Jesse Johnson Extended
Here’s more in my ongoing series of Prince-related posts as my conversions from LP to mp3 continue. I posted the LP version of former Time guitar man Jesse Johnson’s “Crazay” recently. But I consider the extended 12″ version far superior, so here it is. Also included is the B side on the 12″, the extended version of “Drive Yo Cadillac”. Just some more quality classic synth-funk, Minneapolis style.
Jesse Johnson: Crazay (extended) – featuring Sly Stone (mp3) | Drive Yo Cadillac (extended) (mp3) – LP version of “Crazay” available on ‘Shockadelica’.Prince at the Brits
Here’s the Man continuing his current campaign of funky butt kicking at this year’s Brit Awards, performing “Te Amo Corazon” “Fury”, “Purple Rain”, and “”Let’s Go Crazy”. Joined by Sheila E. on drums, Wendy Melvoin on guitar, Lisa Coleman on keys, and his new gaggle of girls jumping around like Vanity 6, it’s like the 80’s all over again! I am ready for this tour…
Go pre-order his latest album, 3121, coming out on March 21st.
this is not music
One day Prince will compile and release all of the great 12″ extended remixes of his glory days. By request, here’s another: the extended “Alphabet St. (this is not music, this is a trip)”. Excuse the background vinyl noise.
Prince:
Alphabet St. (this is not music, this is a trip)– mp3 – original version found on LovesexyP.S. A question for anyone out there who converts LP’s on to their PC’s: any recommendations for good software to efficiently remove the background snaps, crackles, and pops? I used Microsoft Plus Analog Recorder for a while, but it takes … a … long…time.
Sly as a Loon
For some reason, I sat through the entire broadcast of the Grammies last week. Of course it was great to see the Boss perform “Devils & Dust” and sit in on the Wilson Pickett tribute (singing “In the Midnight Hour” with Sam Moore).
Watching poor Paul McCartney sing “Yesterday” along with Linkin Park while Jay Z “uh-huh”ed and “yeah”ed in the background was one of the sadder moments for me. I don’t get it. Watching the immodest and overrated Kanye West lose awards did put a smile on my face though.
But the jaw dropping moment had to be when Sly Stone shuffled out during a reunion / tribute to the Family Stone (along with the ubiquitous Joss Stone, John Legend, Fantasia, etc.). Hunched over, with a gold jacket and a giant peroxide Mohawk, he sang a few bars of “I Want to Take You Higher” and then was on his way. The man looked to be about 10 shades of crazy – priceless!!
So naturally I dug through my LP’s and dug out a great song Sly did with Jesse Johnson (former guitarist for The Time), ironically named “Crazay”.
Jesse Johnson Featuring Sly Stone:
Crazay(mp3) – Found on ‘Shockadelica’, Jesse’s 1986 album.- Check out a video of Sly on the Dick Cavett show, circa 1970, here on Screenhead.
- Buy Sly & the Family Stone music on Amazon.
Prince Unleashes his Fury
Okay, IckMusic has admittedly turned into a Prince blog the last several days. Juuust one more post and I’ll move on (maybe). There have been several requests for the mp3 to Prince’s new tune “Fury”. I can’t supply you with a link to buy the studio version yet because there apparently isn’t one available. If anyone comes across the song for sale, please let me know and I’ll get a link up here right away.
For now, a couple things:
Go pre-order 3121, which comes out on March 21st.
And here is an mp3 from Saturday night:
Prince:
Fury(mp3) from 02/04 performance on Saturday Night Live.Irresistible Prince
To round off my Prince posts before tonight’s SNL appearance, I want to drop another few your way, and also steer you toward the brand new video from his March 21 release ‘3121’. It’s called “Black Sweat”, and it’s vintage funky down n dirty Prince. I ripped a lil mp3 from the audio so you can sample it before you go to Amazon and preorder it. I assume this is one of the two he’ll be performing tonight. Hopefully with Steve Martin as host, there will be a Three Amigos skit and Prince will play the part of the Singing Bush (or Jefe).
Prince:
Black Sweat(mp3) – new **
Prince:Irresistible Bitch(mp3) – B side to “Let’s Pretend We’re Married”, found on The Hits : B-Sides
Prince:Let’s Work– Extended 12″ (mp3) – original version found on ControversyVideo: Black Sweat (need to use Internet Explorer for the Yahoo player)
Prince on SNL this Weekend
On paper, this weekend’s Saturday Night Live is looking mighty fine: host Steve Martin with musical guest Prince. I’m going on 22 years as Prince fan. His output over the last many years by and large hasn’t done a whole lot for me, but I still buy everything he puts out, I’ll catch him when he’s on the tube, and I most definitely catch him live whenever possible.
Most likely because it’s tied to my adolescence and all the memories associated with it, I’m partial to Prince’s 1980’s output: (not in chronological order) ‘Sign o the Times’, ‘Purple Rain’, ‘Around the World in a Day’, ‘1999’, ‘Parade’, ‘Controversy’, ‘Dirty Mind’, the ‘Black Album’ and ‘Lovesexy’ (okay, 1989’s ‘Batman’ soundtrack, but that didn’t do it for me).
His 12″ maxi-single releases during this era were always something to look forward to, because they would be extended remixes of the album versions. One of the cool ones was Lovesexy’s “I Wish U Heaven”, which was stretched out to 10 minutes. The soft funky pop of the album version gives way to a couple of funky sojourns into Prince’s creative genius. I miss that era of being a Prince fan.
Prince:
I Wish U Heaven (Parts 1,2, and 3)12″ Maxi-Single Extended Version
– original version found on ‘Lovesexy’, a great album which spawned one of the more unfortunate album covers in musical history.A Study of Plantlife
An old friend of mine, a mutual Prince fan through the years, recommended a few months ago that I sit my ass down and listen to Plantlife. A funky, soulful, laid back group, they’re originally from L.A., but made the move across the pond to London.
Their 2004 debut, The Return of Jack Splash, on the Counterflow label is still only available in the UK. They’re definitely worthy of some love though over here stateside.
“Why’d U Call Me” definitely channels Prince, with a George Clintonesque falsetto and a little old school Cameo vibe thrown in. Very nice. Me like.
“When She Smiles” is a good times – sunny day groove. Enjoy.
Plantlife:
Why’d U Call Me(mp3)
Plantlife:When She Smiles She Lights Up the Sky(mp3)- You can find their CD Used on Amazon, or you can spring for the Import.
- Check out their official site.
Funky Music a la Wild Cherry
Once in a while it’s necessary to indulge my not-so-guilty pleasure appetite. This one took the charts by storm in ol’ 1976 – America’s Bicentennial, and the year I turned the big 6. Led by singer, guitarist and songwriter Rob Parissi, Wild Cherry rose out of Steubenville, Ohio in the early 70’s. They headed to Pittsburgh, PA and played around town for a couple of years before Rob broke up the band to manage a Bonanza steakhouse or two. But the music pulled him back in when he felt the industry going back toward the rootsy side of Rock n Roll. Well, it wasn’t long before the rock clubs began to be replaced by discos, and he got more and more requests to “play something funky.” Rob sat down and wrote this song.
From the One Hit Wonder catalog, I give you… Wild #&@ Cherry!! Sure, you’ve heard it at every wedding you’ve ever been to, but still a great tune almost 30 year later.
Those outside of the U.S., does this song make it into your local wedding play list?
Wild Cherry:
Play That Funky Music(mp3) – buy on AmazonZapp
It’s been a while since I brought out a blast from my past – the funky years. From 1984 thru, oh, 1986, I immersed myself completely in R&B, funk, soul, and rap of the day. It got so intense that I remember smashing the Scorpions ‘Blackout’ album with a drumstick. Of course I regretted it a couple years later when I re-opened my mind to all music and I wanted to crank “The Zoo” on my turntable. Ah well, live and learn.
So Zapp was one of my favorites of this era. Comprised of Roger Troutman and several of his brothers, they rose from the Dayton, Ohio music scene in the late 70’s. Zapp’s defining sound is Roger’s mastery of the vocoder talk box, a tube he would plug into his synthesizer to alter / synthesize his voice. You also heard Roger years later on Tupac’s “California Love”. Tragically, Roger was shot to death by his brother Larry in a 1999 murder-suicide. But his music lives on.
The first tune, “Computer Love”, was probably Zapp’s biggest commercial hit. From their 1985 album, ‘More Zapp IV U’, it features the Gap Band’s Charlie Wilson and Shirley Murdock on vocals.
“Itchin’ for Your Twitchin” is a direct nod to Prince: from the synth riffs to the guitar solo, to the “Irresistible Itch” chant (referring to Prince’s “Irresistible Bitch”).
Zapp:
Computer Love(mp3)
Zapp:Itchin’ for Your Twitchin’(mp3)- From More Zapp IV U: check it out
- A Zapp Site
