KEYSHIA COLE FT. 2PAC - PLAYA CARDZ RIGHT

This song was originally featured on Pac's Life ,which was released in 2006, and I'm so glad that Keyshia Cole recently brought it back to life. "Playa Cardz Right" is featured on Cole's third album, A Different Me, which was released this year.

My favorite part is when Keyshia says "It takes a real man. Luther Vandross, Teddy..." This song is so smooth with Cole's soulful voice and Tupac's mellow voice intertwined. Fellas, listen to what 'Pac is saying. Take your time. Finesse it. You just might wake up with your breakfast in bed.

Check out the video:

STEVIE WONDER - A PLACE IN THE SUN

I've loved this song ever since I heard it in the film, Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault. This movie is an instant classic just like Stevie's song. Check out clips of both below:

STEVIE WONDER - A PLACE IN THE SUN (1966)



REBOUND: THE LEGEND OF EARL 'THE GOAT' MANIGAULT (1996)

KOOL & THE GANG - SUMMER MADNESS

Here is a classic and soulful 1975 cut from the Jazz/R&B/Soul/Funk group straight out of New Jersey. Can't put K&G in a box. They are responsible for cuts such as "Celebration," "Get Down On It," "Ladies Night," and countless other hits.

SUMMER MADNESS (1975)


Famously sampled by Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff.

WILL SMITH & DJ JAZZY JEFF - SUMMERTIME (1991)

RUFUS & CHAKA KHAN

Rufus, was a 70s band formed in Chi-Town, which helped launch the career of lead singer Chaka Khan. They are known for such hits as "Tell Me Something Good" (penned by Stevie Wonder), "Sweet Thing", and "Ain't Nobody". Band members included:

* Chaka Khan — vocals
* Andre Fischer — drums
* Dennis Belfield — bass
* Al Ciner — guitar
* Tony Maiden — guitar
* Kevin Murphy — keyboards
* Ron Stockert — keyboards
* David Wolinski "Hawk" — keyboards
* Bobby Watson — bass
* John "JR" Robinson — drums (from 1978)
* Moon Calhoun — drums, street player
* Nate Morgan — keyboards


RUFUS & CHAKA KHAN - "DO YOU LOVE WHAT YOU FEEL"




My girl G put me onto this track below. Here is the remake by Carl Carlton

CARL CARLTON - "SMOKING ROOM" (REMAKE OF THE RUFUS & CHAKA KHAN HIT)

DONNY HATHAWAY: A SONG FOR YOU (1971)

One of the most incredible voices of ALL time. You can just feel his pain in this one. Rest in peace Donny.

MARVIN GAYE (4/2/1939 - 4/1/1984)

Although Marvin passed away a few months before I came into this world his music has influenced my life a great deal. Marvin embodied everything about soul music. He asked, "What's Going On," and spoke of "Inner City Blues". "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" that at times he was a "Trouble Man", but you "Gotta Give It Up" to a brother for having so much "Pride and Joy." Marvin oozed sensuality. I could picture him whispering in a young lady's ear,"You're All I Need to Get By" and "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You" I would, for "Your Precious Love". Because "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing". Man, "That's The Way Love Is" and should be, "I'll Be Doggone". If you think about it, "It Ain't That Peculiar". And I could see Marvin telling that young lady "Let's Get It On" and come get some of this "Sexual Healing". And she's just so smitten that all she can say is "Mercy, Mercy Me".

Happy birthday, Marvin, "You Are Everything".

Albums that reached the Top 10 on U.S. pop albums chart/ UK pop albums chart.

* 1971: What's Going On (U.S. #6)
* 1973: Let's Get It On (U.S. #2)
* 1973: Diana & Marvin (w/Diana Ross) (UK #6)
* 1974: Marvin Gaye Live! (U.S. #8)
* 1976: I Want You (U.S. #4)
* 1977: Live at the London Palladium (U.S. #3)
* 1982: Midnight Love (U.S. #7; UK #10)
* 1994: The Very Best of Marvin Gaye (UK #3)
* 2000: Marvin Gaye Love Songs (UK #8)

"DISTANT LOVER" (SOUL TRAIN LIVE, 1980s)



"WHAT'S GOING ON" (LIVE PERFORMANCE FROM 'SAVE THE CHILDREN' FILM, 1973)



"INNER CITY BLUES (MAKES ME WANNA HOLLER)" (1971)


"SEXUAL HEALING" (1982)

SYL JOHNSON - "IS IT BECAUSE I'M BLACK?"

Listen closely...




Syl Johnson is a Blues and Soul singer responsible for such cuts as "Is It Because I'm Black?", "Different Strokes" and "Come On Sock It To Me". Different Strokes is a heavily sampled track in Hip-Hop, sampled by such artists as Wu-Tang Clan, Kool G Rap, Hammer, and the Geto Boys.

He is also the father of R&B songstress Syleena Johnson.

RECOGNIZE THAT SAMPLE: SNOOP DOGG "LET'S GET BLOWN"

SNOOP DOGG - "LET'S GET BLOWN"


Let's Get Blown samples the 1980 cut "Watching You" from the Dayton, Ohio funk band Slave.

SLAVE - "WATCHING YOU"

IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN: THE FUNK BROTHERS

I know you've heard of Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, The Supremes, and the many artists that helped define that classic Motown sound. But, have you heard of The Funk Brothers? These are the people that were the studio band responsible for putting the backbeat into hits for Diana Ross & The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, etc. They played on more #1 records than The Beatles, Beach Boys, Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley combined, but no one knew their names.

Early members included bandleader Joe Hunter and Earl Van Dyke (piano); James Jamerson (bass guitar); William "Benny" Benjamin and Richard "Pistol" Allen (drums); Robert White, Eddie Willis, and Joe Messina (guitar); Jack Ashford (tambourine, percussion, vibes, marimba); Jack Brokensha (vibes, marimba); and Eddie "Bongo" Brown (percussion). Hunter left in 1964, replaced on keyboards by Johnny Griffith and as bandleader by Van Dyke. Around the same time Uriel Jones joined the band as a third drummer.

In 1967, guitarists Dennis Coffey and Melvin "Wah-Wah Watson" Ragin, who introduced the wah-wah pedal sound that defined Motown's psychedelic soul records, joined the band. Benny Benjamin died the next year, and Bob Babbitt began to replace James Jamerson on many recording dates. The Funk Brothers were a racially integrated band. Most members were black; Messina, Brokensha, Babbitt, and Coffey were white.

Until the release of the Standing in the Shadows of Motown documentary, the members of the band were not widely known to the public for their contributions to the Motown sound, despite having played the music in many Motown hits. Studio musicians were not credited on Motown releases until Marvin Gaye's What's Going On in 1971, although Motown released a handful of singles and LPs by Earl Van Dyke. The Funk Brothers shared top billing with Van Dyke on some of these recordings, although they were billed as "Earl Van Duke & the Soul Brothers", since Motown CEO Berry Gordy, Jr. disliked the connotation of the word "funk".

The band used a number of innovative techniques for performing the backing tracks for many Motown songs. For example, most Motown records feature two drummers instead of one, either playing together or overdubbing one another — Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" used three drummers. A number of songs utilized instrumentation and percussion unusual in soul music recording. The Temptations' "It's Growing" features Earl Van Dyke playing a toy piano for the song's introduction, snow chains are used as percussion on Martha & the Vandellas' "Nowhere to Run", and a custom oscillator was built to create the synthesizer sounds used to accent Diana Ross & the Supremes' "Reflections" A tire iron was used in the Martha & the Vandellas "Dancing in the Streets".

During the mid to late-1960s, roughly one-fifth of Motown records began utilizing session musicians based in Los Angeles, usually covers and tributes of mainstream pop songs and showtunes. By 1970, an increasing number of Motown sessions were being done in Los Angeles instead of Detroit, most notably all of The Jackson 5's hit recordings. Nevertheless, Motown producers such as Norman Whitfield, Frank Wilson, Marvin Gaye, and Smokey Robinson steadfastly continued to record in Detroit for as long as they could.

The Funk Brothers were dismissed from Motown's service in 1972, when Berry Gordy moved Motown to Los Angeles. A few of the members, including Jamerson, migrated to Los Angeles, but found the environment foreign and uncomfortable. Jamerson died in 1983, Brown in 1984, Van Dyke in 1992, White in 1994, Allen and Griffith in 2002, and Hunter in 2007.

Just a rundown of some of the hits they are responsible for:

"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
"What's Going On" - Marvin Gaye
"I Heard Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye
"Ain't To Proud To Beg" - The Temptations
"Heatwave (Love Is Like A) - Martha and the Vandellas
"My Girl" - The Temptations

MARVIN GAYE & TAMMI TERRELL - "AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH"

RECOGNIZE THE SAMPLE: BEYONCE 'CRAZY IN LOVE'

BEYONCE - BET AWARDS PERFORMANCE 'CRAZY IN LOVE' FT. JAY-Z (2003)



Beyonce sampled the horns from this Chi-Lites song for her 2003 hit single "Crazy In Love" featuring Jay-Z.

CHI-LITES - 'ARE YOU MY WOMAN (TELL ME SO)' (1971)

MORE BOUNCE: ZAPP

Also known as the Zapp Band, this soul and funk band was formed by brothers Roger Troutman, Larry Troutman, Lester Troutman, Tony Troutman and Terry "Zapp" Troutman in 1978. They are known for such hits as "More Bounce to the Ounce", "Doo Wa Ditty", "Be Alright", and "Computer Love". Signed by the godfather of funk himself, George Clinton, the Zapp Band enjoyed much success during the 1980s with their seminal self-titled debut album earning platinum success and peaking at the top twenty of the Billboard Top 200 due to the success of their leading single, the Roger composition, "More Bounce to the Ounce", which reached number two on the Hot Soul Singles chart.

Tragically, two of the band members Roger and Larry Troutman passed away April 25, 1999 from a murder-suicide. Although the band was defunct for some time, they are now active with brother, Terry serving as band leader.

Roger was known for using his trademark vocoder.

The group has been influential to West Coast hip-hop and Chicano rap.

Here are some artists that sampled Zapp:

*2-Pac - "Keep Your Head Up" samples "Be Alright"
*2-Pac featuring Dr. Dre - "California Love" samples Roger Troutman's "So Ruff, So Tuff"
*EMPD - "You Gots To Chill" samples "More Bounce to the Ounce"
*Sounds of Blackness - "Hold On (A Change Is Coming)" samples "Doo Wa Ditty"
*Das EFX - "Straight from da Sewer" samples "I Can Make You Dance"

Now this music is gonna make you bounce all over the place!

ZAPP - "MORE BOUNCE TO THE OUNCE"

ZAPP & ROGER - "BE ALRIGHT"

ZAPP & ROGER - "COMPUTER LOVE"

ZAPP - "DOO WA DITTY"

THIS WOMAN'S WORK

This cover version of the Kate Bush song by Maxwell was featured in the great film, Love and Basketball (2000). This song made girls everywhere melt and let guys know exactly the type of song to get a girl in the mood. I absolutely love both versions of the song. Check them out!

MAXWELL - "THIS WOMAN'S WORK" (song: 1997, video: 2002)


KATE BUSH - "THIS WOMAN'S WORK" (1989)

SADE

Helen Folasade Adu, (born January 16, 1959) better known as Sade is a Nigerian-born English singer-songwriter, composer, and record producer, noted for her soulful, smoky contralto voice. She has achieved success in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s as the front-woman and lead vocalist of the popular Grammy Award-winning group Sade. "Smooth Operator," released in 1984. The best year ever! And I say that because that was the year I was born :) Smooth Operator was Sade's first US hit.

The lead single from the English group Sade's fifth studio album, Lovers Rock (2000) produced the 2002 Grammy nominated track, "By Your Side" for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance".

SADE - "BY YOUR SIDE"

SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE

Released on Motown on September 28, 1976, this classic album became the best-selling and most critically acclaimed album of Stevie Wonder's career.

Track Listing:

Side One

1. "Love's in Need of Love Today" (Wonder) – 7:05
2. "Have a Talk with God" (Hardaway/Wonder) – 2:42
3. "Village Ghetto Land" (Byrd/Wonder) – 3:25
4. "Contusion" (Wonder) – 3:45
5. "Sir Duke" (Wonder) – 3:54

Side Two

1. "I Wish" (Wonder) – 4:12
2. "Knocks Me Off My Feet" (Wonder) – 3:36
3. "Pastime Paradise" (Wonder) – 3:27
4. "Summer Soft" (Wonder) – 4:14
5. "Ordinary Pain" (Wonder) – 6:23

Side Three

1. "Isn't She Lovely" (Wonder) – 6:34
2. "Joy Inside My Tears" (Wonder) – 6:29
3. "Black Man" (Byrd/Wonder) – 8:29

Side Four

1. "Ngiculela - Es Una Historia - I Am Singing" (Wonder) – 3:48
2. "If It's Magic" (Wonder) – 3:12
3. "As" (Wonder) – 7:08

Two of my favorite tracks from the album, "As" and "Isn't She Lovely". You may remember that "As" was featured in the 1999 film The Best Man

STEVIE WONDER - "AS"

STEVIE WONDER - "ISN'T SHE LOVELY"

WILSON PICKETT

Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) fused R&B, Rock and Roll and Soul music into his singing and songwriting throughout his career. Known for his raw and raspy style of delivery, Pickett recorded 50 singles that made the R&B and pop charts. He is known for such songs as "Mustang Sally" and "In The Midnight Hour"

Pickett was heavily influenced by church music. As a young kid, he sang in the choir of the Baptist church in his hometown of Prattville, Alabama. In 1955, Pickett went to live with his father in Detroit, the home of countless soul music legends. Detroit helped him to develop his sound.

"In The Midnight Hour," recorded in a Memphis, Tennessee studio was his first major hit under Atlantic Records. The song, released in 1965, peaked at #1 on the R&B charts, #21 on the U.S. pop charts and was #12 UK hit. The song was composed in the historic Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was killed.

Look at everybody just getting down. Classic.

WILSON PICKETT - LIVE PERFORMANCE "IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR" (Africa, circa 1970)

ALL THE RIGHT ELEMENTS

Earth, Wind & Fire has blessed the world with such great tunes as "Let's Groove," "September" and "Reasons". I have to say that Phillip Bailey's voice is out of this world. He hits those high notes effortlessly. Check out the video for the song "Let's Groove," released in 1977.

EARTH, WIND & FIRE - "LET'S GROOVE"

L&B: LUTHER AND BARRY

In 2003 and 2005 we lost two of the greatest voices of any generation. Luther Vandross and Barry White brought a male sensitivity to music, where a man wasn't afraid to let his woman know how much he loved and adored her. And there is nothing punkish about that at all. Every time I hear this live performance at the 1988 NAACP Awards of "A House Is Not A Home" by Luther, I get chills. I think everyone in the audience did too. Hands down one of the best, if not the best live performance ever!

LUTHER VANDROSS - 'A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME'



I can't get enough of this joint right here!

BARRY WHITE - 'CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR LOVE BABE'

STATE OF R&B

As I sit here jamming Jodeci's classic 1991 album Forever My Lady I seriously want to shed a tear. I know Tavis Smiley has his "State of the Black Union" that he holds annually, but for real someone needs to have a "State of R&B" conference so we can figure exactly what the hell happened to good music. We need to get to the bottom of this quick and come up with a plot to rid the industry of all these so-called R&B singers who can't even carry a tune.

The 90s were a great time for R&B. You had Whitney, Mariah, Anita, Jodeci, TLC, Brandy, Aaliyah, Boyz II Men, R. Kelly (cannot deny his impact in the 90s), and the list goes on.

JODECI - 'FOREVER MY LADY'

These guys really popularized wearing combat boots with just about any outfit back in the day.

STEPHEN “STATIC MAJOR” GARRETT - (1976-2008)

Songwriter/artist/producer Stephen "Static Major" Garrett, died unexpectedly on February 25th, 2008 in his hometown of Louisville Kentucky. He was 32.
The cause of death is under investigation. It is being reported that the cause of death may have been from an allergic reaction (a brain aneurysm) brought on from a shot given to him for a persistent flu virus.

I'm so sad right now. 'Cheers 2 U' has been one of my favorite songs since '98. I want to send my condolences to Static's family and friends. Rest in paradise brother.

Songwriting/production highlights (just some of Static's brilliant work)

* 1996: "Pony" for Ginuwine
* 1998: "Cheers 2 U" for Playa
* 1998: "Are You That Somebody?" for Aaliyah
* 1998: "Same Ol' G" for Ginuwine
* 1999: "Eyes Better Not Wander" for Nicole Wray
* 1999: "So Anxious" for Ginuwine
* 2000: "Say My Name (Timbaland's Remix)" for Destiny's Child
* 2000: "Try Again" for Aaliyah
* 2000: "Come Back In One Piece" for Aaliyah (featuring DMX)
* 2001: "We Need a Resolution" for Aaliyah
* 2001: "More Than a Woman" for Aaliyah
* 2002: "Addictive" for Truth Hurts
* 2002: "Don't Know What to Tell Ya" for Aaliyah
* 2002: "Erica Kane" for Aaliyah
* 2004: "Come as You Are" for Brandy
* 2006: "Tell Me" for Diddy (featuring Christina Aguilera)
* 2007: "On the Hotline" for Pretty Ricky
* 2007: "Juicy" for Pretty Ricky

PLAYA - 'CHEERS 2 U'

THIS IS A GEM!

Many people regard Marvin Gaye's 1971 classic album What's Going On as some of his best work. This was the first of Gaye's albums solely produced by him.

In addition to that album, I also think the Midnight Love album is absolutely great. Marvin did his thang on every single cut on this album! My personal favorite track is 'My Love Is Waiting'. It's the last track on the album and oh so smooth. Marvin sings:

"I miss you baby/
And I miss your mind/
We had so much love/
I need to love your body/"

You can feel every single word. Here is the song so you can see what I'm talking about.



This man simply oozed sexuality. I'm so excited to hear that Jesse L. Martin is going to play him in a biopic. I think Martin is a great actor.

Finally! Jesse L. Martin Set To Play Marvin Gaye In 'Sexual Healing' (BV)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERYKAH!

R&B songstress Erykah Badu turned 37 today. She also dropped her much anticipated album New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) today. Make sure y'all go and cop that!


Check out this classic Badu cut:

ERYKAH BADU - "LOVE OF MY LIFE"

DIGGIN' IN THE CRATES

Bobby Caldwell - 'What You Won't Do For Love'




This 1978 hit originally released on the self-titled album Bobby Caldwell from the jazz singer/guitarist has was a big hit for Bobby. Most people remember Tupac Shakur's song 'Do For Love,' released posthumously in 1997, which took a vocal sample from the Caldwell classic.

I'm sure I'm not the only person who thought Bobby Caldwell was black. In fact, back in the day in order for Caldwell to get significant airplay on the black R&B stations early in his career, his management team portrayed him only in silhouette on the cover of albums and in advertisements in order to hide the fact that he was white.

On the flip side, back in the day in order for black artists to appeal to mainstream white audiences, white artists would record cover versions of these artist's music. For example, Pat Boone recorded cover versions of a lot of Little Richard's songs. Often these black artists saw the record companies profiting from their art instead of themselves.

See another classic Bobby Caldwell track below:

Bobby Caldwell - 'Open Your Eyes'