You know the routine by now…previous entries can be found at the bottom of the page.
We’re heading towards the middle of the pack…let’s get on our trusty pirate ship!
160. “Fantastic Voyage” by Lakeside
These days, when people think of Solar Records, their minds probably gravitate towards The Whispers and Shalamar. And they should. However, Lakeside had a solid run of hits, and I guess they could be considered the unsung heroes of the legendary L.A. record label. They had a handful of strong singles to their name, like “It’s All The Way Live,” “Raid” and this jam, which was their only chart-topper. Nothing wrong with funky pirates, right?
Coolio’s remake of this song charted higher than the original…a somewhat sad commentary on how segregated radio playlists/the music industry in general was in 1980. Lakeside never was able to really make the jump as a crossover band, even though they tried via a not-very-good cover of The Beatles’ “I Want To Hold Your Hand.”
159. “Early In The Morning” by The Gap Band
The Wilson brothers had the soul music game on lock for the first half of the 1980s. Everything from label problems to a drop in the quality of their material to Charlie’s issues with the booger sugar took them down a few pegs post-1983, but they should get props for a stunning string of chart hits starting with “Shake” and “Oops Upside Your Head” in 1979.
“Early In The Morning” was a sequel of sorts to 1981’s “Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)” and it suffers by comparison. As do most knockoffs. Still, the Gap Band was on a massive hot streak during this time, and even their so-so material was still smokin’. I wouldn’t get off the dance floor if “Early in The Morning” came on, and neither should you.
158. “Diamonds” by Herb Alpert
Herb Alpert had a pretty plum gig. He was one half of the team that founded A&M Records, the label that brought us The Carpenters, L.T.D., Chuck Mangione, The Police, Bryan Adams, and Janet Jackson (to name a few.) The association with Janet bore successful fruit in 1986 with the release of the iconic album Control (produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.) Alpert-also a trumpeter with a lengthy string of hits of his own-retained the services of Jam & Lewis for 1987’s Keep Your Eye On Me, and the album was a hit with pop and soul music fans. The album’s biggest hit was “Diamonds,” a solid Minneapolis funk track that used Alpert’s horn more for accent purposes. The stars of the show were a) the groove and b) the typically sassy vocals of Miss Jackson (joined by Flyte Tyme secret weapon Lisa Keith.) Perhaps fearing a bit of overexposure (Control was still in the midst of its run,) Jackson decided to sit the video out. Didn’t seem to hinder the single or the album’s success, though.
WAIT, IS THAT GEORGE LOPEZ IN THE VIDEO??
157. “Special Lady” by Ray, Goodman & Brown
Vocal trio The Moments had a solid string of hits in the ’70s: “Look At Me (I’m In Love)” and “Love On A Two Way Street” chief among them. After a breakup with their label, Stang Records, members Harry Ray, Al Goodman and Billy Brown decided to do some re-branding, and came up with a name that called to mind a law firm more than it did a vocal group. Nevertheless, 1980 brought forth “Special Lady,” their only chart-topper as RG&B. It’s very well-performed neo-doowop, with a less openly nostalgic bent than that of their contemporaries The Spinners (who were busy undoing the goodwill of their ’70s smashes by cutting disco renditions of Sam Cooke & Four Seasons hits.) I can’t recall any other #1 hit of the ’80s featuring an acapella intro. Smoothness is in abundance on this record, for sure.
156. “Nice & Slow” by Freddie Jackson
Uh, here’s another song with an acapella intro. Strike my comments on the last entry from the record, please!
“Nice & Slow” introduced Freddie’s third album, 1988’s Don’t Let Love Slip Away. The song is a smooth, midtempo ballad that underscores the old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Najee’s sax added an element that increased its radio versatility-much like the work of Anita Baker and Sade, Freddie found a home on smooth jazz radio (then on a major upswing) in addition to urban contemporary.
I’d argue that “Nice & Slow” was the last really good Freddie Jackson single. Even though his run of #1s continued into the early ’90s, I daresay that Mr. Jackson began running on fumes after this topped the charts.
155. “Operator” by Midnight Star
Despite the success of Shalamar and The Whispers (that I recounted earlier in this portion of the list during Lakeside’s entry,) Solar Records’ biggest selling album was No Parking On The Dance Floor, the breakthrough effort by co-ed funk outfit Midnight Star. That album caught the wave of electro-dance, which was just beginning to sweep the nation through the efforts of breakdancers. The videos from No Parking also stayed in rotation on BET as well as local video shows that specialized in R&B or dance music. One wouldn’t expect Midnight Star to rock the boat too much on the follow up, and 1984’s Planetary Invasion spun off the band’s only chart-topping single, “Operator.” Those robotic voices get me every time.
154. “Funkin’ for Jamaica (NY)” by Tom Browne
I’m assuming the parenthetical “NY” was added ’cause ain’t shit Jamaican about this song.
Like Herb Alpert, Tom Browne’s major instrument was the trumpet. As with the Alpert hit we discussed a few spots ago, Browne’s #1 is a showcase for the groove, and doesn’t really feature him as much as it does the vocalist. In this case, the singer was Toni Smith, a lass whose dulcet tones resembled those of Chaka Khan enough that it had folks checking their record labels.
I don’t think you were allowed to have a block party or barbecue in the summers of 1980 and 1981 if this record wasn’t played.
153. “Just Coolin'” by LeVert featuring Heavy D.
Despite the fact that the members of LeVert were barely out of their teens when they initially experienced success, I’ll admit to being somewhat surprised when I heard Heavy D rapping on “Just Coolin’.” Gerald LeVert certainly sounded older than he was (so much as it’s possible to sound a certain age,) and the fact that he sounded just like his father gave him an “old school” label that made the Heavy D collaboration seem slightly odd. So even though it may have appeared odd on paper, “Just Coolin'” turned out to be quite the jam. The spare new jack groove was chill and edgy at the same time. Interestingly, it marked one of the only times a LeVert/hip-hop alliance really clicked. Further attempts by the group and its members to adapt a harder-edged style sounded awkward. Although it’s interesting to note: Gerald LeVert was one of the many vocalists who recorded a version of “Break You Off” with The Roots before the song was released featuring Musiq Soulchild. Questlove should release that version at some point-I think G might have pulled that one off.
152. “Don’t Take It Personal” by Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine’s two R&B chart-toppers sort of bookended the ’80s. “Don’t Take It Personal” reached its peak in the fall of 1989, right around the time Surface was enjoying the biggest success of their career. No surprise, then, that the members of Surface wrote and produced this airy midtempo track. Jermaine does his best Marvin impression on “Don’t Take It Personal,” and the song is good at setting a mood, although the grammar snob in me bristles at both the title and the awkward first line:
The time has come/In my life/For me to move on/And/Get on with my life…
Come on, Surface! You’re better than that!
And might this song be the best example of “Friend-Zoning” after the fact to be found in a chart-topping single ever? Jermaine’s selling this apology hard, but I can’t say I’m totally buying it. “Love was here, now it’s gone” followed by “well…let’s just be friends?” Ain’t nobody going for that one, brother.
151. “I Feel Good All Over” by Stephanie Mills
Stephanie was just about to enter the hottest streak of her career. Although her earlier 20th Century Fox albums are better from a qualitative standpoint, her late ’80s run at MCA was her most commercially successful. “I Feel Good All Over” is a thrilling ballad that finds Stephanie using her expansive vocal range to its greatest effect. The gospel breakdown towards the song’s conclusion still gives me chills.
