There exists a rich musical history of recorded songs about cocaine use dating at least as far back as Victoria Spivey and Lonnie Johnson’s 1927 “Dopehead Blues,” or Dick Justice’s 1928 “Cocaine.” On one end of the spectrum are commendably classic tunes about nose-candy such as Johnny Cash’s “Cocaine Blues,” or J.J. Cale’s (later made shitty by Eric Clapton) “Cocaine,”
Perhaps the greatest (or at least weirdest) joy-powder paean comes to us via Jamaican artist, Dillinger. 1976’s “Cokane in My Brain” from his CB 200 album is a funky slice of reggae/proto-rap, clearly recorded under the influence of—I don’t know—let’s say a kilo of the white stuff. The song’s “riddim” is based on the Gamble and Huff-produced Philly soul classic “Do It Any Way You Wanna” by People’s Choice.
To the younger Americana audience, Edie Brickell is most recognized as Steve Martin’s duo partner, and to others she may be best known as the wife of Songwriters Hall of Fame icon Paul Simon. But before she was either of those, she fronted Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, whose breakout (and pretty much only) hit, “What I Am,” took Top 40 radio in a different direction in 1989.
The band’s folky jazz sound was a breath of fresh air for radio listeners who were recovering from a decade of hair bands and omnipresent MTV acts. Driven by a fretless bass, “What I Am” was heralded as everything from beatnik-inspired existentialism to complete gibberish.
Eric B and Rakim‘s debut album, Paid in Full, was released on July 7, 1987, and is widely regarded as one of the most important hip-hop albums ever made.
Ranked on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, Paid in Full exhibits Rakim’s complex internal rhyme schemes and calm demeanour atop infectious James Brown samples. The MC’s style would prove to be game-changing.
In the mid-’80s the loud, boisterous vocal delivery pioneered by Run-D.M.C. — which favoured forceful, elongated syllable pronunciation — was the style du jour. However, the arrival of DJ Eric B and MC Rakim immediately changed everything on the hip-hop landscape, kicking off the genre’s golden age that built on the foundation of hip-hop’s pioneers with advanced sampling and lyrical techniques.
The band from Toronto had a massive hit with Echo Beach in 1980. The song was written by Mark Gane, the band’s main songwriter at the time, and the infectious melody was made immortal through the vocals of his partner, singer Martha Johnson. Three albums were produced by Daniel Lanois and David Lord.
Martha And The Muffins (later M+M) Wave Pop features impassioned musicianship, punchy riffs, frenetic melodies and out-of-the-ordinary lyrics, stylishly navigating between personal contemplation and artistic vision.
The Romantics got their start back in the 70s in Detroit, Michigan – the place where Motown was born. However, it was rock that burned in their soul. In an interview with lead guitarist and vocalist Mike Skill, he doesn’t disagree that The Romantics were labeled as a ‘new wave’ band –but to him, his band is just good old rock and roll.
The Romantics achieved moderate popularity in the United States, Canada, and parts of Asia, Australia, Europe, and Latin America during the first half of the 80s on the strength of the band’s catchy, energetic songs and stylish, memorable music videos. Their success has ebbed and flowed, but hit singles “What I Like About You” and “Talking In Your Sleep” remain very popular.
In the 1970s, at the height of disco fever, the Florida group KC And The Sunshine Band were one of the biggest acts in the world with five No 1 singles. One of them: “I’m Your Boogie Man,”
According to KC & The Sunshine Band’s “I’m Your Boogie Man,” the Miami group’s fourth #1 hit, the boogie man is a funky guy who likes to have sex and who is willing to show up and have sex with you whenever you feel like having sex, not a monster.
The Sunshine Band had always made music for clubs, and “I’m Your Boogie Man” fits in perfectly well with what they were doing. In general, disco didn’t control the charts in 1977 the way it had done a year earlier. If not for Saturday Night Fever coming out and becoming a cultural phenomenon at the end of the year, disco might have run its course. A lot of 1977’s hits flirted with disco sonics, but none of them did so as boldly and unashamedly as “I’m Your Boogie Man.” But “Boogie Man” hit anyway. It’s a colossal groove of a song.
Space is a French group playing electronic and synthpop music, founded by Didier Marouani (known also under nickname Ecama). Song “Magic Fly” from their first album was a hit in the 70’s. Space released three studio albums (Magic Fly, Deliverance, Just Blue), which became very influential in their subgenre. Creative differences led Marouani to leave the band around 1980, however the rest of Space released “Deeper Zone” LP in 1981. After it disbanded in 80’s, Didier Marouani continued his career as solo artist before he got the brand name “Space” in the court around 1990, re-releasing classic albums and giving a concert tour. The latest Space album was released in 2002.
Radio Magazine about Barcelona's indie and alternative music & culture scene. Live broadcast every Thursday from 10.00PM to 11.00PM and Saturdays from 1.00PM t0 2.00PM at Barcelona FM 100.5
