26 May 2023 - Jennifer Paige - Crush

Admit it - you almost forgot this song existed, didn't you?  

Well, released in 1998, "Crush" swiftly climbed the music charts, reaching remarkable heights around the world. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, solidifying Jennifer Paige's status as a rising star. The song's success was not limited to the United States but also spread across Europe, where it topped the charts in countries like Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Her status as a rising star would be short lived.  This, her debut single, would be her only charting hit in the United States (although she continued to hit the UK charts).  

That doesn't make it a bad song.  It just makes her a one-hit wonder.  And that's OK.  Few songs can boast the kind of international recognition that "Crush" received. It garnered extensive radio airplay and commercial success in countries like Germany, Sweden, Norway, and many others.  Are bad songs worldwide hits?  Certainly (although we love them, too).  

:

And this is not a bad song.  "Crush" seamlessly blended elements of pop, dance, and a touch of R&B, showcasing Jennifer Paige's versatility as an artist. This fusion of genres played a significant role in the song's widespread appeal, captivating listeners from diverse musical backgrounds and preferences.

25 May 2023 - Bryan Adams and Tina Turner - It's Only Love

In 1985, Canadian hitmaker Bryan Adams wrote a song and released a single with R&B legend and resurgent superstar Tina Turner.  When reflecting on it with Songfacts in 2009, Adams considered this experience as one of the most memorable of his career.

Working with Tina Turner was amazing. I used to go to see her in the clubs when I was in my late teens/early 20s before she hit the big time. It was incredible to watch her. Amazingly when we toured together years later, I never saw Tina walk through a performance, she always put on a great show, and was gracious and grateful to her audience.It was such a privilege to have sung with her, especially since I was only 24 at the time.

I was not a huge fan of Byran Adams growing up (I appreciate what he did a lot more now), but this song always broke through for me.  The song takes a different slant on heartbreak - and talks about moving on  because, you know, it's only love, yeah, and that's all. I appreciated both the interesting lyrics and the dynamic interaction between Adams and Turner.  

24 May 2023 (Special Edition) - Tina Turner - Proud Mary

I'm really breaking a lot of protocols here by publishing a cover on this blog and not Totally Covered, by posting for a second time in a day, and by not billing the late Ike Turner here - this song was by Ike and Tina Turner.  .  

But this was Tina's song.  And she has passed away at age 83.  It's her voice we're missing today.

She also did a solo version of the song, but we're getting there.    

She reinvented John Fogarty's song - shooting it back into the top 10 in the US and winning a Grammy (Best R&B Performance By A Group) for the performance in the process. This is truly one of the greatest covers of all time, and also a great song in its own right, regardless of songwriter.  This would be her first of twelve Grammys, which includes a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 and three Grammy Hall of Fame awards, one of them for this song (separate from the CCR version, which ALSO recieved a Grammy Hall of Fame award).  

In 1993, a biographical movie about Tina Turner called What's Love Got To Do With It was released.  She rerecorded this song herself, without Ike (who didn't exactly get a glowing treatment in the movie, as he was famously abusive).  This version was a hit in Europe in 2010 after a performance by a contenstant on the TV show X Factor.  

Anna Mae Bullock had a good, long life and a career that started in her late teens, but she was still performing until she was 70.  Her last tour was in 2009 - and here she is, performing this song on that tour, and bringing just as much energy in 2009 as she did in 1971.

Tina Turner was a classic, groundbreaking voice, and she will be deeply and sorely missed.   

24 May 2023 - Jay Scøtt - Copilote

Last year, we made a mistake.

We made this mistake on one of the most popular posts ever on this blog.

We gave FouKi credit for a song by Jay Scøtt.  FouKi, in that case, was the guest star.  THIS version, written by Jay Scøtt, came first, and was a quiet tribute to a lost love.  

Indeed, Jay Scøtt is a Quebecois treasure, and we apologize for the disrespect.   Here is his best-known song, which is frequently sung in this household.  

23 May 2023 - Obie Trice ft. Eminem - Rap Name

You've heard this before.  

Yep, the song that Eminem uses as an intro to "Without Me" is a real song, by a real guy signed to his real record label with a real name of Obie Trice.  

No gimmicks.

Discovered in his hometown Detroit by rap collective D12, they brought him to fellow Detroit native son Marshall Mathers - initals M and M (just say that out loud if you don't get it) - who signed him to Shady Records.

This song, Obie Trice's debut, appeared on the soundtrack to the movie 8 Mile.  I guess that's a pretty good introduction to the world - an Oscar nominated movie, of course. He had a good career, and does still make music, but legal issues of late have gotten in the way of more output - his latest single was released in 2019.

Still, we've got "Rap Name" and it's a pretty excellent song in the freestyle rap style.  

22 May 2023 - Art of Noise - Close (To The Edit)

I remember the first time I saw this video on MTV and wondered to myself "what the hell am I watching?"

The answer is, I was watching an avant-garde group remix their previous single, "Beat Box", and throw some various Yes and Andrews Sisters samples in there.   What came out the other side was a interesting piece of music unlike anything anyone had ever seen prior.  I can honestly say this song and this video shaped a lot of my musical tastes for decades to come.

That unusual metallic sound you hear repeatedly in the song is the sound of a Volkswagen Golf, restarting.  That's not a joke or a typo.  It's really a car restarting, and poorly.  

This was the first of three videos made of the song, and has been described as a young girl in punk garb hanging out with Huey Lewis and the News in an abandoned train yard destroying musical instruments.  

So, this isn't the type of song you expect to see performed live.   And, yet, it has been.  Many times.  This particular performance was from a 2004 benefit concert in tribute to musician, producer and songwriter (who was credited on this track because of the Yes samples) Trevor Horn - and was performed by Anne Dudley (credited as Art of Noise, even though her bandmates did not perform), Trevor Horn and members of his band, The Buggles.  It is fantastic.

Here's a more contemporary performance featuring the full band actually showing their faces (something they did not tend to do) for the most part.  This performance is from 1986..

19 May 2023 - Rêve - CTRL + ALT + DEL

An artist from Montreal with a non-English letter in her first name, which is really a stage name?  With whom we've passed into the "overposting" area?

No, not that one.  This is only the 3rd Rêve post we've pulled out here.  And the first one outside of March.  Mostly, this is because we didn't have anything written for today and we stole a post from next March - but also, this song is in our heavy rotation right now.   

This one.  Without listening to the song, I would think this was a tribute to the classic three-finger salute used to restart a PC.  The song, co-written by Rêve with Banx & Ranx, uses that as a metaphor for ignoring the drama that can come with going to the club. On the surface, it might sound a little like a mean girl song, but the reality is, it's about having fun and keeping the negativity away.

It may have been more mean girl-y if not for the great delivery of the 2023 Juno Award winning Rêve, who combines a pretty great repetitive bass with a beat that the kids love to dance to with a shockingly huge voice.