tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59970872011-09-07T19:25:17.042-07:00Rock Me TonightWherein I review each and every single which hit #1 on Billboard's Hot Soul/Black Singles chart during the 1980s.Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.comBlogger2351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-92095654288597520972011-09-07T19:18:00.000-07:002011-09-07T19:25:17.074-07:00"All Of My Love," The Gap Band (12/23/89)What an odd way to end the decade. Charlie Wilson and company hadn't hit the top 10 in 3 years, and hadn't hit #1 in nearly 7 (since their '82 trio of killers: "Early In The Morning," "You Dropped A Bomb On Me," and "Outstanding," all still classics), yet here they were, making another (and their final) comeback. Sadly, this is as generic as much of what Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-31430888684041507632011-09-07T19:14:00.000-07:002011-09-07T19:18:34.965-07:00"Ain't Nuthin' In The World," Miki Howard (12/16/89)Identikit faux-New Jack production attempts to prop up a bland uptempo piffle sung by a singer who deserved better (and often, got it: see the follow-up, the highly recommended #2 single "Love Under New Management"). Halfway through the song you've forgotten it. CThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-45262318118316930822011-09-07T19:12:00.001-07:002011-09-07T19:14:32.160-07:00"Here and Now," Luther Vandross (12/2/89)Sometimes bad songs happen to good singers; they happened too often to Luther, because his taste for schlock was great. This ultra-bathetic wedding standard is a prime example. He should've known better, because this song, really, is just disgusting, a watery ballad with nothing to recommend it. DThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-24312029202858489082011-09-07T19:02:00.000-07:002011-09-07T19:11:57.369-07:00"Home," Stephanie Mills (11/25/89)Her last #1 was a remake of a song Mills herself had first sung over a decade earlier on Broadway, in The Wiz. It's "inspirational." While not nearly as gross as something like "Wind Beneath My Wings," the cloth it's cut from is not so dissimilar. Ms. Mills sings the hell out of it and the production is certainly tasteful enough, but it's all very just-sits-thereThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-90716949945714349842011-08-27T09:09:00.000-07:002011-08-27T09:29:08.007-07:00"Don't Take It Personal," Jermaine Jackson (11/18/89)
That other Jackson brother may have only hit the R&B top 10 four times in the '80s (including '82's sublime new wave "Let Me Tickle Your Fancy," with Devo on backing vocals!), but two of the four were decade-bracketing #1s: the amazeballs "Let's Get Serious" and this one, a weird, nasty-masquerading-as-nice kiss-off to a lover with the Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-77965708698996190662011-08-27T08:50:00.000-07:002011-08-27T09:03:04.245-07:00"You Are My Everything," Surface (11/4/89)
From their late-'88 album 2nd Wave, Surface spun a trio of #1s. The first two were the quietly pretty "Closer Than Friends" and the utterly gross "Shower Me With Your Love." What of their third? It's a return to the vibe of "Friends," rocking that same midtempo groove (as so much did in '89). Nothing groundbreaking here, but it's - well, this is totally Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-15136856218763179372011-08-27T08:35:00.000-07:002011-08-27T08:48:09.430-07:00"Baby Come To Me," Regina Belle (10/28/89)
A perfectly solid, if somewhat bland, balladeer singing a perfectly bland, if somewhat solid, midtempo song. Racks of the best synths Sony's money could buy were sacrificed for this record. And if the syrupy Najee-esque sax solo wasn't a tip-off, yes, covers of this have become a smooth jazz staple - it's got a simple melody. A very simple melody. C+Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-30735902354319993842011-08-27T06:57:00.000-07:002011-08-27T08:35:22.484-07:00"Miss You Much," Janet Jackson (10/14/89)
Pop the way "When I Think Of You" was pop - not surprising this was the first single from Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, but that doesn't mean it was the best idea, and it certainly wasn't the best choice. (Start with the follow-up, "Rhythm Nation," which cuts hard.) Weird to hear Janet aping her brother's "uh!"s on here, too. Not bad, but by no Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-64521566555570112372011-08-22T19:57:00.000-07:002011-08-22T20:30:02.844-07:00"Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)," Soul II Soul (10/7/89)
Lovely, keeping with the classy formula of "Keep On Movin'" - and only lessened by the fact that it's not the mind-blowing genius of their prior single. A bit more chuggingly uptempo, but still a relaxed uptempo, a perfect summery groove for the autumn. A-Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-2834156612111709652011-08-22T19:47:00.000-07:002011-08-22T19:56:21.581-07:00"Can't Get Over You," Maze featuring Frankie Beverly (9/23/89)
The ultimate non-crossover R&B star (#105 R&B artist of all-time, chartwise, while he never cracked the top 60 on the pop charts) hit #1 a second time with this slice of silky, silky soul. It's so effortless, so flawless, so grown 'n sexy, it's like he's hardly even trying - the perfect midtempo groove, and one totally at odds with Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-663284598434578722011-08-22T19:44:00.000-07:002011-08-22T19:46:46.001-07:00"Remember (The First Time)," Eric Gable (9/16/89)
The poor man's Freddie Jackson, frankly. He hit the top out of the box with this, and never made the top 10 again. It's a nice enough, completely undistinguished late-'80s slow jam which you'll forget 10 minutes after you've heard it. BThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-51685063374936791722011-08-22T19:27:00.000-07:002011-08-22T19:41:08.287-07:00"My Fantasy," Teddy Riley featuring Guy (9/9/89)
Guy were, arguably, one of the most important New Jack Swing artists (I'll say the most important), between Aaron Hall's son-of-Charlie-Wilson vocals and Teddy Riley's brilliant production (which, frankly, defined an era, or at least a mini-era). Weirdly, this was their only chart-topper in their supernova of a career (2 albums in the space of 3.5 Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-61111724760438120242011-08-04T15:26:00.000-07:002011-08-04T15:42:05.310-07:00"It's No Crime," Babyface (8/26/89)And the L.A. [Reid] and 'Face era starts - the only guys who could even come close to the domination of Jam & Lewis may have gotten their true start in the Deele, but this is where it really begins. They saved some of their best stuff for 'Face, the voice of the two of 'em, this song being a fine case in point. Whip-crack synth drums (hello late '80s!), sneakilyThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-66689946328134692262011-08-04T12:54:00.000-07:002011-08-04T15:24:22.039-07:00"Something In The Way (You Make Me Feel)," Stephanie Mills (8/19/89)Oh! Yes. Written and produced by Angela Winbush, this was Mills' 4th R&B #1, a glorious midtempo groover that knows exactly what it's doing - sung by a woman who knew exactly what she was doing. Anchored by mighty, thumping synth drums, on "Something," Winbush multi-tracks Mills to the heavens and lets her sang like few can do Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-37872776283625013212011-08-04T12:34:00.000-07:002011-08-04T15:24:01.814-07:00"Batdance," Prince (8/12/89)Have I really been letting this poor blog sit moribund and unloved for over 2 years? Well, no more - time to bang this out and finish it up.This is one of those records that everyone a) forgets, and b) forgets was a rather huge hit - #1 both R&B and pop! Really, at the time it was can't-miss, combining Prince and the hugely-hyped Tim Burton take on Batman. Arguably theThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-26023109205645623862009-05-31T15:56:00.000-07:002009-05-31T17:34:45.146-07:00"On Our Own," Bobby Brown (8/5/89)Ready for a run of killers and nearly-greats? Let's get it started with Bobby's inexplicably great soundtrack single, the "theme" from Ghostbusters II. In spite of a rap bridge in which Bobby extols the virtues of said ghostbusters - really! - this is a rawhide-tough New Jack cut with a caramel center that goes down as smoothly as 13-year-old Scotch. There's justThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-70747827474874675992009-01-10T12:57:00.000-08:002009-01-10T12:57:26.586-08:00"Shower Me with Your Love," Surface (7/29/89)Almost vile enough to make me take back all the nice things I said about 'em earlier. Shower me with vomit, more like - this is the nadir of pop-soul balladry, dripping with unbridaled unctuousness. D-Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-83594856350250618742009-01-10T12:51:00.000-08:002009-01-10T12:51:17.932-08:00"Turned Away," Chuckii Booker (7/22/89)A multi-tracked keyb-heavy New Jack Swing fantasia by Barry White's godson, topped with some this-side-of-heaven upper-register vocals? Yeah, that'll do quite nicely. (Also: guitar solo!) AThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-80320029268798194142009-01-10T12:41:00.000-08:002009-01-10T12:41:41.191-08:00"Keep on Movin'," Soul II Soul (7/8/89)I promised more breaths of fresh air, and I wasn't lyin'. Jazzie B and Nellee Hooper gatecrashed R&B worldwide with their chilled-out, oh-so-classy (which eventually helped to do them in, but I digress) Brit take on contempo soul, and this was the first salvo. Deceptively simple, this combination of the "Funky Drummer" backbeat, a gorgeous piano line, the Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-84021673590173539432008-12-27T15:23:00.000-08:002008-12-27T15:23:53.056-08:00"Show & Tell," Peabo Bryson (7/1/89)Al Wilson had the more famed version, #10 in early '74, but it's Peabo who not only got to the summit but got his first-ever #1 with his cover version, 15 years later. Wilson's original is a rich slice of mid-'70s soul; Bryson's take is a somewhat limp cover with tinny, dated production. Sure, he's a good singer, but it takes more. C+Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-16415431972779709292008-12-27T14:52:00.000-08:002008-12-27T15:04:47.835-08:00"Have You Had Your Love Today," O'Jays (6/17/89)It's not bad, exactly, just a bit tiresome and dreary - I mean, "have you had your love today," really? Like vitamins? And Eddie Levert's fierce basso voice wasn't meant to sing atop phony New Jack beats, let alone around a D-list rapper like the Jaz. Their last (10th) #1, stretching back to '72. C+Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-38105823174148258612008-12-27T11:40:00.000-08:002008-12-27T11:40:58.788-08:00"Me Myself & I," De La Soul (6/10/89)The latter half of '89 (which we're almost into) had a few breaths of very fresh air in it atop the chart, starting most notably with this one. "Myself" was only the second hip-hop track to scale the R&B singles chart - and considering the first was a ballad, a much stronger case can be made for the importance of this record. That's not even considering that Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-80128271977463177702008-12-24T01:07:00.000-08:002008-12-24T01:06:25.061-08:00"Miss You Like Crazy," Natalie Cole (6/3/89)Nat's daughter had a quintet of #1s in the '70s, most all deserving, a mix of lite-funk and classy, honest-to-goodness romantic balladry. But her late '80s comeback, in advance of her Grammy-winning necrophilia, was unfortunately predicated on adult-contempo (read: whitewashed, and please read racial politics into that) ballads better suited for the Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-52620844139858388952008-12-24T00:59:00.000-08:002008-12-24T00:59:22.978-08:00"My First Love," Atlantic Starr (5/27/89)What were folks thinking, sending this to #1? Put it this way, to complete our trifecta of not-as-good-as-what-came-befores: this wet-noodle ballad may be far less well-known (it didn't chart pop at all), but is just as craptastic as "Always," and that's sayin' somethin'. DThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-86048842954745620212008-12-24T00:52:00.000-08:002008-12-24T00:52:49.055-08:00"Start of a Romance," Skyy (5/13/89)First of all, I was too hard on their previous chart-topper, 1981's "Call Me"; it's probably a B- at worst, disco-funk inoffensive if also somewhat uninspiring. But what an odd comeback, to go from being a flagship Salsoul disco-funk (ahem) outfit to a fairly synthetic (read: plastic) of-the-moment R&B combo. It worked, though - commercially, at least: a Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-16512317726613485182008-12-24T00:39:00.000-08:002008-12-24T00:43:20.205-08:00"Real Love," Jody Watley (5/6/89)Like "Looking For A New Love," only not as good. Not as tuff. B-Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-62934922702953778062008-12-19T16:30:00.000-08:002008-12-19T16:31:27.373-08:00"Love Saw It," Karyn White (4/22/89)This was credited to just White but was, actually, a duet with co-producer and co-writer Babyface. It's a Freddie Jackson-tempo (he's an adjective now, don't'cha know?) number (by which I mean a bodyrockin' ballad, basically) on which White and 'Face complement each other to perfection, perfect for swaying with your boo at the grown-folks dance - perhaps a UNCFThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-91698470455180264212008-12-19T16:19:00.000-08:002008-12-19T16:19:24.849-08:00"Every Little Step," Bobby Brown (4/15/89)So positive as to nearly be saccharine, this gets over almost completely on Brown's delivery. Which is just enough, but only just. BThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-26165228982037851572008-12-19T16:10:00.000-08:002008-12-19T16:10:49.568-08:00"Girl I Got My Eyes on You," Today (4/8/89)What's that? You say you want more New Jack-ish, bland uptempo R&B sung by a male group? Well, you're in luck... C+Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-88234965320104285592008-12-19T16:08:00.000-08:002008-12-19T16:08:18.140-08:00"Lucky Charm," The Boys (4/1/89)Every generation needs its teen idols, I guess. At least it's not as bad as "Dial My Heart" - just painfully generic uptempo candy-R&B. What I don't get is how this got to #1 - I mean, I really can't fathom much of anyone over the age of, say, 16, actively enjoying this. CThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-54329462100295715822008-12-12T20:38:00.000-08:002008-12-12T20:39:45.407-08:00"Closer Than Friends," Surface (3/18/89)And with this, an R&B supernova trio hit the motherlode, starting a run of four #1s, out of five singles, in under two years. Sure, they'd already had a pair of top 3 singles (1987's much-loved "Happy" and 1988's "I Missed"), but this was where Surface exploded. Three years from this, they couldn't get arrested: their early-'92 single "....A Nice Time for Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-48858116841648703062008-12-12T20:11:00.000-08:002008-12-12T20:14:24.615-08:00"Just Coolin'," Levert (featuring Heavy D) (3/11/89)Generic cod-New Jack from a group which should've known better, with a rapper who arguably didn't. C+Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-60205408281763961112008-12-12T20:09:00.000-08:002008-12-12T20:10:14.844-08:00"Just Because," Anita Baker (3/14/89)Credit for the subtly funky bass goes to journeyman Nathan East; credit for another great Anita Baker single with a bridge that takes you somewhere goes to writers Michael O'Hara, Sami McKinney, and Alex Brown; credit for the just-glistening-enough-without-feeling-oily production goes, as ever, to Baker's right hand man Michael J. Powell (who produced Rapture,Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-53359996326029145742008-12-12T19:33:00.000-08:002008-12-12T19:33:52.262-08:00"Dreamin'," Vanessa Williams (2/18/89)The voice is as fully-formed as you remember it from her later ballad (pop) smashes, even on her first album - and this midtempo-to-ballad is just as classy (and not as drippy) as those that would come later, too. Sure, she looked a bit tarty on the cover of The Right Stuff, but the voice (and tunes) sure as hell came through - and the imaging would come, as Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-65601199017085841652008-12-07T00:23:00.000-08:002008-12-12T20:01:09.769-08:00"Can You Stand the Rain," New Edition (2/4/89)New Edition's 1988 album Heart Break was their first without Bobby Brown and with new member Johnny Gill, and was their most successful ever, reeling off four top 4 hits in a row. The addition of Gill, a silky-voiced wonder, sure didn't hurt - and neither did production and songwriting from the A-team of Jimmy "Jam" and Terry Lewis. Not only did Jam Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-70647921338582228722008-12-07T00:01:00.000-08:002008-12-07T00:10:40.883-08:00"Superwoman," Karyn White (1/14/89)1989 saw an amazing 37 songs top the R&B chart; this song was the only one to last 3 weeks at #1, and it earned it. White's second single was a perfectly-written, -arranged, -produced, and -sung ballad from the kings of class, L.A. and Babyface. "Superwoman" is a serious female-empowerment ode that became an anthem for a certain group of women, those not treatedThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-52065616413949387772008-12-06T23:56:00.000-08:002008-12-07T00:00:52.710-08:00"Oasis," Roberta Flack (1/7/89)A full 11 years after her last #1, '78's "The Closer I Get to You" (with Donny Hathaway) - and a half-decade since she'd even hit the R&B top 40 ('83's "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love," with Peabo Bryson, which hit #5) - Flack came back hugely with this one song, a very perky, sax-spiked uptempo cut full of bland platitudes and blander production. She deserved better.Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-46693184840736569092008-11-29T16:57:00.000-08:002008-11-29T17:34:33.448-08:00"Tumblin' Down," Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers (12/24/88)One of the most perplexing, befuddling #1s of the entire decade - how in the world did a Marley, let alone one named Ziggy, go where no Marley had ever gone before: to the top of the U.S. R&B charts?! (The highest his father Bob ever got was #19, with 1977's "Exodus.") And of all people, the major assist came from Talking Heads' Chris Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-4140841267249133422008-11-29T15:17:00.000-08:002008-11-29T16:55:22.900-08:00"Everything I Miss at Home," Cherrelle (12/17/88)Jam & Lewis helmed this glorious no-apologies cheating ballad for their favorite female singer (I don't doubt that Miss Jackson was their fave femme artist, but Cherrelle can sang) and with it helped her to her sole #1 (after a pair of #2 hits alongside Alexander O'Neal, "Saturday Love" (1986) and "Never Knew Love Like This" (early 1988)). Mind youThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-13638633744052919532008-11-29T15:13:00.000-08:002008-11-29T15:17:05.432-08:00"Dial My Heart," The Boys (12/10/88)From Joel Whitburn's Top R&B Singles: "Quartet of brothers, ages 9-14 in 1988, from Northridge, California: Khiry (lead), Hakeem, Tajh, and Bilal Samad. All are members of performing gymnastic troupes." So what you get is New jack Swing-lite production fronted by cloyingly cutesy tweener b-boys. Yeah, it's as bad as you think, and we're not done with 'em... D+Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-16406271452363715272008-11-29T15:08:00.000-08:002008-11-29T15:13:03.615-08:00"Hey Lover," Freddie Jackson (12/3/88)This certainly helps wash away the nasty residue of that last song. Synth'd xylophone and flute trills add some cinnamon to another warm Jackson confection, just in time for the holidays. No points for guessing it's midtempo. BThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1209339551175959852008-11-29T15:03:00.000-08:002008-11-29T15:08:00.271-08:00"Thanks for My Child," Cheryl Pepsii Riley (11/26/88)Oh dear sweet FUCK this is vile - the utter height of batheticness, marrying a very stripped-down track that sounds as if it were played almost completely on a Casio keyboard, with a disgustingly oily ode to single motherhood. Did I forget to mention the chain-jerking addition of the sound of a laughing baby at various moments? Seriously, folksThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-50529099456895414222008-11-29T13:27:00.000-08:002008-12-12T19:59:37.390-08:00"Giving You the Best That I Got," Anita Baker (11/12/88)Coming off the humongous success of Rapture, Baker was due for a #1, and delivered with this superbly supper-club-jazzy, relaxed-but-not-sleepy R&B midtempo bomb. Perfect backing vocalists, perfectly arranged; a song whose bridge actually does something; a lyric for the ages ("I like the sound of your song/and I think I wanna sing it foreverThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-9944955689763727572008-11-29T13:25:00.000-08:002008-11-29T13:27:15.162-08:00"Any Love," Luther Vandross (11/5/88)THAT VOICE, a chorus that actually goes somewhere, and verses that are all-too-sadly earthbound. Which would, all-too-sadly, become LV's ballad template. B-Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-82361863482396517672008-11-29T13:17:00.000-08:002008-11-29T13:24:47.741-08:00"The Way You Love Me," Karyn White (10/29/88)You say you'd like to meet a new star? How about a woman with model-quality looks who came up through the biz ranks as a session singer and touring backing vocalist (for the snoozy one-time-only chart-topper O'Bryan), had a creamy, lovely voice with just the right touch of sass, and eventually married superproducer Terry Lewis? The last is slightly Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-40487673943100027352008-11-29T13:07:00.000-08:002008-11-29T13:16:31.800-08:00"My Prerogative," Bobby Brown (10/15/88)New Jack Swing: The Manifesto. And a superstar is born. A-Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-52117592232830932392008-11-29T12:54:00.000-08:002008-11-29T13:06:26.105-08:00"Addicted to You," Levert (10/1/88)With production very similar to, though not quite as good as, the record which followed it at #1, and a better singer on the lead (leader Gerald Levert), why does this fall a bit flat(ter)? A couple of reasons: while the production is actually pretty damn hot, it's not quite as dynamic as what came after; the singer, while better, isn't as charisma-laden as his Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-41079831409318936682008-11-29T12:45:00.000-08:002008-11-29T12:53:42.487-08:00"She's on the Left," Jeffrey Osborne (9/24/88)Well, hello there Mr. Osborne! After fronting L.T.D. on a trio of #1s from 1976-78 (the glorious "Love Ballad," "Back in Love Again," and "Holding On"), Osborne embarked on a solo career, racking up considerable success with the likes of "I Really Don't Need No Light" (#3, 1982), "Don't You Get So Mad" and "Stay with Me Tonight" (#3 and #4, 1983), "Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-90305309945849558402008-11-29T12:38:00.000-08:002008-11-29T12:44:32.567-08:00"Another Part of Me," Michael Jackson (9/17/88)Jacko notched up 5 #1s from Bad on both the pop and R&B charts. The first four hit it on both, but for the fifth, pop radio went for "Dirty Diana" (#5 R&B) while R&B went for "Another Part of Me" (#11 pop). In its synthesized, mechanized pulse, it's certainly more cod-soulful than the Steve Stevens-featuring "Diana," but then again it's not exactly Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-37966671478908596872008-11-29T12:20:00.000-08:002008-11-29T12:37:19.018-08:00"Nice 'N' Slow," Freddie Jackson (8/27/88)The release of a new Jackson album - his third, 1988's Don't Let Love Slip Away - of course, meant some more chart-toppers, especially coming on the heels of his massive sophomore effort. That album, Just Like the First Time, was actually bigger than his first time, spinning off an astounding quintet of top-2 singles (including the Melba Moore-top-billed Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-38223213292856887892008-09-21T11:46:00.000-07:002008-09-21T11:57:06.766-07:00"Loosey's Rap," Rick James featuring Roxanne Shante (8/20/88)Now, this was unexpected. A full 5 years and 2 weeks after his last #1, the king of punk-funk made one final, surprise, fleeting return to the top - with an assist from Roxanne Shante, of all people (not exactly burning up the charts herself in '88). "Loosey's" is a very stripped-down track - to an extent, you can tell Rick was pretty Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-7164872862643020932008-09-21T11:32:00.000-07:002008-09-21T11:44:47.355-07:00"Off On Your Own (Girl)," Al B. Sure! (8/6/88)Barely more than 3 months elapsed before Sure! followed his first, seismic chart-topper with his second, a much more saucy track in which its singer warns a girl against doing things that will result in her ending up - you guessed it - off on her own. Girl. It's lovely, light, dispensable R&B, expertly made/produced, well sung, and you'll never miss Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-52637504429451126292008-07-08T20:41:00.000-07:002008-07-08T20:41:57.676-07:00"Don't Be Cruel," Bobby Brown (7/23/88)Hear that, travelling towards us through space from way back in '88? That's the sound of a supernova being created, one which just years later would collapse into a black hole. But what glorious years we got in between. I'm a fan, a big fan, of Brown as a solo artist - you can find proof positive of that here - and you can call this Exhibit A, if you'd like.Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-72513208010815200382008-07-08T19:57:00.000-07:002008-07-08T20:10:48.738-07:00"Roses Are Red," Mac Band featuring the MacCampbell Brothers (7/16/88)According to Joel Whitburn's Top R&B Singles, the Mac Band were a "Dallas-based, eight-member group from Flint, Michigan," whose four vocalists were, naturally, the MacCampbell brothers - Charles, Derrick, Kelvin, and Ray, in case you were wondering. Kind of like the Gap Band with pleasantly anonymous vocals, all the rough Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-18551966949568778572008-07-08T12:33:00.000-07:002008-07-08T12:35:30.454-07:00"Paradise," Sade (7/9/88)After the massive success of their debut Diamond Life, when it came time for album number two, fans were ready, and Helen Folasade Adu and her band delivered with a song which couldn't help but be a smash - and their first #1. "Paradise" is an easy-rocking groove with a wickedly (and surprisingly) fat bassline that conjures up island breezes... God, I sound like a Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-62165976300608613772008-07-08T12:16:00.000-07:002008-07-08T12:32:13.483-07:00"Joy," Teddy Pendergrass (6/25/88)Some 6 years after an auto accident left the great Teddy P paralyzed from the waist down, and some 4 years after he introduced the world to Whitney Houston with the duet "Hold Me" (a top 5 R&B single), he returned to his rightful place atop the R&B chart for the first time in a decade with "Joy," a single which proved that he could rock the drum machines as well Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-46186016966072478192008-07-05T16:53:00.000-07:002008-07-05T17:20:04.205-07:00"One More Try," George Michael (6/18/88)How in the world this became his sole #1 R&B hit (even "I Knew You Were Waiting" only got to #5!) I will never, ever understand. Not only is this the whitest single released from Faith, which really is a kind of great black pop album, but this isn't just a ballad, it's a fucking dirge. I love GM, but this is the worst single of his career (until the last 5 Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-62842068666763733592007-10-31T11:36:00.000-07:002007-10-31T11:38:40.070-07:00"Little Walter," Tony! Toni! Toné (6/11/88)Boy, this sure as hell didn't point towards what a funky band they'd eventually become. Raphael Saadiq sounds nice - when doesn't he? - but otherwise, this is mostly not-much-special '88 R&B by numbers. Not bad, just (you know it) a little dull. B-Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-15498271875312508832007-10-31T10:24:00.000-07:002007-10-31T10:31:37.122-07:00"Just Got Paid," Johnny Kemp (5/28/88)Well-produced but largely soulless New Jack, thanks to producer Teddy Riley and co-writer/singer Kemp. Talkin' loud and sayin' nothing, really, and a track this hard(ish) deserved better. CThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-6211711869267961882007-09-20T12:58:00.000-07:002008-07-12T12:11:32.490-07:00"Mercedes Boy," Pebbles (5/21/88)Far superior to her previous hit, "Mercedes" gives the admittedly limited Pebbles the opportunity to rev up her engine (sorry) on a song which, frankly, deserves a far better singer - but doesn't require one. Like much of the best freestyle, "Mercedes" would be great no matter who's singing, thanks to producers L.A. and Babyface. Tough, mechanistic R&B is the Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-44091588305707126052007-09-20T10:22:00.000-07:002007-09-20T13:00:28.555-07:00"Nite and Day," Al B. Sure! (4/30/88)Impact-wise, this hits so much harder than something like "I Want Her," even as it's gloriously so much softer. Not only did Sure! make a huge fashion splash amongst black America (seriously, Al made acid- and stone-washed denim), he crucially brought high-pitched male vocals back to the roost. He's got a sexy(ish) lower register, yes, but it's when singing Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-83737464406208397342007-09-19T09:23:00.000-07:002007-09-19T09:24:09.959-07:00"Da' Butt," E.U. (4/23/88)...and now for something completely different. Go-go is basically funk with a syncopated, percussive twist. It's never made much of a national impact outside of the D.C. area (where, for some reason, go-go started and has always been huge), with two exceptions: in 1978, Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers topped the R&B chart with "Bustin' Loose," and a decade later, E.U.Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-26468909598248596362007-09-18T11:24:00.000-07:002007-09-18T11:30:18.250-07:00"Get Out of My Dreams, Get Into My Car," Billy Ocean (4/16/88)Not with those muddy shoes on you don't, mister.This is VILE assembly-line pop, and I hate it. D-Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-11514678436045612632007-09-07T09:13:00.000-07:002007-09-07T09:13:15.107-07:00"Ooo La La La," Teena Marie (4/9/88)Amazing to me that after all of the adulation she rightly received in the early years of her career, and all the hits she had cf. "Square Biz," "Behind the Groove," etc., it wasn't until 1988 that the imcomparable Lady T had her first (and only, to date) R&B #1 - and with a black adult-contempo ballad, no less! Fortunately it's a rich 'n' creamy slow-dancin' Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-82453490449635372932007-09-07T08:59:00.000-07:002007-09-07T09:06:27.592-07:00"Wishing Well," Terence Trent D'Arby (4/2/88)Talk about your supernovas... He was good, damned talented, but believed way too much of his own press. Hell, he could've written it, much of it was so fawning. But while he cribbed from so many, from Sam Cooke (and not just the "Who's Lovin' You" cover, either) to Prince, nobody sounded quite like TTD; that's still the case. After his first two albumsThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-2398146692382454292007-08-30T12:36:00.000-07:002007-08-30T12:41:29.003-07:00"Man in the Mirror," Michael Jackson (3/26/88)It's a "change," sure enough, but not for the better: his first true artistic dud of a single since before Off the Wall, this is a maudlin, up-with-people soupy kind of ballad that Michael loves all too much, and has become all too reliant on from this point on. "Inspirational," not inspirational. CThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1939299544708697732007-08-28T11:08:00.000-07:002007-08-28T11:14:44.583-07:00"Fishnet," Morris Day (3/12/88)Well, hello, Morris! The lead singer of the Time had heretofore never made it to the top of the charts with his former (and future) band, so what a delight to welcome him to #1 with his first, and best, solo single. As absurd as it is, that is - and it's definitely absurd. Morris spends "Fishnet" furiously mixing fishing and hosiery metaphors. I'm not kidding. Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-68756715768775031362007-08-28T10:58:00.000-07:002007-08-28T11:08:10.996-07:00"You Will Know," Stevie Wonder (3/5/88)The great wonder's final #1 (though he'd go top 10 another five times, going to the Characters well two more times and notching up three from his 1991 Jungle Fever soundtrack) is a sweet - occasionally saccharine-sweet - ballad in the vein of "Overjoyed." While its lyrics wander into cliché at times, musically it's rather simple and lovely, Stevie blissfullyThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-52541997824619128352007-08-28T10:56:00.000-07:002007-08-28T10:58:10.114-07:00"Girlfriend," Pebbles (2/20/88)Little personality + less vocal ability + an identikit LA & 'Face production = not much. As light as a breeze, and just as forgettable. C+Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-89641303755440313812007-08-24T12:19:00.000-07:002007-08-24T12:19:24.254-07:00"I Want Her," Keith Sweat (1/30/88)Today it's seen as some sort of seismic jolt, as the quote-unquote capital-F first New Jack Swing track to top the R&B chart, but taken in its context, it doesn't sound very different from its peers at all. Exciting as machine-music - and that's the key; on this track, Sweat nearly could've been a robot. That's a testament to the song's structure, mind. BThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-23852196537994647542007-08-14T09:06:00.000-07:002007-08-14T09:09:50.824-07:00"Love Overboard," Gladys Knight & the Pips (1/23/88)Yes, you read it right - Knight's final R&B chart-topper came in 1988. Of course the only things this has in common with the likes of "Midnight Train to Georgia" are Gladys and her eternal Pips, but so what? This is a well-produced side of contempo casual, made special by that voice, arguably one of the more recognizable soul leads of the past Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-31142183791773013972007-08-09T09:37:00.000-07:002007-08-09T09:38:23.056-07:00"The Way You Make Me Feel," Michael Jackson (12/26/87)Jacko was clearly sleepwalking through this more-pop-than-R&B 3rd single from Bad. Made for maximum commercial impact, there's not much more than market research to be found here. B-Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-65664346029235220482007-08-09T08:53:00.000-07:002007-08-09T09:10:05.641-07:00"I Want to Be Your Man," Roger (12/19/87)The late Roger Troutman was the most - vocal? - proponent/user of the vocoder until T-Pain, I guess; but while Troutman had more musical chops, T-Pain seems to know when to leave it alone. Which is crucial, because few "instruments" can be more annoying. Ostensibly a Roger solo single, but really not much different from Zapp, albeit significantly less Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-75974869090644911162007-08-08T14:21:00.000-07:002007-08-08T14:25:25.063-07:00"System of Survival," Earth, Wind & Fire (12/12/87)This is an odd one, mainly because it sounds (apart from some horn blasts) nearly nothing like EW+F. Okay, apart from the horns and those lovely vocal harmonies - but my point is that the ultra-slick production makes it sound as if it could be nearly any late-'80s (pre-New Jack Swing) R&B group. Like "Skeletons" before it, this is a nominally Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-88939304049982174112007-08-08T09:36:00.000-07:002007-08-08T09:43:03.451-07:00"Skeletons," Stevie Wonder (11/28/07)Tighter and funkier than anything on In Square Circle, but missing a bit of something - spice, perhaps? Its elasticity is impressive, though. B+Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-49722052218920979512007-08-08T09:13:00.000-07:002007-08-08T09:23:19.177-07:00"Angel," Angela Winbush (11/14/87)This is precisely how you pull off of-the-moment and timeless, simultaneously: 1. Write a great song. 2. Sing the hell out of it. 3. Produce it understatedly - going with "adult," "classy" production is generally a good move (especially as far as ensuring a timeless quality goes). Winbush's prowess behind the boards should've been well-known enough by this point,Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1147809683020087112006-05-16T13:00:00.000-07:002007-08-08T09:13:08.924-07:00"Lovin' You," the O'Jays (11/7/87)Autopilot mature soul balladry, what else you wanna know? B Addendum: But never underestimate the importance of great, great singing - especially when it's coming from legends such as these. (Original grade: B-.)Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1147809325819093212006-05-16T12:40:00.000-07:002006-05-16T14:06:35.966-07:00"Bad," Michael Jackson (10/17/87)Can anyone who was cognizant of pop (in its greater sense) in 1987 hear those four ascending notes which open "Bad" and not identify it immediately? If that's not enough, there's its snaky, sleek groove (courtesy of a Q. Jones, whaddaya know). "Bad" succeeds in part because of the severe contrast between Michael's singing (all clenched-teeth, very stiff, at least Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1147282434589454422006-05-10T09:44:00.000-07:002007-08-09T09:37:24.513-07:00"(You're Puttin') A Rush On Me," Stephanie Mills (10/10/87)As Roberta Flack once sang, uh-uh ooh-ooh look out - here it comes. This is an utterly leviathan record, and one which warrants some personal background. Back in its day, I was still a city-boy teenager stranded on a northern Indiana farm. There was no R&B radio to speak of for miles and miles - but with the right weather conditions (Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1147279104989237902006-05-10T09:32:00.000-07:002006-05-10T09:38:24.990-07:00"Lost In Emotion," Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam (10/3/87)Okay, maybe I should've given "Head to Toe" better than a C. But not this watered-down pop-soul, even if Lisa Lisa does everything in her reach to improve it. Something about fighting losing battles comes to mind... CThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1147278717833746182006-05-10T09:25:00.000-07:002006-05-10T09:31:57.846-07:00"I Need Love," LL Cool J (9/26/87)...which astute readers of this blog, and/or general music freaks will know as the very first hip-hop record to make it to the top of the R&B chart. Akin to the way many say the first black U.S. president will have to be a conservative, the first hip-hop single to be an R&B #1 was a ballad, a love song, a sensitive treatise from not-a-boy-not-yet-a-man Todd SmithThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1138162230929158412006-01-24T20:05:00.000-08:002006-01-24T20:10:30.930-08:00"I Just Can't Stop Loving You," Michael Jackson (9/19/87)Anticipation is through the roof, really off the charts, as Action Jackson's about to drop the first single from Bad, his follow-up to the biggest selling album of all time, and he delivers - this? I think it's fair to say that most of the world was fairly stunned that MJ launched Bad with this near-duet with Siedah Garrett, a lush, simply Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1138161844249372412006-01-24T19:57:00.000-08:002006-01-24T20:04:04.263-08:00"Love Is A House," Force M.D.'s (9/5/87)Their one and only charttopper - you always assumed "Tender Love" did the duty, didn't you? But that enduring smash just made it to #4 R&B (#10 pop) in early '86 - this is where the Force M.D.'s did their real tender lovin', imploring a honey to "open up and let me into your heart." Ah, romance. Nutrasweet production, lovely vocals (you expected different?)Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1125020562161893612005-08-25T18:41:00.000-07:002005-08-25T18:42:42.163-07:00"Casanova," Levert (8/22/87)A little overly ubiquitous - well, in some quarters - but the more you listen, really listen to it, the more you realize that its ubiquity is rather deserved. Gerald's voice, still fairly new to the R&B world, is like butter sizzling in bacon grease, mostly smooth but with a little bit of rasp for flavor. Sure, the production here's a little uninspiring, but give 'em aThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1125020454623661852005-08-25T18:35:00.000-07:002005-08-25T18:40:54.630-07:00"Jam Tonight," Freddie Jackson (8/15/87)Damn if he didn't make it look so effortless. Freddie's 6th chart-topper in just over 2 years follows his non-ballad template; it's enough to get you finger-snapping and moving just so, but you'd never confuse the tempo (or Freddie's delivery) for frenzied. He never breaks a sweat, and sometimes, there's something to be said for that. Just as there is for Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1125019800609800982005-08-25T18:28:00.000-07:002005-08-25T18:30:00.616-07:00"The Pleasure Principle," Janet Jackson (8/8/87)And here's the fifth of those five Jam & Lewis R&B #1s of '87 - and the best. The single greatest single that either they, or Janet, have ever had a hand in, this takes their hard, dry dance music to its natural apotheosis: musically "The Pleasure Principle" has much more in common with the techno coming out of Detroit in '87 (such as Rythim Is Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1124862837886459782005-08-23T22:54:00.000-07:002005-08-23T22:53:57.886-07:00"Fake," Alexander O'Neal (7/25/87)The fourth of a rather astounding five R&B #1s Jam and Lewis had as producers in 1987, this is an atom bomb of a single. O'Neal's Hearsay is in my opinion the greatest album the duo had a hand in - and, in fact, the best R&B album of the entire decade not by their former boss - a perfect cocktail of superb vocals (from longtime Minneapolis journeyman O'Neal, who Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1124862649886217762005-08-23T22:50:00.000-07:002005-08-23T22:50:49.886-07:00"I Feel Good All Over," Stephanie Mills (7/4/87)One of only four of '87's charttoppers to spend more than a fortnight at the summit (3 weeks), this shoulda-been-on-Broadway big ballad spotlit Mills' tremendous voice to fine effect - but her best was yet to come. B+Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1124862614653363792005-08-23T22:49:00.000-07:002005-08-23T22:50:14.653-07:00"Diamonds," Herb Alpert (Janet Jackson) (6/20/87)Now, this is more fucking like it. When you're the label boss, you can call in favors galore, and when it came time for his 1987 comeback album Keep Your Eye On Me, that's exactly what Herb Alpert (the "A" in A&M Records) did. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, damned near ruling the world by this time thanks largely to Miss Jackson, sat behind the boards Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1124862304267314362005-08-23T22:44:00.000-07:002005-08-23T22:45:04.266-07:00"Rock Steady," the Whispers (6/13/87)If I'm not mistaken, this was L.A. (Reid) and Babyface's first #1 as producers, which is proof that everyone's gotta start somewhere - and it's usually not the best place. This is identikit production, a vapid song, and a vocal group well past its prime grabbing desperately for one last hit - which they certainly got in this "jammin' oldies" perennial. Ick. D+Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1124862243078102892005-08-23T22:43:00.000-07:002005-08-23T22:44:03.080-07:00"Head to Toe," Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam (5/30/87)They were better with Full Force - the entirety of their sophomore album was far too poppy for its own good (and far too '87, as well), proving that Full Force were the ones who kept the proceedings fairly, er, "street," not Lisa Lisa. "Head to Toe" isn't bad, but it's mediocre, which is often worse. CThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1124861966251975392005-08-23T22:36:00.000-07:002005-08-23T22:39:26.256-07:00"Always," Atlantic Starr (5/16/87)Isn't this a maxi-pad commercial? Yes, it's an easy cheap shot, but when you record a ballad this bathetically bad, you deserve it. DThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1118122743828642892005-06-06T22:39:00.000-07:002005-06-06T22:40:11.020-07:00"There's Nothing Better Than Love," Luther Vandross (With Gregory Hines) (5/9/87)Luther on '80s-midtempo/ballad autopilot, with the inexplicable addition of Hines, who may have amazing feet but whose voice is a bit on the thin and reedy side - especially when paired against Luther's mellifluous tones. Luther on '80s-midtempo/ballad autopilot isn't the worst thing. But it's not the best, either. BThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1118122599456697612005-06-06T22:35:00.000-07:002005-06-06T22:36:39.456-07:00"Don't Disturb This Groove," The System (5/2/87)A caramel candy drop of a synthed pop single sauced with electric guitar, this oddly ascended the heights of the R&B chart despite being about as funky as George Jones. The hook melts in your mouth, not your hands. A-Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1118122532200928662005-06-06T22:34:00.000-07:002005-06-06T22:35:32.203-07:00"Sign 'O' the Times," Prince (4/11/87)Seemingly simple but with more and more layers as the song progresses, the title track of Prince's best album is a cultural snapshot of its, well, times, which makes it a little dated. But not by much. B+Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1115169622164151552005-05-03T18:22:00.000-07:002005-05-03T18:20:22.170-07:00"Looking For A New Love," Jody Watley (3/21/87)Former Revolution-ary Bobby Z provided the tough drum-machine beats, but former Shalamar singer Jody brough the atti-ma-tude, as the chillen might say (or at least did back in the day). This is a fairly simple song, one which Paula Abdul could've ruined, but Jody makes it work by working it - and it helped to earn her a Best New Artist Grammy a year Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1115169543330917622005-05-03T18:17:00.000-07:002005-05-03T18:19:03.336-07:00"Let's Wait Awhile," Janet Jackson (3/14/87)Charmingly innocent back when she could still sell it, if a little on the boring side (though I'm certain her "I promise, I'll be worth the wait" line gave a nation of teenaged boys boners). Ballads have never been her strongest point, anyway. BThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1114737717873284922005-04-28T18:22:00.000-07:002005-04-28T18:21:57.873-07:00"Slow Down," Loose Ends (3/7/87)Proving there was more to 'em than "Hangin' On A String" - but not by much - the UK trio struck again with what was basically "String"-lite. As is most of their ouevre. But with a blueprint like "String," that ouevre is more solid than you might expect. B+Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1114737576999073642005-04-28T18:18:00.000-07:002005-04-28T18:19:37.000-07:00"Have You Ever Loved Somebody," Freddie Jackson (2/21/87)...and welcome to the wonderful world of record labels' release schedules, which caused Freddie to replace Melba at #1 twice in 3 months. [The charts also moved faster back then: in 1987 alone there were 32 singles which topped the R&B chart; last year, it was less than half that.] This song's opening harp strum brings to mind "Sukiyaki" (Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5997087.post-1114737460009446282005-04-28T18:13:00.000-07:002005-04-28T18:17:40.010-07:00"Falling," Melba Moore (2/14/87)Well, she certainly made the most of that Freddie Jackson duet, didn't she? This midtempo track is better than that ballad, but not by so perceptibly much, beyond the fact that her voice is in full-bodied flower here. B-Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15959778163280956390noreply@blogger.com0