Surprise! I Do Like R&B Without Realizing It!
My earliest music taste is influenced by school parties, radio, and my friends’ older siblings’ vinyl collections. We’d sneak in, and turn on their record players to spin those records returning them back carefully in the order we found them. Mostly dominated by “Rock.” There was other stuff I couldn’t classify, but liked. I realized later it was R&B. Surprise! I Do Like R&B Without Realizing It!
Thapson
R&B an Elusive Genre
I also developed a taste for other styles of music. But despite its popularity, R & B remained an elusive genre for me though – or did it? Hold on! There was some music in my faves which it turns out does qualify as R&B. And I never even knew it. This time I’m reaching into my “music vault” to pull out just some of the R&B from the past, which I did appreciate. I’m not sure if all of these belong to this category as I am not a music expert, nor claim to be one. Hopefully you’ll recognize/appreciate some of it. I’m going to break my rule and play some “big” names too.
“… R & B remained an elusive genre for me though – or did it?”
So, let’s kick things off with an appreciation for some good old Rhythm and Blues stuff:
Sybil – “Don’t Make Me Over” (1989 Cover)
This song originally came out back in 1962 and was a big hit for Dionne Warwick. But for me it’s the version sung by Sybil that I like the most. I don’t often I like covers, but when done as well as Sybil’s I can’t help appreciating it. In fact, this version charted quite high when released back in 1989. Now even this cover is a generation old – how time flies! But it’s still as fresh as ever, and unlikely I’m going to like any other later cover.
lovinthe80s1 / YouTube.com
Player – “Baby Come Back” (1977)
Now “Player” was essentially a rock band. But this was likely their biggest hit. And it wasn’t a rock number! Also, this this is the only song that I likely know this band for. I’m sure there is no way that you’ve heard this somewhere and it’s not stayed with you as an “earworm” for the next little while. This song has a strong 70s feel to it. And that too in a good, timeless way.
peterbeckett / YouTube.com
Stephanie Mills – “The Medicine Song” (1984)
Stephanie Mills is a fine example of best things coming in small packages. Despite her diminutive stature, she comes as a giant in all her songs. I first heard her in this song, which is not her first or biggest hit. She had big hits in the 80s and early 90s and I believe is semi-retired now. YouTube never ceases to amaze me as I found this video which made me her fan so long ago. Notice how it’s kind of “futuristic” but the man is reading a newspaper instead of a smartphone! I guess watching it is kind of like ‘back to the future’ in a way!
StephanieMillsVEVO / YouTube.com
The Floaters – “Float On”(1977)
Takes one way back, and the song is a classic. This was on a Top of the Pops 1977 music cassette I received as a gift from England. I cherished the tape as stuff like this was hard to come by for me then. I’ll revisit the rest of the songs from that cassette sometime in future. Wonderful, unique, smooth lyrics and music. Very relaxing and for me a time machine of sorts as it brings back those mid-70s to mind. Check out the threads. A 3-piece suit was a must for any wardrobe
TopPop / YouTube.com
The Jets – “You’ve Got It All” (1986)
The Jets was a very unique group in the world of music. Who could have imagined a Tongan-American family (from Minneapolis) would be so big into R&B music? That’s America for you. There they were and what a marvellous job with this song – which is why I remember it so well from so long ago. What’s exceptional is that the lead singer here, Elizabeth Wolfgramm, is only thirteen years old! Now that is young.
darrellijbrand / YouTube.com
Clark/Duke Project – “Heroes”(1984)
After that melancholy stuff, let’s change the pace. My younger self loved this for the cool old film noir like theme of the video and of course the pulsating beat. My mature self loves it even more for the nostalgia. Clark/Duke had many cool hits, but this one stuck in my head and never left. Unfortunately, we’ve lost George Duke in 2013.
Courtsey: DailyMotion.com
So there you have it. I’ll stop right there. I have a few more from the R&B department, but will touch on those another time. Did you notice one thing common here? I prefer only up beat R&B stuff. It’s very easy to have music from the this genre which is pretty heavy and serious. And I try to steer away from that.
Hope you enjoyed this batch. I’ll be back with more music to share from “my vault.” Until then, stay safe, and your feedback is more than welcome!
Last Three Posts from “The Music Vault”
Farewell Moon Martin: The Underappreciated
Two Great Pop Stars Who Seemed to “Fade Away”
Middle Of The Road: Great in the 70’s, and Today
