"THE GREAT GATSBY' SOUNDTRACK

While "The Great Gatsby" is not due in movie theaters until May 10th, that doesn't mean it's too early to hear some tunes from the soundtrack. Much like what he did with the soundtracks for "Romeo + Juliet" and "Moulin Rouge!", the director Baz Luhrmann has incorporated contemporary music in to his period films.

This time, he has enlisted Jay-Z to help produce the music and together they have assembled a very impressive array of artists. Some of the musicians on board include will i. am, Sia, Jack White, Bryan Ferry, and the producer's wife, Beyoncé who does her take of the Amy Winehouse classic, "Back To Black". The hot British pop artist, Emeli Sandé, is here as well and provides a slinky version of Beyoncé's breakout first solo single, "Crazy In Love".

The song, "Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey will be the first official single (out April 23rd) to help create some buzz.

Here is a video currently out that provides little snippets of some of the other tracks on the album:



I am loving what I've heard so far and I really can't wait to see the film. The full versions of a couple of tracks have leaked with "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)" a hip-hopped jazzy tune by Fergie (with assistance by Q-Tip and GoonRock) and "Over The Love", a gorgeous ballad by Florence & The Machine that are floating around out there.

Have a listen to Fergie's tune:

"A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)" - Fergie featuring Q-Tip and GoonRock (2013)

MY TUNE OF THE DAY

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.

This singer had no real intention of starting a music career despite her father being a jazz musician and her great aunt was vocalist and film star, Ethel Waters. After Crystal graduated from college, she went to work as a tech for a Washington DC parole board. However, Waters later found herself gravitating towards music but first as a writer. She teamed-up with a production team called The Basement Boys. After she cut a demo for dance artist, Ultra Naté, the boys loved it but thought it was perfect with Crystal singing the track. This song, "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)" became a world-wide smash reaching number eight on the U.S pop chart and number one on the dance chart in 1991. "100% Pure Love" was the lead single from her follow-up album, "Storyteller" which made it to number eleven on the pop chart and once again to the top spot on the dance music chart.

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.



And as a bonus, here is the music video of "Gypsy Woman", the first hit by Crystal Waters:

TAKE TWO: BONNIE RAITT

Bonnie Raitt certainly stands out as a musician as she's not only one of the few female guitarists out there but also an outspoken political activist and passionately kept the tradition of the blues alive. She actively put a spotlight on the forgotten early blues performers such as Howlin' Wolf and Sippie Wallace.

It seems impossible that Bonnie Raitt would not have entered music in some capacity as her mother was a pianist and her father was Broadway musical star, John Raitt. Bonnie took an interest in the guitar as a young girl and later while attending college, she met promoter, Dick Waterman who changed her life. He introduced her to the blues and soon, Raitt began performing in clubs where she would meet these legendary artists and performed along side them. She soon caught the attention of the music industry and eventually signed with Warner Bros. Raitt released her self-titled debut in 1971 and while it received plenty of critical praise, the album received very little radio play. A lack of significant sales continued with her following albums but Raitt always managed to impress with her stirring live performances.

Raitt had been recording music for almost twenty years before she finally achieved her first taste of long overdue commercial success with the album, "Nick of Time" in 1989. Having been dropped from her record label four years earlier, she teamed-up with producer, Don Was who decided to update her bluesy-rock sound with a smoother contemporary production. The album topped the Billboard 200 album chart and went on to win three Grammy Awards including Album of The Year.

Bonnie Raitt continues to hit the road and just released her sixteenth studio album, "Slipstream" last year on her own record label which won a Grammy for Best Americana Album, giving her a career total of ten awards. Raitt was inducted in to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.

Here are two of my very favorite songs from Bonnie Raitt:

"Nick Of Time" - Bonnie Raitt (1989)

"I Can't Make You Love Me" - Bonnie Raitt (1991)

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

Once again, here are a few sights and sounds that I'm digging at this particular moment.

"Pillow Talk" - Sylvia (1973)

"Give Me You" - Tamia (2013)

I have to admit that I've never gotten in to the music of Ciara but I'm really in to the latest single, "Body Party". Written by the proclaimed, Princess of Crunk&B and her boyfriend, the rapper, Future, the tune is a slow-burning ballad that samples one of my favorite songs, "My Boo" by the Ghost Town DJ's. Look for it on her next album, "One Woman Army", due out in June:



The British electropop artist, Little Boots has dropped some new music from her forthcoming second album, "Nocturnes".  Although there was a music video made for the song, "Headphones", it does not appear listed as a track on the album. Perhaps it might show up on some future deluxe edition or something but no matter. It's a great tune and a fun video:




"Attracting Flies" - AlunaGeorge (2013)

"Sacrilege" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs (2013)



Phoenix, the French alt-rock band, has finally resurfaced following their 2009 world-wide smash album, "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix".  The first single, "Entertainment" is off of their fifth studio album, "Bankrupt!", expected later this month:

MY TUNE OF THE DAY

This tune was inspired by a recent trip to the grocery store as I was strolling through the aisles, this familiar song was playing in the background  While continuing through the store until making my way to the check-out, I noticed that many people were quietly humming along including the cashier.

The song coming from their lips was "Got To Be Real", the disco classic by Cheryl Lynn. What I found remarkable was that this 1979 tune has managed to endure despite being part of what was once considered a completely forgettable trend in music. Back then, "disco" was considered a very dirty word with people actually rioting in the streets to burn the vinyl discs of the offensive music.

The disco era may have faded out but this sound never truly went away. It has slowly evolved in to Electronic dance or "EDM" and has once again taken over the airwaves but this time people have embraced this music wholeheartedly. I think it might possibility be even more popular than disco ever became.

Back to Ms Lynn, after displaying her gifts on the kitschy talent program, "The Gong Show" (and losing out the grand prize to a juggling act), she was offered a recording contract. This dynamic singer went on to record nine studio albums with this song being her biggest hit. "Got To Be Real" is the perfect vehicle to showcase her dazzling, powerful vocals and distinctive phrasing.

I know you all know the tune but how can you ever get tired of this:

"Got To Be Real" - Cheryl Lynn (1979)

Here is a video of another favorite tune of mine, "Shake It Up Tonight":

BREAKFAST CAN WAIT

I knew there had to be a reason that the publicity-shy artist, Prince made an appearance at this year's Grammys and it wasn't just to give somebody an award. The purpose seems to be timed to remind that program's global audience that he's still around and he has some new music to share.

His latest tune, "Breakfast Can Wait' has dropped and it's hot. It brings to mind the funky, more sensual sounds from his early days before he fought with his record label, changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol, found religion and began making music that was simply too esoteric. The song is no where near as raunchy as what we used to expect from the Purple One but the lyrics are still as clever as ever. I'm still a very big fan and looking forward to whatever comes next.

Have a listen:

"Breakfast Can Wait" - Prince (2013)

TAKE TWO: SISTER SLEDGE

Sister Sledge is one of many singing groups that not only shared in vocal harmonies but also the same DNA. These ladies hit the height of their fame during a time in America when people wanted to do nothing more than get on the dance floor and shake their groove thang. Their songs are still highly influential and are as exciting today as they were when they first hit the airwaves over forty years ago.

The sisters, Debbie, Kim, Joni and Kathy grew-up in Philadelphia and formed a professional singing act when they were just teenagers. The Sledges recorded their first single, "Time Will Tell" under a local record label in 1971. Although that first song wasn't a major success but they kept on until eventually scoring their first national hit with, "Love, Don't You Go Through No Changes On Me" that hit the top forty on the r&b chart. This lead to the recording of their debut album, "Circle Of Love" in 1974 but the release wasn't commercially successful.

Sister Sledge were teamed with Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, the musical creators of the group, Chic and "We Are Family" was released in 1979 at the height of the disco music craze. It may seem that the girls were not much more than singers-for-hire as Rodgers & Edwards maintained complete control of the project but the combination proved to be quite magical. The title track and "He's The Greatest Dancer" became international smash hits along with the more modest success of "Lost In Music" and "Thinking Of You" which helped turn this album in to a modern classic. These songs have continued to be remixed over the years and have even reappeared on the pop charts, most especially in the U.K. where "We Are Family" reached number five there in 1993 which is actually higher than it charted when the original version was released.

The subsequent albums from Sister Sledge were not able to achieve the same amount of commercial acclaim although the group had a surprise number one hit in Britain in 1985 with the song, "Frankie". The sisters continue to perform together and separately with their last major appearance was on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in 2011.

Listen to two of my favorite songs from Sister Sledge:

"He's The Greatest Dancer" - Sister Sledge (1979)

"Easier To Love" - Sister Sledge (1979)