Last year, I joined Popdose‘s Jeff Giles and Robert Cass for a column called “‘Face Time,” in which we discussed essential (and some non-essential) cuts in the catalog of Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, one of the most prolific singer/songwriters of the ’80s and ’90s. ‘Face and his partner Antonio “L.A.” Reid were one of the big 3 production teams that ruled pop and R&B during that era. There was also Teddy Riley and his New Jack Swing camp, and perhaps most notably, Minneapolis’s James “Jimmy Jam” Harris III and Terry Lewis. The former members of Prince offshoot band The Time turned out to be legends in their own right, composing and producing hits for a who’s-who of the music industry and proving to be as (if not more) influential than their purple-clad benefactor.
So in 2014, Jeff and I (along two new team members, fellow Popdose editor/Popblerd podcast co-host Michael Parr, along with badass co-conspirator Dr. Z) are back to talk all things Flyte Tyme.
Luther Vandross “Shine” | From The Ultimate Luther Vandross (2006) | Buy On Amazon mp3
Produced by Jam & Lewis | Written by Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards
Big Money: One of the rare posthumous recordings that doesn’t suck.
Jeff Giles: LUTHER! I bought his biography because of you.
BM: If there’s an audio book version, I imagine it being narrated by someone like Johnny Mathis…or the ghost of Barry White.
JG: I would like for it to be narrated by Jay Pharaoh as Katt Williams.
Until then, I can just listen to this song a few more times. I’ve always enjoyed Luther’s uptempo stuff.
BM: A lot of folks who think of him strictly as a balladeer lose sight of the fact that he was one of the major voices of disco, considering how much he contributed to Chic and Sister Sledge’s records.
Somewhat ironically, “Shine” samples Chic’s “My Forbidden Lover”…which Luther sang background vocals on in 1979.
(a lengthy sidebar about Luther’s involvement on David Bowie’s Young Americans follows; leading us to this YouTube gem.)
JG: What’s up, David Sanborn?
“Easily the best clip on all of YouTube. Makes me wanna dye my hair orange and bury my face in mountains of cocaine.”
Michael Parr: My comment: “Soul! Bowie doesn’t got it.”
BM: I feel like if you cut Bowie open during that period, he would bleed nothing but Peru’s finest.
(and…back to “Shine.”
Dr. Z: Count me among those who know Luther primarily as a balladeer. Mock if you must, but I can’t say that I know much beyond his single. For shame, I know. Especially considering my musical tastes. That said, this is the first time that I’ve heard “Shine,” and my visceral reaction is “It’s dope.” So dope in fact, that this may be the tipping point, compelling me to finally dive into Luther’s velvety catalog.
