Today's countdown entry is "Sara Smile", the single that put Philly blue-eyed soulsters Daryl Hall and John Oates, better known as Hall & Oates, on the rhythm and blues radar. Their first album with RCA, after a less than successful stint with Atlantic, was appropriately titled Daryl Hall & John Oates, and spawned "Sara", an ode to Hall's then-girlfriend Sara Allen. What drew the most buzz on the streets, however, was the album cover itself (see photo to the right), which showed the duo in heavy makeup -- to the point of distraction. Years later, when the album cover came up during an interview with VH1, Hall proudly boasted that, while in the makeup, he looked like "the girl he always wanted to go out with." Insane. The track peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Some prefer the song's remakes, done quite well by both After 7 and Boyz II Men. While their versions were more than effective, neither strayed too far from the original's flavor, thus serving more as tributes than much else. This serves as our tribute to the multiplatinum, hall of fame artists. Take a listen and I guarantee that you won't need air conditioning, as cool as this woo-ing is. Word to Sara.
Brown Sugar changed my life. Better yet, it helped to define my life. At the time it was released, I was a twenty-year-old hot thang who had just made the transition from Timberlands and sneakers on my feet to sandals and pumps. Let's just say that Brown Sugar helped me and countless of my friends who were on the cusp between adolescence and adulthood make that transition with ease. It was as if D'Angelo had somehow heard the melodies that we all wished we could hear on the radio, all the Marvin Gaye, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, and countless others, and, in one fell swoop, created an album that would help to define our generation. Because prior to D'Angelo, uttering "neo-soul" would have amounted to saying the sky is purple, i.e. it did not compute. But after his arrival, especially with the sophistication he displayed in the harmonizing in "Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine," D'Angelo was a man whose name we uttered with great reverence. He was able to capture the anticipation, longing, and happiness of having a crush, and he was able to do it in such a way that made this song and the rest of this album an instant modern classic. D'Angelo was able to create a pop tune that was so much more than what was expected at the time. While he may have had dreaming eyes for some brown sugar back then, we will continue to have dreaming eyes that he will return to us real, real soon.
If you're anything like me, you've amassed more than a king's ransom in unofficial Blueprint, Black Album and American Gangster remix projects. Sometimes, you get lucky and land on something golden, like Von Pea's American Angster, MidiMarc's Newprint, or the S. Carter Mixtape. For today's Battle of the Remixes, I've decided to pit Jay-Z's "Moment of Clarity" against Jay-Z's "Moment of Clarity," but with two distinct executions. In one corner we have Just Blaze, who's responsible for some of Jigga's biggest-sounding records ("U Don't Know," "Show Me What You Got") and former third of Little Brother, 9th Wonder, who blessed Jay-Z's "Threats." One has more of a big band style while the other is considerably more soulful and laid back. Which do you prefer?
Since heads didn't necessarily roll after R. Kelly horrendously injected himself into Raheem DeVaughn's "Customer," we're proud to present what could possibly be the definitive remix. Don't be put off by the "Love in This Club" leanings, the bouncy feel of this remix perfectly suits Raheem's sensibilities. Setting the track ablaze is Geffen's newest act Robyn Janelle, hailing from the DMV. The execution is fun, sexy, and has enough familiar elements to carry it far on urban radio. Keep it locked to SoulBounce for more on Robyn Janelle.
