Take Your Time (Do It Right)

I can't believe I haven't written about this tune yet, because it is one of my absolute favorites.  It was also released in 1980 -- which means it just sneaks in as an "80s" tune.  You may argue this point since it doesn't really sound very "80s," but 1980 was just the turning point of the new decade.  So, there may have been some residual disco and funk in the early songs of the decade, and this is probably a good example.  But you know, whenever there is a good tune, it really doesn't matter when it was written or how it is classified.  I would certainly agree that this S.O.S. band tune qualifies as a classic for any decade.

There are just so many elements that make this song a hit.  There are also many different layers going on at the same time from an instrumental standpoint.  It's truly amazing.  I must say, the glockenspiel really does it for me.  I mean, how cool is it to have a glockenspiel in a pop/disco/funk/dance song?  It really works!  Then, there is this awesome guitar riff that is like a '70s funk motor, and it just cranks along all the way through -- keeping your body moving to the beat.  If you zone in on that riff, it could leave you in the most excellent funky daze.  There's also a terrific horn section with trumpet and sax -- very typical of the 70s.  They don't make wind sections like that in bands anymore.  I tell you -- those were some great gigs for brass and sax players, and those guys knew how to play.  I'm still jealous!  Anyway, the video is a classic, and I guess I didn't really hear the hand clapping until I watched the video.  The band is really happening, and they do so many things -- clap, play glockenspiel and sax, and just generally keep the groove going.  Mary Davis's voice is pure and smooth with depth and a wonderful soulful sound.  She sings about taking time when you get home to relax and, well, you know, have some couple's time -- "take the time to be alone...lock the door, pull out the phone."  Couldn't agree more.  I always thought in the chorus that she was singing, "Baby we can do it, take your time, do it right...we can do it baby...do it tonight."  In actuality, it's "Baby we can do it, take the time, do it right..."  Yeah, I guess I got confused from the title or just took it for granted.  Makes just a slight shade of difference between "take your time" and "take the time."  Whatever the case, this tune is the best!  I still have that guitar riff in my head...

We Will Miss You, Donna

I'm still a bit in shock over the news of Donna Summer's death today.  I can say with 100 percent truth and certainty, that she was the first woman I recall hearing on the radio in the late '70s.  I was just a little girl, but I was in love with her music.  Used to dance around in my room and sing all her songs in front of the mirror.  As I got older, I listened to more of her music.  I was completely obsessed for a while, actually.  There are so many great songs that she sang --through the 70s and 80s...and beyond.  I remember hearing her version of "O Holy Night" just this past December when I was shopping, and it was breathtaking.  As for her disco tunes, well, they were all amazing.  Anyone remember "Thank God It's Friday?"  Donna Summer sang, "Last Dance" in that movie.  She certainly raised some eyebrows with "Love to Love You Baby," but I give her props for that.  This was long before Madonna and Lady Gaga.  Donna Summer had a voice that was truly like gold.  We will miss you, Donna.  Rest in peace and fill the heavens with your glorious voice.

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.