Inspired by the July 21 birthdays of Cat Stevens, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Damian Marley, Taco and Fitz and the Tantrums’ Michael Fitzpatrick.
Your (Almost) Daily Playlist (6-15-20)
Inspired by Black Music Month, LGBTQ Pride Month, and the June 15 birthdays of Harry Nilsson, Ice Cube, Slade’s Noddy Holder, Waylon Jennings, Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody, Erroll Garner, Neil Patrick Harris, Kansas’ Steve Walsh, Meri Wilson, Ruby and the Romantics’ Ruby Nash, Alien Art Farm’s Dryden Mitchell and Girls Aloud’s Nadine Coyle.
Your (Almost) Daily Playlist (6-7-20)
Inspired by Black Music Month, LGBTQ Pride Month, and the June 7 birthdays of Prince, Tom Jones, Violent Femmes’ Gordon Gano, Whodini’s Ecstasy, Prefab Sprout’s Paddy McAloon, Chromeo’s Dave 1, Dean Martin, Joey Scarbury, Fetty Wap, George Ezra, Sunshine Anderson and Broadway composer Charles Strouse.
Your (Almost) Daily Playlist (5-14-20)
Inspired by the May 14 birthdays of Talking Heads‘ David Byrne, The Coasters/Cadets’ Dub Jones, The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, Raphael Saadiq, Bobby Darin, Cream’s Jack Bruce, The Cult’s Ian Astbury, Shanice and Tom Cochrane.
Your (Almost) Daily Playlist (5-5-20)
Inspired by Cinco de Mayo and the May 5 birthdays of Adele, Monty Python’s Michael Palin, Tammy Wynette, Johnnie Taylor, Echo & the Bunnymen’s Ian McCulloch, Craig David, Chris Brown and Blind Willie McTell.
Your (Almost)Daily Playlist (2-26-20)
Inspired by the February 26 birthdays of Johnny Cash, Fats Domino, Erykah Badu, Sandie Shaw, Mitch Ryder, fun.’s Nate Ruess and Sharon Van Etten.
Playlist For January 8, 2020
I just thought of a great line to use in an improv scene I was in six years ago. I wish I could turn back time (not intending to quote a song title from birthday boy R. Kelly there) and use it. Ironically, the scene was about traveling back in time. I won’t tell you more about it, because describing an improv scene is .00003% as much fun as watching the improv scene, and this scene was no great shakes to start with, though with the addition of the line I just thought of its shakes would be .07% greater.
Today’s playlist begins with songs from two music legends with birthdays today – Elvis Presley and David Bowie. It’s also Little Anthony’s birthday, which led me to lean heavily toward oldies from the early days of rock and roll. Dame Shirley Bassey also celebrates her birthday today, so I threw in a couple of joints from her catalogue. i opted to not include any R. Kelly songs in the playlist, though Mary J. Blige and Erykah Badu are representing 90s r&b.
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Nineties R&B
The most popular r&b group of the nineties was probably Boyz II Mej3y64t.,huy
Sorry. My head hit the keyboard. Just typing that group’s name puts me to sleep. I find their music devoid of personality, emphasizing vocal histrionics over soul-felt passion. They should call themselves Boyz II Meh! Am I right, people? Tip your waitstaff.
Much of nineties r&b suffers from the same. Technique over feeling. Not all, though. I’m not damning a whole genre with a wide paintbrush, or whatever that expression is.
Today’s playlist showcases twenty of the best r&b hits from last millennium’s last decade, the decade being 1990 to 1999, for the purposes of this post. Nothing obscure this time. All of these songs received a fair amount of airplay back in the day.
If I missed any of your favorites, let me know in the comments section, unless it’s a song by Boyz II Mebg;hev.
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Throwback Thursday – 1997
Randy Badazz Alpert received many requests to license “Rise,” a song he co-wrote that became a #1 hit for his uncle Herb in 1979, as a sample in hip hop tracks. He said no to Ice Cube, Vanilla Ice, Eazy-E, and the others who requested permission. However, when he received a cassette from the producer then known as Puff Daddy of a new song utilizing the sample, he consented. He loved the new tune and felt it could make his song go to #1 again.
He was right. The new recording was “Hypnotize” and it was performed by the Notorious B.I.G. “Hypnotize” topped the Billboard Hot 100 in May of 1997, less than two months after the rapper was killed in Los Angeles.
This week’s Throwback Thursday playlist spotlights the best of 1997, kicking off with The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize,” which uses a sample from a songwriter whose middle name really is Badazz.
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Happy International Women’s Day!
March 8 is International Women’s Day. Here is your soundtrack:
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