Darian

Remembering Teena Marie: #2 – Tune In Tomorrow

Irons In The Fire is where we really start to hear the ‘Teena Marie’ sound that’s prevalent in so many of her ballads: that ‘sound’ being alternating themes (usually a time or chord change) with an A B A or A B A B structure. The ‘A’ section is traditionally the ‘standard’ R&B sound, with the ‘B’ component introducing a jazz, rock, Latin, or Broadway theme.

Teena previously stated that Irons In The Fire was her favorite album; that makes sense, given that Irons… was the first album that she produced by herself. She also penned all the songs on the album (with the exception of “Tune In Tomorrow”, which she co-wrote with Mickey Hearn). Her hard work shows: Irons In The Fire was easily her strongest album to date, with jams like “Young Love”, “I Need Your Lovin’”, and the smoking “You Make Love Like Springtime”.

However, those tracks can’t hold a candle to the previously-mentioned “Tune In Tomorrow”. Teena captures her audience right from the start, with an almost incomprehensible “wow” before sauntering into her first verse:

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Remembering Teena Marie: #3 – Now That I Have You

Lady+T+2[1] “Now That I Have You” is the only Teena Marie song that I wish she never recorded. That’s because this song was originally penned for the great Minnie Riperton. Unfortunately, Minnie died in 1979 of breast cancer; Richard Rudolph (her husband) gave it to Teena a year later when he helped to produce the Lady T album.

Because the track wasn’t written by Teena Marie (as are the others on the countdown), “Now That I Have You” doesn’t have the distinctive sound of a Teena Marie ballad. That’s actually a good thing; even with Teena strong, soulful voice, I can ‘hear’ Minnie singing this song.

That’s not to say that Teena doesn’t make it her own; at the 3:30 mark something kicks in, and she takes control of the song. Her vamp of the chorus foreshadows what we would here on her next albums – Irons In The Fire and Robbery.

Teena Marie – Now That I Have You

Remembering Teena Marie: #4 – Cassanova Brown

There’s nothing that I can write about “Cassanova Brown” that matches Mtume ya Salaam’s essay on the Teena Marie ballad. From his 2008 post from the always insightful Breath of Life: A Conversation About Black Music:

I have a story about “[Cassanova] Brown.”Back in the day in New Orleans, the leading R&B station (FM98 WYLD) used to hold an annual talent show at the Saenger Theater. The talent was usually good, if not overwhelming, although there were usually one or two singers or dancers who you could tell were destined for brighter lights and bigger stages. The same as any major talent show, I guess. Anyhow, I was there this one year when a young lady took the stage and, without accompaniment, began to sing the following:

My baby’s fine
He always keeps me guessing
But never keeps me guessing
About his love

The place went nuts. There were people screaming and yelling, falling out of their seats, waving their hands in the air — all kinds of foolishness. You would’ve thought it was ten in the morning on a Sunday and we were at church. The thing is, the girl didn’t actually sing the song all that well. If I remember correctly, she did a decent job — that is, she made it all the way through without getting booed off the stage. The place wasn’t going crazy for her. They were going crazy for the song. Teena Marie’s song.

Some background information: “Cassanova Brown” is the coda to 1983’s Robbery, which I believe is Teena’s greatest album. Funky cover art aside, this album is brilliant from start to finish. It’s also a classic case of art imitating life. Robbery is a concept album, covering the meeting, courtship, and challenges of two lovers – in this case, the lovers being Teena and her musical mentor, Rick James.

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Remembering Teena Marie: #5 – Portuguese Love

Teena Marie I was all set to kick off new posts to my blog with either a ‘Best Of The Year Countdown’ (like the guys at soulbounce.com).

Then Teena Marie died, and I had to write about her instead.

Anyone who does a quick Google search will quickly know about her big hits (“Ooh La La La”, “Lovergirl”) or her relationship with Rick James.

To lots of us in the music blogdom, Teena is more. She was a white California girl that was fully and unconditionally accepted by the African-American music community. She refused to be categorized to one musical genre – easily incorporating soul, jazz, showtunes, rock, and Latin into her music. She was a singer/songwriter, gifted with an ability to play multiple instruments. She represented what one could do when they refused to let race define what they should say, how they should act, or what their profession should be. And above all else… she could SING!

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The Great American Songbook Countdown – #1: Night And Day

dancing3[1] “Night and Day” isn’t number one on my list because it’s Cole Porter’s best work (though make no mistake: its Porter’s best work by far.

Nor is it number one because of a long history with the song (I first heard this song in 2002, well after first hearing most of the other songs on my countdown).

Quite simply, “Night and Day” is my number one song from the Great American Songbook because it’s the song my wife and I danced to at our wedding. It’s a beautiful song and for the rest of my life I will always think of her when I hear it. I chose the song for the wedding because I thought it perfectly summed up my affection for my wife. Check out these lyrics:

Night and day, you are the one
Only you ‘neath the moon or under the sun
Whether near to me, or far
No matter darling where you are
I think of you, night and day

Day and night, why is it so
That this longing for you follows wherever I go
In the roaring traffic’s boom
In the silence of my lonely room
I think of you, night and day

Of it’s many recordings, I believe Frank Sinatra’s version from Sinatra and Strings (arranged by Don Costa) is the most elegant (as it is a ballad instead of the upbeat version usually heard).

Frank Sinatra – Night And Day