"Get It Up" was the monster hit from this album in Detroit.
Printable View
It's been almost 10 years now, but I remember asking Greg if I could put his song up on Youtube. He was afraid to have me do it, because he said that he did not own the rights to the video. Now since he has his own VEVO channel, his video has gotten over 14 million views!!!!
That was just a great record. Another song that fires me up is this one. I'm a big Pieces of a Dream fan but I don't know who Portia Griffin is. Their collaboration on this is remarkable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7jtwnSKp-E
But if any song on that record is a true classic soul jam, it's this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FShE0VifCYs
Music for me is a memory enhancer and this one reminds me of Summer 1995 in Boston!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goBREseotZE
Good pick with the Anita Baker song. I'll never forget going to one of the nightclubs my buddy and I haunted in the '80s when for some reason, they had their first [[and last) Tuesday night talent show. [[LOL. The fact that it was on a Tuesday tells you something about how frequently we used to go out!!) Anyway, the acts were so horrible, people got bored because there was obviously no music playing and nobody was dancing. After a while, people were talking louder than the singers and comedians competing in the "talent" show. But then the crowd started to get quiet and I heard a pretty young woman singing Anita Baker's "No On In The World" a capella. By her third line, nobody was talking or looking away. I felt a chill because it was sung so beautifully and I suspect everybody else did as well.
"Sweet Love" is always going to be my favorite Anita Baker song. But "No One In The World" is probably second just because of that experience. Rapture is one of the best LPs from that decade and probably on my all-time top 20, which is REALLY saying something. With that said, I'm glad there were no more talent shows at that particular club.
I never heard this song on the radio but they wore this video out on Donnie Simpson's Video Soul show on BET. I was only a so-so Nona Hendryx fan, but this song is really nice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0FGYowwJuE
This is another one of those songs that never gets played anymore but I absolutely love. There was a budding culture of jazz-influenced hip hop/soul back in the '90s that seemed to fizzle out too soon. Tony! Toni! Tone! was in that clique as was Brand New Heavies. This song by Dionne Farris is probably one of the best of the genre.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxDgp1JROs0
And this song by Erykah Badu... The video is distracting from how great the record is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hVp47f5YZg
That is a great story Jerry. I remember towards the end of the summer of 1980, I went to see Chapter 8 and local Toledo band, Colorscope perform at a club called Nirvana on Monroe Street in Toledo. The cover charge? $ 5.00! I knew some of the members in Colorscope one of their female singers is my Mom's best friend, the other was a former cheerleader from my his school and the leader's mother was one of my teachers in H.S. We knew of Chapter 8 because they were out of Detroit and just had a hit with "I Just Want To Be Yours". The lead singers was another young lady from Toledo named Anita Baker. Fast forward 3 years later in 1983. I am in Denver and a friend of mine who had recently moved there from Toledo came running up to us at a picnic raving about this "new girl singer" from Toledo called Anita Baker [[he didn't know she had been with Chapter 8) and her new song "Angel". I listened to it and did not think much of it. Even I had forgot she was the lead singer for Chapter 8. Later on as her solo career took off it seemed like everyone in the City of Toledo knew and remembered her. I do know she went to the same high school as I and my brother.
I always like to hear about folks from my hometown and school doing well. She had one of the most recognizable voices ever in soul music. I used to make the distinction between singers and song stylists. Luther, for example, would be a singer whereas Steve Arrington and Aaron Hall would be stylists; men who could make a song sound great without benefit of either a strong or smooth voice. Anita Baker was both. She had a fantastic voice and she used it like an instrument. She also had a strong will and as we know from history, women who control their own careers have a tough row to hoe. But at the end of the day, I'd rather go out knowing that I did things the way I wanted instead of the way somebody told me. God bless that sister, I hope she enjoys her retirement.
This one was very popular up in New England in '95.....Diana King and "Shy Guy"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn9LQZ5tdys
This still is a special song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlFj9iCnaIE
I'm not sure if this one has been posted yet. I know I referenced it a few pages back, but Stephanie Mills' version of "Home" from The Wiz was already fantastic. But when she came out with this studio version, she took it to another level. In my opinion, nothing compares to this. Especially that weak-sauce version that Ms. Ross sings in the movie. It actually makes me mad hearing her sing it because although I'm not a hater, she's clearly out of her depth. Hmm... Another song that Whitney could have put her magic into.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnKQN7TF4hQ
Both of those recordings ,Stephanie Mills and Dianne Reeves were excellent!
You also made me remember my favorite from Nona Hendryx:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK5vizEzw7w
This is a great thread, Marv. So many fantastic songs on every page. My only regret is that most of my familiarity ended in the '90s and I don't have anything from this century to add.
But here's one from the '90s that will still be a classic 40 years from now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVIpBCaZJVI
And that reminds me of this one by Cherrelle. Even though Jam and Lewis have signature sounds and effects in most of their records, they produce every song perfect to the singer's voice. I mean, this could only be one of their songs but I can't imagine anyone else singing it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmrn3F9tF0E
Montell Jordan was ol' skool in a new skool age. I don't think he got as much appreciation as he probably deserved since the only song most attribute to him was "This Is How We Do It" and that used another song's music. But this is so nice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJLS9O37HIc
Man, the clubs used to love this record in Columbus. Played for a long time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br-Dy3puDoc
Here's a forgotten classic from the '80s. I used to snatch up Gap Band albums the first day they got on the shelves. I'd have them on cassette within an hour and then I'd find somewhere to go, not because I had somewhere to be but because I couldn't wait to hear it in the ride! LOL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1eiAPKfAVY
And this one, too. Alexander O'Neal is another of those "song stylists" I referred to earlier. This is pure soul.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTSOKrJDEeo
She did, more than once:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw2hjXDCM6k
And 11 years later:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg-Z0xVLg3o
Time to go way back. A lot of people tried to cover this song, but no one did it better than my ladies from Passiac, New Jersey, The Shirelles and "Baby It's You".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRrxjk3qgRc
Another sweet memory from my childhood....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvzlhmVI_wE
Ready? Roy Hamilton - "Don't Let Go"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnRV7G7-xd0
Direct from Pittsburgh U.S.A.! "Come And Go With Me"- The Dell Vikings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1eU_lDQaVM
From Da Boogie Down Bronx! Dion!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID-jsd0HGZs
Man Parish - "Boogie Down Bronx" 1985!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0L_AVc1OjE
..and the hits just kept on coming!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDkqz5C62SM
As I've stated before, I'm a big fan of electric bass. This riff is one of my very favorite. Right up there with "Pull Up To The Bumper" as far as instantly recognizable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYAmSbg-uE0
Marv, here's one that was an instant classic and never fails to make butts move.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECiMhe4E0pI
This may be a repeat. But it's another funky bass line. Narada is not appreciated as much as he should be.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFSB_tbHb6Q