MUSIC #93: JAMES BROWN - SOUL CLASSICS (1972)

 

Get ready to do some foot tapping and head bobbing. Here is a collection of some of Brown's greatest songs to help you through the week. What's your fave? Mine has got to be "Get Up I Feel Like A Sex Machine" and "I Got You (I Feel Good)". I give this album 4 stars.

 

James Brown - Soul Classics 1972: Soul Music

 

Side A

1. Get Up I Feel Like A Sex Machine

2. My Part/Make It Funky - Part 3

3. Cold Sweat

4. Call Me Super Bad

5. I Got You (I Feel Good)

6. Money Won't Change You

7. Night Train

Side B

1. Make It Funky - Part 1

2. Papa's Got A Brand New Bag

3. Soul Power

4. Give It Up Or Turn It A Loose

5. It's A Man's Man's Man's World

6. Hot Pants (She Got To Use What She Got To Get What She Wants)

7. Out Of Sight

Watch out for my next posting, LOOTERA OST 1965, a request from Gabrujat.

MUSIC #93: JAMES BROWN - SOUL CLASSICS (1972)

MUSIC #87: PRETTY WOMAN 1990 (ENGLISH OST)

Ok don’t gag, but Pretty Woman is one of my favourite romantic movies of all time (have I lost my credibility here?). I can watch this movie over and over again and the tissues still come out….regardless.

Anyway, Pretty Woman is actually loosely based on a true story and was going to be a dark drama on prostitution when it was re-conceptualized into a romantic comedy with a bigger budget. The movie was written by J.F. Lawton and directed by Garry Marshall. It stars Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Hector Elizondo, Jason Alexander and Laura San Giacomo. Pretty Woman's plot centres on down-on-her-luck Hollywood prostitute Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) who is hired by a wealthy businessman, Edward Lewis (Richard Gere), to be his escort for several business and social functions, and their developing relationship over the course of Vivian's week long stay with him. Roberts received a Golden Globe Award for her role.

The soundtrack to Pretty Woman was hugely successful and features the song "Oh, Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison, which inspired the movie's title. Roxette's "It Must Have Been Love" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1990. The soundtrack also features "King of Wishful Thinking" by Go West, "Show Me Your Soul" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, "No Explanation" by Peter Cetera, "Wild Women Do" by Natalie Cole and "Fallen" by Lauren Wood. The soundtrack went on to be certified three times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

My favourites from the movie include King of Wishful Thinking, It Must Have Been Love (one of my all time favourites along with Total Eclipse Of The Heart and Careless Whisper), Fallen and Oh Pretty Woman.

I give this OST 4 stars.

Pretty Woman 1990: The Original Soundtrack

Side One

1. Wild Women Do - Natalie Cole

2. Fame 90 - David Bowie

3. King of Wishful Thinking - Go West

4. Tangled - Jane Wiedlin

5. It Must Have Been Love - Roxette

6. Life in Detail - Robert Palmer

Side Two

1. No Explanation - Peter Cetera

2. Real Wild Child (Wild One) - Christopher Otcasek

3. Fallen - Lauren Wood

4. Oh Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison

5. Show Me Your Soul - Red Hot Chili Peppers

 

MUSIC #87: PRETTY WOMAN 1990 (ENGLISH OST)

MUSIC #85: WHAM! – MAKE IT BIG 1984 (ENGLISH)

Growing up, it seems everybody but I knew that George Michael was gay! Blame my naïve and trusting nature, that still plagues me to this day, haha. One may think it is a good trait to have; I myself find it a curse, makes me so gullible…..and I always learn the hard way that things and people are not what they seem. Oh well, some people learn the hard way, I guess.

Now why would GM being gay create such a response from me, you say? Because I fought the world for George...LOL….he was my teen idol, I loved him (and he did not even know I existed, sob, sob) and I had to fight my mum for putting up his posters in my mum’s so called elegant décor. But win I did….ha, ha. I may be gullible, but I am stubborn too.

So it is a no brainer when I tell you that Wham! was my favourite pop group from the 1980’s. For those of you who don't know, Wham! was a British pop duo formed in 1981 by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. The duo sold 25 million copies between 1982 until they broke up in 1986.

Their debut album was “Fantastic” in 1983, followed by “Make It Big” and ending with “Music From The Edge Of Heaven” in 1986.

In my opinion, “Make It Big” was the best of the Wham! albums and chart wise it hit #1 in both the UK and the USA and spawned four singles, all topping the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. My favourites include Careless Whisper (still is to this day), Freedom, Heartbeat and Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.

I give this album 4 stars.

Wham! – Make It Big 1984

Side One

1. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
2. Everything She Wants
3. Heartbeat
4. Like a Baby

Side Two

1. Freedom
2. If You Were There
3. Credit Card Baby
4. Careless Whisper

MUSIC #85: WHAM! – MAKE IT BIG 1984 (ENGLISH)

MUSIC #83: COCKTAIL 1988 (ENGLISH OST)

With all the free flowing grog in tradition with NYE celebrations, I thought this would be an apt posting for NY's day (and I know some of you may not want to see another drink for quite some time after last month's excessive bozing and eating). Cocktail the movie was directed by Roger Donalson with screenplay by Heywood Gould. It stars Tom Cruise, Bryan Brown and Elisabeth Shue. Not a Tom Cruise fan myself but I did watch the movie for Australian actor Bryan Brown (BB), who has performed in some outstanding movies and miniseries such as The Shiralee (one of my favourite Australian movies and I totally recommend you watch this heart wrenching film), Breaker Morant, F/X, Tai-Pan, The Thorn Birds and Australia.

In my opinion, if it wasn’t for BB, this movie would have been a total waste of money and it is no wonder that it got nominated for four Razzie Awards for Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay, Worst Actor and Worst Director; winning the Worst Picture and Screenplay award.

It did however carry some memorable songs to come out of the late 1980’s including Kokomo (No. 1 in the United States, Japan and Australia charts in July 1988) and Don’t Worry, Be Happy; with some good old classics like Hippy Hippy Shake (originally by Chan Romero), Tutti Fruitti and Rave On! (originally by Sonny West).

I give this album 4 stars.

Cocktail 1988 – The Original Soundtrack

Side One

1. Wild Again – Starship (formerly 'Jefferson Starship')

2. Powerful Stuff – The Fabulous Thunderbirds

3. Since When – Robbie Nevil

4. Don't Worry, Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin

5. Hippy Hippy Shake – The Georgia Satellites

Side Two

1. Kokomo – The Beach Boys

2. Rave On! – John Cougar Mellencamp

3. All Shook Up – Ry Cooder

4. Oh, I Love You So – Preston Smith

5. Tutti Frutti – Little Richard

MUSIC #83: COCKTAIL 1988 (ENGLISH OST)

MUSIC #81: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE – JEFFERSON AIRPLANE TAKES OFF 1966 (ENGLISH)

One of the momentous rock groups of the 1960’s, Jeffreson Airplane was formed in San Francisco California in 1965 and a pioneer of psychedelic rock movement. The band performed at all three of the most famous American rock festivals of the 1960s—Monterey (1967), Woodstock (1969) and Altamont (1969). The group's debut LP Jefferson Airplane Takes Off was released in September 1966. I give this album 4 stars with my favourite being “It's No Secret”.

Jefferson Airplane: Jefferson Airplane Takes Off 1966

Side One

1. Blues from an Airplane

2. Let Me In

3. Bringing Me Down

4. It's No Secret

5. Tobacco Road

Side Two

1. Come Up the Years

2. Run Around

3. Let's Get Together

4. Don't Slip Away

5. Chauffeur Blues

6. And I Like It

MUSIC #81: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE – JEFFERSON AIRPLANE TAKES OFF 1966 (ENGLISH)

MUSIC #77: LA BAMBA 1987 (ENGLISH OST)

La Bamba is a 1987 film written and directed by Luis Valdez and is based on the real life events that affected the live of rock star Ritchie Valens. The movie stars Lou Diamond Phillips (as Ritchie Valens), Esai Morales, Rosanna DeSoto and Elizabeth Peña.


Ritchie Valens

As with the movie, the soundtrack is also based on Ritchie Valen’s music and those of his R&R buddies of the 1950’s. Warner Brothers released the soundtrack in June 1987. Ironically, WB did not use Valen’s original recordings, but rather had the band Los Lobos record all of Valen’s songs. Even Bo Didley rerecorded his classic song “Who Do You Love?" for the movie.

If you like 1950’s R&R, then you would like La Bamba. My favorites from this ablum include the title song "La Bamba", "Come On Let's Go", "Ooh My Head", “Summertime Blues” and “Who Do You Love”.

 My verdict: 4 stars.

 La Bamba 1987: The Original Soundtrack

 Side One

1.  La Bamba – Los Lobos
2. Come On, Let's Go – Los Lobos
3. Ooh! My Head – Los Lobos
4. We Belong Together – Los Lobos
5. Framed – Los Lobos
6. Donna – Los Lobos

Side Two

1. Lonely Teardrops – Howard Huntsberry
2. Crying, Waiting, Hoping – Marshall Crenshaw
3. Summertime Blues – Brian Setzer
4. Who Do You Love – Bo Diddley
5. Charlena – Los Lobos
6. Goodnight My Love – Los Lobos

MUSIC #77: LA BAMBA 1987 (ENGLISH OST)

MUSIC #73: GOOD MORNING VIETNAM 1987 (ENGLISH OST)

The movie Good Morning Vietnam was directed by Barry Levinson and depicts the real life antics of Armed Forces Radio disc jockey Adrian Cronauer, played by comedian Robin Williams. The script was written by Mitch Markowitz, however, most of the humour in the film was improvised by Robin Williams during filming. Although nominated for both the Oscar and Golden Globe for his role (justifiably so), Robin only took home the Golden Globe award for his efforts.

If you are into the late 1960’s and early 1970s pop era, this is the soundtrack for you. Although around 30 songs were used in the film (see chart listing below), only 12 songs were released as a soundtrack. I would have thought that seeing the success of the first soundtrack and that of Dirty Dancing in the same year, Festival Records would have released a second soundtrack to Good Morning Vietnam. I know I would...but hey, what would I know.

The soundtrack went platinum in the US and made it to #10 on the The Billboard 200 Albums Chart and #1 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart. The Louis Armstrong song, “What a Wonderful World” was released as a single and became a top 40 hit twenty years after its original release.

Source: Wikipedia

My verdict: 5 stars

Good Morning Vietnam 1987 – The Original Soundtrack

Side One

1. Adrian Cronauer (Dialogue)/Nowhere to Run – Robin Williams/Martha Reeves and The Vandellas

2. I Get Around – The Beach Boys

3. Game of Love – Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders

4. Adrian Cronauer (Dialogue)/Sugar and Spice – Robin Williams/The Searchers

5. Adrian Cronauer (Dialogue)/Liar, Liar – Robin Williams/The Castaways

6. The Warmth of the Sun – The Beach Boys

Side Two

1. Adrian Cronauer (Dialogue)/I Got You (I Feel Good) – Robin Williams/James Brown

2. Adrian Cronauer (Dialogue)/Baby, Please Don't Go – Robin Williams/Them

3. Adrian Cronauer (Dialogue)/Danger! Heartbreak Dead Ahead – Robin Williams/The Marvelletes

4. Five O'Clock World – The Vogue

5. California Sun – The Rivieras

6. Adrian Cronauer (Dialogue)/What a Wonderful World – Robin Williams/Louis Armstrong

MUSIC #73: GOOD MORNING VIETNAM 1987 (ENGLISH OST)

MUSIC #67: THE STYLISTICS – THE BEST OF THE STYLISTICS 1975 (ENGLISH)

I remember listening to this on 8 track cassette, for the first time, on the road trip from our home in Kluang (Bat Town), Johore to my grandparents’ for holidays. By this time, dad had his Datsun 120Y, painted yellow orche... the colour of poo I used to say. I thought it was the most awesome car ever. Obviously, I had no taste as a child! Hmm...questionable now too...

The Stylistics was formed in Philadelphia in 1968 with lead singer Russell Thompkins, Jr., Herbie Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. The Stylistics went on to become one of the most successful soul groups of the first half of the 1970s, achieving twelve straight U.S. R&B top ten hits. Their hits include "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)", "You Are Everything", "Betcha by Golly, Wow", "I'm Stone in Love with You", "Break Up to Make Up", and "You Make Me Feel Brand New" (my favourite).

My verdict: 4 stars.

The Stylistics: The Best Of The Stylistics 1975

Side One

1. You Make Me Feel Brand New

2. Betcha By Golly Wow

3. Rockin' Roll Baby

4. Break Up To Make Up

5. You're A Big Girl Now

6. Doin’ The Streets

Side Two

1. I'm Stone in Love With You

2. Heavy Fallin’ Out

3. Let's Put it All Together

4. You are Everything

5. People Make the World Go Round

6. I Got A Letter

MUSIC #67: THE STYLISTICS – THE BEST OF THE STYLISTICS 1975 (ENGLISH)

MUSIC #65: MORE DIRTY DANCING 1988 (ENGLISH OST)

Following the success of the first Dirty Dancing soundtrack in 1987, RCA released a second music recording from the movie, simply titled “More Dirty Dancing” in 1988. The album went multi platinum as well. For a full review of the soundtrack, go to my Dirty Dancing post HERE.

My rating: 4 stars

More Dirty Dancing 1988 – The Original Soundtrack

Side One

1. (I've Had) The Time of My Life (Instrumental Version) 1 - The John Morris Orchestra

2. Big Girls Don't Cry - The Four Seasons

3. Merengue - Michael Lloyd & Le Disc

4. Some Kind of Wonderful - The Drifters

5. Johnny's Mambo - Michael Lloyd & Le Disc

6. Do You Love Me - The Contours

7. Love Man - Otis Redding

Side Two

1. Wipe Out - The Surfaris

2. These Arms of Mine - Otis Redding

3. De Todo Un Poco - Michael Lloyd & Le Disc

4. Cry to Me - Solomon Burke

5. Trot the Fox - Michael Lloyd & Le Disc

6. Will You Love Me Tomorrow - The Shirelles

7. Kellerman's Anthem - The Emile Bergsteign Chorale

8. (I've Had) The Time of My Life (Instrumental Version) 2 - The John Morris Orchestra

MUSIC #65: MORE DIRTY DANCING 1988 (ENGLISH OST)

MUSIC #63: DIRTY DANCING 1987 (ENGLISH OST)

Don’t know about you, but mention Dirty Dancing, and automatically that lean supple body of Patrick Swayze comes to mind (fan face) - and the famous quote - “No one puts Baby in a corner”!

I had just started my first uni degree when this movie came out and was the first movie I went to watch with my new found friends. Yes my parents were quite strict in this aspect and I was only allowed to go out or watch movies with the family, or at least chaperoned….yah, so archaic….And then suddenly, here I was, at uni, away from home and all this freedom…Scary yet exhilarating. Anyway this post is about the music, not my life story!

Dirty Dancing, the movie, was released in August 1987 and features Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Cynthia Rhodes, and Jerry Orbach. The story, set in 1963, is a coming of age drama about a teenage girl's rebellion against her father by starting a relationship with a dance instructor during a family summer vacation. Although a low-budget film by a new studio and with no major stars (except for Broadway legend Jerry Orbach in a supporting role), Dirty Dancing became a massive box office hit and it was the first film to sell more than a million copies on home video.

Dirty Dancing, the soundtrack, generated two multi-platinum albums and multiple singles, including "(I've Had) The Time of My Life", which won both the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Original Song, and a Grammy Award for best duet.

As the movie was set in the early 1960’s, the film's soundtrack started as an oldies music revival. But what no one expected was the demand for the album which caught RCA Records by surprise. Even before a single had been released, there were a million albums on back-order for the OST. The Dirty Dancing album spent 18 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 album sales charts and went platinum eleven times, selling more than 42 million copies worldwide. It spawned a follow-up multi-platinum album in February 1988, entitled More Dirty Dancing, which I will be posting shortly.

Songs from the album which appeared on the charts included:

1. (I've Had) The Time of My Life – Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes: #1 on the pop charts.

2. She's Like the Wind – Patrick Swayze (yes, he sings too): #3 in 1988.

3. Hungry Eyes – Eric Carmen: #4 in 1988.

4. Yes – Merry Clayton: #45 in 1988.

My verdict: 4 stars

Dirty Dancing 1987 – The Original Soundtrack

Side One

1. (I've Had) The Time of My Life – Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes

2. Be My Baby – The Ronettes

3. She's Like the Wind – Patrick Swayze

4. Hungry Eyes – Eric Carmen

5. Stay – Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs

6. Yes – Merry Clayton

Side Two

1. You Don't Own Me – The Blow Monkeys

2. Hey! Baby – Bruce Channel

3. Overload ¬ Alfie Zappacosta

4. Love Is Strange - Mickey & Sylvia

5. Where Are You Tonight? – Tom Johnston

6. In the Still of the Night – The Five Satins

NOTE: On 15 October 2007, RCA Records re-released a 20th anniversary edition of the soundtrack. The release contained remastered versions of the original album's songs (in a different tracklisting) plus additional tracks, as well as a DVD featuring promotional video and photo material.

MUSIC #63: DIRTY DANCING 1987 (ENGLISH OST)

MUSIC #55: ELVIS PRESLEY – FUN IN ACAPULCO 1963 (ENGLISH OST)

Sorry guys, just haven’t been in the mood to sit and write reviews. The weather has been just too good (I just love spring and autumn) and I rather spend my evenings outside enjoying nature. Anyway, here I am, and I have to thank Mr Naidu of Bollywood DVD Restoration for reacquinting me with this album. The reason? There is a track in this OST which has been copied (yes, yet another) and reproduced in Hindi – the album is “JHUK GAYA AASMAN, and I will be reviewing this OST (can I really call it an “original” soundtrack?) next. To all Hindi music lovers: Can you spot the song in question???

Now to the Elvis album. Fun in Acapulco was Elvis’ 13th movie and premiered on 27 November 1963. Elsa Cardenas and Ursula Andress play his love interests in the movie. This movie is the third of his tropical travelogue films for Paramount Pictures after Blue Hawaii and Girls! Girls! Girls!, which finds Elvis south of the border - in Mexico.

For a review of the movie, check out THIS site.

Fun in Acapulco is the nineteenth album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2756, in November 1963. Recording took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood on 22 and 23 January 1963, and at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, on 26 and 27 May, 1963. The album peaked at #3 on the Top Pop Albums chart.

The the album used lots of brass instruments, mirroring the trend at the time when Herb Albert and his Tijuana band was immensly popular (and also keeping in line with the theme of the movie – Mexican), elements of mariachi music, another music genre made popular in Mexico and the Pasodoble or bull fighting music. My favourites include Fun in Acapulco, Marguerita, Bossa Nova Baby and Love Me Tonight.

My rating: Four stars.

Elvis Presley – Fun In Acapulco 1963: The Original Soundtrack

Side One

1. Fun in Acapulco

2. Vino Dinero y Amor

3. Mexico

4. El Toro

5. Marguerita

6. The Bullfighter Was A Lady

7. No Room to Rhumba in A Sports Car

Side Two

1. I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here

2. Bossa Nova Baby

3. You Can't Say No in Acapulco

4. Guadalajara

5. Love Me Tonight

6. Slowly But Surely

Trivia:

1. While some exterior scenes were shot in Acapulco, Mexico, Elvis's scenes were shot in Hollywood. He never went to Acapulco in his lifetime.

2. Elvis could not wait to finish filming Fun in Acapulco. Priscilla Beaulieu, whom he had met 1959, had just moved to Memphis from Germany and was waiting for him.

3. "Bossa Nova Baby" was released as a single one month prior to the soundtrack. The single peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

4. The bossa nova craze of the 1960s was a Brazilian phenomenon rather than Mexican. But the American public did not know better, so Paramount and RCA got away with it. And another thing, they don't even speak Spanish in Brazil! Brazil is the only country in South America that has Portuguese for its national language.

5. Fun In Acapulco was Ursula Andress’ first American movie. However, her first English speaking movie was Ian Fleming’s “Dr No”, as pearl diver Honey Ryder. Her character and sex symbol status was made famous by the scene where she rises out of the Caribbean Sea in a white bikini. The scene made Andress the "quintessential" Bond girl.

6. Ironically, Dr No was also the first James Bond movie, starring Sean Connery as James Bond.

MUSIC #55: ELVIS PRESLEY – FUN IN ACAPULCO 1963 (ENGLISH OST)