Brownstone Throwback (A Tribute)

This Ol' Skool R&B treasure is a throwback to some good 'Ghetto Soul' music and also a tribute to a friend who recently passed away.

Back in 1994 when I was a young single mother living in the heart of the ghetto, music was a huge comfort to those on the low income struggle with the realities of the hard knock life thrown in. My peers and myself were musically influenced by ragga, rap and the new wave of contemporary R&B that was making major breakthroughs within the UK music scene.

"If You Love Me" was a catchy Slow Jam with a Swing Beat. Big on the radio, in the clubs and my friend G's playlist (- cassette in those days). I'm telling you, G outsung IYLM, probably more than Brownstone did. It was her "badass choon dat". I'll always be reminded of her whenever I hear it and smile with the fondest memories.

IYLM reached NO 8 in the UK singles chart in 1994.  

80s Throwback - Colonel Abrams 'Trapped'

80's music was a big influence on my life, wild, creative and unforgettable (well most of the songs were). Here's a throwback to 1985...'Trapped' by Colonel Abrams.

Trapped single cover

Although Colonel Abrams has released nine albums, it's his 1985 hit 'Trapped' from the album Trapped MCA Records, released in the same year, that is his most famous. House music was extremely popular in the mid-eighties and the pumping beat of Trapped along with Abrams powerful authoritative vocals took this song to number 3 in the UK charts and number 1 in the US Dance charts.

My memories of this song was Colonel's stage presence. As a 10 year old I remember finding his serious face quite scary but I loved the song and loved the backing vocals even more. I remember his outfits too, big shoulder pads in his embellished jackets, proper 80s, proper music.

Alexander O'Neal - 'If You Were Here Tonight'

Everybody loves a good old 80's Slow Jam and Alexander O'Neal was running things back in the 80's with a string of R&B hits.

I was around 11 years old when 'If You Were Here Tonight' was a hit back in 1986.  All the R&B heads loved this track and it was pretty successful mainstream in the UK, reaching number 13 in the singles charts.  I'm a fan of Alexander, he released some unforgettable classics.  However, 'If You Were Here Tonight' was just pure 80's lush.  The grown folk would get all smoochy and loved up at parties to this, whilst the kids would swing to synths and sing "If you could only know my feelings.  You would know how much I doo beeelieeve".  

Check out the video for a full flavour of the 80's.  The clothes, Alexander's moustache.  Love it!

Happy Birthday Miss Tina Turner

Today is the 73rd birthday of female rock and roll icon, Tina Turner.  

Simply Tina!

Tina Turner was born on this day, 26th November in 1939.  She started her musical career in the mid-50's and is noted as one of the most famous female Rock icons.

As an 80s kid, Tina's music was heavily influential on my musical ears so it's only fair that on this day, I honour her by posting a favourite classic...an electrifying performance of Proud Mary, courtesy of youtube ...Rock out!

To see the full birthday tribute go to >>>Happy Earthday Tina Turner <<<

"Take Me As I Am" by Mary J Blige

I love Mary J Blige, Queen of Hip Hop Soul and have a lot of her music in my collection. This song, 'Take Me As I Am', comes from Mary's seventh studio album, The Breakthrough 2005 Geffen Records. 'Take Me As I Am', like a lot of other Mary's songs, is soul searching soul. Laying the hurt out there, yet remaining a survivor through the storms.

"Take Me As I Am" Mary J Blige

My hearing had started to deteriorate quite noticeably around the release of The Breakthrough, my youngest daughter was almost one and I was pretty much in a dark place with the dramas of life and the backstabbing frenemies around me. Apart from the chorus “Take me as I am, or have nothing at all...”, I couldn't make out the other lyrics and the CD inlay, although it was packed with fantastic images of the beautiful Ms Blige, didn't contain any lyrics (that always p!$$*$ me off). It was a year or so after buying the CD that I downloaded the lyrics but...even without them, the power of Mary's voice created the imagery of self and social acceptance. The melody in her voice grabs the heart and swims through your soul and through the pain, suffering and torment your going through, Mary knows and you feel so much better, uplifted. That's the magic of music.

I always play “Take Me As I Am” in those dark days when I've been in the company of rotten friends, when I feel frustrated with my hearing or just feeling lack of self-worth. If you haven't heard the song (Then Where The Hell Have You Been?), play the youtube video above which features an audio recording of the track with lyrics.

Funk-Soul Group Cameo Give London's Jazz Cafe The "Word Up"

70s and 80s Soul Funk band Cameo brought their funk to London's Jazz Cafe this week for five nights (22^nd October to 26^th October 2012). I became familiar with the 'outrageous' band in the 80s, when they released hits such as, Candy, She's Strange, Word Up, and many more. Lead singer Larry Blackmon's infamous cod-piece always springs to mind whenever I think of the band. He still wears them now as you can see in the picture taken from the gig.

Cameo's Larry Blackmon at London's Jazz Cafe
sporting a packed 'cod-piece'

Wardrobe shockers aside, Cameo made some classic groove tunes back in the day. Their tunes appealed to a wide audience; from gangsters to housewives, black people to white. It's good to know they're still jamming and I would love to be able to see them performing and feel the vibe. Many mixed reviews have been published about their performance some say Larry is “past his sell-by date”, whilst others say the group are still “hot” and gaining a “new audience to old skool funk” as well as a revival for loyal fans. Check out this clip I found of Cameo performing "She's Strange" at the Jazz Cafe, 23^rd October 2012.

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In The Spotlight: Mel and Kim

Melanie (left) and Kim (right) Appleby
Image Credit: Streetview at www.streetview.co.uk

Mel and Kim were a Pop duo, successful in the 80s with their catchy, 'girl power', pop songs written and produced by 80s songwriting/producing giants, Stock Aitken and Waterman. Active for four years (1986 to 1990) and releasing four top 10 hits in the UK, these London born sisters made a big stamp on my music collection and fashion sense back then.

SISTERS

I was 12 in 1986 when they released their debut single "Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend)" and everyone I knew was singing and shoulder shaking to that tune. The sisters, who were mixed raced, were beautiful, sassy and stylish. Young girls either wanted to be like them or they hated them out of envy and guys would debate over which sister they fancied the most.

Check out the dance moves in the "Respectable" video

(above) to get a real taste of the 80s

Mel and Kim weren't the greatest of singers but they were good for the pop dance scene. After “Showing Out” came "Respectable" 1987, which was the anthem for young women and their first number 1 in the UK.

"Take or leave us, only please believe us

We are never gonna be respectable

Like or hate us, but you'll never change us

We are never gonna be respectable"

Stock, Aitken and Waterman's production style featured many vocal synthesizers on acts they worked with. A popular 80s method was the vocal skipping, similar to when a DJ scratches a record. A lot of vocal skipping was used on this track (Respectable), which made the song hilarious for fans to sing at times.

Mel and Kim with funky open hats
and the 'Pineapple' hairstyles

Their number one success broadened their fan base and celebrity status. The bubbly sisters appeared on many TV shows and graced covers of pop magazines. Their cheeky attitude, Melanie, the youngest being the more feisty of the two, for me, made them more likeable. They dressed in sync and had some fabulous hairstyles, the 'pineapple', the most popular, started a trend. Unfortunately though, as many popular music artists experience today, media interest is a double-sided sword. When the press dug up Melanie's former glamour model career, many parents didn't want their children listening an idolising a "tart". Back in the 80s, attitudes weren't as relaxed and welcoming as of today of girls who got their "boobs out", unless they were on Page 3 of The Sun. Back then a glamour model in layman's terms was a 'glamourised prostitute'. Melanie handled herself well, spoke about it fairly openly and tried to move on.

Melanie left this earth too young,
too soon.

"F.L.M. (Fun Love and Money)", their third single, was another fun and catchy tune. Because of their success and travelling abroad to promote themselves, critics gave the impression Mel and Kim were too lazy or too busy to film a video for the song. Although, at the time, I was a little disappointed the girls weren't busting new styles and grooves, I loved the puppets of the duo, featured in the video. What nobody knew at the time was that Melanie was suffering problems with her back...which turned out to be secondary cancer of the spine.

When the news of Melanie's illness became public (her ex boyfriend (scum) sold pictures of her whilst undergoing chemotherapy, looking fragile and losing her hair), the fans were stunted with shock. I remember feeling very afraid for her because she was so young. Having lost members of my family to the disease, I'd seen the pain. On release of their fourth, and sadly final track "That's The Way It Is" in 1988, it was hoped that Melanie was winning the fight against cancer. "That's The Way It Is" had great chart success and I remember taping it off the radio (the 80s way of downloading music) and singing along to the words on full volume at my grandparents stereo or at school with my girl pals thinking we were stush. Sadly, Melanie wasn't getting better. She died in January 1990 after contracting pneumonia, her immune system weakened by chemotherapy.

"Keep looking after number one"

It was singing "Respectable" to my eight year old daughter this week that inspired me to feature Mel and Kim "In The Spotlight". I want my kids to know about Mel and Kim, the same way they appreciate Rihanna, Lady Gaga and the like. It's so sad that fate was so cruel to them because I know they had so much further to go. Kim did go on to have a mediocre solo career. She released one album Kim Appleby in 1990 which gave her two Top 10 hits. I bought the album, its somewhere in a mountain of cassettes that I refuse to dispose off. It's a good pop album with R&B dance influences. Many of the songs were co-written with Melanie before her passing. Kim is no longer seen in the public eye but I hope she has fond memories of her career, even though she lost her sister in the process. Mel and Kim brought an urban flavour to pop music which was brilliant for young black kids like myself, heavily influenced by the R&B and Reggae of our parents. Despite the lyrics of their most successful song, Mel and Kim were very RESPECTABLE.

Copyright Donna Woolcock 2012

Information source: Wikepedia (Mel and Kim)

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Odyssey- If You're Looking For A Way Out

“If You're Looking For A Way Out” RCA Records, is the timeless classic ballad from New York dance group Odyssey. I was only six when this song charted the UK charts in 1980 and I paid it little attention, favouring their more upbeat tracks like "Use It Up, Wear It Out" and "Native New Yorker" but adulthood made me appreciate Lillian Lopez's vocal storytelling much more.

"Oh baby tell me I'm wrong
Just say I'm crazy
It's with you that I belong.
It's never easy when lovers have to part.
Oh come on stop pretending
Tell me what's in you heart.
And if you're looking for a way out
I won't stand here in your way.
But if you're looking for a way out"

The songs narrative tells of a woman sensing something is wrong in her relationship (“...Your kisses taste the same, but its just a sweet disguise...”) and giving her lover the option, the 'green light' to walk away, although she's obviously still deeply in love with him.

Vocalist Lillian Lopez passed away on September 4^th 2012 after a battle with cancer.

Everything But The Girl - "Missing"

This Track, “Missing” from Everything But The Girl released in 1994 brings back such happy memories for me as I'm sure it does to many other music fans. This tune was HUGE, played on radio daily and reflected the electro pop sound of the 90's. I was a teen mom back then, my nightlife was over but girlie nights with fellow mothers and our babies were regular with a little drink, lots of music and lots of laughs.

Everything But The Girl are Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt they started the group in 1982 and were active till 2000. “Missing” was their most successful hit in the UK and worldwide.

Prince - If I Was Ur Girlfriend (Live Performance)

Back in the eighties, as a young Prince fan, I dreamed of going to one of his concerts but had to settle for concert videos to get the live experience. Sign O' The Times, the concert movie, 1987, Cineplex Odeon Films, gave me the ultimate pleasure of Prince's musical magic. 'If I Was Ur Girlfriend' is considered the ladies “favourite” amongst Prince fans and it surely got played out by me on my walkman back in the day. Once I watched the live performance, listening to the album version just isn't the same. That's part of Prince's magic.

Kitted out in a black playsuit, low-cut at the front and sides, his trademark heeled boots, loose curled afro, a feathered earring and a white fluffy jacket, Prince looks divine amongst the peach and black colour theme of the set and lighting. His dancing, winding his hips, toying with the jacket and those mesmerising eyes had me crying like a baby, wishing I was in the place of his backing singer/dancer Cat (Catherine Glover). The chemistry between them is electrifying throughout this movie but stands out more in the 'If I Was Ur Girlfriend' performance, especially when they go to the love bed, a big love hearted prop, surely one of the most memorable stage props of all time. I was insanely jealous as a child and slightly embarrassed as an adult. However, I never tire of watching this live performance. Thank God for youtube, as it saves the life of my video cassette. I can watch it as many times as I want. I don't hear the vocals so well now but the arrangement is still stuck in my head, after all these years.

Goodnight Donna Summer

The Queen of Disco, Donna Summer, passed away after a battle with cancer this morning.  As a 70s child, and also sharing the name Donna, I was familiar with her chart presence.  I loved her style and beauty, she really paved the way for a lot of black female artists into mainstream music.  So sad that I'm honoring another musical icon after their death.  There will be more on this blog about Donna's unforgettable music.

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Sundays Song: Poison Bell Biv Devoe

Don't ask me why this song is in my head this Sunday, maybe it's the heat of the Spring hitting me after such a long cold Winter.  Beats, Swing, Hip Hop delicious.  'Poison' was released in 1990 and all headz were pumping out to this classic.  Even the ladies were quite happy to sing "Never trust a big but and a smile".  Check out the clothes and the hair in the above video, not forgetting the dance moves. Choon!

The Real Roxanne feat Howie Tee "Bang Zoom (lets go go)"

My friends and I were discussing 'ol skool rap the other day and "Bang Zoom" sprung to my mind although it took a while for me to remember the actual song title.  1986 was the year this was released and when Roxanne graced UK screens I was there in front of the TV doing the 'shoulder jerks' and the sliding neck.  Although Roxanne's lyrical skills, beauty and sophistication stood out large, props have to be given to Howie Tee for his scratching skills. 

This song takes me back to confusing times in my childhood but reminds me how music was such a great healer and escapism from reality.  If you want to reminisce on 80's hip hop or see a female rapper not exposing their body or using profanity in their lyrics, yet still remaining in that rap core, tune in to the video...