Old School Friday: Songs That Inspire

When I saw what the OSF theme was this week, the 1991 jam by Sounds of Blackness (Optimistic) immediately came to mind. I can't help but get uplifted whenever I hear this song.

If you'd like to take part, here are the rules:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre;
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999;
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version;
4. Post no more than 2 videos of your favorite old school song to take us back down memory lane;
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out;
6. Have fun and don’t forget to leave comments for other participants!

Old School Friday: From Band To Solo

For this week's OSF, I chose two artists who took the solo route after they had group success. The first is Len Barry. As the frontman of the Dovells, Barry sang lead on a string of dance craze hits in the early 1960s. Their first and biggest hit (The Bristol Stomp) is clip #1 in the player below. In 1965, Barry had a huge hit with the song 1, 2, 3. However, I decided to go with his 1966 follow-up (Like A Baby) for clip #2.



For artist #2, I selected a guy that I feel is underrated when it comes to vocalists: Philip Bailey. Clip #3 is a 1978 performance of Fantasy, one of the best songs he did as one of the co-lead singers of Earth, Wind & Fire. The last clip is the video to Walking On the Chinese Wall, from his 1984 solo debut album.

Old School Friday: Favorite Soul Train Performance

Growing up, one of my favorite Saturday rituals was checking out the show that was dubbed "The Hippest Trip In America". Although the "Soul Train Line" and the "Soul Train Scramble Board" were a big part of the show, the main attraction for me was the artists who stopped by to perform. Out of the countless Soul Train performances I've seen over the years, Joe Tex' appearance in which he performs his 1977 hit Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman) sticks out as one of the most memorable. Not only do I love the song, but the end of the performance is pretty funny. Thinking back, I recall being a bit startled when I first saw the end of the performance.

Old School Friday: If I Were A Girl...

Because I was struggggling to to get a handle on this week's theme, I reached out to Marvalus (one of the founders of OSF) for assistance. The way she interpreted it was"If I were a (fill in the blank), I'd want to sound like/look like/dance like/be like/groove like/play an instrument like...etc., etc., etc.". Thanks again M!

One of my favorite drummers is one Sheila Escovedo. You likely know her better as Sheila E. In addition to her technical skill with the drumsticks, Sheila has always demonstrated flair and style when she's playing. If I were a woman, I'd love to have Sheila E's skill and style on the drum kit. Below is a scene from Krush Groove (one of the more overlooked movies from the 1980s) in which Sheila performs Hollyrock.



If you'd like to participate in OSF, here are the rules:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre;
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999;
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version;
4. Post no more than 2 videos of your favorite old school song to take us back down memory lane;
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out;
6. Have fun and don’t forget to leave comments for other participants!

OSF: Child Singers

For this week's OSF (which is defined as music created before 1999), the theme is child singers. I chose two artists that are from different eras, but who both have a Disney connection. The first selection is then 15 yr old Tevin Campbell's uptempo remake of Strawberry Letter 23, which was originally done by Shuggie Otis and later made famous by The Brothers Johnson. I thought Tevin did a damn good job on this song and that it should have been a bigger hit. As for Tevin's Disney connection, he provided the voice of "Powerline" in the 1995 animated musical feature A Goofy Movie.

Next up is Tall Paul by Annette Funicello. Up until the rise of some of the latter day cast members of The Mickey Mouse Club (Britney, Justin, Christina, and Keri), Annette was without a question the most famous of The Mouseketeers. Released in 1959 when Annette was 16, Tall Paul was Annette's biggest hit (peaking at #7) and the first time that a female singer hit the top 10 with a rock and roll song. Check out the portions of the clip that include Dick Clark playing puppetmaster.

Strawberry Letter 23 by Tevin Campbell and Tall Paul by Annette Funicello:

Old School Friday: The Jackson Family

Just like the New Edition one from the OSF two weeks ago, this week's Jackson family theme has a bunch of possibilities.

For clip #1, I selected a "should have been a bigger hit" by The Jacksons, 1981's Can You Feel It. If you want to skip past the conceptual B.S. of the video and get to the song, start the clip at the 50 second mark.

The 2nd performance is by brother Jermaine, getting some help from a couple of members of Devo on Let Me Tickle Your Fancy. Although I thought Devo singing backup on this hit was an odd combination when it came out in 1982, it works!

The final clip features sister Janet showing off her hard rock side on her 1990 single Black Cat.

You can watch all three performances in the You Tube player below:






This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version
4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out
6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants

If you want to join in on the fun, click here.

Old School Fridays: Songs By New Edition or New Edition Members

For this week's selections, I decided to go with two songs that sometimes get forgotten when it comes to tunes by New Edition as a group or as solo acts. The first is 1985's My Secret (Didja Gitit Yet?). I can't remember if I caught this song first from seeing the video on BET or if it was from the local R&B station in Flint. Anyway, it's perhaps my favorite NE tune. Along with Magic Johnson, Pat Riley, and other members of the Lakers and the Portland Trailbazers, the video to My Secret (Didja Gitit Yet?) features actress Tyra Ferrell (she's the lady in the orange sweater dancing with others from the neighborhood). You may remember her from her roles in Boyz In the Hood (the mother of Doughboy and Ricky) and White Men Can't Jump (she played the wife of Wesley Snipes).

New Edition - My Secret (Didja Gitit Yet?)
Uploaded by UniversalMusicGroup

Selection #2 is the 2nd single (Stone Cold Gentleman) from Ralph Tresvant's 1990 self-title debut album. Playing a private detective in the video, Ralph gets some help from his NE brother Bobby Brown (who co-stars as his partner in the detective biz).

Ralph Tresvant - Stone Cold Gentleman
Uploaded by UniversalMusicGroup

Old School Fridays: Originals vs. Remakes

Because the original is obscure, many are surprised to learn that one of the biggest songs of the 80s ("Mickey" by Toni Basil) is a remake. First recorded by the British group Racey under the title "Kitty" in 1979, Toni Basil did her take later that year. Until I learned that the original version was by a male group, I always wondered about the line in the song "Any way you wanna do it/I'll take it like a man."

Although Toni recorded "Mickey" in 1979, it didn't become a #1 hit and an anthem for cheerleaders everywhere until 1982. You can hear the original and watch the video of Toni's version in the player below.

This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version
4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out
6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants

If you want to join in on the fun, click here.

Old School Friday: TV Theme Songs

One of the most popular TV partnerships was the teaming of Robert Culp and Bill Cosby on the 1965-1968 series I Spy. For this week's OSF, I'm focusing on the theme songs to two series that Cosby and Culp did separately, post-I Spy. Not only that, but both series feature characters who teach.

The first is the theme to the 1969-1971 sitcom The Bill Cosby Show, in which The Cos played high school gym teacher Chet Kincaid. Although it's been years since I've seen this show, I've never forgotten the funky theme song (written by Cosby and Quincy Jones).

The second theme is to the 1981-1983 fantasy/adventure series The Greatest American Hero starring William Katt as high school teacher Ralph Hinckley and Robert Culp as FBI agent Bill Maxwell. I recall watching this as a kid with my mother. She would always laugh when reluctant superhero Ralph would say "damn!" after one of his crash landings. Although the show itself was never a huge with the Nielsen families, the theme song (Believe It or Not by Joey Scarbury) peaked at #2 on the Billboard pop chart during the summer of 1981.

You can hear both theme songs in the player below.

This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version
4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out
6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants

If you want to join in on the fun, click here.

Old School Friday: Actors/Actresses Who Can Sing and Vice Versa

For this week's OSF, I chose a single by Ralph Carter (best known for portraying Michael Evans on the 1974-1979 sitcom Good Times). Titled When You're Young and In Love (a song that was a hit in 1967 for the Marvelettes), Ralph's version hit the pop/R&B charts (#37 and #95, respectively) in 1975. For his performance of the song on Soul Train (which you can watch below), Ralph demonstrated that he was more than just a "militant midget".

Old School Friday: Jazz Tribute

For my first selection on this week's Old School Friday, I chose the legendary Cab Calloway's signature tune... Minnie the Moocher. Although Cab recorded Minnie the Moocher in 1931, I'm not sure of the date of the clip I selected. Whenever I think of him, I'm reminded of a story my mother told me when I was a kid. During Cab's heyday, she and her friends would see him perform live. She said that while performing, Cab would shake his head in such a way that his processed hair would be all over one minute and right back in place the next.

For those of us who weren't around during Cab's prime, we probably remember him from his role in the 1980 movie The Blues Brothers (he played Curtis, the orphanage worker who introduced Jake and Elwood to the blues). One of the highlights of the movie was when Cab performed Minnie the Moocher, all decked out in a white-tie-and-tail suit.

This week's 2nd selection is by The Crusaders and is perhaps their most famous song, the 1979 hit Street Life. Featuring female vocalist Randy Crawford, the song has been featured in the films Sharky's Machine starring Burt Reynolds and Jackie Brown (starring Pam Grier in the title role).

You can watch the clips to both "Minnie the Moocher" and "Street Life" in the You Tube player below.

This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version
4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out
6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants

If you want to join in on the fun, click here.

Old School Fridays: Songs From the Year of My Birth

Below are not 1, but 2 tracks from the year I was born... 1967. The first track holds special meaning for me because it was the #1 song on the Billboard Pop Singles chart on the day I was born (November 13)... the title song to the Sidney Poitier film To Sir With Love by Lulu. The second track is one of the funkiest tunes ever committed to vinyl, Boogaloo Down Broadway by The Fantastic Johnny C.

You can watch/listen to both "To Sir With Love" and "Boogaloo Down Broadway" in the You Tube player below.

This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version
4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out
6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants

If you want to join in on the fun, click here.

Old School Fridays: Fight Song For My Candidate

For this week's Old School Friday theme, we are getting political... just a little. We were asked to select a fight song for the Prez candidate of our choice. I'm a supporter of Barack Obama and my selection this week is by John Lennon & the Plastic Ono Band, 1971's Power To the People.

This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version
4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out
6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants

If you want to join in on the fun, click here.

As a side note, please be respectful of other OSFers (no matter who they are supporting) and their selections…continue to have fun.

Old School Fridays: One Hit Wonders

Since there are so many cool one-hit wonders to choose from, it was hard to narrow down my selections. As many of you know, there are many definitions as to what constitutes a one-hit wonder. The criteria I used is as follows: a recording act who had only 1 song reach the Top 40 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart.

For my first choice, I went with a song that peaked at #5 in 1968... "Girl Watcher" by The O'Kaysions. When I was a kid, their soulful sound led me to think that they were a Black group. As you can see from the clip below, I was mistaken. Just like other one-hit wonders before and after them, The O'Kaysions suffered from a lack of direction. This led to their break-up the same year that they had their one shining moment. According to Wikipedia, The O'kaysions have since reunited, with only one member from the original line-up.

My second one-hit wonder is by The Breakfast Club who, before they hit it big, had a female drummer in their line-up. The female drummer then left to form her own band and eventually struck out on her own in a quest for solo success. In case you were wondering, the female drummer's name is Madonna. If anyone has information as to whether or not her solo career ever worked out, please let me know. Anyway, The Breakfast Club were all over MTV and radio in 1987 with their one hit, "Right On Track" (which peaked at #7). This is one of my favorite songs and videos from the 1980s; it's too bad they weren't able to come up with a successful follow-up. Before The Breakfast Club called it quits in 1988, American Idol judge Randy Jackson joined them as their bass player.

This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version
4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out
6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants

If you want to join in on the fun, click here.

You can watch the clips for both "Girl Watcher" and "Right On Track" in the player below.

Old School Fridays: Duets

When I saw the theme for OSF was duets, I was like Della Reese in Harlem Nights after Eddie Murphy punched her in the gut ("Ooh yeah... that's what I'm talking about"). By the way, that movie didn't deserve all the pans it got, but I digress...

Since the theme is duets this week, I decided to maximize the limit according to the rules and go with two selections. The first is a team up between two of my favorite vocalists from the pop/R&B genre... James Ingram and Michael McDonald doing their hit from 1984, Yah Mo B There. I'm not sure why the beginning of this music video features James and Michael working as cooks; but it doesn't matter 'cuz this is a helluva song!

The second selection this week is a remake of the theme to the 70s Saturday morning cartoon Josie and the Pussycats by alterna-rock queens Juliana Hatfield and Tanya Donelly. This cut was recorded for the 1995 compilation CD Saturday Morning Cartoon's Greatest Hits. If you are a fan of both 60s/70s Saturday morning TV and alternative rock, I highly recommend it.

This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version
4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out
6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participants

If you want to join in on the fun, click here.

You can watch the videos for both Yah Mo B There and Josie & the Pussycats in the player below.

Old School Fridays: Prince

When I saw that the theme for OSF this week was Prince, I was quickly reminded of the ongoing battle he and the Universal Music Publishing Group has with You Tube. Although most of the Purple One's clips have been removed from You Tube. However, a few remain... but with no sound! Since I didn't feel like fuckin' around trying to find a suitable Prince clip on You Tube, I went over to Daily Motion and found a live version of him performing his #1 hit "Kiss" at a 1986 concert in Detroit. Although Prince and Universal are within their rights to have the clips removed from You Tube, I wish that they would reconsider. After all, it's the best kind of promotion... free!

This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version
4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out
6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participantsIf you want to join in on the fun, click here.

Kiss Live Detroit 1986
Uploaded by samsarax

Old School Fridays: Girl Groups

For this week's OSF I selected a song by The Flirts, a trio that was briefly popular in the early 1980s. Below is the video to their most enduring tune, 1982's "Jukebox (Don't Put Another Dime)". For more information on the group, click here.



This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version
4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out
6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participantsIf you want to join in on the fun, click here.

Old School Friday: Neo Soul

For this week's theme, I selected my favorite song by a group that didn't get the attention I felt they deserved... The Brand New Heavies. Featuring N'Dea Davenport on lead vocals, this is Never Stop (from their 1991 self-titled album)

This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version
4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out
6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participantsIf you want to join in on the fun, click here.

Old School Fridays: Favorite Male Singer

When it comes to male vocalists, it's hard to top the man from Meridian, MS... David Ruffin. One aspect of his voice that I have come to appreciate over the years is its versatility. Not only could he tackle soul numbers (both uptempo and slow), but David could handle show tunes & standards (as he did with the rest of the fellas on their 1967 album The Temptations In A Mellow Mood). The song I chose to feature by David is his first solo hit after being fired from the Temptations in 1968 (I wasn't fired, I quit), the 1969 release My Whole World Ended (the Moment You Left Me).

This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version
4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out
6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participantsIf you want to join in on the fun, click here.

Old School Fridays: Social/Political Songs

For my social/political song, I decided to showcase James Brown's classic tune from 1968... Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud. The performance below is from the 1969-1970 syndicated show Playboy After Dark.

This meme was developed by Marvalus View and Ms. Grapevine. The rules are simple:

1. Anyone can participate; any music genre
2. Old School is defined as music created before 1999
3. No offensive words allowed, please use edited radio version
4. Post a video of your favorite Old School song to take us back down memory lane
5. Add your name to the meme list so that others can check you out
6. Have fun & don't forget to leave comments for other participantsIf you want to join in on the fun, click here.