Mtume – You, Me and He
James Mtume actually started out as percussionist for Miles Davis in the early 70’s. By the early 80’s he had formed his own group, Mtume. He hit #1 on the R&B charts in 1983 with “Juicy Fruit”. His follow up a year later was You, Me and He. The title track went all the way to #2. It’s a slow, burning jam about the cheatin’ side of love. Tawatha Agee and Mtume trade off on the vocals. Sizzling! Simmering! An 80’s R&B classic! Now, where’s my Freddie Jackson tape….
Mtume –
You, Me and He(mp3)Buy You, Me and He
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Watch Mtume on percussion with Miles Davis (Vienna, 1973).
Rihanna’s Umbrella
You usually won’t find me too in touch with the Top 40 hits of the day (or the Hot 100 on Billboard), but Rihanna pulled me right in to this video. I could do without Jay-Z’s bantering at the beginning, but that’s what you get these days. Wherever you look on the charts, you get the obligatory Artist Name featuring currently hot hip-hop star. A quick scan of the Hot 100 shows:
- T-Pain Feat. Yung Joc
- T-Pain feat. Akon
- Bone Thugs-N-Harmony feat. Akon
- Gwen Stefani feat. Akon
- Fergie feat. Ludacris
- Fabolous feat. Ne-Yo
- D.J. Khaled feat. T.I., Akon, Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Lil Wayne, and Baby
- and a lot more
Maybe I’m old and grumpy, but that pisses me off (for no particular reason). And that Akon, what a class act he is.
But back to Rihanna. I genuinely like this song. What’s not to like about a hot 19 year old from Barbados. *slap* Snap out of it Pete.
To quote the great Borat: “Wa wa woo wah!”
Harlem Shufflin
I’ve always loved the Stones version of “Harlem Shuffle” (and the video above, particularly the fine female dancing with Mick – rarrrr – feel like I’m 16 again). Silly thing is, I don’t think I had heard another version of it until recently (courtesy again of Sirius). It turned out to be the original version too, performed by Bob & Earl. The twosome, Bob Relf and Earl Nelson, wrote and recorded the song in 1963. It was later performed by the Righteous Brothers, Johnny & Edgar Winter, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, and of course the Stones on 1986’s Dirty Work.
So check out the original version. It’s interesting to note the similarities between the original and the Stones versions. You’ll notice Mick Jagger borrowed a lot of the same tones, groans, and moans from the Bob & Earl version.
I’ve still a looong way to go with my Booker T. & the M.G.’s education. As one of the tightest rhythm sections you could shake stick at, they were the Stax label’s house band for many years back in the 60’s. This 2003 release took a look at some of their unreleased sessions between 1965 and 1968. One of them is their own take on “Harlem Shuffle”.
Download the album on eMusic or buy the disc on Amazon.
Being James Brown, by Jonathan Lethem
If you haven’t had a good fix of James Brown lately, or if you’re not that familiar with his stuff other than what you’ve heard in hip hop samples, allow me to steer you toward a great piece in Rolling Stone magazine by Jonathan Lethem. It’s an in depth look at the James Brown of 2006, and the James Brown Band of 2006. From spending days with the band in an Augusta, Georgia recording studio, to a JB gig in Gateshead, UK, Lethem really captures James Brown: the soul / funk superstar, the strict and unforgiving band leader, the lonely, abandoned inner child, and the troubled older adult (with the law, marriage, etc.). It also captures those surrounding him, his band in particular. Obedient and respectful servants of the man on stage and in the studio, but very real people with real musical aspirations behind the scenes.
Lethem is an amazing writer, as you’ll see. I’ve enjoyed a few of his imaginitive sci-fi books (Gun, With Occasional Music, Girl in Landscape, As She Climbed Across the Table), and was happy to come across this RS article.
The online article also has a link to a James Brown Essential playlist, 9 full songs including “Cold Sweat”, “Think”, “Please, Please, Please”, and “Lost Someone”. There is also a 20 minute mp3 interview with Lethem. Take a few minutes out of your online cruising and enjoy this…
Article: Being James Brown – Rolling Stone article written by Jonathan Lethem
The Artist: James Brown’s Official Site | Wikipedia Entry | Buy His Music
The Author: Jonathan Lethem’s Web Site | BibiliographyTime is Tight
I finally filled my Clash collection this weekend when I picked up ‘Super Black Market Clash’. What took me so long? I have no clue. But I’m really enjoying hearing some new-to-me Clash songs like “Long Time Jerk”, as well as some cool remixes and dubs of songs like “Mustapha Dance” (a remix of “Rock the Casbah”) and Robber Dub (the dubbed out version of “Bankrobber”).
Also included is a Booker T. & the MG’s tune that the Clash soundchecked on a regular basis. The song was written in the mid 60’s by Booker and the MG’s, and was released first on the 1968 soundtrack to the movie ‘Up Tight!‘. Great album cover, huh? There’s a whole lot going on in that picture.
This was also the tune that the Blues Brothers used as they took the stage in many of their live performances. It’ll sound familiar to a lot of you.
The Clash:
Time is Tight(mp3) – from Super Black Market Clash.Booker T. & the MG’s:
Time is Tight(mp3) – from the Up Tight! soundtrack.Prince does, um, American Idol
Do you really think I’d let this one slide by without a comment? Yeah, the rumors from a few weeks ago proved true after all. Prince showed up on the season finale of American Idol. He came out unannounced to sing “Lolita” and “Satisfied” with his twin backup singers. Unlike the other special guests of the evening, he wasn’t paired up with one of the Idols (thankfully).
Oh yes, my friends, what an absolutely star studded lineup of special guests: Dionne Warwick! Al Jarreau! Toni Braxton! Mary J. Blige! (somebody shut her up please!) David Hasselhoff weeping in the audience!
I had actually walked away after I realized this was a 2 hr episode, and went straight to CNN.com for my yearly ritual of finding out who won before the West Coast announcement. It was there I saw the potentially frightening news that Prince performed (oh no!!) by himself (phewww). So back to the TV I went. So is this a sellout? A savvy marketing move? Probably both. It should move some ‘3121‘ units, and hopefully produce some tour dates (finally).
So what are your thoughts (Prince fans and non-Prince fans alike)?
Easter Sunday Soul
As I wait for my wife to have our second little girl (any day now), I throw on some classics from back in the day to help me cope with the anxiety and impatience…….
Prince:
Soft & Wet[live, March 6, 1980] (mp3) – buyThe Manhattans:
Kiss and Say Goodbye(mp3) – buyToussaint McCall:
Nothing Takes the Place of You(mp3) – buyJoin the Caravan of Love
Showcasing another great song from my mid-teens (Ickmusic: The High School Years!), our focus shifts once again to 80’s R&B…..
In 1984, bassist Marvin Isley, keyboardist Chris Jasper, and drummer/guitarist Ernie Isley split off from the 70’s icons of R&B, the Isley Brothers, and formed their own group, Isley Jasper Isley. They scored big quickly with a #1 hit on the R&B charts in November and December 1985: “Caravan of Love”.Sure it’s a bit sappy and idealistic, but it still sounds great 20 years later, and the world would be wiser for heeding the song’s advice. But unfortunately there’s a snowball’s chance in hell of that happening… Happy Sunday!
Get Funky with Cameo and Zapp
Larry Blackmon and the boys from Cameo start the weekend off right with one of their hits on the R&B charts, from their pre-“Word Up”, pre-“Single Life” days. These guys will always have a spot reserved in the Ickmusic Hall of Fame. My buddy Chris and I saw them three times when we were in high school. Two of the few funky white boys in attendance at the Riverside Theater in Milwaukee. Same place we saw Zapp with the late Roger Troutman. Those were the days…
Cameo:
Flirt(mp3) – buy Cameo’s Greatest Hits.Zapp:
Dance Floor(mp3) – buy Zapp IITwo New Prince Tracks
2 new Prince tracks up at The Music Slut: ” Get on the Boat” (with Maceo Parker on sax) and “Love”.
Pre-order 3121 here.