I have to start by saying that I find Morrissey an absolutely reprehensible human being. That said, he has a way with words that occasionally taps into great sentiment. And the main hook of “How Soon Is Now?” (“I am human and I need to be loved…”) is one of the great lyrics in rock… Read More “How Soon Is Now?” by The Smiths (1984)
Let’s get the semi-embarrassing part of this out of the way: the first version of “Heroes” I became familiar with was the late ’90s remake by The Wallflowers that was on the soundtrack of the Matthew Broderick Godzilla movie. Did I know that “Heroes” was a Bowie song? Yes. Had I heard it a few… Read More “Heroes” by David Bowie (1977)
Deon Estus was a premier bass player, having apprenticed until legendary Motown session man James Jamerson. Estus’s talents were noticed by pop duo Wham!, and he was hired by the duo and became an integral part of their touring band. Deon appears prominently in the “I’m Your Man” and “Edge of Heaven” videos. Following Wham!’s… Read More “Heaven Help Me” by Deon Estus (1989)
“Heartbeat” was not a ginormous hit upon its 1981 release. It peaked at #6 on Billboard’s dance chart and #10 on the R&B list, and didn’t cross over at all. Back in the days when smashes could be regional, though, “Heartbeat” lit up the dance floors and airwaves in New York City (thanks to DJ… Read More “Heartbeat” by Taana Gardner (1981)
I’m attempting to think of a creative way to discuss Prince’s “Head”, and it might be the fact that I’m a bit under the weather, but the only way I think I can explain it is just to talk about its, uh, plot. Prince is chillin’, as one does, when he passes a young lady… Read More “Head” by Prince (1980)
If you wanted to make a kickin’ dance record in the mid ’80s, you were going to have to follow Prince or one of his acolytes (like the amazing production duo of Jimmy “Jam” Harris and Terry Lewis). George Michael certainly had the Minneapolis sound Prince, Jam, Lewis and others created on his mind when… Read More “Hard Day” by George Michael (1987)
There was a point in late 1990 when it felt like Deee-lite was gonna be the next best thing. They were multicultural (middle-American lead singer, Russian DJ, Asian secondary DJ). They had pop cred, disco cred and hip-hop cred. They had a multitude of influences and some fairly major juice (“Groove is in The Heart”… Read More “Groove Is In The Heart” by Deee-lite (1990)
…In which your favorite blue-haired snot throwing punks grow up? “Good Riddance” finds Billie Joe Armstrong picking up an acoustic guitar, enlisting a string section, and creating a song that would be used to commemorate graduation ceremonies, proms, weddings and the endings of beloved sitcoms for generations to come. In a typical case of “Every… Read More “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)” by Green Day (1997)
“The Glow Of Love” was a turning point in Luther Vandross’s ascension to superstar status. It wasn’t a pop hit, but its influence has been felt in clubland (beyond the fact that it was part of a triumvirate of songs that ruled Billboard‘s Dance/Disco list for over two months) and on Black radio for decades… Read More “The Glow Of Love” by Change (1980)
Early house music produced some absolute bangers. “French Kiss” by Lil’ Louis is one of the songs that defined the genre in the last moments before house became commercial. Truthfully, there’s not much to the song. A wave of synthesizers pulses over the course of nine minutes (in its highly regarded “underground” mix, occasionally punctuated… Read More “French Kiss” by Lil’ Louis & The World (1989)
Five Star Jamz 