“It’s important to meeeeeeeeee…that you know you are freeeeeeeeeeee…” “Hello, It’s Me” is dedicated to someone who wants to be a free spirit. I can appreciate the lyrical sentiment; wanting to love and enjoy someone for the time you share as opposed to thinking of them as belonging to you. It was the first song… Read More “Hello It’s Me” by Todd Rundgren (1972)/The Isley Brothers (1974)
Here are two funky songs with the same title. Both songs pointed towards a shift in Black music. I can explain the difference in the two songs using Soul Train gifs, which is pretty awesome. Here’s a gif that, to me, exemplifies King Floyd’s “Groove Me”. It’s dirty, backwoods funky. Which makes sense, because King… Read More “Groove Me” by King Floyd (1970)/”Groove Me” by Guy (1988)
OK, I’m going to say this now and not bring it up again. The lawsuit the Gaye family brought (and won) against Pharrell and Robin Thicke for “Blurred Lines” is ridiculous. Yes, “Blurred Lines” was clearly inspired by “Got To Give It Up”. But the two songs aren’t the same. The melody lines are different,… Read More “Got To Give It Up (Pt. 1)” by Marvin Gaye (1977)
“Got To Be Real” is pure joy. It’s almost like you can hear the grin on Cheryl Lynn’s face as she’s singing. It helps “Got To Be Real”‘s cause that, vocally, Cheryl Lynn comes across as a mixture of Ethel Merman and Chaka Khan. Her voice has that down-home diva quality to it, but there’s… Read More “Got To Be Real” by Cheryl Lynn (1978)
Deniece Williams is the most famous musician to emerge from Gary. Indiana whose last name isn’t Jackson. Much like Michael and his famous family, though, Niecy has a Motown connection. Her initial entry into stardom was a stint as a background singer for Stevie Wonder-she sings on the majority of his classic ‘70s albums. “Free”… Read More “Free” by Deniece Williams (1976)
Young Americans was the first David Bowie album I fell in love with. It was the easiest point of entry, as soul music is the music I’m most familiar with. Even though I knew Bowie’s ‘80s pop hits, I’d never enjoyed or even perused any of his full albums prior to my 1994-ish discovery of… Read More “Fame” by David Bowie (1975)
There was one major factor that separated L.T.D. from the glut of funk bands that populated the music scene in the mid ‘70s; their lead singer, Jeffrey Osborne. Although Osborne is best known now as a balladeer, he’s an expressive and versatile vocalist who is equally capable with slow jams or funk workouts. I’d actually… Read More “(Every Time I Turn Around) Back In Love Again” by L.T.D. (1977)
Nothing but a funk band, doing their thing over a simmering proto-disco groove. How did I not know these cats were from Brooklyn until just now? Wikipedia didn’t help me this time, either! Last.fm gave me this surprising (to me, anyway) info. Yes, folks, I still scribble like a mug. Anyway, regardless of where B.T.… Read More “Do It (’Til You’re Satisfied)” by B.T. Express (1974)
“Dancing Machine” was notable because after 18 months or so of J5 singles that weren’t exactly big hits, “Dancing Machine” (which turned out to be the brothers’ highest charting single in three years) seemed to right the ship. Turned out that “Dancing Machine” was only a temporary fix, and the Jackson brothers departed Motown less… Read More “Dancing Machine” by The Jackson 5 (1973)
I have a weird appreciation for pop balladry from the early ‘90s, particularly the trebly, semi-new age production of Walter Afanasieff. He did a ton of work with primarily (exclusively?) Columbia Records artists (Celine Dion, NKOTB, Michael Bolton). His productions were the sound of adult contemporary radio for quite a long time. While his productions… Read More “Can’t Let Go” by Mariah Carey (1991)
Five Star Jamz 