Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Float On (part 2)
Good morning peeps! Just before I went to sleep last night, I read about the existence of a thirteenth sign: Ophiuchus, pronounced without the "o". Now I don't know about you but...I am not giving up my original sign: Aries The Damn Ram...the numero uno sign of the zodiac! Hell to the naw...! I am so Ram, I was even born on the 1st of April! Undoubtedly, anyone who believes (even slightly) in astrology, is content to be of the sign they are; especially when the characteristics that define their signs are positive, flattering and desirable. Of course we tend to deny or downplay the negatives, which also exists in every sign.
Now, I trust you will do your own reading up and research on this Ophiuchus thing if interested. I did some reading to familiarize myself with the particulars of this so-called "thirteenth" sign. When? Where? How? Why? and WTF! Apparently it has been known about for a minute, but I must confess to ignorance...I didn't know!
What I've learned is that it exists due to some realignment of Earth thingy. I don't want to attempt any knowledgable explanations because that's not my area of expertise...do the reading for yourself. However, I will offer a few bits of info, such as the meaning of the word. According to Wikipedia, Ophiuchus is Greek for serpent bearer, and is located between Aquila, Serpens and Hercules; Northwest of The Milkyway. The depiction is of a man grasping a serpent.
Aquarius ~ Feb 16 - Mar 11
Pisces ~ Mar 11 - Apr 18
Aries ~ Apr 18 - May 13
Taurus ~ May 13 - June 21
Gemini ~ June 21 - July 20
Cancer ~ July 20 - Aug 10
Leo ~ Aug 10 - Sep 16
Virgo ~ Sep 16 - Oct 30
Libra ~ Oct 30 - Nov 23
Scorpio ~ Nov 23 - Nov 29
Ophiuchus ~ Nov 29 - Dec 17
Sagittarius ~ Dec 17 - Jan 20
Now, I trust you will do your own reading up and research on this Ophiuchus thing if interested. I did some reading to familiarize myself with the particulars of this so-called "thirteenth" sign. When? Where? How? Why? and WTF! Apparently it has been known about for a minute, but I must confess to ignorance...I didn't know!
Here are the dates of the signs as reordered, to include Ophiuchus:
Capricorn ~ Jan 20 - Feb 16 Aquarius ~ Feb 16 - Mar 11
Pisces ~ Mar 11 - Apr 18
Aries ~ Apr 18 - May 13
Taurus ~ May 13 - June 21
Gemini ~ June 21 - July 20
Cancer ~ July 20 - Aug 10
Leo ~ Aug 10 - Sep 16
Virgo ~ Sep 16 - Oct 30
Libra ~ Oct 30 - Nov 23
Scorpio ~ Nov 23 - Nov 29
Ophiuchus ~ Nov 29 - Dec 17
Sagittarius ~ Dec 17 - Jan 20
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Can This Be Real?...
Hola! I'm back again...for a minute anyway! lately I've been absent from the writing scene because I've been on a hiatus (self-imposed) due to "brain-drain" or lack of creative thought. However, today I feel like chit-chatting. First; how about those so-called "Real Housewives?" If "Real" is the operative word here, then why haven't we seen "Real Housewives" of the Projects yet? I mean, come on...who lives like these so-called reality housewives? Let me break it down according to the ones I watch: TRHW of New Jersey; TRHW of New York, TRHW of Atlanta, and the newest addition, TRHW of D.C.. I don't bother with TRHW of Orange County (which started the franchise in the first place), because I can't relate in any way at all! I feel a kinship with the East Coast shows simply because of geography.
Since I don't know any women like the ones portrayed on these shows, I will critique based on my perceptions. Women in general already get a "bad rap" for being catty and envious towards each other so for the life of me, I don't get why seemingly educated, sophisticated, wordly women would want to perpetuate that stereotype? TRHW of New Jersey have proven to be the most volatile and aggressive; TRHW of New York come across as snobby and pretentious, and TRHW of Atlanta as the most "ghetto." So far, the D.C. housewives have shown all of these characteristics except the aggressiveness! They have indeed mastered the snobbery and pretentiousness.
I mean, these women talk behind each other's backs, gossip about one another, change alliances like underwear and act like high school "mean girls" towards one another! So...why do I even bother to watch? We can all use some "guilty pleasure" television sometimes can't we? I can't watch The History Channel, PBS, The Discovery Channel and Sixty Minutes all the time!!! I need some dessert sometimes too! I can only hope that one day the RHW franchise will cast "real housewives" and I'll finally get to see LaQuisha and dem from the projects! Although I can't imagine how they would be different.
Since I don't know any women like the ones portrayed on these shows, I will critique based on my perceptions. Women in general already get a "bad rap" for being catty and envious towards each other so for the life of me, I don't get why seemingly educated, sophisticated, wordly women would want to perpetuate that stereotype? TRHW of New Jersey have proven to be the most volatile and aggressive; TRHW of New York come across as snobby and pretentious, and TRHW of Atlanta as the most "ghetto." So far, the D.C. housewives have shown all of these characteristics except the aggressiveness! They have indeed mastered the snobbery and pretentiousness.
I mean, these women talk behind each other's backs, gossip about one another, change alliances like underwear and act like high school "mean girls" towards one another! So...why do I even bother to watch? We can all use some "guilty pleasure" television sometimes can't we? I can't watch The History Channel, PBS, The Discovery Channel and Sixty Minutes all the time!!! I need some dessert sometimes too! I can only hope that one day the RHW franchise will cast "real housewives" and I'll finally get to see LaQuisha and dem from the projects! Although I can't imagine how they would be different.
Friday, September 24, 2010
"Can You Tell Me How To Get To Sesame Street?"
Howdy-do peeps! Hope all is well in your world! Well, time to rant about over-zealousness and "political-correctness" gone amok!!! I am talking about the Katy Perry video that was taped for a Sesame Street segment, then scrapped because some parents objected to it. Seems it was deemed "too sexy" for viewing by the target audience (2 to 6 year olds). The video features singer katy Perry of "California Girls and I Kissed A Girl" fame cavorting (gosh I love that word) around with Elmo! Katy wears a bustier topped, short dress which is the basic uniform for a twenty-something California Girl. What? You didn't know that? Where have you been recently?
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| Elmo does seem a bit too interested in her outfit though! |
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| See any clothes on this guy? |
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| Hey bird, where's your pants? |
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| Is it true being in green skin aint easy? |
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| Looking quite "dapper" unclothed! |
The last thing I want to want to add as I wiggle my tongue around in my cheek is, "has anyone asked Miss Piggie to weigh in on the controversy? I'd really be interested in hearing her opinion on the matter...afterall, who bares more cleavage on television than Miss Piggy? I mean besides Wendy Williams and Dolly Parton?
Monday, September 13, 2010
"Sleep Walk"...Santo and Johnny
As a "self-proclaimed" music observer/critic/lover/commentator, I felt "compelled" to watch MTV's music awards show. I know, I know...I am not in their targeted demographics! They do not consider my generation when making programming choices. I don't give a rat's behind!...I'll watch what I want and they can't stop me! An ulterior motive though, is that I get such pleasure from comparing "our" music (as in Baby Boomers) with "their" music (as in Gen X!).
It often saddens me when I am reminded that music today seems more about "extreme" stage shows, acrobatic dance moves, outrageous costumes (shades of LaBelle and George Clinton's Funkadelics!), and increasingly less about singing!
Before I go further, I'd like to note that coming up with a title for today's blog proved to be quite a challenge! If you are a follower of my blogs, you already know that I always choose a song title which summerizes the tone of my article. Well, note today's title: Sleep Walk by Santo and Johnny! Does that pique your curiosity in any way?
The show opened with a performance by the "Elvis" of rap...Eminem, including a duet with Rihanna. While Em is usually controversial or somewhat interesting in his performance behaviors, he seemed oddly subdued or even "detached" last night; there was no "sizzle." His and Rihanna's duet even seemed disconnected.
The "star power" of shows past even seemed absent from last night's show, although there were a few surprises: Lindsay Lohan mocking her own "bad behavior" in a skit with Chelsea Handler, who was the MC, for example.~Side bar~ I am a fan of Chelsea Handler and often find her humor "decadently delicious, wonderfully wicked and naughtily nice" but for some reason, she seemed "off her game" and came across as trying "too hard" to be funny and irreverant. Instead, some of her jokes fell flat. One joke directed at Justin Bieber was downright crass, so I won't even repeat it.
The usual male artists did their things: Justin Bieber had 'em screaming; and when Drake and later, Usher took to the stage, they seemed "geriatric" compared to young Mr. Bieber! "Pseudo celebrities" such as The Jersey Shore cast were in the house, as well as other current pop culture ."icons."
The night's big winners include Eminem, who won "best male video" for "Not Afraid" and Lady Gaga who won the first four awards for which she was nominated, including the most coveted "best female video." A surprise moment that woke me back up (hence the title above) was an appearance by the one and only Cher!
As she stepped on stage with her sixty-five-year -old baaaddd self, in that iconic, "barely there" black outfit that shows her in her ancient glory, I had to give props! She still has it! The old gal looked good! She presented Lady Gaga an award and when the camera panned the audience for reaction shots, you could see the looks of awe on the faces of today's "divas." The "other" oldster on the show was Mary J. Blige. Rememer her?
Here's some irony: my young niece Mary Klausner called to ask if I was watching "Rock, Rhythm & Doo-Wop" which was airing all day yesterday on PBS; I answered "no" because I had seen the episodes before; it was a marathon of previously aired shows, some dating as far back as 2001. Many of the artists are no longer with us. Mary is a younger person who appreciates "our" music; no theatrics, elaborate stage shows, funny or outrageous costumes, or controversial lyrics. Just pure vocal harmonizing, meticulous suits and glamorous dresses. And here I was watching MTV!
It often saddens me when I am reminded that music today seems more about "extreme" stage shows, acrobatic dance moves, outrageous costumes (shades of LaBelle and George Clinton's Funkadelics!), and increasingly less about singing!
Before I go further, I'd like to note that coming up with a title for today's blog proved to be quite a challenge! If you are a follower of my blogs, you already know that I always choose a song title which summerizes the tone of my article. Well, note today's title: Sleep Walk by Santo and Johnny! Does that pique your curiosity in any way?
The show opened with a performance by the "Elvis" of rap...Eminem, including a duet with Rihanna. While Em is usually controversial or somewhat interesting in his performance behaviors, he seemed oddly subdued or even "detached" last night; there was no "sizzle." His and Rihanna's duet even seemed disconnected.
The "star power" of shows past even seemed absent from last night's show, although there were a few surprises: Lindsay Lohan mocking her own "bad behavior" in a skit with Chelsea Handler, who was the MC, for example.~Side bar~ I am a fan of Chelsea Handler and often find her humor "decadently delicious, wonderfully wicked and naughtily nice" but for some reason, she seemed "off her game" and came across as trying "too hard" to be funny and irreverant. Instead, some of her jokes fell flat. One joke directed at Justin Bieber was downright crass, so I won't even repeat it.
The usual male artists did their things: Justin Bieber had 'em screaming; and when Drake and later, Usher took to the stage, they seemed "geriatric" compared to young Mr. Bieber! "Pseudo celebrities" such as The Jersey Shore cast were in the house, as well as other current pop culture ."icons."
The night's big winners include Eminem, who won "best male video" for "Not Afraid" and Lady Gaga who won the first four awards for which she was nominated, including the most coveted "best female video." A surprise moment that woke me back up (hence the title above) was an appearance by the one and only Cher!
As she stepped on stage with her sixty-five-year -old baaaddd self, in that iconic, "barely there" black outfit that shows her in her ancient glory, I had to give props! She still has it! The old gal looked good! She presented Lady Gaga an award and when the camera panned the audience for reaction shots, you could see the looks of awe on the faces of today's "divas." The "other" oldster on the show was Mary J. Blige. Rememer her?
Here's some irony: my young niece Mary Klausner called to ask if I was watching "Rock, Rhythm & Doo-Wop" which was airing all day yesterday on PBS; I answered "no" because I had seen the episodes before; it was a marathon of previously aired shows, some dating as far back as 2001. Many of the artists are no longer with us. Mary is a younger person who appreciates "our" music; no theatrics, elaborate stage shows, funny or outrageous costumes, or controversial lyrics. Just pure vocal harmonizing, meticulous suits and glamorous dresses. And here I was watching MTV!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
God Bless The USA...Lee Greenwood
I'd like to simply share a poem I wrote on September 11, 2001:
The Day Terror Struck My City
Terror struck my city today
It rained down from the sky
I fell down on my knees to pray
I asked God in heaven, "why?"
But God no answer had to give
Terror is not God's game
So when you curse and rant and rave
Be careful who you blame
Remember God is a loving God
Who'll see that we get through
The darkest days our eyes will see
Our faith we must renew
Terror struck my city today
God bless the Red, White and Blue
The Day Terror Struck My City
Terror struck my city today
It rained down from the sky
I fell down on my knees to pray
I asked God in heaven, "why?"
But God no answer had to give
Terror is not God's game
So when you curse and rant and rave
Be careful who you blame
Remember God is a loving God
Who'll see that we get through
The darkest days our eyes will see
Our faith we must renew
Terror struck my city today
God bless the Red, White and Blue
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Been So Long...The Pastels
Good morning peeps! I'm back!!! It's been at least four months since I last posted on this blog thingy! I can't really say why it's been so long, other than I guess I had nothing new to say...I was "worded-out" for a spell. So why am I here today you ask? Well, I can only suppose that I felt an urge to be! My focus is still on the music that I love so much and other tid-bits of pop culture, trivia and life! In the world of music, we've suffered so, so many losses this past year: Teddy Pendergrass, Ron Banks, Randy Cain, Ollie Woodson, Harvey Fuqua, Marvin Isley, Robert Wilson, Al Goodman, Big Ron Carter, Abby Lincoln and the biggest name of all: Michael Joseph Jackson! These are obviously not in the order of their transitions and I am sure I am forgetting many others but this is a heartbreaking number as it is.
Yes, many of these artists lived wonderful and long lives...but it's always sad to lose such talented members of our universe. I like to remind myself that they are not really gone... their bodies of work assure us that they will always be around. They have just moved into the "Night Shift" to join the most soulful choir ever. If you close your eyes, open your minds and listen...you can hear them singing.
Yes, many of these artists lived wonderful and long lives...but it's always sad to lose such talented members of our universe. I like to remind myself that they are not really gone... their bodies of work assure us that they will always be around. They have just moved into the "Night Shift" to join the most soulful choir ever. If you close your eyes, open your minds and listen...you can hear them singing.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Hollywood Swinging - Kool and the Gang
Good morning peeps!! Did you watch The Oscar Ceremony last night? Being the pop culture "junkie" that I am, I watched in anticipation of the highly publicized hype of "something different from The Oscars that you've never seen before..." Well, unless I dozed off (which I did occasionally), I missed something. Sure, there were two hosts: Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, and less big production numbers; not much else seemed really new. Did they mean having former winners from each category offer commentary about the new nominees? Ho-hum. Nothing exciting there. However, what was somewhat new, was having at least three African Americans in the running for Oscars, at one time: Morgan Freeman (Invictus), Mo'Nique, (Precious), and Gabourey Sidibe, (Precious), and an African American in contention for Best Director (Lee Daniels; Precious). Can't remember when that happened before or if that ever happened. An African American won for Best Adapted Screen Play for Precious; Geoffrey Fletcher, a New Yorker who teaches at NYU.
Speaking of Precious, it is only one of three of the nominated movies I actually saw; the others being Avatar and The Lovely Bones. I don't go to the movies much these days, but I do see what I want on DVD. Now, back to the Oscars. Kudos to Mo'Nique for her winning her very first Oscar on her first time nominated! That is quite an accomplishment! I also have to say that she looked stunning in her royal blue, shirred front gown, and her beautifully coiffed hair! In watching her performance in Precious, I do agree that she was powerful, but I don't know if it was Oscar worthy...don't hate, it's my opinion. To me, it was "The Monster's Ball Syndrome" all over again. That is, when Black women play either overly sexualized women (Halle in Monster's Ball) or some convincingly brutal batterer as in Precious, they get Hollywood's attention! I have seen many other performances by African American women that I felt should have won Oscars but didn't. Angela Bassett as Tina Turner for example. This is progress though, in this sense: in the not too distant past, heavy set African American women were relegated to playing maids, mammies, slaves; or fair-skinned black women were always portraying "tragic mulattoes" "passing for white" or "exotic island dwellers."
Speaking of maids, I thought it was very gracious of Mo'Nique to pay homage to the late Hattie McDaniels, that I'll bet went over the heads of many in the audience, as well as home viewers. How many African American youth even know who Hattie McDaniel was! Do You? Hattie McDaniel was a heavy set African American actress who was very active in films during the thirties, forties and possibly fifties. She played...you guessed it...maids! She is also the first African American to win an Oscar in 1940, for her portrayal as a "mammy" in Gone With The Wind." In her real life, she supposedly quipped that she'd rather "play a maid than be one" as she laughed all the way to the bank!
Another first this time around, is that a woman won a "Best Director" Oscar for the little known film, "The Hurt Locker." This is significant for more reasons than one: the movie beat out the Goliath: Avatar, and the director, Kathryn Bigelow, beat her former husband...James Cameron in the Best Director category!
Congratulations to all the winners!!!
Speaking of Precious, it is only one of three of the nominated movies I actually saw; the others being Avatar and The Lovely Bones. I don't go to the movies much these days, but I do see what I want on DVD. Now, back to the Oscars. Kudos to Mo'Nique for her winning her very first Oscar on her first time nominated! That is quite an accomplishment! I also have to say that she looked stunning in her royal blue, shirred front gown, and her beautifully coiffed hair! In watching her performance in Precious, I do agree that she was powerful, but I don't know if it was Oscar worthy...don't hate, it's my opinion. To me, it was "The Monster's Ball Syndrome" all over again. That is, when Black women play either overly sexualized women (Halle in Monster's Ball) or some convincingly brutal batterer as in Precious, they get Hollywood's attention! I have seen many other performances by African American women that I felt should have won Oscars but didn't. Angela Bassett as Tina Turner for example. This is progress though, in this sense: in the not too distant past, heavy set African American women were relegated to playing maids, mammies, slaves; or fair-skinned black women were always portraying "tragic mulattoes" "passing for white" or "exotic island dwellers."
Speaking of maids, I thought it was very gracious of Mo'Nique to pay homage to the late Hattie McDaniels, that I'll bet went over the heads of many in the audience, as well as home viewers. How many African American youth even know who Hattie McDaniel was! Do You? Hattie McDaniel was a heavy set African American actress who was very active in films during the thirties, forties and possibly fifties. She played...you guessed it...maids! She is also the first African American to win an Oscar in 1940, for her portrayal as a "mammy" in Gone With The Wind." In her real life, she supposedly quipped that she'd rather "play a maid than be one" as she laughed all the way to the bank!
Another first this time around, is that a woman won a "Best Director" Oscar for the little known film, "The Hurt Locker." This is significant for more reasons than one: the movie beat out the Goliath: Avatar, and the director, Kathryn Bigelow, beat her former husband...James Cameron in the Best Director category!
Congratulations to all the winners!!!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
You Make Me Feel Brand New - Stylistics
Good afternoon peeps!!! It's been a while, but I am back with reason to smile! In a few more weeks, Spring would have sprung; no more snow (knock on wood); I'll be celebrating another year of living (God willing) because my birthday is April 1st, and my sister-friend Stephanie Jordan has redesigned the layout of this blog! So, I just wanted to make this piece an opportunity to say thank you to Stephanie, and to all of you who have read our collective blogs. I'll return soon with more commentary, more songs, more little gems of knowledge and hopefully...more reasons to bring a smile to your lips. Until we meet again,
Ciao my friends!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Dance, Dance, Dance - Chic
Good morning peeps!! You already know that, "I love music, any kind of music, long as it's grooving..." but, I also love to dance! The two go hand in hand of course. In my parallel universe, I was a "Solid Gold Dancer" like Darcel Wynn; memba her! Tripping back down memory lane, I can recall the many dance records and dances from my youth. The Two-Step, The Twist, The Madison, The Stroll, The Bop, The Mashed Potatoes, The Swim and The Pony to name a few, were from my really early years of dancing. That's when we were glued to the TV set watching American Bandstand.
Next phase: The years of The Motown Sound and The Philly Sound ushered in a new set of dances: Remember The Jerk (the original one), The Hitch Hike, The Monkey, The Boston Monkey, The Boogaloo, The Philly Dog, The Wobble, and The Twine? Now I know that many of these dances might have been local or regional favorites, but often, when a singing group picked up the dance and created a song around it, the dance became more widespread. The Twist is an example of this. Although it was first performed by the original creator of both the dance and song, Hank Ballard and The Midnighters; it was Chubby Checker's version that achieved world-wide fame and became an international dance sensation! To this day, even young children pick up this dance and work it! I taught it to my class of Kindergarten and First grade students, who performed it on stage, to the delight of everyone.
Moving into the Disco era, dancing re-emerged as an important social activity. In my East Harlem neighborhood, we were doing a latin dance called The Palladium. We had no knowledge of the club by the same name...we just knew how to do this particular dance to the Latin music that we all listened to at the time.
This style of dancing evolved into The Hustle that predominated the dance floor, when Van McCoy recorded a song by the same name, Do The Hustle. However, in the movie Saturday Night Fever, The Hustle was depicted as a line dance. That's not how we did it in the hood. It was also during this phase that line dancing became popular once again, after having all but disappeared from the local scene! If the song, "Moving" by Brass Construction came on, nearly everyone did a line dance very similar to The Electric Slide, called The Bus Stop. Solo dances around this time included The Bump, The Rock, The Freak (or Freaky-Deaky depending on where you were from), The Wop, The Skate and numerous other dances with names I can't recall. And I can't talk about dancing without mentioning the best music and dance show of all time...Soul Train of course! A party ain't a party without a Soul Train line!
Just as the music scene changes, so do the dancing styles. By now, Disco was fading and Hip-Hop was emerging as a dominate force. B-Boys and girls destroyed with their gravity-defying moves! Break dancing! Popping and Locking! The Robot! The Electric Boogaloo! By now, people in my age group had to go to dances given by organizations in order to hear "our" music and do "our" style of dancing. I know you can feel me on this. Oh the dances that have evolved out of The Hip-Hop culture!
Moving on through the eighties and nineties: The Cabbage Patch, The Snake, The Worm, The Running Man, The Pee-Wee Herman, The Charlie Brown. All the line dances that evolved from The Madison...Electric Slide, Mississippi Mud Slide, Cupid Shuffle and on and on and on! Walk It Out y'all, Walk It Out! We have danced into The New Millineum ...What's next? Dancing on the Ceiling for real?
Monday, February 22, 2010
Memories - The Temptations
Good morning peeps!! Lately it seems my mind has been a Tabula Rasa when it comes to writing; that is; a "clean or blank slate." Hopefully, I've inspired, entertained, amused or gave food for thought in my previous posts. A while ago, I was thinking about the past and in particular, my teen-aged years. What brought it on? I dunno; probably a dream I had last night or perhaps a song I listened to. Maybe the fact that my next natal anniversary is fast approaching and I'll be another year older (God willing). I am thankful for the life I've lived and lived through. I am thankful for the lessons learned and taught. I am thankful for the many struggles, hard times, rewards, punishments, experiences, encounters, disappointments, surprises and whatever has come my way; it made me who I am. Segueing to a trip down memory lane.
I present to you some of the fashions, slanguage, fads and other cultural phenomena from my teen age years.
Cute boys were not "hunks;" they were "fine"
Cute girls were called "foxes"
Cars were referred to as "my ride" or "my short"
Your parent's apartment was called "the pad"
You were lucky to have one TV and even luckier if it was a color TV!
Some of the more fortunate girls had their own Pink Princess Phone in their bedroom (not me; we only had that traditional black phone in the living room).
When you out grew toys, you probably wanted some "fly" new clothes or shoes for Christmas; maybe even ice-skates or roller skates. Perhaps a new bike.
You always wanted whatever "uniform" was in fashion at the time. I can't speak for guys but for girls, some of the items that were popular at the time were:
Stirrup pants, patch-sleeve sweaters, tan suede bucks with the pink, rubber soles, Clarkes from The Village in the Purple striped box; my favorites were called, "Bunnies;" wrap-a-round skirts, knee-socks to match your outfit and a "Greek Bag" also from The Village. Other desirables were: Chesterfield Coats,Rabbit Fur Coats, Leather or Suede Coats, Boy Coats, Pea Coats, All American Sweaters, fish net stockings in colors to match your outfit. The jeans of the day were tight, Levi's and were called dungarees.
Hairstyles varied; scarves and head bands were worn. French rolls, flips, bangs were popular. Boys who wore processes were considered cute, but "strange" or "different" from the rest. *Fights were with fists and girls always greased their faces with Vaseline so that scratching would be minimal; hair pulling and blouse pulling were a must! Earrings came off first of course!
You always repped your neighborhood wherever you went; traveling to another borough could be perilous unless you had cousins there, and if you invited other boys to your projects or neighborhood, they were often chased out by the boys that lived there.
Though not really a *fighter, I do remember three fights I had in particular. Now I have to say that when I lived in the Bronx prior to moving back to Harlem (East Harlem; Wagner Projects), I can't recall fighting. However, when I got to Wagner, I was provoked into fighting: one about a boy; one because a girl retaliated for her friend that I had beaten about the boy and one because I wrote something disparaging about a girl in a *"slang book." Remember "slang books?" Well, in my east Harlem neighborhood, girls and some guys would pass around a *notebook. Each page would be dedicated to a particular person. You were to write how you felt about that person on their page.(Some people do that now on Face book!) Guys were usually complimentary about girls: "she's a fox", etc. But, girls could be vicious! She's a scank! She can't dress! She thinks she's cute! I wrote that a particularly heavy set girl was a "fox without the f!" Did I know that she would see it? Of course! Did I think about the consequences...of course not!
She confronted me in the hallway of my building, on the seventh floor, as I exited the apartment of a mutual friend of ours (to this day, I think I was set-up to be confronted by this mutual friend)! Anyway, we fought and somehow ended up on the floor with her pinning me down. I remember wise cracking about being "hit by a truck!" I was trying to use humor I guess! I also remember biting her and declaring: "All is fair in love and war!" How corny was that?" I think that fight was a draw! Anyway, I gave up fighting and learned to be non-confrontational...I abhor physical violence and don't recommend it as a solution for anyone.
The music was mostly Motown, and parties were called sets. Invitations were written on index cards and the admission was usually 25 cents! This covered the costs of sodas and snacks! The lights were blue; parents were out and grinding was in! Oh, and when you wanted to ask a girl to be yours, you asked, "will you go out with me?" If you wanted to break up, you would say, "it's quits!" No texting in those days, Lol. Ah...memories... sweet, sweet memories! Please share some of yours...
Me on the left, in front of the building where I had the 3 fights; 2385 First Avenue; Wagner Projects
I present to you some of the fashions, slanguage, fads and other cultural phenomena from my teen age years.
Cute boys were not "hunks;" they were "fine"
Cute girls were called "foxes"
Cars were referred to as "my ride" or "my short"
Your parent's apartment was called "the pad"
You were lucky to have one TV and even luckier if it was a color TV!
Some of the more fortunate girls had their own Pink Princess Phone in their bedroom (not me; we only had that traditional black phone in the living room).
When you out grew toys, you probably wanted some "fly" new clothes or shoes for Christmas; maybe even ice-skates or roller skates. Perhaps a new bike.
You always wanted whatever "uniform" was in fashion at the time. I can't speak for guys but for girls, some of the items that were popular at the time were:
Stirrup pants, patch-sleeve sweaters, tan suede bucks with the pink, rubber soles, Clarkes from The Village in the Purple striped box; my favorites were called, "Bunnies;" wrap-a-round skirts, knee-socks to match your outfit and a "Greek Bag" also from The Village. Other desirables were: Chesterfield Coats,Rabbit Fur Coats, Leather or Suede Coats, Boy Coats, Pea Coats, All American Sweaters, fish net stockings in colors to match your outfit. The jeans of the day were tight, Levi's and were called dungarees.
Hairstyles varied; scarves and head bands were worn. French rolls, flips, bangs were popular. Boys who wore processes were considered cute, but "strange" or "different" from the rest. *Fights were with fists and girls always greased their faces with Vaseline so that scratching would be minimal; hair pulling and blouse pulling were a must! Earrings came off first of course!
You always repped your neighborhood wherever you went; traveling to another borough could be perilous unless you had cousins there, and if you invited other boys to your projects or neighborhood, they were often chased out by the boys that lived there.
Though not really a *fighter, I do remember three fights I had in particular. Now I have to say that when I lived in the Bronx prior to moving back to Harlem (East Harlem; Wagner Projects), I can't recall fighting. However, when I got to Wagner, I was provoked into fighting: one about a boy; one because a girl retaliated for her friend that I had beaten about the boy and one because I wrote something disparaging about a girl in a *"slang book." Remember "slang books?" Well, in my east Harlem neighborhood, girls and some guys would pass around a *notebook. Each page would be dedicated to a particular person. You were to write how you felt about that person on their page.(Some people do that now on Face book!) Guys were usually complimentary about girls: "she's a fox", etc. But, girls could be vicious! She's a scank! She can't dress! She thinks she's cute! I wrote that a particularly heavy set girl was a "fox without the f!" Did I know that she would see it? Of course! Did I think about the consequences...of course not!
She confronted me in the hallway of my building, on the seventh floor, as I exited the apartment of a mutual friend of ours (to this day, I think I was set-up to be confronted by this mutual friend)! Anyway, we fought and somehow ended up on the floor with her pinning me down. I remember wise cracking about being "hit by a truck!" I was trying to use humor I guess! I also remember biting her and declaring: "All is fair in love and war!" How corny was that?" I think that fight was a draw! Anyway, I gave up fighting and learned to be non-confrontational...I abhor physical violence and don't recommend it as a solution for anyone.
I am wearing a cream color patch sleeve sweater trimmed in olive green, and olive green stretch pants. The blouse was long sleeved, mint green with a Peter Pan collar. Suede green shoes completed the look. My hair was in a french roll, with my signature bangs...I never liked to show my forehead!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
"I'm Not In Love" - 10cc
Happy V-Day Peeps!!! No, I don't mean that V! I mean Happy Verification Day! You know, that day when your partner verifies that they really do love you afterall, even if they've neglected to tell you all the other 364 days of the year! Wow, you say? Why is she so cynical and bitter? I'm neither cynical nor bitter, but I do consider myself pragmatic...a realist. Yes, I used to be idealistic about love too...we probably all have been at some place and time in our lives. It's just that...well, I've come to the realization that while being in love feels really good, it can also feel really bad too. Even hurtful.
Now, along comes this once a year day, on February 14th; called Valentine's Day! Oh, the excitement! The anticipation! The thought of getting flowers, candy, marriage proposals, cards...or, the acknowledgment that you will probably not get any of the above because simply put...you are alone. You don't have a partner to share the festivities with. You broke up with someone you loved; You lost someone you love. For whatever reason, you don't look forward to the great Valentine's Day hoopla. They say misery loves company...well I'm not miserable, but I am willing to suggest reasons not to feel so down if you don't exactly look forward to this day! I ask you, what is so lovable about a little chubby naked baby flying around shooting people with arrows?
Bad poetry..."Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, Sugar is Sweet, and So Are You"...now what have we learned about sugar? It is bad for you!!!
Candy...Chocolates...love it, but if it contains certain nuts, I get really ill. Can't eat Hazel nuts, Brazil nuts, cashews. Thing is, there was a time when you didn't know which one's contained those nuts until you bit into the chocolate. I think they now include a description on the box to identify which ones contain nuts, but that would be most of the box!
Chalky little hearts with corny, outdated sayings...hate it!
Flowers...they die in two or three days and are so darned expensive!
And last but not least, hurt feelings if your sweetie forgets to give you anything. If you don't expect anything in the first place, you won't feel so let down. Besides, love should be shown 365 days of the year, don't you think?
My Favorite Love songs: not in preferential order
1. You Make Me Feel Brand New - Stylistics
2. You Are Everything - Stylistics
3. You Really Got A Hold On Me - Miracles
4. La-La-La-La-La-La Means I Love You - Delfonics
5. Cupid - Sam Cooke
6. I'll Always Love You - Whitney Houston
7. Oh, Baby Baby - Miracles
8. I Just Called To Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder
9. My Girl - Temptations
10.What's Come Over Me? - Blue Magic
11. Oh What A Night - Dells
12. Rainbow - Gene Chandler
13. I Want To Know - Joe
14. For You - Kenny Latimore
15. I Love You - Patti LaBelle
16. Here And Now - Luther Vandross
17. Make It With You - Bread
18. I Want To Dance To A Love Song - Manhattans
19. Love's Train - Confunkshun
20. Oh Girl - Chi-Lites
My Favorite Anti-Love songs:
1. What's Love Got To Do With It? - Tina Turner
2. Where Did Our Love Go? - Supremes
3. After The Love Is Gone - EWF
4. Love Is A Hurting Thing - Lou Rawls
5. Hate That I Love You - Rihanna
6. You Give Love A Bad Name - Bon Jovi
7. To The Left - Beyonce
8. I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
9. I'm Gonna Walk Away From Love - David Ruffin
10. I'm Not In Love - 10cc
11. Caught Out There - Kelis
12. Victim - Candy Staton
13. If You Leave Me Now - Chicago
14. Why Do Fools Fall In Love? - The Teenagers
15. Out In The Cold Again - Frankie Lymon
16. Mexican Divorce - Drifters
17. On My Own - Patti LaBelle
18. Tainted Love - Soft Cell
19. Hit The Road Jack - Ray Charles
20. Love Is Blue - Dells
Footnote: My darling granddaughter Kalila just brought up a card she made and...A heart shaped tin of chocolates! Happy V Day!
Now, along comes this once a year day, on February 14th; called Valentine's Day! Oh, the excitement! The anticipation! The thought of getting flowers, candy, marriage proposals, cards...or, the acknowledgment that you will probably not get any of the above because simply put...you are alone. You don't have a partner to share the festivities with. You broke up with someone you loved; You lost someone you love. For whatever reason, you don't look forward to the great Valentine's Day hoopla. They say misery loves company...well I'm not miserable, but I am willing to suggest reasons not to feel so down if you don't exactly look forward to this day! I ask you, what is so lovable about a little chubby naked baby flying around shooting people with arrows?
Bad poetry..."Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, Sugar is Sweet, and So Are You"...now what have we learned about sugar? It is bad for you!!!
Candy...Chocolates...love it, but if it contains certain nuts, I get really ill. Can't eat Hazel nuts, Brazil nuts, cashews. Thing is, there was a time when you didn't know which one's contained those nuts until you bit into the chocolate. I think they now include a description on the box to identify which ones contain nuts, but that would be most of the box!
Chalky little hearts with corny, outdated sayings...hate it!
Flowers...they die in two or three days and are so darned expensive!
And last but not least, hurt feelings if your sweetie forgets to give you anything. If you don't expect anything in the first place, you won't feel so let down. Besides, love should be shown 365 days of the year, don't you think?
Now, I give you my lists of favorite love songs and anti-love songs...
My Favorite Love songs: not in preferential order
1. You Make Me Feel Brand New - Stylistics
2. You Are Everything - Stylistics
3. You Really Got A Hold On Me - Miracles
4. La-La-La-La-La-La Means I Love You - Delfonics
5. Cupid - Sam Cooke
6. I'll Always Love You - Whitney Houston
7. Oh, Baby Baby - Miracles
8. I Just Called To Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder
9. My Girl - Temptations
10.What's Come Over Me? - Blue Magic
11. Oh What A Night - Dells
12. Rainbow - Gene Chandler
13. I Want To Know - Joe
14. For You - Kenny Latimore
15. I Love You - Patti LaBelle
16. Here And Now - Luther Vandross
17. Make It With You - Bread
18. I Want To Dance To A Love Song - Manhattans
19. Love's Train - Confunkshun
20. Oh Girl - Chi-Lites
My Favorite Anti-Love songs:
1. What's Love Got To Do With It? - Tina Turner
2. Where Did Our Love Go? - Supremes
3. After The Love Is Gone - EWF
4. Love Is A Hurting Thing - Lou Rawls
5. Hate That I Love You - Rihanna
6. You Give Love A Bad Name - Bon Jovi
7. To The Left - Beyonce
8. I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
9. I'm Gonna Walk Away From Love - David Ruffin
10. I'm Not In Love - 10cc
11. Caught Out There - Kelis
12. Victim - Candy Staton
13. If You Leave Me Now - Chicago
14. Why Do Fools Fall In Love? - The Teenagers
15. Out In The Cold Again - Frankie Lymon
16. Mexican Divorce - Drifters
17. On My Own - Patti LaBelle
18. Tainted Love - Soft Cell
19. Hit The Road Jack - Ray Charles
20. Love Is Blue - Dells
Footnote: My darling granddaughter Kalila just brought up a card she made and...A heart shaped tin of chocolates! Happy V Day!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Yesterday - The Beatles
Good morning peeps!!! Yesterday was Groundhog Day and I wrote about it. At the end of the piece, I posed a question.The question asked was: what did my song title; Charlie Brown by The Coasters have to do with the theme of Groundhog Day? Apparently, only one person read the blog, or tried to answer. That person will get honorable mention today: Keith G. aka Teddy Bear. However, he didn't figure out the connection. I have no other blog-ossip today because I want someone to answer yesterday's question...see ya!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Charlie Brown - The Coasters
Good afternoon peeps! As you probably know, today; February 2 is Groundhog Day! Ho-hum...only a teacher of young students might really care, right? When and where did this legend begin you ask? (Work with me here alright!)
When did Groundhog Day begin?
In 1841 a German shopkeeper in Berks County, Pennsylvania, wrote that February 2 was the day the groundhog (woodchuck) comes out of his burrow from hibernating (sleeping through the winter). If the day is sunny and the groundhog sees his shadow, he returns to his burrow for six more weeks of hibernation. If the day is cloudy and the groundhog cannot see his shadow, then he ends his hibernation and the weather will be mild. The most famous groundhog is Punxsutawney Phil, who lives near Punxsutawney in north central Pennsylvania. Members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club declare that in more than ninety years of predicting the weather, Phil has never been wrong!So, today Punxsutawney Phil of Pennsylvania did indeed see his shadow! (Anybody got any rodent poison...it's a joke PETA, so relax!)
What does this have to do with my choice of song title as the lead in? Well...the first person that writes a comment making the connection will get an honorary mention in my next blog; my utmost respect for being as geeky as me and...temporary admission to Mensa...you know; that elite organization for brainiacs! In honor of Groundhog Day, here are:
My Top Songs About Rodents and other Critters
1. Ben - Michael Jackson
2. Muskrat Love - Captain and Tennille
3. The Chipmunk Song - David Seville
4. Rocky Raccoon - The Beatles
5. Monkey Time - Major Lance
6. Mickey's Monkey - The Miracles
7. Black Cat - Janet Jackson
8. Hound Dog - Big Mama Thornton (the original)
9. Down in a Rabbit Hole - Bright Eyes
10.Centipede - Rebbie Jackson
Monday, February 1, 2010
"Side Show" - Blue Magic
Good morning peeps!! Did you watch the Grammy Award show last night...wow! All I can say is it's the best I've seen in years! The Grammys are clearly trying to keep up with The Video Music Awards Show. The Grammys used to be a snooze! Where do I begin? Trying to come up with an appropriate song title to set this off was a challenge, but I decided to use Side Show, by Blue Magic. Can you guess why? I will reveal my reason...although you probably get it. Now, for my analysis of the show.
Opening number: It was brilliant and inspired to pair Lady GaGa with Sir Elton John. Both are flamboyant, talented, over-the-top show people...period! GaGa is a native New Yorker who has taken this town by storm, just in the last two years. While it's true that she uses props, costumes and gimmicks in her shows, she has the talent to back it up! Sir Elton also uses props at times, but began his career on the strength of his writing talent and musicianship. In my opinion, these two put on an amazing opening performance.
Beyonce! This lady has enough talent to share with all of her peers and then some! She reminded me of Tina Turner at her maddest, baddest Mad Max self! When B dropped to her knees and did the hair swinging routine, she was definitely channeling Ms. Tina Turner! The only criticism an old fogie like I have, was the "crotch grab" when she sang, "If I Were A Boy," though I understand she did it for the effect. All in all, she put on an amazing performance, only to be outdone (in my opinion), by...Pink!
Pink! I've always enjoyed Pink's stage performances that I've only seen on television on shows like these; never in person. However, she blew the roof off that sucker last night with her acrobatic prowess and finesse!
Plus, she was singing! Not lip syncing...singing! Kudos to Pink!
The Black Eyed Peas! Another high energy, fun performance! These fellas and lady never fail to bring the audience alive with their futuristic looking sets, costumes, themes and energy. I hope they are around for a long time; they are very creative and innovative. Those dancers behind them looked like they were wearing lip costumes; a bit tacky.
Maxwell! If ever there was an heir apparent to Marvin Gaye, I think it's Maxwell! Someone needs to hurry up an write Marvin's biopic and by all means, cast Maxwell as Marvin Gaye! For real though.
Mary J: My friend Keith says that Mary J. can really sing now, after perhaps taking some voice training. Before, she used to be able to belt out a song with just raw emotion and often sounded "off key." Now, she exhibits more control and can actually sing a ballad smoothly.
Jamie Foxx and T-Pain: Good fun; Jamie is indeed a multi-talented performer and has conquered several genre of the entertainment sphere. T-Pain needs a makeover by now.
Lil' Wayne, M&M and Drake: Ho-hum! Why bother when every other word had to be bleeped! And little Wayne is the poster boy for "pants on the ground!" Won't somebody buy him a belt? That "dropped waist pants look" is so last decade!
3-D tribute to Michael Jackson: Note to Grammys...where were the glasses? If you didn't happen to have the 3-D glasses (I thought my Avatar glasses would work); it was just a well intentioned but blurry mess. God bless Micheal's children; they are so well mannered and well spoken. They obviously and genuinely loved their daddy.
Kings of Leon: Who?
Taylor Swift: Thanks to Kanye West, she is the Reigning Queen of Awards!
Chris Brown: Had it not been for your terrible behavior and brutalization of Rhianna last year, your ass might have been in the Michael Jackson Tribute. As it was, you probably weren't even invited this year.
Rhianna: Why was it necessary to trot Solange's little boy up to the stage with you and Jay?
Well, that is my assessment of last night's Grammy Awards Show. Overall grade: B+ because it got boring in spots, after all the exciting performances. I kinda wanted the high energy to continue throughout the entire show. However, it was still the best I've seen in years! Why Side Show? The whole show had a Cirque De Soleil; Las Vegas feel to it. Weigh in with comments about the show, please.
Opening number: It was brilliant and inspired to pair Lady GaGa with Sir Elton John. Both are flamboyant, talented, over-the-top show people...period! GaGa is a native New Yorker who has taken this town by storm, just in the last two years. While it's true that she uses props, costumes and gimmicks in her shows, she has the talent to back it up! Sir Elton also uses props at times, but began his career on the strength of his writing talent and musicianship. In my opinion, these two put on an amazing opening performance.
Beyonce! This lady has enough talent to share with all of her peers and then some! She reminded me of Tina Turner at her maddest, baddest Mad Max self! When B dropped to her knees and did the hair swinging routine, she was definitely channeling Ms. Tina Turner! The only criticism an old fogie like I have, was the "crotch grab" when she sang, "If I Were A Boy," though I understand she did it for the effect. All in all, she put on an amazing performance, only to be outdone (in my opinion), by...Pink!
Pink! I've always enjoyed Pink's stage performances that I've only seen on television on shows like these; never in person. However, she blew the roof off that sucker last night with her acrobatic prowess and finesse!
Plus, she was singing! Not lip syncing...singing! Kudos to Pink!
The Black Eyed Peas! Another high energy, fun performance! These fellas and lady never fail to bring the audience alive with their futuristic looking sets, costumes, themes and energy. I hope they are around for a long time; they are very creative and innovative. Those dancers behind them looked like they were wearing lip costumes; a bit tacky.
Maxwell! If ever there was an heir apparent to Marvin Gaye, I think it's Maxwell! Someone needs to hurry up an write Marvin's biopic and by all means, cast Maxwell as Marvin Gaye! For real though.
Mary J: My friend Keith says that Mary J. can really sing now, after perhaps taking some voice training. Before, she used to be able to belt out a song with just raw emotion and often sounded "off key." Now, she exhibits more control and can actually sing a ballad smoothly.
Jamie Foxx and T-Pain: Good fun; Jamie is indeed a multi-talented performer and has conquered several genre of the entertainment sphere. T-Pain needs a makeover by now.
Lil' Wayne, M&M and Drake: Ho-hum! Why bother when every other word had to be bleeped! And little Wayne is the poster boy for "pants on the ground!" Won't somebody buy him a belt? That "dropped waist pants look" is so last decade!
3-D tribute to Michael Jackson: Note to Grammys...where were the glasses? If you didn't happen to have the 3-D glasses (I thought my Avatar glasses would work); it was just a well intentioned but blurry mess. God bless Micheal's children; they are so well mannered and well spoken. They obviously and genuinely loved their daddy.
Kings of Leon: Who?
Taylor Swift: Thanks to Kanye West, she is the Reigning Queen of Awards!
Chris Brown: Had it not been for your terrible behavior and brutalization of Rhianna last year, your ass might have been in the Michael Jackson Tribute. As it was, you probably weren't even invited this year.
Rhianna: Why was it necessary to trot Solange's little boy up to the stage with you and Jay?
Well, that is my assessment of last night's Grammy Awards Show. Overall grade: B+ because it got boring in spots, after all the exciting performances. I kinda wanted the high energy to continue throughout the entire show. However, it was still the best I've seen in years! Why Side Show? The whole show had a Cirque De Soleil; Las Vegas feel to it. Weigh in with comments about the show, please.
Friday, January 29, 2010
"Sixty-Minute Man" - Billy Ward and The Dominoes
Good morning peeps! Remember when you were a youngster and heard songs that you thought you knew the meaning of but didn't? I sure do! So, I've decided to write a little ditty about some of the most clever "innuendo" songs from then and now; only now, these songs are way more explicit, and younger children have them figured out. It's the parents that often don't know the true meaning of these songs. Back in the fifties, Doo-Wop music was all the rage, although it wasn't called *Doo-Wop; (*see yesterday's blog for a little history); it was called rhythm and blues. My mother had a particular fondness for this music and had many records in her collection. She would play music almost everyday as she cooked and cleaned house. On weekends when we were home from school, I'd sit under her and sing-along with the songs she played, not fully understanding what the songs were about. I just knew that they sounded good. I'd also watch my mother's reactions, and form a child's opinion as to whether the song was a "somebody-done-somebody-wrong-song," or some other grown-up dilemma. Little did I know that some of these songs were actually talking about sex!
It wasn't until years later when I became a teen-ager did I understand the true meaning of these delightful songs! The first innuendo songs that I figured out the meanings of were, "Work With Me Annie" by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters (he wrote and performed the original version of The Twist, which later became a monster hit for Chubby Checker), and a song called "Sixty-Minute Man" by The Dominoes. A follow up song to "Work With Me Annie" was called "Roll With Me Henry" by Etta James and Hank Ballard, later to be retitled, Wallflower...perhaps to quell the controversy. Now both songs were purportedly about dancing, but another follow-up song declared, "Annie Had A Baby", also written by Hank Ballard. Now I ask you...can you have a baby by merely "dancing" with Henry? I think Not! These are innuendo songs. The other popular one, "Sixty Minute Man" speaks for itself: "there'll be sixty minutes of kissing, then you'll holler don't stop, they'll be 15 minutes of teasing, 15 minutes of squeezing, and 15 minutes of blowing my top!" Through the years, many more songs joined the ranks of innuendo or double entendre songs.
Fast forward to eighties and nineties: The New Jack era introduced a whole 'nother type of innuendo songs; songs that were more explicit and less implied. Songs like "I Wanna Sex You Up" by Color Me Badd" and anything by R. Kelly. Songs about bumpin', grindin' and knocking da boots! The Rap lyrics were very explicit and soon warning labels had to be added to the jackets and labels. Biggie Smalls had a song that clearly stated what he wanted to do to his woman tonight! I used to cringe hearing that blared on a boom box out in public...not that I'm a prude, but I felt it was inappropriate for children to hear, in that context. More recent songs contained lyrics that talked about "milkshakes" and "skeets,"and I swear I didn't know what any of this meant until younger people explained it to me. By the time Flo -rida sang about about "when you go downtown", I knew for sure what he was insinuating! I wondered if the producers of American Idol knew when they had him on? After all, that is supposedly a family show! LaBelle's Lady Marmalade seems tame now, when they ask, "voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?" As Bob Dylan said, "times, they are a changing."
It wasn't until years later when I became a teen-ager did I understand the true meaning of these delightful songs! The first innuendo songs that I figured out the meanings of were, "Work With Me Annie" by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters (he wrote and performed the original version of The Twist, which later became a monster hit for Chubby Checker), and a song called "Sixty-Minute Man" by The Dominoes. A follow up song to "Work With Me Annie" was called "Roll With Me Henry" by Etta James and Hank Ballard, later to be retitled, Wallflower...perhaps to quell the controversy. Now both songs were purportedly about dancing, but another follow-up song declared, "Annie Had A Baby", also written by Hank Ballard. Now I ask you...can you have a baby by merely "dancing" with Henry? I think Not! These are innuendo songs. The other popular one, "Sixty Minute Man" speaks for itself: "there'll be sixty minutes of kissing, then you'll holler don't stop, they'll be 15 minutes of teasing, 15 minutes of squeezing, and 15 minutes of blowing my top!" Through the years, many more songs joined the ranks of innuendo or double entendre songs.
Fast forward to eighties and nineties: The New Jack era introduced a whole 'nother type of innuendo songs; songs that were more explicit and less implied. Songs like "I Wanna Sex You Up" by Color Me Badd" and anything by R. Kelly. Songs about bumpin', grindin' and knocking da boots! The Rap lyrics were very explicit and soon warning labels had to be added to the jackets and labels. Biggie Smalls had a song that clearly stated what he wanted to do to his woman tonight! I used to cringe hearing that blared on a boom box out in public...not that I'm a prude, but I felt it was inappropriate for children to hear, in that context. More recent songs contained lyrics that talked about "milkshakes" and "skeets,"and I swear I didn't know what any of this meant until younger people explained it to me. By the time Flo -rida sang about about "when you go downtown", I knew for sure what he was insinuating! I wondered if the producers of American Idol knew when they had him on? After all, that is supposedly a family show! LaBelle's Lady Marmalade seems tame now, when they ask, "voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?" As Bob Dylan said, "times, they are a changing."
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