Today’s song is “Get It Together” by the R&B girl band 702. 

In R&B music, once popular cultural icons can reemerge, often regaining some of their lost popularity as new generations hear their music for the first time. That’s one of the most endearing parts of R&B: music spans generations uniting people through celebration and making us feel good. The all-girl group 702 may not be one of the best-known R&B groups from the 1990s, but most people know some of their music because it was part of the R&B culture that became part of contemporary R&B.

702 started out as a quartet featuring identical twin sisters Irish and Orish Grinstead, older sister LaMisha Grinstead, and Amelia Childs. These girls attended high school together at a school where they could express their musical talents. The original 702 quartet was the featured performer for the group Subway and the hit single “This Lil’ Game We Play.” 702 manager Mike Bivins, a founding member of the all-boy group New Edition, didn’t think the vocals from Amelia Childs and Irish Grinstead fit the sound he wanted. Kameelah Williams and Tiffany Villarreal stepped in to complete the quartet, with Villarreal leaving before 702 released their debut single.

Fast Facts About 702:

• Band members met and became friends while attending Las Vegas Academy of Arts High School in the early 1990s.
• The single “Steelo” featuring Missy Elliott, a hip-hop R&B crossover artist, was released before the album on August 27, 1996.
• 702’s debut album, No Doubt, was released on October 8, 1996.
• “Get it Together” was the second single released on January 28, 1997.
• Ever heard the song “Where My Girls At”? That’s from the second album, self-titled 702.
• 702 is Las Vegas’s area code.
• Founding member Orish Grinstead died of kidney failure at 27. If you listen closely, you hear Orish’s voice as background vocals on the album No Doubt.

Lyrics 

I don’t really wanna stay

I don’t really wanna go

But I really need to know

Can we get it together?

Get it together

Get it together

I don’t really wanna go

I don’t really wanna stay

But I really hope and pray

Can we get it together?

Get it together

You don’t know the pain that I feel

You’ve taken my love for granted

And you just wanna see it your way, yah

It’s about that time

I’m gonna tell ya what’s on my mind

(What’s on my mind)

I’m fed up with you not being here with me

When you know love is all I need

I don’t want to stay

I don’t really wanna stay

I don’t really wanna go

But I really need to know

Can we get it together?

Get it together

I don’t really wanna go

I don’t really wanna stay

But I really hope and pray

Can we get it together?

Get it together

Let’s get together, babe

I can’t let go

‘Cuz being confused just takes control

I hope we can start brand new

‘Cuz I don’t want to lose you, oh no

With the love we shared

Baby it’s all so rare

I’m willing to try and make you see

That all you need is here in me

I don’t wanna stay

(I don’t wanna stay)

I don’t wanna go

(I don’t wanna go)

But you gotta let me know

How you feel

Let me know how you feel

I don’t wanna stay

I don’t wanna go

But you gotta let me know

How you feel

Just how you feel

I don’t really wanna stay

I don’t really wanna go

But I really need to know

Can we get it together?

Get it together

I don’t really wanna go

I don’t really wanna stay

But I really hope and pray

Can we get it together?

Get it together

See I’m so confused

I just don’t know what to do

And I don’t understand, no

Ya know I don’t wanna stay

You know I don’t wanna go

Baby, please listen to me

I don’t wanna

I don’t really wanna stay

I don’t really wanna go

But I really need to know

Can we get it together?

Get it together