15 Monday Jul 2013
Posted in Music Legends, Music News
Another reason why Stevie is the 8th Wonder of the World.
He’s putting his money where his mouth is and pledging never to perform in Florida or any other state where Stand Your Ground laws exist. Activism is nothing new for Stevie though.
Bow down.
02 Wednesday Dec 2009
Very few artists can bring me off of this extended period of extreme laziness blog hiatus. Mary is one of them.
On November 29, 1995, she dropped what I consider to be her best work to date – and my favorite album of all time – My Life.
It’s hard for me to put into words (especially these days) how I feel about this album. I just know that the music helped heal me while I was dealing with the pain of my first unrequited love at the tender age of 18. No long talks on the phone with my girlfriends and no comforting words from Mommy made me feel what Mary did. As much as I love Share My World and Mary, I didn’t feel those albums deep inside like I did My Life. It’s an album I will still be playing fifteen years from now. It’s that timeless.
SoulBounce has been celebrating the Month of Mary, paying tribute to the icon for creating an album that even fifteen years later, still impacts and inspires. For the piece de resistance, they have gathered eleven male artists to re-imagine the songs on My Life and it’s available to you here as a FREE download. The icing on the cake is that it’s hosted by one of the original key producers on the album, Chucky Thompson.
So hurry on over to SoulBounce and check out how much love artists such as Eric Roberson (“My Life”), Darien (“Be Happy”), Jesse Boykins III (“No One Else”), and Slakah the Beatchild (“Don’t Go) show the undisputed Queen of Hip Hop Soul.
While you’re there getting your download on, be sure to leave a comment letting the good folks over there know how much you appreciate this labor of love.
I forsee a return to the blogosphere in the future in a form that I’m not yet certain of. Meanwhile, you should be getting your music news at sites like SoulBounce, SoulUK, SoulAfrodisiac, Bama Love Soul, Friday Favecast, Soul Reservoir, Novaslim, and Soulified. These cats are rocking the same flava in their ears that I am. They just have the desire to write about it right now.
28 Wednesday Jan 2009
Posted in Feeding The Music Jones, Music Legends
Ever wonder what music is in rotation on some of your favorite artists’ iPods?
Ever think about hanging out with your favorite artist one evening and having them play DJ? What songs would be on the playlist?
The other night on Twitter, Erykah Badu left the building and “DJ Loretta Brown” got on the wheels of steel and turned Twitterverse into one big old school party. Some of these songs I wasn’t even familiar with, which made it even better.
The impromptu house party led to a new musical discovery.
Mama’s Gun just may be my favorite Badu album. Still debating on that one. I do know that that the Grammy-nominated song “Didn’t Cha Know” was a highlight on that album for me. What I didn’t know was that it sampled “Dreamflower” by the band Tarika Blue from their self-titled album released in 1977.
Listening to the original track and some other tracks on the album, make it a must purchase. All thanks to “DJ Loretta.”
Check out some of the other tracks on her playlist. Lots of classic soul here, which is why I will always respect Erykah as an artist. She knows her music.
Any of your favorites here?
Roy Ayers- Keep on Walking
Bobbi Humphrey – Harlem River Drive
Elton John– Bennie and the Jets
Seals & Crofts – Summer Breeze
Herbie Hancock – I Thought It Was You
Gino Vannelli – I Just Wanna Stop
Earth Wind & Fire – Evil
Leroy Hutson – Lucky Fellow
George Duke – Movin On
Bloodstone – Natural High
Foster Sylvers – Misdemeanor
Emotions – How’d I Know That Love Would Slip Away
Leon Haywood – I Wanna Do Something Freaky to You (sample used in Snoop’s Ain’t Nothing But a G Thang)
SOS Band – Just Be Good to Me
Rick James – You and I
Zapp and Roger – Doo Wa Ditty (Blow That Thing)
Funkadelic – (Not Just) Knee Deep (the whole funk and nothing but the funk!)
Funkadelic – ” You Scared The Lovin’ Outta Me“
Chaka Khan- Stay
Ya’ll better stop sleeping on Twitter. For those that say they don’t get it, if you still don’t after reading this post, I don’t get you!
Follow me here.
Follow DJ Loretta here. She’s about to turn from “an apartment into a restaurant.” (meaning the baby’s birth is imminent). So get while the getting is good!
11 Monday Aug 2008
Posted in Music Legends
Tags
black bloggers on isaac hayes, by the time i get to phoenix, do your thing, isaac hayes, isaac hayes death, isaac hayes music, issac hayes tribute, it's all in the game, list of artists that sample isaac hayes music, never can say goodbye, remembering isaac hayes, walk on by
by vivrant thang on isaac hayes death
My heart is heavy people.
As I’ve traveled through the black blogosphere this weekend, I see that I’m not alone. Check out Afrobella’s beautiful tribute. Harlem nearly brought me to tears with his poetic, moving piece over at Soul Bounce.
I tell you, there is surely a good show going on up there right about now. Isaac and Bernie on one stage. Doesn’t get much better than that.
I regret that I haven’t spent more time with his music or studying up on his legendary career like I have Luther or Stevie for example. In my travels, here’s a few things that I found most interesting:
At the time of his death, Isaac had just wrapped a film with the late Bernie Mac and Samuel L. Jackson called “Soul Men.” He will play himself. We need to make that #1 at the box office for several reasons. Period.
I’m a huge fan of Blaxploitation era films so Shaft is one of my favorite movie soundtracks of all time. However, there are a few other songs that I’d like to share that have touched me over the years.
Once when an ex was trying to get back in my good graces, he created a mix that included this song. It almost worked. Isaac’s sensual baritone was very compelling.
It’s All In The Game
Here’s some other “hot buttered soul” from “Black Moses” that I love.
By The Time I Get To Phoenix
Walk On By (live performance; his rendition gives me chills)
Never Can Say Goodbye
Do Your Thing (I can dig it!)
The Look of Love (live performance)
After I heard the news today, I sat in the park listening to the radio tribute – with people calling in to the station all saying the same thing. “Too soon” and “Tomorrow is not promised.” I’ve lost most of my immediate family, including my Daddy, so I know all too well how fleeting this life can be.
As the second half of this year moves rapidly on by, I am pledging to stay focused on the things that make me happy and continuing to remove the things that are not. I don’t know how much time I have left here but I’m going to make the most of it. I’ve been wasting a lot of time not pursuing what’s truly important to me and that has to change. Isaac had been singing since he was five and stopped when his voice cracked. When he picked up that mic again, he even taught himself several instruments to boot. The rest is history. There’s a lesson there for all of us.
Let’s celebrate Isaac Hayes today for all the beautiful music he gave us and all the harmonies he’s going to create up there with some of the greats that are are no longer with us. Share some of your favorite “hot buttered soul” in the comments.
I hope to come across some musical tributes from some of the black blogosphere’s talented podcasters over the next few days and I’ll be sure to link them here.
Update: Here are the mixes as promised:
13 Tuesday May 2008
Posted in Music Legends
Tags
dj spinna and stevie wonder, dj spinna wonderfull parties, favorite stevie wonder songs, r&b, soulful music, stevie wonder, stevie wonder birthday, stevie wonder birthday tribute, stevie wonder favorite songs, stevie wonder tribute, top albums of all time
by vivrant thang on stevie wonder
“When creating music you have to live life – be inspired by life – to create experiences that are worth sharing with the world. ” -Stevie Wonder
I celebrate a lot of artists here on this blog. However, if there was one that that inspires what I do in this space, it would be undoubtedly be the one we call “The 8th Wonder of the World,” Mr. Stevland Hardaway (Judkins) Morris.
When I started conceptualizing this blog, I thought about icons whose music has shown up repeatedly in the soundtrack of my life. Artists like Marvin Gaye, Earth Wind & Fire, Luther, Michael Jackson, Mary J. Blige, and Jill Scott (to name a few). While listening to At The Close of A Century, the name Songs In the Key of Life and the blog’s direction just came to me. Ironically, the album was released the same month I was conceived (September 1976) and was arguably one of the most influential albums of the decade. My goal here is to inform and influence my readers’ appreciation of real music. So while it was a gutsy move to name my blog after one of the Top 100 albums of all time, something about it felt right.
The running joke has always been that Stevie has been fooling us all these years and can really see. Wouldn’t be hard for me to believe! I’ve always been in awe of his gift of composing music that seems inspired by the beauty he’s seen across the world…and the ugliness. The key word is gift, something he was blessed with probably from the moment he lay in that incubator and lost his sight. He lost one thing, but gained so much more – five decades of blessing us with thirty-five albums chock full of masterpieces. Music that speaks to social and political issues of our time – and they remain relevant decades later. Songs that champion a universal love – one that transcends color or creed. Love of a partner, love of a child, love for what you were born to do, love for yourself. I don’t know about you, but I am so thankful to know and appreciate his music. (I also feel blessed to have been born exactly one week after him. Taureans rule!)
In these days and times of having to contend with the foolish radio programming that assaults our ears, I’m happy to know that there are DJs that feel his music deeply and want to keep it alive. The best party I attended last year was DJ Spinna’s Wonder-Full Tribute party. When I think back to the emotions I experienced at that party, this is what I see.
If it comes to a city near you, I would strongly urge you not to miss it.
It’s damn near painful to choose a couple of favorite Stevie songs. I managed to do it for my Top Fifty Songs list. I chose “As” and “Ribbon In The Sky.” The way I’ll limit myself from barraging you with fifty eleven videos that you won’t watch anyway is to share my favorites from Songs In the Key of Life.
How could “As” not be on everyone’s list with lyrics like these?
As around the sun the earth knows she’s revolving
And the rosebuds know to bloom in early May
Just as hate knows love’s the cure
You can rest your mind assure
That I’ll be loving you always
As now can’t reveal the mystery of tomorrow
But in passing will grow older every day
Just as all is born is new
Do know what I say is true
That I’ll be loving you always
Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky—ALWAYS
Until the ocean covers every mountain high—ALWAYS
Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea—ALWAYS
Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream
Knocks Me Off My Feet
Sir Duke
The Making Of ‘I Wish’ (excellent video to watch if you can only watch one- see the magician creating the magic)
Let’s celebrate Stevie today. The rest of my favorites are on this list. Love to hear about some of his music that would appear on the soundtrack of your life.
SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE 
