I love it when a random song from the past pops into my head. Just a little while ago, a song called "Just Be Good To Me" started playing in my head. I went looking for it on iTunes. I only found a version done by a Canadian singer named Deborah Cox. Deborah Cox recorded "Just Be Good To Me" in 1995. She's two years younger than I am. I knew the song was older than that, since I remember it playing on the radio when I was a kid. Sure enough, I learned that it was released by the S.O.S. Band in 1983.
The song I remembered. It's hard to find this song without paying an arm and a leg.
Neither iTunes nor Amazon.com had this song available by the S.O.S. Band. If I want it, I have to pay a shitload of money. I like the song, but not that much! Besides, I can always listen on YouTube. I did download Deborah Cox's version, which is pretty good and very faithful to this version.
She's got chops. I read that she used to sing backup for Celine Dion.
Amazon.de does have "Just Be Good To Me" available to download, but I can't download stuff from their store, because I have a U.S. bank account. I would need a German account to access the digital Amazon.de store.
Living in Germany can have its annoying sides. Like, for instance, I am once again locked out of my PenFed account, and I have to call the bank to get it unlocked. But I have to wait until the afternoon, because I'm six hours ahead of PenFed, which is in Virginia. It's even worse when something happens on USAA. They're on central time, there.
Anyway, the S.O.S. band had another hit song back in the day. It's called "Take Your Time, Do It Right". I don't like that one as much as the funky "Just Be Good To Me". For one thing, "Take Your Time" has a tendency to get stuck in my head. It's quite an earworm.
But you sure can dance to it... or do other things.
"High Hopes" is a 1982 era hit.
"The Finest" is another hit by the S.O.S. Band, but I don't remember this one.
The S.O.S. Band stands for Sounds of Success. They got their start in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977. As I sit here listening to their music, realizing that they worked with some famously great producers like Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, I can understand why their sound is so infectious and still pretty great many years later. I've always really appreciated funk, even though I'm about as white as a person can get.
I'll probably be singing that song for the rest of the day.
I just have to share this hilarious song from 1982 that I discovered (or possibly rediscovered) today. One of my husband's friends from high school shared this popular rap song that his former suitemates at Sam Houston State University in Texas used to play all the time.
This song is funny!
I was ten years old in 1982, but I swear I don't remember this song, which was a one hit wonder for Wuf Ticket, an American hip hop group that consisted of Mustafa Ahmed, James Mason, Earl McField and Karin Wolf. Although this song was fairly successful and got to number 21 on Billboard's Black Singles chart, their follow up song, "The Key" didn't chart. Looks like these folks are now relegated to musical obscurity... but I sure had a good laugh listening to them today.
My friend, Andrew, calls this a "diss track". I guess it's because the song mostly consists of two guys cutting each other down. But then, when it gets to "Ya Mama", they rein themselves in, because it's not cool to cut down someone's mama.
I should have posted about this on Mother's Day. I'm glad to have found it today, when I needed a good laugh. This definitely qualified as crap from the past that belongs in the Dungeon!
I loooooooove Earth, Wind and Fire. I own a DVD that pairs them up with Chicago, another band I enjoy. And while they're both great on the DVD, I much prefer Earth, Wind and Fire's contributions, even though Maurice White, the supremely charismatic and sexy frontman, can no longer perform because he has Parkinson's Disease. I love everything about EWF-- from their wild costumes to their superior musicianship. I love watching Verdine White, Maurice's brother, dance like a whirling dervish while he plays guitar. I love hearing Philip Bailey hit stratospheric high notes. And I love their funky music. That's why today's post is dedicated to EWF.
Here's a video of EWF performing with The Emotions, a band they shepherded into a couple of hits in the late 70s. This song always reminds me of roller skating, but I love it for its energy and fun, even if its disco.
Here's a great version of the 1975 hit, "That's The Way Of The World"...
The song "Fantasy" always reminds me of living in England. It was popular when we lived there. Here, Philip Bailey hits impossible high notes at that concert I mentioned with Chicago. I assume he still has his testicles. Wow!
I love the song "In The Stone", which had sort of slipped from my consciousness until I saw the movie, Drumline, which made me remember how stupendous this band is...
"After The Love Is Gone" is one of EWF's best love ballads... even though this song is about love that's gone.
Just hearing the funkified beats of "Shining Star" gives me goosepimples, even if I'm hopelessly funkless.
"September" is one of my favorite EWF songs of all time...
closely matched by "Sing A Song"... a great song for chasing away the blues!
Yeah, it's safe to say that I love me some EWF. I miss the days when this kind of music was still popular. It beats the hell out of anything LMFAO.
