SADE IS BACK!...WELL, ALMOST.

The band, Sade, recently reunited and is recording new material for an album, that hopefully will be released by the end of this year.

Source

SADE - KISS OF LIFE (1992)

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.

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"

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"

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'

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)