My Jams ’88

On By Lady GIn Music, My Jams

My jams-88

Contains adult language and situations as well as controversial observations.

 

“Oh hell naw! This ain’t enough money!  How in the world am I gonna make it off this?”

I see right now I need another job. There’s no way I can pay all my bills with this.  My boss just handed me a damn check for $33.00!

What am I supposed to do with that?

I’ll bet the bank teller is gon’ pay me out of her purse.  They probably don’t even open the cashier drawer for this little bit of chump change!

Oh well, I hope that the lady I talked to yesterday in the lobby comes through with that job offer over at the mall.  I’d make two more quarters an hour and I’d be able to get more consistent work than I get over here.

Besides, I’m tired of coming home smelling like garlic and parmesan cheese.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve made some cool friends, but I’m tired of saying, “Welcome to Olive Garden!  How many in your party?”  Not to mention all the grouchy ass folks you have to deal with when you work in a restaurant.

“Grouchy Joker party of one, your table is now available!”

Oh yeah, then you get the servers pissed at you because you’re either giving them too many tables or not enough.

I get it.  They’re frustrated.

They get paid waaaaay less than minimum wage and they have to tip the busboy and the bartender if a table orders alcohol.  I understand their issues most of the time.

But not all of the time.

One night this hateful server pissed me off so bad that I triple seated his ass with three big parties.

I bet he won’t mess with me no more!

Anyway, I hope I won’t have to worry about that type of stuff too much longer.

🙂 🙂 🙂

YAASSSS!  Restaurant work ain’t no joke.  But I really couldn’t complain because young Lady G was a hostess.  That said, I didn’t catch nearly as much hell as the servers did; at least I got paid minimum wage 🙂

Poor babies!  Guests would run them jokers to death and then leave little to no tip.

Back then, the servers that I worked with hated for you to give them a party of black folks because, according to them, black people don’t tip.

Anyway, do you remember the beef that I just mentioned having with a server? Well that’s what it was all about.  He told me he was tired of getting black guests.  I guess he forgot I was a sista too!  LOL!!!!  Ya girl might have a biracial family history but her racial identity does not usually give people pause.  My Daddy?  Yes.  Me?  Not never!  LOL!

Back to my story…

Since that joker wanted to work, I worked him.  I gave him three tables full of white folks!  His ass was running like a Mississippi slave.

He learned a lesson that night. Hell hath no fury like a hostess scorned.

Lady G sometimes has a real treacherous streak!  So if I happen to let you slide….well you know the rest!

Either way, as they say, all’s well that ends well.  Me and our dear server made up and we were good ever since.

By the way, the job offer that I told you about came through and I moved on ‘up’ to the mall.

Ya girl started making some money!  I was working and going to school trying to get me a degree.

And so…

How are you fine folks on this crispy day in 1988?  I hope that life finds you doing well!

Honey, I was late posting this because I just left ‘My Jams ‘71.”  YAAASSSS!  I was kicking it with the Nite liters—“K-Jee”  Baybee!

Having said that, are you game for these jams from ‘88?  Remember, an asterisk indicates that the song was released in a different year.  Also remember, these jams are not exhaustive and they are not in order of importance.

Now let’s kick it!

My Jams ‘88

*I want her by Keith Sweat

As I was saying to my girl Lisa A and T. Wayne just yesterday and I quote:

“I want, I want, I want, I want, I want her uhm hm!”

YAAASSS!  Keith rocked the joint with that one!  Everybody was jamming it!

Just don’t ask him to sing it live!

I’m only saying this because I saw him sing it at the

NE Heartbreak Concert Tour and….well…er.

*Make it last forever by Keith Sweat featuring Jacci McGhee

I just simply CANNOT!

This has everything I need.  The music is just divine.

But then Ms. Jacci picked up that mic and slew!

DEAD!

*Monkey by George Michael

“Why can’t you do it? Why can’t you set your monkey free?”

George wants to know why his lover can’t get that monkey off his back!

Baby, he decided to ask this question just as funky as he could.  Do you hear me?

I’ll always love you by Taylor Dayne

Y’all, there is a recent live video of Queen Diva Taylor singing this song!  I’d advise you to holla at it!

By the way, Lady G gets her life to the long version!

Roni by Bobby Brown

“The truth about a roni…”

But you see Bobby can’t take all the credit because the brothers been talking about a ‘Tenderoni’ since the days of yore!

Ok, I’m exaggerating but Leon Haywood talked about ‘em in ‘84 and O’Bryan talked about ‘em again in ‘86.

Nite and Day by Al B. Sure

Al B made Lady G start looking at the redbones a little bit harder!

“And we’ll take off into another world….ooh..uh huh…uh huh… uh huh…giiiiiirl…ooh…making’ love in the rain is fine”

DEAD!

Just don’t ask him to sing it live!

I’m only saying this because I saw him sing it at the

NE Heartbreak Concert Tour and….well…er.

*Two Occasions and Shoot ‘em up movies  The Deele

The pretty boy with the baby face!  What’s his name?

Anyway, them jokers killed on these two jams!

And you CAN ask them to sing live!

Say it Again by Jermaine Stewart

I JUST LOVE THIS SONG

“Action speaks louder than words…”

Jermaine is just so damn cute to me.  He actually looks like a girl I went to school with!

That’s not an insult either; I’m being very serious.  He was a beautiful man!

“Hold me, tell me what’s on your mind…”

Lady G gets her life when Jermaine sings that part!

The right stuff by Vanessa Williams

How did the former Miss America sneak this jam upon us?

Chile, they just started playing the song and didn’t make a big deal about the fact that it was Vanessa Williams.

YAAASSS!

Didn’t she throw in a sample of “I want her” by Keith Sweat?

Now that was a gangster move right there!

Static by James Brown (Full Force)

“When I was younger, used to be trouble makers, they don’t bother me.”

My people in Augusta used to run with JB!

Honestly, I think that Full Force did a nice job working with him on this one!

“Let everybody know Godfather run the joint”

Damn straight! Godfather is ALWAYS running the joint—even today!

“No static, no static, no static, don’t start none, won’t be none!”

RIP Godfather!

Oh la la la by Teena Marie

That’s my baby right there!  Lady G is hopelessly devoted to Lady T

Watching you by Loose Ends

Honey, Loose Ends ruled all the R&B stations since they hit the scene in ‘85!

Yessuh!

You’re Not My Kind of Girl  by New Edition

Love this song but cannot get over Ralph saying “There’s sum-pa-thing-a wrong, I don’t know what it is.”

Well, let’s start with the way you decided to pronounce the word “something.”

Naw, Lady G just kidding!

This was one of my joints.

Saw them at the NE Heartbreak Concert Tour and….well…er…Johnny Gill can blow!

2AM by Teddy Pendergrass

But then Teddy came back and

SHUT

It

Down!

TP brought us back to romance baby!

Groove Me by Guy

Y’all, when Teddy Riley and brothers Aaron and Damion Hall hit the scene, we learned that there was a new subgenre in our midst and it was called “New Jack Swing.”

We had already heard it when we fell in love with Keith Sweat.  We just didn’t know, at that time, that a whole new thing was coming.

Teddy Riley originated that baby!

YAAASSSS! And NOOOOO!

I loved it then!  Now, not as much!

Wait until next year when I tell you about the whole “Piece of my love” rumor……

Take me where you want to by Gerald Alston

Can you say “The Manhattans?”

Oh yes!  Gerald Alston, the lead singer of The Manhattans, decided to come and kill all of us with this MONSTER slow jam right here!

Imma need a drank to calm down!

Aw hell Gerald!

“Here is my love, take me where you want to…”

“Loving you so much…so much.. I want your love, need your love, gotta have your love!”

By the way, when I was trying to listen to this on Youtube the name Fetty Wap came up!  Needless to say, I was HOR-RI-FIED!

These two are not even KINDA the same!  Totally different levels!

Oh yeah, Gerald Alston also did a very nice cover of “Send for me” by Atlantic Starr.

There’s one born every minute (Sucker for you) Jonathan Butler

“Your girlfriend’s boyfriend’s looking for her too.”

My darlings, if you gonna lie, make sure everybody tells the same story! LOL!

Very nice jam!

*I’ve been a fool for you by Miles Jaye

Did you hear him sneak in that electric violin sounding thingy?

Hmmm!

Miles kilt this!

The way that you love me by Paula Abdul

This chick got off on this jam!  YAAASSSSS!

Love is stronger than pride by Sade

There is a video of me lip-synching this song, pretending to be a broke ass Sade!

Tell no one!

My friend April and her brother CJ taped it!  If I ever make it big I’ll need to confiscate that mess!

Can’t nobody do Sade BUT Sade!

Where is the Love by Robert Brookins ft. Stephanie Mills

Very nice jam!  Go check it out!  Of course, it’s a cover of two masters,  Donnie Hathaway and Roberta Flack.

These two did them proud!

Ain’t no way by Jean Carne

Another cover!

But did she kill it?

YAAASSSS

*Dinner for 2 by Michael Cooper

Stop the presses!  I mean it! Stop ‘em right now!

Mr. Cooper done stepped away from Con Funk Shun and gave us a work of art!

I really just can’t with Michael on this jam!

Oh yes I can!

I love it when that joker sings, “Hey girl…”

Hide and seek by Tracie Spencer

Little Queen Diva Tracie could not have been 13 on this jam!

Just kidding.  I don’t know exactly how old she was but she was very young.

Did that stop her from belting out a jam?

Hell to the naw, to the naw, naw naw!

Do me right by Peebles

All I gotta say is pretty girls can sing too.

Don’t sleep “Mercedes boy” was off the chain!

Rising to the top by Pieces of a Dream

“Give it all you got, give it all you got!”

YAAASSSS!

‘nuff said! This is the original-not the sample. Or maybe not-peep the video posted in comments by my musical twin and fellow blogger T. Wayne.

Well it’s 12:00 midnight somewhere!  That said, I gotta bid 1988 farewell!  But you know we ain’t finished yet right?  Meet me in comments at the afterparty.  Tell me all about your memories and jams from 1988 🙂

 

 

 

214 thoughts on “My Jams ’88”

  1. Gerald Alston had the cut. great call for real for real.

    Teddy RIley turned the game out with New Jack swing. everybody and their momma was on New Jack Swing. you had to have it like Peanut butter and jelly. even boy george got down with it.

    Keith Sweat started begging 30 years back and he still begging
    and it worked.

    guy took what the gap band did and ran with it for a while.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. LOL!!! Didn’t Gerald Alston do it?
      He always does!
      Keith and that begging tho’
      Never even thought about comparing Guy to The Gap Band but now that I think about it I think you’re on to something 🙂

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  3. Those slow songs would be the best slow jam collection ever! I could just picture that infomercial on at three in the morning. I can’t you have static on the list. That opened the eyes of a whole generation tho the greatest entertainer.

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  5. ronbrownx

    Okay, like I told you in the “STAR CHAMBER”, THIS WAS ONE “FUNNY AS HELL” story! I’ll point out a couple of excerpts from your story that had me rolling;

    “I’ll bet the bank teller is gon’ pay me out of her purse. They probably don’t even open the cashier drawer for this little bit of chump change!”

    What!? I’ve never heard that said before. You know your check little when the teller just pays you out of her purse!!! Where do you get these sayings from? Fun-kneee!

    And then you said…

    “Grouchy Joker party of one, your table is now available!” Gwin…”Grouchy Joker party on one”? AND… I bet you “Joker” wasn’t your first choice of words. LOL

    “One night this hateful server pissed me off so bad that I triple seated his ass with three big parties.”

    When I’m sitting in the restaurant, I have NO idea, all of this stuff be going on. I didn’t even know the hostess had that much POWER! NO, I don’t mess with the hostess.

    “Back then, the servers that I worked with hated for you to give them a party of black folks because, according to them, black people don’t tip. Since that joker wanted to work, I worked him. I gave him three tables full of white folks! His ass was running like a Mississippi slave.”
    You know what would be the icing on the cake for that “joker” stereotyping the Black folks? If he worked those three tables of White folks and didn’t get a good tip!!! LOL

    OK NOW FOR THESE JAMS

    You know what I SUDDENLY realized about 1988, now that I’m looking at these selections. WE HAD VIDEOS. That changed some STUFF. That’s why my first few gonna be strictly for the “eye candy”. Oh, I’m sure my list overlaps with yours Gwin but just bear with me.

    Straight Up- Paula Abdul
    Mercedes Boy- Pebbles
    Paradise-Sade
    The Right Stuff-Vanessa Williams
    Da Butt-EU

    THE FOLLOWING WERE UNIQUE/INNOVATIVE

    Don’t Worry be Happy- Bobby McFerrin
    Sign Your Name- Terrence Trent D’Arby (This boy was bad. He shoulda been in Mike and Prince land…What happened?)
    Wild Thing- Tone Loc (I sure hope this guy got some ROYALTIES on this song. Commercially, still a favorite)
    Lil Walter-Tony, Tone, Toni ( thought this one was unique because they took a Negro Spiritual, WADE IN THE WATER, and made a jamming song with a story, HEY LITTLE WALTER

    THESE FOLKS HERE JUST SUNG THEIR BUTTS OFF

    Any Love-Luther
    She’s On the Left-Jeffery Osborne
    Giving You the Best that I Got- Anita Baker

    MISCELLANEOUS

    Keith Sweat-( Everything on the Album)
    Michael Jackson- (Everything from the BAD album)
    Al B. Sure- (that whole album…How did he do it with NO singing ability?)
    Just Got Paid-Johnny Kemp (Friday Anthem)
    If It Isn’t Love-New Edition (Loved the “cowbells”)
    Going Back to Cali-LLCoolJ (Love the hook)

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Did I make you laugh cousin? LOL!
      It makes me so happy to know that you enjoyed this one. Sadly, everything that I said here is very true! I wasn’t getting enough hours so money was too tight to mention. By the way, the idea of the teller paying from her purse just popped into my head. Hell, who ain’t got $33.00 in their purse? LOL!
      Yes, people can be real assholes in restaurants; customers and co-workers.
      As for the server, that I triple sat, he probably didn’t make that much because he had trouble finding other servers who had time to help him. That said, he really had waaaay too much on his plate (no pun intended.) I knew that when I triple sat him. I also knew that we were short on management that night so I could do whatever I wanted to.
      Again, moral to the story, never mess with the chick who routes customers to you because she can just as easily route too many or not nearly enough.LOL!!!
      At first, he was so pissed he didn’t know what to do but after everything settled down we talked and he apologized. In fact, he bought me a desert if I remember correctly.
      All I gotta say is you gotta learn and I gotta teach you!
      As for the jams! Your selections are fire! Several of them crossed over with my short and long list.
      Actually, you and T. Wayne appear to have similar taste in women; I am basing that on past comments that you guys have made. That’s why I was surprised when he said he wasn’t crushing on Pebbles—-but I knew like hell you were! LOL!

      Like

      Reply
      1. ronbrownx

        I know, I been sitting back here not saying nothing while T Wayne be crushing on my women, but you know I was jealous!!!!!

        Now there you go again, “You gotta learn and I gotta teach you”. I’m filing that one too! I know you got some of that stuff from Auntie. didn’t you? LOL

        You show yo daddy and mama child!!!!!

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    2. T. Wayne

      Terence Trent D’Arby! Oh shoot! Forgot all about him! You’re right, Ron that dude was mad talented. He talked like Kanye before there was a Kanye. Love your additions to the list.

      Liked by 2 people

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  8. Woebegone but Hopeful

    Hi Gwin.
    I do enjoy these snippets from your past, leaning a whole lot of Life.
    I’m going to have to print out all these Jams posts one day and go through all the music, I missed out when I was serious, intense and must have been a great misery to my poor wife and children (It was the time of Thatcher; if you were Left Wing and enjoying your life, you were not properly ‘Left’- (us UK socialists love to be miserable and outraged)- coupled with the fact that naturally money was short).
    Your posts opened up my eyes to the fact that you could still have fun when times were tough.
    The music opens up a side of the 1980s I was not aware of.

    Keep on supplying the music
    Roger

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thank you Roger! I enjoy doing these because it is very therapeutic in a way. It also let’s me see how far I’ve come.
      It’s funny how you talk about being serious and intense. I had those years later on but since I was really still a kid in ’88 I was pretty carefree- no kids, no spouse. The only thing I had to pay for was books, school, clothes, phone bill. Luckily, I had a dad like you to take care of the rest.
      In any case, it does my heart good to see that you actually read these things. I say that because we probably couldn’t be more opposite in terms of gender, race and nationality. I feel complimented to know that you can still appreciate my experiences. Ultimately, as we both have said before, we all are more similar than we are different.
      I’ll tell you right now, If you decided to post ‘your jams’ from 1960’s England, I’d be ALL OVER IT! LOL!

      Liked by 2 people

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      1. Woebegone but Hopeful

        Y’ know Gwin.
        I might just do that……
        Yep; it will be on my ‘things to do list’ (that is my ‘Things to do in the next 2 weeks list’!)

        All the best
        Roger

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply

        1. Uh oh! My brother usually says “I’ll put your suggestion on my list.”
          But, that’s with the caveat that my suggestion goes on his list as thing number 999. LOL!
          Seriously, if you did do one I’d love to see how ‘my jams’ looks with a Roger-esque spin to it!

          Liked by 2 people

        2. Woebegone but Hopeful

          S’ok Gwin, as a UK Civil Service, once I have a list it must be cleared by a certain date, AND two week-list is a two week-list!.
          ‘Twill be done (maybe on the last day, but nevertheless)
          All Hail to the Great List
          (I tell you being 65 is great. It allows me to say all sorts of quirky things!)
          Take care Gwin

          Liked by 1 person

  9. What an intriguing view into the world of tip addended earnings and service employment. I enjoyed the story while realizing the pain and frustration of working for very minimum wage and whatever tips patrons were gracious enough to divvy up. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt, and most definitely feel ya.

    In 88 i resorted to parking some cars in downtown D.C. to supplement that upstart photo career I had embarked on. The tips were awesome the work was fun and would pay off big time later on up the road.

    1988 – and you’ve done your usual top notch thing of gathering all the R&B tunes that fired us up and played a big part in us retaining our sanity. At least me anyway.

    Keith Sweat’s “I Want Her” sat at the top of your list and it’s my top Keith Sweat jam. The first time I partied to it was in a North Carolina. juke joint on a 4th of July visit to the state. It was a little shabby place way back in some woods that violated every building code on the books, didn’t have a liquor license anywhere in sight. They were in there frying chicken in iron skillets and cooking collard greens in a pot that looked like it was a former shield in a fencing match. The music came out of a juke box and the women were as friendly as a Golden Retriever puppy. I know I danced to “I Want Her ” at least 5 times that night.

    Keith doubled down on 88 and kicked out “Make it Last Forever” slowing the roll with a “get up close and personal DNA and spit swapping tempo.

    You know what’s funny? Keith Sweat has been dubbed a begging dude. Now his real name is Keith Douglas Crier. Begging and crying are often times partners in crime – just saying. Folks can say what they want – this former New York Stock Exchange broker could sang!

    Al B. Sure added a ‘vanilla brother” “flava” to all that chocolate Sweat and Bobby Brown was serving up. Diversity presents choices and 88 was not short on choices of shades or great music.

    Jermaine Stewart – was so quick I almost missed him – thanks for reminding me – his “Say it Again ” was part of that 88 spin cycle DJ’s served up.

    1988 also ushered in “Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Simple Pleasures. To be honest – while the message was positive – I didn’t really know what the hell to do with this jam. After stepping on a few opened toe high-end pedicures trying to dance to it – I gave up and just resorted to listening to it.

    “Watching You” by Loose Ends. I spent a lot of hot DC nights sitting on the porch of an Abbey PL NE bachelor pad watching the midnight crackhead hookers run up and down the sidewalk wheeling and dealing. The song was fitting for those moments.

    I think I’ve gone long enough here. Your readers are surely thinking – this dude done got commenting and blogging mixed up – this heah is a blog post – he must’ve pushed the wrong button – “po” fella.

    In any event – thank you for reviving the happy times of another year with your unique venue (My Jams). I’m smiling. I’m really smiling.

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. Aw!!!! There’s G! He’s in the house!
      You know it’s always a pleasure to see you!
      Glad you’re here!
      So I take it that you also had some experiences in the restaurant business. It was a real trip. Everything I said in this post was true. Servers, hated to get too many black folks! LOL!
      Oh and raggedy jook joints? YASSSS! They can be a whole lot of fun! Chicken and collard greens? Oh my!
      I’ve been to a jook or two in my day; especially in Alabama.
      One time we went to one that didn’t have a floor. You heard me! No floor! It was all grass! My cousins were none to happy to walk around in grass with their high heeled steppas on! LOL!
      This particular night, the DJ did his usual count down of the number of miles he had to go before he got to his girl. “I got 56 miles to go….” Anyway, my cousin hollered, “I’ll be damned if I’m going all the way to her house with him!”
      And we were out!
      Keith Sweat is really Keith Crier huh? Now that’s a very interesting tidbit of trivia. As you said, it fits! He is one begging ass dude!
      Jermaine Stewart? I just love him! Too bad most folks don’t remember him.
      Don’t worry be happy? Shit, I was like you. I didn’t know what the hell to do with that.
      Anyway, G you know good and well I would be hurt if you left me a short response, you know I get my life from your long comments. Like I said, you add additional context and insight to the year that was!
      Glad you’re smiling! I am too!

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  14. Lol. That song was SO popular over here too! They came to El Paso and my parents didn’t let me go. I was 8 or 9 at the time so I can’t blame them. We tried to find them at the hotel they were staying at but we didn’t get anywhere with it. I had dolls, posters, videos, etc of them. 😂

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  15. Oh yea New Kids on the Block! Lol. 1988 was a really good year for you, Tracy! I remember the crazy and fun stories you told me. Ahh yea, I remember your girl during your college days! What happened in 1989??

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    1. Uh oh! Lisa A is on the case! Pray tell, Dear Tracy, What happened in ’89? LOL!
      I guess I can wait.
      By the way, Lisa, when I worked in the mall, I promised you they played NKOTB “Right Stuff” every damn five minutes!

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  17. T. Wayne

    Ok, 1988. Somebody is about to get a bit long-winded here…but hey! I’m among family. If I can’t be long-winded around family, who else can I be long-winded around?

    So, 1988 arrives and I can see the finish line—in just a few months I’ll complete a life-long dream: graduating from college. Finally caught up on my classes, only need to pass the last four (an Introduction To Film class that met once a week and required me to watch movies was pass/fail) and finish my 80-page, undergrad thesis about the music industry comparing and contrasting two record companies. No sweat, right? (Pun sorta intended). Plus, I started hanging around this girl who would become a big part of my life for the next six years. Yeah, your boy was feeling pretty good. Only thing better than how I was feeling was some of these jams you got listed here.

    Absolutely Keith Sweat ruled 1988. Yeah that album came out in ’87, but it got played that whole next year! Every jam on it was good. I’m gonna have to write about that album someday. Before I go any further though, I have to ask: could ANYONE besides Johnny Gill (Mr. Oversing himself) sing on the NE Heartbreak tour?

    I see Ms. Lisa A. has called me out on my love for Vanessa Williams again. Hey, what can I say. She is still looking good even today. Wait, she’s married again? Well, there goes my shot. The music was just a side bonus to what already was a great woman in my eyes. But yeah, she threw down with “The Right Stuff.” Can’t wait ’til ’89….

    We already discussed James Brown and Full Force, so no need to bring that back up. But Guy though! Ooh! Can’t wait for you to discuss that rumor (yes I know what it is). And while I loved “Groove Me” back then, it couldn’t touch “Teddy’s Jam” and “I Like”! Hell, if “I Like” is playing anywhere, I’m just saying there might be a two step about to break out! Wait. Ain’t no might in it. (starts looking for “I Like,” drops the song, steps away for five good minutes)…

    Whew! T. Wayne is getting it in! Now where was I…oh yeah. Love the list. Just a couple more things I gotta mention so that I can end this rambling…That Sade album…loved all of it! And while I can understand including “Love Is Stronger Than Pride,” I’ll take “Nothing Can Come Between Us” along for the ride. Yeah Pebbles could sing a bit, and she was pretty, but apparently if you believe TLC, she’s a thief too (snickers).

    Last but not least a little nitpick…maybe Pieces Of A Dream’s “Rising To The Top” is where you first heard that song, but it goes back to 1982 with Keni Burke, a member of the Five Stairsteps (of “O-o-h Child” fame) who actually did do the original version of the song:

    Whew! I think that’s it. Now I’ll wait for the blowback from two of my favorite bloggers… 🙂

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    1. Come on Twin, you know that I love me some long comments and damn straight you ARE Family so say what you need to say brah! Sounds like ’88 was damn good to you. I was just trying to make my way. I stayed out of college the first year but then I went year round until I finished. I kept a job of some kind all the way through.
      Now you know I died when you brought up Mr. Oversinger from the NE Heartbreak tour! Everybody knows that Johnny be overdoing it but he was the ONLIEST one on that show that could really sing.
      You wanna talk about a crush? In the words of Tracy, aka T. Wayne, I MAY have had a major crush on Al. B Sure! Funny thing is, I don’t usually go for the redbones but…….
      By the way, back to the school thing, were you studying music and film? Damn Twin, in the words of Harpo from The Color Purple, “You is a miracle.”
      As for Sade, you really just cannot go wrong with anything she put out! But for some reason “Stronger than Pride” resonates with me. There are sooooo many others. Sade a bad girl!
      Now back to Guy! Baby you know that I started to add in “Spend the Night” and “Fantasy” and “I like” but they really were hotter the next year right? I feel you on “i like!”
      Man oh man, what I wouldn’t give to see you bust a Tracy–two step to that one!
      Now to “Rising to the top.” Thanks for pointing that out! I think I was compelled to say that they were the original because one of the rappers (was it Dougie Fresh?) had used that sample. I just don’t know which one he used. Odds are he chose the OG one that you shared. Hell I don’t even know if Pieces of a Dream recorded this one before or after Dougie did the sample.
      Again, good looking out brah!
      And thanks for the compliment. You know that feeling is so mutual!!!!

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply
      1. T. Wayne

        Yeah, Guy was hotter in ’89. But I had to throw in “I Like!”

        Well, I wasn’t “exactly” studying music & film. The music part I needed an industry to write that thesis about so I chose the one industry I was most interested in! The film part, was just the one class to get through senior year. But it only met once a week, and I had to watch films and take quizzes. An easy pass/fail, I figured. LOL

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  18. Ohh sh*t! These are some GREAT jams, Gwin! Where do I begin? Keith Sweat, Al B. Sure (I still listen to that one A LOT in 2016), Paula Abdul, Sade! I usually listen to Sade when I’m writing. I’m sure Tracy will be around the corner with his expertise 😀 He’s crazy about Vanessa Williams! Lol. Thank you for the shout out and jams!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. What’s up Lisa?
      Glad you made it on over to the party. Thanks for your kind words. Glad you liked the list.
      So you listen to Sade when you write? That just gave you 10K cool points as far as I’m concerned.
      By the way, I encourage you to continue torturing our dearest Tracy about his crushes! I’ll have your back. LOL!!!
      We got one down (Vanessa Williams). I think that Peebles adds another LOL!

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

      1. Lol thanks Gwin! As for Tracy…I was just stating a little fact. 😹 Yeah, Sade’s music is soothing and encouraging! If I’m not mistaken her song “Keep Looking” was released in 1988. That’s one of my favorite songs of hers. Hmm…not sure if he had a crush on Pebbles 😃 Tracy?? I was 7 in 1988. I was riding bikes and playing with Barbies. I wasn’t really doing anything exciting like you and Tracy. 😊

        Liked by 3 people

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        1. Barbies and bikes! Too cute!
          As for my Twin I just love to see you two go back and forth about the crush thing and yes “Keep looking” was a good ass jam!
          Get over here and torture him now–he just commented! LOL!

          Liked by 3 people

        3. YAAAAY!!! I am so glad to hear that! Whenever I write one of these posts, I always hope that all of you guys will enjoy the end result. I have so much fun chatting back and forth with everybody about these jams!

          Liked by 3 people

        5. T. Wayne

          Ok…there seems to be some question as to whether or not I had a crush on Pebbles. The answer is….no. Hahaha! Seriously, I didn’t have a crush on her. Why settle for her when Vanessa was around?

          I will say that I did like a lot of her songs around that time. This one with a certain member of the Gap Band may have been my favorite though:

          Liked by 2 people

        26. It really is! There was a uptick in that name for boys born in the 1960’s because of an actor named Brian Keith!
          He played the father in a show called “Family Affair”

          Liked by 2 people

        30. Naw, not bad at all. He did get a rather late start. I think he was 26. Word on the street was that he was a stock broker before he started producing, writing and singing.

          Liked by 2 people

        78. I am surprised because Pebbles had all the dudes; maybe I am getting you confused with Ron. Maybe he was the one who admitted to crushing on Pebbles.
          Oh, but when you referred to TLC and her alleged thievery I thought I was gonna choke on my lemonade! LOL!

          Liked by 3 people

        79. T. Wayne

          I can’t confirm or deny whether or not she was thieving from those girls, but there was some dirty dealing going down! Had to be! LOL

          I’m having wayyyy too much fun over here. You two have me cracking up so much I can’t even write my post for tomorrow. Maybe I’ll call off Flashback Friday on account of laughing too much at this here throwback party! LOL

          Liked by 2 people

        81. T. Wayne

          Ahhh. It’s all good, really. I can write tomorrow’s post in my sleep almost. LOL. Laughs with bloggers I like talking about crushes and the music we all enjoy is worth its weight in gold.

          Liked by 2 people

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