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Kick Off Your Day With Some Tom Browne Funk

By on March 4, 2008 in Music

Today’s Tuesday Tunes features a couple of my favorite songs from the early 80′s. I always knew that Tom Browne wrote Funkin’ For Jamaica. I believe I’ve even featured him here before but I didn’t realize until recently that he made another funky song with some stroooong bass from back in the day. I’m going to share a double shot of jams to help you groove into the rest of the week.

You can never actually have “too much” of Funkin’ For Jamaica so here’s Tom and the band with their first big hit from 1981.

Jamaica Funk… that’s what it is
let it get into you
C’mon I’ve got a groove… you know where I’ll be…
Funkin for Jamaica…
If ya feel it… let it get into you
Jamaica funk that’s what it is
let it get into you

I feel it… inside my soul
let it get into you
Cause there’s enough to go all the way around
let it get into you… let it fill you up inside
This feelin’s funk that’s what it is
let it get into you
Jamaica funk that’s what it is… baby come funk with me
we-be funkin for Jamaica
If ya feel it…
and I let it get into me…
Jamaica funk that’s what it was…
let it get into you…
That feelin’s funk that’s what it was…
and I let it get into me… I let it get into me
woa woa woa this feelin’s funk… that’s what it is
baby come funk wit me…
Baby come funk… Funk

O.K. now that you’ve gotten funky with Jamaica all over again, doesn’t it make you want to grip some hips and move? That’s right, the song “Thighs High” is on that same album from ’81. Couldn’t scrounge any lyrics so you can have fun seeing if you remember them accurately. If you find a web page send me the link, I’ll update this post and we’ll see how good our memories are.

Anyway, here’s Tom and crew one more ‘gain with “Thighs High”.

Have any other Tom Browne faves? C’mon and share them with the rest of us.

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Thursday Night with Bond…James Bond

By on February 21, 2008 in Music

I’ve been jamming to my Duran Duran Greatest Hit’s CD the last couple of days and my favorite song by far is A View to A Kill. It has a great bass line for a rock and roll song. The bass is my favorite instrument if you haven’t figure it out by now and the Aussie rockers used the bass more prominently and more effectively than most rock bands. They sound very funky in most of their classic hits because of it.

Released in 1985 this was Roger Moore’s last Bond episode and was one of the first 007 title tracks composed by a group from the generation of musicians that I listened to as a teen so I was really geeked to see this one. Well here’s the track with the lyrics below the viewer. Take a listen and a read and catch those phrases you may not have heard clearly before.

—————-
Meeting you, with a view to a kill,
Face to face in secret places, feel the chill,
Night fall covers me, but you know the plans I’m making,
Still oversee, could it be the whole world opening wide,
A sacred why?, a mystery gaping inside,
The weekends why?

Until we dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire,
To fatal sounds of broken dreams
Dance into the fire,
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire…..

Choice for you, is the view to a kill,
Between the shades, assasination standing still,
The first crystal tears, fall as snowflakes on your body,
First time in years, to drench your skin with lovers rosy stain,
A chance to find the phoenix for the flame,
A chance to die…

But can we dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
To fatal sounds of broken dreams
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
When all we see…is the view to a kill

—————-

So what is your favorite flick from Ian Flemming’s roster? Give a shout and let’s trade some memories and YouTube clips.

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Another Quick YouTube Hint

By on January 30, 2008 in Blogging, Business, Faith, Music, Programming/Coding, Society

If you see a video on somebody’s blog that you want to copy to your own, here’s an easy way to do it. Just click on the “menu” button at the bottm right corner of the video player. You’ll see a section on the next screen on the right side that reads “<> embed”. Just highlight that code, copy it and paste it into your post.

You should still go to YouTube though and create an account so you can build your own video play list. You can do this for yourself or your group, then archive whatever interests you. They have everything, music, commercials, personal short movies, church sermons, organizations like my fellow Toastmasters who tape their meetings…you name it, it’s probably there.

If you do a daily or weekly Funk and Roll entry on your blog like I do, just pick your favorite songs from your list and add them in. Do you want to share your favorite silly commercials with the world. O.K. do that. I’m sure dozens of copies of the new Super Bowl adds will be up during the game on Sunday. It you and some friends want to be the next Spike Speilberg pull out your digital recorder and put your own material out there for the world to see. It’s definitely the easy way for churches to archive their sermons and share the word of God with the world on your church web sites each Sunday. And if you want prospective members to get a feel for your organization send them to your group’s web site or blog and tell them to check the video of our last meeting.

So check out this feature on the next YouTube clip that catches your eye or ear and take your multimedia skills up a notch.

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“I Wish” I Could Still “Kick, Push and Coast”

By on January 29, 2008 in Music

Today’s “Funk and Roll Tuesday” entry is all about childhood memories. My friend Villager had me reflecting on my childhood anthem written by Stevie Wonder the other day. Check out his post and reader comments. It had me smiling a mile wide so I’m going to add the selection to this morning’s post.

There’s also a very recent hit that works well in combination with Stevie’s classic because it takes me back to one of my childhood loves that seemed to wax and wane in popularity in different parts of the country. In the last 10-20 years in has become an international sports craze. You’ll see it in a minute.

First though, if you ever have one of those days when you’re “Looking back on when I, Was a little nappy headed boy, When my only worry, Was for Christmas what would be my toy” then you’ll love this video from back in the day. With the exception of maybe one or two topics in the song this was pretty much life for me as a child. This is Stevie Wonder’s, “I Wish”.

The second selection is a recent jam that talks about skateboarding. This had on again-off again attraction in my St. Louis of the 70′s. It was most popular on the South Side where I finished grade school and I took my skateboard to school almost every day during that time. That was when they were made of narrow wedges of plastic not the wider wood models of today. We had serious fun on that asphalt playground at Waring School. Anyway, I think it was during or just after that “roll bounce” period.

Roller skating was always popular but the 70′s was it’s heyday. Whoops, I digress.

Back to the subject at hand. Although I could stand up on roller skates I actually liked skateboarding more. I originally thought there were some underlying sexual overtones to this next song – references to grinding – but it really seems to be nothing more than a cool, innocent jazzy-hip hop jam about urban skateboarding.

You heard it a lot when it came out a few months ago, but in case you never caught the name of the group, here’s D.J. Fiasco with “Kick, Push”.

I said it before and I’ll say it again. I love music – I’ll save the O’Jays for another day – and these tunes tie it all together for me. I hope you enjoy these jams as much as I do.

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Blessings and Mercy

By on January 20, 2008 in Faith, Music

This morning’s Sunday school send off is a reflection of how Jesus wasn’t as anti-establishment as his contemporaries may have thought in his own day. Luke 6:27 says “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies. Do good to them which hate you.” Last Sunday in class we learned that this actually wasn’t a new idea. In the old testament, Exodus 23:4-5 said the same thing about how to treat those who are vehemently against us. Man, Jesus was masterful at tying the old and new together. That is, after all, why He came into the world.

Another thing I learned that I think you will also find valuable is how you can bless the Lord or other people. You’ve probably heard these themes in some of your favorite Christian music and maybe even heard some of your church friends say them. But maybe you’ve never really thought of it more than things that people just say.

Or maybe you’ve said to yourself “Wait a minute, I can’t bless God or people. He blesses us. Aren’t we making ourselves Godlike to say such a thing?” No we’re not. The fact is that the word bless means to “speak well of”. That same chapter in Luke, verse 28 says “Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.” It’s an attitude check for us to speak well of and do well by people who we otherwise might not think worthy of nice treatment. Psalm 34:1 is the classic reference to blessing God Himself.

Why are we obligated to such things? Luke 6:35c-36 explains it. “For he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as you Father is also merciful.”

Our Lord and Saviour is telling us how to act folks. Now, how are you going to carry it out the other six days of the week? Enjoy these clips from Byron Cage and Donnie McClurkin and meditate on your way to the sanctuary this morning.

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A Slave, Steve Arrington Double Shot

By on January 19, 2008 in Music

Hey all you funkateers, when’s the last time you pulled out a Slave LP? For you youngster readers I’m not talking about “slavery” and LP stands for “long playing record”. That’s the big disk of 33-1/3 rpm vinyl in a cardboard jacket that your parents used to buy back in the day to play their favorite jams.

Slave was one of those funk groups that kept our heads boppin’ and booties shakin’ and Steve Arrington is the lead singer you’ll see in the video who kept the beat going. Click on the play button and enjoy two of their greatest all time classics, “Just A Touch of Love” and “Watching You”.

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Come Along and Pack Your Bags

By on January 15, 2008 in Music

If it’s Tuesday it must be time for some funk and roll. Here is one of my favorite bands from back in the day. They open up with a strong bass riff that hooks you into a good head bop right off the bat. Then they pull you in with a kind of rap like intro that’s repeated a time or two just to keep your feet moving through out the song.  

The staging for this video was pretty creative for its time. They literally brought the album cover to life. It’s Lakeside and this is “Fantastic Voyage”.

 

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Classic Rock Licks on a Saturday Night…Juke Box Hero

By on December 29, 2007 in Music

Some of my favorite contemporary music jams thru the years have been the great story songs. The rock and roll genre has definitely had it’s share.

Have you ever fantasized about being a star when you were a kid and pictured yourself on stage behind the mic or with your fave instrument? Then you will most definitely love this classic from Foreigner. Juke Box Hero talks about a kid who can’t afford a ticket to the concert and has to stand outside the stadium listening to his favorite band.

It doesn’t end there though. His imagination leads to positive action (and you wonder why I like the song?) when he buys a used axe and actually becomes good enough to take center stage himself.

Here are the lyrics. Print them out and see if you can take yourself back and jam with the band on the YouTube link. Oh yeah…rock on dude!

    Juke Box Hero by Foreigner

YouTube – Jukebox Hero

Standing in the rain, with his head hung low
Couldn’t get a ticket, it was a sold out show
Heard the roar of the crowd, he could picture the scene
Put his ear to the wall, then like a distant scream

He heard one guitar, just blew him away
He saw stars in his eyes, and the very next day
Bought a beat up six string, in a secondhand store
Didn’t know how to play it, but he knew for sure

That one guitar, felt good in his hands
Didn’t take long, to understand
Just one guitar, slung way down low
Was one way ticket, only one way to go

So he started rockin
Ain’t never gonna stop
Gotta keep on rockin
Someday hes gonna make it to the top

And be a juke box hero, got stars in his eyes
He’s a juke box hero
He took one guitar, juke box hero, stars in his eyes
Juke box hero, he’ll come alive tonight

In a town without a name, in a heavy downpour
Thought he passed his own shadow, by the backstage door
Like a trip through the past, to that day in the rain
And that one guitar made his whole life change

Now he needs to keep rockin
He just cant stop
Gotta keep on rockin
That boy has got to stay on top

And be a juke box hero, got stars in his eyes
He’s a juke box hero, got stars in his eyes
Yeah, juke box hero, got stars in his eyes
With that one guitar he’ll come alive
Come alive tonight

Yeah, he’s gotta keep rockin
He just can’t stop
Gotta keep on rockin
That boy has got to stay on top

And be a juke box hero, got stars in his eyes
He’s a juke box hero, got stars in his eyes
Just one guitar, put stars in his eyes
Hes just a juke box hero, aah aah aah
Juke box hero, juke box hero, he’s got stars in his eyes
Stars in his eyes

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Chaka Khan – ’nuff Said

By on December 19, 2007 in Music

My boy Yobachi went back in the stacks on this one. I can do no justice but to share the link showing Chaka on the drums and singing “Tell Me Something Good” on two different YouTube clips.

If you remember the Mike Douglas Show and Soul Train then you’ll really like these. Here’s your funk and soul music post for the week. Enjoy.

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For Those of Us Who Remember R & B Worth Listening To

By on November 21, 2007 in Music

After all the ruckus in recent months over the b-word, the n-word and the f-word being used to distressing levels in the rap industry aren’t you guys ready for something soothing to the ear drum? Yeah, me too.

No sound clips or downloads available for this audio-sensory experience. You must use your mind and create your own music. That’s right people, we’re implementing old fashioned imagination and it’ll feel so much better that way. Just wait and see.

Let’s play favorite jams from the past. You know, when the artists played actual instruments in the studio and most of them could actually read music? Yeah, yeah and they used real hand claps instead of automated ones. And a drum machine? R U kidding? Every group had a one man drum line.

Well this one is for you funky folk who still know how to use your imagination. No un-funky-people need read futher. Alright, to the beat yall! It’s 1970 something. You can throw your hands in the air and shake ‘em like you just don’t care or flip on your cigarette lighter and wave it around (Those of you who were doing unhealthy things with your lighters just cut it out already). Turn on the AM in your minds but think FM style.

Are you feeling a Brothers Johnson vibe in your brain? (Alright funk-and-groove fans, control yourselves now). Time to groove to “Stomp”. You know the beat. Match the lyrics and jam out at your computer karaoke style and learn those 5-10 words from those verses you never really picked up from the radio…

——————————————

Steppin’ out, the weekends open wide
Fill it up let’s blast the jams and ride
While we’re cruisin’ around in the street
Listen up for the partyin’ feet
Slap me five
That’s the place we’ve arrived
It’s alive

Ev’rybody take it to the top
We’re gonna stomp
All night
In the neighborhood
Don’t it feel alright
Gonna stomp
All night
Wanna party
‘Til the morning light

Ummm, runnin’ runnin’ runnin’

The set is hot
There’s people wall to wall
Old ones, young things
Short ones standing tall
Grab the one with the smile on her face
And hit the floor and stay right on the case
The heat is on
And the funk just won’t leave us alone

Ev’rybody take it to the top
We’re gonna Stomp
All night
In the neighborhood
Don’t it feel all right
Gonna stomp
All night
Wanna party
‘Til the morning light

Gonna Stomp
All night
In the neighborhood
Don’t it feel all right
Gonna stomp
All night
Wanna party
‘Til the morning light

STOMP

Stomp, step down in it
Put your foot where you feel the fit
Stomp you don’t want to quit
Put your heels where you’re feelin’ it

Stomp, step down in it
Put your foot where you feel the fit
Stomp you don’t want to quit
Put your heels where you’re feelin’ it

Stomp, step down in it
Put your foot where you feel the fit
Stomp you don’t want to quit
Put your heels where you’re feelin’ it

[Instrumental Interlude]

Stomp
All night
In the neighborhood
Don’t it feel all right
Gonna stomp
All night
Wanna party
‘Til the morning light

Stomp
All night
In the neighborhood
Don’t it feel all right
Gonna stomp
All night
Wanna party
‘Til the morning light…..

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