Can We Talk

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title: "Can We Talk" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1990s-ballads", "1993-singles", "1993-songs", "1997-singles", "contemporary-r&b-ballads", "music-videos-directed-by-marcus-nispel", "polydor-records-singles", "qwest-records-singles", "song-recordings-produced-by-babyface-(musician)", "songs-written-by-babyface-(musician)", "songs-written-by-daryl-simmons", "tevin-campbell-songs"] description: "1993 single by Tevin Campbell" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can_We_Talk" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1993 single by Tevin Campbell ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

Field	Value
name	Can We Talk
cover	Tevin Campbell - Can We Talk song.jpg
type	single
artist	Tevin Campbell
album	I'm Ready
released	September 21, 1993
genre	R&B
length
label	Qwest
prev_title	One Song
prev_year	1993
next_title	I'm Ready
next_year	1994
misc
::

| name = Can We Talk | cover = Tevin Campbell - Can We Talk song.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Tevin Campbell | album = I'm Ready | released = September 21, 1993 | recorded = | studio = | genre = R&B | length = | label = Qwest | writer =

• Babyface
• Daryl Simmons | producer =
• Babyface
• Simmons | prev_title = One Song | prev_year = 1993 | next_title = I'm Ready | next_year = 1994 | misc =

"Can We Talk" is a song performed by American R&B singer-songwriter Tevin Campbell. It was written and produced by Babyface and Daryl Simmons, and released in September 1993, by Qwest Records, as the lead single from Campbell's second studio album, I'm Ready (1993). The song hit the top ten on the American pop charts, peaking at numbers nine and seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the Cash Box Top 100. It also spent a total of three weeks at number one on the Billboard R&B chart. It sold 500,000 copies and earned a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The song was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and won the Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single – Male.

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Can We Talk" was filmed by German film director Marcus Nispel. Shot in New York City's Central Park, it features Campbell and friends traversing the park while he tries to catch the eye of his love interest.

Track listings

| extra_column = Producer(s) | headline = US single

| title1 = Can We Talk | note1 = Edit | writer1 = | extra1 = | length1 = 4:21

| title2 = Look What We'd Have (If You Were Mine) | writer2 = | extra2 = Walden | length2 = 4:40

| extra_column = Producer(s) | headline = US promo CD

| title1 = Can We Talk | note1 = Remix Radio Version | writer1 = | extra1 = | length1 = 3:53

| title2 = Can We Talk | note2 = Full Remix | writer2 = | extra2 = | length2 = 4:55

| title3 = Can We Talk | note3 = Let's Talkstramental Mix | writer3 = | extra3 = | length3 = 4:26

| title4 = Can We Talk | note4 = Backward Beats Mix | writer4 = | extra4 = | length4 = 4:21

| title5 = Can We Talk | note5 = Album Radio Edit | writer5 = | extra5 = | length5 = 4:21 | extra_column = Producer(s) | headline = European CD maxi-single

| title1 = Can We Talk | note1 = Edit | writer1 = | extra1 = | length1 = 4:21

| title2 = Strawberry Letter | note2 = Club Mix | writer2 = Shuggie Otis | extra2 = | length2 = 6:28

| title3 = Strawberry Letter | note3 = LP Version | writer3 = Otis | extra3 = | length3 = 4:07

| title4 = Strawberry Letter | note4 = QD III Mix With Rap | writer4 = Otis | extra4 = | length4 = 4:12 Notes

• denotes co-producer

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

• Tevin Campbell – lead and background vocals,
• Babyface – writer, composer, producer, all music and background vocals
• Daryl Simmons – writer, composer and producer
• Randy Walker – MIDI technician
• Jim Zumpano, Donnell Sullivan – recording engineers
• Rail Rogut, Steve Warner, Ulrich Wild – assistant engineers
• Dave Way – mixing engineer
• Ivy Skoff – production coordinator

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table title="Weekly chart performance for "Can We Talk""] | Chart (1993–1994) | Peak position | Canada Retail Singles (The Record) | US Cash Box Top 100 | |---|---|---|---| | 19 | | | | | 7 | | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table title="1993 year-end chart performance for "Can We Talk""]

Chart (1993)	Position	US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard)
75
::

::data[format=table title="1994 year-end chart performance for "Can We Talk""]

Chart (1994)	Position	Australia (ARIA)	US Billboard Hot 100	US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard)	US Cash Box Top 100
50
36
4
39
::

Certifications

Code Red version

| name = Can We Talk | cover = | alt = | type = single | artist = Code Red | album = Scarlet | B-side = | released = 1997 | studio = | genre = | length = 4:04 | label = Polydor | writer =

• Babyface
• Daryl Simmons | producer = | prev_title = This Is Our Song | prev_year = 1996 | next_title = Is There Someone Out There | next_year = 1997 The song was covered by many other artists, most successfully by British boy band Code Red in 1996 for their debut album Scarlet. It was released as the album's third single in 1997, reaching number 29 on the UK Singles Chart.

References

References

1. [{{BillboardURLbyName
2. (January 22, 1994). "Top 100 Pop Singles".
3. Whitburn, Joel. (2004). "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004". Record Research.
4. (January 15, 1994). "Best-Selling Records of 1993". BPI Communications.
5. "Can We Talk".
6. "Tevin Campbell: Can We Talk (1994)".
7. Tevin Campbell - I'm Ready (CD liner notes) - Qwest/Warner Bros 9362-45388-2
8. (February 26, 1994). "Hits of the World: Canada".
9. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1993".
10. "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1994". Australian Recording Industry Association.
11. "Billboard Top 100 - 1994".
12. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1994".
13. "The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1994".
14. (2006-02-02). "Music Video". Youtube.com.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::