Music has played an integral part in who I am. At least it used to. I find myself not listening as much as I have in previous years because nothing really moves me or appeals to me right now. I pretty much sample everything these days, Gospel, R&B, Jazz and Hip Hop, but I feel at a loss for definition of who I am musically. As I look back at my life, I can hear an old school cut and tell you pretty accurately where I was at that time.
Curtis Mayfield – Freddie’s Dead reminds me of riding in the back of a gold Caddy owned by a friend of my old man’s. I was in about the 1st grade, age 6, 1973.
Barry White – Love’s Orchestra – Washington D.C., second grade, Ross Elementary school. I also remember The Black Birds (Donald Byrd) song Rock Creek Park, another tune, can’t remember the artist, but I’m sure you know it, the lyrics went “Do it, Do it, Do it till satisfied” --- 1974
My adolescent years were laced with soul, disco, and pop.
The Bee Gees – Stayin’ Alive, More than a Woman
Donna Summer – Bad Girls, Last Dance
Gloria Gaynor – I will Survive
Rick James -Mary Jane
Ashford and Simpson – Is it Still Good To Ya
A Taste of Honey – Sukiyaki
Most of these cuts were out when I was in the 6th grade, age 11, 1978
Middle school 1979 – 1982 brought on a whole new flavor – the birth of Hip Hop, disco was dead by now but soul and pop were still hanging on.
The Sugar Hill Gang – Rapper’s Delight
Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five – It’s Nasty, The Message
Kurtis Blow – Basketball
Hall and Oats – Sara Smile, Kiss on my list, Private Eyes
Lionel Richie – Still
Stevie Wonder – Master Blaster
High School – 1982 – 1985 – was all about Rap and R&B (no longer called soul music)
Africa Bambata
Michael Jackson – Thriller album, need I say more.
Prince
Fresh Prince
Dana Dane
Luther Vandross
Anita Baker
It’s too many to name
And the 90’s – fuggetaboutit
Tribe Called Quest
Digital Underground
Public Enemy
The Jungle Brothers
Diggable Planets
Pete Rock and CL Smooth
and on and on and ya don't stop!
So, basically what I’m getting at is that our life is a soundtrack, so tell me, who played in yours.
10 comments:
I'll have to do a special post on Jazz, I didn't put any of that in there.
Nice selection.....I should use that as today's post of next week....
Holla acha boy
Whew! Some songs on your list brings back memories.
Right now I feel like I have amnesia. I can think of some songs here and there. Funny how we attach songs to parts of our lives.
What's up Ray, I'm going to have to get on over to your spot.
Yeah Shai, I was started to draw blanks and it was taking way to long to finish this post. Maybe I'll try and remember a list of songs and post them.
We're around the same age...you're about a year or two older, but your list pretty much sums up what was playing during my life at those times. I remember LL Cool J and Kool Moe Dee and Salt N Pepa back in high school. MC Hammer was out when I was in college.
Glad to see you Sheila, you've been gone for a minute. Wrote any good books lately?
LOVE THIS POST!
Yes, there is a soundtrack to my life as well, let's see...
I am a lover of old school, and even some Blues, because my parents listened to blues alot, so i will start off with the real oldies...
Bobby Blue Bland
Nancy Wilson - my dads favorite
BB King
as a youngster i listened to:
Jackson 5 - I want you back!
Rufus Thomas - I got ya
spending summers in Detroit -
Fools Paradise
Tavares
Grazing in the Grass
The teen years -
Parliament and Funkadelic-anything
Bootsy Collins- StarChild
Earth Wind & Fire - Reasons
New Birth - Been Such A long time/Wildflower
Lets straighten it out
My first love -
Rick James - Happy
Barry White - This Must Be Heaven
Luther - The Second Time Around
College Days-
Prince- 1999, i would die for you
Vanity Six - Nasty Girls
Grandmaster Flash - The Message
Sugar Hill Gang - Rappers Delight
Midnight Star
Roger & Zapp
I's married now -
Public Enemy
Atlantic Star - Forever
Janet Jackson - Pleasure Principle
Luther
Gap Band
Cameo
I's single again
Now that i'm back at one, everything and all the above, one mo gin...the cycle never ends
I love when a song I haven't heard in awhile comes on and takes me back to a moment in time... Mizrepresent, I have to say that almost all of the songs/artists made it somewhere in my journey.
In college I was a jazz freak, I'd always loved it, but my sweetheart was a saxaphone player and there wasn't a jazz cut that I didn't know back then. Seemed like all our special moments were shared through one album or another. The most relevant albumto our relationship at the time were Miles Davis's Kind of Blue and Cannonball Adderly's Live in New York - a song called Gemini in particular (did I mention I am a gemini?). Oh and emancipation disc 2.
Listening to jazz made me appreciate bands and artists who respected bands even more, so I really dig E. Badu (her band is amazing), Maxwell (that man live in concert, whoo! Embrya was overlooked), Lenny Kravitz, Jamiroquai... the list is rediculous. Okay, I'll stop now. I never write this much. Dunno what it is... must be the topic, good job Rich! LOL
oooh, Rich - u must've been down the country with us (we had a mini-songfest)! lol! in addition to what u listed here my soundtrack included quite a bit of jazz, some REALLL old school = martha & vandellas, patti labelle & bluebelles, the dells, temptations, new birth,... some soul "rock": mother's finest, ohio players, the commodores, rufus featuring chaka khan, then there was the BlackAwareness genre: gil scott heron, haki madhabuti (yes, he had poems set to music), etc. so much music & so little time! sad to see so little talent being promoted now, too! ALL those greats in the past were SO underpaid! The new "artists" should feel ashamed for getting the money they get for the CRAP they put out!
Jimmy Buffet..."Why don't we get drunk and screw?"
Hahhahahahha--go ahead, Rich...tell me I need to go back to church!!! :)
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