If you leave, don't leave now Please don't take my heart away Promise me just one more night Then we'll go our separate ways With hours left time on our sides Now it's fading fast Every second every moment We've got to--we've gotta make it last
If everlasting love is What you're waiting for Then that time for you Just has arrived
When I say the name Sheena Easton a lot of you will probably connect her one of those big 80's ballads ("For Your Eyes Only" anyone?) that she sang. She spent the first five years of her career being packaged as the proverbial good girl- and then Sheena hooked up with Prince and her image went through a huge overhaul. "Sugar Walls" showed us all a completely different side of her, one most certainly motivated by her work with Prince. By 1988 the songstress had signed with a new label and was embarking on a more soulful, R&B path.
"The Lover In Me" made it to number two on Billboard's Hot 100 but not without some mixed reviews. For every music critic that insisted that this was Sheena's best work to date, there was another just waiting for a chance to pan it. Check out the video below. Did you prefer her work later on in the '80s when her image had been vamped up, or did you prefer the sweeter Sheena who sang "Morning Train"?
You take your road, I'll take mine The paths have both been beaten Searchin' for a change of pace Love needs to be sweetened I scream my heart out, just to make a dime And with that dime I bought your love But now I've changed my mind I'm not your fool Nobody's fool Nobody's fool I'm no fool
Here's a nugget for all of you glam rock fans out there. Cinderella's debut album, Night Songs is officially 30 years old. THIRTY! Does that make you feel as old as it makes me feel? I'd say that Cinderella spent a bit of their early years lots in a sea of fellow headbangers but when I looked back, they actually did chart pretty well. They were also innovative in that all of their first videos had a continuing storyline.
In their first video, "Shake Me" a Cinderella-type girl was transformed into a bad girl that hung with the band. Her wicked sisters (AKA the polka dot twins) were always nearby. "Nobody's Fool" picks up the story with Cinderella heading to practice with the guys but then leaving in order to make it home by midnight.
"Nobody's Fool" ended up being a really popular power ballad, with tons of radio play. MTV also had the video for it on an every four hour loop for months. In an era where power ballads by glam rockers were everywhere, this song probably lands in my top five or six.
I always wondered why Lisa Stansfield didn't become a bigger star in the states. When she broke out in the late 80's her voice was something different. She wasn't a pop princess like Debbie Gibson or Tiffany or... instead she had an older, more grown sound. She fused pop, soul and a touch of jazz with some pretty perfect balance. What that meant for her biggest hit, "All Around the World" was that it found a comfortable spot on numerous Billboard charts. It just kind of fit wherever you put it and on numerous occassions the song fit at number one.
You can still find Stansfield performing to this day and I have to believe that smaller venues are really her favorites. Her music can just envelope an audience in theaters and clubs. Check out the video for "All Around the World" below. Do you remember it?
Los Angeles, CA --- Steve Lukather a.k.a. Luke and Joseph Williams are life-long friends since they were kids, and bandmates sharing a deep colorful history that has thrived professionally on a global basis over the past decades. Today, the duo has announced the formation of a new band, with world class players. They will continue to tour as Toto, and are in motion to bring their Dogz of Oz tour worldwide as the pair looks forwards. Planned concerts across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia / New Zealand and other geographical destinations will be staged where the ensemble will perform all the hits, deep cuts, and solo music from Lukather and Williams individual catalogs.
Joining Lukather and Williams for this next chapter in their indelible history are bassist John Pierce (Huey Lewis and The News), drummer Robert “Sput” Searight (Ghost-Note / Snarky Puppy), and keyboardist / background vocalist Steve Maggiora (Elvis, Moms Mabely). Keyboardist Dominique “Xavier” Taplin (Prince, Ghost-Note) and multi-instrumentalist / vocalist Warren Ham (Ringo Starr) have segued over continuing their tenure in the ensemble alongside Lukather and Williams. This marks the fifteenth incarnation of the Toto line-up in consideration of band members or sidemen who joined or exited.
Luke shares, “We could not be more at peace with this move. There is a refreshing, optimistic enthusiasm to step in to the future. At this moment, Joe and I are the only long-tenured members of the band that want to be on the road continuing to bring music to our multi-generational fan base. I’ve spent almost four and a half decades of my life as the only original member who never missed a show or an album nurturing this legacy while enabling the music to continually exist in the live concert setting. That is something I’ll never stop doing, and the Dogz of Oz global tour offers a rare opportunity to reimagine our personal futures while simultaneously preserving the deep connection that exists with the audience while likewise yielding continual discovery. The hope is to move forward with the planned itinerary for Summer, 2021 that will bring us back to our fans across The World.” Williams offers, “Luke and I have been through a lot with one another. He’s like a brother to me. Our creative partnership has always enriched our lives. As we look towards what’s to come in unison, there is nothing but anticipation to bring everything in our minds to life. I can’t think of anyone else on Earth I’d rather launch the next chapter with this lifelong, loyal and gifted friend and band mate. We’re the last men standing…The Dogz of Oz!” Luke adds, “Joe and I have been friends since I was 17, and Joe was 14. During the course of this pandemic we’ve been reevaluating our career and how to move forward. People are either not with us anymore or have retired. We still feel like kids who want to be back on the road as soon as possible. It’s where we live. Joe’s growth as a producer, songwriter, engineer, singer and performer is inspiring. The timing of this move is perfect as Joe is at the top of his game, and he amazes me every day. We are enjoying this collaboration, and could not be more enthusiastic about the future.”
On Saturday, November 21 the new line-up will make their global debut. The band has planned a one-night only concert event that will broadcast prime time in three geographical regions to super-serve the fans: Asia, Australia / New Zealand; Europe; North America. For more information, tickets, and available bundles click here.
"The stars say you're my best lover Matched up like sugar for a cake They say our love could conquer anything I'd always hide my feelings Keep them so cool and so contained This time it's something I just can't retain Cos you give me a good vibe don't you know baby You give me funky love, funky love Could this be what love's all about baby Or is it just another dream Is this for real or is it just another dream"
Do you remember Cathy Dennis? She was a young singer that burst out of the UK around 1990 and hit the charts with a handful of hits before seeming to disappear. I say seeming to because she has never actually left the music industry. She has simply opted for a career as an award-winning songwriter and producer instead. Who better to guide others than someone who has conquered Billboard's charts themselves, right?
Just how noteworthy is Cathy? Well in 2006 she was named the UK music business's Woman Of The Year. Not too shabby.
But for today, let's kick it back to when her hair was on fire, she looked great in a catsuit and her dance moves were pretty impressive too. "Just Another Dream" found its' way to number 9 on Billboard's Hot 100 and spent a few weeks in the second spot on the dance charts. Check it out below!
This has been an exhausting week and music is one of the ways that I take my own version of a mental health break. I've learned over the years that, while my taste is eclectic, nothing puts me in a better mood than dance music. Today I turned to Earth, Wind & Fire for a bit of inspiration and thankfully, it worked. When I was ten "Let's Groove" came out and I remember buying the 45 and playing it into the ground- and that was just in the first few weeks that I had it. Disco was technically dead so I clung to anything even remotely resembling it. I danced my ass off in the privacy of my own room and even back then I understood that this was one of those groups that did extra.
They were the whole package, with a whole section of horns and choreographed moves, Earth, Wind & Fire was a force to be reckoned with. In many ways, they still are If you're lucky enough to catch one of their gigs now you'll quickly understand why they are still thriving. Check out "Let's Groove" below. I'm betting it makes you wanna get down too.
I can't remember a moment in my life when music wasn't somehow playing in the backdrop binding together those things that would become real memories while helping the less important things to just sort of drift away into oblivion. When I was a kid, if my dad wasn't at the studio, then he was most definitely locked away in his home studio. He first sucked me in the door to that room with disco and a lot of my homework was eventually done on the floor next to one of his huge speakers. The deal was that once my homework was finished then I could pick any song and listen to it in his chair, with his headphones on. That was a huge thing to me and dad was smart because as my musical taste expanded, so did my time in his favorite chair. What started as one song while looking at cover art turned into dad leaving me with entire albums and loads of liner notes to dissect.
In the late '70s rock was just rock and there was no need to categorize it or throw it into some sort of sub-category. Good music was just that, good music. Toto's eponymous debut, followed by Hydra a year later, were two of my favorites and I spent a lot of time with headphones on soaking up every note played. I didn't know exactly what "shredding" was, but I believed my dad when he said that Steve Lukather was already one of the best and I also believed him when he said that David Paich was writing songs that were going to "stick".
Flash ahead 43 years and my dad was right because Lukather is now the guy that other equally legendary musicians consider as a personal mentor and Paich, well that silly little song about "Africa"has made him a mountain of cash (plus I dare you to find anyone over the age of twenty that doesn't know the chorus). Four decades have brought the band an abundance of riches, like a handful of Grammys, more than 40 million records sold, plus induction into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009.
Those same years have contained painful losses, debilitating illnesses, litigation, and the kind of personal demons that touch each and every one of us eventually, in one way or another. Sometimes the family that you choose becomes almost more important than the one that you were born into and the brotherhood of Lukather, Paich, Steve Porcaro, and Joseph Williams might be even more precious today than it ever was before.
Toto decided to commemorate their 40th anniversary by embarking on a 40 Trips Around The Sun tour, a celebration that has actually lasted for nearly two and a half years. The band brought down the house last night at The Met in Philadelphia as they closed the door not only on this tour but also on this incarnation of Toto. The band is now on hiatus for a well-deserved break and any future plans will be decided much further down the road.
The near-capacity crowd at The Met seemed well aware of the fact that it was the beginning of the end for this era of Toto and there were some bittersweet moments that spilled off the stage into the audience, but for the most part, this show was a celebration. The band took the audience on a two-hour ride through their catalog of 14 studio albums, serving up some of the anticipated favorites and just enough deep cuts to make true fans grateful to be in the house.
Opening with "Devil's Tower" and "Hold the Line" delivered a one-two musical punch, the kind that lets you know that it's going to be a fantastic show. The first electric set seemed to fly by as it included an extra sentimental variation of "I Will Remember" and "English Eyes". The instrumental "Jake to the Bone" is a personal favorite of mine because it really shows off the musicianship that is the backbone of everything that Toto does. Lukather is just fantastic and keyboardist Steve Porcaro seems to have a bit of a mad musical scientist thing going on as well.
The quintessential favorite, "Rosanna" closed out the first set and anyone that had still been in their seat abandoned it. As the audience recovered from the adrenaline blast of that song, chairs were placed on stage, and Lukather, Porcaro, Williams, Warren Ham (multi-instrumentalist/vocalist), and bassist Shem von Schroeck all settled in for an acoustic set. "Georgy Porgy", the first song that Lukather ever sang for Toto, kicked off a sentimental musical journey that included "I'll Be Over You" and "No Love". I love stripped-down sets and this one really showed off just how much value each member has on their own. It's no wonder that the fully plugged-in band sounds like layers of perfection.
Let's talk for a minute about 27-year-old keyboardist Dominique "Xavier" Taplin. He stepped in last year for an ailing David Paich and learned the entire show in just a couple of days. Lukather mentioned the band all wanting to adopt him and after a lengthy chat with him last year, I kind of felt the same way. He is talented enough to have toured years ago with Prince (let that sink in), and his piano solo in this show was absolutely beautiful.
One of the best parts of seeing Toto play live is the way that they really capture that whole jam band kind of energy. Nearly every note may be carefully placed but it never really feels that way. Instead, it feels like a group of guys that really listen to each other and play off of each other in response and nowhere was that vibe more apparent than in the final set.
The often lost in their catalog "Girl Goodbye" sent the band soaring with some of Lukather's best playing of the night matching Williams' effortless vocals. The latter was a ball of energy throughout the entire show, laying down some of the best vocals that I've ever heard him do live. "Dune (Desert Theme)" is another of those layered instrumental pieces that is best appreciated live and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", a sentimental favorite of Lukather, was one of the best songs of the evening. If you think that an electric guitar solo can't take you on an emotional roller coaster ride then you need to spend a few minutes with this version of the George Harrison classic.
On an evening filled with "moments," Toto was going to have to go a long way to top themselves, yet they did just that with their 12-minute version of "Africa". David Paich (sidelined for health reasons since last year) was not only in the house, but he took his seat at the keys and sang those lyrics that he wrote so many years ago. The audience knew just how important this moment was and responded with both respect and gratitude.
Lukather shredded, Williams played with the crowd and percussionist Lenny Castro's solo smack in the middle of the classic song was nothing short of genius. As someone pointed out to me, you could hear the sleigh bells that are actually in the song, usually lost beneath everything else. An encore of "Home of the Brave" closed out the night with the entire band leaving absolutely everything that they had left to give on the stage of The Met.
Sometimes you’re better off dead There’s a gun in your hand and it’s pointing at your head You think you’re mad, too unstable kicking in chairs and knocking down tables in a restaurant in a West End town Call the police! There’s a madman around Running down underground to a dive bar in a West End town
"West End Girls" was one of the first songs by the Pet Shop Boys to do really well on the charts and to this day, more than 30 years later it's still considered one of their best. It's also timeless. The first time that you hear it you're really not sure if it's old or brand new. The fact is, "West End Girls" debuted back in 1985 at a time when Brit pop and synth music was exploding. Thompson Twins, Bananarama, The Human League... were all sitting at the top of the charts and there was plenty of room for Pet Shop Boys to join the party.Check out "West End Girls" below. Is it one of your favorites by the duo?
"I've got all this love, waiting just for you I just gotta know that your love is true Can't keep running boy in and out my life Wanna be your girl, not 'cause the mood is right"
A good part of the 90's were about soul, New Jack Swing and slowjamz for me. In between the Indie alternative music domination you had its' polar opposite- R&B. Many groups came and went and one of my favorites was Jade. They arrived on the scene in 1991, had a break out hit in 1992 which paved the way for their debut album, Jade To The Max.
"Don't Walk Away" was one of the leading singles from it and it also went on to be one of the hottest dance songs of 1993. What followed was a string of singles over the next few years that did well on Billboard's charts. The group eventually disbanded by the late 90's but reunited in recent years to play a gig here and there. "Don't Walk Away" will always be my favorite, check it out below!
