Easy Listening
Song: Only Conversation
Artist: Lymie Murray
Album: Only Conversation (2001)
Genre: Sweet Reggae
Although I love blogging about music, it can be a tough job! There are so many great music everywhere; and it can become quite overwhelming sometimes; whether you’re an organized blogger or not. However, I’m about quality and NOT quantity. Today’s artist….. This reggae man right here…… Mr. Lymie Murray…. I LOVED his music! I have absolutely no idea what happened to him. I found very little information about him. I’ve read that he supposed to be still performing, however, I think the last full album I traced from him was in 2014. You know, I’ve noticed a lot of my favorite legendary reggae artists such as Maxi Priest, Third World, etc, a lot of their performances tend to be in places like Europe/EU, which makes me wonder if reggae is now dead in America? That’s really concerning to me.
Lymie Is Amazingly Talented! But I Can’t Find Solid Proof He’s Actively Performing
Who the hell knows? Sometimes with these guys, they realized they’ve ran out of hit songs and windup (for the most part) becoming DJs after a while. However, in my opinion, Lymie is no ordinary performer. He can actually sing his ass off, and he has potential to bust out more hits (I think). But, I also know that it’s more complicated than that. Sometimes I think in today’s culture, a phenomenal voice is often replaced by what is interpreted as “good beats.” I’ve found small articles in various Jamaican online newspapers that said he performs as part of some celebration of something, but not his own concerts and what not.
Lymie Can Really Sing In My Opinion
My top favorite from Lymie is a song called “Only Conversation (2001).” I thought that was the hottest reggae song I heard in a long time. I’m so happy I heard this song, because in the 90s I gave up on reggae. In the 90s, we were bombarded with that dance-hall music; it completely destroyed true reggae culture as I knew it. To me it was like the equivalent of when OG rappers explain how new rappers obliterated hip hop today. So, from that perspective, listening to him perform this song was refreshing! It literally helped to restore my faith in reggae music.
Before I forget, I want you to check out another favorite of mine. I don’t know if it was a hit or not, but I love it! It’s a Delfonics cover of “La La Means I Love You.” I really, really loved how he did this. One more song for you. I beg reggae fans to listen to his song called “For Cynthia,” from his “Good Things Forward (2014)” album. I really think this song showcased the talent in his voice. I heard very few reggae artist that project their voices in that way! I recommend listening to this whole album actually. Some good stuff!!
Song: Saving All My Love For You
Artist: Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.
Album: Marilyn & Billy (Expanded) (1978) (2014)
Genre: R&B
So much great oldies in the digital world it’s ridiculous!! Absolutely no one should be crying they don’t have money to buy their favorite song or album! Because guess what? You virtually don’t need money any more these days. Just take the initiative and search Spotify or YouTube! Today’s musicians are the legendary Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. You may remember Marilyn as off and on lead singer for “The Fifth Dimensions.” Her long time husband Billy Davis Jr. founded the group some time in 1965. However they first came out under a different name. In 1965 they were first known as “The Versatiles.” A year later, they changed the name to “The Fifth Dimensions.”
Both Were Affiliated With The Fifth Dimensions!
The group has been known for many many huge hits, such as “Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In,” “Wedding Bell Blues,” and “Up Up And Away,” just to name a few. The group was so huge back in the day, and I’ve always associated Marilyn McCoo with the group. However, I tend to forget that McCoo actually had both a few solo and duet albums with her husband. Unfortunately, she only had one real hit outside of “The Fifth Dimensions.” In my opinion, this was her most memorable song (in my age group) it’s called “You Don’t Have To Be a Star (To Be In My Show) (1976).” I played this song so many times as a kid, I’m surprised that 45rpm did not turn in to dust and disappear!
I Often Forgot That Marilyn Had Albums Outside Of The Fifth Dimensions!
Now, this doesn’t make any sense. Unless I’m missing something, or Billboard can’t give me the information I need. I remember as a young boy how huge his song was; almost every Black household was playing this song, yet Billboard did not have this song registered. That is impossible. It was too popular not to be registered anywhere on there. I’ll try a little longer and see, but I just can’t find it. Anyway, before I get sidetracked, I’d like to make a quick comment about their album “Marilyn & Billy.” I believe this album was released around 1978, then digitally re-released in 2014. I did not personally own this album, so I was in catatonic shock, when I discovered that a song McCoo sang, “Saving All My Love For You,” was performed originally by her! I don’t even think I heard her version on the radio. I assumed this was originally recorded by the late Whitney Houston! You see, we all learn something new every day!!
Song: I Wanna Love You Forever
Artist: Jessica Simpson
Album: Sweet Kisses (1999)
Genre: Pop
Ok, I’ve really changed gears on my readers today! Do you guys remember Jessica Simpson? I’m gonna make an assumption that ruffly the middle aged group have heard of her, or played her music. Boy, talk about celebrity media drama! This girl’s life stayed in the news! I used to wonder which celebrity had the most personal stuff out on the news; Jessica or Britney Spears! Actually on some songs, they kind of sound a like. LOL However, make no mistake, Jessica is the one with the real golden voice.
Media Portrayed Jessica As A Space Cadet!
Whether the news was about her then estranged relationship with her now ex-husband Nick Lachey, or her children, you name it, it was out there to be judged and ridiculed by the media. One of the main awful things I remembered about the media at the time, was how they did their damnedest to portray Jessica as stupid, or a “dumb blonde” if you will. Granted, I never knew her personally, I’m just a blogger. However, any fan that followed her career can see she’s not just a vocalist, she’s also a fashion designer, author, and an actress!
In order to do any one of those things, you must have some level of brain capacity. And I’m learning from experience, writing a book is NOT easy. I believe her album “Sweet Kisses (1999),” was her first. From that album “I Wanna Love You Forever” shot up to #3 on the Top 100 Charts. I think she sang the shit out of this song! It remains my most favorite out of all her work. On that same album, she has a song called “I Think I’m In Love With You,” using sample music from John Cougar Melloncamp’s song “Jack & Diane.” I really liked this one as well, but it only reached #21. Still a good number tho! Say what you will about Jessica, you can not deny her vocal talents.
Song: I Love The Rainy Night
Artist: Eddie Rabbitt
Album: All Time Greatest Hits (1981) (1976)
Genre: Traditional Country
Well, I can say for sure, the majority of my young listening don’t have a single clue about who the late Eddie Rabbitt was. Those who did not listen to country music back in the 80s have no idea just how huge Eddie Rabbitt was. He was truly a talented hit maker! In fact, his music at times didn’t even sound like country, it sounded more like borderline pop music. I love to hear that kind of diversity in an artists music. Eddie has made quite a few popular favorites of mine. I haven’t listened to any of his music for a long time; and listening to it recently just reminded me just how fun it was to listen to his work.
My Absolute Favorite Was His Duet With Crystal Gayle!
I love his song “I Love The Rainy Night (1981),” because it’s a song for everyone, whether you’re young or old. Almost everyone can relate to it in someway. So much of country music consisted of artists singing about either a broken heart, or something they like to do on their farm or something. This song was in essence about enjoying life, and enjoying the moment. Everybody can relate to that! The song shot up to #1, and stayed there for 2 weeks.
Another deep favorite of mine, is the duet Eddie did with the legendary Crystal Gayle. A song called “You And I (1983).” I thought this was such a beautiful song. Crystal’s voice was definitely on point for this song. Man, all these great potential wedding songs, and growing up I had not heard anyone play them in my surroundings. What a shame. This song shot up to #7. Another great hit he had was called “Drivin’ My Life Away (1980).” This was a very catchy tune. This song hit #5 on the Top 100. I didn’t realize until today that Eddie passed away some time in 1998 of a failed liver. So sad to read that we’ve lost such a great talent.
Song: The Theme From “A Summer’s Place”
Artist: Percy Faith
Album: 16 Most Requested Songs (1989)
Genre: Movie Scores
Ok, ok, I know this post will most likely put a lot of my young readers to sleep. ? However, the whole point of building this blog is to share with you all kinds of music history, and not just one type. Remember I love all kinds of music. One thing for sure, my eclectic tastes will surely have my readers discovering all kinds of interesting & historic music!
Percy Faith Was One Of The Most Prolific Composers Of His Time!
When it comes to instrumental music, there are very few composers that I literally fall head over heels for. The late Percy Faith was one of those few. Percy was like a significant step up from composers like Lawrence Welk back then. I’m not sure if I can really explain what made Percy unique other than, I guess his music had more personality in comparison to other well known composers at the time. In fact, a lot of his work crossed over into popular music categories.
Percy has made outstanding movie scores, as well as a ton of instrumental cover versions of many well known songs. But I think my ultimate favorite is “A Summer’s Place.” I believe this was a cover to Andy Williams’s original “A Summer’s Place” in 1962 (if I’m correct). Although I like Andy Williams music too, but, in this case, I do prefer Percy’s instrumental version. You can just imagine yourself being in a fancy ballroom listening to this piece.
He Was An Eccentric Composer!
Percy was also very eccentric. Music has changed so much across the board, and I really can’t think of anyone right now I could compare him to. All I can say in my opinion, he was a musical genius. I’m sure once being both a bandleader, and leading a full-on orchestra gave him the experience to try things we wouldn’t normally hear from the average composer. Checkout more of his covers made instrumental, maybe you’ve heard of some of them in a movie. Some of my favorites are “Romeo & Juliet,” “I Will Follow You,” “Tara’s Theme (which you may remember from the movie “Gone With The Wind),” “Sierra Madre,” “La Vie En Rose,” “Oye Como Va,” and lastly “Never On A Sunday.”
Song: I Love You More
Artist: René & Angela
Album: Wall To Wall (1981)
Genre: R&B
Wow! In my opinion, this duo is obscure for sure! How many of my blog fans even remember who René Moore & Angela Winbush was? They’ve made some of my most favorite jams! It was a shame that their group project did not last very long, musically speaking they were a good match. Actually, for a while I assumed that they were a couple. Kind of like Ashford & Simpson. However, contrary to my beliefs at the time, I discovered later that they literally hated each other’s guts. I would have never guessed that, judging from the music I’ve heard from them. Their music was so popular back in the day. Now I don’t hear them at all! Not even on Live365 radio, and they play all kinds of obscure stuff.
For awhile I really thought they were a couple!
Their song “I Love You More,” my ultimate jam back in the day. It was one of those songs you hear while passing by a store or something, and you must stop and dance a little bit because the groove was so good! For me, that’s an example of some real R&B music of my generation! Actually their album “Wall To Wall,” was a pretty good album. I’m saddened that their business relationship ended so abruptly. They barely lasted 6-8 years together. Which probably meant they hated each other from the start! You might remember a couple of their other hits. One of them was from their 1985 album “Street Called Desire,” and the song was “I’ll Be Good.” I used to jam to that a lot as well. Checkout another classic from the same album called “Your Smile.” Very nice song. About 1985-1986, they eventually broke their contract and moved on with solo careers. I haven’t heard anything from Rene, but Angela had done quite a few recordings.
Song: How ‘Bout Us
Artist: Champaign
Album: How ‘Bout Us (1981)(2014)
Genre: R&B
I decided to call this post “The Lost Sounds Of Champaign,” ’cause, they really are! Hell, when was the last time you heard anything from Champaign? This is exactly why I’ve built this blog! Come on, be honest. And just in case, no, I don’t mean Evelyn “Champagne” King, I meant the band Champaign ?. The group decided to name themselves, after their hometown, Champaign, Illinois. We can say that the band has produced all kinds of music, but mostly pop, and perhaps borderline funk.
That One Hit That Probably Made A Lot Of Babies!
Their song “How ‘Bout Us,” was a HUGE success for the group! They ripped the music charts to shreds! It was #1 in Adult Contemporary, #4 in R&B, #12 on Pop charts, and 5 on the UK chart. I think this is an awesome song that you can add to any wedding reception in my opinion. There’s no doubt in my mind that this song helped to make a lot of babies in the 80s.
This was one of the very few songs I really loved, that I didn’t purchase a 45 for. But, then again, it wasn’t really necessary, as many compilation CDs really started to become popular at that time. Champaign had another massive hit I think you’ll remember. The song was called “Try Again (1983),” it hit #2 on the R&B chart and #6 under Adult Contemporary. Interesting that this song did so well in the U.S. Although they’ve made some really good music, in my opinion, these two songs were the best out of their career.
Song: Don’t Take Away Your Love
Artist: Johnny Nash
Album: Don’t Take Away Your Love (1962)(2019)
Genre: Soul Music
Oh my goodness! I had forgotten just what a beautiful voice Johnny Nash had. You know what? Listening to him sing “Don’t Take Away Your Love,” was almost like listening to Sam Cooke in a way. Are any of my readers familiar with Sam Cooke? He was another great singer too. This is such a beautiful romantic song, and I think it’s a great song to slow dance to as well. Although this is an American song, I’ve chose to put this in my “sweet reggae” category, because growing up about 85% of the music I listened to by Johnny were reggae. Interestingly enough, he was born in Houston Texas, USA. Even more interesting, he was the first non-Jamaican singer to record reggae music in Kingston Jamaica! And had many, many hits!! How’s that for awesome!! ?
I Do Recommend That You Investigate Johnny’s Music
My grandpa and I REALLY loved Johnny’s music. Although, with this particular song, I don’t recall hearing my grandpa ever playing. But, there’s no doubt in my mind my grandpa would have not only loved this song, he would have played it to shreds!! ? Now, I’m not sure the name of the original album, but also I’m thinking it may be possible it was released as a single. I’m making this assumption because Spotify has it as a single, and all other albums the songs appear in, are more recent re-releases.
Some of my most favorite Johnny Nash music I remembered my pops playing were songs like, “I Can See Clearly Now,” “Stir It Up,” his remake of this American classic “Cupid,” “Groovin’” “Hold Me Tight,” and my most favorite of all is “Guava Jelly.” Johnny has a lot of NICE music under his belt, but I think the music I just shared with you were/are is ultimate best in my opinion. I mean, not only was his voice on point, the reggae beats were just sick!! Well, you can just judge that for yourselves! To my understanding, this now 78 year old hit maker is still kicking it on the mic!
Song: Reminiscing
Artist: Ragan Whiteside
Album: Reminiscing (2019)
Genre: Instrumental
Oh, my goodness, so many good artists, and so little time to write about them! Yo, I don’t know if my readers have ever heard of Ragan Whiteside before; but she’s one of the best female flutists I’ve heard in a like time. I mean, she’s a badass bitch boooooyyyyyy! You know, come to think of it, relatively speaking, there aren’t that many female instrumentalists out here (yet a lone a flutist). I’m not quite sure if this is something females are usually not particularly interest in, or perhaps this is one of the few genres that are still male dominated. I guess I’ll have to research that one. Not really sure, but I think it’s an interesting topic.
She’s Kind Of A Chaka Khan Look-A-like!
I really do encourage that you research her music. Well, not too long a go last year she released a single called “Reminiscing.” It happens to be an instrumental cover version of one of my most favorite seventies songs by the Little River Band, from their 1978 album “Sleeper Catcher.” After all these years I still love listening to that song. Anyway, Ragan did a beautiful job with this piece. She added a new modern take on a very old classic. I love her above album cover too! It kind of reminds me of those old 60’s album covers with various artists on them. Question, why did almost all of those types of albums had to have both women (usually with high skirts) and cars on it? It was the oddest thing. ?
I’m not sure where her rendition of “Reminiscing” landed on the charts (or if it did), but I don’t care because I love it. However I do know she came out with another recent single called “Jam It (2019),” that made the top ten jazz category. It sounds ok. But check out “Corey’s Bob (2017),” and “Mystic Vibrations (2017).” Both are on her album called “Treblemaker.”
Song: Y Hubo Alguien
Artist: Marc Anthony
Album: Contra La Corriente (1997)
Genre: Latin Salsa
You know, as a blogger, it’s kind of scary when you write about some of your favorite artists, then you have that realization that…… “Oh shit, this song is over 20 years old!” So many songs I write about feel like it’s been only yesterday. I guess this is one of the many reasons people in my age group experience a massive culture shock (in regards to today’s music). What young kids today see as musically “hot,” is most likely not our cup of tea. On the other hand, if their parents wasn’t musically cultured, it’s inevitable that the kids isn’t going to have anything to compare what music to.
He Truly Loves Music
When I think about old school Latin artists, like the late Celia Cruz,the late Tito Puente, Willie Colon, Johnny Pacheco, or even younger artists, such as La India and perhaps Gloria Estefan. They all posses a certain special magic in their music that very few artists have today (not even J Lo, sorry to say). There’s a huge difference between being a performer, and being a musician. I’m not sure if I have any words to explain it. Then again, I’m sure the love of music is hard to explain because it’s very much part of emotion; and if you can’t connect on an emotional level (musically), I don’t believe we can truly explain it. It’s one of those things you have to see them perform, see their interaction with the audience, the expressions on their faces as the feel the music, etc.
I think Marc Anthony is one of those important, and still relevant musicians that posses that magic. If I had to pic one important quality about these people, I think it would be their ability to attract music lovers of all generations. And I think very few musicians accomplish this, because of not only the lack of culture, but today everything is done via keyboard! Marc Anthony has such an incredible voice, a distinctive voice, a voice with lots of vocal range. Marc could probably sing a whole album A cappella, with no band, and it would be a mega hit.
Ok, I’ve Babbled Enough LOL!
To be honest, most of the music I’ve liked by Marc Anthony have been in English. However, “Y Hubo Alguien,” I have to admit is a real favorite of mine. This song was so hot, I’ve even heard disc jockeys play this on English radio stations. Another Spanish old school I recommend is “Tu Amor Me Hace Bien (2004).” One of my favorite English Marc Anthony songs are “You Sang To Me (1999),” “I Need To Know (1999),” and “My Baby You (1999).”
Song: Nothing Takes The Place Of You
Artist: Toussaint McCall
Album: Nothing Takes The Place Of You (1967)
Genre: True Soul
Sooo many forgotten artists. Toussaint McCall is in that pile of many who’s been forgotten; even more so because he was a one hit wonder. It’s bad enough his music is obscure, almost nothing is written about this man. Honestly I’m not even sure if the McCall is still alive. It seams I can’t even figure out who written today’s song choice. It’s a shame because I do believe the man could sing, although there were a couple of songs I’ve heard from him that sounded like his voice wasn’t strong enough or something. He kind of had that “first starting out church voice,” where it almost sounds unstable in the beginning. However, with “Nothing Takes The Place Of You,” his voice seemed to be on point. Not sure if that means he written the song, or he developed an emotional connection to this song. Either way, it became one of the most romantic heart felt songs I’ve heard in a really long time back then.
He Kept Recording Despite Only Having One Hit!
McCall’s song “Nothing Takes The Place Of You,” hit #5 on the R&B chart, and #52 on the Top 100. In terms of TV and radio, it seemed as though he literally vanished after the success of his first album. It wasn’t until he made a cameo appearance in the Johnathan Waters crazy comedy “Hairspray (1988),” starring the late Divine and Rickki Lake, did people remembered once again who he was. Despite only having one major hit song, he kept recording several records after that. He must have had very good connections in the music industry, because even back then, if you did not produce any sales after the third album or so, the label would have usually dropped you (contract or no contract).
Song: Sideshow
Artist: Blue Magic
Album: Blue Magic (1974)
Genre: R&B
The Blue Magic was an incredibly talented group that formed close to the beginning of the 70s. Still performing by the way; however I think all the original members has passed on. I could be wrong about that, but I do know (to my understanding) the lead singer, Rod Wayne, died awhile back. I know we all have differences of opinions (that’s why it’s called opinions), but this group deserved more credit than they got.
Another Great Group Silenced By The Disco Era!
Perhaps we can make an argument that the Blue Magic came to the music scene at the wrong time. It’s been said that the disco hurricane destroyed a lot of music careers during the 70s. Now mind you, I’m not saying that music from groups like Blue Magic wasn’t good enough. However, disco was one of those rare genres that wasn’t just a “genre” it was also a movement. Disco was such an obsession that it over shadowed many talented groups. I saw a documentary discussing how disco grew so large, that there were riots in some neighborhoods by those who resisted disco’s domination. I believe it was in cities like Chicago (if I’m not mistaken). Thank goodness that never happened in my neighborhood, but that must have been a sight to see.
Listening to Blue Magic was kind of like listening to a second version of The Spinners The Stylistics in a way, with Wayne being that lead romantic falsetto. The song “Sideshow” became their biggest hit single of their career. It hit #1 on the R&B chart, #8 on the Top 100, and the album itself reached #4 on the R&B category. There was no better album after this one. In fact, “Sideshow” was such a popular song, it appeared on many of their other albums released and re-released on digital.
Two More Popular Songs!
There were two more popular songs. “Stop To Start,” wasn’t exactly my favorite song, but it was a popular one, and hit #14 on the R&B chart. Now, technically, this last song wasn’t a hit per-say, but it was a great song. It happens to be on this same album. It’s actually a cover of The Main Ingredient’s 1973 hit, “Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely.” What a shame this song never got any traction (at least as far as I can tell). It was one of those severely overlooked remakes that was performed amazingly.
Song: Various Songs
Artist: Various Artists
Album: K-TEL: The Elite (1981)
Genre: Easy Listening
Hi guys!! I hope all my readers had a safe and enjoyable xmas! Today I put together a nice playlist for you guys. Question: Do you remember a label called “K-TEL?” I don’t remember what it actually stands for, but K-TEL International is actually a company that sells products through infomercials and other various marketing techniques, but it’s usually by way of television. K-TEL also owned a record label, and focused on re-selling chart topping hits. In my opinion, back in the day K-TEL was actually vital to music collectors. When we had no other choice but to buy our records, although they were cheaper than they are now (physically), it still cost us a ton of money to purchase whole albums (and even singles if you wanted a lot of songs).
K-TEL was “heaven sent” for most of us die-hard music fans. What was nice about companies like K-TEL was that they compiled all the biggest hit songs we missed, and put them all on one album. Buying these albums were like buying collections from Time Life. The only real difference between K-TEL and Time Life, was that Time Life offered half hour detailed infomercials, and usually promoted several albums/cassettes at a time. Actually, K-Tel’s music choices for their albums were slightly different (if I was to be quite honest). I really loved K-TEL, I can tell that whatever committee responsible for selecting the songs for each album knew what they were doing. Most of the albums they released had very good songs on them. At least 10-12 good ones out of maybe 16-18.
Even for the artists I didn’t necessarily like, usually the best of their songs were selected. An example of that was Diana Ross. I never thought Diana had an amazing voice, she was just lucky to have good writers and producers under her belt (and I guess having a relationship with Berry Gordy didn’t hurt either). “It’s My Turn (1980),” theme from the movie “It’s My Turn,” I felt was a really nice song. Not only did she sing this song well, it was one of the very few songs I’ve heard where you actually hear a story in it. Another great classic song on this album is “The Logical Song (1978).” In the US it peaked at #6 on the Top 100. The song actually did very well around the world. This album also has my only second favorite from Boz Scaggs called “Look What You’ve Done To Me (1980).” Scaggs’s ballad was so huge, you couldn’t turn on the radio without it already being played. The song hit #3 in Adult Contemporary. The type of songs selected throughout all their albums, almost became their signature trademark. Enjoy!!
Song: Ohh Baby, Baby
Artist: Shalamar
Album: Uptown Festival (1977)
Genre: R&B
Wow! This goes to show you just how much good classic music exists. I have been a long time fan of Shalamar, and I don’t recall ever hearing their cover of Smokey Robinson’s “Ooo Baby, Baby,” c 1965. What was an even bigger shame was that, according to one source I’ve read, the song actually reached #1 in the US. Not sure what chart that was on, but I’m banking on the fact that it had to have been at least the R&B category. Unfortunately, sometimes categories could make a difference as to where you hear certain songs on the radio.
This Was An Awesome Cover Song That Slipped passed My Ears!!
Not knowing the specifics of the song, I’ve read enough material to get a sense that the album “Uptown Festival” did very well back in the day. But honestly, out of all of the tracks I’ve heard on this album, “Ohh Baby, Baby” was the best one. I would have played the hell out of this song. It was a nice surprise finding this, cause honestly I wouldn’t have looked for it. However, the other thing was, Shalamar has changed so much other the years. They’ve swapped/replaced so many members, it became a choice of what version of Shalamar you liked best. That sometimes became a headache when looking for their music too. Even with music streaming, as results given are usually only the popular searches.
Song: Rising To The Top
Artist: Keni Burke
Album: Changes (1982)/Extended (2014)
Genre: Smooth Jazz
Oh, I think I have a nice one for your guys today! My young readers don’t know anything about this man here! Keni Burke is a songwriter, singer, and producer. Keni started his career some time in the mid 60s. Damn! I had no idea he was around for that long ?. Burke first joined the band called Five Stairsteps around ’67, they’re probably best known (if you do remember them) for their hit song “O-o-Child (1970).” After about two albums, the group disbanded. Well, you may not remember his name, however if you’re Black, I can say with almost full certainty that you’ve heard at least one of his works.
You May Not Remember His Name, But You’ll Recognize This Hit!!
Unfortunately, this is another example where I have trouble finding chart information ?. All I can tell you is that today’s song “Rising To The Top” was perhaps the biggest song in his career, especially in the Black community. The song was sampled several times by big names. Probably the most memorable (I’m assuming) was done by the Mary Jane Girls, with “All Night Long (1994),” which hit #8 on the Dance Charts, and #11 on the R&B Charts.
Old school rapper Doug E. Fresh also sampled a little bit of Keni’s song with “Keep Risin’ To The top (1988).” Also, Big Daddy Kane with “Smooth Operator (1989).” Several other well known names has sampled Keni’s song. My young readers just don’t know how popular this beat was in the Black community back in the day. I’m dumbfounded I can’t find the stats on Keni’s song. I don’t know if there are technical issues on Billboards site in regards to Keni’s music? I don’t know…. Whatever….. There you have it… Another example of a master, lost in music history!
Song: Against The Wind
Artist: Bob Seger
Album: Against The Wind (1980)
Genre: Easy Listening
What? What? Don’t look shocked! I told you I was into all kinds of music! I meant that when I said it the first time! ? LOL I’m not exactly sure when I discovered Bob Seger, but, I had absolutely no idea just how many of his songs made the Billboard Charts until I started looking. In terms of categories, I’m not quite sure where to place Seger. Almost all his albums fluctuates between country and rock. Actually, that’s probably why I wasn’t aware of his other hits, I never really listened to rock stations. If I did, it was usually stations that would be considered really really light/soft rock. However, for today’s song, it is easy listening.
Bob Had Way More Hits Than I Realized!
Seger’s song “Against The Wind,” has got to be my ultimate favorite from him. I love those smooth and relaxing country type songs. If you were looking for music that allowed you to concentrate on something without distracting you? Say, building something, or perhaps giving your dog a bath or something like that, this would be the perfect song to add to your playlist in my opinion. Lyrics are sad, but it’s still a great song. The song reached #5 on the Top 100 Charts.
Some of his songs completely went over my head. “Shakedown (1987),” was on the Beverly Hills soundtrack, starring Eddie Murphy. It hit #1 on the Top 100. I remembered just about every song on that soundtrack, but couldn’t remember Seger’s song for the life of me. However, then again, this song wouldn’t be the type of rock music I normally would listen to, so I most likely blocked it from my head I guess. But, I do remember “Old Time Rock & Roll (1979),” which hit #28, yeah, that was a cute rock song.
Two More Favorites Of Mine
I’d like you guys to check out two more favorites of mine. You may remember this one, it was fairly popular called “Night Moves (1977).” It reached #4 on the Top 100. Lastly check out “Shame On The Moon (1983).” now, this one hit #2 on the Top 100. “Shame On The Moon,” is a really nice song in my opinion. For some odd reason, it reminds me of an old Sam Cooke song, but I can’t recall it right now. You should research some of Seger’s music, you may find some you’d consider classic gems.
Song: To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before
Artist: Julio Iglesias & Willie Nelson
Album: Half Nelson (1982)
Genre: Easy Listening
This is why I am a blogger! It’s a beautiful thing when you have a good enough memory that you can share a piece of history with others. You better continue to visit my blog, because I can assure you, you will not “discover” half the stuff I blog about on YouTube! Just because it may be uploaded, doesn’t mean it will show up on anyone’s playlist, or radio playlist. Let me tell you, these two men… Again, unless your family is cultural enough to still play this kind of music, if you’re younger than 20-25 years of age, I doubt you have any idea of their music.
Julio Iglesias Was Sexy As F**k!
I’m not gonna lie, I thought Julio Iglesias was sexy as hell when he was young. Even in the picture about he still looked good around the age of 42 (which indirectly added to the success of the song (I think)). The duet with country singer Willie Nelson proved to be the most successful move in Julio’s career. “To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before,” hit #5 on the Top 100 Chart, and hit #1 on the Country Charts. Now, this isn’t to say Julio didn’t have any other #1 hits, they’re just in the Latin categories, whereas the Top 100 is more broad.
You know, it was interesting because, this song in particular seemed to have transcend not only across music cultures, but age as well. I mean, I’ve seen str8 women go bananas when they heard this song come on the radio! Then again, Julio had a kind of voice where, he could have been singing about taking a dump in the toilet, and still sound sexy as hell. ? Such a shame father time was not kind to Julio. I absolutely can’t believe it’s the same person now. Today, he looks so much like Mickey Rourke now. I wonder if Julio had plastic surgery too?
Song: Love Is A Battlefield
Artist: Luke Evans
Album: At Last (2019)
Genre: Standards
Do you remember the incredibly handsome & gorgeous Luke Evans? He’s the guy I think is probably best known for “Dracula, Untold (2014),” and “Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug (2013).” I highly recommend both these movies, he’s a wonderful actor. He can practically play anything, and the movie winds up being a hit. Well!!!!! Let me tell you guys something! Not sure if any of my readers know about it, or have even been paying attention. This hunk of a man just came out with his first single a couple of days ago.
Actor Turned Singer? Hmmmm.
To be honest, I’m still feeling my way through his album. I guess if I’m taking this long to figure out whether I like it or not, it’s probably all that. Yet, it’s also true that I’ve only been familiar with him as an actor; so it could be an issue of trying to adjust. Immediately I’ve noticed that he’s got quite a bit of covers on his new album.
You know, now that I think about it… I think the one thing that appears to be throwing me off is the style of music on the album itself. Personally, without knowing anything about Luke’s tastes in music genres, I would have imagined his album would have been closer to either modern rock or pop music. However, after listening to his album, it definitely has a movie soundtrack feel to it. I’m not sure if this is the type of music he’s into, or this is what he was musically trained in.
The Album Has A Soundtrack Feel To It!
His cover of Pat Benatar’s “Love Is A Battlefield” sounds pretty good though. I honestly never thought that it could be possible that a man would pull that off! Thank goodness he changed the tempo of the cover; I think it would have sounded really bad (given the texture of his voice) trying to keep up with the way Pat Benatar sang it.
My least favorite on this album is his cover of Etta James’s hit “At Last.” You know, in my opinion, this is a very delicate song. Not everyone can sing this song, it’s very difficult. I didn’t even liked the way Beyoncé sang it!! Sorry gay people, I’m over 50, it should be expected that I’m not gonna like many redoes made by much younger artists. For real, he should have left this song alone. This album is definitely an acquired taste. It’s not a bad album, on the other hand, a certain crowd will gravitate toward this album. I have a funny feeling I’m gonna enjoy him more as an actor than a singer. One thing’s for sure, if his album flops, he has his acting career to fallback on.
Song: That’s Amore
Artist: Dean Martin
Album: Dean Martin: The Capital Recordings, Vol. 4 (1954)
Genre: Jazz Vocalist
I’ve never considered myself a Dean Martin fan at all. I thought to myself, I think I only ever liked one song from him. However, as I quickly skimmed through some research notes, I remembered 2 more songs he sang I’ve enjoyed as a kid. I still don’t favor him, at least not enough to listen to him on a regular basis. Dean had one of those Bing Crosby type of music and voice that I just didn’t connect with.
Dean’s Music Was An Acquired Taste.
Honestly, I think the only reason why I enjoyed “That’s Amore,” was because it had an addictive catchy tune, and it reminded me of Bugs Bunny cartoons. ? If it doesn’t remind you of some cartoon from back in the day; it will make you feel you’re having dinner with a huge Italian family! I’m just giving you a forward warning, once you listen to this song, it will be ringing in your head for a day or two! It’s that catchy! LOL It’s crazy that this tune did not register anywhere on the Top 100 Charts! Holy cow!
How funny is it that the song I considered to be one of his most boring songs, “Everybody Loves Somebody,” hit #1 in 1964! Eeerrr, the song is OK, but, I really have to be in the mood to listen to that. Don’t recommend listening to it if you’re depressed on any given day ?. The second, and only song I ever liked from Dean Martin (other than “That’s Amore”) was a song called “Volare” which peaked at #15 in 1958. All his other songs will put you to sleep! LOL Sorry! Even as an actor, I didn’t really like him. The ONLY reason I would watch a movie with him in it, was unless Jerry Lewis was in it. And even then, I didn’t like him that much because Jerry was almost always the brunt of his jokes. The “Dean & Lewis” scripts was specifically crafted to make Dean look good. It was quite obvious, and it was a turn off to me. ?
Song: Blue Velvet
Artist: The Clovers
Album: Down In The Alley: The Best Of The Clovers (1991)
Genre: DooWop
In my opinion, The Clovers were a very underrated DooWop group. In many ways, their sound reminds me a lot of The Coasters. I think the only differences were that The Coasters were more on the R&B side. I discovered something interesting. As a young boy, when I first heard “Blue Velvet” on the radio, I only remembered hearing Bobby Vinton’s version (which by the way hit #1 on the Top 100 Charts in 1963). But, much to my surprise, I discovered that this song was originally performed by a famous jazz vocalist named Tony Bennett. His version of “Blue Velvet (1951),” reached up to #20.
In My Opinion, The Clovers Were A Very Underrated Group!
According to some sources I’ve read, The Clovers’s version of “Blue Velvet (1955)” reached #14 on the Billboard’s R&B charts. However, when I tried verifying that, I could not find it on Billboard’s website. Now, perhaps there were so many changes within the group, there are no stable search criteria that could be used? I’m thinking. The song did not appear to register anywhere on the Top 100/200 Charts (as far as I can tell). This is one of the many perfect examples of how artists and their music become obscure & erased from our memories.
I loved how The Clovers performed this song. Perhaps they sang the song too mellow to attract the tastes of most music goers in the Black community. I say this because by the time the 60s came along, Black music appeared to have made a 360° turn around. Our music became more soulful and grooveable. Well, you may not remember The Clovers for their cover of “Blue Velvet,” perhaps you’ll remember them for their one and only popular hit called “Love Potion No. 9 (1959).” The song only reached #23 on the charts, but it was extremely popular, and covered by many other artists.
Song: Troubled Mind
Artist: Everything But The Girl
Album: Amplified Heart (Deluxe Edition) (1994)
Genre: Easy Listening
“Everything But The Girl.” What a name for a group huh? I actually discovered these guys way back when I was on Napster. The moment I heard the song “Troubled Mind,” I loved it! The song and composition is just perfect with her voice. Really really relaxing music. A lot of their music really should be put in a “Modern Folk” category, but I’m not sure if that’s an official genre? Well, music has evolved so much (culturally) in the last 50-60 years, we can literally place music in any number of categories. Even hip hop has so many sub-genres it can get quite confusing if you ask me.
I Thought I Never Heard Of This Group Before!
If Joan Baez was in her 20s again, I think this is what her music would sound a lot like, “Trouble Mind” today. I played this song so much, and at first, I really thought I never heard of Tracy Thorn & Ben Watt before. But I was wrong. They’ve actually been around since the early 1980s. Not only that, they had another hit song I was totally unaware was them! The song was called “Missing (1994).” That song took this London singing duo to #2 on the American Top 100 Charts! Also, for whatever reason, it was strange that I didn’t remember hearing the original hit (or radio edit). The only version I remember hearing of the song was the legendary DJ Todd Terry’s remix of “Missing.”
Looks like I’ve really took these guys for granted. Sometimes that does happen when all of a sudden you have access to almost the world’s entire music collection on your smartphone it seams! It just never occurred to me at the time to seek out more of their music. Now, according to some sources, I’ve read that they stopped performing in 2000, but I saw a couple of albums re-released. Not sure what that means. Sometimes when albums get re-released it means a reunion shortly after. So far, it doesn’t appear that they’re doing anything (at least in the US). I’m going to flip through more of their music soon. Check out this nice smooth house mix they have called “Wrong.”
Song: Baby, Now That I’ve Found You
Artist: Alison Krauss & Union Station
Album: Live (2003)
Genre: Country
I don’t remember if I shared with my readers, the fact that I hate most live records. I just don’t think a great deal of them were produced well. Then again, someone can make a legitimate argument that “well, you haven’t heard every live album!” Although that would be a true statement; but at the same time, I’m also one of the very few people on this planet that can say, I’ve heard enough variety of music throughout my life that, I can say there are really only a few live records that exist that are really good (relatively speaking).
I Really Liked How She Performed This Song!
Now, I must admit, although I love country music, I wasn’t interested in her music. Actually, her music appears to lean towards a specific kind of country music called “Blue Grass,” or what I used to call “hillbilly music. That was the other genre I hated just as much as heavy metal. ? The featured song today is actually a cover from the group called “The Foundations.” A very popular song hit #11 on the Top 100 Charts in 1968. Unfortunately Alison never had any Top 10 or a number one hits. In fact, this cover wasn’t anywhere on the charts. However, I really, really liked how she performed this song. That’s a shame ’cause she truly did a wonderful job. She literally converted this rock song in to a beautiful romantic ballad.