LadyLee Favorites Part 2 (#20-22)

Continuing with my Favorite songs...


#22 "Sexy Mama" by The Moments



Don't you just LOVE looking at old Soul Train clips? If you were anything like me, you couldn't wait for it to come on. That's where you saw all the latest dances. And we'd stand in front of the TV and dance. We didn't care if there was lipsyncing. Who cared? Those were the good ol' days.


#21 "In the Mood"



One of the west coast rappers sampled this song. I looked up the sample and it was "In the Mood".  I have loved it for the past 20 years.  Even  more than the rap!



#20 "I Want You" Marvin Gaye

O

This is my favorite Marvin Gaye song. If you want to read a good book, read his second's wife biography After the Dance. It came out earlier this year. I may post about it. But I listen to this song so much differently after reading that book.

I just remember this song from when I was little. I always thought "I'm not supposed to be listening to this song."

LadyLee's Favorites Part 1 (#23-25)

I've spent a few months trying to come up with my top 20-25 favorite songs.

It's a little harder than I'd expected it to be. And it's been fun going around the lab asking people about their favorite songs.

You'd be surprised at the amount of people who draw a complete blank. Some of the responses have been wonderful, because people will tell the story behind why it's a favorite song. And I'm always amazed that our favorites are attached to a specific time, feeling, or event in life.

So I am interested in some of your favorites also. It gives me a peak into the heart of a person.

My favorite songs are over 20 years old, for the most part.  Some are tied to when I was young and didn't have a care in the world. There are songs that were "our songs", i.e., songs of when we were in love. You could probably paint a picture of my life if you knew my favorite songs. 

I said something in another post that I'd read about how you should make a CD of your favorite music and post it. Why? Because it affects you on a cellular level. Endorphins are released, and these compounds are calming and even act as pain levels. (I love reading about scientific like this. It's the nerd in me!)

I think I came up with about 25 songs. I wanted to post them ALL. In several posts over the next couple of weeks, of course. And I will post  them with the personal story, if applicable.



#25 "Love Makes No Sense" by Alexander O'Neal




This song reminds me of grad school. I started grad school some 24 years ago (has it been that long?). I always had a cassette tape on in the lab while I was working. And Alexander O'Neal was one of my favorites. I needed something while working 6 days a week, 10 hours a day. And this was good stuff!

#24 "Knee Deep" by Parliament Funkadelic



This is a good song. It came out when I was in elementary school. I loved Parliament, but you know how some of those songs were way long? This is one of them. This is the 15 minute long version. So when it comes on, I'm all hype. But after 7 minutes or so, I'm like.... Wow, will this song ever end?? 

#23 "Lady of My Life" by Michael Jackson



The Thriller album came out when I was 13 years old, I believe. We loved all the popular songs... "Billie Jean", "Beat It", "Wanna be Starting Something". We would sing these songs at the lunch table and in PE. But there was one girl that would break out singing "Lady of My Life". And we would look at her like she was crazy. She continued singing it, even in the midst of us hollering "Shut up!!"

As I got older, the song grew on me. Such a relaxing song.

LadyLee Favorites: Eight Ball's Lost.

This post is for blog brother 12Kyle, because I remember he said he likes this CD too.

I can't say that I listen to much urban rap music these days. It is a bit too simplistic and violent.

Maybe I'm just getting old.

If I want to hear something good, I have to dig into my crates and find it. And today, I have been listening to one of my FAVORITE rap CDs, Eightball's Lost.

I loved this CD. Played it to death. It's out of Suave House, and back in the day, I liked that production team. And Eight ball is an EXCELLENT story teller.

But I am just now looking at the CD cover.

I was a little disturbed by the buzzards. That's not safe.

But what's up with the crashed space shuttle behind the car? I can't believe I've never paid much attention to that. Hmm.

Anyway, here are some of my favorite songs. (Mind you, I am doing this because I want to listen to my favorites all in one place, lol). And of course, I have some commentary. 

"Put the House on It"



That song had some interesting lines that I am still thinking about... as they are a bit over my head:

"What must be, shall be. And that which is necessity to him that struggles is little more than choice to him that is willing."

"Heaven is above all, and death is the judge that no king can corrupt. And hell? Hell is only the truth seen to late."

That's a bit... deep. That's like, some food-for-thought on some other level. Better not put that in a current rap song. There's gonna be problems. That is too complex for these young ones to understand.



"All for Nothing"



That song is an example of some good storytelling. I like that. Give me a story, something I can follow.  And it has a good message. And the lady singing the hook sounds like a wannabe Aretha Franklin, lol.

"Down and Out"



I love the hook on this song. I am sure that is a remake of sold old school song. But this is a good story about the ills of the drug dealer life. It makes me see it's not a good idea to sell drugs, it does. Humph.

"Coffee Shop"

This is my favorite rap duo song of all time. Yes it is. Favorite, favorite, favorite.  



Favorite line: "My kitchen fridge look like Jeffrey Dhama's, boys screaming for mama from the drama!''

Man. Redman wrong for saying that. He just wrong.

"Ball and Bun". Another one of my favorite rap duets.




"Pure Uncut"  This is one of my favorite collabos. 

 

 I can't say I care for Silkk the Shocker. I never thought he was a good rapper. Master p is his brother, so I guess that helps you get on, right?

And last but not least, one of the better "Dedicated to my Mama" songs I've heard. And it's a good story.

"This is Dedicated"



Alright, that was fun. It makes me want to pull up some of my other favorite rap CDs.

Gotta Get Up!

What I listen to sometimes Monday Mornings when I don't want to go to work...



Sigh...


I don't want to go to work today... but I gotta get up...

Supersonic Sushi!

One of our most interesting coworkers is a coworker I will call "Sushi".

That name was given to her by my cubicle mate, The CowgirlCre. You see, CowgirlCre ran up here when she was having some sushi for lunch one day. That made her sophisticated, you see. She wasn't a sandwich and salad girl like me or CowgirlCre.

She was high class. She ate sushi for lunch.

So when she happens to be walking down the hall, and she is spotted, she will hear us yell "Sushi!"

"Who is Sushi?" our boss has asked.

"That's your girl... Cuz she eat that sushi for lunch."

(I know Sushi just rolls her eyes.  She knows how special we are. We are bored. We will do ANYTHING to entertain ourselves til quitting time).

Anyway, she just had a birthday. I made a card for her. I put her name on the front to the card. I wanted to put "Sushi" but that would've been too much for her to explain to folks.

She likes stars. She has an interesting tattoo, a small spray of stars. I guess that means she likes stars.

She turned 27.

(I put Sushi on the back. Had to get that in, man.)

I don't really believe she is 27. She looks to be about 15.

She is the official youngster of the groups. She may as well be 15.

I like Sushi. She works really hard and really smart. She don't even bust a sweat. She just be walking up and down the hall with her paperwork, her ponytail swinging back and forth, like she out walking on the beach or something. I tell you, whenever I see her, it makes me want to go to the skating rink and skate and half some fun!

She is an excellent employee. I am lobbying HARD for her to be substitute supervisor when the boss is out. (Lawd knows I HATE when I come up in the rotation. Oh, I can't stand it). But my boss isn't down for that. I do think she will run the group well. With an iron fist, and that is fine with me. As long as I don't have to do it, who cares. LOL

I'm still working on that, Sushi! Keep hope alive, gal!

So...

One day, I saw her walking down the hall... and I called out "Sushi! Come here, girl!"

She came back... I know it was reluctantly. I could tell by the look in her eye.  But whatever. I know she didn't want me to chase her down.

"You got on them shoes, girl. The shoes in the JJ Fad Supersonic video."

Do you know who JJ Fad is?" I asked.

"Yes," she said.

I almost don't believe her. I played the Stylistics for her one day. She thought it was horrible. I wanted to put her out the lab.

I pointed at her feet again. "Those are the Supersonic shoes you got on there, girl!!"

I pointed this out to our coworker Lieutennant By. "Come here, By!! Come look at her shoes. Those are the JJ Fad Shoes... from the JJ fad Supersonic video!"

Of course, By and I broke out into some Supersonic verse...

"Supersonic motivating rhymes are creative..."

"I'm suma suma lama lama..."

*lee whispering... "supersonic!"*

LOL

I loved that song! It came out when I was 18 years old. I knew every word, and could probably jump up and do a few of the dances they were doing in the video. That was the best song! That whole Supersonic cassette tape was GREAT!

Pour Sushi. She had to deal with our hard singing. She has the straight face mody times, staying poised and control. I KNOW she go back and talks about her...special coworkers.  I know we make for interesting conversation.

That's alright, honey. I still like that song. And those shoes.

And it gives me an excuse to post the video.



And as Missy Elliot likes to yell... REEEEEMIIIIIIXXXX!!!!



LOL! I'm not sure those are the shoes. I think Sushi has the later generation. But they definitely are the same style!

Happy Birthday, Sushi. May your 27th year be your best year yet!

Just Another Page in Your Life... Love Stories

Jennifer Holliday is known for that song from Dreamgirls.

"And you, and you, and you... YOU GONNA LOVE ME!!!!"

I'm sorry, I don't know the name of the song... only the words.  And I always imagine her singing it with a gun drawn on dude. Sigh. (You gotta admit, it's a bit stalkerish).

That song isn't my favorite by her. Oh yes, it's highly charged and emotional, but not my favorite.

My favorite song by Jennifer Holliday is Love Stories.




Here are the lyrics....

Three o'clock in the morning, and I’m talking with my best friend
Trying to find myself a reason as to why things had to end
Seems like a lifetime, though it was yesterday
Where ever there is love, there’ll always be a price to pay.


I run to my Mama, cause home is a safe place to be
We’ll sit down together and she’ll say these words to me:


Just another page in your life
Talking ‘bout Love Stories
Just another page in your life, baby girl


Going back into the world
I find myself falling again
Just like the television drama
The story that never ends
How on earth can this be?
I seem to have no control
Just one look into your eyes
That’s when the love takes hold.


I run to my best friend, cause she’s always there when I need
We’ll sit down together, and she’ll say the same thing to me.
Hear me when I tell you


Just another page in your life
Talking ‘bout Love Stories
Just another page in your life, baby girl


Just another page in your life, baby


Just another page in your life
Talking ‘bout Love Stories
Just another page in your life, baby girl


[How on earth can this be?
I seem to have no control
Just one look in your eyes
And that’s when the love takes hold]


I run to my best friend, cause she’s always there when I need
We’ll sit down together, and she’ll say the same thing to me.
Hear me when I tell you


Just another page in your life
Love Stories
Just another page in your life, baby girl


Just another page in my life
Love Stories
Just another page in your life, baby girl


Just another page
Love Stories, in my life


Just another page, baby
Just another page, baby


In my life


(Seems like only yesterday, when we laughed, we talked we played... we said our love will always, will never end... but somehow I lost control, I don't want to let you go..)


An Oldgirl's Thoughts

I LOVE that song. First of all, it is upbeat. Jennifer Holliday singing an upbeat song? Hmm...

But it speaks to life as a whole.  I notice with young folks, when a break up happens, or something similar happens, they act like it's the end of the world. I've acted that way too.  Yep, it's the end of the world.

When it's not.

I know myself that if I'm highly upset, it is because I fear that the feeling I am having is permanent.  When it isn't.  It's temporary.

The older I get, the more I understand that.

Life is like a book. It has many chapters. It has many pages. I don't stay on the same page. And sometimes chapters are long, but they eventually end.

Then new chapters of life begin.

Trust me. You wouldn't be all devastated over that breakup if you knew that someone better for you would come along in the future. Thank goodness you broke up with that person.

I don't think I understood that when I was young. Not enough chapters in the book, I suppose.

And whether it be good or bad things happening... these are the issues of life.

As the mother says in the song. "Just another page in your life..."

It is a page... not the whole book.

For the book is a cacophony of stories... the good, the bad, and the ugly. Some chapters of the book make us laugh, some make us cry... and there's always that stretch of chapters that will have everyone going O_o or O_O.

And even though there are 7 billion people walking this earth, no two stories are the same. Our stories are all different.  Ain't that something?

Do you realize how utterly unique you are?

Hmm...

Anyway, that song makes me ponder.

And continue to wonder.

Thought I'd post it.

Hope you enjoyed it!

My Favorite Concert

I'm not particularly a concert person.

Especially in this day and time, where it's not unheard of to pay a hundred bucks for a ticket.

No, I liked the concerts of old, when tickets were 18 dollars.

I've seen many artists at that price: New Edition, Fat Boys, Whodini, Salt N Pepa Boys II Men, Jodeci, Beastie Boys just to name a few.

I paid 30 bucks for a ticket for an MC Hammer concert. Me, my brother and sister went. What fun! (But I know now not to take a 3 year old to a concert. Humph).

Those were some great concerts.

But I wanted to blog about my favorite of all...

The year was 1996, I believe, some 15 years ago. I was in the lab, working on my research, when my friend and classmate came into the lab, talking about a concert.

"Meshell Ndegeocello is going to be playing at the Variety Playhouse. You wanna go?"

I didn't answer immediately.

"I'm just going around asking people right now. I'm going to go pick up the tickets. And someone needs to go with me. I don't wanna be the only white person there."

"Well, let me know who else is going," was my answer of choice at the time.

Now I like Meshell and her music. She is quite eclectic. She writes all of her own music and plays all the instruments for her songs. And even back in 1996, it was rare to find people like that. So many artists were and still are manufactured.

I liked her music, but I wasn't all crazy about hitting up a concert.

She was one of my favorite singers at the time, but she was a lesbian.

No, I ain't got nothing against lesbians. Nope.

But I knew that EVERY lesbian in the ATL would be at that concert.

I don't have an issue with that, either. Do you. Whatever.

But here's my thing: I have this AWFUL fear of there being a news camera would be there, and my face would show up on the news, etc...

And my best friend LadyTee would see me on TV.

And if you know LadyTee like I know LadyTee, she like to jone. She's one of the BEST at it.

And I would've never lived that down. I could hear her in my head! "Lee, you was on the news! Is there something you wanna tell me, girl?"

LOL...

And she's that type that like to stare at you. Who wants to deal with that?

Well, Timmy-Tim came back with a report of who else was going. Keisha and Jill wanted to go. These were two sisters, two other chemists that I was in school with. I agreed to go then. I called up my friend Carter-Anne, and she wanted to go.

Me and Keisha had much discussion about this concert with Timmy-Tim.

"Boy, every lesbian in the ATL is going to be there."
"I don't care," Timmy-Tim said. "I just don't want to be the only white boy there."
Keisha laughed. "Well this is what we're going to do. We're going to all pretend we're with you, Tim. We don't want nobody to think we're lesbians."
"Whatever. I just want to go to the concert."

(Yes, there was much strategic discussion about this. Hey, we were young, in our mid-twenties. Terribly concerned about impressions!)

The evening of the event arrived and we all went to the concert. For days I'd been hollering about something.

Meshell sings one of my favorite songs. A song I still LOVE to this very day.

"Ya'll," I hollered. "If she sings my favorite song, I'ma pass out! Ya'll gonna have to pick me up and carry me out. I don't know what I'd do if she sang it. OH LAWD!"

They rolled their eyes. They knew the song well. I played it continuously in the lab. (Those who know me, if I like a song or movie, I play it to death! Even to this day!)

I went on and on and on about this. I was sooooo excited by the time the concert came along.

When we arrived at the concert, we saw much. We didn't know there were that many lesbians in the ATL. But there were just as many other people there. Timmy-Tim's fear of being the only white boy was alleviated. Carter-Anne was white, so we had a good mix of folk in our crew.

The seating was first come first serve, and it looked like the concert venue held a couple thousand people. So we had good seats, around the 10th row. We received free posters of Meshell, all made up. I remember whispering "She don't look like this!" LOL.

(And me and Keisha were chatty, and doing much people watching... and whispering "look at them two women over there all up on each other! Wow!)

And we made sure to hang on to Timmy-Tim so nobody would think we were together, lol. (He had to be thought of as a lucky man that night, showing up with 4 women!)

The concert started. She sauntered out on stage. This woman had to be all of five feet tall. That was funny.

But that concert... It was FANTASTIC! We were on our feet the whole time. Meshell would sing, then sit down and paly the keyboards, and then play the bass guitar.

We had a good time! I remember looking over at Carter-Anne, who was drinking wine, and saying "This is SO cool!"

Me and Keisha were hollering "We love you Meshell!" right along with everybody else.

MAN we had a great time!

But alas, she didn't sing my favorite song.

So my friends didn't have to see me pass out.

I had a good time. Best concert EVER! She is truly a great singer and entertainer.

We talked about that concert for days.

And my folks were like, "Thank goodness she didn't sing your favorite song!"

What was that song, you may ask:

It's this one.


Soul Searchin'. It wasn't on any of her CDs, but it was a part of the Higher Learning soundtrack.

I LOVE THAT SONG! She has the smoothest voice. And the arrangement was on point.

Those opening lyrics:

"Come caress my saddened heart
My sunrise, my darkest dreams
All my hostilities tame when you kiss me"

*lee passing out at computer keyboard*

I was DEEP in love when that song came out. Deep. Mind blown bad.

That was me and man's song right there!

Really though.

I still get goosebumps when I hear it.

Too bad she didn't sing it that night....

Too bad!

But I loved that concert. I've always told people if you get a chance to see her, GO. What talent! What a show!

So that was my favorite concert.

Like I said, I don't go to concerts these days. And that's okay.

I have my memories of my favorite one.

Yes indeed.

RIP Teena Marie

RIP Teena Marie
1956-2010

Hands down, best song Lady Tee ever recorded, one of my top 10 favorite songs...

"Portuguese in Love"

LadyLee Favorites, Part II: Rap Music

The other day, I asked my cubicle mate Cowgirl Cre what her favorite rap song was?

She raised an eyebrow and threw out some random Run DMC rhyme.

I laughed. Because I knew the rhyme, the hold song even.

Yes, we're in our forties or fast approaching... which means we like our rap Oldschool. We were teenagers when Run DMC, LL Cool J, The Beastie Boys and the like were popular.

Let me just say, I cringe way down deep when I listen to today's rap music. It makes no sense to me. It is all jibberish.

Sign of the times, I suppose.

Either that, or I'm just getting old.

But I had a little trouble coming up with my favorite rap song.

Then I thought of one group that I just absolutely LOVE to this day.

Whodini.

Ecstasy, Jalil, and their DJ Grand Master D.

I love their song... "ONE LOVE"

i loved that song, and I love it to this day. It had a message, a good message about the give and take of being in love. No one was being degraded, no negativity. Just a good piece of rap music.

Oh how I miss that!

Here's the video. It's a bit grainy. It reminds me of when we use to put the tape recorder next to the television and tape the sounds of whatever video we were looking at. (Come on Chele, you KNOW you use to do that. LOL!!)

for a clearer non-embed version, view this over at YouTube.



Now, I remember when I first saw this video. It was in the early 80's, and I'd spent a Friday night at my best friend's LadyTee's house. An hour long video show came on on Saturday Mornings, and we were sitting in her den over on Stone Road in East Point, waiting for this video.

When it came on, we both stood there, all quiet, in front of the television.

Halfway through the video, LadyTee dropped to her knees and screamed.

I remember standing there whispering "Ecstasy is so FINE!"

LOL!! Hilarious! I can still see that, just like it was yesterday, instead of over 25 years ago. Sunshine streaming through the window, my bare feet on the den's cold tile, LadyTee' Mama Bobbie Jean asking if we were ready to eat...

Oh how we loved Whodini! Especially that Ecstasy, with that black leather hat. And it did NOT help that in the video that he was walking around with his shirt all open, showing his hairless chest.

*LadyLee swoons*

Yeah, Whodini was all that. No tattoos, no gold and platinums grills all in their mouths. Pants pulled all the way up...

Just some men rapping.

Their concert was the first I ever atteneded...

That's my favorite rap song...

Other Whodini favorites






What's yours?

I Desire

Dedicated to That Southern black Gal... just because she will like this...

One of my all time favorite rap songs... Salt N Pepa's "I desire", circa 1987.

I loved this rap so much... So much so that my boyfriend at the time, Eli, who I just simply loved so much, recognized that it was MY song.

He would pick me up from the train station every day after school in his maroon Ford Escort, and he would have that song playing...

And a cold bottle of Pineapple Coconut Champale waiting for me.

(Don't ask me why I was drinking. I was only 17 or 18. He was 19 or 20. I have NO idea where or how he got the Champale. He just always had a nice cold bottle wating for me.)

Ah yes, Ah yes... those were the days.

Another of my favorites from that same album: "Love Bandit" by Salt-N-Pepa, circa 1986.



It contains some of my favorite lyrics...

You're at the window
Staring at the sky
Birds fly by
You start to wonder why
You not by my side
Sharing the Dream
That one day you'll be my King and I'll be your Queen...

Profound.

LOL

Well, Eli and I broke up. He became interested in another young lady.

Part of the problem was that I was concentrating on school to much. (Red flag here. And I was too young to understand red flags and all they meant).

I was devastated by all of this. I briefly spoke about this in a guest post over at Serenity's spot. Ohhhh, I was so emotionally busted up over it all.

I know a good year later, I walked into my Mama's house, and he was sitting there with his newborn baby girl, visiting with my Mama. I said hello and when on upstairs, didn't even look at the crying baby. (Ya'll know I don't cheese in negroes faces. I'm still impolite like that).

I went upstairs and cried, in all my 21-year-old angst.

Took me 2 years to ge over Eli.

Flash forward to a 26-year-old LadyLee.

I was driving home from the grocery store on a hot summer day. I'd picked up a few groceries because me and my man, and LadyTee and her man were going to get together at my duplex and grill out and chill out.

I noticed a white van following me. Scared me a bit, but I went on home anyway. I parked in the driveway and the van parked on the street, blocking me in the driveway. I hesitated to get out of the car. But I got out anyway, thinking I could run for the door if need be. I made it too the front porch and was about to unlock my door.

Someone got out of the van. I turned to see who it was, and was still working on getting the door open.

It was Eli.

I raised an eyebrow at that. I hadn't seen dude in 5 years.

"Hey, how you doing?" he asked as he walked up to the front porch.

"Fine," I said. I just stood there looking down at him. He still looked the same, chocolate brown skin, still slim, big brown eyes.

He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his khakis. "I just wanted to say hello, and I just wanted to know that I still love you," he said.

*crickets*

There was a moment of silence. Birds chirped. A car drove by.

"Uh, okay. That's nice," I said.

Neither of us said anything.

I just remember looking at him and having no feelings about him whatsoever. And it felt REAL good.

"That's nice," I said. "Could you get the groceries out the car for me."

He looked a little stunned, but being the polite dude he is, he got the groceries out of my car and sat them on the porch.

I don't know what else was said. There was NO talk of me wailing about how I still loved-ed him, and us falling into some mad passionate kiss and living happily ever after.

I didn't want dude. He had had 4 babies by three different women by then. Had been married and divorced a couple of times.

I was working on my doctorate degree. You do the math.

Although I do wish I could have recited the special lyrics of that song above.

You're at the window
Staring at the sky
Birds fly by
You start to wonder why
You not by my side
Sharing the Dream
That one day you'll be my King and I'll be your Queen...

Oh that would have been CLASSIC.

But I wasn't thinking about that. I was a bit perturbed. LadyTee and I discussed this much. She as my BFF was ready to fight. ("That nigga got the nerve to run up on somebody. Stupid ass!"). My boyfriend was a bit perturbed. He was a former vice cop, and let's just say, he had Eli's information and asked if he and his homeboy should go take care of him. That wasn't necessary. Oldboy and his shady friend were crazy, had an uncanny love for guns, and I'd still be in jail right now for whatever they did to Eli. I called my Mama and went off on her for giving Eli my information. She said she didn't, and since I rejected him, he probably would not run up on me anymore.

So when I hear that old Salt-N-Pepa, my memories are stirred. I have thoughts of:

Pineapple coconut Champale.

Heartbreak.

And me standing at the window

Staring up at the sky...

Birds flying by...

... And me being thankful that Eli dumped me for another.

No telling where I would be right now if I stayed with him.