At the conclusion of the buzzy, new movie, "Saltburn" from Emerald Fennell (and no, I will not spoil it for anyone who has not seen this film yet), a song plays that I hadn't heard in years. "Murder on the Dance Floor", co-written and performed by Sophie Ellis-Bextor is a lively dose of Euro-disco that is used perfectly in just one of many strange, uninhibited moments in this divisive dark comedy.
While this song was popular back in 2001, reaching the top-ten on the singles chart in Ellis-Bextor's home country of Britain and many other countries across the globe, "Murder" didn't get much attention here in the US. Perhaps "Saltburn" will inspire some adventureous folks on TikTok to help change that.
The now forty-four year old singer and mother of five is still making music, just releasing her seventh studio album, "Hana" last summer. The music video for "Murder on the Dance Floor" is set at a dance competition with Ellis-Bextor willing to do anything to win the award of golden pumps.
My tune of the day is "Cat's in the Cradle" from Harry Chapin, a big hit for the folk-rock singer in 1974. I have been hearing this song frequently lately and always loved songs that tell a story. This is a wistful tale about fatherhood, exploring what is actually essential in being a successful parent. Written by Chapin and his wife, Sandy Gaston, "Cat's in the Cradle" began as a poem that Sandy had started. After the birth of their first son, Chapin became interested in returning to this poem and putting music to it. Chapin would earn a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011.
While he enjoyed worldwide popularity throughout his career, "Cat's in the Cradle" would be Chapin's biggest hit song (reaching number one on the US pop charts) and has remained his most enduring. In addition to his music, Chapin (who passed away at thirty-eight in 1981 following a fatal car accident) was also known for his philanthropy and dedication in ending world hunger.
This tune of the day is actually a reason to talk about the television special, "Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince" that aired on April 21st. This program was in order to honor the memory and career of the prolific, gifted musical artist who passed away on this date four years ago which is still really shocking to believe. The actress and comedian, Maya Rudolph hosted the event (and briefly performed with Gretchen Lieberum as a part of their tribute band to Prince, Princess) with a a variety of musicians coming out to entertain with their versions of the Purple One's Greatest hits.
As to be expected, there were some thrilling performances (H.E.R. and Gary Clark, Jr. doing a guitar-heavy cover of "Let’s Go Crazy"; the Foo Fighters delivering their version of "Darling Nikki" and the reunion of Morris Day and The Time who came together to do several of their big hits) and a few that failed to generate much excitement (Susanna Hoffs teaming with Chris Martin of Coldplay to turn the Bangles', "Manic Monday" in to an odd ballad; Beck singing a lackluster cover of "Raspberry Beret"; Usher doing a reprise of his Prince medley performance from this year's Grammys but singer, FKA Twigs was still only being used as a back-up dancer). Sheila E. was a constant presence throughout the show, playing as a backing musician for all of the acts and the dazzling percussionist even had the chance in the spotlight with an electrifying performance of her Prince produced smash, "The Glamorous Life".
One of my favorite moments of the evening was Earth, Wind and Fire doing an impressive cover of Prince's "Adore" from his 1987 album, "Sign o' the Times". Philip Bailey's distinctive falsetto sent this beautiful ballad soaring and the band made their version a highlight of the show. As "Adore" is one of my favorite songs by Prince, I have made it my tune of the day. Please listen and enjoy:
I am sure everyone is familiar with the empowerment anthem, "I Will Survive" made famous by Gloria Gaynor back in 1978. It was released in the glory days of disco and has endured to become a true classic as it was inducted in to the National Recording Registry for preservation and was the only winner of the very short-lived Grammy Award for Best Disco Recording.
While many people love this popular song, I have to admit I've never been much of a fan. I do admire the reassuring lyrics but (and really no shade intended) I think that Gaynor's take of the song is just okay and actually tend to turn the channel when it’s playing on the radio.
There have been several interesting covers of "I Will Survive" that have been made over the years from Diana Ross to alt-rockers, Cake. But my favorite is by Chantay Savage. The r&b vocalist transformed it in to a moving ballad in 1996 and it became a modest success. This version made it to number twelve in the UK, peaked at number twenty-four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top-five on the r&b/hip-hop chart.
This tune is a song I have heard many times and my reaction is the same every time I hear it. So this time I want to make a comment on this.
"Woman To Woman" was a number one soul hit in 1974 for Shirley Brown and even crossed over to the pop chart, reaching number twenty-two. She was an artist on Stax Records with this single selling over a million copies and was one of the last big records for the legendary label.
If you are not familiar with this tune, let me fill you in; the song starts off in spoken word with Shirley finding the phone number of her man's mistress, Barbara in his pockets and decides to call her. Now I can understand someone wanting to confront a person messing with their spouse and setting them straight but Shirley lost me completely when she rattles off her reasons why Barbara should back off. She proceeds to boast that she pays for her man's clothes, car and "every piece of food he eats" and will do anything to keep him. It just seems sad to me that this woman so desperately wants to hang on to her cheating man who clearly doesn't respect her nor appreciate everything she has done for him. I know I may be betraying my gender but I think she deserves better than this. Have a listen to the song and judge for yourself:
The following year, Barbara Mason (best known for her 1965 hit, "Yes, I'm Ready") came out with an answer song to Shirley Brown's tune. After a lengthy musical intro and a snippet of Brown's opening line "Barbara, this is Shirley", "From His Woman To You" tells Barbara's side of this affair. What I find humorous is that the man in the middle of all this drama between these women remained silent. Now that's an answer song I would have liked to have heard. Here's a bonus of Barbara Mason's song:
Today's tune comes from Stevie Wonder who has reliably given us wonderful music throughout the years. "If You Really Love Me" is such an amazing song with it's unusual arrangement and vibrant vocals. America agreed as this single reached number eight on the pop chart and number four on the r&b chart.
This song came off of Wonder's 1970 album "Where I'm Coming From" which was written by the then twenty-year old singer and his new bride, Syreeta Wright, a songwriter, singer and former secretary at Motown. The album was released with much resistance from Berry Gordy who liked to have complete control over the content of his label's artists. However, Wonder wanted to be able to creatively express himself without interference to explore different musical ideas and write about social issues.
This caused some serious tension between Wonder and Motown. When he turned twenty-one, his recording contract had a clause which allowed Wonder to void it upon becoming legally an adult and refused to resign with the label. During this standoff, Wonder worked on his music independently before finally signing a new contract with Motown in 1972 which allowed him complete creative control and a higher royalty rate.
After all the drama, the singer's most successful and popular period began, leading to the albums, "Innervisions", "Fulfillingness' First Finale" (with each winning Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards) and "Talking Book" (which features the classic songs, "You Are The Sunshine of My Life" and "Superstition").
Today's tune is "Girl You Know It's True" by Milli Vanilli. As you may recall, this euro-pop group, made up of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus, hit the top of the charts across the globe with this first single back in 1988. Other hit songs followed with Milli Vanilli selling millions of records and would go on to take the Grammy for Best New Artist.
Their success would come to a shocking end after it was revealed that Morvan and Pilatus had not actually sang any of the lead vocals on their debut album. Unimpressed with their singing abilities but admiring their look, producer Frank Farian decided to provide the voice of Milli Vanilli while the two attractive men would simply be the face of the group. The outrage of this deception was fast and furious with their record label dropping them and pulling their music out of circulation, multiple lawsuits and the Grammys revoking the duo's prize.
After their fall from grace, producer Farian released another Milli Vanilli album in 1990 that featured the real singers on the cover and Rob & Fab actually sang on their own self-titled album in 1992 but by this time, the public was no longer interested.
As for the song itself, it still holds up well despite all of the drama behind it. Milli Vanilli may now represent a shameful time in pop music but "Girl You Know It's True" was one of the early songs that helped usher in the new jack city sound of the early '90's.
Today's tune took me by surprise as this great new song comes from an artist I never would have expected. When Carly Rae Jepsen was taking the world by storm with her irresistibly catchy, "Call Me Maybe" back in 2012, I thought it was a fun little tune but she would simply end up being added to the long list of one-hit wonders.
This third-place runner-up on Canadian Idol just dropped some new music last month with "I Really Like You". While it's another solid pop song, most of the attention it's received is due to the music video that features not only fellow Canadian Justin Bieber but movie star, Tom Hanks.
Jepsen made a recent appearance on "Saturday Night Live" as the musical guest where she debuted an impressive new song, "All That", a sexy slo-jam that features a 1980's era Prince vibe. Written by Jepsen and Dev Hynes (or as he's better known Blood Orange), this is an unexpected sound from the singer with a sweet, girl-next-door image but she convinces with breathy, sensual vocals. Now, I don't know if she's actually escaped the dreaded one-hit tag but this song may be a very good indication that her upcoming record (due sometime this summer) should be interesting.
I was surprised to see that Joni Mitchell, the iconic singer/songwriter, now appears to be a fashion model. The seventy-one year old legend is part of the spring ad campaign for Saint Laurent Paris along with other stylish rockers, Kim Gordon, Marilyn Manson and Marianne Faithfull. This inspired me to take a look back at the music of Mitchell, who has pretty much retired as a musician and her focus now is just painting.
Today's tune is "Big Yellow Taxi" and the environmental concerns covered in the song seem even more relevant today. During her first trip to Hawaii, Mitchell was shocked to see in the middle of this beautiful paradise was a large, ugly parking lot and quickly put her thoughts to music.
The original studio version of the song was released in 1970 and became a hit in Australia, Britain and her native Canada. The live recording came out four years later and reached the top-forty in America. Many other artists have covered "Big Yellow Taxi" with versions by Amy Grant and Counting Crows becoming very popular.
"Big Yellow Taxi" - Joni Mitchell (1974)
"Big Yellow Taxi" was famously sampled by Janet Jackson on "Got 'Til It's Gone", one of my all-time favorite tunes by the artist. Check out the great music video directed by film maker,Mark Romanek:
Here's a song that I love that takes me back to my childhood. "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" by Paul McCartney and featuring his wife, Linda is a tune that mashes up some wacky sound effects and nonsensical lyrics to create one of the strangest pop songs ever. I didn't have any clue what this song was actually about as a nine year old and now being much older, I still couldn't tell you.
Apparently, McCartney pieced together fragments of several different songs he had been working on to build this one and he did actually have a beloved uncle named Albert. Rumor has it that this song was a veiled attack on his former band mates, particularly John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono but who really knows?
Taken from his second solo release, "Ram","Uncle Albert" was McCartney's first U.S. number one hit since he left The Beatles and before he went on to form his new band, Wings later in 1971.
"Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" - Paul & Linda McCartney (1971)
Sarah Dash, Nona Hendryx, Sundray Tucker and Patricia Holt were Philly high-school teens who came together to form the singing group, The Ordettes in 1959. Tucker had to drop out due to failing grades and was replaced by Cindy Birdsong. The group was renamed The Blue Belles and became a popular live act but were unable to find the same success as recording artists.
Due to a pending lawsuit over the name "The Blue Belles", their management decided to have lead singer, Holt change her name to "Patti LaBelle" and the group was now known as Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles. The ladies stood out from the other girl-groups of the era as their sound was grittier and more gospel-based although that still didn't help them sell many records.
After Birdsong left to replace Florence Ballard in The Supremes in 1967, things went downhill for this struggling act. The Blue Belles were dropped from their record label, then from their management and soon had difficulties finding work.
The fortunes of this now-trio was about to change thanks to their new manager, Vicki Wickham. First, she had the ladies spend some time in London to immerse themselves in the rock scene there and encouraged them to incorporated these songs into their performance. Wickham also wanted them to wear flashy, glam-rock inspired stage costumes and change their name to simply "LaBelle". They were reluctant, fearful of alienating their fans but decided to take a chance. LaBelle started to get noticed; they recorded and toured with Laura Nyro and opened for the Rolling Stones during part of their U.S. tour but still could not get a hit record.
"Nightbirds" was their fourth album on their third record label as LaBelle and they were teamed-up with New Orleans musician, Allen Toussaint to produce. This proved to be a magical collaboration as the first single, "Lady Marmalade" was a major global smash. This racy song, about a New Orleans prostitute, topped the U.S. pop chart in 1974 and would later be inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003.
My tune is the follow-up single, "What Can I Do For You?". While this wasn't nearly as popular as the lead, I think its an amazing song. This plea for love and tolerance is elevated by the soaring harmonious voices of these exquisite singers. LaBelle went their separate ways in 1977 and each pursued a solo career with varied success. Then, thirty-one years later, Patti LaBelle, Sarah Dash and Nona Hendryx reunited as LaBelle and released an album, "Back To Now" in 2008.
Listen and enjoy my tune of the day:
"What Can I Do For You?" - LaBelle (1974)
As a bonus, here is LaBelle performing "Lady Marmalade" live on Soul Train:
Today's tune is "We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off" by Jermaine Stewart. The song, suggesting to simply enjoy a glass of wine and some dancing instead of a casual romp, is a highly unusual request particularly coming from a male. But that's exactly what makes this slick bit of dance-pop so irresistible with Mr. Stewart selling it so convincingly.
To be honest, I don't really recall Stewart when he was dancing on "Soul Train" but I do remember his friends, Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel on the show. They all went to audition for Don Cornelius when he decided to create a singing group. However, only Watley and Daniel were accepted which would later evolved in to the hit r&b trio, Shalamar. Not discouraged, Stewart worked on demos and performed background work for Culture Club. This helped the artist get signed to Arista Records and recording his first album, "The Word Is Out" in 1984. The title track was only a minor success but helped indicate that the singer was one to watch.
The next album, "Frantic Romantic" featured "We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off". The song reached the top-five in the U.S. and Britain and became his biggest hit. Stewart went on to release two more albums, "Say It Again" (1987) and "What Becomes a Legend Most" (1989) that were pretty much ignored in America but found greater success in Europe. Sadly, Jermaine Stewart passed away in 1997 due to an AIDS-related illness.
I really loved the music video for this tune because it's fun and full of energy much like the song. I also appreciated the singer's flamboyant sense of style. Enjoy the sight and sounds from Mr. Jermaine Stewart:
As a bonus, here is the follow-up single from "Frantic Romantic" that was a tribute to his good friend, Jody Watley:
Out of over 5000 songs on my Ipod, the song that has been played the most is . . . "Don't Let It Go To Your Head" by Jean Carne at nineteen times. Although my pod is played on shuffle mode most of the times, I really love this tune as Ms Carne's soaring vocals makes it extra special.
The Atlanta-raised singer (born Sarah Jean Perkins) was a gifted child prodigy with a five-octave range who sang in her church's choir at the age of four. She went on to learn the piano and clarinet. Perkins attended Julliard in New York where she met her future husband, Doug Carn, a jazz musician. Carne (who later added an "e" to her name due to the advice by a numerologist) performed as a vocalist with her husband's band and recorded three albums together. After separating from Carn, she went on to collaborate with musician/producer, Norman Connors which lead to background vocal work with George Duke and Earth, Wind & Fire.
By 1976, she signed with Philadelphia International Records and went on to record four solo albums on the label. Carne made many appearances on the disco and r&b charts over the years with her song, "Closer Than Close" reaching the top spot on the r&b chart in 1986. Jean Carne currently resides in Atlanta and still occasionally performs.
We are finally getting some much needed rain here in Los Angeles today. I haven't seen rain fall like this in many years, so why not share the song, "It Never Rains In Southern California". However, there are two completely different songs that have that title.
The first was recorded by Albert Hammond, a British rock artist who co-wrote the semi-autobiographical song about a singer coming to L.A. to try and make it in the business but struggles in this highly competitive city. "It Never Rains In Southern California" reached the U.S top five in 1972 and became his only hit.
Due to a sad and unfortunate circumstance, I am now in Michigan and to me, it's just too cold. Although I grew-up here, I have lived in Los Angeles for over twenty-five years and have managed to avoid the bitter winter season. The song that keeps popping in my head is that classic, "California Dreamin'" by the Mamas and The Papas. This is probably the first time in my life that the lyrics actually connect to me.
Written by group members, John Phillips and his then-wife, Michelle shortly before getting signed to a recording contract by Lou Adler with Denny Doherty and "Mama" Cass Elliot. This song was first recorded by Barry McGuire which they provided background vocals. The Mamas and The Papas later recorded their own version using the original backing track with additional instrumentation. Their take of "California Dreamin'" didn't exactly get much attention initially but after a Boston radio station started spinning the record, the song broke through nationally. The record became their first major hit with it peaking at number four on the Billboard pop chart. This song has continued to endure in popularity with it being recorded by many different artists.
"California Dreamin'" - The Mamas & The Papas (1965)
When I first heard the top-ten hit,"They Don't Know" by Tracey Ullman back in 1983, I just thought she was simply some new British singer. She would later quickly become much more than that.
After her short-lived singing career, Ullman turned her attention to acting, particularly comedy and found great success on several English skit shows. The next time I heard about Tracey Ullman, she was premiering an American variety program, "The Tracey Ullman Show" that hit the airwaves in 1987. It became a popular show, winning several Emmys and introduced the animated characters, "The Simpsons" to the world (which spun-off to their own show in 1989 and now celebrating twenty-five years on the air). The talented Ullman would move on to films and HBO comedy specials and never looked back on her brief moment in music.
Today's tune was actually a cover of a song written and performed by Kirsty MacColl. Her version was also a hit, reaching number two on the U.K pop chart in 1979. There isn't a major difference between the two songs although Ullman's take has a more fun, poppy feel. MacColl passed away in 2000 during a freak boating accident in Mexico.
"They Don't Know" - Tracey Ullman (1983)
Here is a bonus of Kirsty MacColl's performance of the same tune:
This nonsensical chant is what opens "Hooked on a Feeling", the number one pop hit from 1974. The Swedish band, Blue Swede took the easy listening tune originally done by B.J. Thomas (reaching the top-five in 1968) and added their own odd but memorable way to kick off this love song. I remember hearing this as a kid and having no idea what these weird sounds were supposed to mean in regards to the song. Now, being a little bit older, it's still kinda lost on me but it works.
Today's tune comes courtesy of my Ipod after the sultry version of "Reach Out I'll Be There" by Diana Ross popped up on shuffle. I hadn't heard it in a while and decided to share.
After successfully remaking the Marvin Gaye& Tammi Terrell classic, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" in 1970 (and became her first number one single as a solo artist), Miss Ross later took on another popular Motown song and completely reworked it. Originally a number one smash for The Four Tops in 1966, the uptempo "Reach Out" is almost unrecognizable now as a sexy ballad. Although this wasn't much of a hit when released as a single but I really love this take of the song. If you have never heard this, I think you're in for a treat:
Back in the 70's, musical family acts were the rage because of the major success of TheJackson 5 and The Osmonds. There was another group of siblings that achieved some chart-topping hits. The Sylvers were originally from Memphis, TN and made up of four sisters (Olympia, Charmaine, Angie and Pat) and five brothers (Leon, James, Edmund, Ricky and Foster) who sang and played multiple instruments. The family had their first top ten r&b hit with "Wish That I Could Talk To You" in 1972 with their biggest hit being "Boogie Fever" which went to number one on the pop and soul charts in 1975.
Just like those other popular singing groups, The Sylvers had a prepubescent male vocalist who became a teen heartthrob. That is what leads us to today's tune of the day as Foster Sylvers, the youngest member of the act, released his first solo album in 1973. The single, "Misdemeanor" (written by brother, Leon) became a big hit, making it to number seven on the r&b chart. Despite being sung by an eleven year-old boy, the song remains an appealing slice of bubble-gum soul.
After the family's popularity began to wane by the mid-1980's, Foster went on to record a few other solo albums that went largely unnoticed as well as writing and producing for other artists such as Evelyn "Champagne" King and Janet Jackson. Recently, things have not being going well for Foster as he's currently in prison on drug charges.
Let's go back to a simpler time for Foster Sylvers with his hit single: "Misdemeanor" - Foster Sylvers (1973) Here is most of the family performing their biggest hit song, "Boogie Fever" on Soul Train:
The tune that I'm loving today is the 1994 international hit, "100% Pure Love" by Crystal Waters, a song I hadn't heard in such a long time but still sounds quite fresh.
These two songs were the highlight of Crystal Waters' career but she had six other chart-topping dance hits which included "Making Happy" and "Relax". Ms Waters has only recorded three albums with the 1997 self-titled album being her last to date but has occasionally released new music over the years. The singer recently lent her vocals to a Chris Cox & DJ Frankie track "Oh Mama Hey" which hit number one on the dance chart last March.
"100% Pure Love" - Crystal Waters (1994)
As a bonus, here is the music video of the first hit by Crystal Waters:
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