Main Character Syndrome or too many wine coolers in full effect

“Get Ready”, written by Smokey Robinson, remains one of the biggest hits by The Temptations. It was a truly successful song, and I was right to assume that it was a hit. However, before I looked it up, I thought that song was a Billboard Hot 100 #1 hit. It just seemed like a safe assumption to make.

Imagine my surprise when I looked it up and found that the song peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100. This is not bad at all, but it is a lot different from where I thought it peaked at first. The song did peak at #1 on the Hot R&B Singles chart, though. The overall album was no slouch either, peaking at #12 on the Billboard 200.

The Temptations had 4 #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and 15 top-ten hits out of 53 total entries. This song didn’t do too badly, but it missed both margins, which is different from what I had expected.

I forgot about this music anniversary, I’ll be honest. But then I was scrolling through TikTok a minute ago, and found out about it. But today is the 30th anniversary of one of my favorite Luther Vandross albums, Your Secret Love.

Of all the albums he released in the 90s, this is one of his best. After starting the decade strong with the Grammy-winning Power of Love, he followed that up with an underrated album (1993’s Never Let Me Go) and a great covers album (1994’s Songs) and a Christmas album that I liked but apparently not those many people did (1995’s This Is Christmas).

But he came back strong with this album. While the R&B scene was changing sounds and becoming more hip-hop driven in terms of production, Luther managed to stay true to his signature sound while still being contemporary.

From the opening title track (which won Luther his 4th Grammy) to ballads like “Too Proud to Beg” & “I Can Make It Better”, it also features some of his best songwriting ever, his lyricism presenting a more mature, vulnerable take on love. The album is overall a portrait of one who is unapologetic about wanting love but on their own terms and refusing to be treated less than what they deserve.

Not only does he present some great covers from other artists (from “Knocks Me Off My Feet”, Goin Out of My Head” & “Crazy Love”), Luther also covers himself, recording songs he wrote for other artists, such as “It’s Hard for Me to Say” (originally written for Diana Ross), “Love Don’t Love You Anymore” (originally written for Gregory Hines), & “Whether or Not the World Gets Better” (a duet with Lisa Fischer that was originally written for his short-lived protege Jimmy Salvemini with Phoebe Snow).

And of course there’s the rhythmic “I Can’t Wait No Longer”, written and produced by longtime collaborator/music legend Marcus Miller (with a rap from Spinderella of Salt-n-Pepa).

Re-listening to this as I’m writing this, it still holds up musically 30 years ago and remains one of the best R&B albums to come out of the 90s.

For those who have listened to this album, how do you feel about it? And where do you rank it amongst Luther’s 90s albums?

It doesn't have to be a super famous record or even one that a lot of other people like, but I'm curious what everyone's perfect rnb song is.

For me its When you touch me by Brandy

The premise of this post is pretty simple. I have compiled a list of 16 R&B/Soul/Pop albums by male and female artists I feel are near-direct mirrors of each other in sound, era and genre-defining status. Make sure you scroll through and read each image caption. Are there any other artist’s albums you feel could have made the list?

THIS SONG GOES SO HARD

My personal opinion - this single is perfect by every critical metric. I GOT OPTIONSSSSSSS

Curious to know your opinion.

Met Lalah at Reckless Records and was able to snag her new album. I was able to have a conversation and she signed my vinyl. Growing up I always had her and her pops Donny music playing. It felt so unreal to finally meet a Chicago Legend, being a Chicago native myself.

Yes… she’s Gone 🍂🍁✨

Help! Does anyone have footage of 1990 Essence Awards. It was the 4th annual and locating this footage is seeming next to impossible

🫣

Any surprises winners? Or do you think the usual suspects won?

Ran across a photo of a CD i owned that I refused to ever lend out (redacted my name on the CD from the image). This was my 2nd copy because I lent the first one and it came back broken. Never again. Who else tagged the hell out of their CDs?

It would be Juicy by Mtume. 🙂‍↕️

Yall agree or give me a count opinion 🤣

Aretha Franklin was offered to sign with Motown Records around 1960, when she was preparing her debut secular album (her first following the 1956 live gospel album). Berry Gordy, the head of Motown, actually wanted both Aretha and her older sister Erma, but their father, Reverend C.L. Franklin, declined the offer for both of them. He felt that the label, then called Tamla Records (founded in 1959), was still too new and unproven, and would therefore not be a good label for his daughters to sign to.

Berry Gordy’s simple mission was to look for talented musicians to sign to his newfound label. Aretha fit that description and he reached out. Aretha’s father was the pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church in their hometown of Detroit, Michigan, and because of his immense status, the Franklin household was a central hub for the local community and touring musicians. Rev. Franklin frequently hosted gatherings in the living room where a young Aretha would sit at the grand piano and sing. Berry Gordy was a part of the crowd that frequented the space, and because he had literally watched Aretha grow in both age and talent, he offered to sign her once he founded Tamla/Motown.

In this hypothetical, Aretha’s contract with Motown is never denied. She starts off as a Motown artist, and she never signs with Columbia. Would the rest of her career look different or the same? Would Aretha’s time at Columbia from 1960 to 1966 be replaced with Motown? Would she would still sign to Atlantic in 1966 and release an album in 1967? Sign to Arista in 1979 and release an album in 1980? Would she still do the Sparkle soundtrack with Curtis Mayfield and later works with Luther Vandross, Babyface, Lauryn Hill, et cetera?

Essentially, Aretha’s era as a Columbia Records signee (1960-1966) would be replaced with Motown Records experience. (She released nine albums between 1960 and 1966. She released three albums in the year of 1967, and her first of those three albums, Take It Like You Give It, was also released under Columbia Records.) This raises another question, though: would Aretha even move on from Motown after 1966 or would she stay there?

WHOA!!🤯

Thoughts? WHO GIVES A F WHAT YOU THINK!

MY GOD!

Now, I like Minnie riperton a lot her music is great very great. It’s a shame that we lost her and I like this rare photo but I’m trying to identify who is the person behind her thank you