It can be any decade and any artist. Just has to be R&B.
This is mine.
https://youtu.be/tPBDMihPRJA?si=-aPKrpqklloUnH4n
If you've never listened to this song I encourage you to do it now. This group is underrated.
I love Brothers Johnson! Have a few of their albums on vinyl
Too hard to pick one favorite but CHIC’S ‘Soup For One’ is in my top 10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fufwTT6J45A
(It was also sampled in one of my favorite French-House tunes by MODJO)
Rhythm & Blues is such a horrible term. All music has rhythm. And "blues' is sometimes defined by the 1-4-5 progression or by the beat.
https://youtu.be/oW4VivcKvgA
I see what you're saying but nevertheless it is a genre. I would classify this as R&B. I love old school Chicago and this is a beautiful song.
shareGlad you liked it! Terry Kath era Chicago is amazing, but so many lump it all together, or dismiss it all because of their 80s stuff. Did you know the song before?
I would consider it soul, or even "jazz-soul".. Out of curiosity, how would you define R&B? I'd love to hear everyone's take, actually. It's been one of those things I ask people around me for years if it's ever mentioned, and unlike other genres, this one has the most leeway it seems.
I did not already know that song but I know several others of theirs from that era. I'm glad you introduced it to me. Even though I know a decent amount about music, I admit to mostly having "greatest hits" knowledge.
When I personally think of R&B I guess I'm thinking of "soul" music, and although most of the artists are black such as the Commodores, Earth Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder, etc, Chicago has soul, as does Michael McDonald, for example. (I'm also admittedly thinking of older music because I just can't get into most present day music, with a few exceptions.)
ETA: And by older I mean 1960 through 2000. I would also include groups like New Edition and Boyz II Men in the R&B group, for example.
I'd love to give you recommendations.
-Take Me Back To Chicago
-Searching So Long
-Something In This City Changes People
If you want more, I'd be more than happy!
Not a favorite, but very soulful, the first part anyway.. There's a lot of funky songs, too.
-Brand New Love Affair
"Takin It On Uptown" is the last song Terry wrote. Hard rock/funk, with no horns. "Dialogue" and "Ain't It Blue?" are such amazing concepts by Robert Lamm, who wrote so much, but let others sing them.
I HIGHLY recommend the documentary on Terry and the Chicago one.
https://youtu.be/f7egJTtz10E
https://youtu.be/xw_Cc6dkr0g
Thank you! I will give those a listen. I know Searching So Long but not the others. My favorite Chicago songs with Terry Kath singing lead are Colour My World and Wishing You Were Here.
On a different note, but in line with your earlier question about how I characterize R&B, even though I equate R&B with soul music I consider funk to be something different. That's just me though. My favorite funk song would of course be this one:
https://youtu.be/bWurqD68u70?si=qQpRv6oIP73LxIiW
Good Lord do I love that song!
Follow up post: (I was afraid if I added it as an edit to the previous one you might not see it.) I just listened to both Take Me Back To Chicago and Something In This City Changes People. Very nice. I'm sitting out on my back porch with candles listening to the night sounds and those were two good, mellow songs to chill with in the evening.
shareAwesome!
"Til We Meet Again" and "Hope For Love" are a few Terry mellow songs.
I love 1970s Soul, which is a subgenre of R&B. I'm not sure how to distinguish a Soul song from a strictly R&B one. Same with Funk, Blues, Disco. For example B.B. King is R&B, but Blues as well.
Al Green - Let's Stay Together
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXx6RDzR6eM
Thanks to the OP for posting that link. great song. How did I forget it?
Other favorites, almost anything when Smoky sings, all the early Temptations, Al Green’s Let’ Stay Together ,etc.
I feel sorry for today’s young people who only have crap to listen to.
Edit: How could I have forgotten one of the best groups of all time? Earth, Wind and Fire.
I agree that the young people of today are missing out. We raised our boys who are now in their twenties listening to the music we grew up listening to and taking them to their concerts. We probably took them to over 20 concerts. At my son's recent wedding both he and his wife danced with their mom/dad to Stevie Wonder songs. 😍
shareJust for you: -
https://youtu.be/god7hAPv8f0?si=zy97eq7bhV2Zea4s
1970s soul is the best! 👊
shareWow...
So many, impossible to list just one. Probably the best thing to do, I'll list what is on my mind today.
An all-time fave for sure......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRBlyBxrpEs
AN incidental side note......
Can anyone name the associated film?????
Oh my goodness, how I do love Bill Withers. Years ago I asked for his CD from my parents for Christmas. We played it during the family gathering and even my mom loved it.
Even though Stomp is my #1 favorite R&B song, this one is a VERY close #2.
https://youtu.be/bEeaS6fuUoA?si=ne9MfMsClxBXvHxY
Hahahaha
Yeah, you could do it with your post as well....
Name the associated film....
Hint:
James Franco stars
I don't know. I even cheated and Googled it and I still am not sure. I guess we'll have to see if someone else can get it.
When I think of James Franco I think of one of my favorite TV shows of all times, Freaks and Geeks but I guess that's a thread for another day. 😁
Unfortunately, the list is too big, so I’ll pick one off the top of my head: -
Womack and Womack - Teardrops: -
https://youtu.be/R8AOAap6_k4?si=pC5g62dbFpqajc1y
Her voice just flows effortlessly like silk. Very nice. And loved a brief trip back to the 80s listening to it. I don't know exactly when it was recorded but that's the vibe it gave me.
shareIt was top 5 all over the world in 1988, except for their native US (Chartistic Andy).
shareI look forward to talking music with you more in the future! Looks like that is a shared interest.
shareI’ve often stated that I’m in the wrong place because although I love films, it’s far surpassed by my passion for music.
shareI chose this message board because it reminded me of the board I posted on at IMDb but I admit my movie knowledge is somewhat limited. I'm glad to know there are people who like to talk about music here, too, because that is a way I can contribute somewhat meaningfully. 😁
shareAlthough Stomp is my favorite R&B song, my favorite artist of all time of any genre is the singer of this song. I've heard this song live in concert and I'll be seeing him again in a few weeks. This is my favorite of his.
https://youtu.be/9BG2aqOneT8?si=ZaYVT8Zk0GDaxPip
Hey brother or sister....
You've got me rockin' down memory lane today.
An all time fave by your man....
Listen to those horns... The bass.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgAXcJKIx1E
Now that, my friend, that is MUSIC!!
Yesssss it is! I heard that one live in concert, too. The concert was him playing his entire Songs in the Key of Life album. It lasted for 4 hours and was the best concert I've ever been to. The amount of talent just on that one album is mind blowing.
When he performed this one at the concert it was almost like a religious experience.
https://youtu.be/GYQfWJNWe3I?si=twX04OiLHv-NQhum
And I'm a sister for future reference. 😁
I have all his albums and saw him a few years ago - Legend!
https://youtu.be/Nu95a_RiH54?si=x5oSwfZcAB2zmNdB
Pretty much everything he sings makes me feel good inside.
share"Songs in the Key of Life" is outstanding.
Great, great album. It must have been very special seeing it performed live.
Yeah, the track you posted. It's great as well.
Another fave from him - this one, it's not as well known. It's so relaxing, so nice.
Wonderful piece of music.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-iYIYV1Oxg
Yes that one is very mellow and relaxing. His range is so impressive.
shareALong the same lines, another classic....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp6hzycBsTI
Stevie was great in his day. Wrote , produced and played on pretty much all of his material.
Prince took over that mantle in the 1980s - although I don't know if he was as great as Stevie though. I think, on balance, Id take Stevie.
Anyway, it was nice chatting with you today fourlemons.
Have fun!
PS - Actually this is the right version of the song. I noticed the other one was missing the horns.
Better version, IMO....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8PGHi4TJQM
That Stevie song was the one that I danced to with my son at his recent wedding. 😍 I love Prince, but for me, I would pick Stevie's music to listen to if I was forced to choose between the two of them.
Just so no one thinks I'm slighting Prince though, I played his Purple Rain CD plenty in my car years ago and the same son I just mentioned, as a baby who could barely talk, uttered "Dearly beloved" from his car seat at the beginning of Let's Go Crazy once. Shocked the heck out of me. I didn't even know he had been paying attention. 😂
Nice chatting with you too!
Yeah, still here. I had to give you the right version of my previous song (YATSOML).
Definitely better with the horns, IMO.
Yeah , you may be GENX like me. Prince was our Stevie Wonder.
Yeah, 10 million times on "Purple Rain" - huge back in the day.
I heard "When Doves Cry" the other day, great track. Prince's stuff, like Stevie's, it holds up.
"1999" - another huge fave. "Raspberry Beret" - fun music for a fun decade.
Who's better? Well today it's PRince, tomorrow it may be Stevie, LOL.
They're both great for sure.
Ok, nice chatting with you too. Have yourself a great day.
I don't have one. Unless Break Your Neck by Busta Rhymes counts. That one does make me laugh.
shareIf I were doing the categorizing I would put that in the rap category but as someone mentioned above R&B is kind of hard to pinpoint and someone else might put that in the R&B category.
shareYeah I'd have said the one in your OP is Disco , which may be a subset or descendant more likely of R&B.
That stuff that came out in the 90s though , calling itself R&B , I could see no relation to what had been called R&B previously.
I take my R&B definition from "The Blues Brothers" movie soundtrack and background music .... so im no expert : )
and to answer the question my favorite would be "She caught the Katy", by Taj Mahal
https://youtu.be/o5xexv-dMrM
https://youtu.be/8_mcvifJ5N0
I can see how you would categorize it as disco. I think because some of The Brothers Johnson's other songs are not what I would call disco, in general I just think of them as R&B.
And thanks for adding your song to the thread! That is one of my husband's favorite movies.
Chaka Khan - I Feel For You: -
https://youtu.be/YW0sxgYAmLM?si=OsmpIQPmAXoGYHDF
So this one has a story attached. 😁 When I was a little girl I used to make my little sister perform this in the living room with me. Of course I got to be Chaka Khan and she had to be Melle Mel. We would dress up and everything, even though we didn't really know what we were doing. I remember sunglasses were involved. 😂
But my favorite Chaka song is this one, and specifically this version. (Well actually Rufus.)
https://youtu.be/pR--nDR88b0?si=xfVBRYKkv6rUSu4g
As the young people would say, this version was fire. 🔥