You know that feeling when a bassline hits and you just know? That’s "Forget Me Nots." Released in 1982, it’s a track that basically defined an era of post-disco R&B, but calling it just "a song" feels like an insult. It's a masterclass in groove. Patrice Rushen wasn't just some singer the label found and threw into a booth; she was—and is—a child prodigy, a classically trained pianist, and a jazz fusion heavyweight who decided to conquer the pop world on her own terms.
When you listen to Send Me Forget Me Nots, you aren't just hearing a radio hit. You’re hearing a very specific intersection of high-level musicianship and dancefloor accessibility. Most people recognize the clap-heavy beat or the infectious "help me to remember" hook, but there is so much more going on under the hood of this record than most 80s pop junkies realize.
The Bassline That Changed Everything
Let’s talk about Freddie Washington. If you play bass, he’s your god. That iconic, popping riff in Send Me Forget Me Nots is arguably one of the top five basslines in the history of recorded music. It’s syncopated. It’s aggressive but smooth. It’s also incredibly difficult to play correctly because the timing is so "behind the beat."
Washington actually used a Fender Precision Bass for the session, contrary to some gear-head myths. He wasn't trying to make a hit; he was just trying to find something that locked in with the drums. That "thump" you hear? That’s soul. It’s the reason the song has been sampled more times than most people can count.
Will Smith’s "Men in Black" is the obvious one. George Michael’s "Fastlove" is another. But even beyond the literal samples, the DNA of this track is everywhere in modern funk.
Why the lyrics actually matter
Usually, 80s dance tracks have pretty throwaway lyrics. You get a "baby, baby" and a "dance all night," and that’s about it. But Rushen’s lyrics for Send Me Forget Me Nots have this weird, melancholic edge to them. She’s singing about a relationship that’s fading, using the flower as a literal symbol for memory.
"I sent you those flowers / Because I'm reaching out for you."
It’s a plea. It’s actually kinda sad if you stop dancing for five seconds to think about it. The juxtaposition of that upbeat, joyous production with a lyric about desperately trying not to be forgotten is what gives the song its staying power. It isn't just a happy song. It’s a human song.
Patrice Rushen: The Architect
We have to talk about Patrice as a producer. In the early 80s, the recording studio was a boys' club. Women were expected to show up, look pretty, sing the notes, and go home. Patrice Rushen said "no thanks" to that.
💡 You might also like: Ashley My 600 Pound Life Now: What Really Happened to the Show’s Most Memorable Ashleys
She produced Straight from the Heart herself. She wrote the arrangements. She played the keys. She was the one making the executive decisions on how the horns should sound.
Honestly, it’s criminal how often she’s left out of the conversation regarding great producers of the 20th century. She was doing what Prince was doing—controlling every single aspect of the sonic landscape—but she was doing it within the framework of sophisticated R&B and jazz.
The Gear and the Sound
The synth work on Send Me Forget Me Nots is a perfect example of 1982 technology. You’ve got the Prophet-5 in there, providing those lush, warm textures that modern VSTs still try to emulate. There’s a crispness to the recording that comes from high-end analog tape.
Listen to the bridge. The way the chords shift isn't standard I-IV-V blues progression stuff. It’s jazz. Rushen’s background at the University of Southern California (USC) and her time in the jazz circuit meant she couldn't help but make the harmony more interesting than her peers.
Why It Still Works in 2026
Trends come and go. We went through the EDM phase, the mumble rap phase, and the hyperpop phase. Yet, if you drop Send Me Forget Me Nots at a wedding, a club in Brooklyn, or a festival in London today, the reaction is the same. People lose it.
The "vibe" is timeless.
There's a specific technical reason for this called "The Pocket." The song sits in a tempo—around 114 BPM—that is perfectly suited for human movement. It’s faster than a stroll but slower than a sprint. It’s the tempo of a confident walk.
- The Drum Machine: They used a Roland TR-808, but it was blended with live percussion to give it that "heartbeat" feel.
- The Vocals: Patrice isn't over-singing. She isn't doing Mariah Carey-style runs. She’s cool. She’s restrained.
- The Handclaps: They are slightly "wet" with reverb, creating a sense of space that makes you feel like you're in the room with the band.
Misconceptions About the Song
One thing that drives me crazy is when people call Patrice Rushen a "one-hit wonder."
📖 Related: Album Hopes and Fears: Why We Obsess Over Music That Doesn't Exist Yet
First of all, "Forget Me Nots" was her biggest crossover hit, but she had a massive career in jazz and film scoring. She was the first female musical director for the Grammys. She’s scored movies. She’s an academic.
Second, the song wasn't an instant smash on the pop charts. It had to climb. It started in the R&B clubs, moved to the "Black stations" (as they were called then), and finally forced its way onto Top 40 radio because the demand was simply too high to ignore. It peaked at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100, which might seem low given its legacy, but its impact on the Dance and R&B charts was total domination.
The Men in Black Effect
In 1997, Will Smith released "Men in Black." It used the melody and the hook from Send Me Forget Me Nots almost wholesale.
For a lot of Millennials and Gen Z, this was their introduction to Patrice’s work. While some purists hated it, Patrice has been pretty vocal about the fact that samples keep the legacy alive—and the royalty checks aren't bad either. It introduced a whole new generation to that signature bassline.
Interestingly, Smith’s version stripped away some of the harmonic complexity of the original to make it more "pop-rap," which only highlights how sophisticated Patrice’s original arrangement actually was.
The Technical Brilliance of the Mix
If you’re a producer or an engineer, you should study this track. The separation of instruments is incredible.
The kick drum doesn't fight the bass. The vocals sit right on top without being harsh. There is a lot of "air" in the mix. In modern music, we tend to compress everything until it’s a flat wall of sound. In 1982, they let the instruments breathe.
When you hear the "send me forget me nots" refrain, notice the backing vocals. They are layered in a way that feels like a choir, but a very intimate one. It’s not a wall of 50 voices; it’s a handful of perfectly placed tracks.
👉 See also: The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads: Why This Live Album Still Beats the Studio Records
How to Experience This Track Properly
Don't just listen to it on your phone speakers. Please.
To really get what Patrice was doing, you need something with a decent low end. You need to hear the vibration of that bass string.
- Find the 12-inch Version: The extended version is superior. It gives the groove more time to develop. It lets the bridge breathe.
- Listen for the Percussion: There are small woodblock hits and shaker patterns buried in the mix that you only hear on a third or fourth listen.
- Check out the Live Versions: Watching Patrice play this live while simultaneously killing it on the Rhodes piano is a religious experience for any music fan.
Practical Steps for the Music Obsessed
If you want to dive deeper into this sound, don't stop at this one song.
Start by listening to the rest of the Straight from the Heart album. It’s a flawless record. From there, go backward into her jazz fusion stuff like Garden of Love. You’ll start to see the threads of how a jazz brain constructs a pop song.
Analyze the bass work of Freddie Washington. He has played on thousands of tracks, and his "language" on the instrument is a cornerstone of American music.
Lastly, look at the production credits of the early 80s Elektra Records era. There was a specific "West Coast" R&B sound—clean, sophisticated, and slightly jazzy—that Patrice helped pioneer. It’s a rabbit hole worth falling down.
Ultimately, Send Me Forget Me Nots isn't just a nostalgic 80s relic. It’s a high-water mark for what happens when a brilliant musical mind decides to make something that people can actually dance to. It’s proof that pop music doesn't have to be "dumb" to be popular. It can be complex, soulful, and technically perfect all at once.
Go back and listen to it again. Focus on the bass. Then focus on the keys. Then just let it take you. That’s the power of Patrice Rushen.
Next Steps for Deep Listening:
- Analyze the "Men in Black" vs. Original: Compare the harmonic structures to see what was simplified for the 90s radio edit.
- Explore Freddie Washington's Discography: Look for his work with Steely Dan or Herbie Hancock to see how his "Forget Me Nots" style evolved.
- Track the 808 Evolution: Identify the specific TR-808 settings used in the song to understand why it sounds more "organic" than the robotic 808 sounds of the later 80s.
- Study the Vocal Arrangement: Note how Patrice uses her own voice to create her own "horn section" style harmonies in the background.