I came up with the concept of this song based on a guy I once knew in the music business who I kind of dated for a bit. He was a singer who worked with a huge act that had been around for 60 years and had visions in his mind of solo stardom. He wanted a record deal and would do anything to get one. He told me he went to a studio in Philly and was cutting tracks. He asked me for a so-called loan to help finance the project. The problem was that he was also dating other women and telling them the same thing, using everyone he could to give him money to get these so-called recordings done. 

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When I figured this out, I wasn’t really angry at him as much as I felt sorry for him. I told him he was a nice guy with a good heart, but this was ridiculous in my mind. “Deserve” isn’t about a guy doing bad things and experiencing the negative consequences of his actions. It’s me saying even when people do stupid things, they still deserve love and deserve to be forgiven. I thought he was borrowing money from me but he was scamming a lot of people to get where he wanted to go. It’s the story of being scammed by a guy who’s a loser, and it’s me telling him to make yourself worthy. You still deserve love, but make some changes! 

 

The first three songs on the album – “Deserve,” “Fire” and “I Can’t Help Myself” were tracked at Glenwood Place Studios in LA with former Tower of Power drummer Herman Matthews, guitarist Steve Ferris (Mr. Mister) and the late bassist Deon Estus, well known as the bassist for George Michael and Wham!