Club Music & Remixes
If you’re looking for an old school dance tune to wiggle your hiney to, this is the one! 🤣🤣 I remember jamming to this song in my 20s, and it was very popular in the Black/Latino club scene. The song did very well on the music charts around the world. However, Robin S’s song “She Me Love” made the biggest impact in the US peaking at #5, and #6 in the UK.
Do you remember this album? Did any of you hip hop fans even knew this existed? This was Queen’s first jazz album! I had mixed feelings about this album (but neither one of my feelings were negative tho..) I guess it’s because Queen took such a 360 degree turn, it made me do a double take. Let me say this, Queen was one of the very few artists from back in the day that could actually sing! And was one of the very few hip hop artists that could have pull that off. Probably the only other person I can think of that was pure hip hop that could have pulled this off was Lauryn Hill. But, not even then, because she would have turned her album into a jazz/beats project.. I know for most of you youngin’, this album is perhaps too mellow for you liking, but it’s really a good album. Although her album is called “The Dana Owens Album,” the album is really filled with a bunch of cover songs which she performed quite well. I liked her cover of “I Put A Spell On You,” she sounded like a mellowed down version of Nina Simone. I also really liked “Simply Beautiful,” and “California Dreamin’. This may not be the album many of you would add to your daily music consumption, but it’s a nice album for relax time. Check it out..
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Song: Maniac
Artist: Michael Sembello
Album: Flashdance (1983)
Genre: Dance
Wow! Talk about a ?hot? & hairy muscle bear! *Cough* *Cough* Anyway…. The 80s were filled with all types of muscle bears everywhere, and they were not afraid to show-off their hairy chest ?. Today, it appears that hairy chests are viewed as “unsightly,” and many men are encouraged to shave their chest hairs off ?. Could you imagine? Being made to feel ashamed of part of what makes a guy a man? Oh, brother! I digress! Anywayzzz.. When you think of the 80s…….. Does anyone think of Michael Sembello anymore? In terms of music, Michael Sembello was a “jack of all trades! Not only does he play several instruments, he is an incredible songwriter!
His Music Instantly Takes Me Back To The Dance Movie Craze Of The 80s!
Unfortunately, despite Michael’s talents, he was a “1 hit wonder” I have to say. It’s so disappointing when you hear the talent in an artist, and they just don’t get the overall recognition they deserve. Although, in Michael’s case, in my opinion he unfortunately fell in to a producer’s box that many talents are put in by the music industry. In other words, when Michael gave us his first and only massive hit, “Maniac (1983),” (by the way, he also co-wrote) the industry expected him to give us that same type of hits. “Maniac,” reached #1 in the U.S., #2 in Australia, and #6 in Germany. “Maniac,” was one of many songs selected to be on the “Flashdance Sound Track.” I think that the combination of “Maniac,” and Irene Cara’s “What A Feeling,” made the movie even more popular. Although, the entire album was great from beginning to end.
Was Michael Musically Typecasted?! ?
You know, sometimes I wonder if it’s possible to be “musically typecasted,” in the same way that many actors have been? It must hit musicians harder (I would imagine), because at least if you’re a well known actor, most have acquired the power to say no to certain roles. However, when you’re a songwriter, it’s impossible to know if something will become a hit, and if that hit could cause the industry to pigeonhole you into category of songwriters. The good thing is tho….. According to Spotify, he has roughly a little over 3M listeners a month. Not sure what the other streaming services are pulling in for him. But, that’s pretty good for a one hit wonder, and considering the fact that no one really speaks his name anymore. Have you heard of Baggallini bags before? They’re a little on the expensive side, but their really nicely designed. Check them out here.
Song: Various
Artist: Various
Album: Playlist
Genre: Club Music & Remixes
I’ve been meaning to do this for a very long, long time ?! As I’ve said before, just as straight people have history, so does the LGBT community. We have a history that is unique to us as LGBT people. In addition, LGBT/SGL Black American and Boriqua/Hispanic American have our own unique sub-history within LGBT history. And like the straight community, we have huge generation gaps within our gay history. Learning about gay history is just as important as any other history, especially when it comes to Black and Hispanic gay culture. We are presented with our own unique challenges, and our ability to try and convey our stories largely depends on the gay generation you come from. It is unfortunate that it appears that there are more young LGBT people in politics, that aren’t connected to any part of gay history. This should not be, as understanding our journey gives you a deeper understanding and perspective of our diverse realities. Not only that, I’ve seen str8 hip hop videos where the dudes where actually vogueing. But because it’s hip hop, and you’re supposed to be “gangster,” it’s not seen as anything… No one bats an eye… Meanwhile, my gay brothers and sisters where beat-up and chased for our uniqueness back in the day, and straight people are allowed to steal and recycle something that’s been created by us, and been in our community for decades. Know your gay history MF. LEARN!! It’s important.
LGBT People Have Our Own Unique Music History!
I can honestly say that for most of us, the music we listened to literally kept many of us alive, both in our mind and spirit. The club scene allowed us to escape from our deepest emotional pain; as well as escape from abusive relationships. The pressures put on LGBT people to be straight was immense. I don’t think I could find the words to even begin to explain to a straight person what that’s like, and the damage they’ve caused for many LGBT people. When I was growing up, for many straight people, having a Walkman and headphones was simply optional. However, for most gay people in the poorer communities, owning a Walkman or CD player was a necessity. It was the only effective tool we had to use that helped to block out negativity and devastatingly hurtful words.
Most Music Played In Gay Clubs Were Str8!
I’m not sure if there was a reason for this, or perhaps it just happen to be the way it was back in the day, but…. You’d think in the clubs we’d hear our own music made by gay artists. However, for whatever reason, there just wasn’t that many. And when I came out, RuPaul hadn’t emerged yet. Actually, there was only one prominent gay performer producing his own recordings. That was performer’s name was Kevin Aviance. The best way to describe Keven was, he was almost like a male version of Grace Jones ?. Unfortunately, I only liked one song he produced, and that was a song a called “Cunty (1999).” Yeah, I know, some of you may take issue with the title song; however, this was what the gay culture was back then. For many LGBT people, embracing words that would normally be considered inappropriate, were used to take back our lost power in defiance. The power that was lost due to living in a predominantly oppressive hetero society. I love this song because it had a fierce vogue-able dance beat in it’s background.
Back Then, In The Black/Hispanic Gay Club Scene, Our Music Was Very Much Underground For The Most Part!
One reality that wasn’t talked about in regards to underground music; gay clubs played a significant role as to whether or not an underground song/beat would be successful or not. Also, let me just say that, back then, I think it’s safe to say that if a song/beat was not vogue-able, it would be a guaranteed flop! I knew so many people who refused to go to certain clubs if the music played were not vogue-able (hissy-fit and all). It is also interesting that a lot of underground str8 music played in gay clubs, were usually not heard in str8 clubs unless the song went mainstream. It is also true that a lot of good Latin club music would not be heard in a predominantly gay Black establishments either. This not only baffled me, it frustrated me too. This was an era where both Black and Hispanics done the most music collaborations. I couldn’t for the life of me understand why in this aspect, we appeared to be separated. Unfortunately, if we wanted to hear Latin club music in the 80s, we needed to go to specific places, such as an establishment called “Escuelita.” Escuelita has been closed for about 5-6 years now I think. To be honest, I hated that club, because if I remember correctly, they functioned like a lot of the str8 clubs did. That being, they used to pick and choose who gets to enter in the club. I’ve been in too many situations where many of them that operate like that, didn’t live up to the hype (once you finally get in).
Some Of The Biggest Club Mixes Where Dirty As F***!
So, this is the largest playlist I ever made for pubic consumption. It has a whopping 101 major gay anthems I could remember growing up in the gay clubs. This isn’t even all of them. I may consider doin’ a part 2 in the future, I’ll think about it ?, I darn near popped a brain cell trying to remember all these greats! One of my many most memorable favorites was, “Break 4 Love.” You know, it was funny, although this was one of my most favorite club mixes, I was frightened to play this around family back then. For me, I felt it was way too raunchy, and was not appropriate to play for family. At times I kind of felt embarrassed. However, when I started hearing it played on the radio, I was like, f** it, I’m gonna play it too. LOLOL
Today, EDM Appears To Be The Replacement Genre For What Was Once The Greatest Club Music Of My Time!
Another dirty song I used to like a lot was a song by a performer named, Sweet P**** Pauline.” She had a song out called “Work This P****.” Unfortunately, this was one of those songs that was so popular, there were like a million remixes for it. It seems that Spotify doesn’t have the original (or at least the most popular one I remembered), but, I think the one I found on YouTube is ok, because it contains full lyrics. This song was hilarious!!!! Other favorites on this list is “I Can’t Get Enough,” by Liz Torres; “Work That Muth*****,” by Steve Poindexter; “The Party,” by Kraze; “Magic Carpet Ride,” by Mighty Dub Katz. We also vogued to a lot of traditional classic oldies, such as Diana Ross’s “The Boss,” and many music by Salsoul Orchestra. I hope you enjoy your trip through memory lane.
Song: Try Jah Love
Artist: Third World
Album: You’ve Got The Power (1982)
Genre: Reggae
I can’t even attempt to find the words to explain how much of an impact this album has made around the world. How many Americans even remember the group Third World? You’ll probably think long and hard for a good half our thinking about their name, until you hear this song! This song is so unique, I still have trouble figuring out an appropriate category. You know it’s has a Caribbean element to it, yet some times it sounds more like American club music. Some might even dare to say it borderlines disco. Maybe this is one of the many complex mysteries of what makes this song not only so awesome, but attract so many people of all walks of life!
This Awesome Song Was Co-Written With Stevie Wonder!
Kind of by accident, I found out that the song was co-written along with Stevie Wonder. Stevie was inspired to write this song shortly after the heartbreaking death of the late Bob Marley. The song became an instant hit. Without knowing any stats, there is no doubt in my mind this turned out to be the biggest global hit of Third World’s career! It truly put them on the map. Probably, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that it made them the most famous in America, in terms of reggae bands are concerned (next to the Wailers, and even then, most American people remember Bob Marley, and never think about the band playin’ in the background). Now, unfortunately, I think Billboard is tryin’ to charge $10 a month for Billboard Chart info (not gonna happen with me). So, as far as Wikipedia is concerned, “Try Jah Love,” supposedly reached #42 in the UK and #101 on the Top 100 Chart. That sounds wrong to me, I remembered that this song was just too popular in the Black community for those numbers to be right. Black clubs played this all the time, I heard this song throughout the streets of NYC. Those numbers can’t be right.
Again, I don’t mean to hop on this all the time, but it’s true. I’ve heard very few professional reggae performers or bands, were able to fuse their reggae culture with other styles of music and come out successful like this. If never before, this song certainly immortalized them, don’t you think? It’s a shame Spotify doesn’t have this original album, it has some good stuff in it!! If this album doesn’t spark any one of your memory cells, perhaps you’ll remember them for another hit about 4 years before called “Now That We’ve Found Love (1978).” Man…………….. If you don’t at least move your hips to either one of these songs, you’re just a deadbeat dancer. Straight up deadbeat. ?
Song: Freak-A-Zoid
Artist: Midnight Star
Album: No Parking On The Dance Floor (1983)
Genre: Funk/Synth
? I can’t stop laughing at this album cover! It’s like watching one of those old 70s magazine ads for wigs! ? You gotta love the eighties! We’ve done some crazy stuff to ourselves in the name of “style,” yet in reality all we did was copy other people. We may not want to admit it, but many Black styles from the eighties WERE in fact inspired by Prince (for the most part). It’s so weird because listening to this type of music now, synth music, somehow sounds older than what it actually is for some reason. Is it me? Or perhaps I was listening to too much music! ?
Listening To Their Music Now Makes Me Feel So Ancient!
You know, now that I think about it, it must be that unique “space age sound” that indirectly makes it sound older. I mean, when I hear it, it kind of reminded of movies like the first Star Wars and earlier movies. Let me tell you, Midnight Star was a pretty huge 80s group back in the day. They sang all kinds of music, but I think it is safe to say that they’ve been best known for their almost disco infused dance music. Now, I’m having some trouble finding their information on Billboard. However, from what I can tell eyeballing the various streaming services, I estimate that the song “Midas Touch (1986)” was their biggest hit. The song was ok… Mind you, I didn’t hate it, it just wasn’t my favorite song by them.
In fact, I don’t remember hearing it a lot (at least in my neighborhood). The huge money maker for me was their song “Freak-A-Zoid (1983).” I absolutely loved this tune. Unfortunately, I don’t remember if this was a “barbecue favorite,” but I do remember a lot of people playing it. Although the lyrics were naughty, the overall song itself was an easy song to dance to for the whole family. Another song I enjoyed was their hit “No Parking (On The Dance Floor) (1983).” I really do feel that this classic group is worth searching for. Every member of that group can sing. Although they didn’t have many hits (relatively speaking), I think you’ll still enjoy some of their albums. It appears that they’re still performing. However, the last album I found was released in 2002.
Song: I Specialize In Love
Artist: Sharon Brown
Album: I Specialize In Love (1982) (2010) (Single)
Genre: Club Music
This was one of the many best dance mixes that came from the early 80s. Unfortunately, not only was this song the only song that registered on the charts, it was the only song she was remembered for. At least when it comes to those of us who were club heads back in the day. This was a real shame, as I’ve always felt she had a talented voice, she just never had any massive hits.
Only One Song Registered On The Billboard!
Although, “I Specialize In Love” was never on the Top 100 Chart’s radar, it managed to reach the 51st position in both Hot R&B and Club/Dance categories. #51 seems quite low to me, I heard this song all the time. Well, as I’ve always said, your neighborhood makes a difference!
According to some sources I’ve read, Sharon still seems to be performing. I can’t find how old she is now, but much to my surprise, it is said she’s been active since 1975. She is the daughter of William Brown, who is a professional drummer, and played for groups like The Isley Brothers. In addition to performing, she works with youths to help educate about gang violence in NYC.
Song: Various Music
Artist: Various Artists
Playlist: 20 Rare Discos (2019)
Genre: Disco
Hi guys!! Today, I decided to make a special playlist for my blog fans! Are you ready? I hope so! ‘Cause I think you’ll have a blast with this nostalgic explosion! In this playlist, I’ve put together 20 of some of the (now) most rare disco tunes! Growing up, we used to burn the dance floor with some of these tunes, and I think they will go great with your new years celebration!
I Know You Forgot About Many Of These Songs!
I’m so happy to be on Spotify. Almost every day, I’m just stunned by what’s in Spotify’s library. I mean, the music that Spotify has, isn’t just the same oldies that other streaming services have. I’ve found a LOT of music that are now considered obscure. When I was on Rhapsody several years ago, I had to hand write a lot of music I wanted, because Rhapsody just didn’t have it. Not even iTunes had some of the music I wanted. Although I still saw the value in streaming services, it almost became impractical in my case, just because (I guess) my taste was just too specialized {then}.
So happy I gave Spotify another chance. It is a classic bloggers dream. Having said that, one of my extremely rare gems few streaming services had was “Keep Your Body Workin’ (1979),” by a group called Kleer. This was my sh*t as a kid! I used to play this all the time. If you needed a good 70s work out song, this was it! Another was, “Dance Across The Dance Floor (1978),” performed by a guy named Jimmy “Bo” Horne. He reminded me A LOT of KC and the Sunshine Band, their music sounded a lot a like. I also included in this list, the legendary Jacksons, with their hit “Can You Feel It (1980)!” As we used to say when I was growing up, “this was my joint right here!!!!” I hope you enjoy my playlist!
Song: Come Into My Life
Artist: Joyce Sims
Album: The Best Of Joyce Sims (2010)
Genre: Dance Music
WOWOWOWOW!!! Talk about old school! Talk about nostalgia!!! And talk about the now obscure! You know, maybe my readers might be tired of me saying this, but……. Damn! It’s really a shame that great artist like her are allowed to literally fall in to obscurity! It’s just not right! Where are all those that claim “they’re into all kinds of music?” What a bunch of bullshitters! That’s what they are. ? I laugh, but, it’s sad, for real.
This Song Was So Popular, At Times It Felt Like A Joyce Sims Marathon On The Radio!
Let me tell you guys something. Her song “Come Into My Life” was such a hit in the 80s! At one time it felt like various radio stations literally had a Joyce Sims Marathon, almost on that one song! In 1987, “Come Into My Life” hit #10 on the R&B US Charts, and #7 on the U.K. Charts. The entire album itself reached #5 in the U.K. However, in the US, it only reached #22 on the R&B category. But, that’s alright, because her song had already made its fierce mark on music fans everywhere.
It was hard for me to categorize her music, because her style fluctuated quite a bit. There are times when she’s all about standard club music, then other times she leans more towards freestyle. Her strong soul vocals made her music sound very unique. Her music was something that we didn’t hear everyday, and in my opinion it was quite refreshing. I also remember one more very popular dance song she sang; however, it doesn’t seem like I can locate any stats on it right now. The song is called “All And All (1986).” Do you guys remember this song? Personally, I don’t think it was in the Top 10 range, however, I’m sure it registered somewhere on the American Billboard. Maybe in the range of #50(ish) (I’m guessing, but hell if I know LOL)
I’m sorry to say that in my opinion, her label did not make the best use of her talents. Don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate the two hits she gave us, but at the same time (overall) the type of voice she had was best suited for traditional R&B. That’s just my opinion. I mean Listen to her greatest hits album, and compare that with her album called “All About Love LP (2008).” I think that, hands down, “All About Love” was a much better album. Now, I do acknowledge that this album is still “freestyle(ish),” but the beats and tempo has changed to sound more closer to R&B. Think so? I don’t know, that’s what I hear when I listen to it. There were no hits from this album, but, it was the best example I could think of. LOL.
Song: You’re The One For Me
Artist: D-Train
Album: You’re The One For Me EP (1981)
Genre: Dance
How many of my readers remember D Train? As a classic music blogger, I think it’s safe to say that they are on that borderline of being obscure. Most of his biggest hits were on the Dance and R&B charts. And in my opinion, the one song I heard people play the most growing up (including myself) was his hit called “You’re The One For Me (1982).” This song hit #1 on the Billboard Dance Chart. This song was like an anthem in the Black community.
This Song Was Barbecue Worthy!
Black folk know what I’m talking about when I say this… Back in the day, in the 70s throughout the 80s, there were songs that we played that where compulsory of any Black barbecue; then there were those other songs that were worthy, and we still enjoyed. “You’re The One For Me” was one of those songs! ? I’m I right!?! You all know I’m right. ?
You know, when I first heard this song, for a long time I thought Rick Ashley sang background vocals. You guys remember Rick Ashley right? The lead singer, James Williams, sounded so much like him (in my opinion). Needless to say I was shocked when I finally had money to purchase his 12 inch vinyl. It’s a damn shame that I haven’t heard anyone play his music past the 90s. And mind you, I listen to a LOT of DJ stations and internet radio.
Both James & Hurbert Mastered Funk Infused Dance Music!
The amazing duo consisted of James (D-Train) Williams, & Hurbert Eaves. Now, unless you were already a huge D-Train’s fan, you may not be aware of some of his other popular songs. Check out his dance cover of Dionne Warwick’s “Walk On By,” also check out “Trying To Get Over,” and “Music.” All four are my favorite from D-Train. If you like funk/dance 80s music, I think D-Train is worth investigating!
Song: Too Blind To See It
Artist: Kym Sims
Album: Too Blind To See It (1992)
Genre: Club
You know what? I don’t think I even have to ask, I KNOW that most of you dance queens (and kings) completely forgotten about this artist. In my opinion, as far as dance music is concern, this song is really obscure. It’s been decades since I’ve heard this song on any radio. Damn! Twenty six years ago this song was released! Can you believe it? Sometimes it still feels like only yesterday to me.
This Song Was #1 In All Dance Clubs!
Everybody loved this song. It was in heavy rotation, inside both straight (perhaps in more Latino clubs more so) and gay dance clubs. Although it only reached #38 on the Hot 100 Charts, it didn’t matter, because it shot up to #1 on the Dance Singles Chart, and stayed their for about a week. That digital keyboard organ sound some how gave its uniqueness I think. We didn’t hear that many club music using digital organ sounds. Although, I’m sure there are those who’d disagree, because it’s easy to just shove this song in the synth dance category. Technically they’d by right. However, synth dance music had a distinct sound back then. I just can’t put this song in that same category.
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Song: Dancin’ In The Key Of Life
Artist: Steve Arrington
Album: Dancin’ In The Key Of Life (1985)
Genre: Pop Music
Wow!!! Talk about nostalgia!! Talk about “Black in the day!” Do you guys remember Steve Arrington? Stop lying! No you don’t!! ? ? ? “Dancin’ In The Key Of Life,” was my sh*t back in the day! This was my all purpose song! You can dance to it, exercise to it, clean the house to it, anything you needed to do, this song was a great song to play to start your day. Another beautiful thing about this song was, everyone of all ages were grooving to amazing composition. Shockingly, the song only made it up to #68 on the Top 100 Charts ?. However, in the dance category it reached #2. As popular as I remembered this song was, I’m stunned that it was at such a low position on the main chart. Another great dance hit you should check out is “Feel So Real,” which happens to be on the same “Dancin’ In The Key Of Life” album. This song reached #5 on the Billboard Dance Charts. To my understanding, Steve started his career being a former drummer for the group called Slave.
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Song: Del Ray
Artist: Sola Rosa
Album: Get It Together (Deluxe Edition) (2009)
Genre: Multicultural/Club Mixes
This is an amazingly talented and multicultural group, that I’m guessing came together around 2000. Believe it or not, I was listening to an independent radio station using Windows Media Player, yeah, I know, who the hell still uses WMA anymore? ? Well, I did! As a true lover of music, people like me don’t allow ourselves to be hogged down to a single source of music. This is one of the ways you find great music by venturing out places you normally wouldn’t. Anyway. The song “Del Ray” was playing, and I just lost my mind. In my opinion, this composition was (and still is) HOT!! It has a mixture of Mexican, hip hop, & club all in one. I kept thinking this was a remake; I can’t help the feeling I heard the melody before. But then again, I’ve listened to so much music since I was little, many will sound familiar to me. Check it out will you?Â
Ok, guys, I decided to give you a treat this weekend. I put together a hand picked playlist (by yours truly as always) of 20 of what I consider some of the BEST Latino club mixes of the 80s and 90s! This playlist will not only make you go down memory lane, it will make you sweat by the time you finish playing it. Like many other types of music, I am saddened that we don’t hear this kind of music anymore. It’s as tho all Latin dance music was replaced with either EDM or Reggaeton. I guess Boricua club music follows the same path that disco did, a once thriving genre now considered defunct by the younger Latino generation.
You many not care about that, but I see it as a huge problem. Because 80s Latin club music was listened to by everyone. It didn’t matter if it was in English or Spanish. I don’t give a sh*t what you think, when I was growing up, if you really wanted to party hard, we’d go to a Latin club. Also, the kinds of people Latin music attracted was different. It was very rare I heard fights, gun fire, or any of that sh*t in a Latin club. When people came to Latin clubs, people moved every inch of their bodies, and perhaps forget about their stresses for the night, and just let go. Today, it seems the only thing people interested in doin’ is reggaeton, and twerking their ass region until their ass claps. Sorry…. Let me get off my soap box.
The songs in this playlist has been either produced by Latinos, or Latinos strongly had influence! So, what’s in this playlist? How about “Sume Sigh Sey” by Todd Terry. Or How about “Funkete” by The General. I’ll give you one more. How about personal huge favorite “You & You & You (Mambo Mix).” I don’t know what it is, Latin musicians have a way of taking strange and unusual sounds that people don’t hear every day, and turning it in to a club hit. Listen to my full playlist on Spotify. Enjoy!
The one thing Donna Summer fans can’t complain about, is the fact that Donna left us with more 12 inch singles, remixes, mega-mixes, and more redos we could ever handle. There was a reason why we called her the disco dance queen! She certainly earned that title! The above 12 inch single is probably one of my most favorite Donna Summer dance albums. This is actually a double hit album. Side B has my favorite “Winter Melody (1976).” This was from her “Four Seasons Of Love” Album. However, this extended mix with additional lyrics was not published as a single 12 inch until about a year later (if I’m correct). Unfortunately, because I didn’t own the original album I’m really not sure, it’s an assumption.
You know, Winter Melody was such a mellow “easy listening,” song that sometimes it’s hard for me to still perceive it as disco music. This song always reminds me of just how diverse music is. there are sub genes upon sub genres. On side A of this 12 inch album was a song called “Spring Affair (1976).” This is actually a great disco to do moderate exorcise with. Both these songs was recorded as a combo on American Billboard. I’m guessing this is the actual album I’m writing about, apposed to what was on the original commercial album. They both only peaked at #43. Great songs tho.
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I don’t remember if I wrote about him on my old blog but.. What the hell.. Today I’d like to quickly write a little about Johnny Kemp. Johnny was a talented Bohemian singer who started his music career in the late 70s. He had a unique look and a unique sound. Johnny did not hit it big until about ten years later, when he released his smash hit “Just Got Paid (1988).” The song shot up to #1 on both R&B/Hip Hop & the Dance Charts. This song was made for Johnny, I never thought that anybody could thing that song the way he did. Also, seeing him dance to this song on his music video was electrifying in my opinion. By mid video, it reminded me a lot of the original “Fame (1980)” soundtrack video.
“Just Got Paid” was the biggest hit of his career. In fact I think that was his only #1. On The same album, he had a #5 dance hit called “Dancin’ With Myself (1988).” I didn’t particularly like that song, but a lot of people did. After shaking my ass to “Just Got Paid,” it seems like this song was a downgrade or something. It just didn’t seem danceable to me. However, I did love his 1986 song called “Just Another Lover.” The song only peaked at #26 on the Dance Charts.
Johnny died in 2015, at the young age of 55. As far as I can tell, I still don’t think there was an official cause of death. According to what I’ve read, he fell over a cruise ship he was actually scheduled to perform in. I’m not even sure if they knew exactly how he fell. I guess for most, it was written off as a freak accident.
I don’t think I would be out of line, if I said only true club heads from back in the day would remember these guys. In the early 90s, when club music was still a major genre, a guy hot on the club circuit named Lidell Townsell (pictured in the middle) (who produced Chicago style house music), got together with a two guy group called M.T.F. (Martell and emcee Silk E) and produced one of my favorite 90s mixes of all times!
This Song Made Them Massively Popular
 “NuNu (1992),” was released from their “Harmony” album, distributed by Mercury Records at the time. On the Billboards, the song reached #2 on the Hot Dance category. I never really been a fan of songs that only talks about getting a girl in bed (throughout an entire LP). But the beat to this mix was hot as hell! Almost everybody my age (then was about 23-25) played this song, particularly the ones that also liked freestyle. This song was so hot, both straight and gay clubs were playin’ this.
But, you know.. As much as I loved this song, after all these years I never actually heard their full album. But through the magic of Spotify I finally have. It’s a damn good album! I enjoyed the whole album very much! Lidell knows how to lay down some dance music lovely! Before I forget, there was also another massive dance hit from this same album called “Get With You,” which reached #4 on the Dance Charts. There was another favorite of mine that didn’t seem to register anywhere on the charts. The song was called “So Fine,” again from the same album. I’ve read that Townsell is still active, however, I haven’t been able to find any recent activity, or any information health wise.
So, today I just heard this awesome remix. But first, have you heard of a guy named SalaAM ReMi? I thought he was a DJ, but turns out that he’s both a musician and a producer (kind of reminds me of the late Biggie). It appears that there is very little information written about him, which is shocking, because he worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry. Some of the biggest names he worked with were Nas & the late Amy Winehouse. He has even worked with the Fugees; now, they split up a long time ago, so that suggests he’s been in the business for awhile.
Recently, this year (2019) Remi released an awesome remix of Marvin Gaye’s song called “Symphony.” I absolutely love this mix, and I highly recommend that you check it out. The song has been totally reinterpreted! It’s smooth, and has a silky groove. I really appreciate the fact that he kept the integrity of that classic sound that made Marvin who he was. If you want to, listen to Gaye’s original 1973 version of “Symphony.”
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Ladies, ladies!! If you did not think that Montell Jordon was one of the finest men of the 90s to ever grace hip hop with his presence, something is definitely wrong ? ?. He had the looks and the talent! But, WTF happen to Montell? Once he was burning up the charts in the mid 90s, and now it seems as though he fell off the face of the earth! Well, not exactly, but it sure seems that way. While the music industry has forgotten about him, and just thrown his accomplishments aside like a piece of rag cloth, his fans still remember him.
In 1995, Montell ripped the Billboard charts to shreds, when he released his smash #1 hit, “This Is How We Do It.” In addition, it was #1 on the Canada Dance charts, and #1 in the UK. I need to try and give my readers some perspective as to how massively popular Montell was. First, the song was not only #1 on the Top 100 Charts, it stayed number one for 7 weeks! Some of today’s most memorable hits has NEVER been #1 for seven weeks consecutively! That’s jaw dropping! Another example (just to give you an idea), music streaming wasn’t even a thing in the 90s. In fact, I’m not even sure if it had even started yet. But Spotify has calculated over 86M+ streams to-date. I could only imagine what the numbers are like on other streaming services.
But, Montell didn’t stop there! He had other massive hits as well. Such as his 1998 song “Let’s Ride,” Let’s Ride was one of my least favorites, but never the less, it reached #2 on the Top 100 Charts. In that same year, he released a song that I absolutely loved called “Get It On Tonight,” which reached #4 on the charts! I used to dance to that all the time, the music was so smooth, unique, and groove-able.
Montell Has Written a Book called “Becoming UNFamous.”
Now, albeit, I didn’t read his book, and I’m NOT judging Montell, but from the little I know about his book, it appears VERY typical. In it he talks about how he devoted himself to god and the church, blah blah. We’ve heard that same thing from people such as the late Vanity, of Vanity 6. We also heard the same story from the legendary Al Green. The story is either, they weren’t selling any records anymore, so they “turned their lives over to god;” or something life altering had happened to them, that literally scared them in to the church. I literally feel like I could predict most of the stuff in his book.
Like many other classic artists who moved from one genre to gospel, that magic they once had that gave them the hits we all know and love, usually gets left behind as well. The only thing we can do is reminisce on the oldies that made them great once upon a time. The last I checked, Montell is still married to his wife of 25 years, Kristin Hudson, and they’re both very happy. Good for him.
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Ok guys, I don’t remember if I’ve written about The Spinners yet on my old blog. But The Spinners, if you don’t know it yet, is one of my FAVORITE talented groups since the mid sixties to the mid eighties. I wanted to share with you a remix I came across last night. It’s a rework of their song “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love.” Now, I love the group so much it’s really hard to pick an ultimate favorite, but this song is up there in the high five range.
It’s Damn Near Impossible To Mess Up This Song!
“Couldn’t Be I’m Falling In Love,” is a song that is so perfect; in lyrics, medley and overall composition. In my opinion, it would be pretty difficult to mess up a cover of this song, unless you don’t have any musical talent. I’m serious! ? Now, I’ll get to the reason I said that in the following paragraph. In the mean time, listen to “Henry Street Mix” version of the song. Now, I felt it was a decent remix; not good enough to save in my library, but I thought it was good enough to be acknowledged. It just reminded me of the 80s, when I met a lot of guys in to music, and they made all their recordings from a single Yamaha keyboard. ? You know what I’m talking about! Don’t even front! ?
Now, this reminded me of an awesome deep remix of the song I downloaded eons ago. No one seems to have it (even YouTube). Then I also thought about checking SoundCloud, where all the talented DJs post their stuff. Well, let me tell you, SoundCloud doesn’t seem like it was before. It appears that half the site is turning in to one big karaoke streaming service! Holy cow!! I’m not kidding! Some of those guys sounded like they were singing over their kitchen table, rather than a professional studio. ?
Needless to say, I was very disappointed. However, that’s not to say that I didn’t find any mixes I felt was hot! Check out “MOZAIC Rework” version. I also found a real nice club/disco version on YouTube by “Groovefunkel.” There’s also a beautiful jazz version on Spotify by Peter White. Lastly, check out the Jon Tomes edit below. I think it’s my favorite of all the remixes I’ve heard today.
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Have any of my readers heard of Tracy Hamlin? Speaking for myself, I have never heard of her until recently. According to my research, she’s been around for quite some time. She started out performing in a modern jazz band called “Pieces Of A Dream.” The band has been around since 1976, however, Hamlin didn’t join the band until the mid 80s. The group was best known for their hit “Fo-Fi-Fo.” The song reached #15 on the R&B charts in 1984.
The Best Remix I Heard In A Really Long Time!
Well, Miss Thing came out with a new dance remix this year. It’s a cover of Randy Edelman’s song called “Isn’t It A Shame (1975).” Now, I didn’t know who the hell Randy was either. I discovered that he’s a composer for a lot of movie soundtracks such as Anaconda, and TV Shows, such as MacGyver. Unless I’m mistaken, this song really wasn’t well known until girl group Labelle covered it in their album Chameleon (1976).
Well guys, I found an unexpected gem. Tracy’s version of “Isn’t It A Shame,” released this year in 2019, blew my socks off!! The song was mixed by DJ Spen & Thommy Davis. Girl friend hit those notes like it was absolutely nobody’s business. ? A dance mix that was very nicely done. I really appreciate her not trying hard to sing like Patti Labelle. She sang the song beautifully using her own style. Please do check out her single. Spotify only seem to have Randy Edelman’s movie scores available. But here’s a YouTube video performing his own original song “Isn’t It A Shame,” published in 1975.
I found what I believe to be a really hot song by singer Michelle Lawson. Other than the fact that she looks like Lynda Carter (kind of), there isn’t a whole lot of juicy information on her around the internet. The most significant thing I found out was she is (or was) on a show called X-Factor, produced by Simon Cowell. X-Factor is a British talent show similar to “America’s Got Talent,” and “American Idol.”
Best Known As A Contestant On X-Factor
I’ve seen little snippets here and there of X-Factor on YouTube, but I’ve never seen an entire show. Having seen Simon be a judge on American Idol; knowing Simon has an overbearing obnoxious attitude; I know X-Factor had to be an unbelievably difficult talent show to be on. But from what I heard so far, I know she nailed it every time, if not most of the time.
The song I think everyone should give their ear to is “Looking For Love.” The single was just released this year, distributed by Rhythm Records. It’s a dance/club song with a lot of rhythm and a wonderful flow. Personally I think she nailed this song; and every note that came out of her mouth was precisely on key with the music. Now, I don’t believe I’ve heard of her until now; but as I look on Spotify, she’s had some albums out since 2003. Her voice is reminiscent of Mariah Carey (with Michelle having more control over her voice (if you ask me)).
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