ChocolateBox3121 said:

cloveringold85 said:

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I love Patti! Patti and Teena -- two of my favorite female singers.

When Teena recorded " The Secret Garden" remake with Patti. Teena actually told her she wasn't happy with Patti's vocal performance.

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That took some real cajones!!

mjscarousel said:

cloveringold85 said:

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Teena had a fire inside her; something I have never seen with any other female artist, black or white. One of the things I love about her music is that they had good hooks in them, and something that Rick was very good at, as well. Both Teena and Rick were great producers. That's what made their songs "pop", and stand out from all the rest.

She definitly was born with it and she had it all. Her voice is amazing and I just love her tone, control and how she cut up on a song. She really knew how to make a song her own.

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Yes, she sure did; her vocal range was amazing and that vibrato!!

Yea, I heard about that too. Small world!!

ChocolateBox3121 said:

it's interesting to wonder how Jill's career might have turned out if she had stayed in the Rick James/Teena Marie/Motown camp.She clearly had the connections to get a solo deal.

"Midnight Magnet" (1983) was the second single from Robbery and one of the highlights of that album

SoulAlive said:

ChocolateBox3121 said:

it's interesting to wonder how Jill's career might have turned out if she had stayed in the Rick James/Teena Marie/Motown camp.She clearly had the connections to get a solo deal.

True! Jill has worked with ALL of my favorite artist and has so many stories to tell. I like her no-nonsense attitude and tell it like it is personality. Prince made use of "ALL" her talents .

But she's very sweet in person. I had the pleasure of partying with her and watching her perform live last year. She still has that voice.

"If I Were A Bell" (1990)

Teena Marie and Rick James performing their hit duet "I'm Just A Sucker For Your Love" on Soul Train (1979)

Always loved me some Lady T! She has made some funky R&B classics and wow, what a voice!

"Honey Call" (2004)

I recall an interview that Teena did in the late 90s.She said that she was thinking of doing a rap album and she had a funny concept for it.Every song would,of course,be a rap song but when the song would end,one of her friends would be begging her to sing....."Okay,that was nice,but Teena,can you please SING now?".....she would move on to the next rap,and when it would end,same thing....."Teena can you please SING now?!"....and then finally,after the final track,Teena would finally start to sing,but the record ends at that point....just as she began singing!

I don't know if she was joking or being serious,but that would have been funny

"Work It" was the second single from her 1988 album Naked To The World

SoulAlive said:

I recall an interview that Teena did in the late 90s.She said that she was thinking of doing a rap album and she had a funny concept for it.Every song would,of course,be a rap song but when the song would end,one of her friends would be begging her to sing....."Okay,that was nice,but Teena,can you please SING now?".....she would move on to the next rap,and when it would end,same thing....."Teena can you please SING now?!"....and then finally,after the final track,Teena would finally start to sing,but the record ends at that point....just as she began singing!

I don't know if she was joking or being serious,but that would have been funny

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Yes, it would have!

SoulAlive said:

I recall an interview that Teena did in the late 90s.She said that she was thinking of doing a rap album and she had a funny concept for it.Every song would,of course,be a rap song but when the song would end,one of her friends would be begging her to sing....."Okay,that was nice,but Teena,can you please SING now?".....she would move on to the next rap,and when it would end,same thing....."Teena can you please SING now?!"....and then finally,after the final track,Teena would finally start to sing,but the record ends at that point....just as she began singing!

I don't know if she was joking or being serious,but that would have been funny

I remember this interview. I believe she was serious about it. Teena could actually rap and had a VERY sexy speaking voice also.

"You Make Love Like Springtime" is one of the highlights of the Irons In The Fire album

Nice remix of Square Biz............I love how Teena was rapping; very impressive!!

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Baby, what's happening
Entre vous Lady Tee
I've heard a boatload of others ladies' raps
But they ain't got nothin' on me
I'm less than five foot one, a hundred pounds of fun
I like sophisticated funk
I live on Dom Perignon, caviar, filet mignon
And you can best believe that's bunk
Here's what I'm talking, baby
Square Biz, Square Biz

MotownSubdivision said:

I need to start bumping Lady T's stuff. Where should I start? Also, so she's the one who revealed that Rick stole Prince's synths? Interesting stuff. I'm no music aficionado so I don't understand exactly how Rick was using Prince's grooves. Nothing on Street Songs sounds like anything Prince would have made. Can someone break this down for me please?

I was always a fan of her Motown stuff because it symbolizes her beginnings. Once with Epic, she got synthed out (but EVERYONE was gettin' synthed out back then) and SHE DID IT with CLASS and with PRECISION! I'd suggest "Robbery" as a great place 2 start TOO. "Starchild," even though it featured her biggest hit, "Lovergirl," the album itself was a little too steeped in Rock 4 my tastes. Same with Emerald City;" however BOTH are masterpieces when coupled. They represent a place in R&B that most were afraid to even DARE 2 go and Lady Tee got down WITH it with amazing results! <3

cloveringold85 said:

Nice remix of Square Biz............I love how Teena was rapping; very impressive!!

.

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Baby, what's happening
Entre vous Lady Tee
I've heard a boatload of others ladies' raps
But they ain't got nothin' on me
I'm less than five foot one, a hundred pounds of fun
I like sophisticated funk
I live on Dom Perignon, caviar, filet mignon
And you can best believe that's bunk
Here's what I'm talking, baby
Square Biz, Square Biz

I've been called Casper, Shorty, Lil' Bit
And some they call me Vanilla Child
But you know that don't mean my world to me
Cause baby, names can't cramp my style
I love chick-icken
And Buff's collard greens
A little hot water corn bread
I love you too Cat daddy
But don't you let that go to your head
That's what I'm talking, baby
Square Biz, Square Biz

cloveringold85 said:

I love how Teena was rapping; very impressive!!

.

she had a great flow....her rap sounds very genuine

SoulAlive said:

cloveringold85 said:

Nice remix of Square Biz............I love how Teena was rapping; very impressive!!

.

.

Baby, what's happening
Entre vous Lady Tee
I've heard a boatload of others ladies' raps
But they ain't got nothin' on me
I'm less than five foot one, a hundred pounds of fun
I like sophisticated funk
I live on Dom Perignon, caviar, filet mignon
And you can best believe that's bunk
Here's what I'm talking, baby
Square Biz, Square Biz

I've been called Casper, Shorty, Lil' Bit
And some they call me Vanilla Child
But you know that don't mean my world to me
Cause baby, names can't cramp my style
I love chick-icken
And Buff's collard greens
A little hot water corn bread
I love you too Cat daddy
But don't you let that go to your head
That's what I'm talking, baby
Square Biz, Square Biz

.

You know I love spirituals and rock
Sarah Vaughn, Johann Sebastian Bach
Shakespeare, Maya Angelou
And Nikki Giovanni just to name a few
Well, I'm wild and peaceful Lady Tee
I got to keep my irons in the fire, you see
I got the point, the scam, the low, the deal
What you feel, say what

that was one of the coolest,earliest examples of a female artist rapping on a song

Flashback, who's that??

SoulAlive said:

"Honey Call" (2004)

I'm late to the party. All her albums were good with me but Emerald City. Just couldn't get into

it. She was a terrific artist. Great singer, songwriter, musician, and producer.

Honey Call was the shit.

phunkdaddy said:

All her albums were good with me but Emerald City. Just couldn't get into

it.

I can understand that.Emerald City was a departure from her previous albums.It's a concept album and some of the tracks are more bluesy and jazzy than her usual work.I do like the track "Love Me Down Easy",though.

SoulAlive said:

phunkdaddy said:

All her albums were good with me but Emerald City. Just couldn't get into

it.

I can understand that.Emerald City was a departure from her previous albums.It's a concept album and some of the tracks are more bluesy and jazzy than her usual work.I do like the track "Love Me Down Easy",though.

"Shangri-La" was my favorite cut off of the album. I don't recall if it was ever released as a single but it did get some nice spins on R&B radio. "Sunny Skies" is a great song, too. I wish she would have had a chance to record a jazz album.

phunkdaddy said:

SoulAlive said:

"Honey Call" (2004)

Honey Call was the shit.

indeed

"Here's Looking At You" (1990)

SoulAlive said:

that was one of the coolest,earliest examples of a female artist rapping on a song

It beats anything Nicki Minaj ever did.