I know the Tempt’s version of The Way You Do the Things You Do went to 11 and thus isn’t ranked by Tom but it’s a 10/10. I’d push Al Green to 10/10 as it comes from a Top 10 all-time album Call Me.
Tom, we can’t help falling in love with your column so maybe it is appropriate for you. Mine was Joy to the World. Read into that whatever you will.
Tom at least part of your theory is right. In one of my books an industry insider said that airplay was heavily factored into the Billboard charts because if it wasn’t, the top 10 would be songs by Black artists. I’ve searched for the quote but reading dozens of books for one line will have to wait for retirement.
Also a more recent perusal of old Billboard copies online has revealed that Black people were slow to adopt the CD format in the 80s but caught up by the 90s. CD singles often offered remixes that you couldn’t hear on Top 40 radio, and thus were a great value.
In addition this was about the time when companies held back singles, or deleted them quickly to push album sales. Black artists benefited because of the remixes found on CD singles. I have about 6 linear feet of CD singles mainly from the early to mid 90s timeframe and a good percentage fit this category.
The answer is in this video at about the 1:35:35 mark. Jam & Lewis talk about the the sampling, recording and writing of the song. The gist of the story is they knew it was the song, they heard it in their head, they heard it as a single and they tried to convince Janet and the record company. "If" was chosen as the single by the company, and Janet was in agreement, even though Jam & Lewis tried to steer her differently. Then after much talk, they played it for the record company along with "If"
The record executives love "If" because it sounded like Janet, and they can see the video. However "That's the Way Love Goes" sounded like some "Sade shit" you know.. Sade releases an album out of nowhere and you discover how great it sounds.
I once did table settings for a local TV show that was interviewing Martha Stewart for her Weddings book. Someone asked her how much the budget should be for a wedding and her response was "As much as you can afford for a party for your friends." It sounds like you followed Martha's rule of thumb and had a memorable wedding, so it was successful.
I had planned to upload a Valentines BixMix to coincide with this song, but I threw my back out yesterday and it was too uncomfortable to work on the details. There is a Janet era B-side on the mix, plus some "Justice for..." and hopefully I will be a bit more mobile today to upload it.
You know my rating on Janet.
In 1964 the school's coach was new to town and quickly became a friend of the family. He was Italian, athletic and handsome and I had my first crush. He bought a red 64 Chevy Impala SS with black interior, and often would take me for rides since he knew I was into cars. For Christmas that year, he gave the family a copy of the Louis Armstrong Hello Dolly album since we got a new stereo, and when he visited he would invariably ask to hear it. As kids we'd whisper among us guessing when he'd eventually ask to hear Hello Dolly. 10/10 for Louis and Coach Rauzzi.
Every Beatles song from 1964 sounded new and groundbreaking. 10/10
The Numbers, “That’s the Way Love Goes” edition.
50 Number Ones ‘til I retire.
204368+ Words. When Marvin Gaye’s song “Let’s Get It On” was Number One I started an ongoing Word document of prewritten comments that is now that long. What I said about “Let’s Get It On” was this:
“Marvin Gaye could sing just about anything and make it sexy. The tough part is writing a sexy song and making it sexy. Pick up lines, porn dialogue, erotic fiction, or mutterings while you are in the throes of passion, all tend towards clichés. The trick is to bring life to them.”
“If the spirit moves ya
Let me groove ya good”
Coming after the single entendre of “Freak Me” Janet Jackson’s nuanced “That’s the Way Love Goes” inherits the spirit to move ya, and groove ya good. Sometimes I am unable to quantify and qualify music, I only know how I feel about it. “TtWLG” is a song I am rationally irrational about. I can’t say it’s the best song of the 90s, but it’s my favorite.
I’m a sucker for songs that move ya and groove ya. “That’s the Way Love Goes” feels like you’ve just left a summer party. You live downstairs, the music’s faintly playing in the background as you unlock the door to your place and beckon your lover to follow. Clothes slowly disappear as you enter the bedroom.
Even this late the heat of the day is slow to dissipate. The air conditioner is weak at best, so you open the window and draw the blinds. The groove from upstairs fades in and out. The song sounds familiar, but you can’t pinpoint it. You know your friends are dancing, but your dance is personal. Your lover lights a candle, In the flickering light you notice the curve of their neck. For a moment the throbbing bassline that you feel more than hear, melds with the echoes of melody that waft through the open window.
I’m either rationally irrational about this song, or irrationally rational, but “That’s the Way Love Goes.”
10/10
On alternate Saturdays I listen to the Sirius broadcast of 1970s American Top 40 and tweet with a number of like minded individuals. One thing I notice is that Casey often talks about the "Rock Era" of pop radio. He defines that as radio since Rock Around The Clock hit Number One. So when did the Rock Era of Top 40 radio end? My personal pick is somewhere in the 90s. Tom compared the impact of 90s Hip Hop to 90s Grunge, and I would add 90s R&B to the mix.
There is some great R&B music coming up, including a song that is my favorite single of the 90s. On the radio at the time, Alternative/Grunge added depth, while some outright Hip Hop bangers changed everything. I don't remember Freak Me being played in Bismarck ND, it was too Black, too freaky. Ice Cube and Dr. Dre were relegated to the club(s), again too Black for local radio.
The Rock era of radio is dead. Long live Rock.
Chapel of Love:
Early 80's I was in a car with two brothers when we drove by a funeral chapel in North Minneapolis. In unison falsetto we sang "Going to the chapel and we're gonna get buried."
Instant 10/10
This is your reminder that King Missile member Chris Xefos has appeared in Bear Magazine showing his non detachable version. It’s also a reminder that one year at Bear Pride I rubbed elbows with him and a pornstar affectionately known as Titpig.
7 is a 10, 24/7/365
The Real Love I have Real Love for is the one that samples Clean Up Woman by Betty Wright
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjzcKZKFuIk
Clean Up Woman 10/10 and this remix 10/10
Funny Face, a forgettable five
It Never Rains in California is tuneful as hell and peak 72 Top 40 soft rock, 8
Freddie's Dead. Though I never saw any of the movies, the soundtracks of Blaxploitation movies changed my life. 10/10
the last one, it's hard for me to separate the current politics of the artist from a song I've loved, so I will not rate it.
I’m usually allergic to bombast. I was vaccinated for Meatloaf sometime in the 70s for instance. However, I love this bombast. Bad saxophone or not, 10/10.
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