My Song Of The Day and you know why:
Listen closely to the lyrics. Things really haven’t changed since 1985, has it? It’s two-plus minutes of woke, and seven minutes of funk and Prince shaking his ass in nothing but lace pants.
And because I refuse to let MAGA trash taint this day, I’ll be rewatching this. There was a time when I enjoyed celebrating the 4th of July, and President Obama and First Lady Michelle are two reasons why. Plus, Xtina is in this!
Am I the only one who remembers “Summertime Summertime”? I heard it in a Wild 94.9 megamix from the late 90s and got hooked on it!
And now, our days will start to get a little shorter–my least favorite thing about the summer solstice.
*For those in the Northern Hemisphere
It’s not every day I do back-to-back entries here on the same subject. But it happens to be the birthday today of the one true Kylie that’s still on top after all these years, so how about a post on some of her hits from way, way back? (Hey, it’s also Throwback Thursday!)
THE song that introduced me to her! I was only a kid, but whoever played the music at my birthday parties and family gatherings back then had pretty good taste because I remember hearing this. (And seeing the old folks at said family gatherings bust their hips to this 😆)
Her early 90s stuff gets so slept on, so I’m more than happy to boost them! Whoever said she never did a track with a rapper has never listened to “Shocked”.
And after seeing a bit of this on her Netflix docuseries, I had to include the full version here! Her and sister Dannii are pretty good here, and I’m always a sucker for campy 80s glamour.
One thing I adore about mid-late March: some of the most legendary divas/singers were born during this time!
Chaka Khan (born March 23, 1953)
The late, great (and forever Queen Of Soul) Aretha Franklin (born March 25, 1942)
Sir Elton John (born March 25, 1947)
Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944)
Celine Dion (born March 30, 1968–and this song here topped the Billboard Hot 100 30 years ago this week!)
Lady Gaga (born March 28, 1986)
And last but definitely not least, today’s anniversary girl, Mariah Carey! (born March 27, 1970)
I also learned yesterday would’ve been the birthday of the late, great Teddy Pendergrass (born March 26, 1950). Though I don’t see him as a diva (maybe not in the traditional sense), his artistry cannot be denied! This here remains one of the best love songs of the 70s (maybe ever)…but for some odd reason it also reminds me of 1996’s The Nutty Professor. 😆
For this International Women’s Day, here are some of my favorite “girl power” jams featuring do-all duets!
Happy International Women’s Day to all that celebrate! ♀️✊
I’ve been listening to Prince the past couple of days, and it’s fitting I’m still in the mood for His Purple Badness on this Valentine’s Day. 💜❤️
(Side note: I first heard this song from the OG Beavis & Butthead run, and their commentary on this song will ruin your mood…from lots of laughing! Don’t ask what they thought the music video had a close-up of.)
(The guitar at the end of this is delicious.)
I’ll end this on an upbeat note…
The ultimate Serve in one video & song: vocals, instruments, beats, clothes, face, and HAIR!
By the way, remember the days of YouTube when it was beyond tough to find a Prince song on the site because he was that protective of his work (and rightfully so)?
I also have my own story on him that I’ll share as it gets close to the anniversary date of it. (No, I never knew him personally, but it’s still a cool story.) In the meantime, have a Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!🩷
I’m not big on watching the usual New Year’s festivities on TV, but I’ll always be down for a good PBS documentary. I’m rewatching the We Want The Funk doc, and it’s got me wanting the funk tonight, too! 💃🏻
Happy Funky New Year, everyone! 🥳🎉🎆
The weather outside is frightful (at least here in the Bay Area), as is having to be subjected to the same ol’ Christmas music. I’m one to get into the holiday spirit but I also don’t care for traditional Xmas music; working in retail eons ago rendered me this way. It’s worse now thanks to crappy Camp Rock remixes of the classics like “Silver Bells” and “Winter Wonderland”. That said, I have my exceptions…
I’ll always be down for 80s/90s rap and upbeat R&B with a Christmas twist!
One holiday tradition of mine is watching A Charlie Brown Christmas, so of course the soundtrack also gets some play. “Linus and Lucy” and “Skating” are two of the few Xmas classics that I enjoy, and “Christmas Time Is Here” is simply enchanting (I prefer the instrumental over the vocal version).
*That* one holiday song will keep Mariah a forever multi-millionaire, but this other holiday song of hers gets all the airplay in my house! I first heard this particular version of “Joy To The World” in one of those BBC Essential Mixes from the 90s (go to the 1:02:00 mark), coincidentally mixed by the same guy who made this remix. This song deserves more appreciation during the holidays; give it a listen if you need a break from hearing Mimi’s money-maker.
Speaking of BBC Essential Mixes, there are no holiday-themed songs in this one, but I always saw it as a “holiday” mix as it originally aired two days before Xmas (and it just turned 30 years old this year). Forget caroling–I’d rather rave around the Christmas tree with this mix!
I’m in need of some cheering up yet again, and the music of today’s birthday icon Kylie Minogue always does it for me!
The visuals in each of these videos…STUN all the way. ✨✨✨
What else would I play on International Jazz Day?
Listen to the lyrics of this song. More relevant than ever. (The song also reminds me of the movie Casino, oddly enough.)
TIL that the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz (which he is a part of, naturally) is the lead partner for IJD.
There are a few versions of the last song, with its only constant being Gillespie playing on every version. I’ve always preferred this collab with Miles, and the beat also got sampled in this early 90s rap song, which I first heard before “Tunisia”.
It is not IJD without some actual international flair via bossa nova jazz! While I also enjoy the vocalized version, the instrumental version above will always be next-level aural paradise.