The Natural Four - Can This Be Real? (Curtom Records 1974)

"Can This Be Real" is a 1974 song producer/arranged by Leroy Hutson and written by Janice Hutson, Leroy Hutson, and Michael Hawkins. The Natural Four was an American R&B group from San Francisco, California. Formed in 1967, the Natural Four first signed with a local Oakland label, Boola Boola Records. The first 45 release was "I Thought you were mine" A side b/w "You Did This for Me". "I Thought you were mine" sold 30,000 locally as it was played on KDIA where it rose to #7 on the chart. "Why Should We Stop Now", was the next 45 which also had the "You Did This for Me" b side. ABC Records saw potential in The Natural Four, due to their local charting, and picked up the group. "Why Should We Stop Now" was rereleased and, ABC then released "The Same Thing in Mind", a remake of their first hit "I Thought You Were Mine", and a cover of [The Temptations]' "Message From a Black Man", but none of them were as successful as the Boola Boola "I Thought you were mine" and ABC dropped the group.

Chess Records released their single "Give a Little Love" in 1971, and following this lead singer Chris James replaced the rest of the band with an entirely new crew. In 1972, they signed with Curtis Mayfield's label, Curtom Records, and proceeded to release a string of US R&B hits, including one Top 40 breakthrough, 1974's "Can This Be Real". Their three Curtom LPs were produced by Leroy Hutson of The Impressions, but after their third release failed to chart, the group called it quits.

I've always been
The kind of guy
Who could handle
Almost anything

I've had money, cars
Expensive girls in bars
And I've always had my
Own song to sing

Oh, but you came along
Changed the sound of my song
And I never, ever
Felt like this before

Tell me, can this be real
This love I feel in my
Heart for you, baby
Oh, can it really be true

You changed my
Life so suddenly
I don't know if
This is me or not

But I like the new me
My new identity
So don't you ever
Let the feeling stop

Sometimes I try
To resist you, girl
Aw, but that would just
Take more than I've got

Tell me, can this be real
This love I feel for you, baby
Oh, can it really be true

Tell me, tell me, tell me
Can this be real
This love I feel for you, baby
Oh, can it really be true

Can this be real
This love I feel in my
Heart for you, hey

Can it really, really
Really be true