She doesn’t do windows, and for that matter she doesn’t even clean houses. But the “Clean Up Woman” of Betty Wright’s top-ten hit from 1971 sure ‘nuff cleaned up on the charts! Bessie Regina Norris (aka Betty Wright) got her start as a three year old member of her family Gospel group The Echoes Of […]
Song Of The Day – “Always” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Yeah Yeah Yeah’s last album It’s Blitz was the group’s most mainstream effort, garnering them a much wider audience than they previously had. In contrast, their latest album, Mosquito is much less dancefloor friendly and hearkens back to their earlier electro trash sound. Although, the dense, layered atmospheric production makes the record initially far less […]
Song Of The Day – “Creepin’” by Stevie Wonder
Today’s Song Of The Day is from Stevie Wonder’s 1974 album Fulfillingness’ First Finale which was released shortly after a car accident that almost took his life, making the album an all-the-more-important part of his canon. While on tour in North Carolina in August of 1973, Wonder’s car smashed into the back of a logging […]
Song Of The Day – “Lose Yourself To Dance” by Daft Punk
So Daft Punk has released a straight-up ‘70s Disco album and everybody is going nuts. Daft Punk fans are going nuts because there are real instruments and, gasp, real voices on this record. Critics are going nuts because the group has made a ‘70s disco album, and a ‘70s disco album stands out because it’s […]
Song Of The Day– “Dancing Machine” by The Jackson 5
They were growing up…and the world liked their Jacksons young. By 1973, The Jackson 5 were becoming somewhat of a spent force around Motown. It had been a few years since the group scored a bona-fide top ten hit, and there was plenty of dissatisfaction to go around. Brother Michael was no longer the pint-sized […]
Song Of The Day – “Around The Way Girl” by LL Cool J
“Don’t Call It A Comeback, I been here for years…,” so begins the title cut from the 4th album called Mama Said Knock You Out by James Todd Smith…aka Ladies Love Cool J…aka LL Cool J. And back in the day in my hood, the strains of LL could be heard emanating from booming systems […]
Song Of The Day – “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred
I worked at Reader’s Digest in their recorded music division for five years compiling music collections for people who were much older than I was at the time. In effect, I was selling nostalgia to folks whose memories I did not share. The job proved research intensive and ultimately rewarding, and by creating these music […]
Today in Rock History – December 9
1966, Supergroup Cream released their debut studio album Fresh Cream in the UK. The power trio of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker also released their second single “I Feel Free” on the same day. 1967, The Doors appeared at the New Haven Arena, New Haven, Connecticut. Before the show, a policeman found singer […]
Song Of The Day – “Café Regio” by Isaac Hayes
This breezy instrumental comes from the movie Shaft, one of the most popular Blaxploitation films of all time. However, most people probably first discovered today’s Song Of The Day on the B-side to Isaac Hayes’ number one single “Theme From Shaft.” Hayes initially agreed to write the score for the film only if he was […]
Song Of The Day – “A Lot Of Livin’ To Do” by Sammy Davis, Jr.
It’s the wham of Sam, from the musical Bye Bye Birdie. Without Sammy Davis Jr., there wouldn’t have been a James Brown or Prince. He was clearly the most talented of the Rat Pack by a mile…could sing circles around Frank and Dino…and had the moves and comedic talents to make him the total entertainment […]
