Tuesday, February 7, 2006

SEVENTEEN THOUGHTS ABOUT "THE" (PART 2): Here are 3 more songs on my iTunes list that begin with the word “the.”

4. The Glamorous Life by Sheila E. A staple of 1980’s pop, this song went all the way to #7 in 1984. Sheila “E” is actually Sheila Escovedo, daughter of famed jazz percussionist Pete Escovedo. Her uncle “Coke” Escovedo was also a well known percussionist (I wonder about his name, don’t you?). The two senior Escovedos played with Santana and Azteca. Sheila’s brother Peto was in Con Funk Shun.

Prince became Sheila E’s mentor around 1983. She sang and played percussion on his awesome hit song Erotic City. The funky Minnesotan also helped her to get a record contract, which led to her debut album, Sheila E. in the Glamorous Life, released in 1984. Although he was not credited, it is generally acknowledged that Prince wrote The Glamorous Life, produced it, and played several instruments on it. In fact, the All Music Guide reports that if you listen carefully, you can hear Prince's original guide vocal faintly in the background.

5. The Heart Asks Pleasure by Michael Nyman. Every once in a while I buy a new age CD. Usually I am seeking some sort of insight. Often, in fact you might say very often, I end up with insipid crap such as this song. It’s like dating a woman who is beautiful but not especially smart or kind. In a very short amount of time you end up wondering “is that all there is?”

6. The Hump by Patrice Rushen. This is from the awesome collection The Funk Box, which all of you should own. Patrice Rushen is best known for her hit Forget Me Nots, which went to #23 in 1982 and was later remade by Will Smith as the theme for the film Men in Black. She has also done a lot of session work for jazz musicians including Jean Luc-Ponty, Lee Ritenour, and Stanley Turrentine.

As far as I can tell, The Hump never hit the pop charts or the R&B charts. It was an album cut from Rushen’s 1977 LP Shout It Out (now sadly out of print). The song is a blistering funk tune: a powerful blend of George Clinton and Quincy Jones. The bass line is especially memorable.

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