So Long...

This will be the 68th and last installment of "Music Memories..."  It will be incorporated into the main blog "Inside The Mind Of Greg Huffman" which will be undergoing a few changes for 2014.
  I am going to leave you with this...Music has been the soundtrack of my life,  There is not one instance that I can  think of without a song being attached to it.
  Music is important.

The Statler Brothers...

I was watching PBS about a month ago and they were repeating a showing of the Statler's 2002 farewell concert.

So of course I watched.

They were singing "I'll Go To My Grave Loving You", and I was immediately hooked. Of course I eventually bought a CD called "The Essential Statler Brothers."
It has every song imaginable and of importance by the group. 'Elizabeth", "The Class of '57", "Do You Remember These." All classics.
It just goes to show you that good music comes in all genres and all colors, huh?

(I have since bought two additional CDs...I love these guys!)
Rerun from 4/15/2009

Katy Perry...

Being a fan of the news and such, I occasionally watch "The View". I especially like it since Whoopi Goldberg has been moderator.
Anyhoo...
I was watching one day last week and a young woman I had never heard of sang a song called, "I Kissed A Girl."
I was hooked.
I did a little research and found that the song is #1 on Billboard charts this week. I also discovered that Ms. Perry is not gay and has been accused of being a homophobic (?) On her album, 'One of The Boys," there is a song called " U R Gay." I haven't heard it yet, but I did just order the Cd and I will review it soon.
I haven't been this excited about a new singer since..."The Black Eyed Peas."
She is really good and puts on a helluva show.
Keep your eye on her.

(I wrote this on 08/05/2008!...I am so all-knowing...(smile))

Radio...

OK, so my power got knocked out for 4 1/4 freakin days and I was lost...
NO MUSIC!!!
My brother offered me the loan of a battery powered radio. Now I am not a big fan of radios...I have over 400 Cd's, and I basically listen to what I please.
Dig?
Well after day 3 1/2 (ahem) I got really really bored, so I turned on the FM dial and found a station that really blew me away...a country station that played music from the decades of the '60s through the '80s.
I heard songs I had hadn't heard in years! Songs like, "Delta Dawn," "All My Exes Live In Texas," "Kiss An Angel Good Morning," "Harper Valley P.T.A..."
I was in heaven.
When my power returned, I immediately programmed the station into my home stereo.
I have had the system for 6 years and I had probably listened to the radio 3 times...
When you own over 400 CD, why listen to the radio? Much of the new music is crap anyway...

(Rerun from 09/19/2008)

Still Havn't Twerked...(Yet)...

  A friend of mine and  I were talking the other day, and the subject of "The Electric Slide" dance came up.
  "Have you ever did the "Slide"?,  she asked
  After a little laugh, (ahem) I said , "Honey, I used to be the "King of the Electric Slide" back in the '80s!"
  Honey please...
  I informed her that I also have done several other dances..."The Jerk", "The Swim", "The Twist", "The Monkey", "(A Weak) Moonwalk" (Very weak)
  Ahem...
I have also done "The Funky Chicken" and "Penguin"...the "Breakdown"..."The Mashed Potatoes...
  I still haven't "Twerked"...yet...
  Ahem

Mr. Stevie Wonder...

My primary memory of lil Stevie Wonder is when he was on the Ed Sullivan Show on December 15, 1968.
He was singing "For Once In My Life." I was a child...only eight years old.
That was the night that my father came home from the hospital and told me and my 4 younger siblings that my Mama had died of cancer.
Through the years I was always one of the first to buy the latest Stevie album. My favorites are "Hotter Than July", and "Songs In The Key Of Life."
I was going through my CD collection the other day and I came across a 2-CD package called "Stevie Wonder's Greatest Hits so I put the Cd's in the the new stereo and was amazed at hoe fresh those songs sounded. 'Boogie On Reggae Woman," 'I Wish," "A Ribbon In The Sky," and "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life." Classics.
Just another reason to appreciate the Masters of Musicology. Will I still be humming "Stanky Leg" thirty years from now?
I don't think so...

(Rerun from 5/21/2009)

"Love Has Come For You"...

That's the name of a new LP by Edie Brickell and Steve Martin.
  Yes...THAT Steve Martin...Renaissance Man and a damn good banjo player.
  I saw the duet perform a song from the album on Dave Letterman and I was immediately hooked.
  The song, "When You Get To Asheville" is a sweet number with a light banjo playing and Edie's voice subtly whispering the lyric.
  A hit.
  Other songs that stand out are, "Get Along Stray Dog", "Siamese Cat", "Sarah Jane and the Iron Mountain Baby" and "Sun's Gonna Shine."
  The music is hard to describe...a mix of bluegrass and country and a little pop perhaps, but I love the collaboration of Edie and Steve and I am hoping for more from them.
  It's on Amazon.com...of course...

I'll Take You There"...

   When I was in elementary school, the class took a ride on "The Belle Of Louisville" 
  For those who don't know,  it is a steamboat that will be celebrating 100 years of existence this year.
  Anyhoo...
  I was standing in the rear of the boat and a song was playing..."I'll Take You There", by The Staple Singers.  All of a sudden, a big kid comes up behind me and pushes me...almost into the big paddle wheels of "The Belle."
  A teacher grabbed me and the bully and I was saved!
  I will always remember that boat trip when I hear that song.
  Music really is the soundtrack of our lives...

Top Ten Albums To Start A Collection...

I have close to 800 Cd's in my  collection and I am constantly adding to it.  Why?, you are asking...
  Cause I truly love music.
  I love it more than watching TV or listening to the radio.
  I love listening to what U want to hear and when I want to hear it.
  So I decided to give you guys a list of my Top Ten Albums To Start A Collection With:
10...The Rolling Stones'"Forty Licks"
 9... The Supremes ("Ultimate")
 8...Prince ("Purple Rain Soundtrack")
7...Sam Cooke ("Portrait of a Legend-1951-1964")
6...Frank Sinatra ("The Reprise Collection")
5...Willie Nelson ("Revolutions of Time")
4...Bruce Springsteen( "'Greatest Hits")
 3...Glen Campbell ("Greatest Hits")
 2...Janis Joplin ("Greatest Hits")
 1... The Four Tops (Ultimate")

  If you buy these lps, the rest of your collection will just fall into place.

Mr. BB King...The Thrill Ain't Gone...

I was scouring the Internet last week and I learned that "Mr. Blues", BB King was releasing a new album this week.
That's right. BB King.
I have a four CD set of his dating back from his start and ends with cuts from 1991. It is a remarkable piece of music history.
I have it playing as I am writing this and although it is 'the blues", BB knows how to make you feel good about them.
I saw him in concert at our local Louisville Gardens  in the mid-eighties. His opening act was Millie Jackson. What a show!
My favorite BB cuts of all time include, "Muther Fuyer", "When It All Comes Down," "Never Make A Move Too Soon," ""Paying The Cost To Be The Boss," and the outstanding "The Thrill Is Gone."
I haven't reviewed the new lp yet. There may be a review in the future. I have heard samples of all the cuts and let me say "Lucille", his Gibson guitar has never sounded better.
Not bad for an 80+ year old guy who still tours, huh?

 (Reprinted from 08/28/2008)

Frank Sinatra...

I was born in the project area of the city and in the '60s, my exposure to any other ethnic groups were null and void.
As I grew older and attended a mostly white school, I made friends of different colors and my horizons broadened. One of those broadened horizons was my taste in music.
To make a long story short, I became a huge fan of Mr. Sinatra. When I first heard the Reprise version of "Strangers in the Night," I was floored. 'Ol Blue Eyes had a way with his phrasing of lyrics that to this day is untouched.
I now own "The Capital " greatest hits collection, "Reprise," and "For Lovers Only."
You might say I am loaded with Franks (ahem)

(Reprinted from 8/6/2008)

Neil Diamond...So Good, So Good, So Good...

I was watching "The Big Bang Theory" the other day , and I was surprised to hear that two of the characters were big fans of Neil Diamond.
  Neil Diamond???
  Why not.
  Mr. Diamond has been a fave of mine sine the mid-70s with classics like 'Sweet Caroline", and "Cracklin' Rosie" and "Song Sung Blue" and "Solitary Man" and "'Play Me"...and...and...
  Plain old fashioned classics.
  It is amazing to me that he is still performing all over the country and still drawing crowds.
Not only is he a great singer with a distinct voice, he also writes for others.  Remember the Monkees classic "Day Dream Believer ?"    Written by Diamond.
  My favorite Diamond song?  ""I Am I Said."

Church Songs...

When I was 13 or 14 years of age, I sang in the church youth choir.
  The Stoner Memorial Youth Choir to be exact.
  Actually my sister Nita and I both sang in that group (My brother Wayne was an usher...another story for another day...)
  I still remember the songs we used to sing,,,
"Peace Be Still", "The Name Of Jesus", "Beams of Heaven"...
  We were a pretty good group.  We even sang  on a local TV show called "Sing Ye."
   I remember having to walk to church...from 3121 Del Park Terrace to 1121 W. Oak Street...about a mile and a half...
"Memories. light the corners of my mind..."
 

Floyd Cramer...

Do you guys know who Floyd Cramer is?
  He was a great pianist with a style all his own.  He played for Patsy Cline on "Crazy".  He had a big hit with "Last Date" in 1960.   It reached #2 ...runner-up to Elvis Presley's, "Are You Lonesome Tonight."
  Mr. Cramer also appeared on countless other artists works.  From Loretta Lynn to  Roy Orbison.
  He also was a great solo artist and as I write this I am listening to him play "Tennessee Walt" and I gotta tell you it is so moving...
  It just goes to show you that all great musicians don't play guitar.
  He died on New Year's Eve of 1997 of lung cancer at the age of 64.

Homemade CDs...

  I sometimes make homemade mixed Cd's.
  I was going through my "library" the other day, and I found about 32 (?)(!) of these.  Some of them were made over 10 years ago.
  Ten Years!
  Listen to these disks and you will discover "Pieces Of Me",  (The title of my upcoming book...ahem).
  "I Touch Myself"...well maybe not that song..."Here Comes The Sun", "Walking The Floor Over You", "A Change Is Gonna Come", "Waterfalls"...
  Nothing like popping in a CD and listening to songs YOU want to hear huh?

Television Theme Songs...

"La la la la la, la la la la...
  La la la la la , la la la la...
  La la la la la, la la la la...
  La la la la, la la la , la la la la la..."
  That my friends is the theme song to the '70s hit, "Rhoda."
  Thank you...thank you very much...
  I miss the old TV theme songs, don't you?
 "Come and listen to a story about a man named Jed,
  A poor mountaineer barely kept his  family fed,
  and then one day he was shooting at some food
 and up through the ground come a bubblin' crude
  Oil, that is...black gold...Texas tea,,,"
   "The Beverly Hillbillies" was a very funny show and the theme song set it up for you
How about this one?...
  "Green Acres is the place to be
  Farm living is the life for me
  Land springing up so far and wide
  Take Manhattan but give me that country side..."
  Then there was the themes from "Andy Griffith", and
  "Mary Tyler Moore" and "Gilligan's Island" and "All In The Family":...
   I am thankful for calculators and microwaves and the ability to e-mail, but I still believe in the classics...
  

Yusuf Islam...

  When I was a junior in high school, I had a music class and we students were told to bring in a favorite album.
  This was before cassettes and 8-Tracks were popular.
  This was the first year of court-ordered busing and being in an integrated class the music was varied and intriguing.
  One kid brought in "American Pie" by Don McLean...someone else serenaded us with "The Soundtrack from Saturday Night Fever".  We also heard The Commodores , and Elton John and Donna Summer and Barry Manilow.
  A very eclectic group that junior class in 1977.
  One kid brought in an album that featured a tune called ""Wild World" and I was instantly entranced by the haunting melody and lyric.  I soon discovered that the singer/ songwriter was a guy named Cat Stevens.
  Stevens , who late changed his name to Yusuf Islam because of religious beliefs, was an interesting dude.
  He went on to pen such songs as "Morning Has Broken", and "Father and Son", and "Peace Train."
    People wonder why I have such a varied interest in all types of music...this is just one more reason why...

Peter, Paul, And Mary....

  As I was sitting around last Sunday with a friend chill-axing...I decided I wanted to hear folk music,
  I told you guys I was weird...
  Well, I went to the "music library" and retrieved "The Very Best Of Peter, Paul And Mary." 
  What songs!  "This Land is My Land", "Leaving On A Jet Plane", "Where Have all the Flowers Gone",  'If I Had A Hammer",  and my favorite and yours, "Puff The Magic Dragon."
  I didn't know Mary Travers was a Louisvillian til I saw her obit in the paper.
  She had a hit called "Follow Me" in 1971.  It was written by John Denver.
If you enjoy good old -fashioned harmonies and music with a simple message.  give this CD a listen.

 

Linda Ronstadt Ill...

  I just read some bad news about singer Linda Ronstadt.
  Parkinson's disease has left her unable to sing, USA Today reported.
  The 67- year old Grammy winner first revealed her condition in an interview with AARP.
  Linda has been a favorite of mine since the late 1970s. 
  I was a junior in high school when I was introduced to singers like Barry Manilow and Boston and The Stones and Linda,
  I remember such songs as "Hurts So Bad", and "It's So Easy", and "Blue Bayou."
  It is so sad to hear that she will be unable to sing again.
  Let's all include her in our prayers...

George Duke Dead At Age 67...

(Courtesy Of CNN)-Jazz musician George Duke died last Monday in Los Angeles at age 67.
A pioneer in the funk and R&;B genres, he had been battling chronic lymphocytic leukemia, according to his label Concord Music Group, which confirmed his death.
"The outpouring of love and support that we have received from my father's friends, fans and the entire music community has been overwhelming," said his son, Rashid Duke, in a statement. "Thank you all for your concern, prayers and support."
Born in San Rafael, Calif., Duke aspired to a music career from an early age, after his mother took him to a Duke Ellington concert.
"I remember seeing this guy in a white suit, playing this big thing, which I later found out was a piano," Duke told USA TODAY in 1997. "He had all these guys around him, and he was waving his hands conducting, and he spoke very intelligently and seemed to be having a good time. And his name was Duke, and my last name was Duke. I told my mom, 'I want to be him.' That moment in time set the stage for me."
Over the course of his four-decade-plus career, the Grammy Award-winning keyboardist put out more than 40 albums and collaborated with artists such as Frank Zappa, Miles Davis, Jill Scott and Michael Jackson. His music was also sampled by Kanye West, Daft Punk and Common.
"It's a wonderful thing that has happened under the banner of jazz," Duke told USA TODAY of his career longevity. "In R&B and rock, when you are over a certain age, they say goodbye to you. But in jazz, you just kind of level off and continue to gain respect, so long as you keep your integrity."
Duke's final album, DreamWeaver, was released July 16 and made its debut at No. 1 on Billboard's contemporary jazz chart. It was his first new music since the death of his wife, Corine, last year.


( I remember Mr. Dukes tune in around 1977 called "Dukey Stick."  That was the Jam!)

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Meatloaf...

  I remember back in my early college years I heard a song called, "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad."
I was mesmerized.
I had never heard anything like that before. It was tender, yet raw. I did some research at the local record store and bought the LP, "Bat Out Of Hell", by Meatloaf.
When I first put the disc on my turntable, I didn't know what to think...it was definitely rock, but there was what sounded like operatic melodies, r and b, and pop all coming out of this big guy's mouth.
I was hooked.
Then came, "Paradise By The Dashboard Light", "Heaven Can Wait", and on later albums, tunes like "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That), and "Home By Now/ No Matter What."
The best way to experience Mr. Loaf is by purchasing the CD "The Very Best Of Meatloaf."
Released in 1998, it features all the hits on a 2-CD format.  It's on amazon.com...
Buy it and you won't be disappointed.
 (Reran from 08/18/2008)

Shalamar...

  I used to be a huge fan of the trio Shalamar.
  Actually, I still am.
  Remember them?...Howard Hewlett, Jeffery Daniels and the lovely Jody Watley?
  Remember the songs?..."Take That To The Bank", 'This Is For The Lover In You?...""The Second Time Around"..."Dead Giveaway"..."A Night To Remember?"
  I  had a crush on Jody for awhile and when she became a big star, that crush got bigger.  I loved her dreamy eyes...
  Wait a minnit...I'm digressing.
  I saw the band back in the day when I was writing for "The Louisville Defender" newspaper.  I was standing right back stage.
  Cool, huh?
 

A Little Bit Of Aaron Neville...

Some of my favorite male singers of all-time are Al Green, Sam Cooke, Prince, and Aaron Neville.
  That's right...Aaron Neville.
  I was first introduced to Mr. Neville in the mid 60s or 70s via a song called "Tell It Like It Is."
  I always loved his voice and in later years I discovered that he was a native of New Orleans and that he sang with his siblings, The Neville Brothers.
  When I first heard the song ,"Don't Take Away My Heaven", I was in awe.
  I bought ""The Very Best Of Aaron Neville" poured a scotch and soda, and just sit back to enjoy that voice.  The hits were back to back to back...The afore-mentioned two songs, Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come", George Jones (!) "The Grand Tour", 'I Don't Know Much" (with Linda Ronstadt)...
  Heaven.
  You can purchase this CD on good 'ol amazon.com.

Bob Seger...

  There was one guy that I was never a huge fan of...
Mr. Bob Seger.
I bought a "Greatest Hits" version of his on Amazon and I was hooked.
  Why shouldn't I be?  Check this list out...
  '"Turn the Page", "Against the Wind", "Like A Rock", "Night Moves", "Old Time Rock and Roll"...
     All were and still are amazing.
  Many people try and compare Mr. Seger to the Boss (Bruce Springsteen)...some even say he is an unreasonable facsimile.
    I don't think so. 
  Seger is very unique and that is why he is a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer.

Jr. Walker And The All-Stars...

   Way back in the early 1960s...my Daddy went to the local Super X Drug Store and brought home a stack of 45s (For those who don't know this, 45s are records...scan a  dictionary (ahem)).
  Amongst the James Brown and Fats Domino and Ray Charles was one by Jr. Walker and the All-Stars...entitled "Shotgun."
  Jr. Walker was a sax player and man, could he blow!  That song was an instant hit.
  It also inspired me to play sax in Jr. and high schools.  I was no Jr. Walker, but I got pretty good at it.
  (Another story for another time...)
  Jr. went on to record such hits as "Pucker Up Buttercup", "Shake and Finger Pop", and his biggest smash, 'What Does It Take."
  The artist passed away in the late 1990s but that music is here to stay and "Shotgun" has been featured in several films.
  It is also available at good 'ol Amazon.com."  Look under "Greatest Hits."

Crazy About Patsy Cline...

  Mention the song  "Crazy" by Patsy and I always have a flashback...
I was in love with a woman once named Karen who was a big fan of Ms. Cline. She could even sing like her.
We went to a karaoke bar once and she sang "Crazy" to me. I was touched so badly that I had to walk outside to compose myself.
Karen died of cancer a few months later, but every time I hear that song...
I like a godfather with Karen's daughter, Katie, and we always talk about our love for her mom.
I became a big fan of Patsy's and even as I write this, I am listening to "Patsy Cline's Greatest Hits."
There is "I Was So Wrong", ""Back In Baby's Arms," "I Fall To Pieces," and "She's Got You." a;ong with "Crazy."
That woman had a helluva voice and it will live on forever, and Willie Nelson is a helluva song writer,

Bobby"Blue" Bland...Dead At 83...

  I have always been a fan of the blues.  Recently last Sunday, a true legend passed away...Mr Bobby'Blue"Bland.
  Below is a profile :

• What's this?

 

Blues singer Bobby 'Blue' Bland dies

AP Photo: The Commercial Appeal, Nikki Boertman. Bobby 'Blue' Bland is honored with a standing ovation as he is named as an inductee to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame during a ceremony Oct. 16, 2012, in Memphis, Tenn.

14 hr ago By Adrian Sainz of Associated Press

 

 

 

GRENADA, Miss. — Bobby "Blue" Bland, a distinguished singer who blended Southern blues and soul in songs such as "Turn on Your Love Light" and "Further On Up the Road," died Sunday. He was 83.
Rodd Bland said his father died about 5:30 p.m. Sunday due to complications from an ongoing illness at his Memphis, Tenn., home surrounded by relatives.
Bland was known as the "the Sinatra of the blues" and heavily influenced by Nat King Cole, often recording with lavish arrangements to accompany his smooth vocals. He even openly imitated Frank Sinatra on the "Two Steps From the Blues" album cover, standing in front of a building with a coat thrown over his shoulder.
"He brought a certain level of class to the blues genre," said Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell, son of legendary musician and producer Willie Mitchell.
Bland was a contemporary of B.B. King's, serving as the blues great's valet and chauffer at one point, and was one of the last of the living connections to the roots of the genre. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
Born in Rosemark, Tenn., he moved to nearby Memphis as a teenager and, as the hall of fame noted, was "second in stature only to B.B. King as a product of Memphis' Beale Street blues scene."
After a stint in the Army, he recorded with Sam Phillips at Sun Records in the early 1950s with little to show for it. It wasn't until later that decade Bland began to find success.
He scored his first No. 1 on the R&B charts with "Further On Up the Road" in 1957. Then, beginning with "I'll Take Care of You" in early 1960, Bland released a dozen R&B hits in a row. That string included "Turn On Your Love Light" in 1961.
His "I Pity the Fool" in 1961 was recorded by many rock bands, including David Bowie and Eric Clapton, who has made "Further On Up the Road" part of his repertoire.
"He's always been the type of guy that if he could help you in any way, form or fashion, he would," Rodd Bland said.

 

           

 

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Little Richard...

As you guys know, I am a big fan of music from the 1950's.
It's my Daddy's fault.
When I was a kid he used to come in my brother's and my bedroom to check on us and he would sing samples of his favorite songs. Fats Domino, Chuck Berry...
...and Little Richard.
As I grew up these songs stuck in my head and I eventually bought "Greatest Hits" versions of their work.
Let me tell ya, Little Richard's is "The Bees Knees."
"Good Golly Miss Molly", "Lucille", "Rip it Up", "Ready Teddy"...all classics.
I had always wondered if Richard was gay or straight. He liked to wear women's clothing and pancake make-up. He also dated a couple of gorgeous chicks.
He may be bi-sexual, but one thing I DO know is that his sound is very infectious and it will live on forever.
  I also know that Berry is one of the Original Founders of Rock and Roll.

(Revised from 12/12/2008)

The O'Jays...

My little brother Billy called the other night wanting to know if I had any O'Jays Cd's.
Surprisingly, I don't.
He was looking for the tune "Used To be My Girl." An O'Jays classic. It seems his "Greatest Hits" CD didn't have it.
So I went to amazon.com and found a collection for $3.97 (!) and ordered it for him.
Amazon.com is great for old music. You have to really read the descriptions of the condition of the CD, but I have been ordering from them for years and I have never received a bad item.
I also buy DVDs and even sheets (!) from amazon.com.  I also have signed up for the "Prime" program, which guarantees 2-say shipping and offers tons of other benefits.
  The O'Jays are still performing to this day and I would travels 80 miles to hear "Love Train"...
 

HAIL, HAIL ROCK AND ROLL...

I was going through some of my father's old stuff the other day and I came across a copy of "Hail, Hail Rock and Roll."
This is a documentary about one of the Kings of Rock and Roll, Chuck Berry.
I was amazed at how many people that were influenced by the man. There were interviews with Little Richard, Keith Richards, Bo Diddley, Bruce Springsteen, Jerry Lee Lewis, to name a few.
There were performances with Linda Ronstadt, Etta James, Julian Lennon and Robert Cray...
My father hipped me to Chuck years ago. He used to sing "Too Much Monkey Business" to me and as I grew up I fell in love with his ways with words, his guitar playing and his "duck walk."
And the songs! "School Days", "Little Queenie", "Nadine", "Johnny B. Good", and the classic 'Maybellene."
The documentary is a classic and if you get a chance to view it, do.
Reprinted from 7/30/2008

AC/DC..."U Shook Me All Night Long"...

I am a big fan of rock music and I have been a fan of AC/DC for years. My favorite LP?
"Back In Black." (Duh!...)
From the opening cut "Hell's Bells", to "Shoot to Thrill" to my all-time favorite "You Shook Me All Night Long", the album is what rock and roll is all about.
When The band has released a new LP called "Black Ice", and it is as great as "Black." 
  Every song will get your head to bopping and the guitar work is incredible.
  Rock on brothers...rock on...
  (updated from 10/27/08)

The Fifth Dimension...

I was watching Dave the other night and at the end there was a group of actors from the Broadway musical "Hair."
They performed "Aquarius" and "Let The Sun Shine In.
I immediately thought of the Fifth Dimension.
Growing up in yje '70's they were a very popular group and they put their unique stamp on the world of music with tunes like "Up, Up, and Away", "One Less Bell To Answer", "'Wedding Bell Blues", and "Stoned Soul picnic."
The two lead singers, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr (who are married, by the way) eventually went on to record on their own and enjoyed success as well.
There are several greatest hits collections available on good 'ol Amazon.com.
(Originally published 5/6/09)

Ah...The Name Is Bootsy, Baby...

You guys know that I am a huge fan of Prince, but in the late '70s and early 80s, my music of choice tended to veer toward the original funk side with a bassist named Bootsy Collins.
Bootsy was an original. His tunes such as "Bootzilla", "I'd Rather Be With You", "Can't Stay Away", 'She Jam"...Classics.
Oh my God,  and those are just a drop in the bucket.
There never was and I believe never will be a bass player that has meant so much to music.
  I saw him appear on "Letterman a few months back as a guest artist, and he was fantastic...he even let Dave wear his trademark top hat.
  Priceless.
If you ever get a chance to see his story on "TV One's "Unsung", check it out.
  (Updated from Oct. 2010)

"Emancipation."..

Prince released a three album set in 1996 called "Emancipation" and I recently (yes, like last week) listened to the entire recording.
I had heard that it was a "so-so" album but let me now say that is quickly becoming one of my favorites by the Purple One.
I may be wrong, but I think this is the first album that Prince covered songs by other artists,,,there is "One Of Us", by Joan Osbourne, and "Betcha By Golly Wow", by the Stylistics." He also covers "I Can't Make You Love Me", by Bonnie Raitt.
The original cuts include "Soul Sanctuary", "Jam of the Year", the title cut, "Holy River", "Face Down" and my favorite cut "Some body's Somebody."
It is a thoroughly enjoyable lp and you can find it at amazon.com for under $2.00
It is worthy of a spot in your collection.
 (Reprint from 2010)

Natalie Cole...

Back in the mid-70s, Natalie Cole ruled.
  With songs like "This Will Be", "Sophisticated Lady", "Our Love", and "Be Thankful", to name a few she was the Queen of radio and had the hottest concerts in the nation.
  Well, Natalie had a song called, "I'm Catching Hell (Living Here Alone)"...and I heard it again the other day and it still sounds haunting and emotional and sad after all these years.  Though this song was featured on a studio album, the best version is on her "Natalie Live!" LP.
  If you have never heard it, do  it right now.
  It will change your world.

Bob Marley...

Reggae genius Bob Marley died  at the tender age of 36 in 1981.
  He left behind a treasure trove of music and I have been listening to a great album of his greatest hits.
  There is a song called "Three Little Birds" which contain my mantra for life..."Don't worry 'bout a thing, cause every little things gonna be alright,,,"
  Words to live by, right?
  There's also "Is This Love", and " I Shot The Sheriff", and "Jamming" and my all time favorite (that still brings tears to my eyes) "No Woman No Cry."
  The album is called "Bob Marley and the Wailers: Legend" and you can purchase it on amazon.com.
  A friend of mine at a place I used to work (Packaging Unlimited) gave this to me as a Xmas gift years ago and I still cherish it.
  Music at it's best...

Prince's "Dirty Mind"...

  In 1980, Prince released an album that sorta shook up America.
  The cover featured a picture of him dressed in a pair of black Speedos and a scarf around his neck...nothing else.
  He was standing in front of a box spring mattress.
  The album was entitled " Dirty Mind."
  Back in the late 70s and early 80s, Prince Rodgers Nelson was an enigma.  He sang about stuff most people only thought about...sex, drugs, sex, sex and more sex.
  The songs on the album are very indicative of this.  First is "Dirty Mind"  which has a chorus of "In my daddy's car...it's you I really wanta drive...underneath the stars.", and "Head" which is about the joys of oral sex.
  Then there's "Sister" which explores the world of incest and "Uptown" which discusses gay life.
   There is also 'When You Were Mine" a great little song about unrequited love.
  You can buy this LP on amazon.com and I have to tell you it is for adult ears only but it is worth a spot in your record collection.

Top 5 Party Songs...

  Being a "Party Animal" back in the 80s, I've noticed that some things never change...and neither does good music.
  Following is my Top 5-Songs-You- Will-Need-At-Any -Party.
1-"Atomic Dog" by George Clinton
2= "Flashlight" by Parliament/Funkadelics
3-"Let's Go Crazy"-Prince
 4-'It's Your Birthday"-50 Cent
 5-"Word Up" Cameo

  Five songs guaranteed to get people out of their seats...I know...I'm an expert (ahem)

'Ol Blue Eyes...

One of my later "loves" in life happens to be Frank Sinatra.
  I discovered Frank one night while working the night shift in 2004.
  The company had just installed a system that played music over the intercom and one of the albums was an lp by "'Ol Blue Eyes."
  As I listened to cuts like "Send in the Clowns", and "Luck Be A Lady", "Just The Way You Look Tonight" and my favorite "St angers in the Night"...I realized how great this guy really was.
  I started watching his movies on TCM "From Here To Eternity" (for which he won an Oscar) and "Guys and Dolls".and became an even bigger fan.
  You can buy any album you please on amazon.com as well as his movies.
  Frank has truly inspired me and to this day I am still doing it "My Way."

Chuck Berry...

I may have already written about Berry in the past but I have recently been listening to a greatest hits album called "The Great Twenty-Eight."
There is a song on it called "Little Queenie"...that song really is what rock and roll is all about! I love the guitar and the lyric...fantastic.
The album also features all the standard Berry hits..."School Days", "Maybelline", "30 Days", Johnny B. Good"...
It also has "Nadine". That was the first song I ever heard by Chuck...in the mid-sixties. My Daddy was a huge music fan (Thank God) and he introduced my sibs and I to all this incredible music. I think this is why I love it so much.
He used to say "Music is music...it has no color."
Amen.

( Previously published 8/16/2010)

The Bee Gees...

  Whenever I am depressed or want to think about the "good 'ol days"...the 70s and 80s (ahem), I listen to The Bee Gees.
  Barry, and the late great Robin and Maurice (RIP) always manage to perk me up.
  Right now it is 7:30 am and I am listening to cuts like "More Than A Woman", and "Rest Your Love On Me", and "Nights On Broadway."
  Now I am ready for the rest of the day.

The Mills Brothers...

I became of fan of music at a very early age. My Daddy usued to sing songs of the '50s and 60s to me and my brothers when we were around 6 or 7 years old.
I have been told that I have the soul of a 70 year old guy because of all the classic stuff I enjoy.
Add The Mills Brothers to my list...
I was watching an old episode of "The Jack Benny Program" on a digital channel a couple of months ago and the musical guests were The Mills Brothers. I had heard of them before but I had never heard their music . When they sang "Up A Lazy River", I was hooked.
I don't know much about them or even if they are still alive and performing, but I am doing some research. I also bought a "Greatest Hits" album on Amazon.com for about $4.00. It includes "River" and "Paper Doll", "Glow Worm" and other hits.
Classic music never gets old...

(Rerun)

Prince...And Why I Love His Music...

...and now the truth.
  I have been a fan of Prince since 1978. 
  Let me tell you why...
  I was a fan of the music of the 70s...Air Supply, Chicago, Barry Manilow, Chic...when one day my brother Wayne told me to listen to this new cut by a guy named simply Prince.  The song was called "Soft and Wet" and since I was a fan of all things "soft and wet...ahem) I listened to it and I was blown freakin' away!
  Then a few months later, the album "Dirty Mind" was released and (again)  I was blown away.
  Songs like "Head", and "Sister", "And "Uptown", and "When U Were Mine"...oh my God!
  This was the beginning of my love of Mr. Prince Rogers Nelson...my love of his sounds.

Country Music...

There is something about country music that gets my head to bobbing.
I don't mean the new stuff...I mean music like Conway Twitty's "Make Believe," and Loretta Lynn's "One's On The Way,".
That music is like poetry to me. The heartfelt was Charley Pride sings "Kiss An Angel Good Morning" is priceless. I even like Donna Fargo's hit "The Happiest Girl In The Whole USA!"
I really and sincerely enjoy all genres of music...including some rap (ahem), and my father helped me to understand the significance and importance of it. My mother was blessed with the creativity to write poetry and I too have the knack.
Some people are born with different talents and one of mine is a great ear for music. The country genre is simply one of the best. If you don't believe me listen to Tammy Wynette sing "Stand By Your Man"...
It'll get you every time.
(Rerun from 08/01/09)

Stereo Cordless Headphones...

  I recently purchased a pair of the best inventions  known to man.
  Stereo Cordless Headphones (SCH),
  My life has totally changed since I bought them ( For $ 40.00 on amazon.com)(!)..
  I wear them all day long...when I am writing...or washing dishes...or taking a dump (just kidding (!) (?) )...or dust mopping the floor.
  They are incredible, and if you are a true music lover...get a pair.

Air Supply...

Back in the early 1980s, there was a band that specialized in soaring vocals, great instrumentation and wonderful harmonies...
Well when you think of it that description could apply to anyone from Styx to REO Speedwagon.
But, there was something about Air Supply. The songs were incredible..."Lost In Love", "I'm All Out Of Love", "Even The Nights Are Better", and the astounding "Here I Am."
They reached the top of the Pop charts and were on all the talk shows.
On an episode of Letterman about a coupe of years ago, Dave asked Paul Shaffer to play "Lost In Love." Until then I had forgotten how great they were.
I bought the "Greatest Hits" cd and I was taken back to the early '80s.
The trip was incredible.
  Yet another rerun...from an old blog on November 10, 2010)

Van Halen: "1984"

I was a latecomer to rock and roll music...you know REAL rock and roll, but one of the first bands I fell for was Van Halen.
  The LP "1984" did it for me. I didn't realize til a few years later that the synthesizer on "Jump" was a rarity for them. That song topped the charts and opened up the band to a whole new audience. There is also "Pnama" and one of my all-time favorites, "I'll Wait." The hit "Hot For Teacher" is also a rocker.
You must remember that 1984 is also the year of "Purple Rain" and "Born In The USA", by Bruce Springsteen. It was a good year for music.
  (Rerun from 2009)

Bette Davis Eyes...

I was watching an Eighties video show on VH1 Classic a while back,  and I came across a video I hadn't seen in years.
There on stage it was Kim Carnes singing "Bette Davis Eyes."
That was one of my all-time favorites in the 80's and it still stands up today. How can you forget the "clack, clack...clack, clack?"
Classic.
  I wonder what happened to Kim?

Barry White..."Let The Music Play"...

I had been listening to some old Issac Hyaes tunes, when another icon came to mind...
  Barry White.
  Remember Barry?  He of "Love Theme" and "Sweetness is my Weakness" fame?
  I remember that he died in 2003, but I can;t remember reading his obit.   So I reprinted it got you.
  You can buy "Barry White's Greatest Hits" on amazon.com.

 

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July 05, 2003

Velvet-voiced singer Barry White, the two-time Grammy winner who inspired millions to get in the mood with such hits as "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe," died Friday, his manager told CNN. He was 58.
The crooner died at 9:35 a.m. (12:35 p.m. EDT) at Cedars Sinai Hospital, said White's manager since 1973, Ned Shankman. He was alone when he died.
"It was just a series of things brought on by his high blood pressure, which triggered kidney failure and a mild stroke and ongoing low-grade infections that they just couldn't get on top of," Shankman said.

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White had been on dialysis, but had been doing some studio work.
"He had a most unique voice, a most unique appearance," Shankman said. "He was just a very unique guy."
Once, he said, researchers played his music to whales. "It absolutely made them mate more," he said.
The singer's bass, sultry tones graced such hits as "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" and "You're My First, My Last, My Everything."
White, his songs sensual, was the love machine to millions of fans.
His biggest hits came during the disco days of the 1970s, with hits like, "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More, Baby," which he referred to as "my anthem."
During the 1980s and 1990s, he converted subsequent generations into admirers, too.
White credited the fact that he wrote and produced the songs, and worked long and hard, for his staying power.
"I sleep music, I eat music, I'm never without it, I'm never without music, that's my first lady," he once told a reporter.
White insisted he was a homebody, happiest in the studio he had built in his house. "I am passionate, I am romantic, I am thrilled throughout my soul to be creating music," he said.
White, who married and divorced twice, leaves eight children.

 

 

Originally Printed on cnn.com

Rita Coolidge...

Back in the day I heard a song called "You" and I was captured.
It was something about her voice...almost like a cross between Linda Ronstadt and Anne Murray.
Well I found "The Best Of Rita Coolidge" on Amazon.com the other day and as I listened to it, I was surprised at the hits I didn't fully realize was by her.
Songs like a cover of Jackie Wilson's hit, "Your Love Is Lifting Me Higher", "All-Time High", a Tempations cover, "The Way You Do The Things You Do", and the lilting "We're All Alone."
She is married to the great song writer Kris Kristofferson and he contributed on several of her hits.
Good stuff and I only paid $2.66 for it...

A Flock Of Seagulls...

I remember back in the good old 80s a band that had a runaway hit called, "I Ran."
The song was basic 1980 music...a little synthesizer and a keyboards, but I remember it was the hottest song, at the time, that I had ever heard.
The band was A Flock Of Seagulls (catchy, huh?) and the lead singer had a hairdo that rivaled Donald Trump's. It sorta looked like a truck rode down the middle of his head...or as someone once said, two dolphins at play.
The song hit the top of the charts and was the only hit they mustered, but it remains a classic. I even heard a rap song using the melody lately.
I hear that the lead singer still performs this song to this day, but he hates it.
Go figure.
Reprinted from 2009

I Touch Myself...

Remember the pop group "The Di Vinyls." They had that song , "I Touch Myself?..."
When I first heard that song, I didn't know what to think. Being a young dude, I thought it was the coolest thing EVER, and being a fan of Prince, at first I thought it was him...
(Ahem)
It was very controversial at the time with a lyric that went, "I don't want, anybody else. When I think about you I touch myself..."
What?...what?...
You didn't have to be a genius to figure out what they were talking about, did ya?
(Republished from 2010)

"Some Girls", By The Rolling Stones...

In the year I graduated from high school, 1978, I was really getting into rock music.
Being brought up solely around black folk and rhythm and blues music, this "new" music was refreshingly shocking to me.
One of the bands I grew to love were The Rolling Stones.
The first album I heard by The Stones was the classic "Some Girls."
This a;bum featured the big hit, "Miss You," but I was more drawn to cuts like "Far Away Eyes", "When The Whip Comes Down", and "Shattered."
The Cd is in my player even as we speak.
It also featured the classic "Beast Of Burden."
To this day the Mick Jagger and the boys remain one of my faves. I have also purchased "Steel Wheels", "Tattoo You" and the greatest hits, "40 Licks."
Ut just doesn't get any better than that, does it?

(A Rerun From 2009)

"Cream"...

I was dating this girl back in the mid-eighties and she was a knock-out.
  Tall, blond and blue eyes...she even had a "Marilyn Monroe" type mole...
...but I digress.
  We used to go out to various clubs and I noticed immediately that she couldn't dance...not a bit.
  She couldn't even do the Electric Slide.
  But she was gorgeous.
  I remember on the way home one night, I popped in a copy of Prince's "Diamond and Pearls" CD and when the song "Cream" came up.the chick started to gyrate and move seductively and moan and
 sound like Donna Summer on "Love to Love You Baby."
  After I got turned on and stated sweating...the song came to an end and she straightened up fixed her lipstick and said...
  "Damn, I LOVE that song!"
  I thought to myself "No S&%^."