Got to Be Real

This afternoon, I heard "Got to Be Real" by Cheryl Lynn while I was out shopping.  I always find the variety of music in some stores fascinating, and I was pleasantly surprised to hear this tune.  Don't think I've heard it since, well, maybe sometime in the late '70s when I was very young.  Nah, I probably heard it on some television show or movie about the '70s -- maybe even "Boogie Nights" or something.  Anyway, I did a search on YouTube and found a clip of Mariah Carey and Patti LaBelle performing this song on a Patti LaBelle tribute.  I've included the clip just because -- and Patti is truly infused with the groove vibe.  It seems so much more inspiring than Mariah's performance.  No offense to Mariah, because she does have a great voice, but...when you put Mariah next to Patti LaBelle and her contemporaries, it's just really clear who is real!!!!

I realize this song was released in 1978, so it's not an '80s tune by any stretch of the imagination.  The Patti/Mairah version was performed in 1998, so the average date between the two would be 1988.  That counts, right?  It really doesn't matter, because the song is awesome and timeless.  If  you look at the song, it really is quite simple lyrically, "What you think now? (I think I love you, baby) What you feel now? (I think I need you, baby)  What you know now?  To be real!  Ooh, your love's for real now...You know that your love is my love...My love is your love...Our love is here to stay..."  Pretty simple, yet the song has an awesome vibe.  I really think the instrumentals add a ton to the groove.  Just listen to the bass guitar line---it really sets things up.  Drums keep it grooving, and the brass section is out of this world.  As much as I love the songs from the '80s, it is always refreshing to hear these masterful horn sections from the '70s.  Just ads some kick to a tune that you forget about until these songs resurface.  I remember string sections in the songs from this genre, too, and that is always nice, but...the brass sections are for real.  Excellent, excellent playing.

Bringin' on the Heartbreak

So, once again I was listening to "Nights with Alice Cooper," and "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" by Def Leppard came on the show.  It's interesting--I've actually grown to enjoy Def Leppard's music more and more as I get older.  They were very popular when I was younger, and I knew this one teenaged friend who was completely obsessed with them.  Now I can see why.  They seem to have had the magic rock n' roll touch.  All of their songs were huge hits, and I can't seem to think of any I didn't like (well, except "Pour Some Sugar on Me," probably because it was really overplayed).  Anyway, the point is... this group rocks.  Plus, their lyrics are amazing.  Listen to the lyrics for "Bringin' on the Heartbreak"--they are ultra sensitive and poetic.  Really intriguing as well, and so vivid that you can essentially visualize a story line and video in your own mind as you listen.  The gentle guitar playing under the verses really brings out the lyrics, too.  Makes me want to cry from the very beginning: "Gypsy, sittin' lookin' pretty, a broken rose with laughin' eyes..."  If you can make it past there, you will really enjoy this song.

Not a broken rose...just a pretty one

Meanwhile, as I was doing some research on this song, I ran across the title with Mariah Carey's name.  I thought, "Oh no... say it ain't so.  Please...."  But, unfortunately, it is :( No offense to Ms. Carey, but, uh, well...no, not the right song for her to cover.  Yikes.  She has a lovely voice and a great range, but I think she sings her genre of pop and pop ballads well.  Just not right for this heavy rock ballad.  So, try to dodge those clips on YouTube and enjoy the one and only Def Leppard.  It is THE version to hear.  THE original.  THE best!