Classic R+B, Soul, Hip-Hop, etc

[CellarDweller]

[CellarDweller]

Sisters Margie and Mari Hernandez wanted to start a group, and after finding out that Margie's friend Betty wanted to sing, they added her as lead and they went into the studio to record their demo, which included the song "Hooked On You".

Next Plateau records her the tape, and signed the three girls to their label, under the name Sweet Temptation, and they worked on getting "Hooked On You" ready for release. Before that could happen, they received a cease and desist letter from legal representation of The Temptations, who told them they would need to change their name. They were relabeled as Sweet Sensation and their first single was released. It became a big dance hit, and was followed by "Victim of Love", "Take It While It's Hot", "Never Let You Go".

Just as their debut album was released, Mari left the group and was replaced by Shelia Vega. The album's cover was re-shot to reflect the personnel change and what was to be their last single, "Sincerely Yours", was released. Not only did the song hit the dance charts, it crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #14. This caused the label to re-release "Hooked on You" with a new video, and it became a bigger hit, peaking at #23 on the billboard Hot 100.

They were asked to be the opening act for New Kids on The Block, and they joined the tour as their second album was released, Love Child. The title track ( a cover of the Supremes song) got to #13 on the Billboard Hot 100, and follow-up "If Wishes Came True" became their biggest hit, getting to #1.

After this album had run its course, Margie and Sheila left the group, and Betty began to do shows with two other girls, named Belle and Jenae lip-synching the backing vocals. This version of Sweet Sensation still does shows today.

[CellarDweller]

[PaulBullion]

Just been through this whole thread, and there are some great jams here!

Enjoyed hearing some old soul, and seeing disco and club jams here as well.

I even managed to see one or two posts that had acts that I would say fall into my favorite genre, freestyle.

For those who don't know, freestyle was a form of dance/club music that started in the mid 80s and was pretty popular into the mid 90s. It was a combination of pop, mixed with Salsa and Merengue elements elements like horns and percussion instead of a bass drum beat.

Here is a 2:00 commercial for a CD set called "Forever Freestyle to give you a taste of what freestyle sounds like. However, whoever put this collection together didn't know what freestyle was, because they included songs that were definitely NOT freestyle, like Kim Wilde "Keep Me Hanging On", Jody Watley "Real Love", Starpoint "Object of My Desire", Martika "More Than You Know", Teena Mare "Lovergirl".

However, the music clips played in the commercial (except for Stacey Q's "Two of Hearts") are all freestyle songs.

I'll also post a few songs from freestyle artists after this one.

Thanks for those posts, CD!

While not all those acts are my cup of tea, I find it interesting how they seem to have their roots in earlier latin/disco fusions, like Vicki Sue Robinson's "Turn the Beat Around" or many Salsoul acts. If not for the racist and homophobic anti-Disco campaigns by white rock DJs that somehow convinced people that Disco was the worst thing ever, I wonder how music history would have developed.

[PaulBullion]

Thanks for those posts, CD!

While not all those acts are my cup of tea, I find it interesting how they seem to have their roots in earlier latin/disco fusions, like Vicki Sue Robinson's "Turn the Beat Around" or many Salsoul acts. If not for the racist and homophobic anti-Disco campaigns by white rock DJs that somehow convinced people that Disco was the worst thing ever, I wonder how music history would have developed.

And if you think I am kidding about that, here is a fascinating and disturbing twitter thread about that:

https://twitter.com/TheGranVarones/s...65081067053057

39 years ago, a musky looking white cis-het male, inspired thousands of white people, pridominantly other musky looking white cis-het, to riot against disco music. they STILL claim that the riot was not rooted in racism and homophobia....

on july 12, 1979, steve dahl, a rock dj who had been fired when his station transitioned into a dance station, got the white sox to host, what he called "the infamous disco demolition night." this dude was so enraged that he vowed to end disco.

by the summer of 79, disco was so huge that radio stations began to switch to an all-disco format.

[CellarDweller]

And if you think I am kidding about that, here is a fascinating and disturbing twitter thread about that:

https://twitter.com/TheGranVarones/s...65081067053057

I definitely don't think you are kidding.

There is a collection of music out there called "The Disco Years" and it has a ton of great music on it. I have the first two albums in the collection. On the back cover of the first album, there is a written history of disco. While I am paraphrasing now, it basically said that disco clashed with the rock audience for a few reasons.

First was that one doesn't really dance to rock music, and disco required a skill in dancing and coordination with a partner. On top of that, the audience for disco threatened rock audiences as it was the main choice of music for black, Latino and gay audiences. So when they said "Disco sucks" it was easily translated into "Your race/sexual preference sucks".

[CellarDweller]

according to the news, Aretha Franklin is "gravely ill" and her family is asking for prayers.

[CellarDweller]

[CellarDweller]

[Surf]

[Surf]

1973

A dip from back when. I hadn't ever heard of this song til this thread and I've been looking for the vinyl of it ever since. There was an old movie called Blue Collar with Richard Pryor and Harvey Kietel and Yaphet Kotto, came on one of the old school movie channels couple years ago at 3am and couldn't sleep. About workers at a Detroit Auto plant that plan to rob a safe that the union held and **** all falls apart with the three of them after the fact. There's a scene in the beginning when everything is good where Kotto's character, the single one in the group, hosts these after work parties with dope and women. This was in the 70's with that auto worker money so these parties went on a Friday night through til the morning. This song reminds me of that movie so much. I figure by this time the Temptations had tailored their sound a couple times to fit the times and I can imagine this being played at many a house party with it's damn near 8 minute run time and the trippy music. Love it. Don't think Abe come back around but right on (again) to him.

[Surf]

Still on the monarchy tip, here are some of the greatest soul divas of all time honoring the Queen of Soul.

according to the news, Aretha Franklin is "gravely ill" and her family is asking for prayers.

Ahh, yea, I heard she's in hospice. The wife's a huge Aretha fan, I was watching Rock Legends couple weeks ago and she was the subject. I couldn't believe that Who's Zoomin Who was her first mainstream Platinum album. I mean it's the one album I got so I guess it's not that farfetched. Sad, A life lived that's for sure.

[ed2962]

Aretha passed yesterday RIP

[Surf]

RIP

[CellarDweller]