tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-211649472011-08-16T23:09:05.441-04:00Andynoreply@blogger.comBlogger1451100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-21953120908365375142007-09-06T22:01:00.000-04:002007-09-06T22:03:08.904-04:00

I've been suspicious of one-named thrushes since Robyn started scoring points beyond the Top 40 crowd (hell, since we confused appreciation of Aaliyah's overrated albums with spectacular consistency with singles), but a handful of listens to Amerie's Because I Love It confirms that she's got the avidity we demand of a wannabe pop sensation. Make no mistake: this is the year's most consistent pop

Alfred Sotohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10465449057630241820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-23485358269477077262007-06-07T10:48:00.001-04:002007-06-07T13:47:58.591-04:00

I give these hacks credit for nothing: while the near-genius manipulation of space, synth strings, and programmed pitter-patter in the first minute sounds amazingly fresh in 2007, it also reminds me of Genesis' "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight." I wouldn't put it past creator Jay King to think that Tony Banks is some kind of keyboard god either.

Alfred Sotohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10465449057630241820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1173902070554150332007-03-14T16:46:00.000-04:002007-03-14T16:54:30.573-04:00

[Note: This was written for a reading I recently did from my volume in the 33 1/3 series on Prince's Sign 'O' the Times, along with Douglas Wolk, who read from his book on James Brown's Live at the Apollo and played an amazing record about James Brown by one of his acolytes. The piece is meant to rectify my utter failure to include the Sign movie as part of the book, which I wrote in two weeks

Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05478091013635418963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1173209845224966672007-03-06T14:35:00.000-05:002007-03-06T14:37:25.236-05:00

The swagger of Seduction combined with the squeaky-cleanness of the Supremes plus utterly of-the-moment New Jill Swing production made for a sublimely sublime single. Perfect, and unfairly lost to the mists of time; what it's time for is a Jade comeback. Oh yes.

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1171473435124206522007-02-14T11:59:00.000-05:002007-02-14T12:17:15.206-05:00

A mix I did this morning in celebration of this most romantic of days.DownloadRaydio- A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)- Arista 1981New Edition- Mr. Telephone Man - RCA 1984Bobby Caldwell- What You Won't Do For Love - Clouds Records 1978Chaka Khan- Through The Fire - Warner Bros. 1984Jeffrey Osborne- On The Wings Of Love - A&M 1984Stevie Wonder- That Girl - Motown 1982Ashford & Simpson- Solid

robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1171390980658183662007-02-13T13:17:00.000-05:002007-02-13T13:35:38.560-05:00

The Ju-Par imprint only lasted for a meager few full lengths and an assortment of 7" singles. It was distributed by Motown from its inception until the late seventies, when the label ceased to exist. Its homebase was 13801 W 8 Mile Rd. For local readers of BAF who want to get a sense of location, that's right around the 8 and Schafer area, on the east side of the Lodge. Rumors also have

robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1170249046388599802007-01-31T07:53:00.000-05:002007-01-31T08:10:46.410-05:00

It goes without saying that if you were from Detroit, you knew about The Scene or The New Dance Show. Airing on WGPR throughout the 70s well into the 90s, TS/TNDS were two of Detroit's most important and original dance music programs. Yes, there were others that came before (Swingin' Time, Teen Town etc.) in the 60s, but none managed to capture the raw energy that Nat Morris/RJ Watkins managed to

robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1170206211955873162007-01-30T19:45:00.000-05:002007-01-30T20:27:47.420-05:00

I wrote about this great obscure Al Green album track today; here's another, to which I alluded but failed to provide the space. "Your Love Is Like The Morning Sun" may be the quiestest song Green ever recorded. His voice a horny murmur still a-quiver after a night of revelatory coitus, Green forces Al Jackson to eschew the heavy bottom for which he was deservedly famous in favor of steady rim

Alfred Sotohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10465449057630241820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1169779792991906312007-01-25T21:36:00.000-05:002007-01-25T21:49:53.010-05:00

It is doubtful this will be the hottest thing you encounter during our suspect Detroit '76-'84 survey, but if you have a sweet spot for sub-EWF MOR R&B from the early '80s (100% guilty here), you ought to find a copy of Harvey Mason's MVP. Session demon Mason is not from Detroit (he's from Atlantic City, to be precise), but Deon Estus -- who is featured throughout the album and happens to be

Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1169052932010234472007-01-17T11:38:00.000-05:002007-01-17T11:55:32.050-05:00

Okay, I'll bite. There's a part of me that wants year-end mini-polls for every genre, anyway (a la Nashville Scene's Country Music Critics Poll).And we're sticking to R&B, right, no hip hop? Okay.01 Ciara - "Promise"02 Kirk Franklin - "Looking for You"03 Beyoncé - "Ring the Alarm"04 Justin Timberlake featuring T.I. - "My Love"05 Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z - "Deja Vu"06 Prince - "Black Sweat"07

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1168970676757505902007-01-16T13:04:00.000-05:002007-01-16T19:25:37.276-05:00

Like last year's list, albeit with a higher percentage of album tracks and no talk:01. Mary J. Blige - "Take Me as I Am"02. Alice Smith - "Love Endeavor (Maurice Fulton Remix)"03. Ciara - "Promise"04. Bugz in the Attic - "Consequences"05. Cassie - "Me and U"06. Omarion - "Ice Box"07. Shareefa - "Phony"08. Christina Aguilera - "Ain't No Other Man"09. Amy Winehouse - "Rehab"10. Prince - "Black

Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1168796135472217012007-01-14T12:33:00.000-05:002007-01-15T20:03:36.666-05:00

Guess how many singles this Detroit/Southfield group placed on the R&B chart? If you're thinking one -- specifically "Shackles," a fairly well-known spring/summer 1984 hit that's something like a Whodini/Cameo mutant on a relatively tight budget -- you'd be off by sixteen. Led by RJ "The Wiz" Rice, RJ's Latest Arrival was around for well over a decade. They were on a different label with every

Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1168656196527371302007-01-12T21:43:00.000-05:002007-01-13T13:30:40.590-05:00

One way to condense a nine-and-a-half song: cut out the middle. This, btw, has been my YouTube holy grail for as long as the site's been up. I'd have posted it a lot earlier but was preoccupied; I also just finally got a new laptop of my own.

Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05478091013635418963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1168637596016034022007-01-12T16:28:00.000-05:002007-01-12T16:42:51.043-05:00

As Rob and I were whipping up new ways to mention Ray Parker Jr. on Back and Forth, we got sidetracked and came up with 40-50 obscure-to-somewhat-popular club-friendly tracks released from 1976 through 1984 that have some form of Detroit connection. We intend to upload and talk about each one. (With a little luck, we'll make it to the middle.) Most of the selections aren't too well known, yet

Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1167793579858219052007-01-02T22:02:00.000-05:002007-01-02T22:07:15.893-05:00

"[W]hen you think of it, none of the other icons in black music were as inventive as James Brown, except maybe Ray Charles. And even Ray Charles was basically just taking gospel and Nat King Cole and kind of putting them together in a new way. He hadn't really invented something new. James Brown invented something new." Alan Leeds talks to Steve Perry about the greatest musician of all time.

Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05478091013635418963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1167231050160792162006-12-27T09:49:00.000-05:002007-01-03T07:31:32.016-05:00

Resolution for 2007: post here more often.In the meantime, Lovefingers has posted their entire backlog of mp3s for a limited time. Go download, be gluttonous and enjoy!

robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1165962372582326892006-12-12T17:24:00.000-05:002006-12-12T17:26:56.060-05:00

"She's a bad son of a gun, I'm her lovin' Don Juan"The video's nothing special, but oh, what a single!

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1164222743915425282006-11-22T14:09:00.000-05:002006-11-22T14:12:23.940-05:00

Most of Zapp and Roger Troutman's output tends to leave me a bit cold; I can only listen to so much vocoder, y'know? But where much of the Troutman catalog succumbs to overkill, "Computer Love" (er, not a Kraftwerk cover) succeeds for the opposite reason: it keeps things simple. For a mid-'80s R&B single made on keyboards and, well, computers (presumably), this is quite a stripped-down single,

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1163734959946802782006-11-16T22:41:00.000-05:002007-01-03T07:31:13.506-05:00

As if Ne-Yo's ego wasn't swollen enough, he goes and writes my favorite Beyonce single by some distance. The thwackety arrangement of "Irreplaceable" is a disappointment, but the star gets a lyric blaringly subtle enough to suit her blaring voice. "I could have another you in a minute/Matter of fact he'll be here in a minute," she shouts in Sean Carter's ear, as if she was singer enough to

Alfred Sotohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10465449057630241820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1163439887195616752006-11-13T12:42:00.000-05:002006-11-13T12:44:47.213-05:00

Yahoo! Launchcast New Jack Swing station 24/7 OMG OMG! (No I don't work for 'em or anything, i'm just super-excited. This is all I'm listening to at work from now on.)

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1163196082418440762006-11-10T17:00:00.000-05:002006-11-10T17:01:22.443-05:00

From HITS Daily Double:LEVERT PASSES: R&B singer Gerald Levert died today after suffering a fatal heart attack at the age of 40. Levert, also known as "G-Bear" to his fans, is featured on Styles P's upcoming album Time Is Money. The soul star was working on a reality show that featured him losing weight along with 12 of his female fans, who lived and trained with Levert for 30 days. Gerald

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1162260215796900422006-10-30T20:56:00.000-05:002007-01-03T07:30:47.566-05:00

I've been searching for this one for about two years now. Here's a sample of it. Anyone who can find an mp3 for me will forever be in my good graces.

robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1161966955775801282006-10-27T12:33:00.000-04:002006-10-27T12:35:55.810-04:00

"You better make tracks fast, on the double/The girl's jazzy but she's nothin' but trouble"This is at least as R&B as anything Surface ever did. Or the Boys.

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1161099179513653912006-10-17T11:18:00.000-04:002006-10-17T11:32:59.543-04:00

What the fuck has to be done to get an American record label to release a definitive (I'll settle for 2 discs) retrospective of Chaka Khan's career?! The only domestic comp of her work is the decade-old Epiphany, which is spotty as hell: 16 tracks, a full 5 of which were new to this album (admittedly including the great Me'shell NdegeOcello collaboration "Never Miss the Water"), and only two

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1161051600893148772006-10-16T22:11:00.000-04:002007-01-03T07:29:16.670-05:00

"Makes me wanna grab my guitar/and play with it all night long," followed by a subtle groping of an uncomplicated chord sequence, may be my favorite musical double entendre of all time. Upon hearing "A Woman Needs Love" at the cafeteria this morning (how often does that happen?), an older teacher friend wondered, "Where IS Ray Parker, Jr. these days?" We got Ludacris and Sean Paul, I said. Ray,

Alfred Sotohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10465449057630241820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1160790081362352272006-10-13T21:39:00.000-04:002007-01-03T07:28:59.513-05:00

What we had and what we lost

robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1160756579942060822006-10-13T12:21:00.000-04:002006-10-13T12:22:59.976-04:00

"I'm even with the blindfold, gagged and bound"

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1160687219819969522006-10-12T16:54:00.000-04:002006-10-12T17:09:16.560-04:00

Directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino in 1994, and very influential on - well, me. I actually wrote a rather extensive analytical paper regarding representations of women and womanhood in videos for a college course*, using this clip, Neneh Cherry's "Buddy X" (also by Mondino) and Madonna's oeuvre as starting points. I'm sure it's got its share of flawed logic, but I nonetheless wish I still had it.

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1159578345649255912006-09-29T20:42:00.000-04:002007-01-03T07:30:27.986-05:00

I remember the precise moment when it became ok for my generation to admit to loving disco: when Lisa Stansfield's "All Around the World" became a massive R&B, dance, and pop crossover hit in the fall of 1989 (I don't discount Jody Watley's decision to wear bellbottoms in the video for "Friends" a few months earlier, though). The third and least known hit from Stansfield's Affection LP is the one

Alfred Sotohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10465449057630241820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1159465407078328002006-09-28T13:40:00.000-04:002006-09-28T13:43:27.113-04:00

Another shock-of-the-new how-the-fuck-had-I-never-heard-this-before?! moment when this came up on my Launchcast, like whoa: this De La track from their 2001 non-starter AOI: Bionix (oh, so that's why I don't know it...) is based around a sample of the squiggly keyboards from friggin' Macca's "Wonderful Christmastime" (they refer to it lyrically, too, in the chorus). The lyrics may or may not be

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1159203960947863102006-09-25T13:03:00.000-04:002006-09-25T13:06:00.966-04:00

Bad-ass. Really, I shouldn't need to say any more.

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1158363360527522812006-09-15T19:30:00.000-04:002006-09-15T19:36:00.546-04:00

By and large the Jets' Polynesian-American pseudo-R&B/pop was crap, but they hit it just once on this peppy, ace uptempo dance-pop confection, just silly enough to be sublime. I'm coming out of the closet: I looooooove "Crush on You," and I won't be ashamed any more.

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1158105529924764662006-09-12T19:16:00.000-04:002006-09-12T20:02:47.456-04:00

OK they're white, but this charted at #15 on the black charts, a little over six years after "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" became the first single to simultaneously hit Number One on the Hot 100. The arrangement is as billowy as the duo's mullets, flaccid almost -- the first time since the late '70s that Daryl Hall and John Oates merely replicated other contemporaneous chart hits rather than

Alfred Sotohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10465449057630241820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1158097076479089732006-09-12T17:18:00.000-04:002006-09-12T17:52:45.566-04:00

"I've been talked about and I've been scorned"Actually, this is the deserving recipient of my "OMG." I have got to get VH1 Soul.Also, disconnexions' YouTube channel is pretty much the (un)official channel of Back and Forth - I mean, for pete's sake, he's got the video for Chuckii Booker's "Turned Away"! What more do you need to know? (BTW, Chuckii's apparently the musical director for Lionel

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1158095735305532492006-09-12T17:12:00.000-04:002006-09-12T17:15:35.306-04:00

OMG. OMG. Just ("just") a performance video, but still.

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1158095222326712092006-09-12T17:02:00.000-04:002006-09-12T17:07:02.366-04:00

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1158088200713180982006-09-12T14:56:00.000-04:002006-09-12T15:10:00.816-04:00

Always one of the highlights of 1998's of-course-it's-uneven-it's-a-'90s-double-album R. for me, "We Ride" services one of R.'s plushest grooves (I mean really, it's so cushy you could damned near fuck it) with verses from the abovelisted guests (and, of course, Kelly's crooning across the chorus). Highlights: Noreaga's "I used to be in Chi-town and collect panties," and Jigga rhyming "hotter

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1157879336179364782006-09-10T05:07:00.000-04:002006-09-10T05:08:56.193-04:00

Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1157766301943238722006-09-08T21:42:00.000-04:002007-01-03T07:29:40.070-05:00

This is one of the most overlooked R&B cuts of this decade. It was on a Snoop Dogg All Stars compilation and the video for it was equally astounding. And the video for it was equally jaw dropping. It's not on YouTube yet, but I can't wait for the day it is.

robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1157749988079454022006-09-08T17:12:00.000-04:002006-09-08T17:13:08.096-04:00

Speaking of the Jones Girls...

Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1157747076868417052006-09-08T16:23:00.000-04:002006-09-08T16:24:36.886-04:00

"Straight R&B, straight R&B, straight R&B"

Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1157745622076431542006-09-08T15:55:00.000-04:002006-09-08T16:00:22.093-04:00

"No, please, cramp my style."-- Me, one day in 198? (as I walked up to the living room television, hugged it, and planted my lips upon the image of the Awesome Mary)

Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1157494417323640542006-09-05T18:04:00.000-04:002006-09-09T14:24:52.883-04:00

Went again this year. Saw and loved: Kanye West (nice string section, lots of energy, Lupe Fiasco not boring, total star power, a cappella verses from next album--Graduation, duh--even more braggadocious than the stuff we know and good for him), Blue Scholars (Seattle hip-hop duo, local champs, total pros, hope the next album jump-starts 'em nationally). Saw and liked: Sharon Jones & the

Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05478091013635418963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1157154166180364932006-09-01T19:27:00.000-04:002006-09-01T20:51:54.560-04:00

Download (62m, 85mb)01. Lenny White - Didn't Know About Love ('Til I Found You) [Elektra 1983]02. The Jones Girls - Nights Over Egypt [Philadelphia Int'l 1981]03. Dexter Wansel - The Sweetest Pain [Philadelphia Int'l 1979]04. Kleeer - Taste the Music [Atlantic 1982]05. Norman Connors - She's Gone [Arista 1981]06. Cheryl Lynn - In the Night [Columbia 1981]07. George Benson - Give Me the

Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1157136506728397122006-09-01T14:20:00.000-04:002006-09-01T14:48:26.783-04:00

Lord, it was less than a decade ago when T-Boz, Left Eye and Chili were runnin' t'ings, when along with Aaliyah, it felt like they were pointing the way forward for music, making all this machine musik, heavy on the weird synths. TLC had vision; they were huge popstars but also pretty cutting-edge (and, I suspect had Left Eye not died, would've gone further out there) by the time of their third

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1156976082399102952006-08-30T18:08:00.000-04:002006-09-02T17:03:50.570-04:00

More on this wondrous song here.Also, the links are obviously in major need of an update, but I really want to single out EJ Flavors' mix-rich site right now. During my first look, I must've said "oh hell yes" 30 times.

Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1156907192915606662006-08-29T23:01:00.000-04:002006-08-30T18:08:12.650-04:00

As I don't have access to post on the parent blog, I feel the need to post something here. It's an amazing dissection of Drexciyan proportions. (thanks ryan!)

robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1156528135905906582006-08-25T13:30:00.000-04:002006-08-25T13:55:32.520-04:00

I'm inevitably the only person 'round these parts who feels this way, but this is stunning. Discovered thanks to Andy's Walter "Cockroach" Bradley - Back to Mine mix, "One Love" is an aces mid-'80s track, to my ears almost more R&B than hip-hop in that while it's based around a simple synth bassline and some Linn drum handclaps, what sucks me in are the icy-cool keyboard stabs. They're nothing

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1155775891306697062006-08-16T20:28:00.000-04:002006-08-16T21:24:31.946-04:00

George Michael, unlike his putative idol Stevie Wonder, is not known for producing other artists. He made an exception for his bass player Deon Estus, co-writing a Top Five pop and Number Three R&B in 1989 that raises the question: what would Michael have sounded like if he'd courted the Sade market? (or another question: how do you keep the royalties pouring in while recording your anticipated

Alfred Sotohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10465449057630241820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1155739715765465912006-08-16T10:45:00.000-04:002006-08-16T19:49:49.256-04:00

Do you think she's talking about bodily fluids?In other news:"Cassie will be forgotten in months! In the meantime, please sign this petition to have her dropped from a label that has suddenly lost some credibility."(Tom Breihan on the money.)

Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1155663431234333372006-08-15T13:30:00.000-04:002006-08-15T13:37:11.260-04:00

A genius moment of b-boy band brilliance: Ralph Tresvant's finest vocal ever (so pleading, so desperate); harmonies as creamy as you've ever heard, let alone from these boys-to-men; new boy Johnny Gill chiming in like a preacher's assistant ("woooo!"); a ridiculously clever lyrical conceit, even if it sounds like a so-bad-it-might-just-work pick-up line ("sorry, you're not my kind of girl/'cause

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1155658142733864132006-08-15T12:00:00.000-04:002006-08-16T21:24:14.396-04:00

What's the most surprising thing about this new track, available as a (really loud) stream? The false ending? The track, computer-y and minimal without sounding remotely electro? The accent he uses on the phrase "la costra nostra" near the end? All that, but I have to go with his shout-out of Murs, which is actually less of a shout-out than a demand that Murs be heard--Snoop's version of "If

Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05478091013635418963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1155170498216297002006-08-09T20:33:00.000-04:002006-08-09T20:42:53.323-04:00

Itchy presents... recent Google hitswhat about me kim carnes james ingramnatural selection do anythingwhat about me carnes ingram rogersmove it in move it out shove itmove it in out disco ladymove it in, move it out shove it inwhatever happened to ray parker, jr.back and forthmove it in move it out shove it in shove it outmove it in move it out shove it indiamond in the back shame shame shame

Itchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855392454634034167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1154971020879984402006-08-07T13:15:00.000-04:002006-08-07T14:03:55.810-04:00

Going on the production work alone, the freeze pitched by "Long Way 2 Go" isn't quite as deep as that of "Me and U." It has a rapid and slightly chirpy keyboard vamp that persistently retraces its steps and regenerates, as well as extended swirls of synthesizer that were possibly learned from Kelis' "Young, Fresh and New." It's also relatively upbeat. Lyrically, it's a flippant dismissal, the

Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1154634850190778112006-08-03T15:31:00.000-04:002006-08-03T19:57:07.076-04:00

Originally I was going to send this mix on a cassette to Cuba to Fidel Castro's hospital room with a get well card and some potato chips, but thought twice after figuring out postage...and then by the time it gets through customs...well...yknow...I don't have Castro's email address, he's not checking his myspace account and his AOLIM screen name is no longer working so instead I'll just post it

robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1154548434877724492006-08-02T15:48:00.000-04:002006-08-02T20:36:33.210-04:00

i dunno about where you live, but man it's hot out. spine crushing hot. this not only has led to a decrease in activity, but also the speed with which said activity commences. i sit online drinking water. i read articles. i'm sure dementia will set in any second now.but before it does, i attempted half heartedly to make a mix. it contains several of the songs Sir Kellman (D-MI) [more like

robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1154356346275703392006-07-31T10:24:00.000-04:002006-07-31T13:05:27.476-04:00

Number two on the neo-boogie '06 chart, just below Escort's "Starlight," is "Consequences." Buried in the second half of the new Bugz in the Attic album, it's a little less obvious about where it sits and could've been dreamt up by Norman Jay. There are slight flashes of Evelyn King, D-Train, Skipworth & Turner, Teena Marie, Aurra, first-album Dayton, and about a dozen more tenuous things. Then

Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1154206718089379202006-07-29T16:57:00.000-04:002006-07-30T15:52:36.103-04:00

Former synth pop group/Garage favorite reinvents themselves as a birth control pill. Marketing plans include a commercial featuring one of the best St. Germain tunes of all time.

robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1154197751123098672006-07-29T13:27:00.000-04:002006-07-30T15:52:03.693-04:00

I look at my lack of postage around here as a sabbatical, but I have forsaken my Motown roots (just when the Tigers are getting good again) and transplanted myself right in the downtown area of Middle America...Lexington, Kentucky.This really isn't conducive to doing an analysis of a song or era, but rather a catalog of things I have stored during the past 24 days on a scrap piece of paper:1. R&B

robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1153966951051027132006-07-26T22:21:00.000-04:002006-07-26T22:22:31.063-04:00

What I said here.

Alfred Sotohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10465449057630241820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1153509522319147822006-07-21T15:17:00.000-04:002006-07-21T15:18:42.333-04:00

New York's Escort is a seven-member coed group of at least three races. "Starlight" is their first single, a loose and steamy neo-Prelude/Salsoul nugget that was released recently on their own label. Dan Balis, who is on Metro Area 6, is the only name in the lineup I recognize, but that's enough of an indicator as to what Escort are about: straight-up boogie. (I wouldn't be surprised to find out

Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1153440341924928922006-07-20T20:01:00.000-04:002006-07-21T20:43:29.586-04:00

Imagine my disappointment when all these years later I'd misheard a key line in the chorus of Anita Baker's "Sweet Love." She sings, "Hear me calling out your name, I feel no shame/I'm in love, sweet love." I thought it was "I feel the shame." The melodramatic plumminess of Baker's vocal had me convinced that the greatest song she ever performed was a most exquisite rendering of unabashed

Alfred Sotohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10465449057630241820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1152328860897094272006-07-07T23:20:00.000-04:002006-07-07T23:21:00.916-04:00

Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1152203298620843542006-07-06T12:16:00.000-04:002006-07-06T12:28:18.656-04:00

Has ever a filthier song been such a #1 (R&B and pop) smash? (I'm not considering Chuck Berry's sadly pathetic "My Ding-a-Ling," a novelty song if ever there was.)Shake it up, shake it downMove it in, move it around, disco ladyMove it in, move it out, move it in, 'round about, disco ladyShake it up, shake it downMove it in, move it around, disco ladyWell, hey sexy ladySaid I like the way you do

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1152150095693665932006-07-05T21:36:00.000-04:002006-07-05T21:41:35.726-04:00

Simply one of my favorite singles of the '90s: a huge hit, stopped from hitting number-one in the fall of 1991 -- in one of those poignant ironies without which life is just another average episode of "Frasier" -- by a killer track sung and composed by the albatross Natural Selection could never escape (the track is "Cream"; the rest is up to you, apostate). "Do Anything" is one of the better

Alfred Sotohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10465449057630241820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1151845198172195332006-07-02T08:54:00.000-04:002006-08-03T20:05:53.806-04:00

Am I crazy in thinking this song should've been all over radio in 1985? My theory is that the programmers heard the worst English accent ever attempted by a Floridian (Howard's no Darryl Jenks, but he shouldn't've felt the need to resort to such tricks to lure the females) and promptly frisbee'd the 12" before the first verse. Or maybe they made it all the way to "While I’m down there, what do

Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1151601904793981182006-06-29T13:21:00.000-04:002006-06-29T13:25:04.810-04:00

An absolutely perfect example of economical songcraft, along with one of my favorite production jobs of the '80s - this has gotta be about the warmest-sounding new jack track ever. (Notable: he later helped Jodeci get their start.) The b-side was, no joke, "Nuit et Jour," and Al B. did a credible job of singing the French translation.

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1151596505829568922006-06-29T11:49:00.000-04:002006-06-29T11:55:07.886-04:00

Yes, it's overdone a bit. Yes, it's (unfairly) become a punchline. Yes, Luther and Mariah's ill-advised cover was even worse then anticipated. But how is it that for all these years - and it's been 25 since this was a #1 single - I've missed how simply pretty this is? Richie wrote the song with a deft, light touch (it's not nearly as florid nor overblown as I've always thought I remembered), and

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1151503305674022172006-06-28T09:59:00.000-04:002006-06-28T18:57:31.000-04:00

Young Rahsaan Patterson (very enthusiastic and physical Lionel Richie and Jeffrey Osborne covers, people)

Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1151421124876596272006-06-27T11:08:00.000-04:002006-06-27T11:12:04.913-04:00

We've fielded complaints about the heavy slant toward very old stuff. It's understandable -- after all, the name of this blog was meant to pay tribute to Cameo and Aaliyah, and there has been a lot more attention paid to the era of the former than the era of the latter. What have I liked from this year? A bunch of stuff, honest... little of which is coming to mind right now. I hope to eventually

Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1151343924200939292006-06-26T13:35:00.000-04:002006-06-26T13:48:43.190-04:00

I really don't mean to sound like a shill here, but this channel is SO worth the $3.99/month (as it's a "premium" station - uh huh!). Just check the last 20 songs I've heard:Next - Too Close*SWV - I'm So Into YouJade - Don't Walk Away**Stevie Wonder - Fun Day***Erykah Badu - On & On (live)****En Vogue - Don't Let Go (Love)*****C+C Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) H-Town

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1151192079585816172006-06-24T19:34:00.000-04:002006-06-26T11:05:39.016-04:00

omg wtf lol, Al Green is a candy-raver pimp with a man-purse, DO NOT MISS

Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05478091013635418963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1151189628925265542006-06-24T18:53:00.000-04:002006-06-24T18:54:33.373-04:00

You remember this guy.

Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05478091013635418963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1151092400466858492006-06-23T15:53:00.000-04:002006-06-23T15:56:31.643-04:00

What you do to the music is just as important as the music itself. Especially when it involves headbands and piping.

Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05478091013635418963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1151091720188933142006-06-23T15:42:00.000-04:002006-06-23T15:43:03.040-04:00

I've enjoyed YouTube without ever getting caught up in it; realizing I could find vintage Solid Gold clips on it has now broken the dam. More to come.

Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05478091013635418963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1151086835488695962006-06-23T14:17:00.000-04:002006-06-23T14:20:35.503-04:00

"A first-class ticket to ecstasy": oh, yes.

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1151030914759560842006-06-22T22:29:00.000-04:002006-06-22T23:00:43.666-04:00

I don't get complaints that Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott's ballads are the least interesting things she records (although commercially that's another story). 2001's "Take Away" does that Timbo lapidary, robotoid groove only he can create; and last year's Scott Storch collaboration "Meltdown" was candid and no-fuss, like sex with your partner after a party.But my favorite is this obscure number

Alfred Sotohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10465449057630241820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1150896515105131152006-06-21T09:26:00.000-04:002006-06-21T09:28:35.123-04:00

My feelings on His Bourgeois Lovingness, for once and for all. Now leave me alone.

Alfred Sotohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10465449057630241820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1150825540772083822006-06-20T13:44:00.000-04:002006-06-20T13:45:40.793-04:00

Just one question: can you woo woo woo?

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1150824111707617762006-06-20T13:16:00.000-04:002006-06-20T13:21:51.826-04:00

Has ever a singer with a thinner voice forged such a career as Jermaine? A career including not just one acknowledged classic (1980's Wonder-ous smash "Let's Get Serious") but another, less-acknowledged one, this very gently rockin' midtempo number from the late '80s. Alright, perhaps "classic" is too strong a word, but it's really quite a lovely little piece of work, akin to "The Girl Is Mine"

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1150736889348202032006-06-19T13:03:00.000-04:002006-06-19T13:08:09.376-04:00

"You know what comes next and you love it, oh"Well, well, well, someone's feeling forward! This whole song, in fact, is awfully sexually forward (mid-'80s, remember) - and also awfully great. Osborne's never gotten the credit he deserves, first as the lead singer of the great, largely overlooked '70s R&B group LTD (cf. "Love Ballad" - they did it first, not George Benson, and they version wallops

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1150392060760010272006-06-15T12:34:00.000-04:002006-06-15T13:21:00.853-04:00

"Then she dropped the whip and removed her skirtShe dove for my body it was head first"Wherein we hear less about how weird Cameo's "She" is, and hear more - much more - about how freaky she is (sexually, of course). A little surprising coming from such a top-tier R&B act (at the time, 1984, they were one of the biggest bands in black music), but then again, it was "only" on a 12" single. Also

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1150322112577082642006-06-14T17:46:00.000-04:002006-06-14T17:55:12.593-04:00

"In other words, I'll walk you till you're dead!"Somehow, I'd missed this line until today. I know that Morris doesn't (necessarily) really mean it, but still. Also: I find the "We don't like new wave!" line hilarious, since both The Time and What Time Is It? ("The Walk" is on the latter) feature plenty of prominent new-wavey synths, courtesy of Monte Moir and a certain Jimmy "Jam" Harris.

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1150145139719938072006-06-12T16:41:00.000-04:002006-06-12T16:45:39.736-04:00

Was WBMX the greatest radio station ever? Quite possibly - and thanks to the 'net, you can judge for yourself. Seriously hotttt. Not only are there streaming channels of all their various variants (from old-school hip-hop to '90s dance crossovers to freestyle), but there's a live365 station of their bread-and-butter, real black music from the late '70s and early '80s (right here's the spot). This

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1149306823318568282006-06-02T23:23:00.000-04:002006-06-02T23:57:40.473-04:00

With the recent binging and purging of the mighty mighty Motown vaults, the music community is ever so slightly retuning their ears to the lost soul sounds of the Motor City (even if Jack White is leading the exodus of well groomed rockers to Nashville). This...in my ears...can only be a good thing. From the earliest of R&B tunes from the 50s all the way up to the hysterical antics of Sammy Davis

robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1148992839698340302006-05-30T08:40:00.000-04:002006-05-30T08:40:39.720-04:00

because we haven't had an RPJ post in a bit:

robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1148490820949464072006-05-24T13:11:00.000-04:002006-05-24T13:13:40.990-04:00

I'm not sure what the proper protocol is (if there is any) for linking another blog that freely shares copywrited material, but this guy's got a healthy dose of zip files with obscure and popular quiet storm jams. If I wasn't in such a bright summery mood I would be downloading these files like they were going out of style. The text and formatting of the site is a nightmare to navigate, but think

robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1148421532558951212006-05-23T17:56:00.000-04:002006-05-23T17:58:52.663-04:00

Did I hear someone say "Jackson[s]"?

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1148394477688306002006-05-23T10:25:00.000-04:002006-05-23T10:27:57.690-04:00

The mad scientist took a dash of the DeFranco Family and mixed it with some Jackson DNA.

robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1148394188122344412006-05-23T10:15:00.000-04:002006-05-23T10:23:08.136-04:00

Previously Unreleased (!!!!) Autopsy results show a man was shot in the back when he was killed by New Orleans police in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The autopsy contradicts testimony by a police sergeant that the victim had turned toward officers and was reaching into his waistband when shot!!! Ronald Madison was shot when police responded to a report of gunfire from a bridge six days

robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1147987431838906162006-05-18T17:23:00.000-04:002006-05-18T17:25:49.280-04:00

Lately - due to SELFPROMOTIONSELFPROMOTIONSELFPROMOTION taking a fresh look at "Bad" over at Rock Me Tonight - I've been listening, again, to MJ's Ultimate Collection. What an awful name for a boxed set of these proportions; even Jermaine's got one with that title. That's a minor quibble, however. More serious an issue is all the drecky balladry the set's littered with. That being said, for my

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1147279436198310482006-05-10T12:42:00.000-04:002006-05-10T13:37:49.336-04:00

Alf, will you quit harassing me now that Rock Me Tonight is back in business? (Warning: includes more completely obsessive Stephanie Mills worship.)

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1146792886130724832006-05-04T19:53:00.000-04:002006-05-04T21:34:46.183-04:00

I recently wrote this review for Stylus, only to discover that the album's tracklisting as released is not the same as the promos which BBE sent out. I still like what I wrote, however, and I presume the album as released is still pretty good - so here's my original review. *Acid jazz didn’t die.That’s the first revelation taken from The Kings of Jazz, BBE’s latest entry in their Kings of series

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1146618199444506952006-05-02T20:50:00.000-04:002006-05-02T21:04:12.233-04:00

Or, John Cassevetes of Rosemary's Baby Crawling Into Your Bed: saturnine, insensate, reeking of love-technique, with promises of warmth and eternal comfort. You finish the chocolate mousse and lie back to enjoy him, too drunk with pleasure to register that it's Satan fucking the shit out of you, his courtiers tinkling a piano and coaxing an ethereal, vaguely disturbing melody from a willing flute

Alfred Sotohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10465449057630241820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1146608529469222362006-05-02T18:03:00.000-04:002006-05-02T18:34:53.650-04:00

Say Hallelujah! Kirk Franklin's finally recaptured the popgasmic magic he bottled and sold (like deep-fried candy bars at a midwestern state fair) on 1997's "Stomp" (credited to God's Property, but really a Franklin track). He accents the disco-kissed "Looking for You" (taken from 2005's Hero) with his "Preach, Preacha!" brand of exhortation (a la Diddy), but the single's really not about him;

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1146495780704949482006-05-01T10:47:00.000-04:002006-05-08T14:31:48.836-04:00

[Note: This is the script to a talk I recently gave at the Experience Music Project's 2006 Pop Music Studies Conference, for which I served on the programming committee. It was a great deal of fun and my paper came off well, which was especially nice given how personal it gets at the end. I ad libbed here and there but mostly stuck to what you see below.--Michaelangelo Matos]Let’s start with a

Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05478091013635418963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1145051919086776912006-04-14T16:07:00.000-04:002006-04-14T18:05:25.586-04:00

While taking a break from writing something else I believe many of you will be interested in...My rapturous love for Stephanie Mills is already well documented, but that's no reason not to gush some more. I recently bought her new Gold comp - and, excepting/accepting the fact that single edits are often used, can we all agree that Universal is doing a downright stellar job with this series? - and

Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1144986810541197242006-04-13T23:48:00.000-04:002006-04-13T23:53:30.553-04:00

I just put this together, which Boogie Fever fans may find useful--each write-up links to downloads accessible via subscription to the site. (At the risk of being unseemly, it is a good bargain.) At the very least, this should kick me in the ass to maybe write some more of them up, no?

Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05478091013635418963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1144929007943185592006-04-13T07:39:00.000-04:002006-04-13T07:52:29.063-04:00

"Jump" was one of the first 45s I bought. Later on, my dad bought Break Out on CD for me and I was amazed to discover that a song ("Automatic") I had previously thought to be by Stevie Wonder was on there. Many minutes were spent staring within the hole of June's shirt.Years later I discovered that they did "Pinball Number Count," a song that has been stuck inside my head for most of my

Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21164947.post-1143772538756012852006-03-30T21:20:00.000-05:002006-03-30T21:40:49.340-05:00

Seems odd that a band most of the contributors to this site seem to feel completely meh about is now up to three posts, but there you go. In any case, this one isn't about Kool & the Gang per se, but about J Dilla. From the new issue of Scratch, ?uestlove: "It all goes back to Jay Dee. There's a Kool & the Gang song he sampled, 'Fruitman' [Ed. Note: used for 'The Diff'rence' on Donuts]. That was

Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05478091013635418963noreply@blogger.com