Emotion: Stone cold
Artist: The Artist (Formerly Known As Prince)
Track: Last Heart
Album: Crystal Ball
Release Details: NPG Records, 1998
Whilst digging through some old CD’s this afternoon I found one of Prince’s unofficial ‘Bootleg’ albums ‘Crystal Ball’ which features this #emotionalpop beauty.
Hi Niles…
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James Morton is a funny lad. He’s also intensely emotional about R&B. Regarde…
Emotion : The Horn
Artist : Jodeci
Track : Freek’n You
Release Details : Uptown/MCA, 1995
Is there any emotion as all-encompassing as lust?
It consumes the soul, fogs the brain and make you feel all tingly, like.
Jodeci knew this and their best songs are borderline psychedelic, so dense they are with pure, palpable libidinous rapture.
Freek’n You is what an erection would sing if it could. It’s also delightfully prudish, the word ‘freek’ used in place of, well, all the other words you can use for sweet, sweet intercourse.
We live in a time when Enrique Iglesias of all people can release a single called ‘Tonight I’m Fucking You’.
I want to go back to when groups like Jodeci could project total licentious desire with just a few well-placed euphemisms.
What is that warm feeling? Is it nostalgia. Oh… No. No it’s not.
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Emotion : Loss
Artist : DeBarge
Track : A Dream
Album : In A Special Way
Release Details : Gordy, 1983
Now, we were once two niggas of the same kind, quick to holla at a hoochie with the same line. You were just a little smaller but you still rolled. Got stressed the wide eight and hit the hood stroll. Remember when ya’ had a jerry curl? Didn’t quite learn, on the block, with ya’ glock, trippin’ of sherm. Collect calls to the tip, sayin’ how ya’ changed. Oh, you a Muslim now, no more dope game. Heard you might be coming home, just got bail, wanna go to the Mosque, Don’t wanna chase tail. It seems I lost my little homie, he’s a changed man. Hit the pen now, no sinnin’ is the game plan. When I talk about money, all you see is the struggle, when I tell ya, I’m livin’ large you tell me, its trouble. Congratulation on the wedding, I hope your wife know. She got a playa’ for life and that’s no bullshitin’. I know we grew apart, you probably don’t remember, I used to fiend for your sister but never went up in her. And I can see us after school, we’d bomb on the first mutha-fucka with tha’ wrong shit on and now, the whole shits changed and we don’t even kick it. Got a big money scheme and you ain’t even with it. Knew in my heart you were the same mutha-fucka bad go toe to toe when it’s time to roll, you got a brothas back and I can’t even trip cause i’m just laughin’ at ya’. You tryin’ hard to maintain and go ahead, cuz I ain’t mad at cha…
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Emotion : Hope
Artist : Lionel Richie
Track : Love Will Find A Way
Album : Can’t Slow Down
Release Details : Motown, 1983
1983 was a special year.
It has nothing to do with any of the above points however… In 1983 if you were a musician and just so happened to be a black musician, something magical was happening within popular music. Black soul/rhythm and blues had well and truly taken over the mainstream but selling your soul to the devil comes at a price…
Pastel pink box cut jackets with rolled up sleeves and grey T’s are ‘de-rigueur’. Teamed with a white sports watch, stonewashed denim, sports shoes (No socks of course…) whilst lounging around a luxury apartment overlooking South Beach is the spot where a late night party celebrating the cutting of the latest multi-diamond selling LP is being hosted.
James, David, Greg, Cynthia, Brenda. All the session musicians, engineers, groupies, label executives and hangers on are all here. Party time. Champagne. Powder. Call girls. Dwarfs. Good times. It’s 198muthafuckin3. Don Johnson is in town to wrap up a gritty new TV series he has been working on and the crazy son of a bitch has even brought along a pet alligator with him to soak up the vibes.
After a hedonistic evening the party is finally winding down, it’s early morning and the sun is about to rise over the horizon when a familiar figure walks through the door past a number of casualties…
‘Who the fuck has let Walter join the party?’ asks the host.
Security is non-existent, ‘Big Roger’ is sprawled across a sofa by the door with at least four hookers hiding three quarters of his huge frame. He’s next to useless. It looks like one of the midgets is under there also. Hard to tell…
There were strict instructions handed out to the label prior to the start of this recording. Walter, Thomas, Milan, William and Ronald were not permitted within 200 yds of the studio or anywhere near this production. THAT WAS THE DEAL!
Walter was the worst. Fucking drummers… They are so unpredictable and he wants his two cents worth right here. All night long they had been at it before Walter decided to show his ugly face. All fucking night long…
‘Hello Walter.’ says the host. ‘Is it me your looking for?’
Why d’ya have to leave the band, man? What we had was so good.’ says Walter with tears visibly welling up in his eyes.
‘Cause you were a fucking douche!’ he spits back. ‘Always wanting to take lead vocal, insisting on including non-sensical lyrics to tracks. What the fuck was ‘Brick House’ about anyway?. Funk? Get the funk outta’ my face Walter… Fucking Commodores? They were jack shit BEFORE I joined and they were jack shit AFTER I left. I wrote ‘Easy’. ME! ‘Three Times A Lady’, ‘Sail On’. ME. ALL ME! Quiet storm? I AM THE QUIET FUCKING STORM WALTER!!!’
Walter turns around, dejected. Running with the night. Parties over.
Lionel. He’s changed…
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