Greasy R&B

For the youngsters reading the blog, you might not get this post, but if you are anything like me, you dig music from before you were born. Everybody that knows me knows that I'm a hip hop head. But I also dig R&B music. I don't get down too tight with these young kids that are all dancing and no singing, but give me someone who can actually sing and I'm there. I was just playing around with my ipod making a playlist and I was looking at some of the old R&B files I have on my computer. I noticed I had a lot of stuff from the 80's, when cats rocked jheri curls and looked half feminine. I call it Greasy R&B.

I started out with some Debarge. Remember them cats? They were definitely greasy. They had big hair and if you didn't look closely at the pencil thin mustaches, you couldn't really tell the men from the women. I had to put "I Like It", "All This Love" and Love Me in a Special Way" on the Greasy R&B playlist. Anyone remember when El Debarge did that song "Who's Johnny?" from that movie Short Circuit? I can't believe I used to listen to a song about a fictional robot.

I had to throw on some Ready For The World. These cats were extra greasy. They had the curl and always looked like they were sweating. They had some hits though. I added "Tonight", "Digital Display" and of course "Love You Down" I had so much more, like "Oh Sheila" and "Mary Goes Round" but I didn't want to have too much of one group on the Greasy R&B playlist. True story: In 7th grade, I played RFTW's "Long Time Coming" album every day on my walkman on the way to school. I never got tired of it.

Full Force Get Busy One Time!!! Another super greasy 80's classic group. A bunch of big tough guys that looked like they just got of jail singing love songs and wearing jackets with no shirts. The look was crazy, but the music was undeniably good. "Temporary Love Thing", "Friends B4 Lovers" and "Ain't My Type of Hype" are some of their songs I added to the Greasy List. They also produced a lot of the old hip hop and R&B joints back in the day. Like "Roxanne, Roxanne" and most of Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam's joints.

Force MD's are best known for their greasy R&B classics "Tender Love" and "Love is a House." Another true story: I used to tape songs off the radio when I was a kid. I remember I was waiting all day to get "Tender Love" on 98.7 KissFM (My New York people: Is that still a radio station?) I finally got it, and they cut off the end of the song. For some reason, I remember that made me really mad.

Kashif and Colonel Abrams - I don't have any of their music, but I remember they were really greasy and wanted to include them. I can't remember any of their songs.

Lionel Richie was the ish back in the day. I know he comes across as corny now a days, but don't tell me you weren't tryna "Dance on the Ceiling" "All Night Long." Or you know that when you saw the "Hello" video, you didn't even care that he was a creepy stalker. Remember when he won all those American Music Awards and kept yelling out "Outstanding !!" Lionel was the man with his greasy curl. True Story Part 3: In 8th grade, I was supposed to sing a duet of "Say You, Say Me" with my first girlfriend Dedra in a chorus concert. I chickened out and pretended to be sick. LOL

Kool and the Gang were not only greasy, but borderline feminine looking in the 80's. They made some good music though. "Celebration" is ubiquitous, so I stayed away from that. Instead I have "Fresh' and "Get Down On It" on the playlist. Most of their songs I like were from the 70's pre-greasy, so I left those off.

Billy Ocean was another greasy cat that I liked. "Carribean Queen", "Suddenly" and who can forget the 1980's stalker's anthem "Get out of my Dreams, Get into my Car." Have you seen this cat lately? He has long grey dreads and a beard. Looks totally different.

Prince and Mike Jax could have been on the Greasy List, but they have their own playlists. Besides, its time for me to get some sleep instead of reminiscing about old Jermaine Jackson songs and trying to remember the name of that singer that was married to Jody Watley. (Note to self: Download some of that tomorrow.) What did I miss? What other greasy singing cats should I add to my playlist? Who were you rocking to in the 80's?