RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

After teasing this album's release since 2019, it appears that Nicki Minaj's fifth studio album will finally be out to the world. And while it's understandable to be a little bit skeptical, "Pink Friday 2" has been given an exact release date of November 17th. This record is somewhat a sequel to her 2010 debut and Minaj appears ready to venture back to the more pop sounds of her early days. We had gotten a little sample with the first single, "Super Freaky Girl" (which debuted at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart) and the follow-up release, "Last Time I Saw You" is a rap-ballad that features Minaj prominently using her singing voice. This emotional song (written only by Minaj) explores coping with loss as the rapper had her father sadly pass away shortly after the joyous event of the birth of her son.

How many of you remember Exposé? They were a popular female trio who first found success on the dance floor in the mid-eighties before moving over to the pop charts, ruling the US charts until disbanding in 1993. This band was the mastermind of Lewis Martineé, a Miami DJ and producer, who wanted to form a dance group. He found three female singers, called them "Exposé" and put together a single. "Point of No Return" would reach the top of the Billboard Dance chart in 1984 which helped introduce the sounds of Latin freestyle. Record labels became interested, and they eventually signed with Arista Records.

During the recording of the debut album, the original singers either quit or were fired, depending upon who you ask. A new line-up was created with Gioia Bruno, Ann Curless and Jeanette Jurado and their album, "Exposure", released in 1987, became a hit with the singles, "Come Go with Me", "Let Me Be the One" (my favorite), "Seasons Change" and a re-recorded version of "Point of No Return" all reaching the top-ten on the pop chart. The 1989 follow-up album, "What You Don't Know" produced more top-ten hits for Exposé: "When I Looked at Him", "Tell Me Why" and the title track. By the time of their third, 1992 self-titled album, Bruno had left the group due to health issues and was replaced by Kelly Moneymaker, the band was waging a legal battle over profits with Martineé and the album failed to achieve great commercial success. Exposé would first reunite in 2003 and Bruno would rejoin three years later with Moneymaker remaining as an honorary member. In 2007, the singers sued over the rights to use the name "Exposé" and it would take four years for them to win the trademark.







And I would like to pay tribute to a couple of gifted musicians we have lost this month.

Best known for the eerie atmospheric sounds and mystical lyrics of his 1975 hit, "Dream Weaver", Gary Wright passed away on September 4th at the age of eighty. He began his career as a child actor, appearing in the 1954 Broadway production of the musical, "Fanny". But he had always loved playing music, learning how to play several instruments, but after deciding that a career in this field was too unstable, Wright went on to study medicine in college. But a trip to Europe changed his plans to become a doctor, forming his own band and touring throughout the continent. Wright settled in England in 1967, developing connections with other musicians and joining a blues-rock band, Spooky Tooth. After three albums, Spooky Tooth was over, and Wright decided to pursue a solo career in 1970.

His debut, "Extraction" didn't generate much interest, but it did lead to Wright being invited to play piano on George Harrison's 1970 album, "All Things Must Pass". Wright would go to play on several of the former Beatle's subsequent albums, but he hadn't given up on his own musical aspirations. It would take until his third recording effort, "The Dream Weaver" for Wright to breakthrough with the title track (inspired by "Autobiography of a Yogi" which was given to him by Harrison) peaking at number two on the US pop chart. Another song from the album, "Love is Alive" would also only make it to number two on the chart. This would be the highlight of Wright's career, but he would continue to make music, rejoining Spooky Tooth to tour and making nine more solo albums with his last release was "Connected" in 2010.

Steve Harwell, the lead vocalist of the '90's alt-rock band, Smash Mouth, died on September 4th. He had struggled with several health problems over the last decade and was forced to leave the band in 2021. Harwell was only fifty-six. Born in Santa Clara, CA., he began his start in music as part of a rap act called F.O.S. which stood for "Freedom of Speech". They had released a single before Harwell decided what he really wanted to do was rock.

With Greg Coleman on guitar, Paul De Lisle on bass and drummer, Kevin Coleman, Smash Mouth was born in 1994. They were signed with Interscope Records and their 1997 debut album, "Fush Yu Mang" (a take on Al Pacino's bad Cuban accent in "Scarface") featured their first hit, "Walking on the Sun" which reached number two on the US pop chart. Two years later, Smash Mouth broke through with their follow-up album, "Astro Lounge" that had two big hit singles, "All-Star" and "Then The Morning Comes". Harwell and the band also charted with a cover of the Monkees 1966 number-one hit, "I'm a Believer" for the soundtrack of the 2001 animated movie, "Shrek".