Burning The Ground Exclusive
Released in late 1988, “I Wanna Be The One” marked a major turning point for Miami freestyle sensation Stevie B. Issued as the lead single from his second album In My Eyes, the song introduced Stevie B to a much broader audience and became his first U.S. Top 40 hit, climbing to No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1989. While he had already built a loyal following on dance floors and urban radio, “I Wanna Be The One” helped push freestyle music further into the mainstream during the late 1980s.
Built around shimmering synths, crisp drum programming, and Stevie B’s instantly recognizable emotional vocal delivery, “I Wanna Be The One” perfectly captured the romantic heartbreak that defined much of the freestyle genre. The song’s lyrics tell the story of longing and devotion, themes that resonated strongly with fans and helped establish Stevie B as one of freestyle’s most successful crossover artists.
The single performed especially well on dance and crossover radio stations, where freestyle was thriving alongside dance-pop and contemporary R&B. Its polished production and catchy chorus made it accessible to pop audiences while still maintaining the Latin-influenced electronic sound that freestyle fans loved. The success of “I Wanna Be The One” paved the way for an impressive string of hits that would follow throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, including “In My Eyes,” “Love Me For Life,” and eventually the No. 1 ballad “Because I Love You (The Postman Song).”
Several versions of “I Wanna Be The One” were released across 7-inch, 12-inch, and cassette single formats. The extended 12-inch mixes became especially popular in clubs, offering longer instrumental passages and dancefloor-friendly arrangements that highlighted the song’s layered synth textures and freestyle rhythms.
At a time when freestyle music was exploding in cities like Miami, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, Stevie B emerged as one of the genre’s defining voices. “I Wanna Be The One” remains one of his signature recordings and a favorite among fans of classic late-80s dance music. More than three decades later, the song still stands as a timeless example of freestyle’s emotional energy and melodic charm.
SIDE A:
I Wanna Be The One (Radio Mix) 5:05
I Wanna Be The One (Extended Mix) 6:58
SIDE B:
I Wanna Be The One (Blissapella) 5:22
I Wanna Be The One (Percapella) 5:33
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Mint
Sleeve: Mint
| Chart | Peak Position | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (RPM Dance / Urban) | #3 | 1988 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | #32 | 1988 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Music / Club Play | #39 | 1988 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Music / Maxi-Singles Sales | #12 | 1988 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: LMR (Lefrak-Moelis Records) – LMR 4003
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Electronic
Style: Freestyle
CREDITS:
- Arranged By – Dadgel Atabay, Stevie B
- Executive-Producer – Herb Moelis
- Lacquer Cut By – Gladys*
- Mastered By – Gladys Hopkowitz
- Producer, Written-By – Stevie B
- Remix – Glenn Gutierrez, Jimmy Starr
NOTES:
Runouts are etched except for the SRC logo which is stamped.
Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS
VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND
THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon Concorde Music Black
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2
Phono Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
Audio Interface: MOTU M4
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Cleaning Solution: Turgikleen Record Cleaning Solution
Scanner: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner
SOFTWARE:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 25 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator
RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
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Greetings, back again, thank God. PC problems (hard drive). Stevie B – I Wanna Be The One (1988) “I Wanna Be The One” is the third single from Stevie B’s debut album, In My Eyes (originally released in late 1988 and a huge hit in 1989). After the success of “Party Your Body” and “Dreamin’,” this track cemented the Miami artist’s status as the “King of Freestyle.” Lyrical Content The lyrics are direct, romantic, and catchy: the classic plea of someone who wants to win the heart of their loved one and prove they are “the one” (The One). This… Read more »
Hey Paul Stevie B Is the Shtt. I met Stevie B In Cali. He Came From The Group Friday Friday . Only A Promo Copy Came Out In 1985 A song Called Boy Toy. So I knew Stevie B Before He Hit The Big Time. So 3 Years Later In 88 Stevie Sent Me A Promo Copy Of Party Your Body. I Love All Stevie B Jamms. Thanks For This One!!!
Thanks for the great post, Paul! I remember this well and absolutely loved the very long exit starting at 5:39…I used that exit often with incoming songs that had a great 32 or 64 beat intro. I really appreciate the posting of this!
This is one of my favorite classics from Stevie B. Thanks for the share!
You’re welcome, Hector. Glad you like it.
This song was heard everywhere at the time in my neck of the woods. Whether on the radio, in the clubs, the malls or on the beach, Stevie B crossed over big time. I’m more of a fan of his earlier hits, but this one had its charms. A great melody and memorable keyboard licks, whenever it came on, I could be singing along to the song. Latin Hip Hop/Freestyle/Electro Hop made its impression on me during the 80s into the 90s, especially with talented songwriters, producers, editors, and DJ mixmasters! When quality gave way to quantity, I lamented that… Read more »
Jeff, I think a lot of that depended on where you lived at the time. Here in Oklahoma, I had never heard this one on the radio either, so I don’t have the same connection to it that many freestyle fans do. I was much more into Stevie B’s earlier material myself. Working on the record today, I found the song to be very monotonous. It is not one of my favorite records. The groove stays pretty locked in throughout the track, and compared to some of the more energetic or emotionally dramatic freestyle records of the era, this one… Read more »
In ’88 we were going to the clubs in NYC that the mob was opening and closing in record time to wash money and escape IRS attention, so I don’t really remember any names of any particular club! But my wife loved this song the first time we heard it at one of them.
Raymond, that is such a great snapshot of late-80s New York nightlife. There really was an entire underground world of clubs opening and disappearing overnight back then. The stories from that era are legendary. What I love most about your comment is that even if the club names faded with time, the music memories did not. That is the real magic of songs like this. One hearing in the right setting, with the right person beside you, and it becomes permanently attached to a moment in your life. I can absolutely picture this track playing in one of those packed… Read more »