This week’s Award Show Sundays pays tribute to the Soul Train Music Awards, including a clip from the very first Soul Train Awards in 1987.
Posts tagged "Award Show Sundays"
Award Show Sundays: Getting Close to the Carpenters
I believe this is the first Award Show Sunday that predates my birth. As I’ve been on a Carpenters kick lately, I figured posting one of their several Grammy wins would be appropriate. What a category to win in, too? For Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus in 1971, they were pitted against four legendary groups-The Jackson 5, Chicago, Simon & Garfunkel, and The Beatles. Granted, their win sort of underscores Grammy’s historical bent towards the […]
Award Show Sundays: Starring Slash & Duff in “What the Bleep?”
Ah, the old days. When something as innocuous as profanity on a televised award show was enough to get people up in arms. In the days of award show publicity stunts, someone dropping an “F” bomb during an acceptance speech isn’t particularly jaw-dropping (especially with tape delays), but when Slash and Duff McKagan from Guns ‘n Roses let a few choice words slip while accepting their two at the 1989 American Music Awards, tongues wagged. Fortunately, the censor was around […]
Award Show Sundays: Can You Stand the Rain?
I could write an entire article about the disappearance of the R&B group (matter of fact, I think I will at some point), but back in the late Eighties, there was no shortage of solid multi-member units. Check out the list of nominees for Best Album by a Duo, Group of Band at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards. You had Guy’s influential debut album, which set the stage for the burgeoning hip-hop/R&B fusion. There was “Who?”, the solid debut […]
Award Show Sundays: Little Richard Steals the Thunder
This is probably one of my 5 favorite Grammy moments of all time (ooh, an idea for another list!). It’s March 1988, and the Grammy Awards are at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Presenting the Best New Artist trophy are Buster Poindexter, who is enjoying mainstream recognition for the first time in his career thanks to his cover of Arrow’s “Hot Hot Hot”, and Little Richard. What results is Richard going wildly and hilariously off-script (someone should […]
Award Show Sundays: A John & (Different) Paul Production
One thing a lot of folks forget when thinking about John Lennon is the fact that the man had a helluva sense of humor. Actually, all the Beatles did (and you thought “Yellow Submarine” was only funny on account of the drugs involved). Through the power of YouTube, I was able to unearth this clip from the 1974 Grammys, back when I was -2 1/2 years old. That’s a minus, folks. Host Andy Williams announced John and Paul Simon to […]
Award Show Sundays: No Dress Shoes Required!!
Today’s installment of Award Show Sundays comes to you sorta by accident. I was searching for clips of James Taylor on music award shows, and couldn’t find any footage of him winning anything. The only things that came up were his performance of “Sweet Baby James” from 2003 or so, and the clip I bring you today, which comes from the 1986 ceremony. A very, very dapper JT (the scarf was a very nice touch) and a pretty Linda Ronstadt […]
Award Show Sundays: A Hot Summer Night?
Today, let’s go back in the wayback machine to 1983. Your presenters? The long-winded Quincy Jones (who thankfully, decided not to editorialize while making his presentation) and the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer? The category? Best Pop Vocal Performance by a female. The nominees? My girl Bolivia Neutron-Bomb, Linda Ronstadt (singing a toothpaste commercial), Laura Branigan, Melissa Manchester, and Juice Newton. Random questions: Is Donna that tall or is Q that short? I knew Donna was from New England, but […]
Award Show Sundays: Aretha’s Headgear
The Queen of Soul’s outrageous headgear choices did not begin with that monstrosity she wore at President Obama’s inauguration, as this clip from the 1983 American Music Awards makes abundantly clear. When accepting the award for Favorite Soul Album, she is seen wearing a…a…a…well, I’ll just let you look for yourself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41GVXDIc2-U The other nominees in the category were Rick James’ “Throwin’ Down” (Rick had actually won in the same category the previous year) and Stevie Wonder’s “Original Musicquarium 1”. […]
Award Show Sundays: The Nirvana Concussion Episode
I didn’t have MTV until 1994, by which time I was 18 years old. Well, slight correction-there was MTV available in my various residences from 1984-1994, but I wasn’t allowed to watch it on the rare occasions when I was even allowed to control the TV that had cable (long story). I was lucky, however, because for a few years in the late Eighties and early Nineties, the MTV VMAs would run on network TV (usually Fox, but I could […]
Award Show Sundays: Why Didn’t These Guys Make An Album Together?
One thing anyone barely ever remembers about award shows is who presented them? As far as music awards shows go, there are very few memorable instances of a good award presentation-Biggie’s sarcastic “What up, Cali?” at the Soul Train Awards just a few days before his murder. J. Lo in the dress (is there a minimum fabric requirement before someone can call a garment a dress?), and Howard Stern as Fartman presenting at the MTV awards are just a few […]