Too Blind to See It (Kym Sims song)

"Too Blind to See It"
Single by Kym Sims
from the album Too Blind to See It
Released1991
Genre
Length3:32 (Hurley's "No Rap" House Mix)
Label
Songwriter(s)Steve "Silk" Hurley
Producer(s)Steve "Silk" Hurley
Kym Sims singles chronology
"Too Blind to See It"
(1991) 		"Take My Advice"
(1992)
Music video
"Too Blind to See It" on YouTube

"Too Blind to See It" is a song by American singer and songwriter Kym Sims, written and produced by Steve "Silk" Hurley. It was released in 1991 by ATCO and EastWest as the first single from her eponymous debut album (1992). It contains a sample of speaking ("Let me tell you something, ain't no man in the world") by Rochelle Fleming from the group 1st Choice, from the song "Let No Man Put Asunder" (Salsoul Records). "Too Blind to See It" peaked at number 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. Internationally, it reached the top 10 in Denmark, Finland, and the United Kingdom. A music video was produced for the single's promotion.

Background and release

In August 1991, the independent I.D. label first released the single in America. It was subsequently picked up by Atco Records and released in the UK. Sims was asked to demo the song more than a year before she recorded it commercially. In a 1991 interview, she says, "I guess they must have decided to give it to someone else, but they came back eventually."[2]

Lyrics

The lyrics are from the perspective of a woman ending her relationship with a cheating partner. She describes being in denial, but eventually admits her partner's infidelity. As intimated in the title and the refrain, she was "too blind to see it."

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard stated in his review that producer/songwriter Steve "Silk" Hurley "once again reaffirms his position as Chicago's finest on this wriggling, R&B-inflected houser", noting that newcomer Sims "exudes the confidence and range of a seasoned pro, while remixer Maurice Joshua drops another of his deep underground workouts."[1] Chris Heim from the Chicago Tribune named it "a slick, upbeat little dance tune".[3] In 1995, Mark Roland from Melody Maker asked, "Which one of you can truly say that you didn't dance around your handbag in gay abandon to her faultless 1992 house hit, 'Too Blind to See It'?"[4] In a retrospective review, Pop Rescue called the song "infectious", adding that "laden with those catchy italia-house pianos, and fast beats, her vocals cut through them perfectly as she sings about a love lost."[5] Richard Riccio from the St. Petersburg Times wrote, "Best of all is the perfect balance she walks between dance floor drama and overdone diva kitsch, especially on the incredible stomp anthem, 'Too Blind to See It'."[6]

Chart performance

In the UK, "Too Blind to See It" peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart on the week of January 11, 1992, its sixth week on the chart.[7] It reached number one on the Music Week Dance Singles chart and was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry. Due to its success in the UK, Sims performed it on the British music chart TV show Top of the Pops twice.

"Too Blind to See It" peaked at number six in Finland, number eight in Denmark, number eleven in Luxembourg, and number 14 in Belgium. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it reached number 22. The song topped the charts in Zimbabwe, peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in the US, and number sixteen in Australia.

Track listings

  • 7-inch, Germany
  1. "Too Blind to See It" (Hurley's "No Rap" House Mix) – 3:59
  2. "Too Blind to See It" (Hurley's House Mix) – 5:00
  • 12-inch single, US
  1. "Too Blind to See It" (Original Mix) – 3:46
  2. "Too Blind to See It" (Maurice's Super Dub Mix) – 7:06
  3. "Too Blind to See It" (Hurley's House Mix) – 4:57
  4. "Too Blind to See It" (Hurley's Dub Mix) – 6:42
  • 12-inch single, UK
  1. "Too Blind to See It" (Hurley's House Mix) – 5:00
  2. "Too Blind to See It" (Slam Atlantis Mix) – 6:15
  3. "Too Blind to See It" (Original Soul Mix) – 3:52
  4. "Too Blind to See It" (Hurley's House Dub) – 6:26
  5. "Too Blind to See It" (Slam Dub Mix) – 6:15
  • CD single, UK and Europe
  1. "Too Blind to See It" (Hurley's "No Rap" House Mix) – 3:32
  2. "Too Blind to See It" (Hurley's House Mix) – 5:04
  3. "Too Blind to See It" (Original Soul Mix) – 3:53
  4. "Too Blind to See It" (Hurley's House Dub) – 6:25

Charts

Chart (1991-1992) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[8] 161
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] 14
Denmark (IFPI)[10] 8
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[11] 22
Europe (European Dance Radio)[12] 2
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[13] 6
Ireland (IRMA) 20
Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg)[14] 11
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[15] 28
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] 28
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 45
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) 21
UK Singles (OCC) 5
UK Dance (Music Week)[17] 1
UK Club Chart (Record Mirror)[18] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[19] 38
US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard) 5
Zimbabwe (ZIMA)[20] 1

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States 1991
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • cassette
 ATCO
United Kingdom November 25, 1991
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
[21]

References

  1. ^ a b Flick, Larry (July 6, 1991). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 63. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  2. ^ "Chart News" (PDF). Record Mirror. December 14, 1991. p. 1. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  3. ^ Heim, Chris (May 29, 1992). "Concert line". p. Section 7 M. Chicago Tribune.
  4. ^ Roland, Mark (May 4, 1996). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 60. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  5. ^ "Review: "Too Blind To See It" by Kym Sims (CD, 1992)". Pop Rescue. November 1, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  6. ^ Riccio, Richard (July 24, 1992). "Burning Down Chicago House". St. Petersburg Times.
  7. ^ "Kym Sims - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company". Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  8. ^ "ARIA chart history 1988 to 2022, received from ARIA in 2022". ARIA. Retrieved December 2, 2023 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  9. ^ "Kym Sims – Too Blind to See It" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  10. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 9. February 19, 1992. p. 34. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  11. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 5. February 1, 1992. p. 17. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  12. ^ "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 5. February 1, 1992. p. 21. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  13. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 5. February 1, 1992. p. 18. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  14. ^ Radio Luxembourg Singles, 22 December 1991
  15. ^ "Kym Sims - Too Blind To See It" (in Dutch). Top40.nl. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  16. ^ "Kym Sims - Too Blind To See It" (in Dutch). Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  17. ^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. December 7, 1991. p. 22. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  18. ^ "The Club Chart" (PDF). Record Mirror. December 14, 1991. p. 8. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  19. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 769.
  20. ^ * Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  21. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. November 23, 1991. p. 21.


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