Musical Interlude: Old School Friday - Michael Jackson, 1958-2009

What a tremendously sad day. Michael Jackson has passed away. This is a devastating loss for the music world and the world in general. Many people my age grew up, came of age, and matured along with Michael Jackson and his music. We watched the Jackson 5 cartoons on Saturday mornings, sang along to "I Want You Back" and "Dancing Machine." We watched as he hit the superstar level with the "Off the Wall" album. Everone knows that happened after that - "Thriller" - only the best selling album of all time, followed by another mega seller in "Bad." Everything Michael Jackson touched turned to gold. Even some obscure dude named Rockwell was set up for life thanks to a hook sang by Michael Jackson in the song "Somebody's Watching Me" which you might know from the current Geico commercials.

Michael Jackson is a legend likely never to be surpassed in the field of entertainment. I'm just happy I had the opportunity to enjoy his music first hand, and to now watch my 11 year old discover his music a generation later. His music just had that affect on practically everyone, across the generations. I haven't even touched on his live performance ability, but having seen him and his brothers live on the Victory Tour, consider me a witness to his electrifying ability on stage.

I could go on and on, but there are only so many ways to describe the indescribable and the incomparable. Plus you're here for the music, so here is one of my favorite Michael Jackson songs, "Man In The Mirror." Here Michael sang about himself and his inner struggles in a personal way, and the song's message is still today one that we all should listen too.

Rest in Peace Michael. The world will not soon, if ever forget your name.



Don't forget the rest of the Old School Friday crew. I'm sure there are some great tributes up much more eloquent than mine.

Electronic Village - Chatting Over Cocktails - Ms Grapevine - Quick - Marcus LANGFORD - Cassandra - Danielle-Lisa C -Chocl8t - DP - Kreative Talk -MarvalusOne - Regina - LaShonda -AJ - Sharon - Invisible Woman - Believer 1964 -Dee - SJP - sHaE-sHaE - Songs In the Key of Life - Shawn - Hagar’s Daughter - freshandfab - Creole Pimp - Wonderland or Not - SoulAfrodisiac - Bria Bria - CCGroovy -

Musical Interlude: Old School Friday - If Mama Only Knew

If Mama Only Knew. That's today's theme for Old School Friday. Where to go with this one? The obvious choice would be to cue up a couple of songs that made her pull her hair out back in the day and say "What's wrong with you kids? That's not music!" I'm sure we've all experienced that, it's a generational thing that I'm now saying/doing with my own daughter. But I'm not going to go there because this theme presents the opportunity to go a little deeper.

Most of y'all know I lost my Mother last year at the way too young age of 64. That threw me for a loop no doubt. As time goes by, I find myself reflecting more on what she meant to me, the things she taught me, and the sacrifices she made for my siblings and I. The unconditional love in other words.

I've also realized that there were points in my life where the unconditional love wasn't returned to the full degree that it should have been. Nor was the acknowledgment of and appreciation for the sacrifices she endured to raise us kids adequately expressed nearly enough by me in plain, easily understood language. Now that she's gone, what I want to say, know I should have said or done, and wish I still had the chance to say or do is amazingly clear in my mind.

But it's too late.

So If My Mama Only Knew how much I love her, miss her, and cherish each day that I had with her; and how the lessons she taught me in life I'm really just beginning to understand; and that I can still see and hear her in the voice and mannerisms of her granddaughter; I think she'd be proud and happy.

So how do you express all of that emotion through song? By playing one of the best songs ever written to express just those feelings of course. Here's Maxwell doing his version of Kate Bush's "This Woman's Worth."



Unfortunately most of Maxwell's videos can't be embedded, but here's a link to the original music video.

That's it, and I hope you enjoyed my interpretation of the theme. Happy Old School Friday and don't forget the rest of the OSF crew!

Electronic Village - Chatting Over Cocktails - Ms Grapevine - Quick - Marcus LANGFORD - Cassandra - Danielle-Lisa C -Chocl8t - DP - Kreative Talk -MarvalusOne - Regina - LaShonda -AJ - Sharon - Invisible Woman - Believer 1964 -Dee - SJP - sHaE-sHaE - Songs In the Key of Life - Shawn - Hagar’s Daughter - freshandfab - Creole Pimp - Wonderland or Not - SoulAfrodisiac - Bria Bria - CCGroovy -

Musical Interlude: Old School Friday - If I Were A Boy/Girl

Happy Old School Friday! Y'all bear with me as I'm trying to get back int he swing of things in the blogging world. The theme for this week's Old School Friday is If I Were A Boy/Girl.

Ok...

Not exactly sure how to handle that one, but here's what came to mind. I've been dealing with 11 year old daughter issues lately surrounding the whole Chris Brown/Rihanna episode. In a nutshell, the kid, because she's a bigger fan of Chris Brown than she is of Rihanna has been having a really difficult time wrapping her mind around the fact that no matter what the reasons or rationale, no man should beat a woman like that. Ever. Of course forgiveness and all of that stuff comes into play, but as a Dad, I feel it's my duty to take a hard line on this issue right now and try to set in her mind that she should NEVER accept that type of treatment from someone who says he loves her.

With that in mind, I interpeted today's theme as the types of songs/artists by male artists that I would hope my daughter would identify with as it pertains to relationships between men and women. Feelings, emotions, dedication, etc., all come into play here, and there are dozens of artists I could have chosen to represent my ideas here, but I've decided on these two.

First Up, Van Hunt with Being a Girl.



And next, an rock and roll classic from Led Zeppelin, All of My Love.



This was by far the most difficult Old School Friday theme to interpret so far, but I hope you understand the points I'm trying to make. Let me know in the comments, and don't forget about the rest of the Old School Friday crew.

Electronic Village - Chatting Over Cocktails - Ms Grapevine - Quick - Marcus LANGFORD - Cassandra - Danielle-Lisa C -Chocl8t - DP - Kreative Talk -MarvalusOne - Regina - LaShonda -AJ - Sharon - Invisible Woman - Believer 1964 -Dee - SJP - sHaE-sHaE - Songs In the Key of Life - Shawn - Hagar’s Daughter - freshandfab - Creole Pimp - Wonderland or Not - SoulAfrodisiac

P.S. I know more of y'all have joined up since I last participated so please drop your url in the comments and I'll add your site to the links.

Musical Interlude: Old School Friday - Jazz

Happy Old School Friday! I'm excited about today's theme: Jazz. When it comes to America's contributions to the world of music, jazz is without a doubt the greatest. Jazz has spawned the Blues and Rock & Roll, among other musical forms, and musicians from around the world have adopted the form, adapted it to their needs, and made it their own. There are so many different jazz forms, like Latin Jazz, Cool Jazz, BeBop, and maybe my favorite, Acid Jazz.

Today I'd like to present a couple of my favorites, both hailing from Great Britain. First up is Incognito, led by J.P. "Bluey" Maunick on guitar, with a live version of 'Collibri.'



How about that, pretty funky huh? You probably need to chill out for a minute now, so here's Ronnie Jordan with Tinsel Town.



That's it for this week, and I hoped you enjoyed it. Don't forget to check out the rest of the Old School Friday crew. And by the way I haven't forgot about adding links for you new OSF players. I'm still on the road and just haven't had the time. Please leave a comment if I missed you.

Electronic Village - Chatting Over Cocktails - Ms Grapevine - Quick - Marcus LANGFORD - Cassandra - Danielle-Lisa C -Chocl8t - DP - Kreative Talk -MarvalusOne - Regina - LaShonda -AJ - Sharon - Invisible Woman - Believer 1964 -Dee - SJP - sHaE-sHaE - Songs In the Key of Life - Shawn - Hagar’s Daughter - freshandfab - Creole Pimp - Wonderland or Not - SoulAfrodisiac

Musical Interlude: Old School Friday - 1967

It's been a long time, I shouldn't of kept you, without a fresh beat to step to! But I'm back in the Old School Friday mix with this week theme - Songs from your year of birth. In my case that's 1967, which was a great year for music. I've chosen a couple of numbers that not only are from 1967, but convey as well my feelings on recent political developments in this country. I'll let you figure out how my choices relate to my politics; it shouldn't be too hard.

First up, live from 1967 is the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin with Respect.



And now here are the Doors, with Break On Through (To The Other Side)



That's it, and pretty darn eclectic don't you think? I hope you enjoyed and don't forget to check out the rest of the Old School Friday crew. Remember I've been out of the game for a few weeks, so if I've missed anybody, just leave a comment and I'll add you in.

Electronic Village - Chatting Over Cocktails - Ms Grapevine - Quick - Marcus LANGFORD - Cassandra - Danielle-Lisa C -Chocl8t - DP - Kreative Talk -MarvalusOne - Regina - LaShonda -AJ - Sharon - Invisible Woman - Believer 1964 -Dee - SJP - sHaE-sHaE - Songs In the Key of Life - Shawn - Hagar’s Daughter - freshandfab - Creole Pimp - Wonderland or Not

Musical Interlude: Old School Friday - Road Trip Songs

Happy Old School Friday! Today we're going on a Road Trip! That's right, today's theme is all about those songs that keep you bopping behind the wheel (and awake) as you make your way across this great country.

Now there are literally too many great songs out there that can be included in this category, so I've decided to break it down into segments. They are (1) Getting Underway, (2) Cruise Control, and (3) The Last Mile. As you've probably figured out, each segment corresponds with a portion of your trip, no matter whether long or short. So here we go.

Leaving town is always hectic and when you finally get out there on that open road, you need something playing that conveys that feeling, helps settle you down from the frenzy of the departure, and alludes to the promise of what's in front of you. Something like a live version of Jimi Hendrix' All Along the Watchtower.

Alright, nothing but road in front of you, the cruise control is set, and now you're in maintenance mode. Just driving, and you need your music to work with you here. Something that keeps your mind active and your body relaxed. Electric Relaxation by Tribe Called Quest fits the bill perfectly.

Man, the last part of the trip is usually the worst. You've been driving for hours (or days), you're tired, you've pretty much had it with whoever else is in the car with you, and all you want to do is just get there. This part of the trip calls for complicated music that can energize, relax, and provide the hope that you're going to arrive, period. Time to go live again with Maze featuring Frankie Beverly and Before I Let Go.

There, that should take you the rest of the way in. Now hop out, stretch your legs, and try to have a little fun for a minute. Because you know you have to turn around and do it all over again in a few days.

Hope you enjoyed this little trip, and don't forget the rest of the Old School Friday Crew. BTW, it's been a while since I've posted, so if there are new participants or your links have changed, let me know in the comments.

Electronic Village - Chatting Over Cocktails - Ms Grapevine - Quick - Marcus LANGFORD - Cassandra - Danielle-Lisa C -Chocl8t - DP - Kreative Talk -MarvalusOne - Regina - LaShonda -AJ - Sharon - Invisible Woman - Believer 1964 -Dee - SJP - sHaE-sHaE - Songs In the Key of Life - Shawn - Hagar’s Daughter - freshandfab - Creole Pimp - Wonderland or Not

Musical Interlude: Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble - Couldn't Stand the Weather

I have not been able to get this song out of my head for the past three days, so I'm sharing the love. Here's Texas guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughn with Couldn't Stand the Weather.

Kind of appropriate with Hurricane Ike in town, wouldn't you say?

Musical Interlude: Old School Friday - Rock Songs

Happy Old School Friday! We've been out of the mix for a minute now and missed a couple of great themes. But hey, we're back now and ready to rock. And that's a good thing because today's theme is Rock Songs.

Alright, I know what you're thinking; "What can you possibly know about rock music?" Well first of all, rock is simply an evolution of the blues, and a lot rock and roll hits have been remakes of old blues tunes (think Hound Dog). Second, I did spend most of my formulative years in Denver. You pretty much had to gain an appreciation for rock out there, and I'm glad I did. Otherwise I might have missed out on some really great music due to a closed mind.

The only problem I had is limiting my choices to only two songs. So since y'all already know from earlier Old School Friday's and Musical Interludes how much I like Black rockers like Fishbone and Living Colour, I decided to branch out a little bit to some of my other favorites today.

First up is one of the best bands in the world over the past 25 years, U2 with Beautiful Day.



Next is one of the groups I listened to a lot back in the day, mainly because of their amzaing drummer Neil Peart. Here's Rush (and friends) playing Closer to the Heart. Watch him wear those drums out.



Well, that was fun, but unfortunately, that's it for this week. Don't forget to check out the rest of the Old School Friday crew.


Electronic Village - Chatting Over Cocktails - Ms Grapevine - Quick - Marcus LANGFORD - Cassandra - Danielle-Lisa C -Chocl8t - DP - Kreative Talk -MarvalusOne - Regina - LaShonda -AJ - Sharon - Invisible Woman - Believer 1964 -Dee - SJP - sHaE-sHaE - Songs In the Key of Life - Shawn - Hagar’s Daughter - freshandfab - Creole Pimp - Wonderland or Not

Musical Interlude: Old School Friday - Old School Hip Hop

Happy Old School Friday! We were missing in action last week with the 4th of July holiday, but we are back. Today's theme is Old School Hip Hop, and having literally come of age in exact the same time frame as hip hop, there's a couple of ways I look at this.

First, if you consider the old school stuff to be the original hip hop from the late-70's and early-80's; groups like the Sugarhill Gang, etc. The other school of thought is that anything older than a X amount of years is automatically old school. Which direction to go?

How about both. For our first pick today, here are some of the pioneers of hip hop, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, with The Message. A message that sadly still applies as much today as it did back in the early eighties when this song came out.



And for our second pick, here's a rapper who was known for his rivalry with LL Cool J back in the day, and he was very popular in his own right then. I think LL ended up having the last laugh because he's basically still around and Kool Mo Dee has long faded from the scene. Here is Kool Mo Dee with Wild, Wild West.



Hope you enjoyed, and don't forget the rest of the Old School Friday crew.

Electronic Village - Chatting Over Cocktails - Ms Grapevine - Quick - Marcus LANGFORD - Cassandra - Danielle-Lisa C -Chocl8t - DP - Kreative Talk -MarvalusOne - Regina - LaShonda -AJ - Sharon - Invisible Woman - Believer 1964 -Dee - SJP - sHaE-sHaE - Songs In the Key of Life - Shawn - Hagar’s Daughter - freshandfab - Creole Pimp - Wonderland or Not

Musical Interlude: Old School Friday - Kid Groups

Happy Old School Friday! I'm back at the wheel this week since I had to grab the OSF keys back from That Girl Boo before she posted another Whitney Houston video. Today's theme is "Kids Groups." This was kind of a hard topic because the Jackson Five and New Edition immediately came to mind, so they're out. Then I remembered this group of one hit wonders from England who were hot, hot, hot for one summer back in 1982.

Here's the Musical Youth, with Pass the Dutchie.



Oh yeah, that was the groove. Hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to check out the rest of the Old School Friday crew.

Electronic Village - Chatting Over Cocktails - Ms Grapevine - Quick - Marcus LANGFORD - Cassandra - Danielle-Lisa C -Chocl8t - DP - Kreative Talk -MarvalusOne - Regina - LaShonda -AJ - Sharon - Invisible Woman - Believer 1964 -Dee - SJP - sHaE-sHaE - Songs In the Key of Life - Shawn - Hagar’s Daughter - freshandfab - Creole Pimp - Wonderland or Not

Musical Interlude: Old School Friday - Gospel/Inspirational Songs

Some of you know a little bit better than others but this has been a looong week for me, and I consider this weeks theme as my personal gift from God. Hearing all of these wonderful inspirational songs is a blessing. However I wouldn't be truthful if I told you that every religious song inspired me, in fact many positive songs just move my heart and make me feel humble and human.

So I have to go for two of my favorite inspirational songs one religious, and one none religious.






So have a wonderful weekend everyone and don't forget to check out the rest of the Old School Crew

Electronic Village - Chatting Over Cocktails - Ms Grapevine - Quick - Marcus LANGFORD - Cassandra - Danielle-Lisa C -Chocl8t - DP - Kreative Talk -MarvalusOne - Regina - LaShonda -AJ - Sharon - Invisible Woman - Believer 1964 -Dee - SJP - sHaE-sHaE - Songs In the Key of Life - Shawn - Hagar’s Daughter - freshandfab - Creole Pimp - Wonderland or Not