Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: SWV - 'I'm So Into You'

"Boy, there you go 
You're telling me that you love me 
But boy you know 
That you belong to another girl who loves you 
You are so fine, (so fine, so fine) 
You blow my mind 
(Things you do) with the things you do to me 
(She sees) She's not blind, she's not blind 
Things you do for me, but I know 
[Chorus]
I'm so into you 
I don't know what I'm gonna do 
Boy, you got me so confused 
I don't know what I'm gonna do "

It has been awhile since I featured some classic 90's R&B so I figured maybe SWV would be a great group to feature. Sisters With Voices first got together as a gospel group in the late 80's but by 1992 they had shortened their name to SWV and since R&B and slow jams were hot, transitioning to that style was a natural progression for the ladies. Songs like "Weak" and "I'm So Into You" got tons of radio play and they were constantly popping up on MTV every few hours like clockwork.

I was definitely feeling the soul and slow jam vibe when it was hot but I'll admit that now, 2 decades later I think I appreciate it even more. Back then I'd flip on MTV and think, "Ugh, there's SWV again". Now I wish I was seeing them pop up constantly because that era of my life was a whole lot easier than being a busy adult is now!

I'm not sure what SWV song I like best but I'm going to leave you with "I'm So Into You". Check it out below! 

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Shai - 'If I Ever Fall In Love'

"The very first time
That I saw your brown eyes
Your lips said hello and I said hi
I knew right then you were the one
But I was caught up
In physical attraction
But to my satisfaction
Baby you were more than just a face"

Shai is one of those groups that I expected to go so much further than they actually did. The quartet first got together in the early 90's and by 1992 the title song, "If I Ever Fall In Love" , from their first album shot to number 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. Their first three albums produced songs that at least charted and after 1996 they dropped off the radar. If you google the group now you'll see that they do still pop up and perform here and there, but it's none of the original members. 

It's strange how sometimes a group with so much potential just kind of fizzles out with no real explanation. The original Shai was super talented, hot and marketable. Check out their video for "If I Ever Fall In Love" below!

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Jade - 'Don't Walk Away'

"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!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Alexander O'Neal & Cherrelle - 'Saturday Love'

"When I think about you, my feelings can't explain
Why after all this time my heart still feels pain
When I look at you, memories of love like no one before
You stay on my mind
Special feelings, special times
(Always so special)
I was yours and you were mine
(Made for each other)
All the good I won't forget
(You will stay on my mind)
Saturday the day we met
For always and forever you'll be my Saturday love"

Ya' know that song that gets stuck in your head, but you don't really mind too much? Well, one of those little ditties for me is Cherrelle and Alexander O'Neal's "Saturday Love". When it was released in 1985 it kind of solidified the two as one of THOSE R&B duos. The kind that was sure to have a hit together. On their own, both Cherrelle and Alex were poppin', but together was fire.

If you search YouTube you'll find recent performances of this song and it's pretty clear that these two still share a special bond. Alex has seen better days vocally but Cherrelle? Man, she still sounds great. "Saturday Love" seems like a great way to kick off this weekend so... here it is!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Al B. Sure!- 'Night and Day'

"I can tell you how I feel about you night and day

How I feel about you

I'll love you more in the rain or shine

And making love in the rain is fine

A love so good and I call it mine

Love is blind"

Al B. Sure! is one of the very first soul singers that I can remember actually being my own age when he first broke through. In the late 80's I thought of Motown when I thought of soul and just about every R&B artist out there in my age group was headed in a real New Jack Swing kind of direction. Al B. Sure! kind of made me stop dead and really listen. His song "Night and Day" hit Billboard's top ten and it was one of those end of the night request countdown favorites. The perfect song to dedicate to your boyfriend or girlfriend before going to sleep.

I know Al B. Sure! was popular but I hadn't realized just how many awards he was nominated for. We're talking Grammy's, Billboard Awards, Soul Train Awards... In other words, he had the music industry's respect as well as the fan's love. Al B. Sure! is still rooted firmly in the music biz and so are his three grown sons. 

Check out the video for "Night and Day" below. It's one of those songs that I always recognize 3 notes in!

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: George Michael - 'Jesus to a Child'

"And what have I learned
From all this pain
I thought I'd never feel the same
About anyone or anything again
But now I know
When you find a love
When you know that it exists
Then the lover that you miss
Will come to you on those cold, cold nights
When you've been loved
When you know it holds such bliss
Then the lover that you kissed
Will comfort you when there's no hope in sight"

I jumped on the George Michael bandwagon the very first time that I heard "Careless Whisper" blaring through my father's speakers. He and Andrew Ridgely put out some of the best pop songs of the 80's but I always felt like Michael really hit his stride in the 90's. He was grown and had experienced the harshness of real adult life. By the time he released Older in 1996, he had already lost one of the loves of his life and was starting to see the downside of fame firsthand.  I think he poured everything into that album and you can feel it.

"Jesus to a Child"  is one of those songs. You can feel the fragility and the brokenness in him and in his lyrics. For every fluffy pop song out there, there needs to be something as deep as this to balance the scales. "Jesus to a Child" has a way of uniting anyone that has felt deep pain and unimaginable loss. Sooner or later, we all get there and connect with this. Check out the video, it's George at his most honest. 

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: En Vogue - 'Hold On'

"The art of playing games now

Is not the hearts you break

It's bound to good love you make

When it's hearts on fire

 Give him love everyday

Remember he needs space

Be patient and he'll give his heart to you

Don't waste your time

Fighting blind minded thoughts of despair

Hold on to your love

You gotta hold on"

The late 80's music scene featured several pop girl groups. You had The Bangles, Expose, The Cover Girls, Sweet Sensation... all of them had radio and chart success but there was a formula to it. I don't think that anyone really anticipated the change that was coming when the calendar flipped and a new decade began. The 90's ushered in an era of New Jack Swing, slowjamz and R&B that was just amazing. Groups like TLC, SWV, and Xscape kept women front and center.

En Vogue was a major player at the time. Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, Terry Ellis and Maxine Jones teamed up in 1989 and by 1990 they had a bonafide chart hit with "Hold On". It was completely different from everything else that was getting airplay and that's what grabbed my attention immediately. To me, this video and song kind of drew a line in the proverbial sand and from this point on women had to really step up their game in order to compete musically. Check out "Hold On" below. Do you think it was a game changer too?

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: After 7 - 'Heat Of The Moment'

"There comes a time in every man's life

You're gonna do wrong

I made a mistake girl..Just let me..

Just let me explain

I can't believe it

Although I did it

I've never been that kinda man

I must admit it

I wasn't with it

But you were the best I've ever had"

I haven't heard After 7's "Heat Of The Moment" in years and when I finally did, I was sure it was Bobby Brown. I mean, doesn't it sound like "Every Little Step"?? Except that I like it better than that song that Brown did for one of the Ghostbuster sequels. It was released near the end of 1989 when New Jack Swing was really catching on thanks in great part to Babyface and L.A. Reid's writing and production. They put out some of the best tracks of the era, including this one.

After 7, comprised of Melvin and Kevon Edmonds and Keith Mitchell, first got together in 1987 and found success right out of the gate. Their self-titled debut album spun a few R&B number 1's ("Ready Or Not" and "Can't Stop") that also did very well on Billboard's Hot 100. "Heat Of The Moment" remains my favorite though & I think it's a great kick start to your new week, so here ya go! Check out the video below!

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Lisa Fischer - 'So Intense'

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Zhane - 'Sending My Love'

"Every time I hear your voice
And I look into your eyes
Sends a burning sweet sensation
Oh, inside of me
The look in your eyes
Has found me
I am sending
Sending my love to you
Praying that you are home
Sealing it with a kiss"

Zhane first caught my eye back in 1994 when their "Hey Mr. DJ" kind of became an anthem. They were a little hip hop but with a smooth neo soul groove thrown in. Their harmonies were tight and there was little there not to love. Zhane had a string of hits in the mid-90's but my very favorite is still "Sending My Love". It's a bit slower and smoother than their other stuff. Rather than rambling on I'm going to just tell you to check it out. Do you remember this?

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 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: Luther Vandross - 'Stop To Love'

"I just wanna be the one that you wanna see

I just wanna have you near me

But you fly away almost everyday

You work a lot but you never stop to love

(Stop) I love you stop (stop)

Come home from the road

(Gotta stop to love)

And let's celebrate (celebrate) the love we got (stop)

Say you're coming home."

Luther Vandross might have one of the most soulful voices to listen to ever. He is quite obviously best remembered for his ballads ("Here and Now", "Superstar", etc.) so I wanted to share something a little different. "Stop To Love" was the first single off of Vandross' fifth album and it was also his first top 20 hit on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. The video from 1986 shows a fun side to Vandross, one that those cloesest to him often talked about. Sadly, the singer's life was cut short after a massive stroke left him comatose for two months in 2003. While Vandross did recover somewhat he never performed in public again and eventually died in July of 2005.

Currently Booming: Old School R&B Playlist

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Dan Hartman - 'I Can Dream About You'

"I can dream about you 
If I can't hold you tonight
I can dream about you
You know how to hold me just right
Moving sidewalks, I don't see under my feet
Rising up from down here below where the streets see
Me lonely for you."

It really is pretty amazing how one song can take you back in time. Dan Hartman's "I Can Dream About You" is certainly one of those songs for me. A little cheesy? Sure. But it was popular during the summer of seventh grade for me and 1984 is permanently benchmarked in my mind as my favorite childhood year. It represents bar-b-que chips, grilled cheese made under the broiler, and sneaking sips of beer in my friend's bathroom.

It represents neon accessories, summer vacations to Wildwood, NJ, and books filled with Scratch N Sniff stickers. Gold chains, seashell bracelets, and striped shorts. 1984 was all about the music- from watching videos on MTV to sitting outside with a boom box- music was always involved. Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, John Waite, and, of course, Dan Hartman. They were all in heavy rotation.

I can remember calling our local radio dedication hour and asking to hear "I Can Dream About You" on a whole bunch of occasions. The best part? I'm as happy to hear it now as I was back then!

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: En Vogue - 'Don't Let Go (Love)'

What's it gonna be 'cuz I can't pretend
Don't you want to be more than friends
Hold me tight and don't let go
Don't let go
You have the right to lose control
Don't let go

I love when every member of a girl group can hold their own vocally, don't you? Throughout most of the '90s no other girl group seemed to compare to En Vogue. When the ladies (Cindy Herron, Dawn Robinson, Maxine Jones, and Terry Ellis) first broke through with "Hold On" off their debut album Born To Sing in 1989 it was immediately clear that they would become a force to reckon with. From that first single on En Vogue found great success with nearly every track that they dropped and it didn't hurt that their videos were as hot as their music.

"Don't Let Go (Love)", released in 1996 on the Set It Off soundtrack is arguably the group's best vocal performance ever and it also marked the end of Dawn Robinson's stint with them. The single sold 1.3 million copies in the states alone and quickly became En Vogue's top international hit. It was also nominated for a Grammy in 1997, at a point when En Vogue's lineup and future were in a state of flux.

Years of legal wrangling followed the release of "Don't Let Go (Love)". Maxine Jones and Robinson both embarked on solo careers but fought for the right to still use the En Vogue name. It was a fairly unsuccessful plight and you can actually catch Ellis, Herron, and Rhona Bennett on tour now. The ladies are currently part of the lineup on various 80's tours that are winding their way across the country and yes, they still sound fantastic live!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Atlantic Starr - 'Always'

"Girl you are to me, all that a woman should be
And I dedicate my life to you always
The love like yours is grand
It must have been sent from up above
And I know you'll stay this way, for always

And we both know, that our love will grow
And forever it will be you and me
Ooh your life is the sun
Chasing all the rain away."

Atlantic Starr had a female singer before they hired Barbara Weathers and singers have followed her, but none enjoyed similar success. Hers is the voice most closely associated with the group and it's her voice that you hear on songs like "Secret Lovers" and "If Your Heart Isn't In It". By the time the group's 1987 release rolled around great things were a foregone conclusion and the ballad "Always" totally delivered.

I was in tenth grade and it was the song for every couple that I knew, especially the ones that only made it three months. Let's face it, in high school a few months seemed like proof that it would last forever, didn't it?  I suspect "Always" still finds its way onto plenty of wedding playlists to this day. 

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Natalie Cole - 'Jump Start (My Heart)'

"Our love is running down, done fell into a slump

Give me a spark to get the fire burning

A get my engine moving, set these wheels a turning

Our love could use some rejuvenation

You bring the wine, I'll bring the sweet conversation

Romance is here to stay, I'll testify 'cause I need some today

So won't you

Jump start my heart

Charge me up when I'm running down

Oh, jump start my heart

Lift my feet up off the ground"

"Jump Start (My Heart)" is a bit of a lost hit for Natalie Cole. I think most people associate her with ballads and songs that serve as a tribute to her father (Nat King Cole). But by now, you know me and you know that I can't turn down a song that makes me want to move something. I mean, that's a good way to kick off the weekend right?  Check out the video below for "Jump Start (My Heart)". Do you remember it?

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Teena Marie- 'Lovergirl'

Coffee, tea on me baby
Touche a la'
My opening line might be a bit passe
But don't think that I don't know I'm feeling for ya
Cause I got a vibe on you the first time that I saw you saw you

Yesterday I spent quite awhile listening to Teena Marie's Starchild from 1984. I have been on a real Tee kick lately, thanks to THIS GUY over here & his radio show, The Power Hour. It all started with my accidentally stumbling onto this clip of Jeanette Jurado's cover of "Portuguese Love" which just blew me away,

Once I realized that it was originally Teena Marie's song made me go back through Lady Tee's catalog of music and I had forgotten just how much of her stuff I actually love. I remember when Starchild first came out because her song "Lovergirl" was a huge hit. Like, it was played every 3.5 hours on the radio like clockwork and the video was constantly popping up on MTV. Not that I was supposed to know that because at that point in time my mom had banned MTV from our house. I remember sneaking it while upstairs and going to my grandmother's to freely watch videos.

The only problem there was that in 1984 my grandmother didn't have MTV so I was at the mercy of America's Top Ten countdown which had video clips and of course, Friday Night Videos. You remember that right? It came on at midnight and everyone tried to stay awake long enough to watch even if they had MTV, just because. 

So anyway, I knew that the video for "Lovergirl" was in heavy MTV rotation but I never caught a glimpse while at home. I had to finally see it late at night while at my grandmother's and I remember it being sandwiched between Madonna and Phil Collins. I was stunned that such a big, soulful voice came out of such a tiny pale chick. I knew Teena was tough though because she ran with Rick James and even though I was only 12-ish I totally understood what being his (sometimes) other half had to entail. 

While Starchild made me happy as a kid, as a grown woman I totally appreciate the unbelievable range of talent that Lady Tee had. It's a damn shame she left us so soon.