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So Uh, What Ever Happened To That Rhinestone Rock Star Doll, Baba?

By on February 24, 2010 in General Interest, Music

I was listening to an old Bootsy Collins song Bootzilla and started wondering if Bootsy or George Clinton ever produced an actual “rock star doll” action figure? From my research, seems it didn’t happen but that would have been an amazing marketing coup.

And can’t you just imagine the collaborative potential? Picture in your minds Bootzilla and G.I. Joe with the Kung Fu grip executing a commando mission; Joe by land and Bootsy by space? A double trouble gift pack. How did they miss this one?

black_adventurer3a.jpgbootsya.jpg

Surely I’m not the first to have thought of such a brilliant thing? Am I giving away a grand idea? Well, probably not. Don’t know if there’s a retro-commando doll market out there but one never knows. That’s O.K. though. If it takes off I don’t mind being the public persona who inspired the idea.

So all you doll enthusiasts, what do you think? Any potential for this one? Click the comments link and tell me if I’m on to something.

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Tuesday Tunes – When God’s Children Get Together

By on January 12, 2010 in Music, YouTube

I think “When God’s Children Get Together” is my favorite gospel song of all time. It is definitely my fave Mississippi Mass Choir selection. Not only is the message inspirational but the choir blows strong and the band rocks tough on this one.

I was attemting to include the lyrics and the video together but the web embedding code was disabled so I can’t post the clip here. But here’s the link to the video. The link will replace this page so you won’t be able to follow the lyrics. If you want to do that you’ll have to paste the link into a separate browser tab and play it there then follow along with the verses here.

Either way I guarantee you’ll save this to your portable player favorites. Check out the clip and see.

When God’s Children Get Together
(written by David Curry)
(recorded by Mississippi Mass Choir)

Chorus
When God’s children get together, oh what a time;
we’ll be rejoicing forevermore,
we, we’re gonna sing hallelujah,
we, we’re gonna shout forevermore,
we, we’re gonna sing hallelujah
when we get there.

Verse 1
When God’s children,
when we get together, oh what a time;
we’ll be rejoicing forevermore,
we’re gonna (sing, shout, praise God).

Chorus

Verse 2
When God’s children,
when we get together, oh what a time;
we’ll be rejoicing forevermore,
we’re gonna (tell the story)
(how we got over),
(trials, tribultations),
(persecution and distress),
(sing, shout, praise God).

Vamp 1
We will sing,
we’re gonna shout.

Vamp 2
Sing hallelujah,
shout our troubles over.

Vamp 3
Up there (5x)

Vamp 4
no more crying there,
no more dying there,
no more burdens to bear
up there, up there.

Ending
We, we’re gonna sing hallelujah,
we, we’re gonna shout forevermore,
we, we’re gonna sing hallelujah
when we get there.

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Old School Friday – Gone But Not Forgotten

By on December 4, 2009 in Music

After a long hiatus from my favorite meme I’m jumping back in with a tune fit for the season. My artist for the day hailed from my home town of St. Louis and my current home of Chicago but our geographical paths flowed opposite each other. Mr. Donny Hathaway was born in Chi-Town but grew up in the Gateway City during his formative years.

My pick is one of his most favored tunes, a song that many of us really love to hear this time of year. We know the holiday season has formally kicked in when we start hearing “This Christmas” on the radio. Hope you enjoy this all time Donny Hathaway Classic.

Check out what these bloggers chose as their song of the day then sign up to join in on the weekly meme yourself. I’m going to check out some more tunes. Happy OSF!

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Old School Friday Music Meme – School Prom Or School Dance

By on August 21, 2009 in General Interest, Music

My high school prom was 1986 and the theme was “If Only For One Night”. I think I even still have the glass stashed away somewhere. These were the years when Luther made all the girls swoon. Take a listen.

A few years before then, the Gap Band had burst on the scene. Whenever your heart had been run over, this is the song that probably came to mind. Charlie and the boys were playing those Oklahoma cowboy hats tough!

Join in on the fun and sign up to join the meme. Click on the link to some of the other participating bloggers to learn their musical tastes and leave them comments. I guarantee they’ll return the favor by linking back to you and commenting as well. Then check the calendar for the rest of the meme themes and show us what you can pull from your one virtual stack.

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Old School Friday Music Meme – Can’t Find It On YouTube

By on August 21, 2009 in General Interest, Music, YouTube

This was last week’s meme but I’ll chime in on it anyway. Everything ever made by Prince has been banned from YouTube (darned lavender music Nazis) but until the Purple One figures it out and throws a fit you can find some of his material on the Fanpop and on Dailymotion web video players. Here’s one of his and The Revolution’s early hits that was a typical bass driven beat that lived up to it’s title, “Controversy”.

He may be a prince but he will always be the king of the Minneapolis Sound.

Want to play? Here are the rules and some of the bloggers who regularly participate in the meme. When you join in here’s the list of Friday topics you can post on. Happy OSF!

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Better Days

By on August 2, 2009 in Faith, General Interest, Music, Society, YouTube

I was thinking about my grandmother the other day and this song came to mind. Now, normally when I share a music clip on a Sunday it’s a gospel song but this one hearkens to family and heritage and for me part of that is the church tradition so I include the following song using that train of thought.

When I hear “Better Days” I can picture a little kid asking a family matriarch the exact type of little kid questions that Dianne Reaves sings about. If you reflect back on your life, don’t the lyrics make you think of some of the things that made you curious when you were much younger? Can you remember how the wise old grandma or maybe even a great grandmother would tell you in her own sweet way not to be in a rush? Didn’t sound the same way coming from your mother, did it?

Half the time it would go over your head and not register until you were a few years older. And how about the nuggets they would drop on you out of the blue when you hadn’t asked anything in particular? She just may have had the urge to share something deep with you. I remember one of those too. The life observation seemed like a completely random thought at the time and it confused me why she had made the comment, but years later after I was a young adult on my own, it clicked, “Oh, that’s what she was talking about.”

This piece always reminds me of the best grandmother who ever walked this earth. Always rest in peace, Mrs. Ella White. Love ya Grandma. This one is dedicated to you.

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Thurs Morning Old School Drive Time Jam

By on July 30, 2009 in Music

Remember the one that got away? Or how about the one you just could never seem to get it together with or for? Were you really trying to put your best foot forward to try and make it work?

Take a listen to this dusty from yesteryear that used to smooth out your speakers.

On the platter today is Champaign with, “How ‘Bout Us”.

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Old School Friday Meme – My Theme Song

By on July 24, 2009 in General Interest, Music

This one was easy. M.C. Hammer got me going many-a-day on Tuskegee’s campus. Had to get motivated from that old cinder block dorm in Alphabet City to the engineering building to ingest all of those equations (LOL).

Hammer don’t hurt ‘em!!! Whoops, collegiate flash back.

Hope you enjoyed tha jam. Want more? Check out these bloggers and see what they picked for today’s meme. Want to join in the fun? Add your name to that list and save this link to keep up with each week’s music category.

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Old School Friday Salutes Your Soul Train Favorites

By on May 8, 2009 in General Interest, Music, YouTube

I wonder if Don Cornelius imagined the audiovisual legacy he would leave to the world after pursuing his dream to put Black popular music on T.V. Today’s OSF meme is a tribute to that catalogue. The category is Favorite Soul Train Performance.

My pick for the day is the BT Express. This group helped epitomize great musicianship during the 70′s soul era. Notice the variety of percussion and brass instrumentation used to orchestrate a rich danceable sound. This was typical of the day.

This is one of their early hits from 1974, “Do It Till You’re Satisfied”, and it’s typical of their pulsing beat. Enjoy the clip. I bet you’ll save it to your YouTube faves when you’re done.

Yeah buddy, the days of string, percussion, brass and woodwind sections are sorely missed in contemporary music. But click thru the related links from this clip or search the YouTube archive for some of these other groups who have appeared on the show through the years.

And check out what some of these bloggers have entered as their Soul Train OSF favorites for the day and join in with us on the weekly reviews.

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Old School Friday Meme: I Had A Hard Day At Work

By on March 27, 2009 in Music, YouTube

And what do you want to do after a hard day at work? You want to break out! Swing Out Sister shows you how they were doing it back in 1987. This was a bonafide rock/R & B cross over hit. Take a listen or sing along with the lyrics and you’ll see why.

When explanations make no sense
When every answer’s wrong
You’re fighting with lost confidence
All expectations come

The time has come to make or break
Move on don’t hesitate
Breakout

Don’t stop to ask
Now you’ve found a break to make at last
You’ve got to find a way
Say what you want to say
Breakout

When situations never change
Tomorrow looks unsure
Don’t leave your destiny to chance
What are you waiting for
The time has come to make your break
Breakout

Don’t stop to ask
Now you’ve found a break to make at last
You’ve got to find a way
Say what you want to say
Breakout

Don’t stop to ask
Now you’ve found a break to make at last
You’ve got to find a way
Say what you want to say
Breakout

Some people stop at nothing
If you’re searching for something
Lay down the law
Shout out for more
Breakout and shout day in day out
Breakout

Breakout

Don’t stop to ask
Now you’ve found a break to make at last
You’ve got to find a way
Say what you want to say
Breakout

Don’t stop to ask
Now you’ve found a break to make at last
You’ve got to find a way
Say what you want to say
Breakout

Lay down the law
Shout out for more
Breakout and shout day in day out

Breakout

Breakout

Breakout

Lay down the law
Shout out for more
Breakout and shout day in day out

—————————————

You feel better already don’t you? And guess what? It’s Friday and a few hours from now you can bop right on out the door with this tune in your head. Just don’t let the boss catch you.

And while you’re grooving in your mind check out the rules for the Old School Friday meme on Mrs. Marvelous’ site, read what some of these bloggers chose as their picks, and join in on the fun next time.

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