FIRST!

SEVEN songs!
First day of the month.
Favorite track 1's.
From the year I was born.













The Bee Gee's "Staying Alive" // Saturday Night Fever (1978)


This album was the end of the beginning. This album was Disco at its peak. And it was this album that caused all the backlash, scorn and hate for the music of the late seventies. It's not fair really. The artists weren't to blame, lazy record companies were. Due to the success of this album, record labels tried to mass market the style which resulted in a very watered down sound. Hip Hop has been going through the same thing for the past two years, but instead of allowing it to die, it just sits. There's no room for people to take chances and experiment because record labels have conditioned listeners to look for a certain sound.

Sorry for the rant. Anyway, I've always had a special love for the classic guitar riff. If I'm ever invited to The Barry Gibb Talk Show, I shall further showcase my love for it.













The Jacksons "Blame It On The Boogie" // Destiny (1978)


This is the song that opened my eyes to The Jacksons (sans the 5ive). A much older Mike Jackson led his brothers away from the bubble gum pop sound of Motown to an older and more mature sound on CBS/Epic. Through songs like "Blame it..", "Things I Do For You" and the popular "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground), you can hear the brothers really growing as artists, especially Mike. If you listen to Destiny and Off The Wall (which came out a year later), and then Mike's work on The Wiz, you'll hear him at his best. His vocal style, ad libs and song writing had reached a new level. If you need proof of Michael's greatness, look no furhter. From 1976-1982, Mike and his brothers created some great soul music.













Marvin Gaye "Here, My Dear (alternate mix)" // Here, My Dear (1978)


I didn't get it.

I had bought What's Goin' On and I Want You and immediately "got" those. Those albums hit me and hit me hard. From those two albums I felt I understood everything Marvin had to say. So when a friend recommended Here, My Dear, I didn't doubt I'd like it. I bought it as casually as someone buys candy from a gas station.

I took the CD home and started playing it.
"What is this?"

So like I said before, I didn't get it. At all. I was kinda mad considering the money I'd paid for it. It was like listening to Stevie's Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants after bumping Songs In The Key Of Life for months. It's like..."What is this?" So I took this purchase as a loss and dropped it from the rotation. Fast forward to a few years later and I'm reading David Ritz's Marvin Gaye biography Divided Soul. After reading the story and the background of the album (which is REQUIRED reading in order to enjoy this album), I went back and tried Here, My Dear again.

Boom.
There it was.
Right then you could say I fell in love.
The voice, the power in his words, THE PAIN!

The story to this album really made this album. Knowing the "how" and "why" really opened up the songs on this album. Especially the album track "Here, My Dear". In fact, go and start the song above while you're reading this. Go 'head. We'll wait.


Divided Soul is an amazing book that really delves deep into the music and mind of Marvin, and reading it really made the music on my shelf blossom. It was like night and day. I can't recommend the book enough, but more than that, this album deserves your ears if you haven't heard it already.














Rasa "When Will The Day Come" // Everything You See Is Me (1978)


I was working third shift for the Chicago Tribune and I had just got off work on a Sunday afternoon. It had been a long LONG night going in to the morning, but my work was done. I was tired, but it was the kinda tired where you couldn't just pass out. I mean, it was 10:00 in the morning. I had just left a warehouse near 95th & Stony Island and I was heading home. Instead of taking the Dan Ryan home to the north side, I drove up King Dr (yeah, I took the long LONG way home).

There are many songs about Chicago, but very few capture the city, specifically the south side, better than "When Will The Day Come". "But Donnie, are you only saying that because Common sampled it on 'Take It EZ'?" Sure, that might be one of the motivating factors, but the other stems from this particular drive home. The song came on my playlist just as I was driving through the Chatam neighborhood. Kids were just getting out to play, the old people were unfolding their chairs on the porch and young men were detailing their cars. Everyone was out starting their day, and it was peaceful. This song was just the perfect soundtrack for that drive.













Heatwave "Put The Word Out" // Central Heating (1978)


When I was a kid I never knew what Rod Temperton did, yet his name was all over Michael Jackson's Off The Wall. The liner notes on the vinyl fold out would say Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and Rod Temperton. Who was he? As I got older and started to read more MJ liner notes, I didn't see his name anymore. Then when internet music forums ruled my life (still rules), I asked the question, "Why hasn't Mike teamed up with Rod Temperton?" Ya know...given the great success of their collaborations. Well, when you're Mike you gotta work with the "hot" producers. Rod must have lost his pop sound.

So I later find out that Rod was part of this group called Heatwave, a group that did a few songs that I was familiar with. I copped the album at Amoeba about 6 years ago and through continuous rotations, I've found out exactly what Rod Temperton brought to the Off The Wall album. Central Heating is a classic soul disco album led by Rod Temperton.













Prince "For You" // For You (1978)


Prince released his first studio album For You three months before I was born. He was 20 years old. Ironically, I didn't cop his first album until I was about 20 years old myself. I don't need to explain why I'm a fan, just know that I am. Prince is one of the few artists who have a discography that you can listen to and physically HEAR him grow as an artist. From For You to Lovesexy (yeah, that's kinda when I stopped), it's amazing to hear the journey he's been on.

Here are a few very early demos of the song above:
For You #1
For You #2
For You #3
For You #4













Rick James "Stone City Band, Hi!" // Come Get It! (1978)


MR. FUNK ROCK! I might get struck down by the funk gods by following Prince up with Rick James...ha ha. No matter. You know this album for "You and I" and "Mary Jane", but I've always liked how this album started out. Especially with the announcer introducing Rick and the Stone City Band. And "Stone City Band, Hi" always sounded like Rick's attempt at some Funkadelic. Especially with the group chorus singing.






(happy birthday to me)