New topic
Printable| Author | Message |
Summer '81---one of the best summers for R&B music Summer '81 is one of my favorite summers,mainly because of all the great jams that were out.I was in Detroit (my hometown) that summer,walking around with my first boombox,listening to stuff like...
"Give It To Me Baby" by Rick James "Square Biz" by Teena Marie "She's A Bad Mama Jama" by Carl Carlton "Razzamatazz" by Quincy Jones featuring Patti Austin "Try It Out" by Gino Soccio "Shake It Up Tonight" by Cheryl Lynn "I'm In Love" by Evelyn King "Two Hearts" by Stephanie Mills and Teddy Pendergrass "Double Dutch Bus" by Frankie Smith "Running Away" by Frankie Beverly and Maze "Lady (You Bring Me Up)" by The Commodores "This Is For The Lover In You" by Shalamar "Jones Vs. Jones" by Kool and The Gang "Love On A Two-Way Street" by Stacy Lattisaw "Pull Up To The Bumper" by Grace Jones "Super Freak" by Rick James "The Real Thing" by the Brothers Johnson "Sweet Baby" by Stanley Clarke and George Duke "Can't We Fall In Love Again" by Phyllis Hyman and Michael Henderson "On The Beat" by the BB&Q Band "Before I Let Go" by Frankie Beverly and Maze 
That summer,I also recall watching a dance show called "The Scene" and hearing the debut single by a new band called The Time ("Get It Up") 
Old Schoolers....do you recall the summer of '81? shake it up tonight....ooh ooh... show you how to party right (yeah) shake it up tonight...ooh ooh... show you how to party right [Edited 9/22/05 6:27am] | |
- E-mail - orgNote -  Report post to moderator |
DavidEye said: "Lady (You Bring Me Up)" by The Commodores Don't forget about "Oh No." I know a lot of people like to hate on Lionel's ballads, but that is one smooth ass slow jam. It's a jungle out there. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
JACKAL said: DavidEye said: "Lady (You Bring Me Up)" by The Commodores Don't forget about "Oh No." I know a lot of people like to hate on Lionel's ballads, but that is one smooth ass slow jam. I want you to want me I'm going crazy knowing he will be your lover tonight And when he comes,I'll let you go I'll just pretend as you walk out of the door That song is SMOOTH!!!!  | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
|
damn, that WAS a great summer of good music.. of FUNK!
my "top 5" from this list.. 1. SQUARE BIZ 2. give it to me baby 3. before I let go 4. pull up to the bumper.. BABY! 5. bad mama jama! I too remember hearing GET IT UP that summer.. & the FIRST thing I noticed was.. "this sounds A LOT like Prince".. & sure enough..! 
nice list, DavidEye! I'll see you tonight..
in ALL MY DREAMS.. |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
I remember hearing "Super Freak" for the first time that summer,and being totally blown away.It was the hottest jam out,and our local R&B station played it all the time.And when they started playing the 12" version,I went nuts!! | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
I turned 1 that summer, so my memories of hearing these songs for the first time are much later. It's a jungle out there. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
JACKAL said: I turned 1 that summer, so my memories of hearing these songs for the first time are much later.
Wow...it looks like you totally missed out on the 70s,huh? | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
DavidEye said: JACKAL said: I turned 1 that summer, so my memories of hearing these songs for the first time are much later.
Wow...it looks like you totally missed out on the 70s,huh? Yeah. I guess I was still in the creation stages at the end of '79. I had a lot of catching up to do.It's a jungle out there. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
JACKAL said: DavidEye said: Wow...it looks like you totally missed out on the 70s,huh? Yeah. I guess I was still in the creation stages at the end of '79. I had a lot of catching up to do. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
OMG, I LOVED the year 1981!!!!! In addition to the great music that was being played on the radio, it was also the year I graduated from high school. I totally, totally loved this year and would gladly go back and re-live it again, if I could. Soooo many great memories of that year, not to mention I was a young buck (18 years old, a child, really).  RIP, mom. I will forever miss and love you. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
When the fall rolled around,we got even more great jams...
"Snap Shot" by Slave "Controversy" by Prince "Let's Groove" by EW&F "Call Me" by Skyy "It Must Be Magic" by Teena Marie "Gigolette" by Ozone "Never Too Much" by Luther Vandross "Let's Celebrate" by Skyy "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" by Hall and Oates "Cool" by The Time "Get Down On It" by Kool and The Gang I miss those days!!! 
Whatever happened to good R&B music??!! .... [Edited 9/22/05 6:45am] | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
psychodelicide said: OMG, I LOVED the year 1981!!!!! In addition to the great music that was being played on the radio, it was also the year I graduated from high school. I totally, totally loved this year and would gladly go back and re-live it again, if I could. Soooo many great memories of that year, not to mention I was a young buck (18 years old, a child, really).
damn..your old...  Space for sale... | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Freaky Dancing - Cameo
Call It What You Want - Bill Summers and Summers Heat Running Back To You - Kleeer Reaction Satisfaction (Jam Y'all, Funk It Up) - Sun Keep On It - Starpoint Pull Up To The Bumper - Grace Jones Heartbeat - Taana Gardner One Of Those Nights (Feel Like Getting Down) - Billy Ocean Wikka Wrap - The Evasions Sweat (Till You Get Wet) - Brick Numbers - Kraftwerk Bad Lady - Confunkshun Something About You - Ebonee Webb Get It Up - The Time Andy is a four letter word. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
sosgemini said: psychodelicide said: OMG, I LOVED the year 1981!!!!! In addition to the great music that was being played on the radio, it was also the year I graduated from high school. I totally, totally loved this year and would gladly go back and re-live it again, if I could. Soooo many great memories of that year, not to mention I was a young buck (18 years old, a child, really).
damn..your old...  Yeah, I feel old now. Damn I miss the 80's, for real.   RIP, mom. I will forever miss and love you. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
I can't believe I forgot....
"Nights (Feel Like Getting Down)" by Billy Ocean "Freaky Dancing" by Cameo those were two of my favs! | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
psychodelicide said: sosgemini said: damn..your old... Yeah, I feel old now. Damn I miss the 80's, for real. the younger folks on this site don't know what they missed,huh? | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
DavidEye said: psychodelicide said: Yeah, I feel old now. Damn I miss the 80's, for real. the younger folks on this site don't know what they missed,huh? That's true, they don't, so it's up to us to educate them. RIP, mom. I will forever miss and love you. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
psychodelicide said: DavidEye said: the younger folks on this site don't know what they missed,huh? That's true, they don't, so it's up to us to educate them. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Also, some slow jams of that summer.....
She's Got Papers On Me - Richard "Dimples" Fields Golden Touch - Rose Royce Fire And Desire - Rick James Portuguese Love - Teena Marie Who's Sad - Smokey Robinson Silly - Deneice Williams I Believe In Love - Rockie Robbins We're In This Love Together - Al Jarreau Oh No - The Commodores You Are Forever - Smokey Robinson When She Was My Girl - The Four Tops Love On A Two Way Street - Stacy Lattisaw Andy is a four letter word. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
vainandy said: Wikka Wrap - The Evasions I think this is the song I've been looking for!! Is it a rap,where the guy says "1,2,3,4...get your lady on the floor"....does this song have parts of "Good Times" by Chic...."Thighs High" by Tom Browne....and other songs?? | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
DavidEye said: vainandy said: Wikka Wrap - The Evasions I think this is the song I've been looking for!! Is it a rap,where the guy says "1,2,3,4...get your lady on the floor"....does this song have parts of "Good Times" by Chic...."Thighs High" by Tom Browne....and other songs?? Yes. The background music is "Thighs High" and the song contains a "rapper" that sounds like the guy on "Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous". He makes references to "Boogie Nights", "Good Times", "Saturday Night Fever", "Let's Get Serious", "Ring My Bell", etc. Funk....where rhythm is life and life is rhythm....mad.... People come from miles around with an almost religious devotion to get on down.... 1, 2, 3, 4...get your woman on the floor....you gotta get up to get down....so really go to town... The Wikka Wrap is what it is....let it get into you.... Here...good is bad...and bad is about as good as you can possibly get..... Andy is a four letter word. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
vainandy said: Yes. The background music is "Thighs High" and the song contains a "rapper" that sounds like the guy on "Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous". He makes references to "Boogie Nights", "Good Times", "Saturday Night Fever", "Let's Get Serious", "Ring My Bell", etc. Funk....where rhythm is life and life is rhythm....mad.... People come from miles around with an almost religious devotion to get on down.... 1, 2, 3, 4...get your woman on the floor....you gotta get up to get down....so really go to town... The Wikka Wrap is what it is....let it get into you.... Here...good is bad...and bad is about as good as you can possibly get..... Yes...that's the one!!! I gotta go out and find this song!!!!! | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
DavidEye said: vainandy said: Yes. The background music is "Thighs High" and the song contains a "rapper" that sounds like the guy on "Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous". He makes references to "Boogie Nights", "Good Times", "Saturday Night Fever", "Let's Get Serious", "Ring My Bell", etc. Funk....where rhythm is life and life is rhythm....mad.... People come from miles around with an almost religious devotion to get on down.... 1, 2, 3, 4...get your woman on the floor....you gotta get up to get down....so really go to town... The Wikka Wrap is what it is....let it get into you.... Here...good is bad...and bad is about as good as you can possibly get..... Yes...that's the one!!! I gotta go out and find this song!!!!! I have the 45 which was scratched due to a worn out needle I had back at that time. I was young and didn't realize that needles wore out. I had a rubber band and a quarter placed over the arm of the needle to keep it from skipping. This pressure just grinded into the record and scratched it. Anyway, a friend of mine in recent years burned me a copy of the 12 Inch onto a CD. I don't think The Evasions made an album. Andy is a four letter word. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
vainandy said: I have the 45 which was scratched due to a worn out needle I had back at that time. I was young and didn't realize that needles wore out. I had a rubber band and a quarter placed over the arm of the needle to keep it from skipping. This pressure just grinded into the record and scratched it. Anyway, a friend of mine in recent years burned me a copy of the 12 Inch onto a CD. I don't think The Evasions made an album. I'll keep checking the used record stores.I'm sure I will find a copy of the 12" someday. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Leave it to David to take us on this journey. That was the best summer of my life for music. Man oh man, I keep looking at the list, it looks complete trying to think of somethin else that may have been missed.
 to DavidEye
thanks for the journey. 
We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color. Maya Angelou | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
butterfli25 said: Leave it to David to take us on this journey. That was the best summer of my life for music. Man oh man, I keep looking at the list, it looks complete trying to think of somethin else that may have been missed.
to DavidEye
thanks for the journey. I know exactly what you mean. The way I remember the year that a particular song came out, is to think back to the grade that I was in school. 1981 was the summer between my eighth and ninth grade school year. I keep looking over the list myself and it looks complete even though I know there were a ton of songs out that haven't been listed yet. I listed as many as I could think of that either came out that summer or spilled over from the school year before. Every time I think of another song to list, I was already in the ninth grade by then. It gets kind of hard to remember the summer songs. However, I can list songs all day for the summer of 1982.....now that was my summer. Andy is a four letter word. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
vainandy said: When She Was My Girl - The Four Tops she's gooooone...the big-legged girl is gooooone... | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
she used to be my girl!!!! yeah!!!!
We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color. Maya Angelou | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
 some more fun that year :
Thighs High (Grip Your Hips and Move) - Tom Browne Genius Of Love - Tom Tom Club Just the Two Of Us - Grover Washington Jr with Bill Withers Don't Stop The Music - Yarborough and Peoples Paradise - Change By Your Side - Con Funk Shun Come My Way - Rene and Angela I Love You More - Rene and Angela Starchild - Level 42 Burn Rubber - The Gap Band Time to Say Goodbye - Angela Bofill You'll Be Dancing All Night - Sheree Brown Numbers - Kraftwek Computer Love - Kraftwerk In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - The Police ... [Edited 9/22/05 8:30am] " I've got six things on my mind --you're no longer one of them." - Paddy McAloon, Prefab Sprout | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
DavidEye said: vainandy said: I have the 45 which was scratched due to a worn out needle I had back at that time. I was young and didn't realize that needles wore out. I had a rubber band and a quarter placed over the arm of the needle to keep it from skipping. This pressure just grinded into the record and scratched it. Anyway, a friend of mine in recent years burned me a copy of the 12 Inch onto a CD. I don't think The Evasions made an album. I'll keep checking the used record stores.I'm sure I will find a copy of the 12" someday. "Wikka Wrap" It's available on a compilation, from Thump records "Old School Rap vol.5" | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |