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. 

Super Freak

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Give It To Me Baby

 

5/8/15 O&A Music: Kenya- “Music = Air”…Without It, She Simply Doesn’t Breathe

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Vocalist/Songwriter Kenya delivers smooth soulful vocals. Her jazz influence creates music that embodies a contemporary groove and has charted on the US R&B Billboard Chart as well as the Top 10 UK Soul Chart and other European radio charts. Inspired by American singer/songwriters such as Stevie Wonder & Lalah Hathaway and international groups like Incognito & Brand New Heavies, Kenya admits that “Music = air”…without it, she simply doesn’t breathe. Continue reading

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)

5/4/15 O&A With WaleStylez Song Of The Day Mariah Carey – Angels Cry ft. Ne-Yo

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Angels Cry by Mariah Carey from her twelfth studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel (2009). The remix version featuring  Ne-Yo released as a single by Island Records on February 23, 2010. Continue reading

5/2/15 O&A Its Saturday- Anything Goes: Diana ! Diana Ross Special Featuring The Jackson 5 (1971)

It is Saturday

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Diana! Diana Ross’ first solo TV special, which aired on ABC on April 18, 1971. The special featured performances by The Jackson 5, and Jackson 5 lead singer Michael Jackson’s solo debut. Other guests included Danny Thomas and Bill Cosby. 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

4/22/15 O&A Music: The “Hoff” Is Back- David Hasselhoff – True Survivor

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True Survivor is the ultimate homage to the decade of excess, featuring David Hasselhoff belting out a power anthem that would be right at home during a training montage in Rocky, The Karate Kid, or just about any buddy cop movie from the ’80s. Kung Fury is an insane-looking martial arts/comedy movie that’s been generating a fairly large amount of Internet buzz thanks to its plotline involving a renegade cop going back in time to kill Hitler, the Kung Fuhrer Continue reading

4/18/15 O&A Its Saturday- Anything Goes: Tina Turner – Live In Amsterdam

It is Saturday

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Tina Turner’s amazing three-night stint at the Amsterdam Arena in September, 1996, where she performed all her biggest hits in a spectacular visual production. Continue reading

4/15/15 O&A With WaleStylez: Song Of The Day- Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment – Sunday Candy

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The song by Donnie Trumpet and The Social Experiment is a heartfelt one inspired by Chance’s grandmother. Fueled by the lush sounds of live instruments, the song quickly became a fan-favorite. The entertaining clip should only draw in more listeners. Continue reading

4/14/15 O&A With WaleStylez – Song Of The Day: Chrisette Michele – A Couple Of Forevers

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Chrisette Michele is a Grammy Award-winning R&B and soul singer-songwriter.She has won a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2009 for her song Be OK. Continue reading