Anita Baker was born on this date in 1958. Her classic album Rapture is not on Spotify, though a few of its cuts are. They’re included on today’s playlist.
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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 12-17-23
Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong collaborated to write several hits for The Temptations, among them “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone,” “I Can’t Get Next To You,” “Psychedelic Shack,” “Ball Of Confusion,” and “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me).” The latter was inspired by Strong’s crush on a woman who didn’t know he existed. It became The Temptations’ third number one single on the Hot 100.
Lead vocalist on “Just My Imagination,” the late Eddie Kendricks of the Temptations was born on this date in 1939.
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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 1-3-23
James Mtume (b. January 3, 1946) is best-known for his oft-sampled “Juicy Fruit,” though he also has writing and producing credits on records by Stephanie Mills, Roberta Flack, Spinners, Levert and Phyllis Hyman and also played on records by Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner, Lonnie Liston Smith, Sonny Rollins and Gato Barbieri. He died just a few days after his birthday last year.
Today’s playlist includes Mtume’s best-known track plus 29 other juicy cuts.
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A Martin Luther King Day Playlist
“You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. 1963
“He had a dream now it’s up to you to see it through, to make it come true” – “King Holiday”
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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist (12-6-20)
Inspired by the season and the December 6 birthdays of R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, The Dave Clark Five’s Mike Smith, Jonathan King, The Tymes’ George Williams, Everything But the Girl’s Ben Watt, and Dave Brubeck.
Your (Almost) Daily Playlist (9-30-20)
Inspired by the passings of Helen Reddy and Mac Davis and the September 30 birthdays of The Fifth Dimension’s Marilyn McCoo, Johnny Mathis, T. Rex’s Marc Bolan, Frankie Lymon, Sugababes’ Keisha Buchanan, Patrice Rushen, T-Pain, Butthole Surfers’ Gibby Haynes, Marley Marl and Len Cariou.
Your (Almost) Daily Playlist (3-22-20)
Inspired by the March 22 birthdays of George Benson, William Shatner, Stephanie Mills, the Yardbirds’ Keith Relf, the Human League’s Susan Ann Sulley, Broadway legends Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
It’s National Teachers Day And I Need To Dance!
On the off-chance I don’t win an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, which, seeing as I have yet to write a single scene, is a remote possibility, I’d like to present the text of my acceptance speech here and now.
“Thank you! Thank you so much! Thank you! (wink at Meryl) Wow! I wasn’t expecting to win. This is such a surprise. Let me read you the speech I wrote for this occasion.
I’d like to thank the Academy, specifically the members who voted for me. I’d like to thank everyone who bought a ticket to see my movie. I’d like to thank the cast and crew. It takes a village! Am I right? Of course I’m right! I’m a right-er! (smile, acknowledge the laughter in the audience)
Mostly, I’d like to thank all those who taught me about writing and provided encouragement. I’d like to thank all of my English teachers, my writing teachers, my stand-up comedy teachers and my improvisation teachers. I’d like to thank my fellow classmates, workshops and meetup members and the friends and family members who provided feedback and support. In particular, I’d like to…oh, they’re playing the music, indicating it’s time for me to leave. Until next year, remember I love you all, except those who voted for my competitors.”
Today is National Teachers Day. Our weekly dance party kicks off with Daryl Hall and John Oates’ “Adult Education.”
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It’s Umberto Tozzi’s Birthday And I Need To Dance!
Who is Umberto Tozzi? Is that what you just asked?
Born in Italy in 1952, Umberto Tozzi is a singer-songwriter who has sold over 70 million records throughout the world. In 1979 he released a single of his composition “Gloria,” which became a big hit in his home country, remaining in the top ten for 16 weeks, six of those at #2. The song also went top ten in Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, South Africa and Spain.
In 1982, singer Laura Branigan collaborated with Trevor Veitch on English-language lyrics set to the original’s melody. Her recording of “Gloria,” co-produced by Greg Mathieson, arranger and keyboardist on the Tozzi version, reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Friday is dance day at Tunes du Jour. Our weekly party kicks off with the track for which Umberto Tozzi is best-known in the United States.
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It’s Amelia Earhart’s Birthday And I Need To Dance!
Today is Amelia Earhart’s birthday. She was born on July 24, 1897, and for all we know she is celebrating her 118th birthday with a glass of Chardonnay and a cannoli.
During a 1937 attempt to fly around the world, aviator Earhart disappeared over the Pacific Ocean. Women. Am I right, fellas? Of course not.
Earhart went off the grid before “going off the grid” became part of our everyday vernacular. Maybe not everyday, but our at-least-twice-a-year vernacular.
Sometimes I contemplate going off the grid, but it seems the rewards of doing so are not worth the efforts.
This would have been a good week for me to be off the grid. It started out good. Sunday morning was the fourth and final day of an entrepreneur conference I attended whereat I got educated and motivated and met many cool people with inspiring stories. On my way home I got into a car accident. I’m fortunate I came out unscathed. My car? Not so much.
When I arrived at home I called my insurance company, then set about to make some lunch. I put my food in the microwave and set it on high for six minutes. When the machine beeped the food was still frozen. I know I’m fortunate in that I had a microwave that served me for 17 years, but did it have to die at that moment?
My car got towed to a body shop. They emailed me forms to sign and return. I couldn’t print them, however, as it turns out my printer and microwave were having an affair and the printer decided she could not go on without the microwave in her life. Women. Am I right, fellas?
Feeling a bit depressed about the turn my week/life had taken, I found it difficult to focus on the tasks at hand. Then I saw a videoclip of a colorblind young man who, thanks to new technology, experienced vibrant colors for the first time. His joy in seeing a patch of grass or a container of Clorox put things in perspective.
There is so much beauty in the mundane, and so much that I take for granted for which I should be grateful. My toaster oven, for example.
I have a music consulting business. I love my clients. I love that I can choose with whom I wish to work. I love the projects I’m handling.
I think I’ll stay on the grid for a while.
Friday is dance day at Tunes du Jour. Kicking off this week’s playlist is Stephanie Mills with “Pilot Error.”
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