There is this "List of 7 Songs" challenge going around the blogosphere (courtesy of African American Dad by way of DJ Black Adam). I've been thinking about this for the past day or so, and came to the conclusion that there was absolutely no way in God's green Earth that I would be able to accomplish the feat of selecting my top 7 songs without alittle help. So I have decided to CHEAT! Yeah, that's right... if you're not cheating, you're not trying!
I have decided to let my iPod do the heavy lifting and with shuffle mode firmly in place, I have decided to grace my loyal readers with the first 7 tunes that pour into my brain.
- "Hope That We Can Be Together Soon" by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass
This Sound of Philadelphia classic ushered in the sexy, soulful voice of one Teddy Pendergrass.- "Sometimes It Snows in April" by Prince
I often find myself humming this sombre song; I once witnessed an April snowfall while visiting Colorado Rockies about 10 years ago. This song is from the "Parade" album which served as the soundtrack for Prince's oft-forgotten movie: "Under the Cherry Moon."- "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" by Michael Jackson
Michael broke onto the scene as a solo artist with his "Off The Wall" LP back in 1979. You gotta dance to this: "you're a vegetable, you're a vegetable, they hate you, you're a vegetable. you're the buffet, you're the buffet, they eat off of you, you're a vegetable"!- "I'm Stone in Love With You" by The Stylistics
OK... you can see that I'm pretty big on the 70's classics out of Philly! I just love the timbre of Russell Thompkins, Jr.'s falsetto! Just about song that they recorded between 1971 and 1974 was a hit; they only had one more hit after their songwriter (Thom Bell) stopped working with them in 1974.- "The Star Spangled Banner (Live)" by Jimi Hendrix
I'm not sure where this was recorded and cannot authenticate the amount of drugs that were consumed prior to hitting the stage, but this song ranks up there in the pantheons of pure guitar artistry! Jimi took our national anthem and defined an entire generation (the Love Generation, ya'll) with one performance.- "I Want You, I Need You" by Bobby Brown
I got this groove on his "Remixes in the Key of B" CD. Undoubtedly, the most talented of the old New Edition (and the new New Edition, as well)... it's a shame that he has continued to deprive us of his immense talent.- "I Would Die 4 U" by Prince and The Revolution
It's a trip that two songs from different soundtracks by Prince would be on this list (from "Purple Rain"), but if you know me, you know that it would be difficult to go more than 4 or 5 songs without a song by Prince popping up. I love the danceability and the "hidden meaning" of this song (he's singing about Jesus: "I am not a woman, i am not a man, i am something that you'll never understand... and if you're evil, i'll forgive you by and by... i would die 4 u!")- "Y.M.C.A." by The Village People
This BONUS CUT was added because (1) I love disco music - I was a teenager during the mid-70's, and (2) I was in the youth choir at my church and one of guys who would eventually join The Village People (who's father was the Pastor at the church - First Baptist Church in Elmsford, NY) was the director of our choir. He's the FIRST person I know who had a hit record!
Part two of the challenge was to "tag" 7 other blogs. Once again, I'm not one to follow the rules, so I decided to "tag" the blogs where I have posted comments in the past 7 days. Please take a moment to use the links below to view some excellent blogs:
Charcoal Link by Aulelia
Free Slave
Wandering the Ether
Anali's First Amendment
DJ Black Adam
African American Dad
Georgia Politics Unfiltered
Our Kind of Parenting
jaebrysonblog
Georgia Tech Sports Blog
Nat Turner's Revenge by Chris C.
Diary of a PhD Student by Anthony H.
The Field Negro
The State of...
Booker Rising