The Long Song Monday theme crops up on a number of blogs I read, most frequently over at Swiss Adam's place (though I think it was Drew who started it). I haven't contributed in a good few years, mainly to spare you all too much Jim Steinman. Recently though, I came across something really quite lovely and it's been on recurrent play here, despite its 10+ minute running time.
William Franklin Howard II - or Wee Gee to his mates - was a member of Detroit soul group The Dramatics in the 70s and late 80s. He also released a number of solo records, most notably the 1980 album Hold On (To Your Dreams). I've become rather enamoured with this album lately... particularly that long title track. It was released as a single, but there's no radio edit I can find. The choral refrain reminds me of something else, but I'll be darned if I can put my finger on what. Maybe you recognise it...
Monday's Long Song will have to last all week, I'm afraid as it's family holiday time. I'll be back in time for Snapshots on Saturday.
I know it's Sunday morning, Denzel, but I expect people to at least change out of their dressing gowns if they're going to play Saturday Snapshots. Then again, if you got game... you probably don't need an Equalizer... to achieve Glory.
Fatal Attraction, boil a bunny while I breakdance
Fart in my hotpants in a crowded theatre at Sundance (must have been the hot ranch)
...here's Princess Superstar to kill the mood. I like my rappers with a wicked sense of humour, and PS flips more puns than Eminem. This is the same song where she confesses:
Ahh, enough of this, I killed Snuffalufagus
With pills and made a snuff film to prove to Big Bird he exists (See he is real!)
Which is top quality rhyming, whichever way you cut it.
Saying
this sounds like every other James Brown jam is kinda missing the
point. I think for a large part of his career (and with a few obvious
exceptions such as It's A Man's Man's Man's World), James Brown pretty
much released the same record. When I saw
him live about 20 years ago, the whole show felt like one long song
(and The Godfather didn't even come on stage for the first half hour!). Still, it's funky in all the right places: that's what counts.
Back in 1964 when they formed, The Dramatics were originally called The Dynamics. There was a printing error on their third record though and I guess it was cheaper to change the name of the band than get all those labels reprinted...
And the main lesson to be had here: even if you want his advice on hotpants, don't accept a ride in Jarvis Cocker's cab.
4. Prince - Peach
Uh-oh... here she comes with those gold hot pants on again...
Sexist guff of the highest order, of course. And yet, because it was Prince, somehow he got away with it...
The thing is, while even Prince was pushing it here, it's far less offensive than the majority of modern day r 'n' b which seems to have set objectification to eleven to the point that everyone takes it for granted. I joke about the 70s, but the way women are portrayed (or even choose to portray themselves) in mainstream pop these days is far worse than it was in the 70s... because we should know better by now.
So says an old stick in the mud who's been teaching media studies as a sideline for the last couple of years and can't get his head round what the kids take for granted these days.
A
rarity in pop music: a song that objectifies both women and men in
equal measure. Gotta give Fred and Kate credit for that...
(Fred:) I'm in shippin', if you're receivin' 'Cause what I see I ain't believin' The longest legs in the shortest pants You got me doin' a matin' dance
(Kate:) Sap's up spring's on the rise I'm bustin' out my tube top tonight Workin' the night shift, I get off at three Breakin' out of that factory Thunder thighs-hangin' out! Moon beams, dancin' about (Both:) If you would be so kind Put on those red hot pants and take a stroll through my mind
Don't wear hotpants around the Donnas, and certainly don't try it on with their blokes... just a friendly warning.
Hey little girl, you're tryin to get with my guy
I've got two words: hands off, or baby I'll make you cry
I don't pull hair and I don't fight dirty
But piss me off at 9 and you're lunchmeat by 9:30
1. Loretta Lynn - The Pill
If you want to find the toughest, sassiest, "girl power" recording artists of the last 50 years, country music would be a great place to start looking. Dolly, Tammy, Loretta... these ladies took no shit and told it like it was. The Pill is a 1975 hit by the Coal Miner's Daughter, although it was recorded three years earlier: the record company were just too chicken to put it out. Even when they did, half the country stations in America refused to play it.
The Pill tells of a wife who's sick of being pregnant over and over again (Loretta herself had 6 kids; three before she was 19!) so is proud to switch to birth control when it becomes widley available so she can enjoy a little of the freedom her husband's been relishing. If you thought this post was destined to end up sexist... here's to Loretta's hotpants!
All these years I've stayed at home while you had all your fun
And every years that's gone by, another baby's come
There's gonna be some changes made right here on nursery hill
You've set this chicken your last time cause now I've got the pill
This old maternity dress I've got is going in the garbage
The clothes I'm wearing from now on won't take up so much yardage
Miniskirts, hot pants and a few little fancy frills
Yeah, I'm making up for all those years since I've got the pill
Final word goes to the B52s this time...
Who says hot pants are dead and gone? Wait'll they see what you've got on Yeah, I never saw nothin' so doggone hot You belong in Ripley's Believe It Or Not!
Which one gets you screaming, "Supercalihalitosis, oooh that outfit's the absolute mostest!"
