Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Janet Jackson- 'If'

"Allow me some time to play with your mind
And you'll get there again and again
Close your eyes and imagine my body undressed
Take your time cuz we've got all night, oooh
You on the rise as you're touchin my thighs and
Let me know what you like
If you like I'll go
Down da down down down da down down
I'll hold you in my hand and baby"

The early 90's were pretty damn emo. If you weren't walking around in a state of chronic melancholy you almost didn't fit in. Not that any of us really ever felt like we fit in. Douglas Coupland's Gen X novels reminded us that we were born into confusion so feeling like a misfit was par for the course. I had traded in my hairbands for Bush, Pearl Jam, Afghan Whigs and just about anyone else that was closer to Seattle or Portland than they were to the east coast. And then Janet Jackson reinvented herself and her sound.

Her self-titled album from 1993 stayed in my cd player for probably months straight. I was obsessed with the music, the videos, her abs- just everything. It was all so well-packaged (flannel shirts included) that it probably helped pull me out of my self-induced funk within a week or two.  It was all so slick and between the videos and MTV's behind-the-scenes footage I really wished that I was one of her "kids" (dancers). I mean really now, they were just awesome. Check out the video for "If" below. It is still my fav and dear god, nearly 30 years later I still remember the choreography!

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Janet Jackson- 'If'

"Allow me some time to play with your mind
And you'll get there again and again
Close your eyes and imagine my body undressed
Take your time cuz we've got all night, oooh
You on the rise as you're touchin my thighs and
Let me know what you like
If you like I'll go
Down da down down down da down down
I'll hold you in my hand and baby"

The early 90's were pretty damn emo. If you weren't walking around in a state of chronic melancholy you almost didn't fit in. Not that any of us really ever felt like we fit in. Douglas Coupland's Gen X novels reminded us that we were born into confusion so feeling like a misfit was par for the course. I had traded in my hairbands for Bush, Pearl Jam, Afghan Whigs and just about anyone else that was closer to Seattle or Portland than they were to the east coast. And then Janet Jackson reinvented herself and her sound.

Her self-titled album from 1993 stayed in my cd player for probably months straight. I was obsessed with the music, the videos, her abs- just everything. It was all so well-packaged (flannel shirts included) that it probably helped pull me out of my self-induced funk within a week or two.  It was all so slick and between the videos and MTV's behind-the-scenes footage I really wished that I was one of her "kids" (dancers). I mean really now, they were just awesome. Check out the video for "If" below. It is still my fav and dear god, nearly 30 years later I still remember the choreography!

Soundtrack Sunday: The Nightmare Before Christmas

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Shai - 'Comforter'

90's Nostalgia: Tevin Campbell - 'Can We Talk'

"Last night I,

I saw you standing,

And I started,

Started pretending,

I knew you and you knew me too,

And just like a roni,

You were too shy,

But you weren't the only,

Cause so was I,

And I've dreamed of you ever since,

Now I've built up my confidence,

Girl next,

Next time you come my way,

I'll know just what to say

Can we talk for a minute

Girl I want to know your name"

I'll never forget getting in a cab a few years ago. The driver was in his 40's and had big curly headbanger hair, still frosted as if it was 1988. He was wearing an old RATT concert tee that blended in with his sleeves of tattoos. He was on the phone at first trying to figure out who was going to get the Motley Crue tickets for him and his friends once they went on sale the next day and I instantly liked him. He was like a fossil leftover from the 80's but the thing was, he was the real deal. He stayed true to the music that he was raised on and had no desire to change any of that. Or at least that was my first impression. I've since learned never to think for certain that I have someone all figured out in a quick glance or three.

As the cab finally started to move he asked if I minded the radio and of course I didn't. Then he told me he didn't like what was on so he was switching over to a CD. The CD was Tevin Campbell and my jaw hit the floor. As "Can We Talk" started to play I told him I never expected to hear that in any cab, because years later most people don't seem to remember him let alone play his stuff. The driver loved him as much as I always have and we totally bonded over 3.5 songs before I got out of the cab.

Tevin first broke through in 1991 with his album T.E.V.I.N. but I wasn't hooked until he dropped I'm Ready in 1993. I think he was the artist that really convinced me to pay more attention to some of the slow jams peppering the charts, in between my Hole and Nirvana listening parties. The video for "Can We Talk" was shot in NYC's Central Park and I love it to this day. Check it out below.

Daily Boom Lost Hit: The Afghan Whigs - 'Gentlemen'

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: H-Town- 'Knockin' Da Boots'

"I feel so good when I'm near you
That's why I always wanna be close to you
I'm so addicted, I'm so addicted
To makin' love to you, baby
All night long, baby, all night long, long, long, long"

H-Town's "Knockin' Da Boots" is one of my all-time favorite slow jams. The 1993 R&B classic hit Billboard's charts at the height of the New Jack Swing era and it sat near the top for several weeks in the spring of that year. Kristine Huskey, who is now a distinguished attorney and author actually appeared in the video as a dancer.

H-Town remained popular throughout much of the 90's and were putting the finishing touches on an album when lead singer Keven "Dino" Conner was killed in a car accident along with his pregnant girlfriend. The album was released nearly two years later but without Conner it didn't garner much airplay or distribution.  The remaining members of H-Town, Solomon Conner and Darryl Jackson perform some of their classics from time to time.

Sunday Soundtrack: Poetic Justice

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Salt-n-Pepa - 'None of Your Business'

"Now who do you think you are
Puttin' your cheap two cents in?
Don't you got nothin' to do
Than worry 'bout my friends? Check it...
I can't do nothin', girl, without somebody buggin'
I used to think that it was me, but now I see it wasn't
They told me to change, they called me names, and so I popped one
Opinions are like assholes and everybody's got one
I never put my nose where I'm not supposed to
Believe me, if he's something that I want, I'm steppin' closer"

When I think back to 1993 I immediately think of Salt-n-Pepa. They really set the bar for women in music at that point in time. Gone was the spandex and 80's clunky jewelry. They were grown. Mothers, wives, and women who had kind of just arrived. MTV couldn't get enough of them and neither could radio stations across the country. They were blunt, owned their sexuality and challenged women to step up and take what they deserved in life.

They were powerful women looking to inspire other women and it worked.

Every video hit hard. The message of finding yourself and your inner confidence was the thread that ran through every song on Very Necessary.  "None of Your Business" has always been my favorite Salt-n-Pepa song from this era. I remember the video playing a lot and it was one of my very favorite songs to play on college radio at the time. Total anthem. 

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Whitney Houston - 'I'm Every Woman'

"I can cast a spell
Secrets you can't tell
Mix a special brew,
Put fire inside of you
Anytime you feel
Danger or fear
Then instantly
I will appear
Yeah oh
I'm every woman
It's all in me
Anything you want done, baby,
I do it naturally"

Remaking a big song done by an even bigger music icon is always going to be a huge risk. That said, Whitney Houston covering Chaka Khan does somehow make sense. When Chaka put out "I'm Every Woman" it was a sultry ode to capable women everywhere. Whitney's spin on it in 1993 was a little more upbeat and fun.

It was the second song off of The Bodyguard soundtrack, an album that was already enjoying crazy success thanks to Whitney's "I Will Always Love You".  When the video dropped for "I'm Every Woman" we got our first look at a very pregnant Whitney who appeared to be happier than ever before. She and her bump danced all the way thru the clip, which also included a cameo appearance by TLC. 

The song peaked at number 4 on Billboard's Hot 100 but enjoyed greater worldwide success than its' original version. Check out the video below. It's garunteed to make you happy.

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Duran Duran - 'Come Undone'

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Digable Planets - 'Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)'

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Pet Shop Boys- 'Can You Forgive Her?'

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: H-Town- 'Knockin' Da Boots'

"I feel so good when I'm near you
That's why I always wanna be close to you
I'm so addicted, I'm so addicted
To makin' love to you, baby
All night long, baby, all night long, long, long, long"

H-Town's "Knockin' Da Boots" is one of my all-time favorite slow jams. The 1993 R&B classic hit Billboard's charts at the height of the New Jack Swing era and it sat near the top for several weeks in the spring of that year. Kristine Huskey, who is now a distinguished attorney and author actually appeared in the video as a dancer.

H-Town remained popular throughout much of the 90's and were putting the finishing touches on an album when lead singer Keven "Dino" Conner was killed in a car accident along with his pregnant girlfriend. The album was released nearly two years later but without Conner it didn't garner much airplay or distribution.  The remaining members of H-Town, Solomon Conner and Darryl Jackson perform some of their classics from time to time.

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Us3 - 'Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)'

"Feel the beat drop, jazz and hip hop

Drippin' in the dome, mix is on the lock

Funk and fusion, a fly illusion

Keeps ya coastin' on the river we cruisin'

Up, down, 'round and 'round, found the found

But nevertheless ya gots to get down

Finesse freak through the beat so unique

Ya move your feet, the sweat from the heat"

If you don't remember the name "Cantaloop" it's okay because you still may verywell know the song. It was put out by a London group called Us3 back in 1993, to much critical acclaim. It ended up being a very successful fusion of jazz and rap (the rap always has had a spoken word vibe to it). The song sampled Herbie Hancock and selections from the Blue Note Record catalog. The end result was a great song that snatched up loads of radio play not to mention the fact that its' video was in heavy rotation on MTV for a long time.

Sadly, Us3 never really followed up "Cantaloop" with anything that remotely compared to it. It's definitly a one-hit-wonder, but a great one at that.

Check out the video below. Doesn't it end too soon?

90's Nostalgia: Tevin Campbell - 'Can We Talk'

"Last night I,

I saw you standing,

And I started,

Started pretending,

I knew you and you knew me too,

And just like a roni,

You were too shy,

But you weren't the only,

Cause so was I,

And I've dreamed of you ever since,

Now I've built up my confidence,

Girl next,

Next time you come my way,

I'll know just what to say

Can we talk for a minute

Girl I want to know your name"

I'll never forget getting in a cab a few years ago. The driver was in his 40's and had big curly headbanger hair, still frosted as if it was 1988. He was wearing an old RATT concert tee that blended in with his sleeves of tattoos. He was on the phone at first trying to figure out who was going to get the Motley Crue tickets for him and his friends once they went on sale the next day and Instantly liked him. He was like a fossil left over from the 80's but the thing was, he was the real deal. He stayed true to the music that he was raised on and had no desire to change any of that. Or it least that was my first impression. I've since learned never to think for certain that I have someone all figured out in a quick glance or three.

As the cab finally started to move he asked if I minded the radio and of course I didn't. Then he told me he didn't like what was on so he was switching over to a CD. The CD was Tevin Campbell and my jaw hit the floor. As "Can We Talk" started to play I told him I never expected to hear that in any cab, because years later most people don't seem to remember him let alone play his stuff. The driver loved him as much as I always have and we totally bonded over 3.5 songs before I got out of the cab.

Tevin first broke through in 1991 with his album T.E.V.I.N. but I wasn't hooked until he dropped I'm Ready in 1993. I think he was the artist that really convinced me to pay more attention to some of the slow jams peppering the charts, in between my Hole and Nirvana listening parties. The video for "Can We Talk" was shot in NYC's Central Park and I love it to this day. Check it out below.

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Salt-n-Pepa - 'None of Your Business'

"Now who do you think you are
Puttin' your cheap two cents in?
Don't you got nothin' to do
Than worry 'bout my friends? Check it...
I can't do nothin', girl, without somebody buggin'
I used to think that it was me, but now I see it wasn't
They told me to change, they called me names, and so I popped one
Opinions are like assholes and everybody's got one
I never put my nose where I'm not supposed to
Believe me, if he's something that I want, I'm steppin' closer"

When I think back to 1993 I immediately think of Salt-n-Pepa. They really set the bar for women in music at that point in time. Gone was the spandex and 80's clunky jewelry. They were grown. Mothers, wives, and women who had kind of just arrived. MTV couldn't get enough of them and neither could radio stations across the country. They were blunt, owned their sexuality and challenged women to step up and take what they deserved in life.

They were powerful women looking to inspire other women and it worked.

Every video hit hard. The message of finding yourself and your inner confidence was the thread that ran through every song on Very Necessary.  "None of Your Business" has always been my favorite Salt-n-Pepa song from this era. I remember the video playing a lot and it was one of my very favorite songs to play on college radio at the time. Total anthem. 

Daily Boom Soundtrack Sunday- Reality Bites

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Jade - 'One Woman'

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Salt-n-Pepa - 'None of Your Business'

"Now who do you think you are
Puttin' your cheap two cents in?
Don't you got nothin' to do
Than worry 'bout my friends? Check it...
I can't do nothin', girl, without somebody buggin'
I used to think that it was me, but now I see it wasn't
They told me to change, they called me names, and so I popped one
Opinions are like assholes and everybody's got one
I never put my nose where I'm not supposed to
Believe me, if he's something that I want, I'm steppin' closer"

When I think back to 1993 I immediately think of Salt-n-Pepa. They really set the bar for women in music at that point in time. Gone was the spandex and 80's clunky jewelry. They were grown. Mothers, wives, and women who had kind of just arrived. MTV couldn't get enough of them and neither could radio stations across the country. They were blunt, owned their sexuality and challenged women to step up and take what they deserved in life.

They were powerful women looking to inspire other women and it worked.

Every video hit hard. The message of finding yourself and your inner confidence was the thread that ran through every song on Very Necessary.  "None of Your Business" has always been my favorite Salt-n-Pepa song from this era. I remember the video playing a lot and it was one of my very favorite songs to play on college radio at the time. Total anthem.