Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 1-31-24

The first artist fan club I ever joined was that of KC and the Sunshine Band. I received a membership card and a Christmas card from the band when that holiday I don’t celebrate came around. I don’t think there was more to it. I joined Olivia Newton-John’s fan club a year or two later, and received a membership card and a folio filled with photos of Livvy pressed on cardboard of various sizes. Years later I joined the R.E.M. and Pearl Jam fan clubs, which came with 45 rpm records and stickers and a calendar and a VHS tape and some other fun stuff. 

Are any of y’alls in an artist’s fan club? Is it worth the price of entry? 

KC was born Harry Wayne Casey on this date in 1951. A handful of his group’s songs are included on today’s playlist. Also included is his first number one single – as a songwriter with fellow Sunshine Band member Rick Finch on George McCrae’s “Rock Your Baby.”

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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 11-19-23

Inspired by an unhoused woman who would sing gospel songs in front of a Washington, DC hotel, the familiar refrain of “la da dee la da da” in Crystal Waters’ “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless)” was meant as a temporary placeholder until the real lyrics were written. Here’s to writers block!                                                                                                                                                                           Crystal Waters was born on this date in 1961. A couple of her tracks are included on today’s playlist.

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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 10-31-23

“Good times / These are the good times”

Yeah. We’re doomed.

Chic’s Bernard Edwards, who gave us one of the most recognizable basslines in all of rock and roll in “Good Times,” was born on Hallowe’en in 1952. He passed away from pneumonia in 1996. A buncha Chic tunes are on today’s playlist.

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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 7-15-23

Norma Jean Wright, who sang lead vocals on Chic’s first smash single “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah),” was born on this date in 1956 in Ripley, Tennessee, which is not far from the town of Nutbush, from where Tina Turner hails. Wright’s dad attended the same church as Tina. Besides her work with Chic, most notably on the aforementioned single and its follow-up, “Everybody Dance,” Wright has released solo records and sang backup on albums by Aretha Franklin, Madonna, Luther Vandross (who sings backup on “Dance, Dance, Dance”) and Sister Sledge.

Tunes du Jour celebrates the birthday of Norma Jean Wright with a playlist that includes her two biggest hits with Chic.

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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 1-6-23

In his excellent autobiography Le Freak, Chic’s Nile Rodgers writes how his group’s record label wanted to capture the magic Rodgers and his music partner Bernard Edwards brought to their group to other acts on the Atlantic Records roster, such as The Rolling Stones and Bette Midler. Nile turned down the acts that were firmly established, as with them less attention would be paid to the song’s writers and producers. He wanted to work with a lesser known act. Atlantic Records president Jerry Greenberg suggested a group of sisters who “stick together like birds of a feather,” and so it came to be that Rodgers and Edwards wrote and produced the We Are Family album for Sister Sledge. I think you know what happened next.

Today’s playlist celebrates the birthday of Sister Sledge lead vocalist Kathy Sledge by including several tracks from that classic album.

Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 10-31-22

Today’s playlist celebrates Halloween; the October 31 birthdays of U2’s Larry Mullen Jr., The Smiths’ Johnny Marr, Beastie Boys’ Ad-Rock, Chic’s Bernard Edwards, Guided By Voices’ Robert Pollard, The Del-Vikings’ Norman Wright, Bow Wow Wow’s Annabella Lwin, Argent’s Russ Ballard, Tom Paxton, Vanilla Ice, and Guy Marks; and the November 1 birthdays of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Anthony Kiedis, Stereolab’s Mary Hansen, The Feelies’ Glenn Mercer, Kool & the Gang’s Ronald Bell, The Five Satins’ Bill Baker, America’s Dan Peek, The Clovers’ Billy Mitchell, Geto Boys’ Willie D, Lyle Lovett, Sophie B. Hawkins, Beat Happening’s Calvin Johnson, Big & Rich’s Big Kenny, Tina Arena, Lamb’s Lou Rhodes, Bill Anderson, and Ssgt. Barry Sadler.

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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 9-18-22

Today’s playlist celebrates the September 18 birthdays of The Ramones’ Dee Dee Ramone, Dizzee Rascal, The Jayhawks’ Mark Olson, Noname, Bell Biv DeVoe’s Ricky Bell, Frankie Avalon, Xzibit, Dodgy’s Nigel Clark, Kira Isabella, Friends’ Samantha Urbani, and Jimmie Rodgers; and the September 19 birthdays of Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker, Chic’s Nile Rodgers, Mama Cass Elliot, The Righteous Brothers’ Bill Medley, Skepta, 10cc’s Lol Creme, Billy Ward, Tegan and Sara, Marshall Jefferson, Brook Benton, Les Savy Fav’s Tim Harrington, Jay Electronica, The Springfields’ Mike Hurst, Eamon, Lit’s A. Jay Popoff, Lita Ford, Rex Smith, Austin Roberts, and Teddybears’ Patrik Arve.

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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 9-7-22

Today’s playlist celebrates the September 7 birthdays of The Crickets’ Buddy Holly, Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde, Air’s Jean-Benoît Dunckel, Chic’s Alfa Anderson, N.W.A’s Eazy-E, Gloria Gaynor, Owen Pallett, Starland Vocal Band’s Margot Chapman, Morris Albert, Latimore, Jermaine Stewart, and The Simpsons’ Julie Kavner; and the September 8 birthdays of The Cars’ Benjamin Orr, Patsy Cline, Neko Case, ’til tuesday’s Aimee Mann, P!nk, Bob & Earl’s Earl Nelson,The Beau Brummels’ Sal Valentino, Wiz Khalifa, Slim Thug, and Peter Sellers.

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