yes, it's Prince.)*
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**Todd:** Nope.

> *(Live Music Video for "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" by Prince plays)*
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> **Prince:** It's only last June when her old man ran away
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**Todd (VO):** OK uh, "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" is, um, it's a Prince song.

> **Prince:** I may be qualified, for a one night stand
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> I could never take the place, of your man
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**Todd (VO):** It's, it's my favorite Prince song, which,...

**Todd:** ...which of course means it's one of my favorite songs by anyone.

**Todd (VO):** A-t-t-there are no end of good Prince covers but... this one, like... ah, no, no, it's perfect as it is! I, I don't want anyone to touch it; it means too much for me...

**Todd:** ...no good can come from this, leave it alone.

> **Background Singers:** ...never take the place...
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> **Prince:** Never take the place of your man!
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**Todd (VO):** (Sighs) God I miss Prince.
**Todd:** OK, let's uh... yeah this is gonna suck, let's get this over with. Let's see Jordan Knight try his hand, at Prince.

> *(Video begins for Jordan's much more slower rendition of the song)*
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> **Jordan:** Only last June when her old man ran...
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**Todd (VO):** NO NO NO NO...

**Todd:** ...NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!

**Todd (VO):** He made it a ballad!! Of...

**Todd:** ...course he did!! *(Todd just violently face-palms)*

> **Jordan:** But I could never take the place, of your man
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**Todd:** Do I even have to explain what... what makes the original great,...

**Todd (VO):** ...is the contrast between the sadness of the lyrics and the absolute joy Prince sings it with. Making it drippy and sad...

**Todd:** ...misses the point!!

> **Jordan:** And I can never take the place, of your man!
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**Todd (VO):** This sucks! Why didn't you just name this single "I Could Never Take the Place of Prince"?!
**Todd:** And for the record, I hate slow covers of "Dancing On My Own" too.

> *(Video plays for Calum Scott's version of "Dancing On My Own")*
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> **Calum Scott:** I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her...
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**Todd (VO):** All of them! Slowing it down doesn't make it more meaningful! It robs it of its power!

> *(Back to Jordan's video for "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man")*
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> **Jordan:** ...place of your man
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**Todd (VO):** Tssh, no wonder he didn't have a second hit. Terrible. Terrible, terrible, nope, not doing it, never mind.
**Todd:** He did release one more single off that album. Called "Close My Eyes"; let's hear that one.

> *(Music Video for "Close My Eyes" begins)*
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**Todd:** HA! *(Todd briefly covers his mouth)* That's "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas.

> *(Video for Kansas - "Dust in the Wind")*
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> **Steve Walsh:** Dust in the wind
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> I close my...
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> *(Back to the video for Jordan's song)*
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> **Jordan:** ...eyes (close my eyes)
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**Todd (VO):** See now, that's a good use of a classic song that's, I mean that's just funny.

**Todd:** I am amused. Never listening to it again or anything but, you know?

***Did He Ever Do Anything Else?***

**Todd:** Even after doing all the research I did for this episode, I still have ONE humongous question I wasn't able to answer: why did Jordan Knight take so long to release a second album?

**Todd (VO):** *(Footage of Jordan performing with Debbie Gibson* *on Good Morning America in 2006)* Jordan didn't release an album of new material until 2006. In that same amount of time, NSYNC released *(Album cover for "Celebrity" is shown)* two albums, *(Image of Justin Timberlake on the cover of Rolling Stone)* broke up, *(Album cover for Justin's 2nd album, "Futuresex/Lovesounds" is shown)* and then Justin released two solo albums. *(Back to GMA performance)* Meanwhile, all Jordan did during that same span *(Image of the cast for "The Surreal Life" Season 3)* was star in a season of *The Surreal Life*, *(Album cover for "Jordan Knight performs New Kids on the Block - The Remix Album")* and release a remix album.

**Todd:** And it wasn't even a real remix album! I-it was just Jordan, re-recording his old New Kids songs solo!

> *(Audio for Jordan's solo version of "Step by Step" plays)*
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> **Jordan:** Step by step, oh baby
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> Really want you in my....
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**Todd:** A remix album wouldn't have been a good idea in the first place, and he couldn't even do that right!

**Todd (VO):** *(Album cover for "Love Songs")* And by the time he finally did release that album in 2006, it was also mostly covers.

**Todd:** Was it just writer's block? I don't know; Jordan has...

**Todd (VO):** ... *(Footage of Jordan Knight being interviewed on Daytime Ottawa)* said things that kinda indicate he didn't really give his career much direction and left it to all his handlers, so that might be part of it.

**Todd:** Also, maybe he thought, well, you know I waited so long to release my first record maybe I can take my time. Why don't I go hang out with...

**Todd (VO):** ... *(Another image of The Surreal Life's Season 3 cast)* Dave Coulier and Flavor Flav in the meantime?

**Todd:** So he never recovered his momentum. But he's...

**Todd (VO):** ...*(Music Video for Jordan's 2011 single, "Let's Go Higher")* still releasing stuff today. Solo and with the New Kids once they finally reunited. *(Video for NKOTBSB - "Don't Turn Off The Lights")* And with NKOTBSB; the supergroup they've created with the Backstreet Boys. Oh and here's one of his solo tracks featuring Donnie.

> *(Music Video for Jordan Knight - "Stingy (ft. Donnie Wahlberg)"*
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> **Donnie:** A careless whisper from a careless man
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> A new found love for the new found fan
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**Todd (VO):** I'm sorry; I missed the New Kids, this is always gonna be the guy from *(Photo of Donnie's character in...)* *Band of Brothers* to me.
**Todd:** I, *(brief sigh)* I will never see him as a musician.

> *(Video for "One More Time" by Nick & Knight)*
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**Todd (VO):** Oh-oh-oh and get this: not only was there the supergroup, there was also the super-*duo*. With Backstreet Boy Nick Carter.
**Todd:** Called, no shit: *(Album cover for...)* Nick & Knight.

> **Nick Carter:** Woo-hoo, woo-hoo, oh,
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> So let me get it, one more time...
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**Todd (VO):** Nick Carter apparently developed Macklemore hair at one point. I don't like this song but... that's, uh, that's, that's beside the point; the point is... they were called Nick & Knight.

**Todd:** Why?

***Did He Deserve Better?***

**Todd:** I can't believe I'm gonna say this but yes, absolutely.

> *Video for "Give It to You"*
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> **Jordan Knight:** Baby you know that I'll give it to you...
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**Todd (VO):** I have developed a surprising fondness for the New Kids, and for Jordan's solo career also, maybe...

**Todd:** ...not for the actual music he released but he was a talented guy and he...

**Todd (VO):** ...he helped direct the path of pop music and he was talented enough that he could have, and should have, had a better career than he did. What happened; I don't know. I just want to say...

**Todd:** ...thank you Jordan, Jonathan, Joey, Danny and Donnie, for bringing us so much joy and happiness. Minus "The Right Stuff", which still sounds like ass.

> **Jordan:** Giving you everything of mine
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> *Video Ends*
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*Closing Tag Song: "Give It to You (10 Degrees Below "Steelpan Vocal" Remix)" by Jordan Knight*

***THE END***

**"Give It to You"*is owned by Interscope Records.***

***This video is owned by me.***

**THANK YOU TO THE LOYAL PATRONS!**