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Ma' Tune!!!!

From the album "Alligator Woman"






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Now you know there are some tired motherfuckers around here since this thread is at the bottom of the page. That's alright though, I'm here now and it's time to wake these motherfuckers up!

Great jam from Cameo. Great pick. One of my favorites.

THIS IS MY JAM!!!


Cameo has so many kickass jams and it's hard to pick a favorite but this one is definitely in my Top 5.

Yes Cameo is the shit, "Just be yourself say what's on your mind"! I remember that red jockey cup or strap he used to wear in that "Word Up" video.

Great pic pali...Not only is it a bangin' track but it's off of a bangin' album. Alligator Woman is one of Cameo's best and underrated albums, in my opinion. The bassline is all high up in the mix and shit ! Exactly where a coldblooded bassline SHOULD be. Cameo was NO joke.

blackguitaristz said:

Fo' Sho'.. I was surprised when the 'Alligator Women' LP came out and Aaron Mills was no where on it, Mills left with Campbell and Bright to form MCB..

The bass play on the album is the work of the late Mike Burnett.
He did a hellava' job on this album. I also agree the "Alligator Women LP is one of their best and underrated, but highly appreciated by me.

Great cut!

I wouldn't go as far as to say Alligator Woman is one of their best LPs, though

FuNkeNsteiN said:

Saaaaay What...,and why not Sir.

StarMon said:

Because their 70s stuff is better than their 80s stuff

FuNkeNsteiN said:

I can dig it, you'll get know disagreement from me about their 70's material...all I can say is hold ya' nose and go low..((((CFunk!)))). If ever a Cameo album deserving to be a best, then 'Alligator Women' is one of them. I remember playing this in the Sound Warehouse I use to work in, the day of it's release.. We played it non-stop... per side mind you. I'd say it was the last of the best, but nevertheless a best After this LP and the beginning of the "Reconstruction" period.."downsizing" by the record labels, their funk did git electrified.

In some instances, I would favor an artist or band's material from a certain decade over another. But for me, this simply is not the case regarding Cameo. I bought all of Cameo's albums as they were released starting from Cardiac Arrest in 77. Ugly Ego, We All Know Who We Are, and Secret Omen obviously had jams...Funk Funk, Rigor Mortis, C On The Funk, Why Have I Lost You (first version) I Want You, Insane, I Just Want To Be, etc. BUT to me personally, Cameo stayed just as funky and at the same time, to me, I think their early 80 albums, 80-82 as a whole, were stronger. They as albums overall, had better songwriting and the albums were better produced. I think during 80-82, that was Cameo's strongest period overall. With albums like Cameosis from 80, Knights Of The Sound Table from 81 and Alligator Woman from 82, those albums are definately every bit as strong as their albums from the 70's. And to me, in my mind, those albums are better. Shake Your Pants, Cameosis, Why Have I Lost You (Second Version), Knights By Knights, Freaky Dancin', I Like It, Be Yourself, Flirt, Alligator Woman, are ALL bonafide jams.
[Edited 5/23/09 1:01am]

you damn skippy about us needin' the wakeup! I've never heard this jam by Cameo, but LAWDY ain't that some funky mess?!?!

vainandy said:

To me, as far as Cameo's songs, the ones that I listed are all faves of mine. I have no preference in tracks like "I Just Want To Be" to "Knights By Knights" to the title track "Alligator Woman". To me, if it's bangin', it's bangin. And to these ears, those tracks are sho nuff' bangin'. "C On The Funk", "I Want You", "Shake Your Pants", "Keep It Hot" are all bonafide Cameo gems to me. Both versions of "Why Have I Lost You" are simply killin'. I wasn't crazy about "Style" and "Single Life" albums. But I always dug the Word Up! album. I was happy as hell that the songs "Word Up", "Candy" and "Back and Forth" was doing so well on pop and r&b radio. The song "Candy" especially was tailored made for radio all the while maintaining Cameo's classic elements in their sound. It had the classic Cameo bassline, the classic Larry vocals and phrasing that he perfected from borrowing from Leroy Sugarfoot Bonner. And a killin' rock guitar solo to boot. "Candy" was VERY Ohio Player influenced. That's one of the main reasons why I always loved that song. The lyrics, the vocal phrasing, those sweet keyboard strings, the distorted guitar riff doubling the bassline, that's ALL heavy on the Ohio Players vibe.
[Edited 5/23/09 1:36am]

StarMon said:

Solid album ! And with the Phoenix Horns as guests.







After MCB, Aaron did some staffwork at Sugar Hill Records and released about 3 singles for the label : "Doin' The Go-Go" / "Chemical Reaction", and 1 on SH's sublabel, Chess Records, he released "Hot Stuff"

blackguitaristz said:

No argument from me.

blackguitaristz said:

Mike Burnett, and Gregory Johnson were two of the missing ingredients on the Style album. Only Mike rejoined the group for the She's Strange album...

Candy is most definitely, paying homage to "Sugarfoot" vocal style.
[Edited 5/23/09 6:16am]

StarMon said:

You, ain't never lied, ....on the mention of their Strength during 80-82, these were part of that strength...

You got to get yo nerve up, yo nerve up

blackguitaristz said:

Lets not forget this

StarMon said:

Larry and Charlie both played some solid bass-parts on the Style-album. And Kevin Kendricks was laying down fierce synths on that project too. Before that, Kevin performed additional keyboards for Dazz Band-albums.

elem55 said:

Absolutely Soul Army. Soul Army was very similar in theme and lyrics to Knights By Knights. Both songs were about unity regarding the funk.

I saw Cameo in London a few weeks ago. They didn't disappoint. Tomi Jenkins still sounds the same...incredible...and they did my favourite Cameo song "I've Got Your Image" which was unbelievable. Such an underrated band.

Aaron Mills was on bass, and Charlie Singleton was on guitar too.
[Edited 5/23/09 16:25pm]

jjam said:

oh man! where were they playing? I totally would have gone, I didn't know they were over here in the UK.

Shango said:

Speaking of the 'Style' album,the title track sounds just like "Be Yourself" Exact same groove.That album is kinda mysterious.It came and went just like that.I never heard too much of it on the radio.

FuNkeNsteiN said:

Normally,I would agree with you,but...I think 'Alligator Woman' is truly their best album I also think 'Cameosis' and 'Knights Of The Sound Table' are their other best albums.

SoulAlive said:

That's exactly what I was sayin'. I just went into a lil' bit mo' depth as to why.
[Edited 5/28/09 14:56pm]

SoulAlive said:

Cameosis is an incredible album, I agree

FuNkeNsteiN said:

I third that! Cameosis and Knights Of The Sound Table are my two favorites.[/b]

SoulAlive said:

The title track got some airplay as well as their remake of Elvis
Can't help falling in love in my city. Style was a good album but
you had to have a good ear for it. I dug This Life is not for Me, the
bluesy "You're a Winner", Slow Movin, and the wild "Let's not talk slot"
which was my favorite cut on the album. Even though i thought style was
a good album it certainly ranks behind 5 or 6 of their other albums.
My favorite is Alligator Woman easily followed by Knights of the Sound
Table. Cameosis would be third for me great as it is.
[Edited 5/28/09 19:36pm]

phunkdaddy said: Style was a good album but
you had to have a good ear for it. I dug This Life is not for Me, the
bluesy "You're a Winner", Slow Movin, and the wild "Let's not talk slot"
which was my favorite cut on the album. Even though i thought style was
a good album it certainly ranks behind 5 or 6 of their other albums.

[Edited 5/28/09 19:36pm]
[/quote]
I agree with this. That's a good way of putting about the Style album. U did have to have a good ear for it. Or as I would say, "You had to have a GENEROUS ear for it." I too like the track "Let's Not Talk Slot" but for me overall, I think I was just flat out let down by the album. Mainly cuz I had become hella spoiled by the certain type of funk Cameo had been slangin' up untill that album. I realized that they were changing up in their style, (no pun intended) and respected them for that BUT I had grown accustomed to their jams previous to this album. So it wasn't so much that I thought the album was sorry as I just didn't really want to see them go in the direction they were going. Hell, the Alligator Woman album and especially the title track, had that Oingo Boingo vibe thrown in the mix. Which was, I felt, very unique. Cameo showed that ANYTHING was possible when it came to the funk.