Tag Archives: Pop

Song of the Day: Father Figure (by George Michael)

Posted on by Arleigh

george-michael

The year of 2016 has taken many of the music scene’s greatest. Prince, David Bowie and Glenn Frey just to name a few taken too soon. Now, George Michael joins his musical brethren as news of his passing on Christmas Day was announced and confirmed.

There’s not much to say other than any kid growing up during the late 80’s knew and listened to George Michael in some capacity or another. While he became famous as part of the British boy band WHAM! it was when he branched out on his own as a solo act that he hit megastar status. His solo debut album, Faith, would reach multi-platinum levels and each single released from the album and each video that ran in circulation on MTV would become instant hits.

My favorite song of his and this goes to his many excellent post-modern videos, would be the third single released from his debut album, “Father Figure.”.

Father Figure

That’s all I wanted
Something special, something sacred
In your eyes

For just one moment
To be bold and naked
At your side

Sometimes I think that you’ll never
Understand me (understand me)
Maybe this time is forever
Say it can be, woah

That’s all you wanted
Something special, someone sacred
In your life

Just for one moment
To be warm and naked
At my side

Sometimes I think that you’ll never
Understand me (understand me)
But something tells me together
We’d be happy, woah baby

I will be your father figure (oh baby)
Put your tiny hand in mine (I’d love to)
I will be your preacher teacher (be your daddy)
Anything you have in mind (it would make me)

I will be your father figure (very happy)
I have had enough of crime (please let me)
I will be the one who loves you
Till the end of time

That’s all I wanted
But sometimes love can be mistaken
For a crime

That’s all I wanted
Just to see my baby’s
Blue-eyed shine

This time I think that my lover
Understands me (understands me)
If we have faith in each other
Then we can be strong, baby

I will be your father figure
Put your tiny hand in mine (my baby)
I will be your preacher teacher
Anything you have in mind

I will be your father figure
I have had enough of crime
I will be the one who loves you
Till the end of time

If you are the desert, I’ll be the sea
If you ever hunger, hunger for me
Whatever you ask for, that’s what I’ll be

So when you remember the ones who have lied
Who said that they cared
But then laughed as you cried

Beautiful darling
Don’t think of me
Because all I ever wanted
It’s in your eyes
Baby, baby
And love can’t lie, no

(Greet me with the eyes of a child)
My love is always telling me so
(Heaven is a kiss and a smile)
Just hold on, hold on
And won’t let you go, my baby

I will be your father figure
Put your tiny hand in mine
I will be your preacher teacher
Anything you have in mind

I will be your father figure
And I have had enough of crime
So I am gonna love you
Till the end of time

(I will be your father) I will be your
(I will be your preacher) Father
(I will be your father) I’ll be your daddy, whoa
I will be the one who loves you
Till the end of time

Song of the Day: See You Again (by Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth)

Posted on by Arleigh

SeeYouAgain

While still looking to finish up my review of the latest entry in The Fast & The Furious franchise I thought it best to just put up the song which has led to many a-filmgoer trapped in a box of their emotions and feels.

Everyone by now knows how the release of Furious 7 has a tinge of both sentimentality and bittersweet emotions as this was the final film filmed by Paul Walker before his untimely death in late 2013. The shadow of Walker’s death had cast a shadow over the film. Whether people thought the film was good or not became a sidenote as the filmmakers, actors and everyone involved gave Paul Walker a moving final tribute by film’s end.

“See You Again” brings back Wiz Khalifa who also contributed what would become the theme song for Fast and Furious 6 with “Ride or Die.” This time Wiz has Charlie Puth doing the chorus. The combination of Puth’s heartfelt vocals and Khalifa’s rhymes made for a moving musical tribute to one of the founders of the The Fast & The Furious franchise and to a close friend to all involved in it.

See You Again

Charlie Puth)

It’s been a long day without you my friend
And I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again
We’ve come a long way from where we began
Oh I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I see you again

(Wiz Khalifa)

Damn who knew all the planes we flew
Good things we’ve been through
That I’ll be standing right here
Talking to you about another path I
Know we loved to hit the road and laugh
But something told me that it wouldn’t last
Had to switch up look at things different see the bigger picture
Those were the days hard work forever pays now I see you in a better place

How could we not talk about family when family’s all that we got?
Everything I went through you were standing there by my side
And now you gonna be with me for the last ride

(Charlie Puth)

It’s been a long day without you my friend
And I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again
We’ve come a long way from where we began
Oh I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again
when I see you again

(Wiz Khalifa)

First you both go out your way
And the vibe is feeling strong and what’s
Small turn to a friendship a friendship
Turn into a bond and that bond will never
Be broke and the love will never get lost
And when brotherhood come first then the line
Will never be crossed established it on our own
When that line had to be drawn and that line is what
We reach so remember me when I’m gone

How could we not talk about family when family’s all that we got?
Everything I went through you were standing there by my side
And now you gonna be with me for the last ride

(Charlie Puth)

So let the light guide your way hold every memory
As you go and every road you take will always lead you home

It’s been a long day without you my friend
And I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again
We’ve come a long way from where we began
Oh I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I see you again

Song of the Day: You Are So Beautiful (R.I.P. Joe Cocker)

Posted on by Arleigh

joe-cocker-you-are-so-beautiful-1984

A rock legend passed away today. Joe Cocker had one of those very unique voices which most everyone recognized. A blues and soul rock singer who performed with some of the rock legends of the 60’s and 70’s, he would become a mainstream hit with songs such as “Up Where We Belong” and his covers of Beatles songs.

It was in 1975, covering a ballad written and composed by Billy Preston, Bruce Fisher and Dennis Wilson that he truly burst into the mainstream scene. The song was “You Are So Beautiful” and while the album it was a part of never truly took off the single itself reached No. 5 on the Billboards chart of that year.

Cocker’s version was much slower in tempo than the original song and this worked well in concert with his gritty, bluesy voice where each word and lyric felt full of emotion that blues and soul singers have become well-known for.

Joe Cocker might have faded away from the mainstream consciousness after the 80’s but rock and blues aficionados always remembered and admired him right down to his last days.

Time for the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame to heed the words of Billy Joel and induct the man in it’s hallowed halls. He’s more than earned it.

You Are So Beautiful

You are so beautiful to me
You are so beautiful to me
Can’t you see
Your everything I hoped for
Your everything I need
You are so beautiful to me

Such joy and happiness you bring
Such joy and happiness you bring
Like a dream
A guiding light that shines in the night
Heavens gift to me
You are so beautiful to me

27 Days of Old School: #27 “The Sweetest Days” (by Vanessa Williams)

Posted on by Arleigh

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“So we whisper a dream here in the darkness
Watching the stars til they’re gone
And when even the memories have all faded away
These days go on and on”

We’ve finally reached the end of 27 Days of Old School and I think it appropriate that I choose a heartwarming and life-affirming song from 1994 by the incomparable Vanessa Williams.

While Madonna courted controversy on the other side of the ledger was the classic beauty and soulful talent that was Vanessa Williams. She may not have had the mega-success that Madonna had in the music business, but she still left quite a mark on her own terms.

She’s been on top of the charts as an R&B and pop singer. She really hit her stride with her second full-length album which includes the memorable ballad “Save The Best For Last”. She would follow this ballad with “The Sweetest Days” which is also the name of her third album.

While she hasn’t been making music these past years she has branched out into becoming a successful actress both on the big and small screen and even doing some time on Broadway.

So, for those who feel down and out and who think the world is crashing down around and on them I recommend they sit down, relax and listen to this song. It might just help lift things up even if just a bit.

27 Days of Old School

  1. “Billie Jean” (by Michael Jackson)
  2. “Word Up!” (by Cameo)
  3. “Tell It To My Heart” (by Taylor Dayne)
  4. “You Got It All” (by The Jets)
  5. “Welcome to the Jungle” (by Guns ‘N Roses)
  6. “Hip to Be Square” (by huey Lewis and the News)
  7. “What’s On Your Mind (Pure Energy)” (by Information Society)
  8. “Rio” (by Duran Duran)
  9. “I Got It Made” (by Special Ed)
  10. “Jackin’ for Beats” (by Ice Cube)
  11. “Seasons Change (by Exposé)
  12. “If Wishes Came True” (by Sweet Sensation)
  13. “Alone” (by Heart)
  14. “The Trooper” (by Iron Maiden)
  15. “You Shook Me All Night Long” (by AC/DC)
  16. “Gimme All Your Lovin” (by ZZ Top)
  17. “Take On Me” (by A-ha)
  18. “Take A Bow” (by Madonna)
  19. “You’ll See” (by Madonna)
  20. “Whip Appeal” (by Babyface)
  21. “One” (by Metallica)
  22. “Here I Go Again” (by Whitesnake)
  23. “Mama Said Knock You Out” (by LL Cool J)
  24. “Here and Now” (by Luther Vandross)
  25. “Voodoo Child” (by Stevie Ray Vaughan)
  26. “I’m Still In Love With You” (by New Edition)

27 Days of Old School: #26 “I’m Still In Love With You” (by New Edition)

Posted on by Arleigh

New-Edition-2012

“‘Cause I know in my heart
That my life ends and starts with you”

It took almost til the end but we finally get some New Edition in here.

Yes, it’s hard to talk about old school music without mentioning the premiere boy band (though pretty much grown ass men by the time of this song) of the 1980’s right up to the start of the 90’s.

Whether it was their first album when they were actually teens to their follow-up when they replaced Bobby Brown with Johnny Gill right up to the time of this song when the band brought Bobby Brown back to make it a six-man group, the group has always been the go-to R&B group. For those younger generation who grew up on One Direction and earlier than that with Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync, this group was our version of that and they were real and spectacular.

“I’m Still In Love With You” was sort of their last major hit which came out in 1995. A year that I’ve arbitrarily picked as the end of the Golden Age of Old School music (hey, it’s my list so there). It’s an R&B pop ballad that’s classic New Edition.

They don’t make groups like this anymore.

27 Days of Old School: #18 “Take A Bow” (by Madonna)

Posted on by Arleigh

Take a bow 2

“No more masquerade, you’re one lonely star”

Pushing the line of what constitutes old school for me would be when the 1990’s started to move into the mid-1990’s. I was still young enough to remember high school, but already a couple years from having graduated from it in 1994. One of the last few old school songs that made the cut for this list was the one song where I fully bought into Madonna as an artist and not just a great performer.

“Take A Bow” was a single off of her Bedtime Stories album and it couldn’t be more opposite from her previous work. For one thing, it was written by R&B producer extraordinaire Babyface.

The video for this song was a nice touch in using the bullring in Antequera, Spain as the set with Madonna channeling golden age glam. Definitely not the sort of look her fans have been used to for years before this album.

It works as a ballad and the video itself turned out to be a nice short film that help tell the story behind the lyrics.

27 Days of Old School: #11 “Seasons Change” (by Exposé)

Posted on by Arleigh

expose-seasons-change-arista

“Seasons change, people change….”

I’m not sure how much this song was played over and over by heartbroken teens during my high school years but I will guess that it would top a million easy.

“Seasons Change” by the group Exposé comes in at 11 on our “27 Days of Old School” countdown. The group itself was one of the big names during the freestyle and dance-pop scene during the 80’s, but surprisingly this song was their only No. 1 hit. It just goes to show the power of the ballad and this one became of the the go-to songs for teens (probably college age ones as well) during my days.

It’s actually a pretty downbeat song considering it’s about how couples break up not due to any one major falling out, but due to drifting apart because of time and changes.

For teens who fell in love with this song it became a sort of theme song whenever they broke up with their first, second and upteenth true love. I know that as much as school dances love their slow songs this was rarely played during.