We've Only Just Begun (The Romance Is Not Over)

We've Only Just Begun: Glenn Jones Revives a Classic for a New Generation

R&B's Working Class Hero

Glenn Jones was not a household name in the way that some of his contemporaries in 1980s R&B were, but he was precisely the kind of artist that sustains a genre between its peaks: a vocalist of genuine technical skill with a consistent commercial following on the R&B charts even when the pop mainstream was looking elsewhere. By the fall of 1987, Jones had already accumulated several R&B hits and built a reputation as a reliable performer of emotionally direct love songs. Glenn Jones had established himself as a committed practitioner of classic soul balladry at a moment when the genre was under pressure from funk, electro, and hip-hop's growing commercial presence.

Taking On a Loaded Title

The decision to record a song with this title carried obvious implications. "We've Only Just Begun" was one of the most recognized titles in American popular music, associated indelibly with the Carpenters' 1970 recording, which had been one of their signature hits and remained a frequently played wedding staple nearly two decades later. Jones was not covering that song; his recording is a different composition. But the title invited comparison and placed the track in a sentimental context even before a listener heard a note. The full title, We've Only Just Begun (The Romance Is Not Over), with its parenthetical assurance, framed the song as a statement of romantic perseverance.

A Steady Climb Through the Fall

The single debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 31, 1987, entering at number 89. Its trajectory over the following weeks was gradual: 82, 74, 70, and then holding at 70 for a week before continuing its movement through the chart. The song peaked at number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 on December 19, 1987, spending 14 weeks on the chart total. While the pop-chart peak was modest, the song likely performed more strongly in R&B contexts, which was Jones's primary commercial terrain.

The R&B Landscape of 1987

The late 1980s R&B landscape was a complex mixture of influences and styles. New Jack Swing was beginning to emerge as a commercial force, electronic production techniques were transforming the sound of soul music, and artists like Jones who worked in a more traditional mode faced a certain amount of commercial headwind from trends pulling the genre in new directions. A ballad about romantic endurance, delivered in a warm tenor over tasteful production, was both a conservative and a confident choice in this environment. It targeted an audience that wanted the genre's emotional directness without the stylistic disruption of what was coming next.

Devotion as a Career Statement

Jones would continue recording through the early 1990s, maintaining his presence on the R&B charts with a consistency that speaks to the loyalty of his audience. "We've Only Just Begun (The Romance Is Not Over)" fits naturally into a catalog defined by romantic commitment and vocal sincerity. Press play and you'll hear an artist who understood his lane and worked it with craft and conviction.

The Hot 100 Presence and Its Meaning

Reaching number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 while spending fourteen weeks on the chart is not the kind of performance that generates cultural mythology, but it is a solid and honest commercial result for a soul ballad by an artist whose core constituency lived on the R&B side of the chart rather than the pop mainstream. The chart data records a record that found its audience and held them; the week-by-week trajectory shows steady movement through a crowded autumn landscape. For a vocalist working in a tradition that was feeling competitive pressure from multiple directions in 1987, that persistence was meaningful. The song did what a good soul record should: it connected with people looking for exactly that kind of emotional directness and gave them something to hold onto.

"We've Only Just Begun (The Romance Is Not Over)" — Glenn Jones' singular moment on the 1980s charts.