Can't You See

Infobox Single
Name = Can't You See?


Artist = Total featuring The Notorious B.I.G.
from Album = New Jersey Drive, Vol. 1 Soundtrack
B-side =
Released = 1995
Format = CD single, Vinyl Single
Recorded =
Genre = R&B
Length = 4:20
Label = Tommy Boy
Bad Boy
Writer = Terri Robinson
Sean Combs
Herb Middleton
Christopher Wallace
Joseph Howell
Randal Ryan
Mark South
Terry Williams
James Brown
Producer = Puff Daddy
Certification = GoldExtra chronology
Artist = Total
Type = singles
Last single =
This single = "Can't You See"
(1995)
Next single = "No One Else"
(1995) Extra chronology
Artist = The Notorious B.I.G.
Type = singles
Last single = "One More Chance"
(1995)
This single = "Can't You See"
(1995)
Next single = "Hypnotize"
(1997)

"Can't You See" is a song by R&B girl group Total, released as their debut single. 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.

Music Video

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

Tracklistings

CD Single
# Original Version
# Bad Boy Remix - Radio Edit
# So So Def Remix
# Bad Boy Remix Extended - Clean
# So So Def Remix Instrumental
# E-Smoove's Funky Piano Edit
# E-Smoove's Funky Piano Dub
12" Vinyl Single (UK)
Side 1
# Vocal
# InstrumentalSide 2
# No Rap Vocal
# TV Track
12" Vinyl Single (US)
Side 1
# Bad Boy Remix
# So So Def Remix
# Bad Boy Remix Instrumental
# So So Def Remix InstrumentalSide 2
# Original Version
# Hard House Vocal Mix
# Funky Piano Dub Mix