Phenomenal Artists
Song: To Where You Are
Artist: Josh Groban
Album: Josh Groban (2001)
Genre: Easy Listening
Wow! ? Throughout my music listening life, I’ve been exposed to many, many different type of voices and singing styles. It is extremely rare that I discover beautiful male voices such as today’s pick. Sometimes you come across talent to where there are no other words to describe them, but to say “he has the voice of an angel.” Funny, because (at least in America) when we use phrases like that, it’s usually in reference to a female. Perhaps, indirectly, our attitudes about male culture has subconsciously effected the way most male performers perform.
Josh Possesses Incredible Vocal Control!
I’ve been racking my brains trying to figure out who can I compare his music to, and he’s so unique that I just can’t at the moment. But, if I where forced to make one, he’s almost like what Barbra Streisand may have sounded like if she was born a male singer. In my opinion, I think that is a fair statement. When I first discovered Josh’s music, I was working in a very well known electronic retail store decades ago. Back then, many retailers had prerecorded paid advertisements that would play on the loud speaker, on a loop! Actually, it was more like listening to customized radio recordings designed to sell to the customer. The recordings were a mixture of commercials and new music (pre-release).
The First Time I Heard Josh’s Voice On Speaker…!
I completely forgot what I was doin’, but I’m pretty sure I was organizing store products on gondolas or something like that, when I heard Josh’s voice for the first time. The store was playing his then hit song “To Where You Are.” I said to myself, who the f**k is that? I fell in love with his music ever since. It was the only time I didn’t mind hearing the pre-recorded tracks on loop, because I looked forward to hearing his song again. Back then, music streaming really didn’t catch on yet, so I had no idea that he had quite a few albums before hand.
I’ve Heard Quite A Few Of His Televised Performances!
I’ve seen many of his live televised performances, and let me tell you, his voice is a force that cannot be reckoned with! Again, some of the best male performers I’ve heard don’t posses the vocal control he has. There is no question he has been classically trained. Some other songs I recommend you check out are, a duet with Barbra Streisand called “All I Know Of Love,” and a solo called “You Raise Me Up,” is a wonderful inspirational song (very heart felt). He also did a wonderful live duet with Celine Dione, with a song called “The Prayer.” Like I’ve always said earlier, I normally don’t like to listen to live recordings, unless I’m also watching it. But, they both did a wonderful job the this song. By the way, since I’ve mentioned Celine Dione, you should check out her duet with Andrea Bocelli, also singing “The Prayer.” Absolutely beautiful.
Song: Playlist
Artist: Various
Album: Amazing Hits From 1977 (2020)
Genre: Various Pop Music
Coming at you with another diverse handpicked playlist. Lots and lots of great music we were exposed to during the year 1977; but only a fraction of those songs made it to my playlist! Oh, no! It wasn’t because I didn’t like the majority of them, it’s because I don’t believe in random song dumping!! You’re getting the best of my personal favorites from the year 1977, in an easily digestible playlist. As I was researching, I realized that 1977 seemed to have been a good year for Rock ‘N’ Roll music. Rock music that I actually liked! And I said before, I am very picky when it comes to rock music.
You know, 1977 Seemed To Have Been An Excellent Year For Rock Music!
A good example of some good rock ‘N’ roll hits that came out of 1977 was Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.” The song peaked at #10 that year. Although the song was already a popular hit, I don’t think it really became more well known, until they hooked up with rap legends Run-DMC. It was a big deal, because Run-DMC became the first rap group to merge hip hop and rock. A year before, they had an even bigger hit I’m sure most of my readers remember, called “Dream On (1976)” that peaked at #6 on the Top 100 Chart. You know, a lot of people make fun of Steven Tyler’s looks. But, the fact of the matter is, that man has an exceptional voice that was made for rock music, and has pumped out a lot of hits for the band.
Run-DMC Was The First Rap Group To Merge Rock With Hip Hop!
The song “I Wanna Get Next To You,” by legendary band Rose Royce, in my opinion, is one of the most romantic and sexiest music that ever came from an all Black band. Back when I was growing up, we called this kind of music, “Baby Makin’ Music.” ? The song reached #10 on the Top 100. Yesssss!!! Surprise!! They’ve got other hits besides “Car Wash.” Although, it appears that their album “Car Wash,” seemed to be their one and only best album (comparatively speaking at least).
We Called It, Baby Makin’ Music Back In The Day!
Another great song I’ve added to this playlist is called “The Rubberband Man,” by the legendary group, The Spinners!! I’m not sure the hell why, but every time I heard this song, it always reminded me of The Harlem Globtrotters. The song has absolutely nothing to do with them, but I have no idea why my mind is associating this song to the legendary Harlem Globtrotters. Perhaps it was used during one of their games? Maybe, I don’t know ?. I loved The Spinners. They’ve had hits after hits, after hits. Highly recommend that you look up their music. I’ve chosen 20 amazing hits for this playlist. I do hope that it jars some memories for you guys. Enjoy!
Song: Love Come Down
Artist: Evelyn Champagne King
Album: Get Loose (1982)
Genre: Dance/Funk
She was once the queen of dance/funk music. But, today, people barely knows who she is. Perhaps they may vaguely remember hearing one of her tunes, because they heard their mother or father play it once, or maybe twice. It’s hard to accept that fact that there was a time her music burned across dance-floors in just about every club in NYC, and now, Evelyn who? Strange that I don’t even remember hearing her music in many 70s parties ?. In fact, she was one of the few music performers (along with perhaps the Mary Jane Girls) that helped to make hair beads extremely popular in the Black communities (med/late 70s).
She Was The Queen Of Dance, 70s and 80s!
Now, as far I can tell, Evelyn never had a number one hit on the Top 100 List. However, on the dance categories she has had 2 number ones, and 6 Top 10 hits. Perhaps her biggest and most memorable hit (I think) was a song called “Love Come Down (1982).” Despite the fact that I haven’t personally heard any classic radio station play her music since the mid 80s, fans continue to show her support on streaming services. “Love Come Down” alone accumulated over 40M streams! That’s pretty cool considering the major culture shift America has been undergoing for years.
Evelyn Had More Hits Under Billboard’s Dance Category!
Another huge favorite of mine was “I Don’t Know If It’s Right (1979).” I was surprised to find out it reached only #25 on the dance chart. I played this record on practically every family party back in the day. It had an unusual (and still distinct) recognizable beat. Another hit I used to shake my ass too was “Shame (1978).” This song was my sh*t back in the day! This was one of those songs that sounded so good, you didn’t care how crazy you looked on the dance floor ?! One last song for ya. Check out her #1 dance hit called “I’m In Love (1981).” I totally forgot about this song. This was my sh*t too. I highly recommend you skim through her music. She’s totally worth investigating! Seems that Evelyn (now in her 60s) hasn’t come out with a new album in quite some time. But, according to wiki, she is still actively performing.
Songs: Various/Playlist
Artists: A Variety
Album: Trojan Records: The Obscure Hits (2020)
Genre: Ska & Rock Steady
Since playlists are so incredibly important, I decided to do another one this week. Today, I want to focus on a forgotten music label called Trojan Records. Coming from a family of heavy music lovers and performers, growing up, I can safely say that Trojan Records for reggae artists was the equivalent to Motown for Black American artists. In terms of the hits they pumped out, and the tremendous contributions they’ve made to Black music in general. I really don’t think, not just Americans, but other countries around the world would have ever known what reggae was, if it were not for labels like Trojan Records.
Trojan Played A Pivotal Role In Reggae Music!
Like Motown, Trojan employed many hit makers such as Toots & The Maytals, Bob Andy, Peter Tosh, John Holt, Marcia Griffiths, are just a very small fraction of the very talented people they had on their raster. Trojan is actually a British label, that was formed some time in 1968. As far as I know, the label has strictly dedicated itself to ska & rock steady type of reggae. To be honest, I can’t even recall ever hearing calypso from Trojan (at least when I was a young boy anyway). Today I’m not really sure if the label is producing new music. I can’t really find a whole lot of new stuff, with the exception of re-releases of their old music. Traditional reggae is such beautiful music! It just hurts my heart that it’s become “an old fad” in America. Almost never to be listened to again, as if it ran its course. Huh! Again, just like Motown! When Berry Gordy sold Motown, when last have you heard any advertisement for anything Motown? They had no interest in keeping the memory of Black music, only to own the value of it’s name.
Trojan Is Actually A British Label!
Trojan is now under Sanctuary Records. It doesn’t appear that Sanctuary has produced a lot of (or if any) new reggae under their name either. Please think about this for a moment. Trojan was affiliated with more than 30 other Black reggae labels (which I’m sure Sanctuary also owns or have license to), and I’m having difficulty finding new Black reggae music from them. However, they’re offering imports of their old music for extraordinary amounts of money. Another reason why music streaming is so important! So that poor people who can’t afford that kind of money for those rare reprints/originals, still have another way to access our history for practically free!
Reggae Music From Trojan Records Almost Feels Extinct!
Ok, a little about my new hand-picked playlist?! The process of putting together this playlist was sort-of difficult. Because it is not an American label, I can’t find chart information as easily as I’d like. Most if not all don’t even have chart information. I had to really rely on my childhood memories, my mom’s vinyls and my late grandpa’s reel2reel tapes and vinyls, and pretty much start diggin’ through several hundred music streams ?. Out of about 800 Trojan tunes I’ve curated, I’ve narrowed them down to 40 treasures for this playlist. I really think people from the Island around my age will enjoy this list most definitely; and hopefully it will jar some memories for you too! Yes?
After Hours & Hours Of Listening, I Made The Perfect Classic Trojan List!
Soooo, some of the great artists I have on this list includes the great Desmond Dekker & The Aces, with their hit called “Shing A Ling.” This wasn’t Dekker’s biggest hit, but I loved this song anyway. You’d probably are more familiar with one of his bigger hits, such as “007 (Shante Town) (1967).” By the way, I wish I was able to find more information about the above photo with Dekker in it. I noticed the sign in the photo mentions Byron Lee (not pictured (although I’m sure it’s the guy with his head turned the other way, but I’m not certain)). My late grandfather absolutely loved Byron Lee. Byron was HUGE in the reggae world. In my opinion, he was like the reggae version of Tito Puente ?. Speaking of Byron Lee, he was also on the Trojan label. One song by Byron my late Grandpa used to play a lot was called “Only A Fool (with Sparrow)(1977).” Ahhh, this was such a beautiful record. Byron also had another huge hit called “Tiney Winey,” and I believe it was released in 1984. Now, I know I said early in this article that I hadn’t heard any calypso music out of the Trojan label. But here’s the thing, with songs like “Tiney Winey,” artists often change labels, sometimes labels get taken over, sometimes they’re also under sub-labels that specialize in a specific genre. It’s really hard to know what’s what.
Byron Lee Was Almost Like A Reggae Version Of Tito Puente!
Next, I have the legendary Millie Small, who many Americans would be shocked to find out she was actually from Jamaica! Unfortunately I never considered her to have a really talented voice. However, she exploded in the music scene when she released her one massive hit “My Boy Lollipop (c.1964).” The song hit #2 on the top 100 American Billboard. Unfortunately, Millie past away in early 2020, at the age of 72. A lot of famous artists on the Trojan label also made some awesome covers of American music. “Help Me Make It Through The Night,” by John Holt; “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” by my girl Marcia Griffiths; “Don’t Play That Song For Me,” by Derrick Morgan; and plenty more on this playlist. I hope you enjoy!!
Song: Assorted
Artist: Various
Album: Playlist – The Very Best Of 1984 (2020)
Genre: A Variety
It’s been quite awhile since I’ve made a playlist, huh? I think I need to make more of an effort to create them. Putting together a quality playlist can be just as much work as writing an article (believe it or not) ?. It takes a lot of thought, research, and knowing how to blend songs that go with one another. Anybody can copy and paste random stuff; but a bloggers playlist is the one you’re more then likely to enjoy. I’m not quite sure why I picked the year 1984 for today’s playlist. However, it happens to be one of the best years for memorable pop music. It’s funny, the 80s has made such an impact for many of us of this era, but I can’t even remember what I was doin’ when each of these songs came out.
Can You Remember What You Were Doin’ When These Songs Came Out?
Now that I think about it, in the 80s I considered myself a club kid. So, I can associate dance music with a club I might have went to back in the day (because I was physically there). For all other music genres, perhaps I was listening to them during mundane activities ?. Well, I didn’t realize there were a LOT of hits that came out of 1984. However, I had to narrow them down to 30 amazing songs in this playlist. Pretty mixed genres in this new playlist (you know how I do).
I Just Know That Most 80s Babies Will Love This Playlist!
So, let me talk a little bit about what’s on this playlist. One 1984 song that was an absolute must for this playlist, is a song by one of my most favorite 80s pop band. The Miami Sound Machine’s “Dr. Beat,” a wonderful mix of disco infused pop! By the way, did you know that Gloria Estafan has a new album coming out? She released a single for the album called “Cuando Hay Amor.” It is a Brazilian inspired album. According to an article I’ve found, the full album is expected to be released on August 13th. Another great song I have on this playlist is “Careless Whisper,” by the late George Michael. I’m telling you, with all the hits that man pumped out, I think “Careless Whisper” is the one song people will forever remember him by.
Side Note: Gloria Estefan Has A Brand New Album Coming Out Soon!
Then I have “It’s Raining Men,” by two vocal powerhouses called, The Weather Girls!” Marsha Wash, and the late Izora Armstead, were hot in the 80s. “It’s Raining Men,” was not only a great and fun song, it seemed to appeal to everyone! Whether you were young, old, gay, or straight, on any given day you can usually catch someone singing this song while walking down the street! Another favorite of mine on this list is a song from Elton John, it’s called “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues.” You know, Elton is the only performer I can think of, that can turn a song that would normally be sad as hell, and make it upbeat and desirable to listen to. He truly has that gift of music. For more songs, click on my playlist above, and enjoy!!
Song: I’m Dreamin’
Artist: Christopher Williams
Album: New Jack City (1991)
Genre: Hip Hop/New Jack Swing
Girls!! Girls!!!!!! To simply say that today’s old school artist was just “good looking,” would be an extreme understatement. This dude was foooinnneeee!!! OMFG!! ?? One thing is for sure, if he did not make it in the music industry, I’m pretty confident he would have made it as a model for one of those high class magazines or something!! Unfortunately, Christopher Williams is another forgotten artist. Even during the prime of his career, I felt he was extremely underrated. In many ways, he reminded me a lot of Johnny Gill, in that their voices doesn’t match how they actually look. One thing that unique about his music, there wasn’t too many artists that possessed a soulful voice performing New Jack Swing type of music. New Jack Swing music (in my opinion), seemed almost exclusive to young males, dancing & harmonizing kind of groups.
Can You Guess Who Christopher Williams Is Related too?
Al B. Sure, and Christopher Williams are actually cousins! Come to think about it, they look so much alike they can actually pass for brothers in my opinion. However, Al B. Sure did not have Christopher’s soulful voice! I don’t see a whole lot of current information concerning Christopher, yet alone his relationship with Al B. Sure. At this point I think it’s safe to say that Christopher just feakin’ lost it. And when I say lost it, I don’t mean that figuratively either. If you’ve ever seen recent pictures of Christopher, he has totally lost whatever good looks he had left. I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that he is on drugs. Please note, I’m not being judgemental per-say. Anyone who has lived in the hood knows, street drugs accelerates the aging process, and does f*cked up things to people’s faces. Now that he is older (52), he looks horrible! Absolutely horrid. Sh*t, he was married to Stacy Dash for a couple of years, that alone could have screwed his life. ?
Christopher Williams, Busted!!
My suspicions of his drug use was further confirmed, when he was busted and arrested for stealing a $100 headphone! And because I know automatically, most of you will not believe me, check out TMZ‘s article. This happened ruffly about 3 years ago. What a damn shame!! A voice like that; a man that was reported to have a net worth of about 5 million; caught stealing a $100 JBL headphone. WTF?
Sadly, Christopher Lost The Magic That Made All The Girls Go Wild!
It appears that the last album that Christopher recorded was in 2001; the album was called “Real Men Do.” I gotta be honest, although I can still hear the talent in his voice, I think he lost that 90’s magic he had. I just don’t hear it anymore. However, he did release a couple of singles in the recent past. There’s one I really like called “Proud 2 Long (2018).” I think “Proud 2 Long” is a really nice song, and is probably the best we’re gonna get out of Christopher (compared to his heydays). Well, despite never having a number one hit, or at least a Top Ten on the Hot 100 category, he most definitely had a #1 voice.
Song: Back Together Again
Artist: Donny Hathaway & Roberta Flack
Album: A Donny Hathaway Collection (1990)
Genre: Soul
I’m pretty sure I remember writing extensively about the late Donny Hathaway on my old blog. However, I don’t believe I shared one of my biggest favorites by him. His amazing duet with Roberta Flack “Back Together Again,” was a megaton hit as far as the Black community growing up. This song was “Black barbecue” worthy music! Released in 1980, the song reached #8 on the Top 100 Charts. Interesting that (according to the billboard chart) the song also reached #8 on the R&B charts as well. I thought this should have been number one, as the song practically became an anthem in the Black community.
Duets Seemed To Have Been Her Specialty!
You know, in my opinion Roberta Flack is amazingly talented (at least in the studio, I’ve heard quite a few of her live performances and they were boring as hell (sorry to say)). However, I couldn’t help but to notice that about after her third album, a lot of her well known hits seem to have been duets. And she’s done quite a few of them! I find that interesting as well, because she must have had good professional relationships with people in the industry. Artists normally don’t get to do duets with huge names unless you’ve been in the industry for decades (with more than one or two major hits under your belt). I guess her three #1 singles “The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face (1969),” “Killing Me Softly (1973),” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love (1975)” were big enough to make everybody want to work with her! LOL Although, it doesn’t appear she’s written any of those 3 songs.
I’d Say, Roberta Has Sung Some Of The Most Romantic Music Of Her Time! Without Any Exaggeration!
You know…. Even today, when I listen to Donny’s old music, I’m still in complete shock that he lived with mental illness all those years! Performed for millions and millions of people, yet he was mentally impaired. In someways it’s fascinating to me how as an artist he was able to access the creative side of his brain, yet separate the mental illness (or at least kept it at bay for as long as he could). We truly lost a phenomenally talented man in my opinion. Imagine if medicine knew then what it knows now, I think he’d still be a live. No reason he wouldn’t be.
Sooooo Many Covers Of This Great Song Was Done!
“Back Together Again,” was such a great song, unless you had absolutely no talent, there was no way you could have messed up this song! ? So many covers by so many different artists it was not funny. Check out some of my favorite cover versions by Maxi Priest, Tony Mombrelle & Chantae Cann, Tony’s house remix of this song is hot too! Also check out the legendary Freddie Jackson, and finally, listen to this smooth jazz cover by Gordon James.
Song: Wildfire
Artist: Michael Martin Murphey
Album: Blue Sky-Night Thunder (1975)
Genre: Country
I don’t know guys, I may or may not turn you off with today’s selection? But, like I’ve always said, my tastes are extremely diverse, and that quality is one of the reasons why I decided to start this blog ?. If you asked me which “go to” genre I loved the most, that would be a really difficult question. Perhaps that question would be easier answered, if I broke them down by era. My primary genres really depended on the decade I was in. I think in the 70’s I was drawn to more “easy listening” type music, which included country. I may be bias, but in my opinion, I think the 70s yielded some of the best love ballads of all-times.
A Love Song Between A Man And His Horse!
Now, let me give you some real context. A male country artist (in the 70s) can write a song about his love for a pony, and become a successful hit! I can’t even remember anywhere in time, any American has a song about any animal (not even a dog, and Americans love dogs) and became a massive hit ?! I don’t believe this could be done today, even with the most ardent country music fans.
His Song Made High Scores On The Billboard!
Murphey’s song “Wildfire (1975),” hit #1 in Canada. In the U.S., it hit #1 on Easy Listening, and #3 on the Top 100 Charts. It’s still a beautiful song tho. Very calming, as well as a beautiful story behind the lyrics. Murphy has had quite a few hit songs after “Wildfire.” About 11 Top 10 Hits to be exact. He also one a few awards for some of his albums. However, I’m sorry to say that I only loved “Wildfire.” Not that I thought his music was bad, I just wasn’t drawn to it. If I were to be honest, I think it probably was because he performs traditional country, whereas my country tastes are a little more modern than that. So, I can’t say he’s a “one hit wonder,” just only loved one song. Today, Mr. Murphey is around 75 years old.
Song: It’s Mashed Potato Time
Artist: Dee Dee Sharp
Album: It’s Mashed Potato Time (1962)
Genre: Dance Grooves
Shamefully, although I remember this artist as though her music was out yesterday, however in the music world today, she has drifted towards the vacuum of obscurity. This woman was once one of the hottest acts of the 60s! She could have easily been another Mary Wells as far as I’m concerned! Her biggest hit came during the 50s-60s dance craze era. The song was called “It’s Mashed Potato Time!” The song was released in 1962, and became an instant hit! It reached #2 on the Top 100, and #1 on the R&B charts, making it the biggest song of her career! This song was so popular, she had the nerve to come out with another song called “Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes).” Now that I think about it, it was completely hilarious.
Mashed Potato Time, Was The Biggest Hit Of Her Career!
Now, just think about it for a minute. This song was released more than 5 years before I was born, and remembering hearing this song even as a very young boy, tells me just how majorly popular this song was! Come to think of it, I never did learn how to do “The Mashed Potato.” Even if I wanted to, there were just too many dances goin’ on to keep up with all of them anyway. These dance crazes were so important for the Black community back then. It was one of the very few things that helped us deal with the massive racism.
I Never Did Learn How To Mash Potato! ?
Despite her big dance hit, I think she was also extremely underrated as far as her other music. Dee Dee had an incredible voice! I am just dumbfounded that (at least when I examine the music charts) music lovers only responded to her dance music and not her ballads. I guess it is possible that fans were so moved (hard) by her dance music, they really didn’t want to hear any other type of music by her. However, I highly recommend that you check out some of her ballads. She’s made some incredible covers too!
I Highly Recommend That You Check Out Her Ballads!
One badass song I think you should check out, is a song called “I really Love You (1965),” the musical arrangements for this song was perfect! As far as I’m concerned, this was an ignored gem, barely reaching #78 on top 100. Also listen to her cover of Jerry Butler’s 1958 hit “For Your Precious Love (c.’60s),” a lot of people refuse to believe we are losing our culture; her cover of this song doesn’t appear to be listed anywhere on Wikipedia. Even on discogs I had trouble finding (had to use advanced search! WTF?). So sad, it’s an amazing song. Listen to her cover of 10CC’s 1974 hit “I’m Not In Love (1975),” you know the way she sings this song, she reminds me a lot of the late Nancy Wilson. Lastly, check out her cover of Jackie Wilson’s 1958 hit song “To Be Loved (1963).” At the age of 74, she is still performing!
Song: Gee Whiz, Look At His Eyes
Artist: Carla Thomas
Album: Gee Whiz (1961)
Genre: True R&B Music
Oh my goodness. Today’s artist appeared to be sooooooooo underrated. Well…… Maybe underrated isn’t the word I’m looking for. Perhaps the word I’m looking for is unacknowledged. Carla definitely had the gift of voice in my opinion. She appears to have a tenor voice with a wide key range. The beautiful thing I loved about Carla’s voice was that, she simply sang. She wasn’t one of those artists that tried to do a bunch of acrobatics with her vocal chords. She just simply sang, and her soul poured out.
She Has Phenomenal Tenor Range!
Her hit song “Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes) (1961),” was her biggest hit of her career. This was such an amazing song. Although she had other songs that did well on the Billboard Charts, this was her most notable, ever. The song shot up to #10 on the Top 100. She sang the shit out of this song, and I really think it should have been #1 instead! But, in the end it doesn’t matter, because that song still immortalized her forever (among my generation). If I am not mistaken, this was actually from her first album. She was signed to Atlantic Records, which was just as an important label for Black artists as Motown was back in the day.
Carla is also known for her many hit duets with the late Otis Redding. Songs like “Tramp (1967).” By the way, I don’t know how many remember, but Salt -N- Pepa sampled “Tramp” on their 1986 album called “Hot, Cool & Vicious.” She had another hit duet with Otis, it’s actually a cover of Eddie Floyd’s “Knock On Wood,” which they’ve recorded in 1967. I was delighted to discover that her music has not been forgotten. Her 1966 hit song B-A-B-Y was included in the soundtrack for the movie “The Baby Driver (2017),” co-starring Jamie Foxx. By the way, did you know that the late Isaac Hayes written “B-A-B-Y?” Yup, he sure did. He was truly a hit maker.
Song: Kiss And Say Goodbye
Artist: The Manhattans
Album: Kiss And Say Goodbye (1982)
Genre: Soul/R&B
You know, The Manhattans were such a major popular group in the seventies, I didn’t even realize they only had a couple of hits during their entire career. This amazingly talented group was born in NJ, about 1962. An interesting fact I never knew about The Manhattans, was that each and every one of them joined the armed forces. To my understanding, the pretty much formed the group almost immediately after they were discharged.
They All Listed In The Armed Forces!
Their signature song “Kiss And Say Goodbye,” reached popularity beyond all expectations. I can’t even begin to find the words as to just how popular this song was. I don’t think I can describe to even if I tried. This song cemented their names in music history. It appeared that almost every house party we had growing up, had to end with that song playing. Almost every person of color had this album, or the 45rpm (bear minimum). If you didn’t own this album back in the day, people would look at you in total shock! Yet, at the same time, this was one of those weird things I never understood about my elder generation. Because this is really a breakup song, yet people danced to this as if it was a happy romantic song. Maybe it was all in the rhythm? I have absolutely no idea! ?
“Kiss And Say Goodbye” reached #1 in 1976 on the Top 100, and stayed on the charts for about 25/26 weeks. The song also hit #1 on the R&B category, #1 in Canada, and #1 in Netherlands, and #4 in both Australia and the UK. That’s how significant this song was, everyone from every age and walk of life responded to this amazing song! Their next and last huge hit was a song called “Shining Star (1980).” The song peaked at #5 on the Top 100, #2 in New Zealand, #6 in Canada.
Song: Various Songs
Artist: Various Artists
Album: Good Feeling Of The Big Chill Generation (1985)
Genre: Soul
Wow, I didn’t realize it’s been ages since I’ve put together a playlist for you guys. Well, this album was pretty much inspired by “The Big Chill Movie Sound Track.” Remember that movie? Let me tell you, “The Big Chill (1983),” not only became a cult classic, the sound track was amazing! The sound track was jammed packed with the most popular classic sounds!! The music that was chosen for this movie was so good, when I first watched this movie, I almost couldn’t pay attention to the movie, cause all I could think about was the music I didn’t hear for a long time! ?
I have the original sound track on cassette, but I didn’t know about what appears to be some sort of second “extended” album? It’s called “More Songs From The Original Soundtrack Of The Big Chill 15th Anniversary (1984).” Keep in mind that the Internet wasn’t even widely known about back then. So, as far as I knew, I had the one and only sound track on cassette. By the way, there are a lot of great hits on that album as well!
Many of the songs on today’s featured album are truly indeed obscure by today’s standards I guess. However, to people from my age group this music still feels like yesterday! In total, my playlist consists of 12 amazing original recordings. Unfortunately, about half of these Motown recordings have been forgotten. However, in this particular case, I think they’ve been forgotten not because the music was mediocre; I actually think it was because other huge hits these same artists had over shadowed the music on this album.
Some of those forgotten gems include “The Happening,” by The Supremes. To my understanding this was actually #1 Top 100 Chart in 1967. Another forgotten gem is by Mary Wells, called “You Beat Me To The Punch.” That was an amazing song by her, unfortunately, I think her other hit “My Guy” was so huge, it just destroyed people’s memory of “You Beat Me To The Punch.” And then there’s “Hitch Hike (1963),” by Marvin Gaye. When it comes to Marvin Gaye’s music, “Hitch Hike” is as obscure as it comes. I doubt a whole lot of people remember it. Well, I hope you guys enjoy this playlist. it’s one of my favorite classic albums. Just FYI, one of the songs on this sound track was not by Motown. Can you guess which ones? ? If you want to hear the first original sound track, it’s here.
Song: Every Time You Go Away
Artist: Paul Young
Album: The Secrets Of Association (1985)
Genre: Branches Of Rock
Not only was Paul Young’s “Every Time You Go Away,” one of my favorite songs by him, it turned out to be one of the biggest hits of the 80s! This song was HUGE! The song practically immortalized him. One things for sure, you may not remember his name immediately off the bat; but I think you’ll definitely remember his music when you hear it. Well, at least those of us who are at least 40(ish) and older. Now, I have to be honest, I can’t say I was a huge fan of his music in general. However, there were two songs he made that hit big, and pretty much those two were the only favorites of mine (including featured song).
He Only Had Two Top 10 Hits!
“Every Time You Go Away,” hit #1 in 1985 on the Top 100. The song stayed on the charts for about 22-23 weeks. I remember almost every radio station playing this song, and that included stations that were categorized as mostly “easy listening.” In my opinion, this was the perfect “coming of age” love song, yet adult enough to apply to anyone of any age. The second song I really liked from him was a song called “Oh Girl (1990).” Actually, this is a cover song originally sang by The Chi-Lites. Paul Young’s version reached #8 on the Top 100 Chart. This pretty much concludes all his hits. He did have two more songs that did ok, but the two I’ve mentioned earlier were his money makers, as well as most popular.
Song: Leaving Me
Artist: The Independents
Album: Discs Of Gold (1974) (2010)
Genre: Soul
This is an extremely rare and obscure group, and I recommend that you research them out. Unfortunately, they’ve only made a couple of albums. They did stay with each other long. Believe it or not, they broke up after being together professionally for only 3 years! Their only biggest hit was a song called “Leave Me (1973).” Although it only reached up to #21 on the Top 100 Chart, it hit #1 on R&B. The song sold over a million single copies, and has won the Gold Award. Because they’ve only stayed with each other for barely 3 short years, almost nothing is written about them. This is so sad that a talented Black group such as this one had become lost. Also check out their unknown song “In The Valley Of My Own World,” it’s instrumental melody reminds me of “Love Jones,” by Bright Side Of Darkness, a lot. This whole album was nicely done actually. They harmonize beautifully. I think most oldies fans will enjoy listening to them!
Song: Strawberry Letter 23
Artist: The Brothers Johnson
Album: Right On Time (1977)
Genre: Funk/Disco
Wow! These guys were some talented brothers back in the day. This is another of many group that used to confuse me. The reason being, back in the day Ray Parker Jr. used to have a group called Raydio, and I perceived a couple of their songs had very similar styles to The Brothers Johnson (or vise verse). However, there was no doubt that The Brothers Johnson had their own brand and identity.
These Guys Were Pretty Popular In The 80s!
Although they’ve had quite a few big hits, I think most people remember them for “Strawberry Letter 23,” off their 1977 “Right On Time” album. The song hit #5 on the Top 100, and #1 on the R&B charts. What an odd name for a hit song tho. ? You also may be familiar with another huge hit of theirs called “I’ll Be Good To You (1976).” This song hit #3 on the Top 100 and #1 on the R&B charts. However, I think my second favorite was their hit called “Stomp (1980),” off their “light Up The Night” album. This was a big disco hit in many of the NYC clubs back in the day.
Unfortunately, I was shocked to read that Louis E Johnson recently passed away about 5 years ago. He was 60 years old. I also learned that Louis was responsible for laying down that sick baseline we heard in Michael Jackson’s cult classic “Billie Jean.” I always seem to find out about these amazing things after these celebrities die. We’ve lost a legend indeed!
Song: Black Pearl (feat. Sonny Charles)
Artist: Checkmates, Ltd.
Album: Love Is All We Have To Give (1969)
Genre: Soul
This is an EXTREMELY rare, obscured indeed! The Checkmates, Ltd., to my understanding was a group discovered by the late Nancy Wilson. This was a very talented group in my opinion, it was such a shame that they broke up just barely a year after forming the group. Their biggest hit was a song called “Black Pearl (1969),” which was written and produced by the infamous Phil Specter. The song reached #13 on the pop charts. The also had some success with a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary.” BTW, no….. Everybody assumes this was Tina Turner’s original, it’s not. Around 2008, Universal Studios suffered a major fire, and many original recordings were completely destroyed. Unfortunately, that included almost all works by the band, and many more artists as well. Check out this lost treasure album, I think it’s really nice piece of forgotten history.
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: Oh Sherrie
Artist: Steve Perry
Album: Greatest Hits + 5 (1998)
Genre: Rock
Now, of course, many people are going to have different opinions about this, but just keep in mind that this is my own personal opinion. As both a blogger and a heavy music fan, when it comes to rock music, I feel that Steve Perry is one of the very few greatest rock voices that ever lived (at least in my generation). Steve has a voice that demands attention. I mean, the only other person I can think of, that has a voice powerful enough (and better even) could even dare challenge him, would have been the late Freddy Mercury of QUEEN (that would have been a spectacular concert if that indeed happened, yes?) That’s my opinion. Let’s face it, very few male 80s rock “singers” could actually sing, without interpreting their output as pure yelling!
I’ve Heard Very Few Male 80s Rock Singers, That Didn’t Scream Their Way Through!
You know, I looked at Steve, and never thought that an amazing voice could come out of that tiny body. ? I think it’s safe to say that Steve truly made his mark as lead singer of Journey, with the following two songs. The first, a song called “Open Arms (1982),” which reached #2 on the Top 100 chart. The second song was called “Never Stop Believin’ (1981),” which peaked at #9 on the Top 100. You know, after the fact, it seemed very strange that this song peaked at only #9 considering this song was remixed and played so many times. At times it seemed more popular than “Open Arms.” Then again, I guess I have to remember it depends on the environment I’m in. Because in the clubs, they played “Never Stop Believin'” a lot. In fact, many “Bring To Action” type groups used this song as their anthem.
What a great song it was though. There’s no doubt that this song was and still is extremely inspirational. After Steve left the group Journey, he produced two songs from his solo career that became my ultimate favorites. The First Song is called “Oh Sherrie (1984),” and peaked at #3. I loved this song. Not only was the music great, I loved the way he sang it. I thought the way he emphasized the “N” sound, in the lyrics “You Should Have Been Gonnnnnnnnnnnnneeeeee” was absolutely hilarious! ? Since he partly written the song, I guess some of that was personal experience (as most songs where back in the day). The last ultimate favorite is called “Foolish Heart (1985).” I think this was a really nice rock ballad. It only reached #18 (which isn’t bad). I’ll tell you one thing, all those classic rock stations playing love songs from back in the day, usually this song would bound to popup at some point.
Song: Sitting In The Park
Artist: GQ
Album: TWO (1980)
Genre: R&B
Another amazingly talented band that has been forgotten. Even when I’d visit 70s/80s parties, maybe once or twice I’ve heard their music played. This awesome band formed in the Bronx, New York, sometime in the late 60s. Their history is hard for me to trace, as they’ve performed under different names & different music labels. Their music genre was mostly disco. They almost had a Chic, sound to their music in my opinion.
They’ve Produced 2 Unforgettable Hits!
Most older folk would probably remember their monumental #1 R&B hit “Disco Nights (Rock Freak) (1979).” I used to dance the hell out of this song. One of the very few songs I’ve heard where R&B and Disco merged beautifully (in my opinion). You may also remember their cover of Billy Stewart’s 1965 classic “I Do Love You (1979).” Their rendition did very well, reaching #5 on the R&B chart. However, from that same year (I believe) there was another cover they did by Billy Stewart, and I don’t recall the song receiving a whole lot of buzz. It’s called “Sitting In The Park (1980).” They did a beautiful job with this song as well, and I appreciated how they kept the essence of the song in tact, without changing the song completely. It reached #9 on the R&B Chart. Unfortunately, the groups ended before 2000. Keith Crier (above, first left) passed away, and the remaining group members eventually went their separate ways doing other things. So sad.
Song: Mr. Blue Sky
Artist: Electric Light Orchestra
Album: Out Of The Blue (1977)
Genre: Rock
Guys, please don’t judge their name! Although their name sounds like they belong to some sort of circus or novelty act, this England born band produced beyond amazing music when I was growing up. And the proof in that, is their staggering streaming numbers. The song “Mr. Blue Sky” was released in 1977, how the hell did it manage to gather 360M streams from Spotify alone? Are you kidding me? That’s the kind of streams that only someone like Whitney Houston, or Michael Jackson got. Yet, if you ask the average person who they are, they draw a blank! Most people don’t have a clue.
How Can A Group Get So Much Plays, Yet People Barely Remember Them?
That’s mind boggling to me. Either this is an example of how complicated an artist/band stats are, or streaming is moving so incredibly fast, that we are missing a major part of our music history! Don’t you think? To throw an even bigger wrench into the equation, they never had a number one hit! But they do have 7 Top Tens under their belt.
Despite “Mr. Blue Sky” being so successful, the song was at the bottom when it came to my favorites. The song that I think is probably most known/remembered was from their album “A New World Record,” the song is called “Telephone Line (1976).”It also happens to be one of my top favorites. This peaked at #7 on the Top 100, and was their highest ranking song on the charts. Also, from that same album was another favorite of mine called “Livin’ Thing,” and it only peaked at #13 (which is not bad). It’s a really nice album, I recommend it. Check out some of their other hits, “Don’t Break Me Down,” and another great song of theirs “Evil Woman.”
Song: Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Artist: Pat Benatar
Album: Crimes Of Passion (1980)
Genre: Alternative Rock
You know, technically, I don’t think Pat Benatar is a forgotten artists per-say. At least not from the standpoint of her music being obscure. However, I do think she’s a forgotten artist from the standpoint of her being a woman within the rock genre. Like rap, the 80s was really tough for female rockers, in a male dominated genre. She had (and still has) the voice for rock music, but unfortunately this very talented rock artist never had a number one, and as far as I know, never been inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame. However, that didn’t stop her from obtaining 4 awesome Top 10 Hits! As I’ve said earlier, I’ve never had any particular interest in borderline hard rock. But, Mrs. Benatar was one of those rare acceptations.
Such Power In Her Voice, Yet She Never Had A #1 Song!
And one of the 4 Top Tens, happens to be today’s song pick. “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” from her 1980s “Crimes Of Passions” album. This song peaked at #9, and in my opinion, is probably one of the most memorable songs of her career. To my understanding, this song was actually her first Top 10 Hit. The song was so popular, it was heard during many sports games and sports commercials. Another hit I loved was her song “Love Is A Battle Field (1989).” I thought the video was awesome too. While I mentioned her video, I want you to check it out. One of the dancers has a striking resemblance to Stephanie Mills. I’ll give you one more favorite. The song “We Belong (1985),” was a badass song back in the day. I used to listen to it all the time. This amazing song reached #5 on the Top 100 Chart.
Song: If You Let Me Make Love To You
Artist: Ronnie Dyson
Album: If You Let Me Make Love To You (1970)
Genre: R&B
Ronnie sang what became one of my favorite childhood songs growing up ever!! You know, I perceived Ronnie to be very androgynous back in the day. When I first heard him sing my ultimate favorite, “(If You Let Me Make Love To You) Then Why Can’t I Touch You” as a child, for a very long time I thought he was a woman. Unfortunately, the face of my 45rpm record was damaged, and I had not learned his name yet. Even after years later when I finally saw his picture, I still was not sure, as there were many female artists that performed with male energy. I perceived him with a Nina Simone type energy. But, it didn’t matter to me because all I knew was, I loved this song!
For Quite Some Time I Mistakenly Thought Ronnie Was A Woman
I guess what drew my attention, was the slight caribbean background sound. The song reached #8 on the Pop Chart, and #9 on the R&B chart. Not sure where the song fell on the Top 100/200. I would imagine it would have been in the top #10 – #30 range. This was one of his most memorable hits in my opinion. Another popular hit of his was a song called “I Don’t Wanna Cry (1970).” Very nice fast paced and rhythmic beats. Honestly, I don’t remember hearing this song growing up, but I really love this as well.
There is one last hit that I do remember. I heard my late grandpa play this quite a few times too. The song is called “The More You Do It (The More I Like It Done To Me) (1976).” This song was the sh*t back in the day! But once again, Ronnie’s voice fooled me again. He had such vocal range that I thought it was a completely different person singing this. The high notes made me think it was actually Billy Paul or someone like that. The song reached #6 on the R&B Chart. Unfortunately, Ronnie passed away from heart failure at the age of only 40 years old, on November 10th, 1990.