Another Diva Down

So it was via Facebook (hat tip to Bill Coleman) that I learned we lost another dynamite vocalist — Belita Woods of Parliament Funkadelic and Brainstorm passed away at the age 63. Another tragedy after the untimely death of the legendary Donna Summer.

 I didn’t know much of Brainstorm until “Lovin Is Really My Game” appeared on the 54 soundtrack and knocked my socks off. Reportedly, Narada Michael Walden was planning to work with Whitney Houston of a cover of that barnburner before she also recently past.

 “Lovin” is undeniable but it was my friend Kenny who turned me on to this album track, apparently sampled in The Conga Squad’s “I Lost It”, which takes the promise of “Lovin” and turns up the heat exponentially. Just dynamite.

 Brainstorm – “Hot For You”

 Conga Squad – “I Lost It”

 Brainstorm – “Lovin’ Is Really My Game”

  Donna Summer – “Heaven Knows”

 

Stumblin into 1979

This song peaked at #4 this week in 1979.
What held the other 3 spots you ask? Why it was Peaches and Herb (“Reunited”), Donna Summer (“Hot Stuff”) and the Village People (“In The Navy”). Now that’s a chart.

You know you love it!

Suzi Quatro and Chris Norman – “Stumblin’ In”

Now why isn’t this available for digital download anywhere

That’s annoying.

  From a playlist by Zooey Deschanel, naturally.

  Sweet – “Funny, Funny”

Put a little love in your heart

So I just watched Scrooged for the first time. Not good.

I think we all remember the Annie Lennox/Al Green collaboration from the film. I, for one, was rocking the 45 back in the day.

Would Annie and Al the final word on this song? Hardly. How about Donna Summer, Olivia Newton-John, The Bee Gees, The Fonz, and more 70s stars than you can shake a stick at….

True to form, Andy Gibb brings this sing-a-long to a grinding halt. The randomness of this is definitely worth checking out.

“Put A Little Love In Your Heart” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeJcePrcRDs

 

Robyn – Supertramp inspired?

So our dear Robyn has a new video out from her new album Body Talk (not to be confused with Body Talk Pt. 1 or Body Talk Pt. 2), it pulls the best of the first EPs and adds some new tracks.  Sort of a greatest hits of this year’s output. This girl’s a machine!

“Indestructible” arrived on Pt. 2 in acoustic form (just as “Hang with Me” first appeared in a stripped down version on Pt. 1, and then ws reworked as a pop version, becoming Pt. 2’s lead single ) and while I dig it, I’ve been totally irritated every time I’ve listened to it because the verses remind me of Some…Song…I…Can’t…FIGURE OUT!

Well the new album has an electro-dance version (it’s also the single) and you’ll all be relieved that I’ve finally figured out what my minds been hearing. It sounds so close to me I can’t quite get over the similarities and actually enjoy the track. Guess when she’s releasing all this material…you’re bound to inadvertently rip crib some melodies. Do you hear it too?

Robyn – “Indestructible”

Supertramp – “The Logical Song”

The 21st night in September

Earth, Wind & Fire – “September”

You Learn Something New…

Speaking of the Echols book….this 1970 song, by ex-Temptation Eddie Hendricks, is widely considered one of the “first” disco hits. Who knew.

  Eddie Hendricks – “”Girl You Need a Change of Mind”

New Book Gives Disco its Due

I recently TORE THROUGH this book and absolutely could not get enough. And those of you who are interested in the subject should get it STAT.
 
Hot Stuff: Disco and the Remaking of American Culture is written by gender studies professor (and ex-DJ herself), Alice Echols. And I think it’s a totally fascinating, well-researched book that really spends time not only on the music itself (the author is a true fan and the production and musicianship is discussed by someone who obviously knows what their talking about), but spends considerable time on all the cultural ramifications of the disco “movement.”
 
With chapter titles such as “I Hear A Symphony: Black Masculinity and the Disco Turn,” “More, More More: One and Oneness in Gay Disco,” “Ladies’ Night: Women and Disco,” and “Disco and the rise of the ‘Gay Macho'”, it’s obvious that Echols really rolls up her sleeves up to check under the hood of all these issues of sexuality and race and gender that were such a part of the music.
 
The meteoric rise of (formerly invisible) female sexual expression (uh, “Love to Love You Baby”, anyone?), the queering of popular culture, a new embrace (and the new visibility) of ‘blackness,’ and the new conduit for gay sexual expression (there are disco clubs! and we can dance! with each other!) gave way to a lot of (white, male, straight) anxiety, eventually culminating in the infamous ‘Disco Sucks’ backlash. Also discussed is disco’s self-consciousness, it’s vapidity, and its growing emphasis on “style over substance.”
 
It’s a great book. And any fan of the music or any person interested in these cultural issues will have a blast. For you Brown U people, it’s not quite an MCM course, but it is like listening to a watered down David Savran lecture…with a martini in your hand. And that’s definitely a good thing.
 
The author gave an interview to WNYC’s Kurt Anderson and it’s a good indicator of what’s covered in the book.
 
Or you can visit the site here: http://www.studio360.org/episodes/2010/07/16/segments/157126

 

studio071610e.mp3

Up in Smoke

Check out this super funky edit of this obsur-ish Eddie Kendricks Motown song from the late 70s.

  Eddie Kendricks – “Goin’ Up In Smoke” [Super Value edit]

  Here’s the original version:

Dancer

Oh my gosh, this is incredible! It’s a long one, so if you’re feeling impatient start around the 3:00 mark.

  Gino Soccio – “Dancer”