Mary J. Blige, "Going Down" to the "Car Wash" (soundtrack)

Today is Mary J. Blige’s birthday. Let’s celebrate!

I was already thinking just yesterday about posting this song, so now my hand has been forced by fate.
Like a dog tied to a rolling cart: “fate leads the willing, and drags the unwilling”. So let’s roll to the Car Wash together (you don't really have a choice).

 
Above is the original of “I’m Going Down”, covered to great effect (to say the least) by Queen Mary.

It is on the soundtrack to “Car Wash”, which is excellent, all the way through.

Not only does it have those mood-setting 2:00 long bits, for playing in the background of movie scenes, it has more standard songs with lyrics too. Pointer Sisters on “You Gotta to Believe” (“in something/ why don’t you believe in me?”)

The songs are all credited to Rose Royce and Norman Whitfield; ‘Rose Royce’ sounds like Rolls Royce, a funny little pun, which I just realized. “RR” is actually a group, not a stage name for a single person; this helps explain the wide variety of songs here, because it is not just a single writer plus one female singer, but a whole group plus the guy who wrote “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”.

--I just realized, there is way too much good stuff on this album, and way too many songs that I am thinking of to pair with each song... I gotta split this into more than one post!--

So just one little bit more, of related news… I own the movie “The Wash”, starring Dr. Dre and Snoop Lion.

It even has Eminem in it, as a crazy person… really flexing his acting chops there… I think I bought this when TLA closed up its Center City shop. Still haven’t watched it yet. I’m pretty sure it is a rubbish movie, but, some things, you just have to own.

"After Sex" is actually on the soundtrack of another movie I own/haven't seen yet... music on that film done by none other than Curtis Mayfield.

Infamous Anniversary

Since today's is an anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, I am throwing this at you. Put it on blast-
Team America!; Team Isley!



Download Isley Brothers, "Ballad of the Fallen Soldier" here

I didn't say "blast" to be funny. It was an accident; yet, since it is a little bit funny, I will leave it.
Another happy accident: I googled 'peral harbor' first (to check if today was the day or not ... shameful not to know, isn't it?). What if it were called "Feral Harbor"?
Wouldn't that be wild?!?!

That's a feral pig, dummy.

Jay-Z sampled the Isley Brothers' "Ballad of the Fallen Soldier": the keyboard hook and some guitar...


And you know what? The hell with Jay-Z. That's right, I said it. Why is that fool rapping about marriage?
Just because he is married is not a good excuse!
I do not want to hear songs about marriage right now- that is why I am listening to the hip-hop radio station.
Only NPR stations give you less about marriage than hip-hop radio. Well, NPR talks all the time about GayMarriage (...liberals...) fair enough. But I thought I could count on rappers to uphold their fine tradition of pretending like love and ruinous heartbreak simply never happen.

What the fuck rap?!
You blew it.

High On Jello

For a mix I'm putting together, inspired by The Cosby Show, called Hello Jello!



My lady friend Margeaux loves The Cosby Show, so I am making this mix for her. Still crafting it though: I will post songs that have the right sound here first, until I shove the full, fully finished mix on you.

And what is that "Right Sound?" It will be dentist-office funk: smooth (or even shmoove) jazzy things. Describable as slinky maybe. "Easy, not Cheesy." (that should be trademarked, yeah?)
The songs are having fun, without being outright silly. Loose-limbed, they will make a nice background as we shift into early summer.
Sade could go on there, although maybe she won't. Why?: because I want it to sound Cosby-era, so 70's and 80's gems.

( Although technically Sade's 1st US single came out at the end of 1984*, to me, Sade feels like 90's music. And although technically Cosby show started just a few months before that**, since I don't remember watching it much [although I did watch it plenty- when I watch it now, I can recall the plots as they are unfolding], it feels 70's-80's to me. )

* had to look it up
** also had to look that up, believe it


Enough about the mix; how about the song and band?

The Commodores do "Brick House": you know that song. It would totally play at a wonderful summer wedding reception:





The Commodores also had Lionel Richie in their band for a minute. Weirdly, after he left, they got more mellow. Once he was gone, they started to sound, well, like Lionel Richie. Before that, they were this hard-driving 'fonk' machine.

De La Soul sampled this song, on the Stakes Is High album. That is a feloniously undervalued record, like all of their records (except for 3 Feet High... And Rising: that gets about the right amount of praise).

( First De La album I ever bought- a little late to these fellows... 2000? also, I have it on vinyl, AND, after the above Commodores song, De La Soul came next on my iTunes random. F'serious! )

What I was initially leaning toward putting on Margeaux's mix was the Commodores song, "Girl, I Think the World About You" (obv), which I will:

1) maybe still put on the mix
and
2) maybe put up on to Youtube, where it cannot yet be found. Can it really be all that tough to post to YouTube?

De La also sampled"Girl, I...", for "Hey Buddy;" so you can see where their heads are at, right?
Tricky sampled The Commodores too!: info for the samples got drawn from this detailed site, Sample Spotters. 19 songs- nineteen- are listed for sampling (just the drums) from a single Commodores track.
Wow.

I Ain't Square; I Just Like To Share

I'm your Sponsor; I Buy-Buy-buy (records).
Charlie and I went to Slought Foundation. Both of us, not to put words in his mouth, were underwhelmed by the exhibit that we went to see. But both were 'whelmed' by the other exhibit, archival footage from '60s of teachers/students in the British education system. Sounds boring; my apologies- to split the difference,
here are some exciting records that I bought while we were in West Philly.


The Stylistics: Pieces

And what did I buy this time?.....

Isaac Hayes Live at the Sahara Tahoe. Cover has cutout folds; they open like the doors of the theater; opening, of course, onto a picture of Isaac Hayes on stage.




Better still, inside, is this spread.


(Sidenote- one really nice thing about being a little sick, is all the soup and tea you get to consume. Not generally a big fan of Minestrone soup, but I am killing a bowl of it right now at the cafe.)

Eric "Slowhand" Clapton: On White/ Something I might could maybe try to sell.

White vinyl; 'Cocaine' and other big songs on there; promo/DJ/radio copy, so maybe 'rare'.

Vicki Sue Robinson 12". Still sealed, which, normally, who fucking cares. But... used copies of this 12" sell for around $10-$40 online, although I'm not entirely sure (is this a reissue, explaining why it is sealed? etc). I don't particularly want to get into the hustle of selling/swapping records, but eventually... it probably will have to happen.
If I do start selling records, I will take the title of this blog for a motto... "I Ain't Square, I Just Like To Share".
Vicki Sue Robinson is well known for "Turn The Beat Around".

Stevie Wonder Presents Syreeta. Not that impressive.
More fun is Jay Z's recent line, at a show, that his mother was going to be so proud of him, because Steive Wonder was sticking around some festival, just to hear Jay Z's set.

The Stylistics: Round 2. Great Album Cover.

Perhaps only one song that I really like on it though; that is the song to which you've been listening.

I've already written the second half of this blog- check out this space on Monday for the continuation...

Sugar Beats: Sugar Hill Gang's much-sampled 'Apache'

Another great song, just ripe for summering. Get ready, btw, for sum summer stooping. Unless I get some emergency transfusions of cash, this will be a very "can't afford to go out drinking" summer. So you'll have to join me at mine (...or yours...) for "free beer". I call beer bought from the distributors, "free beer". It's so cheap, relative to bars, that you practically make money drinking it!. That's right, my economic plan: "Drink yourself to prosperity; Spend yourself sober."
(it's complicated)
But where'd all the money go, oh, where? Well, recently, it went to late heating bills (boring), and mo' wax, aka more vinyl (exciting).
Including this little gem....

Apache, by Sugar Hill Gang



Oh, this song. Oh, man oh me oh my. First, it uses a similar bong/drum break to The Incredible Bongo Band's Apache, which itself is sort of similar to The Shadows' Apache...
Dude, you think my Summer Prosperity Plan is complex? Check out the involved history of this song. Interesting, but impossible to sum up. Really, you should always be going to that blog, Soul Sides, because it is just the jam. Old Soul, great rap, dropping knowledge without being boring or snooty or pedantic, and always giving you links to the cuts.
It is as essential as this blog (well, more, actually, but still).

Right! Well, anyhow, in hip-hop and drum and bass
(my deepest musical love- 'drum and bass' aka 'jungle' aka 'DnB'- which none of my friends ever like that much. No 'junglist crew' for me! Not enough of my friends are rude bwoys, turns out)
many many songs have sampled drum breaks from various versions of Apache. Lots sampled the guitar line too. You'll see why- the bongos that this song opens with are solid all by themselves, let alone the other versions of that beat that are dropped throughout the track.
Now, if you are one of these young pups, you will recognize the song not from (nearly infinite) DnB and H-H songs, but from Switch's track. This song was huge from a summer or two back. We still can hear it, on that rare occasion that we Make Time.

Here's the original Switch track... (you gotta wait til 2:02 for the guitar line to drop! It's a dance track after all). Called "A Bit Patchy", as in, APatchy=Apache.



Here is an M.I.A. remix of Switch, introduced by Diplo, who M.I.A. used to date, but doesn't now, and mixed into the end of Kitsune track..... I told you this sampling stuff gets complicated!


(jump to about 1:15 on this one if you want to hear "A Bit Patchy" coming in clearly)

Summer Radness: Kool & The Gang (Keeping Kool When All's Gone Mad)

Download newest summer mix. Yeah!

Well, I've gone and done you another solid. Whipped up a precise blend of parts that together join up to make a Voltron-like colossus:
Summer 'Showerz': LoveLeigh Days



("showerz" refers the "singalong in the shower" nature of all the songs; "Leigh" refers to a friend who prompted me to finish this mix. THX!)

So, specifically summer, particularly shower jamz. Summer songs are feelgood, but perfect summer songs have to be melllllooooow too.
Not sure how feelgood mixes with ultramellow? Then listen to Kool & The Gang's "Summer Madness". You'll see.





Above is from the official Philadelphia Mural thingy, visible from the El tracks in West Philly. I see this on my way to work. More info, deets etc. (like how you could have gotten a tattoo designed by ESPO, the dude what did that mural).

Just like the summer. You are feeling nice in the summer, but you know, low-key like.
A perfect example of that perfect mellow feeling is perfectly evinced by the classically perfect first song, which is Youtubing above.

Summer Madness, by Kool & The Gang. This song was looped, 'slightly transformed' (like Voltron!), for Fresh Prince & DJ Jazzy Jeff's "Summertime".
So, now we've picked up on a recent theme, of great older songs outtfitted with a little rappin'-freshness. Oh yes, surely you recall my last post, on Biggie and his Other Brothers (The Isley Brothers), whom he sampled for "Big Poppa". I'll probably drop some more of those, about songs in different forms.
Note that The Isley Brothers are included on this mix too- a clear nod to Leigh, who praised them recently.

But anyhow, here is the track listing for the mix.
Download my newest mix: Summer Showerz: LoveLeigh Days.

Summer Madness ~O~ Kool & the Gang
Reunion ~O~ Bobbie Gentry
Maggie May ~O~ Rod Stewart
Summertime ~O~ Billy Stewart
Spirit In The Sky ~O~ Norman Greenbaum
Party Lights ~O~ Claudine Clark
In the Summertime ~O~ Mungo Jerry
If Not For You ~O~ Olivia Newton John
Summer Breeze ~O~ Isley Brothers
Two Tickets To Paradise ~O~ Eddie Money
I Fought The Law ~O~ Bobby Fuller Four
Summer ~O~ War

Please note that the symbol, lovingly crafted by myself, in betwixt track and band: looks like a sun, yeah?
ahahhahhahah I'm unstoppable hahahahahahahah

Brothers From Another Mother: Isleys and Big Poppa

Speaking of samples (as I did last time), here is a gem of a song I've been sitting on for a minute. In a hot HOT batch of records I snatched up the other day, I procured a few Isley Brothers albums.
Of which there are roughly a million, by the way. In fact, Wiki tells me they had 20 albums between 1969 and 2006: excuse me, that's 20 albums that reached the Top 10, in 35-ish years. I guess when you have like 7 guys in the band, there are more songs getting written?
(7/35=5; 5x20=100; 100/10= 10; 10/10 = perfect: do the math, it adds up)

Who knows- the point is, that these Brothers From The Same Mother got sampled- and that produces another song, A Brother From ANOTHER Mother, as it were.

Here is the "elder" song, a real sexy satiny sort of thing.
Download Isley Brothers: "Between The Sheets"



A little suggestion: give it a listen on YouTube whilst ye download it.

The Isley Brothers: Between The Sheets on YouTube



And here is the song built around the former- I'm pretty sure we all love this song.

Big Poppa, Notorious B.I.G.



Also, I was trying to find a good picture of sample-sized-spoons, and I found this instead. A marrow- that's bone marrow, you understand?- spoon. A Narrow Marrow Spoon, that.



Interesting. I bet Biggie would be crushing on some marrow if he weren't dead. Sigh.... His loss, and ours.

Everybody loves my Blog-shine!

Just in time for the weekend...

Download Roy Ayers' Ubiquity, "Everybody Loves the Sunshine"

A stone-cold classic,

just right for the summer/springtime madness, of which we are all now a part.



This song is such classic goodness, that Mary J. Blige, herself classic and classy and good, sampled it. Naughty By Nature nabbed a little "Sunshine" too.
Tribe Called Quest sample another jam of his, on the famed "Bonita Applebaum".


Erykah Badu sampled another Ayers' track; even Junior Mafia gets props from Roy Himself for their sample of yet another song of his.

Speaking of samples, this song has the same general vibe as Kool and the Gang's "Summer Madness", sampled by DJ Jazzy Jeff for he and Will Smith's "Summertime". If you like that, I guarantee (money-back guarantee!) that you'll love this song too.

If you can't trust me, that this song is everything you need right now, then take the words of Erykah, Q-Tip, Diddy, and Treach. Treach married Pepa, of Salt'n'Pepa, btw, and then they got divorced.
(in happier times:)

It's sad, but you don't have to be all broken up. I have the solution to your sadness: Go plug a boombox in outside, after downloading Roy Ayers' "Everybody Loves the Sunshine", and everything will glow,
positively G L O W , I say!