TAKE TWO: RUN DMC

Run DMC became the first rap artists to achieve notable fame and commercial success during the 1980's and have remained one of the most influential performers in hip-hop. The New York based trio, made up of Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell, became a momentous force by combining heavy rock with rap and experimenting with the use of sampling from records by other artists to innovate hip-hop with a bold, progressive sound. They were also responsible for popularizing the characteristic street style of rap that included Kangol hats, thick gold chains, and unlaced Adidas shoes.

Simmons and McDaniels had grown up together in Hollis, Queens since they were children. Simmons' older brother, Russell was the manager of Kurtis Blow who had made a name for himself by becoming one of the first rappers signed by a major label and to have the first commercially successful rap singles, "The Breaks". The younger Simmons, going by "DJ Run", was able to get some stage time with Blow. He would convince his friend to begin rapping and McDaniels took on the name, "Easy D". They met Mizell, then known as "Jazzy Jase", hanging out at Two-Fifths Park in Hollis. After becoming friends, they went on to pursue music together.

The older Simmons was approached to record them. He eventually relented, helping to produce a single, land the trio a record deal and gave them the name, "Run-D.M.C". The single, "It's Like That" was released in 1983 and reached number fifteen on the r&b chart. A self-titled debut album followed the next year which was well was received and included the groundbreaking hit, "Rock Box" which merged rap and hard rock. The music video for the song would become the first ever hip-hop clip to be broadcast on MTV and received heavy rotation.

Achieving enormous success quickly, Run DMC performed at the Live Aid benefit concert and were featured in the 1985 hip-hop movie, "Krush Groove" which told the fictionalized story of Russell Simmons' rise in hip-hop as a music entrepreneur.

For their third album, "Raising Hell", the group approached Rick Rubin to produce who had just worked on LL Cool J's debut album, "Radio". He came up with the idea to record a version of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way". Originally, the thought was for Run DMC to rap over the original 1975 rock record but Rubin wanted to push the idea even further by having Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith perform on the actual cover recording. This single became a global smash in 1986, reaching number four in the US (even charting higher than Aerosmith's original) which helped make Run DMC become internationally known and would revitalize Aerosmith's career.

Run DMC would release "Tougher Than Leather" in 1988 which abandoned rap-rock for more sample-heavy sounds. The album did not sell as well and an ill-advised movie which they starred named after the record and directed by Rubin did not help matters. By 1990, the sounds of hip-hop was evolving once again and their next album, "Back From Hell" felt unfortunately dated, failing to generate much interest. During this time, each of the men had begun to suffer from personal and legal matters. They would all turn to the church for healing and guidance. Three years later, a reinvigorated Run DMC was back with a new album, "Down With the King", a well-received hip-hop collection that offered some subtle religious references.

Over the next years, the members began to have different ideas of how to continue, leading to creative tensions and personal conflicts. One more album was made together, the long delayed, "Crown Royal" in 2001. The following year, Mizell was murdered in his recording studio in Jamaica, Queens. Shortly after this tragic event, Simmons and McDaniels would announce that Run DMC would officially be disbanded and they created a fund to financially assist Mizell's family.

Run DMC helped pave the way for hip-hop to shift from an underground sound to become part of popular culture. Their classic beats still continues to inspire and has been recognized as an important part of music history. Run DMC has gone on to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009; honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 and their album, "Raising Hell" was placed into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2018.

TAKE TWO: CHICAGO

Self-described as a "rock and roll band with horns,", Chicago has been creating their unique and dazzling blend of jazz, soul and pop-rock music for almost sixty years. Formed in 1967 from several Chicago area bands whose members decided to join forces and play together. The original line-up was Peter Cetera on bass, Terry Kath on guitar, Robert Lamm on keyboards, Lee Loughnane on trumpet, James Pankow on trombone, Walter Parazaider on woodwinds, and Danny Seraphine on drums with Cetera, Kath and Lamm sharing lead vocals. First working as a local cover band called The Big Thing, the group began creating original material which was well received when they performed them.

After getting signed to Columbia Records in 1968, they changed their name to the Chicago Transit Authority. Their self-titled debut was released the following year and was a double album which was highly unusual for a band's very first record. But that showed how much faith the label had for Chicago Transit Authority and they were proven to be right. The album would go on to sell over a million copies by 1970 on the strength of the hit singles, "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?", "Beginnings", "Questions 67 and 68", and "I'm a Man". Following this rapid success, the band dropped "Transit Authority" from their name to avoid any potential legal action from the actual transit company. 

Chicago quickly went back into the studio for their next album, "Chicago II" that became another big hit in 1970 that featured the top ten songs, "Make Me Smile", "Colour My World" and "25 or 6 to 4". "Chicago III" was out the next year and became another gold album. The rest of Chicago's subsequent six albums were Roman-numeral titled and would include plenty more popular hit singles: "Saturday in the Park", "Just You 'n' Me", "Feelin' Stronger Every Day", "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long", "Wishing You Were Here", "Old Days" and "If You Leave Me Now" which became the group's first number one US pop single in 1976 and won Chicago their only Grammy Award to date. With the 1977 release, "Chicago XI", "Baby, What a Big Surprise" was a number four U.S. hit that would become the group's last top 10 hit of the decade. 

Tragedy would strike the group when on January 23, 1978, Kath died from a freak accident: a self-inflicted gunshot wound from a gun he thought was unloaded. The band was unsure they would be able to continue as they also were beginning to have serious concerns about their long-time producer, James William Guercio who they began to suspect had been cheating the band financially. 

Chicago decided to continue on as a band, hiring guitarist and singer-songwriter Donnie Dacus to replace Kath and Phil Ramone to co-produce with the band on their tenth studio album, "Hot Streets" which was their first without a numbered title. The singles, "Alive Again" and "No Tell Lover" became top-twenty hits and proved Chicago was still able to achieve success despite the changes. However their next album, "Chicago 13" in 1979 was not nearly as successful and Dacus would leave the band at the end of the tour supporting the record. By 1980, the band released "Chicago XIV" with a new producer, Tom Dowd. With a radical change in sound, this album was a critical and financial failure with Columbia, no longer feeling the band was commercially viable, dropping the band from the label.

Two years later, Chicago signed with Warner Bros. Records, added keyboardist, guitarist, and singer Bill Champlin and brought in a new producer, David Foster to work on "Chicago 16". The ballad from the album, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (written by Foster and Cetera) became the band's second number one US pop single. More hits with Cetera on lead vocals followed with "You're the Inspiration" and "Hard Habit to Break", and soon he was requesting an opportunity to go off as a solo performer while remaining with Chicago. The band declined this offer and in 1985, Cetera would leave Chicago, enjoying a solid career with several of his own top ten hits.

Chicago has continued on as a group ever since, largely as a touring band with a constant change of backing members over the years. But they have also still been recording with twenty-six career studio albums to date and their most recent, "Chicago XXXVIII: Born for This Moment" released in 2022 with Lamm, Loughnane and Pankow still performing with the band they helped form. Chicago was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. It was extremely difficult to narrow down to just two songs by Chicago but I managed to select a couple of my all-time favorites:

TAKE TWO: LIONEL RITCHIE

I recognized the steady, Caribbean beat of "All Night Long" almost immediately, hearing it either on the SiriusXM '80's channel or pulsing in the background of some store, and then realized that this Lionel Ritchie hit was almost forty years old. As the song played on, I also knew that this would certainly become a chart-topper today, despite the hip-hop and throbbing EDM that dominates much of the pop music scene at the moment. In fact, much of Ritchie's musical output would still be embraced by people if they were released today. The reason I believe is that the songs Lionel Ritchie created are classically structured and emotionally driven, allowing them to remain timeless by avoiding the over-produced spectacle and trendy concepts which is the norm in pop music right now.

After briefly considering to become a priest, Ritchie continued on a musical path while attending the Tuskegee Institute. He had joined several bands before connecting with a group of musicians that would become Commodores in 1968. They eventually were signed to Motown Records and found immediate success with the title track off their 1974 debut album, "Machine Gun", a funky instrumental that reached the top-ten on the r&b chart and number twenty-two on the pop chart. Commodores continued with funk music for a while before shifting more towards soul, leading to their first number one r&b hit in 1976 with "Just to Be Close to You", a love ballad that Ritchie wrote and performed lead vocals.

While the band continued to score with the funky dance tracks, "Brick House" and "Lady (You Bring Me Up)", it was the alluring love songs that Ritchie wrote which included "Sweet Love", "Easy", "Sail On", "Still" and "Three Times a Lady" that took Commodores to the next level, crossing over to the top of the pop charts. And these popular songs made Ritchie a very sought-after songwriter. After having written the number one hit for country artist, Kenny Rogers with "Lady" in 1980 and the chart-topping love ballad, "Endless Love" (for the film of the same name) which he traded vocals with Diana Ross the following year, Ritchie decided it was time to move on from Commodores. 

Ritchie released his self-titled debut solo album in 1982. There were three smash singles, "You Are", "My Love" and the US number one hit, "Truly" which helped continue him on course as an incredible hit-maker and major pop artist. Ritchie's follow-up album, "Can't Slow Down" certainly lived up to it's title. The album featured five top-ten hits (including two, "All Night Long" and the ballad, "Hello" reaching the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart), sold over twenty million copies worldwide and went on to win the 1983 Grammy for Album of the Year.

Ritchie continued writing for other projects as well with 1985 being a banner year for him. He helped take Ross back to the pop charts by writing and producing "Missing You", a loving tribute to Marvin Gaye, which also went to number one on the r&b chart; writing and performing "Say You, Say Me" for the movie, "White Nights" which went to number one on the US pop chart and won Ritchie an Oscar for Best Original Song and teaming up with Michael Jackson to create the charity single, "We Are The World" that assembled an all-star cast of popular musicians of the day to perform, selling over twenty million copies with the proceeds going towards providing food and relief to starving people in Africa.

His 1986 album, "Dancing on the Ceiling" was well received with five popular singles but did not achieve the same level of commercial success like his previous solo albums. Following a tour to promote the album, Ritchie decided to retreat from the music business for a little while. But it would be ten years before he would return with a new studio album, "Louder Than Words".  During his time away, soul music had evolved into groove-driven, urban contemporary and Ritchie's 1996 collection was an attempt to update his easy-listening r&b sound, working with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Babyface and David Foster.  Yet the album failed to generate much attention.

Ritchie has continued to work since then, releasing several albums (including "Tuskegee", a well-received collection from 2012 with Ritchie teaming up with several country music artists to perform together many of his popular songs) and touring across the globe. The now seventy-three year old artist can be seen currently as one of the judges on the revival of the television singing competition show, "American Idol", appearing since 2018. And he will be inducted later this year into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Some may consider the soulful balladry of Lionel Ritchie a bit old-fashioned. But his songs have made an indelible impact in music, continuing to influence and be enjoyed by each new generation. I have selected two of my favorite songs from Mr. Ritchie and while they may not be his best known, these songs do display his amazing skill of combining pop, classic soul with a touch of country to create his unique sound.

TAKE TWO: LAURA NYRO

During her career, Laura Nyro released ten studio albums. These recordings have gone on to become greatly admired and widely inspirational to listeners and other musicians yet the singer/songwriter was unable to achieve wider recognition as a performer. But it was her songs, atmospheric works filled with alluring, poetic imagery, that have endured to bring her worldwide fame. Nyro used her life experiences, imagination and deep love for all genres of music to share her specific view of the world that many could find a connection.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Laura Nigro immersed herself into her own special world created through music when she was very young, using this largely as a way of coping through a challenging childhood. Finding inspiration through her father, Louis Nigro, a jazz musician and the classical records that her mother loved, she taught herself how to play the piano, wrote songs and poetry. As a teen, Nigro attended the High School of Music & Art and sang wherever she could; parties, street corners and subways.

After deciding to pursue a career in music, Nigro considered several stage names before settling on "Laura Nyro". Through her father's contacts, Nyro met Artie Mogull and Paul Barry who would become her first managers. They helped the twenty year old get signed to the Verve Forecast label and released her debut album, "More Than a New Discovery" in 1967. Nyro wrote all of the songs and while the album received some critical acclaim, it failed to generate much attention. But some of the songs, "And When I Die", "Wedding Bell Blues", "Blowin' Away" and "Stoney End" would go on to greater success for other artists a few years later.

After an appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival, Nyro caught the attention of David Geffen. In short order, he became her new manager, helped get her out of her recording contract, got her signed to a major label, Columbia Records, purchased the publishing rights to her early music and started a publishing company with Nyro, receiving half of the royalties from future compositions. Now with more artistic control as a co-producer, Nyro released her follow-up album, "Eli and the Thirteenth Confession" in 1968 with her insisting that the lyric sheet in the album be perfumed (not a cheap endeavor, I'm sure). The album, with it's lush production, featured r&b inspired, pop songs that touched on her singular thoughts on love, death and drugs. And while it did help bring more attention to the young singer, the record still failed commercially although once again, some songs ("Sweet Blindness", "Eli's Comin'", "Stoned Soul Picnic") would gain popularity later through other artists.

While her follow-up, "New York Tendaberry" would be her highest charting release, reaching number thirty-two on the Billboard 200, and considered one of the greatest of Nyro's recordings, the album still wasn't able to deliver the performer to much of a wider audience. More songs from the record ("Save The Country", "Time and Love") would go on to be find success with versions by other performers. Nyro would continue to record (including an album featuring soul covers produced by Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff, a live album and a jazz-pop collection) without much commercial success but her ethereal songs made her very popular amongst other artists and hardcore fans. As time went on, she became more political with her music, writing songs involving feminism, animal rights and Native American rights.

Late in 1996, Nyro was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and sadly succumbed on April 8, 1997 at the age of forty-nine. The legacy of Laura Nyro has grown tremendously since her passing with a greater appreciation for not only her songs but her gift as a performer. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Here are two songs made famous by other artists (the 5th Dimension and Barbra Streisand, respectively) but listen to what Nyro brings to these songs, expressing the joy and pain in her own remarkably, heartfelt style.

TAKE TWO: THE GUESS WHO

During the period between the late 1960's and the early '70's, one of the biggest rock acts was The Guess Who. This Canadian band went to achieve fourteen Top 40 singles in the US and more than thirty in their native Canada.

The band began as Chad Allan and the Expressions in Winnipeg, founded by guitarist, Randy Bachman and lead vocalist, Chad Allan in 1962. They had their first charting song three years later with "Shakin' All Over", a cover of the 1960 number one hit in Britain by Johnny Kidd & the Pirates. A publicity stunt by their American record label, which released one of their singles under "Guess Who?", later lead to the band changing their name to this after Allan left the group. Guitarist Bruce Decker and Burton Cummings, who took over lead vocals, joined the band with Bachman and Garry Peterson on drums to officially form The Guess Who in 1966.

Although some singles they released found moderate success in Canada, the band struggled for their music to be noticed abroad. By 1968, The Guess Who began to transition their sound from garage-band rock to soulful pop-rock, which became beneficial to them achieving commercial success. Their first big hit was "These Eyes" in 1969, reaching the top ten in the US and selling over a million copies. This was followed by double-sided hit single, "Laughing"/"Undun". In 1970, The Guess Who released the album, "American Woman" with the hard-rocking title track going on to be a worldwide smash, reaching number one on the US and Canadian charts. 

Many have interpreted "American Woman" as a protest song since the Vietnam War was going on at the time yet the band (who wrote the tune) insists that was not the case. They claim that they were simply singing the praises of Canadian women, feeling that American girls were a little too aggressive. I'm not sure if that's better than an anti-war sentiment but regardless, "American Woman" remains one of their best known songs. "No Time" and "No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature" from the album went on to also become major hits for the band.

After The Guess Who's seventh studio album, "Share The Land" (released later in 1970), the band's charting success declined in the US although they remained very popular in their home country for a number of years. The Guess Who went through some personnel changes and began to experiment with their sound again, moving towards progressive and jazz-rock. Due to creative differences, Cummings decided to end the band in 1975 and went on to find some success as a solo artist. However beginning in 1977, some past members teamed-up with new musicians to come together for various reunion tours as "The Guess Who". And the band continues to play on the road with the nostalgia tour circuit to this day. Here are two of my favorite songs by The Guess Who, a band that inexplicably has still not been inducted in to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame:

TAKE TWO: JOE JACKSON

The English musician, Joe Jackson first found fame early in the brief new-wave rock era before venturing in to jazz-infused pop. The singer/songwriter's eclectic work features an adventurous spirit, biting wit and bold experimentation. Known for an unpredictable temperament, the enigmatic artist aggressively objected to the ban on smoking in public places, even writing a well-researched pamphlet on the subject in 2005.

Born David Jackson in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, he joined a violin class at eleven in order to avoid having to play sports in school. Jackson later switched to the piano and took to studying it seriously, with the goal of becoming a classical composer. However, he soon drifted towards pop music, making his first professional gig playing at a pub at sixteen. He later earned a scholarship to study at London's Royal Academy of Music where he was further exposed to jazz and classical. But Jackson kept his toes in pop music, eventually joining several rock bands.

After deciding to use a nickname "Joe" professionally, he formed his own band and made a demo that got him signed to A&M Records in 1978. Jackson's debut in 1979, "Look Sharp!" was an exciting mix of rock, jazz and new wave that was well-received due to the singles, "Sunday Papers", the title track and "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" which reached number thirteen on the UK pop chart and number twenty-one in the US. The follow-up album, "I'm The Man" was released later that year and was also a success with the single, "It's Different for Girls" peaking at number five in Britain.

Jackson's major breakthrough came with his fifth album, "Night and Day" in 1982 which serves as tribute to the spirit of Cole Porter and New York City. The single, "Stepping Out", about the excitement of a night out on the town, would become his biggest hit, reaching number six on the US and British charts. The song would earn Jackson Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

The prolific Jackson has released nineteen studio albums to date which includes a 1987 instrumental album, "Will Power" that featured heavy classical and jazz influences; a foray in to progressive rock with "Symphony No. 1" in 1999; a Duke Ellington tribute album "The Duke" and "Big World", a collection of new songs performed live before an audience except they were instructed to remain silent while the band played. The now sixty-six year old musician's latest album, "Fool" from 2019 was a return to jazz-flavored rock that was recorded with his touring band immediately at the end of their time on the road. Here are two of my favorite songs from Joe Jackson:

TAKE TWO: MELISSA MANCHESTER

Melissa Manchester has achieved great success as a pop vocalist with several hits songs over the years but it is her tremendous gift as a songwriter that will be her enduring legacy.

She was born and raised in the Bronx with music in her blood as her father was a bassoonist for the NY Metropolitan Opera. Manchester began singing as a child and learned how to play the piano while attending the Manhattan School of Music. By fifteen, she was singing on commercial jingles. Manchester began performing in clubs around the city which lead to a chance encounter with Barry Manilow, who was Bette Midler's producer and musical director at the time. She would be asked to become one of the original members of The Harlettes, Midler's bawdy back-up singers in 1971. Manchester stayed for a year before moving on to pursue a solo recording career.

Manchester was signed to Arista Records and released her debut, "Home To Myself" in 1973. But it would be her third album, "Melissa" when the singer had her breakthrough with the single, "Midnight Blue" (which she co-wrote with her long-time collaborator, Carole Bayer Sager) with this ballad reaching number six on the US pop chart in 1975. It would be a few more years before Manchester reached the charts in a major way again with her version of Peter Allen and Carole Bayer Sager's ballad, "Don't Cry Out Loud" from her album of the same name in 1978. This single reached number ten on the charts and would earn Manchester her first Grammy nomination for Best Pop Female Vocal Performance.

By 1980, Manchester was unhappy with the label and sued to get out of her recording contract. But Arista and the singer would come to terms and she teamed with producer, Arif Mardin for her tenth album, "Hey Ricky" in 1982. With a radical makeover of her image and sound, Manchester had a smash hit with the synth-pop song, "You Should Hear How She Talks About You". This dance track would become the highest charting of her career (reaching number five) and would win Manchester a Grammy for Best Pop Female Vocal Performance that year.

Manchester would write and perform many songs for film soundtracks throughout her career which includes "Ice Castles" (1979), "Out of Africa" (1986), "The Great Mouse Detective" (1986) and "For Colored Girls" (2007). She would co-write with Kenny Loggins the song, "Whenever I Call You Friend". This would be big hit for him and Stevie Nicks in 1978 and Manchester would record her own version the following year. Another song written by Manchester and Bayer Sager in 1976, "Come In From The Rain" went on to become a popular ballad which has been covered by countless artists over the years.

The now sixty-nine year old Manchester continues to perform and record with her last album in 2017, "The Fellas", a collection that pays musical tribute to some iconic male vocalists. She also released a single, "A Better Rainbow" in 2018. Listen to two of my favorite songs from Melissa Manchester:

TAKE TWO: JIM CROCE

Jim Croce was a talented singer and songwriter whose career had begun to take off with a number of popular hit songs before his voice was prematurely silenced due to a tragic plane crash in 1973.

He was born in South Philly, PA. to Italian immigrants from Southern Italy. Croce had not seriously considered a career in music until he attended college at Villanova University where he got involved with the men's chorus and became a student disc jockey. He traveled with the school band singing around Africa and Europe with the young man becoming hooked on performing.

Croce met and fell in love with Ingrid Jacobson, a fellow musician in 1963 and they married three years later. Using the $500 cash wedding gift from his parents, Croce recorded and self-released his debut album, "Facets" in 1966. They were hoping that this would prove to him that he should give up this dream of a music career and settle down. However, Croce sold every album of the five hundred copies pressed and even made a profit.

Croce began performing with his wife and they would sing covers from popular musicians before doing original material they wrote. The couple were signed to Capitol Records and recorded a self titled album in 1968. They were encouraged to give New York a try by one of the producers of their album and moved to the city. Jim and Ingrid traveled around the state to promote their record but became disillusioned with the business and the city.

They moved back to Philadelphia and tried to settle down. Croce took a series of odd jobs but after discovering they were expecting their first child, he became determined to have a career as a musician. With their son, Adrian James born in 1971 and Ingrid becoming a stay-at-home mom, Croce went back on the road to perform and sent demos to a producer friend in New York. This helped lead him to being signed to a three-album deal with ABC Records in 1972.

He released the first two albums; "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" in 1972 and "Life and Times" the following year. These albums yielded the top-twenty US Billboard Hot 100 singles, "You Don't Mess Around with Jim", "Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)" and "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" which went to number one on the chart and got Croce nominated for two Grammy awards for Best Pop Male Vocalist and Record of the Year. He toured extensively across the globe and appeared on several television programs. But he grew very homesick and planed to slow down after the release of his next album, "I Got a Name".

On September 20, 1973, the singer had boarded a charted flight with his band at the airport in Natchitoches, LA. to continue the tour to promote the "Life and Times" album. During take-off, the plane clipped a tree at the end of the runway and it crashed, killing all on board. Jim Croce was only thirty years old. The posthumous release, "I Got a Name" would feature three hit singles, "Workin' at the Car Wash Blues", "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" and the title track.

I don't think the music of Jim Croce is receiving nearly enough attention today and this, in my very small way, is an attempt to place a spotlight back on this gifted musician and honor his legacy. Here are two of my favorite songs from this legendary performer:

TAKE TWO: ASHFORD & SIMPSON

It's hard to say what Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson are really best known for. The duo first started their careers separately as songwriters before coming together and eventually joining the Motown staff to help create such classics as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "California Soul", "You're All I Need To Get By","Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" and "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)". But Ashford & Simpson also wanted to perform their own music and began a recording career. They would achieve some success as performers with one of their biggest hits was "Solid" in 1984.

Ashford was born in Fairfield, SC and Simpson in the Bronx, NY. Their paths would cross in Harlem at a church in 1964 with them later deciding to team up to write songs and perform. While they didn't have much initial luck as a singing act, some of the songs they wrote with former Ikette,  Jo "Joshie" Armstead became popular. One of this team's biggest songs was for Ray Charles with "Let's Go Get Stoned" which went to number one on the U.S. R&B chart in 1966. That year, Ashford and Simpson were invited to join Motown as writers and producers, leaving their mark with several charting hits for Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, the Marvelettes, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas and Diana Ross.

Ashford & Simpson still wanted to become known as performers. Simpson recorded two solo albums with Motown who failed to give them much of a promotional push. The couple decided it was finally time to leave the label after they had recorded an album singing their versions of the many songs they wrote for Motown yet the company refused to release it.

After getting married in 1974, Ashford & Simpson signed with Warner Bros. Records as recording artists. The duo found modest success with their albums and charted on the r&b chart with the singles, "Send It","Don't Cost You Nothing", "It Seems to Hang On", "Is It Still Good to Ya", "Found a Cure" and a collaboration with Quincy Jones on his album, "Sounds...and Stuff Like That!!" with the single, "Stuff Like That" which reached number one in 1978.

They signed with Capitol Records in 1982 and it was during this period where the couple would achieve their greatest success. "Solid", which could perfectly describe the couple's relationship, would become an incredible hit, crossing over to the US pop chart and reaching the top-five in several countries. In 2009, Ashford & Simpson would do a fun rewrite of the song to honor President Barack Obama, calling it "Solid (As Barack)". The couple would continue to write and produce for other artists including Gladys Knight and the Pips, Roberta Flack, Stephanie Mills, Teddy Pendergrass and Chaka Khan's 1978 classic, "I'm Every Woman".

In 2011, Nickolas Ashford passed away from complications of throat cancer at the age of seventy. He is survived by Simpson, now seventy-two, and their two daughters, Nicole and Asia. In honor of this legendary musical duo, here are two of my favorite songs from Ashford & Simpson:

TAKE TWO: BELINDA CARLISLE

Belinda Carlisle was the lead vocalist for the all-female, new-wave-rock group, The Go-Go's who burned brightly immediately after the release of their debut, "Beauty and the Beat" in 1981 before self-extinguishing shortly after their third 1984 album, "Talk Show". But the L.A. born and raised singer went on to have even wider acclaim as a solo artist with several charting pop singles that made a phenomenal impact worldwide.

During her time with the band, Carlisle was suffering from drug addiction and an eating disorder which was just one factor to the initial demise of The Go-Go's in 1985. After completing a rehab stint, she decided to continue her career in music as a solo performer. With former Go-Go's member, Charlotte Caffey on board to help contribute to the project, Carlisle's debut, "Belinda" was released in 1986. The collection featured a sunny 60's California vibe and was an immediate hit with the first single, "Mad About You".

Carlisle's follow-up, "Heaven On Earth" in 1987 featured a slicker power-pop sound and would become the biggest success of her career.  With the number one U.S. hit, "Heaven Is a Place On Earth", the Diane Warren penned, "I Get Weak" and "Circle In The Sand" reaching the top-ten in several countries, the album went on to sell over four million copies.

"Runaway Horses", Carlisle's 1989 third album, was more modestly received compared to her previous release and the record did best internationally with "Leave a Light On", "Summer Rain" and the title track becoming top-forty singles throughout Europe.

In 1990, Carlisle and The Go-Go's reunited to tour to promote their greatest hits record while Carlisle released her fourth solo album, "Live Your Life Be Free"  the following year. The record was another moderate success in Europe yet failed to chart in the U.S. Carlisle released a few more albums, including a set of French-language songs, "Voila" in 2007 and her last record-to-date, "Wilder Shores", a 2017 collection of Sikh chants, but none have reached the heights of her previous pop success.

The now sixty year old singer finally became completely sober in 2005 and began to practice Nichiren Buddhism, vegetarianism and yoga. She had continued to go on the road with The Go-Go's over the years and the group made their apparent final tour together in 2016. Carlisle has been married to film producer, Morgan Mason (son of actor, James Mason) since 1986 and they have a son, James Duke. Here are a couple of my favorite songs from this iconic pop vocalist:

TAKE TWO: TRACY CHAPMAN

Thirty years ago, Tracy Chapman seemed to come out of nowhere and exploded in to the pop music scene with just her voice, guitar and the moving single, "Fast Car". She found immediate success and may have enjoyed her moment in the spotlight but that was not what motivated her. Throughout her remarkable career, the singer/songwriter was never flashy or chased trends and preferred to use her music to speak on social issues and political activism.

Chapman began her musical career busking and playing her guitar in coffeehouses in the Cambridge area while attending Tuffs University. She met Charles Koppelman, who ran a music publishing business, through his son, Brian who was a fellow student at Tuffs, and helped get Chapman signed to Electra Records in 1987.

She released her self-titled debut album the following year with the single, "Fast Car" becoming an international hit and reaching the top-ten on the U.S. pop chart. With the help of the additional singles, "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution" and "Baby Can I Hold You", the album went on to sell twenty million copies worldwide and received seven Grammy nominations and wining three awards including Best New Artist.

While her follow-up albums didn't reach these same commercial heights, Chapman did maintain a very devoted fan base with all of her records selling very well with them either going Gold or Platinum. She did find pop success again in 1995 with the blues number, "Give Me One Reason" which reached number three on the pop chart and won her a Grammy for Best Rock Song.

Chapman released her last album to date in 2008 with "Our Bright Future" but she still pops up from time to time to perform at charity events for Make Poverty History, amfAR, and AIDS/LifeCycle which are causes that are important to her. Here are two of my favorite songs by the amazing Tracy Chapman:

TAKE TWO: MINNIE RIPERTON

Minnie Riperton had an unusual voice for pop music. With her four-octave coloratura soprano, this singer brought colorful sounds that you didn't ordinarily hear in pop or r&b songs. This was most notable in the biggest hit of her career, "Loving You" where you hear her hit notes so high that you didn't think were humanly possible. While she is no longer with us, Riperton has been remembered as one of the great vocal stylists.

Born in Chicago, Riperton was the youngest of eight children and she embraced the arts at an early age. She began with ballet and modern dance before being encouraged to explore her musical abilities. Riperton trained with a voice coach and with her impressive vocal gift seemed poised for a career in opera. However, she was more interested in singing soul and rock.

Riperton’s first professional opportunity began when she became part of a girl group, The Gems in Chicago. While their attempts at having a big hit record never materialized, The Gems did find some success as session singers with their notable role was providing background vocals on Fontella Bass’ hit, "Rescue Me" in 1965. During this time, Riperton met producer, Billy Davis and he helped guide and produced singles with her that found minor local success. Riperton later joined a rock-soul outfit called Rotary Connection in 1966, recording several albums and touring with them until 1969. She recorded her first solo album with her husband, Richard Rudolph, a writer and producer in 1970 but "Come To My Garden" failed to receive much attention.

Soon Riperton was a mother of two and spending more time with her family than on her career. But a few demos found their way to Epic Records and they soon had her recording her next album. "Perfect Angel" was released in 1974 and brought the singer some new found fame. With fan, Stevie Wonder on board to play, write and produce a few tracks (but secretly at the time due to the concern that his label, Motown might not allow his participation), the album became an international success with the help of the last single, "Loving You". This beautiful ballad reached the top of the U.S. pop chart in 1975.

However, not long after reaching this highlight of her career, the singer received some tragic news. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and received a radical mastectomy in 1976. After bravely going public with her illness, Riperton continued recording and touring and became a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society. She released her fifth studio album, "Minnie" in May 1979 but sadly, Riperton lost her battle with cancer and passed away two months later on July 12th at the age of thirty-one. She is survived by Rudolph and their children, Marc and Maya, who many know as an actress and comedian as a former cast member on "Saturday Night Live".

The spirit of Minnie Riperton is still very much alive with her wonderful music to enjoy and to remember her gifts as an artist. Here are two of favorite songs from this glorious songbird:

TAKE TWO: ANITA BAKER

During a loving musical tribute while receiving this year's lifetime achievement award from BET, we were reminded of what an amazing body of work that Anita Baker has created. The now-sixty year old singer has used her smokey, deep voice throughout her incredible career to enhance soul music by utilizing jazzy vocal phasing to her romantic ballads. Baker, who tragically hasn’t been heard from much lately, has been a major influence to many contemporary singers and her sophisticated style of r&b is definitely missed in these days of rap-heavy, beat-driven music.

Baker was making the rounds performing as a teenager at Detroit nightclubs when David Washington offered her an opportunity to sing with his band, Chapter 8. The group was signed to a major label, Ariola Records in 1979 and released a self-titled album later that year. Two singles, "Ready For Your Love" and "I Just Wanna Be Your Girl" found modest success on the national r&b chart yet after the label was acquired by Arista Records, Chapter 8 were promptly dropped, partially due to the label feeling that Baker lacked "star quality".

It took some time before Baker received another chance to sing professionally. Otis Smith, who once worked with Ariola, admired her talent and encouraged her to join the record label he was starting as a solo artist. "The Songstress" was released in 1983 with four singles receiving airplay with the biggest being "Angel" which reached the top-five on the U.S. soul chart. However, when she failed to receive any royalties and the label stalled on her recording a follow-up album, Baker was forced in to a legal battle with Smith to get out of her contract.

Baker finally won her case and was allowed to sign with a new label, Elektra Records which she was given creative control with the ability to write and produce her own music. This lead to her second album, "Rapture" in 1986 and Baker's career was truly ignited. The single, "Sweet Love" crossed over to the pop charts around the world and helped the album sell over eight million copies and win Baker her first two Grammys including Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

Baker achieved great success as a performer with best-selling albums and tours but by 1991, she took time off to start a family with her husband at the time. She returned in 1994 with "Rhythm of Love" which became another million-seller for the singer. It would be ten years before another album would materialize with "My Everything" which was released through the jazz label, Blue Note Records. A holiday record, "Christmas Fantasy" came out the following year and sadly, that has been Baker's last album to date. A single, "Lately" popped up in 2012 and there were rumors afterwards that a new album was on the horizon. But last year, Baker announced that she had, in fact, retired.

Now, Anita Baker has briefly come out of retirement to embark on a Farewell Tour to thank fans for their love and support over the years. Be sure to check out this legendary singer if you're lucky enough to have her come to your town. In the meantime, here are two of my favorite songs from Anita Baker:

TAKE TWO: STEVE WINWOOD

Much like many of his peers, Steve Winwood was inspired by the American blues and soul music that invaded Britain in the 1960’s. He took those sounds and filtered it out to create his own brand of bluesy rock. This gifted artist has not only been a successful solo performer but also has collaborated with many important musicians throughout his career.

As a young boy in Birmingham, music had always been an important part of his life as his father was a semi-professional musician who performed after his day job. At the age of four, Steve started to play the piano.  He eventually joined his father and older brother, Mervyn or “Muff”, who picked up the bass and they all played together with local jazz bands by the time he was eight.

In 1963, a fourteen year-old Steve joined the Spencer Davis Group along with his brother. This British r&b band first reached the top of the U.K. pop chart with "Keep On Running" in 1965. They had more hits including "Somebody Help Me", "I'm a Man" and "Gimme Some Lovin'" which reached the top-ten in the U.S. before the Winwood brothers left the group in 1967 over creative differences.

With "Muff" moving in to A&R at Island Records (and eventually becoming a successful producer), Steve (after a brief stint with an early band with Eric Clapton) went on to form his own band, Traffic that featured a psychedelic rock sound. Despite developing a cult following, Traffic was short-lived and disbanded by 1969.

Winwood quickly went on to form another band called Blind Faith which he joined forces with Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Ric Grech. As established and respected British musicians together in one band, they were considered one of the first super-groups. But this blues-rock fusion outfit only lasted a year with a self-titled album and a U.S. tour to show for their time together.

Unsure of what direction to go in, Winwood briefly reformed Traffic and became a session player for a number of years before his record label encouraged him to become a solo artist. He released his self-tilted debut in 1977 and his follow-up album, "Arc of a Diver" featured his first solo hit, "While You See a Chance" in 1980.

But it was his fourth album in 1986, "Back In the High Life" that became Winwood's major breakthrough and biggest commercial hit of his career. The title track, "The Finer Things", "Freedom Overspill" and the number one smash, "Higher Love" helped the album sell over five million copies and win Winwood three Grammy Awards including Best Pop Male Vocal Performance and Record of The Year.

Winwood had another number one hit on the U.S. pop chart with "Roll With It" in 1988 but soon his subsequent albums failed to get much attention with "Nine Lives" in 2003 as his last studio record to date.  However, the now seventy year old musician is hardly idle as he continues to perform live and currently on a Greatest Hits Live tour to support the album he released last year. Enjoy two of my favorite songs from Steve Winwood:





And as a bonus, here is a very young Steve Winwood during his time with Spencer Davis Group in a promotional clip for their biggest hit, "Gimme Some Lovin'". It's hilarious to watch the expressionless Winwood lip-sync the high-energy vocals of the song:

TAKE TWO: SALT-N-PEPA

Back in the early days of hip-hop and rap, it was dominated by male artists who regularly used ugly, sexist lyrics in their songs and commonly objectified women in their their music videos. But Salt-N-Pepa came along to combat that with positive messages in their music involving female empowerment and sexual liberation to become one of the first commercially successful all-female hip-hop acts.

While they were both attending nursing school in Queens, New York, Cheryl James and Sandra Denton met and became fast friends. They later met Hurby "Luv Bug” Azor who was studying music production and asked them to provide vocals for a class project. Calling themselves, “Super Nature” along with DJ Latoya Hanson, the track was called “The Showstopper”, an answer song to Doug E. Fresh’s 1985 single, “The Show”.  The record received enthusiastic response after some airplay at a local New York rap station and an indie record label, Pop Art Records released the song with it becoming a modest national hit.

This lead to the group being signed to Next Plateau Records and was renamed “Salt” (James) and “Pepa” (Denton). Hanson decided to leave the act and was replaced by Deidra Roper aka “DJ Spinderella” and the trio released their debut album, “Hot, Cool & Vicious” in 1986. With production by Azor who was now the group’s manager and dating James, the record had a few minor hits on the r&b chart but after some DJs in San Francisco remixed the B-side of the single, “Tramp”, “Push It” (featuring lyrics that were considered very risque at the time) became a smash hit reaching the top-ten around the globe with the exception of U.S. where it only reached number nineteen on the pop chart.  Salt-N-Pepa continued to have chart success with the singles, “Shake Your Thang”, “Expression” , “Do You Want Me” and “Let’s Talk About Sex” but it would be their fourth studio album that would take them to the next level.

For the first time, the ladies worked along with Azor to write and produce "Very Necessary" in 1993 and it paid off with three major hits; "Shoop", "Whatta Man" (which featured vocals by En Vogue) and "None of Your Business". The album went on to sell over seven million copies worldwide and the group won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance.

However, by the time of their follow-up release, "Brand New" in 1997,  James had ended her relationship with Azor and the group completely severed ties with him due to them feeling cheated out of royalty payments. The trio worked with other writers and produced the album largely by themselves yet it failed to generate much attention. Feeling burned out by the music business, "Salt" decided to leave the act in 2002 which seemed to bring an end to Salt-N-Pepa.

But some things weren't meant to last and after coming together to perform on VH-1’s Hip Hop Honors program in 2006, Salt-N-Pepa have officially reunited. Although they still have not recorded any new music, the trio have appeared on their own reality show in 2007 and continue to perform in several concerts and tours including being a part of a current world tour called “I Love The 90’s”.

Let’s see this legendary hip-hop act in action with some videos featuring two of my favorite tunes by Salt-N-Pepa:

TAKE TWO: TAYLOR DAYNE

With her big voice and even bigger hair, Taylor Dayne stood out during her reign back in the late '80's and early '90's with her soul-inflected pop-dance songs. She was born Leslie Wunderman and raised in New York. After she graduated high school, she began performing with a variety of rock bands before going solo (and billing herself as "Les Lee") and recording a few dance tracks. This helped land her with Arista Records and with a name change to the more dramatic "Taylor Dayne", she hit it big with her first single, "Tell It To My Heart" which became a world wide smash in 1987. A debut album was quickly put together and given the title of her single. Dayne had more top-ten hits from the album including "Prove Your Love", "Don't Rush Me" and the moving ballad,  "I'll Always Love You".

Her follow-up album, "Can't Fight Fate" in 1989 continued Dayne's string of chart successes and featured "With Every Beat of My Heart", "I'll Be Your Shelter", "Heart of Stone" and her first U.S. number one pop hit, "Love Will Lead You Back".  By the release of her third album, "Soul Dancing" in 1993 and despite a dynamic dance cover of Barry White's "Can't Get Enough of Your Love" reaching the top-forty on the pop charts, the album didn't do as well as her previous releases.  Dayne soon departed from Arista and recorded "Naked Without You" in 1998 which she was more involved with the production and writing of the record but the album failed to chart.

It would be ten years later before Dayne would release another album. "Satisfied" was not a major success but she did reach the top of the U.S. dance club charts with "Beautiful" in 2008. Sadly, this has been the last album the singer has released to date. But Dayne has remained active over the years with her appearing on reality shows, acting on Broadway with "Aida" and performing in film and television. Although she never married, Dayne had twins via a surrogate in 2002. Let's look back and enjoy a couple of my favorite songs by the incredible Taylor Dayne:

TAKE TWO: TEDDY PENDERGRASS

Back in the '70's, if you wanted to create a sexy mood, all you had to do was turn down the lights, pop open a bottle of wine and put on a Teddy Pendergrass record. Shifting effortlessly from a seductive whisper to a libidinous growl, this undeniable sex symbol used his robust voice to create songs filled with longing and carnal desires and there was no shame in his game. His live concerts were known to be sensual and sweaty affairs that left his largely female audiences extremely hot and bothered.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pendergrass would develop his singing style, not surprisingly, in the church. While it's rumored that he was ordained as a minister at the age of ten, it's factual that he did perform at services as a singer and drummer. As a young man, Pendergrass would join several soul groups playing the drums and providing the occasional vocal. It was during his time with the Cadillacs that would change the course of his musical career.

Harold Melvin, who had his own group The Blue Notes, caught the Cadillacs in concert when Pendergrass took a turn singing at the mike. Thoroughly impressed with his voice, Melvin quickly offered him the chance to be the lead vocalist of The Blue Notes and Pendergrass seized the opportunity. Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, who hadn't had much commercial success, signed to a new label, Philadelphia International Records in 1971.

With the label's founders, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff taking a special interest in guiding their new artists, the group had their breakthrough hit the following year with a song written and produced by Gamble & Huff, "If You Don't Know Me By Now" which reached the top of the r&b chart and the top-ten of the pop chart. Other hits soon followed like "Bad Luck", "The Love I Lost" and "Wake Up Everybody" but with big success came bigger problems within the group. Resenting continuously being mistaken for "Harold Melvin", Pendergrass felt his name should be part of the band's title while also unhappy with his financial arrangement with Melvin. In 1975, he decided to leave the group to go solo while Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, who never found a suitable replacement for Pendergrass, eventually faded in to obscurity.

Teddy Pendergrass released his self-titled debut album in 1977 with it receiving a lot of attention on the soul chart with the help of the singles, "I Don't Love You Anymore" and "The Whole Town's Laughing at Me". With his subsequent albums, he began to chart his path as a sexy balladeer with such seductive bedroom jams as "Close The Door", "Come Go With Me", "Turn Off The Lights" and "Love T.K.O.". When Shep Gordon, Pendergrass' manager,  realized his audiences where largely made up of excited women of all races, he created "women only" concerts that proved to be a very popular gimmick.

By 1982, Pendergrass was at the height of his fame as one of the biggest artists in soul music when tragedy struck the singer in March of that year. He was involved in a terrible car accident that left his passenger with minor injuries but he suffered a spinal cord injury, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. After spending several years in rehabilitation, Pendergrass triumphantly returned to music in 1984 with the album, "Love Language" and found himself back on the pop charts with "Hold Me", a duet with then-new artist, Whitney Houston. He would later find himself back at number one on the r&b chart with "Joy" in 1988.

After being treated for colon cancer, he later developed severe complications causing respiratory issues and Teddy Pendergrass passed away on January 10th 2010 at the age of fifty-nine. He left behind an powerful body of music that is still able to get people in an amorous mood. Here are two of my favorite songs from the great Teddy Pendergrass:

"When Somebody Loves You Back" - Teddy Pendergrass (1978) mp3

"Come Go With Me" - Teddy Pendergrass (1979) mp3

As a bonus, here is a live version of the Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' timely hit, "Wake Up Everybody" performed on "Soul Train":



Finally, I couldn't resist giving you the love ballad, "Hold Me" by Mr. Prendergrass and Whitney Houston: