Released on 04/10/1999
Label: Jive

The standout track from R Kelly's double album 'R', 'If I Could Turn Back The Hands Of Time' is an epic, soaring ballad which was written as a tribute to his mother Sadie who died in 1993.

Very much in the mould of 'I Believe I Can Fly' - and at least his best release since then - the track is also very much in the style of such greats as Sam Cooke and Ben E King.

Detractors will undoubtedly sneer at its blatant sentimentality, but they'd better get used to 'If I Could Turn Back The Hands Of Time' as despite its seven-minute running time, it's going to have a lengthy chart run.

    by Andy Strickland