Time for a quick “Song of the Day”. This time the song chosen is courtesy of Kari Kimmel and her country-inspired song “Black”.
The song could be recently heard as part of the San Diego Comic-Con exclusive Season 3 trailer for AMC’s The Walking Dead. It begins playing a little past the halfway mark in the trailer as David Morrissey’s character of the governor introduces both Michonne and Andrea to the safe haven that is Woodbury. As fans of the comic book will attest to this town of Woodbury becomes a major player in the original comic book source and should remain as important in the upcoming season.
I’ve never heard of Kari Kimmel until I heard this song played as part of the trailer, but that’s the great thing about music. One never knows when one will discover something great to listen to and the country-blues sound of Kimmel’s song is right up my alley when it comes to what I enjoy listening to.
Black
when everything has turned to black
you don’t know where to go
you need something to justify your soul
silences are broken
confidence is gone
when everything you’re holdin onto falls
(yeah)
every body’s selling truths
on every corner now
they wait until fear has knocked you down
all the rules are changin now
you’re livin in sin
everything around you’s cavin in
and all you hold onto’s slipping
like water through your hands…
BREAK
CHORUS
And you sing- lalala, lalala, lalala
far off in the distance
somewhere you can’t see
allegences have formed your destiny
opposition all around
feedin off your soul
trying hard to swallow up your hope
and demons all around you waiting
for you to sell your soul
Well, finally reach Valentine’s Day and to the finish line of the romance-themed choices for “Song of the Day”. We’ve had quite a list of songs which looks at romance and love from many differing angles. In the end, all of the previous songs were just foreplay and led up to the choices made for today. I couldn’t decide which song from Marvin Gaye to pick so I went with both.
What better way to close out Valentine’s Day and Night but with the two songs which probably led to some exceptional endings to couples’ Valentine’s Day for decades since their release. So, here’s Marvin Gaye with “Let’s Get It On” and “Sexual Healing” and I hope everyone have a safe, exceptional and epic Valentine’s Day.
Let’s Get It On
I’ve been really tryin baby Tryin to hold back this feeling for so long And if you feel like I feel baby Come on, oh come on, ooh
Let’s get it on, ow baby Let’s get it on, let’s love baby Let’s get it on, sugar Let’s get it on, woo
We’re all sensitive people with so much to give Understand me sugar Since we got to be, let’s live, I love you There’s nothin’ wrong with me lovin’ you, baby no no And givin’ yourself to me can never be wrong If the love is true, oh baby ooh
Don’t you know how sweet and wonderful life can be, ooh ooh I’m askin’ you baby to get it on with me, ooh ooh ooh I ain’t goin’ to worry, I ain’t goin’ to push, won’t push you baby So come on come on come on come on come on baby Stop beatin’ round the bush, hey
Let’s get it on, ooh ooh Let’s get it on, you know what I’m talkin’ about Come on baby, hey hey, let your love come out If you believe in love let’s get it on, ooh Let’s get it on baby, this minute, oh yeah Let’s get it on, eeeeeeeeee Please get it on, hey hey
Come on come on come on come on come on darlin’ Stop beatin’ round the bush, oh, gonna get it on Beggin’ you baby I want to get it on You don’t have to worry that it’s wrong If the spirit moves you, let me groove you Good, let your love come down, oh
Get it on, come on baby, do you know I mean it I’ve been sanctified, hey hey Girl you give me good feelings, so good Somethin’ like summertime
Sexual Healing
Ooh baby, now let’s get down tonight
Baby I’m hot just like an oven I need some lovin’ And baby, I can’t hold it much longer It’s getting stronger and stronger
And when I get that feeling I want Sexual Healing Sexual Healing, oh baby Makes me feel so fine Helps to relieve my mind Sexual Healing baby, is good for me Sexual Healing is something that’s good for me
Whenever blue tear drops are falling And my emotional stability is leaving me There is something I can do I can get on the telephone and call you up baby, and Honey I know you’ll be there to heal me The love you give to me will free me If you don’t know the thing you’re dealing Oh I can tell you, darling, that it’s Sexual Healing
Get up, Get up, Get up, Get up – let’s make love tonight Wake up, Wake up, Wake up, Wake up – ‘cos you do it right
Baby I got sick this morning A sea was storming inside of me Baby I think I’m capsizing The waves are rising and rising
And when I get that feeling I want Sexual Healing Sexual Healing is good for me Makes me feel so fine, it’s such a rush Helps to relieve the mind, and it’s good for us Sexual Healing, baby, it’s good for me Sexual Healing is something that’s good for me And it’s good for me and it’s so good to me My baby ohhh
Come take control, just grab a hold Of my body and mind soon we’ll be making it Honey, oh we’re feeling fine You’re my medicine open up and let me in Darling, you’re so great I can’t wait for you to operate
(Heal me my darling) I can’t wait for you to operate
When I get this feeling, I need sexual healing oh when I get this feeling, I need Sexual Healing, I gotta have sexual healing, Darling ‘cos I’m all alone sexual healing, darling, ’till you come back home
We’re now at the penultimate choice leading up to Valentine’s Day. With the previous “Song of the Day” speaking of just how difficult staying in love can be it’s only natural that this pick for the latest song deals with a much more hopeful version of “Love Is”.
“Let’s Stay Together” is one of the most iconic soul tracks one can ever be introduced to. It comes from the same named album by soul artist Rev. Al Green and has been a staple in the playlist for pretty much every fan of R&B, soul and gospel music. Even President Obama has been seen and heard belting out a verse or two from the song of recent. It’s the quintessential song about taking a chance and becoming a couple no matter circumstance.
This is definitely a song which would be on my Valentine’s playlist for the night which would lead up to the song which would end the night. A song I shall save for tomorrow which also happens to be Valentine’s Day and the final song in this week-long romance-themed list.
Let’s Stay Together
I, I’m so in love with you Whatever you want to do Is all right with me ‘Cause you make me feel so brand new And I want to spend my life with you
Since, since we’ve been together Loving you forever Is what I need Let me be the one you come running to I’ll never be untrue
Let’s, let’s stay together Lovin’ you whether, whether Times are good or bad, happy or sad
Whether times are good or bad, happy or sad
Why, why some people break up Then turn around and make up I just can’t see You’d never do that to me (would you, baby) Staying around you is all I see (Here’s what I want us to do)
[Repeat to fade:] Let’s, we oughta stay together Loving you whether, whether Times are good or bad, happy or sad
Some sad news has hit the music industry and it’s fans as one of the iconic singers of the 1980’s and 90’s passed away today at the age of 48.
Whitney Houston was one of the major voices of the music scene from the time she came into it with her self-titled debut album in 1985. Her sound was a combination of the R&B, soul and Gospel sound which Motown had popularized during it’s hey day during the 60’s and 70’s, but she also injected a major dose of pop to her singing which allowed her to cross genre boundaries to become a mainstream pop star.
Her success with the mainstream scene would cause her some problems with those who were R&B fans first and foremost. This personal struggle to both acknowledge her R&B roots and also maintain her foot within the mainstream would plague Whitney Houston throughout her career.
In the end, one doesn’t need to be in the camp of either side to acknowledge her vocal talent of which it was staggering. She dominated the Billboard during her reign as pop music’s female answer to Michael Jackson during the 80’s and early 90’s. Sadly, a contentious marriage to another pop star in Bobby Brown during the early 90’s would lead to drug use and subsequently a degradation of the very voice which brought her fame and success.
For me, two songs which would forever cement her star in the constellation of greatest singers of any era would be her cover of the song “The Greatest Love of All” and her powerful rendition of the national anthem, “Star-Spangled Banner”, during Super Bowl XXV. These two songs proves that she was a talent that arrived on the music scene once a generation and who would influence uncounted singers following in her footsteps.
The next song for the current romance-themed “Song of the Day” column comes direct from 1996 and from one of the most underrated and under-appreciated R&B bands of the past 20 years.
“What Kind of Man Would I Be” by the band Mint Condition remains one of those songs that people always say they love, but never knowing just who sang it. It’s been a long and hard road for Mint Condition, but the fact that even now the band remains together, strong and still putting out albums. Not many R&B groups from the 80’s and 90’s ever last beyond a few releases. One of the secrets which makes Mint Condition always relevant in the music and R&B scene is the fact that these are musicians. Their sound is not overdubbed, auto-tuned and they sing with an honest passion about subject matters without bragging about themselves.
This song, at first listen, sounds like a very depressing track. Some have mistaken it as a story sung about one man’s infidelity when in fact it’s a song about staying true and loyal to that one special person in their life. It’s a song that tells that age’s long story about the temptation to stray and cheat on one’s partner.
“What Kind of Man Would I Be” is a celebration of how true love will always win out over temptation. It also tries to dispel the notion that all men cheat no matter who they are. At least, for one song, it makes a point that not all men are dogs and will cheat at a moment’s notice. This is a song that I try to live my life by and hopefully others would find inspiration to do the same.
What Kind of Man Would I Be
[Intro]
You know
We can’t do this
We just can’t
listen
[Verse 1:]
You say u feel disintented
Cause latley he takes you for granted
Still faithful and true you remained and to hurt so have I
You pore out your heart and I listen
And we catch a vibe reminiscing
Temptations so strong not to mention
The urging inside
[Chorus:]
But what kind of man would i be
If i lived unfaithfuly
And what kind of girl would you be
If you did the same
Cause I dont wanna see her cry
And you dont need a reason to lie
Cause if we laid down tonight
It wont justify on the lovers side
[Verse 2:]
This feeling is strong and we know it
But we gotta see past the moment
Theres too much to lose if we blow it
This is no lie
Still here we are both together
With promises made that we never
Yet feeling it now more than ever
I cant denie
[Chorus x1]
[Bridge]
Here we are all alone
But some how we’ve got to stay strong
[Chorus: until song fades out]
(Makes me wanna say ohhhhhhhhhhhhh)
(Just gotta say ohhhhhhhhhh)
(She makes me wanna say ohhhhhhhhh)
(Just gotta say ohhhhhhhhh)
But what kind of man would I be ohhhh can’t be unfaithful
sorry baby
With promises made that we never
Yet feeling it now more than ever
I cant denie
[Course x1]
[Bridge]
Here we are all alone
But some how we’ve got to stay strong
[Course: until song fades out]
(Makes me wanna say ohhhhhhhhhhhhh)
(Just gotta say ohhhhhhhhhh)
(She makes me wanna say ohhhhhhhhh)
(Just gotta say ohhhhhhhhh)
But what kind of man would I be ohhhh can’t be unfaithful
sorry baby
Like I tend to do with a special holiday coming around the corner I do a themed series of posts. This time it will be a new ballad for “Song of the Day” until Valentine’s Day arrives on the 14th. What better way to begin this romance-themed of songs than choosing a classic ballad from my high school days: “Ready or Not” by After 7.
This song comes from the R&B group After 7 and their self-titled debut album from 1989. “Ready or Not” was released as a single in 1990 and quickly became a staple of most R&B and urban contemporary radio stations. It also became a favorite ballad to be played during high school dances especially winter balls and proms (at least in the Bay Area). It was difficult not to like this ballad once one heard it. The late 80’s was a major era for the rebirth of Motown-infused R&B groups and After 7 was one of the better ones to make themselves known during this era.
“Ready or Not” was a very earnest sounding ballad and spoke to the romantic heart of those who listened to it both old and young. I think one reason why high school teens and young adults liked this song (and continue to do even as these same people are now in their 30’s and 40’s) is now it vocalized just exactly what their thoughts were when it came to their significant others. It didn’t just vocalize it, but did so in the most heartfelt way that some people today might call too sugary.
I, for one, still cling to the thought that this song represents romance in it’s most honest form. There’s barely a hint of cynicism in the lyrics and one could believe that Keith Mitchell and Kevon Edmonds (the two out of the trio in the group who sing solos in the song) also believed what they were singing about. They believed in the lyrics not as a way to manipulate their audience the way R&B singers of this current era do now.
“Ready or Not” will continue to be one of those songs which remains a favorite to this day and also one that helps me think back to the good days of my high school days.
Ready or Not
I’ll give the sun The Rain The Moon The Stars and The Mountains I’ll give you the world And all that you wish for And even more Girl I love you more than you could know And that’s for sure I’d climb the highest hill Cross the widest sea Nothin could discourage me And I pray that you will be Always there for me Forever more
Ready or not** I’ll give you everything and more All that I’ve got–it’s yours I’ll give you everything All that you’re looking for
I’ll give you my heart My soul my time My love is a fountain I will be your earth And all that you need for and even more Cause girl I love you more than words can show
My love is pure I’ll walk a thousand miles Sail a thousand seas Nothin will discourage me And I pray that you will be Always there for me Forever more
The latest “Song of the Day” is old-school for many. Seems anything that was released and played after the year 2000 people consider old-school now. For me this song is a more recent old-school. It’s only 13 years since it first played the radio waves. My choice is the ballad “Angel of Mine” by R&B singer Monica.
While this song was released in 1998 as one of the singles for Monica’s This Boy Is Mine album it definitely sounds like a much older R&B ballad from the late 80’s and early 90’s which I consider the true old-school. While it does have some of the more technical gloss which R&B albums began to show in the late 90’s and onward (which in my opinion hasn’t been to its benefit) the singing by Monica and the sweet-natured romantic lyrics brings to mind R&B acts like En Vogue from my high school days.
This song also happens to be the bridge for me and probably many others of my generation when young romance began to give way to mature romance as we all entered out late 20’s and with the big 3-0 just around the corner. The lyrics speaks of finding true love but it also didn’t have that juvenile, puppy love feel to it.
“Angel of Mine” marked one of the last few true R&B ballads which focused on love and romance instead of physical love (looking at you Chris Brown and Ne-Yo). They sure don’t make them like this anymore.
Angel of Mine
When I first saw you I already knew There was something inside of you Something I thought that I would never find Angel of mine
I looked at you, lookin’ at me Now I know why they say the best things are free I’m gonna love you boy you are so fine Angel of mine
How you changed my world, you’ll never know I’m different now, you helped me grow You came into my life sent from above When I lost all hope you showed me love I’m checkin’ for you boy you’re right on time Angel of mine
Nothing means more to me than what we share No one in this whole world can ever compare Last night the way you moved is still on my mind Angel of mine
What you mean to me, you’ll never know Deep inside I need to show You came into my life sent from above (Sent from above)
I’ll never knew I could feel each moment As if it were new Every breath that I take, the love that we make I only share it with you (You, you, you, you)
When I first saw you I already knew There was something inside of you Something I thought that I would never find Angel of mine
You came into my life sent from above (Came into my life) When I lost all hope you showed me love (Boy you showed me love) I’m shakin’ for you, boy you’re right on time (But boy your right on time) Angel of mine (Angel of mine, oh mine)
How you changed my world, you’ll never know I’m different now, you helped me grow
I look at you, lookin’ at me Now I know why they say the best things are free I’m checkin’ for you, boy you’re right on time Angel of mine
Lisa Marie’s latest post about the film Love Story and her reaction to it got me thinking that I haven’t put up an R&B ballad as “Song of the Day” for quite awhile now. Well, just as the day is close to coming to an end to start a new one I’ve chosen to continue the theme began by the previous post and picked the R&B ballad, “Endless Love”.
“Endless Love” is a ballad duet sung by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross. These two of the biggest R&B stars of the 70’s and early 80’s. Their star and singing power truly shines in this duet of the love theme for the very maudlin, cheesy and almost-grindhouse romantic film of the same name starring Brooke Shields, Martin Hewitt and a young James Spader. The film itself is quite forgettable if one was looking for something in the same vein as Love Story, but for those looking for a very twisted look at true love then Endless Love is the flick for you.
The film might not have been popular with critics, but the theme definitely resonated with the public and critics. It has been voted by Billboard as the greatest song duet of all-time. It’s become a staple with wedding planners since it came out to be played during wedding receptions. It got a modern cover duet by Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey in 1994.
There’s not much to say about this song other than watch the video and just listen to the song and it’s lyrics. Even the most coldhearted bastard out there may just melt a bit as they listen to this song.
Endless Love
My love, There’s only you in my life. The only thing that’s right.
My first love, You’re every breath that I take. You’re every step I make.
And I (I-I-I-I-I) I want to share, All my love with you. No one else will do.
And your eyes, Your eyes, your eyes, They tell me how much you care. Ooh yes, you will always be, My endless love
Two hearts, Two hearts that beat as one. Our lives have just begun.
Forever, (Ohhhhhh) I’ll hold you close in my arms. I can’t resist your charms.
And love, Oh, love, I’ll be a fool, for you. I’m sure, You know I don’t mind. Oh, you know I don’t mind.
‘Cause you, You mean the world to me. Oh, I know, I know, I’ve found in you, My endless love.
Oooh, love, Oh, love, I’ll be that fool, for you. I’m sure, You know I don’t mind. Oh you know, I don’t mind.
And, YES! You’ll be the only one. ‘Cause no one can deny, This love I have inside, And I’ll give it all to you. My love, My love, my love, My Endless Love!
Through the Shattered Lens 