(September 17, 2026) “How ‘Bout Us,” Champaign’s monster 1981 hit, was a song that people just wanted to play. It was everywhere that year. “How ‘Bout Us” was so good that the song became that generations version of “Reasons” – the tune that gets requested and played at weddings even though it’s not a wedding song. People wanted it to be the song couples wanted played at their wedding although “How ‘Bout Us” isn’t a wedding song. It’s an impeccable piece of music that tells the story of two people wondering if they have what it takes to make it to the altar.
Pauli Carman was the voice behind Champaign’s hits that included “How ‘Bout Us” and “Try Again,” and he’s stayed active both as a member of Champaign and as a solo artist. Carman’s latest project is the album Life is Too Short. On the ballad “Falling In Love,” the tune featured in this First Listen, Carman leaves no doubt about which direction this relationship is headed.
“Falling In Love” is an homage to an era of R&B when romance ruled. The song finds Carman using his sweet tenor that can still easily reach into falsetto range to let his lady know that his search is over. The song’s arrangement is intimate yet lush. The piano moves in concert with strings while percussive finger snaps work with the drums to keep time. Check out Pauli Carman on the sweet love song “Falling In Love,” here.
By Howard Dukes
