I’d bet good money that it’s been quite some time since you’ve heard the name Richard “Dimples” Fields if you know who he is at all. That isn’t to say he isn’t a somebody; he had a few hits back in the ‘80s and the albums with those hits aren’t available on streaming services.
But I know Dimples.
Dimples brought us gems like “Your Wife Is Cheating On Us” and “If Ain’t One Thing...It’s Another,” a 7-minute floater of a jam that includes lines as socially relevant as “Black marching on DC, 400 years still ain’t free,” juxtaposed against complaints of “an ugly woman named Sadie called to say she’s having me baby.” You might recognize the lines, “it’s a crazy mixed up world, it’s a dog-eat-dog world,” which were interpolated and resung by The Dramatics on Snoop Dogg’s “Doggy Dogg World” from his 1993 album, Doggystyle. And who can forget the Betty Wright-assisted, “She’s Got Paper On Me,” talking about being stuck in a marriage.
Honestly, Dimples seems like he would have been a hoot to hang around. He called himself “Mr. Look So Good”; the nickname “Dimples” was from some woman telling him that he smiled all the time. But anybody who sings about his mistress cheating on him directed towards his mistress’ husband, had to be a real hoot at parties. I say had because, coincidentally, Richard “Dimples” Fields died 21 years ago today, on January 12, 2000. (I have, though, seen one source say he passed on January 15, 2000.)
I made this discovery this morning after deciding I wanted to share his 10 “Dimples” rules for life—you probably see what I did there. His rules were something I discovered when I was going through my record stacks trying to decide which album cover I was going to frame and hang in the wonderful office space that my wife created for me as a Christmas present. I came across his 1984 album, Mmm, and flipped the cover to the track-listing information and discovered a treasure trove of joy on the back. For shits and giggles, this album features songs like, “Dog or A Hog?” “Don’t Turn Your Back On My Love” “Dear Mr. God” and the aforementioned, “Your Wife Is Cheatin’ On Us.” I cannot stress this enough: you should check out his catalog.
Chief among those gems are his outfit which, no lie, I’d wear today. I mean buddy looks fly AF but the cherry on top is the random apple that he’s eating. Similarly joyful is the album’s dedication:
Dedicated to all the lovely, elegant, jazzy ladies of the world, from all the men who appreciate that “a man of quality is not threatened by a woman seeking equal equality.
P.S. Thanks, ladies, for calling me “MR. LOOK SO GOOD!” (I oughta give you some sugar for that!)
Like I said, I feel like hanging with Dimples would have been Wretched level “big fun” at all times. He’s like the Ray J of the 80s.
But no gem(s) shine as bright as the 10 bullet points he lays out on the back of the album jacket simply titled “Straight from the Dimples’ Mouth.” Since sharing is caring, and because today seems like as good a day as any to give this man some flowers, I’m going to share the rules/principles/axioms/corollaries with you. Straight from the Dimples’ mouth.
1. The blessed of us must save the less of us.
Pretty straight forward, though this is about 2 steps below being on the way to mathematics of the 5 Percenter persuasion.
2. If you make a boo boo and don’t admit you made a boo boo...you become a boo boo!
I mean, I don’t even know what to do with this except state that this is some of that Dylan hot fire. Don’t be a boo boo!
3. There’s a good side of you, there’s a bad side of you...the good must kill the bad.
Not for nothing but “The Good Must Kill The Bad” sounds like it would be an amazing film. On a deeper level, winning the internal psychological identity conflicts in the affirmative really are at the center of the human condition. This MFer spittin’.
4. You don’t have to be a hen to spot a rotten egg.
I wonder if hens know if their own eggs are rotten. Which is slightly morbid if you think about. Eggs are baby chickens. Either way, I’ll just call this #facts and move on.
5. All a little money can do for you is give you big problems!
Biggie tried to told you.
6. It takes a special man to have a special lady...and it’s a pretty special lady who has a special man!
I see what you did there, Dimples. I wonder if men called him Dimples, too. Like did his homies call him Dimples? These are the things that keep me up at night.
7. Do you know what’s wrong with smart people? They’re too dumb to start at the Bible!
I ain’t one to gossip but there’s got to be iron in this knee that Mr. Fields is talking about the Bible considering how much of his catalog is about creeping on his wife, other folks wives, wives as a genre, etc. He might be the messenger you shoot.
8. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to clearly see what’s on top!
I wonder if he was like, “I need some more bullet points because I want 10,” so he was just making stuff up here OR was he on a roll with these as personal truisms and this just rolled out of his brain and he slapped it on the table like the Big Joker in Spades.
9. Great people aren’t always great...only when they have to be!
I would dispute this one on the grounds that great people are also probably great even when they don’t have to be but I suppose it’s one of those things where a right answer doesn’t actually exist.
10. If they buy you cheap...they’ll treat you cheap.
Closed it out on some pimp talk. I see you, Dimples.
I don’t know what you will do with Mr. Dimples words and truisms, but we’re all better because they exist. Shouts out to Richard “Dimples” Fields for his work in the entertainment arts.
You are appreciated.
(You’re welcome.)