Still Performing
Song: Dust In The Wind
Artist: Kansas
Album: Point Of Know Return (1977)
Genre: Soft Rock
I can’t remember if I’ve already written about this on my old blog. I don’t think so. Have you guys read of a band called Kansas? These rock (boarder line country) bands used to crack me up back in the day, because it was so common for them to name themselves after cities. Kansas, Chicago, Baton Rouge, Houston, the list goes on. Maybe it was a pride thing? Wanting everyone to know where they’re from (perhaps). Come to think of it, a lot of their album art had a familiar look as well. Although “Dust In The Wind” was their only #1 hit (also my personal favorite) of their career, they’re quite talented in my opinion. You should also check out their song called “Carry On Wayward Son (1976),” from their “Leftoverture” album. It almost hit made the Top 10 List, but it’s still a great song tho.
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Believe it or not kids (and some grown ups), Mrs. Olivia Newton-John is most definitely a legend in every sense of the word! She is perhaps one of the few artists I’ve put in to my ultimate favorites category of the seventies and eighties. I think she’s just one of those artists that we don’t realize just how much she has contributed to the entertainment industry until we really look back and reflect. My goodness! Let’s see, she’s an actress, songwriter, business woman, and oh yeah, did you know she was also a model in her younger years?
Olivia Is Most Remembered For The Movie, Grease!
I am confident in saying that of all the phenomenal things that Olivia has done throughout her career, she is instantly remembered for her work in the 1978 movie Grease! She co-starred John Travolta, and they both did an incredible job! Olivia not only acted in the movie, she was also a huge part of the soundtrack as well. Both the movie and the soundtrack were successful hits. “Grease,” performed by Frankie Valli, & “You’re The One That I Want,” performed by Travolta and Olivia were #1 on the charts. “Summer Nights” also performed by Travolta and Olivia hit #5, and Olivia’s “Hopelessly Devoted To You,” reached #3 on the charts! In Australia, the album hit 14x Platinum, and in America 8x Platinum. Back then, those figures were eye popping.
I could be wrong, but I think the project Grease really made a difference in her career! Music was going through a major shift (and that included the world of country music), and I just don’t think she would have been as successful if she didn’t participate in the movie. Listening to Olivia’s music was kind of like listening to an Australian country version of Karen Carpenter. ? Don’t beat me up for that, I loved Karen’s music too.
Beyond The Grease Soundtrack!
Ok, I need to make my readers aware of just how badass Olivia was back in the day! Out of 38 songs that actually registered on the Billboard Charts, she has managed to get 5 number ones, and 15 top tens. That’s an incredible achievement, not only as a woman, but as a mostly country artist. Also keep in mind, she accomplished this just when disco was on its why out, and both rock and pop was slowly dominating the 80s.
Some of my favorites dear to my heart are “Physical (1981),” “I Honestly Love You (1974),” “Have You Ever Been Mellow (1975),” and another badass song “Magic (1980).” I soooo love the beat to “Magic.” And you know, “Suddenly (1981),” was a nice song too, but unfortunately it only reached #20 on the Top 100 Charts (which is not bad technically). If I’m not mistaken “Suddenly” was on the original Xanadu (1980) soundtrack. Olivia didn’t have all that much of a vocal range (in my opinion), but she managed to crank out some huge memorable hits in my lifetime.
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Song: I Wanna Sex You Up!
Artist: Color Me Badd
Album: C.M.B. (1991)
Genre: Pop Music
Ok, how many of you “classic fan wanna be(s)” remember Color Me Badd? I bet a whole lot of people forgot about these guys, cause I don’t even hear any radio stations playin’ these guys anymore! C.M.B. where the kings of pop music in the 90s. But today, they are a hot f**king mess ?. What a darn shame. What made matters even worse for the fading group, was the recent assault perpetrated by Bryan Abrams on one of the group’s fellow members on stage. It’s been alleged that Bryan has huge issues with alcoholism and violence. Such a damn shame, a once lead singer of the hottest number one singing group of the 90s, to now becoming a hasbeen.
Song: Inspiration Information
Artist: Shuggie Otis
Album: Inspiration Information/Wings Of Love (2013)
Genre: R&B/Easy Listening
Have you guys ever heard of Shuggie Otis before? I didn’t know of him until recently. It appears he’s been in the music business since the early 70s, and has worked with many big names, including the late Jimmy Hendrix. He kind of confused me in a way; because when I look it him, I see someone very much like Santana. But when he opens his mouth, I hear a style similar to that of Debarge & Christoper Cross. He came out with a double CD album several years back called “Inspiration Information” and I really, really like it. The song “Inspiration Information” is actually remastered from his original 1975 recording. It has a smooth R&B rhythms with a touch of funk. The song only reached #56 on the Hot R&B Charts, and a shocking #188th position on the Top 200. That is a shame, cause I think this was an amazing song.
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Song: Love’s Comin’ At Ya (Remastered)
Artist: Melba Moore
Album: Other Side Of The Rainbow (2010)
This awesome song actually came out in 1982, and was digitally remastered in 2010. I love “Love’s Comin’ At Ya,” because it reminds me of the same kinds of rhythms that Evelyn “Champagne” King used to perform. In fact, in many ways it sounds almost identical to the T. Then again, Melba also had that same kind of voice; and as I’ve mentioned earlier, record companies were about finding that “formula” for making millions. I highly recommend that you research Melba Moore’s store. It’s pretty inspirational. She gone from being a huge success, to suddenly having no money to the point of applying for welfare/food stamps. She picked herself back up, and successfully rebooted her career. I consider her a very underrated talent. Although she didn’t have big hit’s on the Top 100, she did had a few top hits on the dance charts, including “Love’s Comin’ At Ya,” which reached #2, and another song I loved a lot called “You Stepped In To My Life,” which reached #5 in 1978.
Yesterday, I found one of my old favorite Barry Manilow cassettes. Yay!!! You know, I can’t imagine anyone walking around with a cassette player these days; if someone did, I’m pretty sure that most people around them would be in shocked and puzzled ?. I consider Barry Manilow the king of love ballads! This little Jewish guy was a hit machine in his prime. However, he really hasn’t made any big hits since the 80s. Tho, it’s wonderful to see that there are millions that still love him and remember him. I decided to create a 19 song playlist of my most favorite hits!
What’s in my new Barry playlist? How about his massive 1978, 12 inch disco hit “Copacabana!” How about his ballad “I’ve Made It Through The Rain (1980),” I loved this song!! That song was like my late grandfather’s personal anthem, he used to hmm this song ALL the time ?. Another great song he produced was a song called “Bandstand Boogie,” which later on became the theme song to Dick Clark’s show “American Bandstand” some in c. 1976 I believe. Many more memorable songs this awesome playlist.
This very talented gentlemen is jazz musician David Garfield (man… He has a strong Steven Seagal look about him, doesn’t he?). I wasn’t really familiar with his work to be honest. I recently discovered him sometime early this year. He released an absolutely amazing jazz cover of The Police’s 1978 “Roxanne.” Wow! Wow! I love it! This reinterpretation is amazing in so many ways. First, I think when you redo a song that was incredibly popular and successful, people subconsciously expect that song to somewhat sound close to the original (in my opinion). I just think that’s something inherent in most humans.
Second, he just didn’t cover the song, he changed the way our minds interprets the song entirely. David basically took his version of “Roxanne,” a song that was in essence about a man in love with a hooker, and made that song sexy with his jazz style. I think that’s deep ?. Now, it appears he’s a pure instrumentalist, so I’m not really sure who exactly the lead singer of this song. There were several people involved on this single release. If I find out, I’ll update this post. Now, I have to be honest, other than his Roxanne cover, I wasn’t too impressed with his music. That’s not to say he isn’t talented, he is.. It’s just not enough to cause me to save in a playlist (other than Roxanne).
Oh, my goodness! How’s this for back in the day nostalgia? I love me some Kenny G. It’s funny, if I didn’t know who Kenny was, and I was blindly looking for a good instrumental album to purchase, judging from this album cover I don’t think I would have picked up this one. Which always reminds me of that ol’ saying, “never judge a book by it’s cover.” This same album happens to have one of my favorite Kenny G pieces called “Silhouette (1988).” Kenny seems to have this strange and unique ability, to almost make his instruments romantically sing to you! If that make sense.
Another great tune from this same album is called “All In One Night (1988).” In my opinion, Kenny G is one of the very few instrumental artists that not only managed to break through mainstream music, but continued to keep the interest of a wide range of music lovers. That’s pretty impressive, considering that most people today are very picky with their musical tastes.
Kenny’s musical writing, and performing style is like no other.I think my ultimate favorite came from his first or second album. The piece was called “Songbird (1986).” Do you guys remember this one? Tell me this is not one of the most romantic saxophone sounds you’ve ever heard? Songbird hit #4 on the Top 100 Charts. Another beautiful piece I recommend you should check out is “Forever In Love (1992).” Absolutely a beautiful (in my opinion). This is a perfect song to have dinner with someone special. Definitely! Kenny has been around a long time, since ’73 to be exact, and he’s still performing all around the world. Even if we don’t hear his music anymore, he’s still a very accomplished musician.
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The Crests were probably the most respected and revered doo-wop group by the end of the 1950s. In fact, they were hailed, as not only the first integrated musical group, but the first successful interracial music group. The group’s faces changed frequently shortly after the 60s. However, when the group originally started, there were a two African American males, one Puerto Rican, one Italian, and one African American female. Wow, I had absolutely no idea a woman was in the group ?.
For many of my younger readers, the group’s name will not “ring a bell.” Perhaps maybe my older readers too, as they have fell in to the realm of obscurity. However, I think you’ll remember their single big hit that cemented their careers once you hear it. The song that put them on the American Billboard map was called “16 Candles!” Then Italian lead singer, Johnny Maestro, took this song to #2 on Top 100 Charts in 1959. You may also remember the song from the movie “16 Candles (1984).” However, it was not sung by The Crests, it was actually covered by a rock group called “The Stray Cats.”
The group’s song “16 Candles” was played and used everywhere. In fact, I’m pretty certain I heard it on one or two episodes of “Happy Days (1974),” which was an extremely popular TV show, that dealt with a lot of normal teenage issues. The Crests had other hits as well. “Step By Step (1960),” “Trouble In Paradise (1960),” and “Six Nights A Week (1959).” However, “16 Candles” remained their biggest and most memorable hit.
You know, one thing I find weird about having an almost photographic memory, is that I am continuously stunned as to how both age and drugs changes one’s appearance. I literally took a mental snapshot of how the legendary Leo Sayer looked during the prime of his career. Now, my jaw drops as to how he looks now. Leo is almost unrecognizable in my opinion. He even lost his trademark’d fro! I haven’t been in that much shock since I’ve seen the drastic physical change in Billy Joel (Joel has also done a lot of drugs too, not surprised).
Sayer Is Almost Unrecognizable!
Leo had not produced any hits since the 70s and mid 80s. Before Leo even opened his mouth, fans immediately new who he was by his trademark fro! Most of my older readers might remember him from his massive #1 disco hit “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing (1977).” Another song that was a huge hit for him was a beautiful ballad called “When I need You (1977),” which by the way also hit number 1.
I guess Leo has cleaned himself up, and now he has a brand new album called “Selfie (2019).” I have to say that I am utterly impressed! Very impressed. I think fans will enjoy most of this album. I think he’s done a really nice job staying in line with the kinds of music he used to do, yet the album is updated and the lyrics are relevant.
The first song I really like is “Soul Mining (2019).” This song has a pop/southern sound to it, and it brought out Leo’s old “blue-eyed soul” spirit (if you will). Judging from the streams, this song is his fan’s favorite, as it is now mine as well. Also check out “Occupy (2019).” This is a very youthful song about life, and I think that it could standup to today’s young pop music in my opinion (if promoted the right way). This album is not going to be everyone’s cup of tie, but if you’ve been a Leo fan in the past, you’ll certainly appreciate this album I think.
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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.
Not sure if many of my blog fans remember an old group called “The New Birth?” (Not to be confused with “New Birth Brass Band”) They were a funk & R&B band from Detroit. This was a gigantic band back in the day. They probably were about the same size (in numbers) if not larger than Earth Wind & Fire. Ha! Those days of big bands and BoysIIMen performers are gone. Your group would have to be pretty spectacular for any label to sign a group of equal size.
I have to say that although I was not turned on by most of their music, that’s not to say that they weren’t a talented group. I wouldn’t hold them under the same candle as Earth, Wind, & Fire, but they were good! They’ve made more than several albums throughout their career, and managed to produce 3 top 10 hits. Their first song to hit #1 was a song called “Dream Merchant (1975).” #4th position was “I Can Understand It (1975).” Their 3rd top 10 hit was ok “It’s Been A Long Time (1974),” which peaked at #9. Unfortunately, I wasn’t particularly drawn to those songs despite being huge hits.
However, that changed when I heard a cover they did of one of my absolute favorite songs by Perry Como, “It’s Impossible.” It’s Impossible only reached #12 on the Hot R&B Charts in 1971. You know, even if you didn’t like that kind of music, the lyrics to this song is absolutely the sweetest I’ve ever heard. Also check out their cover of Michael Jackson’s “Never Can Say Goodbye (1971).” Lastly, listen to their cover of Hamilton, Joe Frank, & Reynolds’s classic “Fallin’ In Love (1976).” I guess it appears that all the songs I love from them, were all covers.
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Lately I’ve been on an instrumental music kick ?, I guess it’s because I had not listened to them in a while maybe. Today, I randomly chose a really OLD group, and I’m sure almost no one reading this post would know who they are, or perhaps remember until you listen to some of their music. Today, I’m sharing with you music from a forgotten group called “El Chicano.” They are a Mexican American 70s rock group.
It’s Difficult To Explain Their Music
It’s funny, I dug a lot of their music growing up. Now that I’m older I can’t even explain what it is. I guess it’s one of those things you just have to listen to it yourself. This is no doubt a very eccentric band. Although in general, they were categorized as a rock group; however, in my opinion they really were not. Most of their works were infused with so many different styles of music, that at times it seemed experimental. Then there are other works from them that clearly sound psychedelic, which doesn’t surprise me because a lot of people were still into that kind of music in the 70s.
Personally, I much preferred to listen to their traditional Latin jazz. In many ways some of their jazz music was reminiscent of Santana I think. One example of that is my favorite cover they done of Gerald Wilson’s “Viva Tirado (1970).” Now unfortunately, Viva Tirado only reached #28 on the Top 100 Charts. If I’m not mistaken, it was their only closest thing to a hit record. But, this is where the charts get complicated. Because, while the song had a moderate peak, it was hugely popular in New York City. I heard this all the time! I tell you, the more I blog, the more I realize these charts don’t always tell a true story.
However, on their 1998 album called “Painting The Moment,” there is a song I really like as well called “Ron Con Con.” It’s a shame this didn’t turn out to be a hit, because most definitely this song will make you move your body in any party. Listening to them perform this, was like Tito Puente himself came back to say “this is how you do it my brotha!” Although most of the original members are either now deceased, or moved on to other projects, the band is still performing.
We’ll know that rubbing Styx together makes fire! And the band Styx were hot in the 80s! Styx is a rock band that formed around the early seventies. They’ve had a few Top Ten Hits over the course of their career. Man! Musically speaking…. Talk about confusing?? You see, for me… Dennis DeYoung, who’s the primary lead singer for Styx, sounds almost identical to Air Supply’s Russell Hitchcock. It was a frustrating time for me, because every time I walked into the record store, I’d ask for Air Supply, when I really meant Styx. Today, we don’t have to worry about those things, because most mobile audio apps show all this information. Or we can just Shazam it.
Well, I guess technically I can’t say they’re a one hit wonder, because they have more than 8 Top Tens under their belt. However, I only have one huge favorite from them, that not only hit #1 on the Hot 100 Charts, but it stayed #1 for two consecutive weeks! The song is called “Babe,” released in 1979, from their 7th album called Cornerstone. The band has broken-up a couple of times. They’ve pretty much went on their separate ways. I’ve read that the lead singer DeYoung was extremely difficult to deal with. With so many hits they’ve made together, I’m not even sure if their attempts of creating a reunion will be successful. However, in a recent article, DeYoung states that it might be possible (only if) they’re inducted in the Hall Of Fame.
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Wow! Look what I found in my magazine collection! Just been awhile since I’ve done a snapshot. So, let’s do this! When it comes to me listening to hip hop back in the day; Whodini’s music was the type of music you’d most likely witness me listening to. Yeah, young kids may laugh at rap groups like this now, calling it “bubble-gum music.” But back in the day, raps like these where considered serious music, especially when you looked at it from a sales standpoint. Didn’t matter if you personally hated this music, because the massive profits made these types of opinions irrelevant. This was an era where, rappers enunciated their lyrics, and we understood what they were rapping about. Not only was Whodini on top of the rap game, they were also very active in anti-drug campaigns, which included a collaboration with the late (then NYC governor) Mario Cuomo.
OK everybody! Let’s put our hands together for the legendary Regina Belle! You know, I’m not sure if I’m using the word “phenomenal” too much or not. But, sometimes I just can’t think of any other word to describe these very talented artists! I’m also not sure if I can truly say we’ve forgotten about Regina, but certainly, we are not playing her music anymore. Throughout Regina’s career, she didn’t have that many number ones. However, her music is iconic enough to where it’s definitely worth listening to! Especially if you love or are in the mood for mellow/romantic music.
She’s The Queen Of Smooth Jazz
She’s the queen of smooth jazz! Well, this isn’t her official title. However, much of my most favorite music from her has been within that genre. Regina started her career in the mid 80s, and her success landed her the opportunity to perform for former President George W. Bush. After Regina’s scary ordeal with having brain cancer; her loyal fans have never forgotten her, despite not having a #1 hit in decades. I’m going to make the assumption she’s cancer free, since my research alludes she’s still performing.
By the way, I’m pretty concerned with all these celebrities I’m hearing getting all sorts of cancer. This is some scary shit. Anyway, I think the moment I fell in love with Regina’s music, was when I heard her iconic song “Make It Like It Was (1989),” which hit #1 on the R&B Chart, and #5 on the Top 100 Chart. Another favorite is “Baby Come To Me (1989),” which was also number one on the R&B Chart. However, I think the song that really put Regina on the map, was a song called “A Whole New World (Theme From Aladdin) (1992),” a duet with the legendary Peabo Bryson. This song reached #1 in the Adult Contemporary category. From the same album, check out “Quiet Time,” a duet with Barry White. Oh my goodness. Barry had a way of making any song sound sexy as hell.
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In my opinion, I think these guys are indeed one of the many most forgotten reggae duos ever! Keith Barrington Rowe and Phillip Texas Dixon, or simply known as “Keith & Tex,” grew up and met in Kingston, Jamaica. They are most remembered for their massive smash hit “Stop That Train,” which was published in 1967 by Island Records. This was another one of many songs I used to hear my grandfather hum to himself all the time. It was strange because, most of the songs I heard my grandfather sing, I’ve usually heard him play before. But, I do not recall actually hearing this particular song until I got much older. I always thought he mistaken the song for Al Green’s “Back Up Train,” which coincidentally, was released in that same year. I stood corrected ?
Although it appears that I can’t find any stats for “Stop That Train,” I do know enough that it was one of the most popular songs in Jamaica. This song was covered, dubbed, and sampled so many times back in the day; it was wonderful to read (when it comes to outside America), fans remembered them enough that after decades they are touring around Europe and Jamaica.
Keith & Tex Met As A Result Of Their Mutual Interest In Soccer!
How funny that a mutual interest in sports brought these two music legends together! They met playing in the soccer field and became close friends. Shortly after, they discovered they also had a strong mutual interest in music as well. Transitioning from sports to music sensations was not easy. Studios in Jamaica were very critical and judgemental. They had to practice with a vengeance, until everything finally paid off. For their first recording session, they performed “Stop That Train.” The studio loved it!
The second song the duo performed/recorded in the studio (which later became a hit as well), was called “Tonight.” The studio praised both songs, and the rest was history! Both enjoyed huge success at the young ages of about 16 & 17. Allow me to direct you to another great song they did. It’s a cover of one of the Temptations songs called “Don’t Look Back,” released in 1968.
Absolutely No Doubt!! The group called “No Doubt” was one of my many classic bands! I’m not prepared to say they’re forgotten about; but we’re just not hearing their music on mainstream media. You know, I used to confuse them a lot with a Swedish group called “The Cardigans.” By the way, The Cardigans had only one hit I liked, and it was called “LoveFool (1996).” Their lead singer, Nina Perssons sounds EXACTLY like Gwen Stefani.
I Used To Confuse Them With The Cardigans!
No Doubt is an American group from California, and they got together around the mid 80s. They’re uniquely stylish and eccentric in many ways. I think it’s safe to say that Gwen is one of the many female performers, who have decided to channel that Marilyn Monroe persona, which eventually became part of her trademark for awhile.
I can’t believe it’s been about 25 years already. It seemed as tho it was only yesterday since I first fell in love with their music. One of the things I really like about this group back then, was you can immediately tell how comfortable they are with each other. In other words, despite the change in band members over the course of their careers, you can tell they have that magic that creates close friendships. Friends in a band makes great music! Well, most of the time ?
Now, as I’ve said before, No Doubt is an eccentric band, and it took me awhile to warm up to their music. I’m sorry but, on their first couple of albums (no disrespect) Gwen sounded like she was having seizures or something. I didn’t start liking their music until after about their third album I think called “Tragic Kingdom (1995).” On this album, they released an awesome song called “Don’t Speak,” which shot up to #1 on the Top 40 Charts! I was really diggin’ this song. Yeah, the lyrics are sad as hell, but it’s a great song that we can relate to, and we can listen to it without getting depressed ? Another great song from this same album is called “Just A Girl.”
Now, They Were Cookin’
From the album “Tragic Kingdom” on, they were cookin’. If I were forced to pick a favorite all-time No Doubt song, it would have to be “Underneath It All,” (clean version) featuring Lady Saw. I also think that “Hey Baby,” is a cute song too; it has a mixture of pop with dancehall beats. Today, No Doubt has got together with a group called AFI to form Dreamcar! But, I have to be honest, they’ve definitely lost that “No Doubt” sound. Now, the band’s music sounds like an upgrade to a dated 80s rock sound. Clearly you can hear they’re trying to rekindle the old parts of the band, and it’s not working for me. However, maybe you guys like it! Check out the new group Dreamcar on Spotify.
ny time we talk about rock legends (for those of us who are old enough), what are the names that usually pop up immediately in our heads? I think it’s safe to say that the one name that’s always on the top of that list is Elvis Presley, you agree? Maybe another name that would probably pop up is, the legendary Chuck Berry? Or perhaps I should drop one more name. How about Bill Haley & The Comets? Although their probably only known today (if any), by their massive global hit, “Rock Around The Clock (1973),” which was the opening theme song to the TV cult classic “Happy Days.” It was a pretty good show I may add. Who would have ever thought that Ron Howard would move on to be a big time movie producer huh?
Although I’ve just named some good ones, there is one major rock legend that (in my opinion) seems to slip from many people’s memories. That is Jerry Lee Lewis. Jerry was like a one man Beatle(s), that’s the easiest way to describe just how popular this man’s music was, to those who are not familiar with him. This guy has published so many albums, he can literally have his own library. Although he’s best remembered for his rock ‘n’ roll, he also done a lot of country music as well. In fact, quite a few of them rose to #1. However, to be quite honest, I much preferred his wild “Chuck Berry” style of rock ‘n’ roll. Most if not all his country put me to sleep (and you guys should know by now, I love me some classic country music, but I’ll have to pass on Jerry’s country ?). Now, I could be wrong with what I’m about to say, but I am just going by my memories of actually listening to his music growing up. I’m going to say that based on my opinion that Jerry’s song “Great Balls Of Fire,” released in 1957 was one of his (if not the) biggest memorable song in his entire career. I say this because out of all the other songs I’ve heard by Jerry, I remembered this one to be the dominant song on the radio. It reached #2 on the Top 100 Charts, and #1 on the Hot Country Charts. It was ranked 96 as the greatest song ever made according to Rolling Stone Magazine.
So, it’s kind of difficult for me to find out just how many hit songs Jerry actually had, because some songs of his I personally would categorize as rock, is actually under country. So I’ve obtained a few numbers, I’m just going to assume they include all his hits. O.K., I have the following; 4 Number Ones, 23 Top Tens, out of a total of 55 songs that actually made it to The Billboard Music Charts. This was impressive, considering his career could have been completely destroyed, after a scandal that broke about him marrying his cousin. Americans didn’t tolerate those things in the 50s (still don’t), and it’s quite shocking that he found venues to even perform after that. Now imagine the public rage, when the story broke about director Woody Allen married his adopted daughter. Jerry’s scandal was 10 times worse.
Jerry is now about 83 or 84 years old, alive and kicking. I’ve read some sources that say he’s still performing. Other songs I’ve enjoyed were “What’d I Say,” which was originally song by Ray Charles I believe. Finally a song called “Jailhouse Rock,” which I believe Elvis sang this song as well. Despite Jerry’s scandal somehow he still managed to achieve legendary status in rock music. If not for his music, he still would have been legendary for the scandal. Either way.
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You know, Barbra Streisand is one of the very few celebrities where, the mere mention of her name gets a wide variety of responses (depending on the group you’re in). In the gay community, I think it’s safe to say that a significant number of LGBT people (particularly the older group) loves Barbra. However, outside of the gay community is when the responses get really negative.
You Either Hate Her Guts, Or Love Her To Death!
Many people despise Barbra because of her personal political beliefs. Or perhaps more so because she’s a powerful Jewish woman with influence. She’s always been very political ever since I can remember. I guess now that she’s older and has lived an extremely successful career, her outspokenness has become more apparent. In fact, she’s been on Bill Maher’s HBO show called “Politically Incorrect” quite a few times. It shouldn’t be a surprise to people; especially since Barbra has an openly gay son; it’s even more of a reason to fight for equal rights. In fact, her latest album called “Walls (2018),” was inspired by what’s going on within the current Trump administration. As much as I love Barbra, I wasn’t particularly impressed with this album. And judging from the streams, a lot of her fans didn’t like it either.
Some people say she screws her fans, because she charges outrageous prices for her tickets. Well, that may be true. But at the same time, Barbra isn’t just a singer, she’s also a brand. So, if the price of her tickets are the current market value, then it is what it is. The other thing is, I can hear the unique quality of her voice; it’s like no other voice we’ve ever heard. Although I can’t afford her tickets myself, I know there is a value placed on that voice. Which is why she spent her entire life protecting it. Like it or not, she has the voice of a matured, and well trained vocal cords.
They Just Hated Her Music!
I used to hear so many people say, they couldn’t stand hearing Barbra’s music, and they think it’s the worse they’ve ever heard! I was usually taken back by this response/attitude, as if since they say “her music is awful,” then it’s true because it makes sense to them! ?
Well, the fact is whether they “know” Barbra’s music stinks, her fans gave her 2 movie Oscar Awards, 14 Academy nominations, 5 number one hits, and 12 Top Tens! It’s a hard pill to swallow when your opinions doesn’t align with true fans of Barbra’s work. My favorites songs are just too many to post them all on this article, so I’ll just give you a few. I loved “The Way We Were (1974),” although I wish the movie script could have been better. “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers (1978),” “Enough Is Enough (1979),” “Guilty (1981),” “The Main Event (1979),” “What Kind Of Fool (1981),” and finally “On A Clear Day (1961).”
Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces is an extremely rare band. In fact, at this point I’m sure most classic music enthusiast would consider this group obscure. If you’re lucky enough to find any of their physical songs/vinyl, it would most likely be on a compilation (and I do mean IF). However, a UK label called Jazzman Records, released a compilation of their most popular hits for digital streaming, and luckily Spotify has it.
Most, if not all the original band members, including their bandleader Bobby Moore are now deceased. Despite the band’s music not being played at all on mainstream radio or internet streaming, I was please to find that the band still exists and performing. Now that’s what I call longevity! To be honest, I am unclear as to just how many albums they’ve produced, because so little is written about them. But what I can say is that they’ve had one major hit on the R&B Category.
One Major Billboard Hit!
The band’s song “Searching For My Baby,” released in 1966, peaked at #7 on the R&B Charts! Now, I know for a fact this was a popular hit, because I remember hearing this a lot on the radio when I was still just a baby. This very short, 2+ minute song has a groovy rhythm and kicking bass.
The band formed in 1952, and performed a variety of music. I believe they started playing mostly New Orleans style music. Listen to their version of “Cheek To Cheek,” with then bandleader Max Collie. I’ve heard the do some crazy sweet reggae music too. Check out “Return Of The Bullet,” with Rico Rodriquez. Eventually they progressed to performing funk, rock, until finally mostly soul music. I’d like you to check out one last song I think you’ll enjoy. It’s called “What Is That You Got?” This is an amazing song! Lots of rhythm to groove with!
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I thought to myself, one day I’d give this guy another chance. When I first heard Robert Palmer’s music, I was not impressed to say the least. The first time I discovered him, was when I heard his #2 hit song from 1986 called, “I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On.” I absolutely hated this song! He performed this song as tho he was bored, and he was forced to sing it. His vocals were incredibly flat and monotone. Even the music video was kind of boring. The song was written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (the very same men that produced Janet Jackson’s Control album), for an artist named Cherrelle. Cherrelle released her version of “I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On” in 1984 without major success. However, I did note it ranked #6 on the dance category; but in terms of the Top 100s, it was only at #79.
To be honest, I didn’t like his 1986 song “Addicted To Love” either. It was one of those songs you just tolerated listening to on the radio, ’cause none of the other stations were playing anything interesting. I also check out his quote “Greatest Hits;” but didn’t hear anything I liked either. However, not too long ago I was listening to an Ohio radio station (I think it was), and I heard a great song, and I didn’t even know it was Robert Palmer. The song was called, “Every Kinda People,” from his 1976 album called “Double Fun.” This song peaked at #16 on the Top 100. This song should have been #1 if you ask me. I’m really feelin’ this song. In essence the song is about doin’ the best you can in life. This song is entirely different from anything I’ve heard from him.
Thanks to Spotify, I can now easily look up his other original old albums. I was absolutely stunned, to find out he did a cover of Toots & the Maytals’ “Pressure Drop,” on his 1975 album “Pressure Drop.” I was stunned because even when I was growing up, and when my mom was playing this kind of music, very few people knew who the hell Toots & the Maytals were. I’m no going to lie, Palmer did a very good job on this song. Lastly, I like his 1976 song called “Keep In Touch,” from his album “Some People Can Do What They Like.” It has a strong funk that hits hard, yet some hints of that Blaxploitation sound. So, I guess I had to really dig for his older stuff to find what I liked from Robert. This is one of the reasons streaming services are important. No way would I find this music from solely looking at YouTube (unless I already knew what I was looking for (and sometimes not even then)).