Marilyn McLeod was an American singer-songwriter known for such compositions as “Love Hangover” (1976).
Tag Archives: American music
RIP Stephen Sondheim (1930 – 2021)
Stephen Sondheim (1930 – 2021) was an American composer and lyricist known for such compositions as “Send In the Clowns” (1973).
On a personal level, his connection to the farce A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962) is also of note: a funny farce my father drew my attention to.
RIP John Goodsall (1953 – 2021)
John Goodsall was an American-British rock guitarist known for his work with Atomic Rooster and Brand X.
Goodsall worked in the jazz fusion and prog rock idioms, genres which can be quite boring, except when compiled on such albums as Prog Is Not a Four Letter Word (2005) by Andy Votel.
RIP Margo Guryan (1937 – 2021)
Margo Guryan was an American singer-songwriter, author of “Sunday Mornin'” (1967), first recorded by Spanky and Our Gang and a year later by herself.
RIP Evette Benton (1953 – 2021)
Evette Benton (1953 – 2021) was an American singer known for her background work as one of the vocalists of the The Sweethearts of Sigma. She can also be heard on such records as “Space Bass” (1979).
You could say that “Space Bass” is specimen of the space disco genre. In that genre, if it exists, should also be “Dancing in Outer Space”, “The Chase”, “Cocomotion”, “Powerline”, “Space Funk”, “Carry On”, “Turn Me On”, “Atmosphere Strut”, “Solar Flight (Opus 1)”, “Nobody’s Got Time”, “War Dance”.
You’re welcome
RIP Ronnie Wilson (1948 – 2021)
Ronnie Wilson was American musician, co-founder with his two brothers, of The Gap Band, known for such compositions as “Oops Up Side Your Head (1979), “Outstanding” (1982) and “You Dropped a Bomb on Me” (1982).
Charlie Wilson the only living member of the band.
I give you “Outstanding”
RIP William Shelby (1954 – 2021)
William Shelby was an American musician known for his work with Dynasty and Lakeside.
Dynasty is best known for their musical composition “I Don’t Want To Be A Freak (But I Can’t Help Myself) ” (1979).
Lakeside is best known for their musical composition “Fantastic Voyage” (1980).
I did not have time to research if Shelby was involved with these two recordings.
However, while researching “I Don’t Want To Be A Freak (But I Can’t Help Myself) ” (1979) I stumbled upon these other specimina of African-American musical compositions from the 1970s and 1980s that feature the word “freak” in their title: “I Want’a Do Something Freaky To You” (1975) is by Leon Haywood; “Le Freak” (1978) by Chic; “Super Freak” (1981) by Rick James and “I Need a Freak” (1983) by Sexual Harassment.
RIP Pee Wee Ellis (1941 – 2021)
Pee Wee Ellis was an American composer, musician and saxophonist, best-known for co-writing “Cold Sweat” (1967) and “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud” (1968) with James Brown and writing “The Chicken” (1969).
RIP Carl Bean (1944 – 2021)
Carl Bean was an American singer and activist known for interpreting “I Was Born This Way” in 1977.
That song is very much reminiscent of “I Am What I Am” (1983).
Both songs hint at the biological origin of homosexuality.
RIP Nanci Griffith (1953 – 2021)
Nanci Griffith was an American singer-songwriter working in country, folk, and what she termed “folkabilly.”
She is known for such songs as the anti-war song “From a Distance” (1982) and the anti-racism anthem “It’s a Hard Life Wherever You Go” (1989). That is her socially engaged side, which, as a matter of principle almost, does not interest me very much.
There is another side, the slice-of-life side, represented by her song “Love at the Five and Dime” (1986). This side interests me more, also because the “five and dime” of the title reminds me of Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982) by Robert Altman.