6/18/15 O&A Throwback Thursday: In da Club- 50 Cent

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In da Club performed by rapper 50 Cent from his debut studio album Get Rich or Die Tryin (2003). The song was written by 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, and Mike Elizondo and produced by Dr. Dre with co-production credit from Elizondo. The song’s music video won Best Rap Video and Best New Artist at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards.  In da Club has since sold over 2,000,000 copies.  Continue reading

(REPOST) 6/11/15 O&A THROWBACK THURSDAY: Missing You- Diana Ross (For Chadwick Boseman)

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Missing You, written, composed, and produced by Lionel Richie as a tribute to Marvin Gaye, who had died earlier that year. The video includes, as well as still photographs and tribute clips of Gaye himself, tribute clips of former Supremes singer Florence Ballard and of Paul Williams of The Temptations, both Motown artists who had died in the 1970s. Continue reading

Throwback Thursday: Labelle- Lady Marmalade (1975) Plus Encore Performance

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Patti Labelle and the Bluebells changed their name and their musical style and reinvented themselves as Labelle in 1971. The group is remembered as a trio featuring Patti LaBelle, Sarah Dash and Nona Hendryx, but originally the group also included Cindy Birdsong.  Their funk rock recordings of that period were cult favorites and gained notoriety for their brash interpretation of rock and roll and for dealing with subject matter that was not touched by black groups. Continue reading

5/28/15 O&A Throwback Thursday: Minnie Riperton

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Minnie Riperton, singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single Lovin’ You.  She was one of the first celebrities to go public with her breast cancer diagnosis, but did not disclose she was terminally ill. In 1977, she became a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society.  She received the American Cancer Society’s Courage Award in 1978, which was presented to her at the White House by President Jimmy Carter.  She was married to songwriter and music producer Richard Rudolph from 1972 until her death in 1979. They had two children: music engineer Marc Rudolph and actress/comedienne Maya Rudolph. She died at age 31 on July 12, 1979. Continue reading

5/14/15 O&A Throwback Thursday: Rick James- Super Freak and Give It to Me Baby

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Rick James was influenced by singers such as Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson, James started singing in doo-wop and R&B groups as a teenager in his hometown of Buffalo, New York. 1981’s Street Songs, launched him into superstardom thanks to the hit singles, Give It to Me Baby and Super Freak, the latter song becoming his signature song for the rest of his life, and the basis of MC Hammer’s biggest hit, U Can’t Touch This.

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His biggest crossover hit, Super Freak, which peaked at number sixteen on the Billboard Hot 100, and sold over a million copies. 

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Give It To Me Baby

 

5/7/15 O&A Throwback Thursday: Donna Summer- Love To Love You Baby and MacArthur Park

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Donna Summer, a five-time Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter gained prominence during the disco era of the late 1970s. Summer has reportedly sold over 140 million records, making her one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time. She hols the distinction as the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach No. 1 on the United States Billboard album chart and four number-one singles in the United States within a 12-month period.

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Love to Love You Baby is a song by American singer and songwriter Donna Summer released in 1975. It became one of the first ever disco hits to also be released in an extended form. The final recording lasted over sixteen minutes, and contained the sexiest “simulated” orgasms ever found on vinyl. According to the BBC, the song contained 23 “orgasms”. In an interview in 1976, Summer responded to a number of questions that she claimed she’d been asked about the process of recording the song: “Everyone’s asking, ‘Were you alone in the studio?’ Yes, I was alone in the studio. ‘Did you touch yourself?’ Yes, well, actually I had my hand on my knee. ‘Did you fantasize on anything?’ Yes, on my handsome boyfriend Peter.

Love To Love You Baby-Soul Train (1976)

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MacArthur Park is a song which Jimmy Webb originally wrote and composed as part of an intended cantata. Webb initially brought the entire cantata to The Association, but the group rejected it. Among the best-known covers are Donna Summer’s disco arrangement from 1978. In the autumn of 1978 Donna Summer released a multi-million selling vinyl single disco version of MacArthur Park. This reached number one on the American pop music sales charts for three weeks during 1978, and it was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Summer was also nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Female at the American Music Awards.

MacArthur Park- Live (1978)

4/30/15/ O&A Throwback Thursday: Jeffrey Osborne Love Ballad – Live Concert

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Jeffrey Osborne started his music career in 1970 with a band called Love Men Ltd., who would later become known as L.T.D. The band recorded hit singles such as (Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again, Concentrate on You, and Love Ballad. Continue reading

4/23/15 O&A Throwback Thursday: Peabo Bryson- Can You Stand The Rain

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Peabo Bryson is a R&B and soul singer-songwriter. The Greenville, South Carolina native is best known for singing soft-rock ballads (often as a duo with female singers) and his contribution to several Disney animated feature soundtracks. Continue reading

4/16/15 O&A Throwback Thursday: Michael Jackson- Dirty Diana

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Dirty Diana is a song by American singer Michael Jackson featuring Billy Idol’s  guitarist Steve Stevens. This music video won the Number One Video In The World at the second World Music Awards held on April 14, 1989. Dirty Diana was the second hard rock song of his solo career, with lyrics about a persistent groupie.  Continue reading

4/9/15 O&A THROWBACK THURSDAY: Stevie Wonder

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Stevland Hardaway Morris known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is a child prodigy, who has become one of the most creative and loved musical performers of the late 20th century. Continue reading