No one was released slow songs in the rap genre in 1988.
No one else was James Todd Smith, either.
This video was instantly in heavy rotation on MTV, and not just because of the Martha Quinn cameo at 3:08. No, it was a cool song. Cowritten by LL Cool J and Rick Rubin, the song was inspired by Rick Rubin's hesitance to move to LA - because he thought the girls would be too sexually forward.
This song did inspire a response, which will be here tomorrow.
In 1985, the Commodores were what those in the music industry may call "past prime." Their charismatic leader, Lionel Richie, had left the band. They hadn't had a hit in a few years. It seemed like they were done.
And then came "Nighshift". Initially, the band didn't want this song, which was a tribute to two legendary singers who had passed far too young in 1984 - Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye, to be a single. Their label insisted, and it ended up being not only an R&B but also a pop hit - one of the biggest of their career. It won the Grammy in 1986 for Best Vocal R&B Performance by a Duo/Group, an honor that was well-deserved.
Suddenly, the Commodores were no longer seen as past prime. This song cemented their own legendary status and proved that there was a market for smooth songs like this.
Of course, you can hear the emotion tied to this song in its live performance. On top of being legends, the band KNEW Marvin and Jackie. When Walter Orange sings "he was a friend of mine", he means it. Eagle-eyed listeners will hear Wilson and Gaye lyrics quoted in the appropriate verses.
I wanted to post something appropriate for today. This second single by Canadian superstar Alannah Myles, the follow up to the huge "Black Velvet", seems to be a good choice.
Except... funny story... It was actually her debut single in Canada. In the rest of the world, the other song came first. In her home country, this one did. And THIS song also got the Juno nomination for Single of the Year in 1990 (it lost to "Black Velvet").
Although often forgotten, this song was a top 40 hit. Alannah Myles is no one hit wonder!!!!!! Anyway, enjoy the video that most of the world enjoyed in 1990.
This is one of those songs with two official videos. Here's the Canadian version.
As we started Buffalo Week, we thought we had a pretty good representation of Buffalo music.
We forgot one huge name, featured in the movie Ace Venture: Pet Detective. So, we're including Cannibal Corpse, death metal pioneers from Buffalo, today.
More than thirty years into their career, Cannibal Corpse is still making music, with a new album dropping in April. However, we invite you today to enjoy a classic song by the band.
This song deserves its own post and an explanation.
The Scajaquada Expressway is Route 198, a highway that runs through Buffalo, NY. Buffalo, as you know, is known for its snow (although Rochester and Syracuse both regularly get more, but DO NOT GET ME STARTED). Let's just say that The Scajaquada is not a place you want to be during a blizzard. During the late 1980s, when this song was released, it wasn't a safe highway.
There's all sorts of Buffalo references in this song. All sorts of Buffalo-area schools that you would have heard on a late-1980s school closings announcement on the radio are referenced, as are several popular news personalities from that period.
Oh, one more thing. Thanks to another lawsuit, when the song was reissued as part of their 1993 album Cereal Killer, they had to spell it "Skajaquada", but I refuse. That's not its name. I also preserved the band's original name here.
Shockingly, just as soon as this Buffalo punk band got a little success, Kraft sued them and forced a name change.
No matter. This novelty tune - amazingly about exactly what you think it is, if you've never heard it - was a Top 20 MAINSTREAM POP RADIO hit. Radio played the hell out of this song. When the single was first released in 1992, it was ONLY available on video - it is the first known video single. Although it did get a CD release later, the sales of the video were enough to earn the single Gold certification.
Prepare to be entertained.
The YouTube comments of this live version include the comment "this song is heavier than it has any right to be."
Not wrong.
This performance from 2019 shows that they haven't faded in the quarter century since this was a new song.
I saw John and Mary twice at St. Bonaventure University in the early 1990's - I want to say 1991 and 1992. When I went to that first show,
1) I had John Lombardo sign my copy of Hope Chest by 10,000 Maniacs - the same copy that Natalie Merchant signed and yes, he signed it first.
2) I purchased their first album, Victory Gardens, and yes, they both signed it.
They were both exceptionally nice. And exceptional performers.
When I went to that second show, they BOTH remembered my name. And were happy to see me.
Now, technically, I saw them a 3rd time at St. Bonaventure, in 1995, after Natalie Merchant left 10,000 Maniacs and that band appeared essentially with John and Mary instead of Natalie - a lineup that pretty much has stuck to this day (John is only a part-time member and Mary did leave the band for awhile), so there's not a lot of John and Mary music anymore, but they don't not exist and they still make music together.
This was their debut single and the song they opened with at that first show.
