I come out of retirement

To recognise this historic day...

I never thought i would see this in my lifetime.....Congratulations Barack Obama

What is the world turning to?

Ah Ah...I have no words...Ah Ah

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- A little girl and her song captivated millions of viewers during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. But what they saw was not what they heard.

Lin Miaoke was the darling of the Olympic opening ceremony, but it turns out she was lip-syncing.

Games organizers confirm that Lin Miaoke, who performed "Ode to the Motherland" as China's flag was paraded Friday into Beijing's National Stadium, was not singing at all. Lin was lip-syncing to the sound of another girl, 7-year-old Yang Peiyi, who was heard but not seen, apparently because she was deemed not cute enough.

"The reason was for the national interest," said Chen Qigang, the ceremony's musical director, in a state radio interview. "The child on camera should be flawless in image, internal feeling and expression. ... Lin Miaoke is excellent in those aspects."

The decision was made at the highest levels, Chen said.

"We had to do it," he said. "We'd been through several inspections. They're all very strict. When we rehearsed at the spot, there were several spectators from various divisions, especially leaders from the Politburo, who gave the opinion it must change." Few who watched the Olympic ceremony realized the deception. "Tiny singer wins heart of nation," read the headline in Tuesday's China Daily newspaper.

"Lin Miaoke might be only 9 years old but she is well on her way to becoming a star, thanks to her heartwarming performance," the article gushed -- without mentioning she never sang a note. But as word has gotten out on the Internet, some Chinese bloggers are outraged.
"If you're not good-looking, no matter how well you sing, you'll not be onstage. Do you know you're twisting a whole generation?" read one comment. Another said, "If foreigners found out, they'd think we can't even find a girl who is good at both."

As for Yang Peiyi, she's been quoted as saying she was honored to have had a role in the opening ceremony, even though few realized just how big her part really was

Another Goodbye...

The Big Soul Brother who made it so so cool to hear this'' he's a bad mother - shut your mouth'from Shaft, the voice of Chef in South Park and just all round coooool cat...Another goodbye


Soul singer and arranger Isaac Hayes, who won Grammy awards and an Oscar for the theme from the 1971 action film "Shaft," has died, sheriff's officials in Memphis, Tennessee, reported Sunday.

Singer Issac Hayes seen performing in the U.K. last year. Hayes was found dead Sunday at age 65. Relatives found Hayes, 65, unconscious in his home next to a still-running treadmill, said Steve Shular, a spokesman for the Shelby County Sheriff's Department.




Paramedics attempted to revive him and took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 2 p.m., the sheriff's department said. No foul play is suspected, the agency said in a written statement. Hayes was a longtime songwriter and arranger for Stax Records in Memphis, playing in the studio's backup band and crafting tunes for artists such as Otis Redding and Sam and Dave in the 1960s.






He released his first solo album in 1967, and his 1969 follow-up, "Hot Buttered Soul," became a platinum hit. In 1971, the theme from "Shaft" topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and won an Academy Award for best original theme song. The song and the movie score also won Grammy awards for best original score and movie theme. Hayes won a third Grammy for pop instrumental performance with the title track to his 1972 "Black Moses" album.



From the late 1990s through 2006, Hayes provided the voice of "Chef" for Comedy Central's raunchy animated series "South Park," as well as numerous songs. The role introduced him to a new generation of fans, but he left after the show lampooned his own religion, the Church of Scientology. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. In a CNN interview at the time, Hayes credited his success to "adjusting and constantly evolving, expanding and trying to stay as young as I can."



The new generation of popular musicians, he said, "could use a little more substance like we had in the day." "They're standing on our shoulders. Some of them don't realize [it] because they sample me so much," he said. Hayes credited his role on "South Park" with expanding his fan base, and said that he had almost passed on the job. "I started to walk out. I thought it was a Disney thing. I [had] never heard of this thing," he said. But his agent persuaded him to tape some episodes.



"Toward the opening I started having trepidations -- 'Oh my god, what have I done? I've ruined my career.' But when it aired, the ratings went through the roof," he said.
A 1992 visit to the royal family in Ghana was a life-changing experience for Hayes, he said.
"I went back on speaking engagements and encouraged African-Americans to go to Africa [to] interact socially, culturally and/or economically," he said

I am devastated..

I love to laugh. I love being happy and one person that could just bring out my laugh no matter what kind of day i have, - Bernie Mac. This man just epitomized cool to me. So so funny. His smile, the ultra white teeth, his realness, his devotion to his family...Him hanging with the cast of Ocean, him in Transformers, on the Oprah Winfrey Show...I just dug this man. The Bernie Mac show - truly a gem. When i read on CNN that he was recovering from pneumonia in hospital, i wondered how he caught pneumonia and wished him well. Driving home this afternoon, my sister Nneka sent me a text - one line only - Bernie Mac is dead. I screamed and called her back. I cried. I am still crying. At 50. Goodnight Bernie.....

CHICAGO - Bernie Mac, the actor and comedian who teamed up in the casino heist caper "Ocean's Eleven" and gained a prestigious Peabody Award for his sitcom "The Bernie Mac Show," died Saturday at age 50.

"Actor/comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital," his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles.
She said no other details were available and asked that his family's privacy be respected.
The comedian suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body's organs, but had said the condition went into remission in 2005. He recently was hospitalized and treated for pneumonia, which his publicist said was not related to the disease.

Recently, Mac's brand of comedy caught him flack when he was heckled during a surprise appearance at a July fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate and fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama.

Toward the end of a 10-minute standup routine, Mac joked about menopause, sexual infidelity and promiscuity, and used occasional crude language. The performance earned him a rebuke from Obama's campaign.

But despite controversy or difficulties, in his words, Mac was always a performer. "Wherever I am, I have to play," he said in 2002. "I have to put on a good show."Mac worked his way to Hollywood success from an impoverished upbringing on Chicago's South Side. He began doing standup as a child, and his film career started with a small role as a club doorman in the Damon Wayans comedy "Mo' Money" in 1992. In 1996, he appeared in the Spike Lee drama "Get on the Bus."

He was one of "The Original Kings of Comedy" in the 2000 documentary of that title that brought a new generation of black standup comedy stars to a wider audience.
Mac went on to star in the hugely popular "Ocean's Eleven" franchise with Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

His turn with Ashton Kutcher in 2005's "Guess Who" topped the box office. It was a comedy remake of the classic Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn drama "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" — with Mac as the black dad who's shocked that his daughter is marrying a white man.
Mac also had starring roles in "Bad Santa," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and "Transformers."
In the late 1990s, he had a recurring role in "Moesha," the UPN network comedy starring pop star Brandy.

The comedian drew critical and popular acclaim with his Fox television series "The Bernie Mac Show," which aired more than 100 episodes from 2001 to 2006. The series about a man's adventures raising his sister's three children, won a Peabody Award in 2002. At the time, judges wrote they chose the sitcom for transcending "race and class while lifting viewers with laughter, compassion — and cool."

The show garnered Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for Mac.

"But television handcuffs you, man," he said in a 2001 Associated Press interview. "Now everyone telling me what I CAN'T do, what I CAN say, what I SHOULD do, and asking, `Are blacks gonna be mad at you? Are whites gonna accept you?'"

He also was nominated for a Grammy award for best comedy album in 2001 along with his "The Original Kings of Comedy" co-stars, Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley and Cedric The Entertainer.
In 2007, Mac told David Letterman on CBS' "Late Show" that he planned to retire soon.
"I'm going to still do my producing, my films, but I want to enjoy my life a little bit," Mac told Letterman. "I missed a lot of things, you know. I was a street performer for two years. I went into clubs in 1977."

Mac was born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough on Oct. 5, 1957, in Chicago. He grew up on the city's South Side, living with his mother and grandparents. His grandfather was the deacon of a Baptist church.

In his 2004 memoir, "Maybe You Never Cry Again," Mac wrote about having a poor childhood — eating bologna for dinner — and a strict, no-nonsense upbringing.
"I came from a place where there wasn't a lot of joy," Mac told the AP in 2001. "I decided to try to make other people laugh when there wasn't a lot of things to laugh about."
Mac's mother died of cancer when he was 16. In his book, Mac said she was a support for him and told him he would surprise everyone when he grew up.

"Woman believed in me," he wrote. "She believed in me long before I believed."

Win

Hmmm...

So when the news hit that Morgan Freeman had been in an accident with a "friend" and he was driving a 1994 Nissan Maxima, my antennas shot all the way up. Random female friend, unlikely vehicle, in the night...i immediately thought...affair. Was i right or wrong? Here's what just turned up on the news....


Morgan Freeman's lawyer says the actor and his wife of 24 years are getting a divorce.

A hospital spokeswoman said Wednesday that actor Morgan Freeman was still listed in serious condition.

Freeman's lawyer, Bill Luckett, told the Memphis CNews, ommercial-Appeal newspaper that the divorce action is pending. Freeman's wife is Myrna Colley-Lee.

The lawyer declined to provide details. There was no answer early Thursday at phone numbers for Luckett or for Freeman's publicist.

The 71-year-old actor is recovering in a Memphis hospital after a car crash in neighboring Mississippi on Sunday left him with a broken arm, broken elbow and shoulder damage.

The woman who was injured along with Freeman in the car accident apparently is a friend of the Oscar-winning actor who had offered him a ride home, a crash witness says.

Freeman was driving a 1997 Nissan Maxima that authorities said belongs to Demaris Meyer, 48, of Memphis, Tennesee, when the car veered off a rural road Sunday night a few miles from Freeman's home in the Mississippi Delta. The car flipped at least twice.

Bill Rogers, a retired police officer who was the first person to arrive at the scene, said a dazed Freeman told him that he and Meyer were headed to his home in Charleston, a small town some 90 miles south of Memphis.

"He said that she had offered him a ride home; that they were friends and she had offered him a ride home and she didn't really know the way and so he was going to drive the vehicle," Rogers said Tuesday, recalling a conversation he had with the actor.

Luckett told the Commercial Appeal newspaper that Meyer is the actor's friend.

Rogers said he talked to Freeman and Meyer in attempt to keep them conscious -- something he was trained to do as a police officer.

"They said they were coming from Clarksdale," Rogers said.

Freeman owns several businesses in Clarksdale, about 40 miles from his home, including the Ground Zero Blues Club and a restaurant named Madidi. Ashley Norris, the club's manager, said Wednesday that Freeman had not been there the night of the accident. No one answered the phone at Madadi.

Rescuers used a jaws-of-life machine to free "The Dark Knight" star and Meyer from the wreckage. Freeman was airlifted to the Regional Medical Center in Memphis, Tennessee.

Hospital spokeswoman Kathy Stringer said Wednesday that Freeman had been upgraded to fair condition. The actor had surgery Monday to reconnect nerves and repair damage to his left arm and hand, according to his publicist, Donna Lee. Lee said Freeman will make a full recovery.

Hospital officials say Meyer isn't listed in the hospital's registry. However, under medical privacy laws, people can request that their names not be listed as patients at a hospital.

A Mississippi Highway Patrol officer said Meyer was in the Tennessee hospital when the agency called to see how she and Freeman were doing Monday night.

Calls to Meyer's home Wednesday were not answered. Her condition was not immediately available. Rogers said Meyer did not appear to be injured as severely as Freeman.

Not much is known about Meyer. Rogers said she appeared to be an avid gardener -- a hobby reportedly enjoyed by Freeman and his wife -- because several gardening tools were flung around the accident scene when the car's trunk was ripped open by the impact.

Freeman won an Oscar for his role in "Million Dollar Baby." His screen credits also include "Driving Miss Daisy" and "The Bucket List."

Another reason not to get onto a GreyHound Bus

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/07/31/canada.bus/index.html

Just stuff on my mind...........

• May i first of all say that i want these shoes....Dont remember what website i saw them on so that might be a problem...But i want these shoes
• The Olympics are here again. Unbelievable really...But i am so looking forward to it. The last time the Olympics rolled round, i was still in Chicago. We had a massive TV in the common room area and i would get away from work, sit on the comfy chairs there and watch a few minutes of whatever event was on...and then back to work. This time..i dont know. I am mad excited about it. A chance to see the athletes from all over the world try to do their countries proud. Nigeria of course will have some presence in soccer, wrestling, track and field, boxing and maybe weight lifting. Maybe. As usual, i will holler and scream for my people all the while knowing we dont have access to the colorless undetectable steroids required to win events....Oops..did i just say that? I will also have my hussy hat on to ooooooooogle the men in the super skimpy outfits - swimming (those long torsos and the trunks hung super low - Michael Phelps anyone?), the sprinters running towards my tv screen with those lycra, super stretchy ensembles hugging every hot inch of their finely tuned bodies -sometimes, these young men dont pack their goodies properly and there is some flapping action but hey....its all good, some of these men with better accessories than i have - with the earrings, chains, sunglasses, swaggers (Jeremy Warner and the whole damned American & Jamaican male squad - HOTNESS). Those Eastern European gymnasts who are long and lean and who are typically not my type but their flexibility and dexterity have me second guessing myself. Those beautiful over made up gymnasts rolling around on the mats and throwing their bodies into high heavens, breastless, period less young women who have worked so damned hard for so long that their bodies are out of whack, whether they are twirling those ribbon like thingies, or swinging their legs yakata all over the horse...Ish. The beautiful ice skaters that take music and do their thing on sliver thin skates and perform things like the triple axle jump and stuff...they almost bring me to tears - so beautiful are their movements, those synchornized swimmers that make me realise that my ability to float is nothing. Let me not forget the moments of sadness - the falls, the stumbles..ah....Yes. The Olympics are here again. And i shall watch these athletes from around the world, a lot of them younger than i am - afterall in the sports world - someone my age would be introduced as the veteran 28 year old...i shall watch them from the comfort of a couch, sipping on some water or diet coke, munching on some suya or something, all the while promising myself that my diet and exercise regime must be ramped up so i can look streamlined and sinewy and muscly like the athletes i watch...Yes fun times are about to begin
• So the Obama train is still on. I watch with disbelief frankly. Hmmm....Never thought it would happen. Dont buy the whole Obama for change thing.,...Cant be bothered to get tooo worked up about it cos i am not an American citizen, cant vote and still have to face the very rude people at Walter Carrington....Ish. Seriously though, I am amazed at this phenomenon. Is he being touted or is he so popular because of his race? What does he really stand for? My edition of Time magazine last week shows him beginning to do the politician's dance of backpeddling on some statements.....Interesting though
• If you love music, i beg you, urge you to grab a copy of Angelique Kidjo's Djin Djin. Fabulous stuff. Truly amazing
• Still in love, still giddy, still deliriously happy and sharing some big news soon....

Off to catch up on some blogs now.............

Gone Till November

LOL.....Well i have been gone for a bit but an update is on the way tomorrow and i have way tooo much going on in my head i swear...

A Meme I Unashamedly Stole....

Way toooooo cool for her own good!

So, in an attempt to amsue myself and take a break from work, i started going through some of the blogs that i find interesting and look what i found on Jinta's blog: A music Meme....So so excited...So here goes:

The rules…
1. Put Your iTunes/ Music player on Shuffle
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER WHAT

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY? Under pressure - Queen Ft David Bowie (i am actually under pressure now but hey....)

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? Running Around - Terry Callier (i didnt know i had this saved on this PC)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL? I'll make love to you - Boyz II Men (this does not mean of course that my mind goes right to sex though)

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY? Right in the middle - Luther Vandross (oh Luther. My favorite artist ever. And this is pretty apt. I am feeling just right in the middle although now that the day is almost over and quality time with my honey beckons, my spirits are lifting quick quick)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE? Make love to you - Kci & Jojo (Hmm. Again. I am not some freaky deaky, think about sex all the time kind of girl. The recurrence is interesting)

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? Reach Out (I'll be there) - The Four Tops (this is sort of true. I am the go-to girl)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU? In this for you (Artist Unknown) (Hmm. The recurring theme here seems to be doormat/sex freak - none of which i am i swear...Ish)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS? Un Angelo - Patrizio Buanne (Ah ha. Pretty apt. Interesting...and for the less cultured folks, Un Angelo would translate as Angels..LOL)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? Venice - Chris Botti (well i think about vacations and travelling quite often so this is right on the money...Have never been to Venice and i am looking forward to it someday)

WHAT IS 2+2? I believe i can fly - R Kelly (LOL...I guess if you are an olodo, this would be what you would repeat to yourself over and over to convince yourself that you have a higher purpose instead of admitting that you compete with snails in terms of brain size. Oops..am i being mean?)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND? Love makes things happen - Pebbles & Babyface. (Emm okay..)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Key to my heart - Craig David (awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Sheesh)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? Gongo Aso - 9ice (this is very interesting since i loathe this song.)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? Out of control - Corey Clarke (well heck no...LOL...)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE? I want you back - Jackson 5 (Emm....lol...well i havent lost him sooo....)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? When a woman's fed up - R Kelly (ah. Dont know what to think here. I hope i havent been that awful..LOL)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING? Jasi - Dbanj & the Mo Hits Crew (LOL...Oh yeah. This is pretty cool. I actually like this. Hmm let's see - i could also dance to close to you by the same guys, booty call, pere..let me stop...LOL)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL? Superman - Robin Thicke (hmm...well superwoman would be nice. An my gravestone would read - She lived a significant life)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? Close to you - Wande Coal, Dbanj & The guys (LOL...Again with the close thing. LOL....So i dont cheat, i shall bop to this song till it ends...)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET? One sunday after - Joe McBride (i have no secrets let alone a sunday after...but if i could harbor a deep dark secret, i would want it to revolve around being a princess of a far and distant land, with everything she could ever want except true love and friendship so i move far away from that land and adopt Uzo as my name and struggle with everyone else..living anonymously and making friends away from it all)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? My life is your hands - Kirk Franklin (Nope....would hate to have that be the case..LOL..think puppet on strings)

WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS? O come all ye faithful - Luther Vandross (LOL)....

Its the day of my birth......

And i feel great. Blessed to be alive.

I have everything i could ever hope for. I have no regrets...

I am having cake and lunch for the office folks...you are invited....

In an Uzo State of Mind....

So i found a meme on Sha's blog and of course i jumped on it like a crack whore coming out of withdrawal....LOL...

The One Song

1. Name the one song that reminds you of your most current or recent relationship: Johnny Gill - My, My, My (he sang this to me one evening and it has sort of become our song)

2. Name the one song that was way overplayed and you hate: 9ice - Gongo Aso (oh kill me now)

3. Name the one song it seems everyone loves but you don’t: 9ice - Gongo Aso....i dont know but i absolutely detest this song..so overplayed that it stuck in my head many a day. So not a cool thing.

4. Name the one song you think everyone hates but you love:

5. Name the one song that is sung by someone you’d love to date: All that I Am - Joe. I have had a crush - no make that a secret love affair with Joe Thomas since the days of Round & Round...Love him

6. Name the one song this season that was sung best on American Idol: Didnt follow this season but Fantasia rocked something fierce...

7. Name the one song that you think is the best love song of the 00’s thus far: Oh..to hard to figure out right now but ...shucks i cant pick...

8. Name the one song that you think was the best 90’s song: Again, so so hard...but i will cheat and list more than one: Whitney Houston's I will always love you, MC Hammer - u cant touch this, Lisa Loeb - Stay...I could go on and on so i will just stop now...

9. Name the one song from a TV theme that you like the best: Woke Up this Morning by The Chosen One. This is the theme song for The Sopranos. Love, love this...

The Motown Series - 3

The Temptations - Just my imagination (running away with me)

No series about Motown would be complete without a few tracks from The Temptations.
This song was my introduction to The Temptations many many years ago and has remained one of my favourites from the group.

Released in 1971, this song was the 3rd of 4 songs to get to number 1 on the Billboard 100 list .
I intend to do a back story on the artists and acts of Motown because their stories are a big part of the legacy of the label. That should pop up once a week here but I mention this because this song has a back story. It is the last song by the group to include founding members Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams. Kendricks left to start a solo career and Williams had to retire for health reasons. (As a side note, did you know that Dennis Edwards of Don’t Look Any Further fame was one of the founding members of The Temptations?)

Like most Motown songs, the lyrics are simple but relatable. Its about a young man who is too shy to approach the woman he loves and spends his time fantasizing about having a relationship with her. It’s a bittersweet song because the young man realizes that his fantasies will remain just that – unlikely to come true. I know in the days of infatuation and crushes, I had a lot of fantasy relationships including one with Joe and Gary Dourdan. LOL

What is so interesting about this song as well is the fact that this young man is afraid to approach his dream woman because he was hurt pretty badly in the past and he doesn’t think he can handle another breakup. Again, I am sure we can all relate.

The usual suspects are behind this song, Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield and The Funk Brothers. Getting this song released was a war on its own. Psychedelic sound had been pushed on The Temptations by Whitfield since it was what was hot at the time. The group didn’t like this too much but the producers had all the power back then so all they could do was sing what they were ordered to. after one of psychedelic songs failed to be a hit, Whitfied went into the archives and dusted off this song which had been written and shelved over a year before.

Like all good songs, Just My Imagination has been covered by a few artists including The Rolling Stones (their version is interesting – more uptempo, lots of electic guitars), Bette Midler and Larry Carlton.

And finally

Its here. The Sex & The City movie is out and playing at Silverbird Galleria from today. I am ecstatic and plan to see it tonight...Now all i need to do is drag my honey along (its harder than it sounds)....

The Motown Series - 2

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - The Tracks of my Tears

One of my favourite songs which I featured on my Monumental Soundbyte series.

This song was released in 1965 when Motown was still known as Tamla Records. This song is extra special to me because it rings true for my personality. The song is about a man hiding his sadness and heartbreak about a relationship gone bad behind smiles. The words are so eloquently delivered by the green-eyed hotness that is Smokey Robinson. This man sings like it aint no big thing.

This song topped a number of charts including Billboard’s R&B singles chart (#2) and Billboard Hot 100 (#16). It is also #50 on The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.

This song has also been covered by a number of artists including Linda Ronstadt, Aretha Franklin, Gavin DeGraw, Michael McDonald and Boyz II Men.

One reason that I love the Motown era so much has a lot to do with the words of the songs. Some of them are downright cheesy and this one is one of the cheesiest ever but I just love it….The words are below. My favorite of the cheesy lines i have highlighted in red:

People say I'm the life of the party

Because I tell a joke or two

Although I might be laughing loud and hearty

Deep inside I'm blue

So take a good look at my face

You'll see my smile looks out of place

If you look closer, it's easy to trace

The tracks of my tears..

I need you, need you

Since you left me if you see me with another girl

Seeming like I'm having fun

Although she may be cute

She's just a substitute

Because you're the permanent one..

So take a good look at my face

You'll see my smile looks out of place

If you look closer, it's easy to trace

The tracks of my tears..

I need you, need you

Outside I'm masquerading

Inside my hope is fading

Just a clown oh yeah

Since you put me down

My smile is my make up

I wear since my break up with you..

So take a good look at my face

You'll see my smile looks out of place

If you look closer, it's easy to trace

The tracks of my tears

A Loss to the Nigerian Entertainment Industry

Sonny Okosuns lost his battle with colon cancer on Sunday morning.

Rest In Peace

Ah......

Last night just went to prove why Manchester United is indeed the greatest....

The Motown Series - 1

And to kick this series off, I have chosen a song that is a revelation to me. I have chosen Marvin Gaye’s “I heard it through the grapevine”. It’s a revelation to me because in the course of doing research on the song, I discovered that it was actually originally released by Gladys Knight and the Pips. Imagine that!

The song was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong who I mentioned in the previous post about the label and the tune created by The Funk Brothers. The Gladys Knight version was released in 1967 and hit number 2 on the US charts. Marvin Gaye’s version was released just a year later and became even more successful than the original. But then again, this is Marvin Gaye we are talking about. The man could sing about butter and it would become a hit.

This song became Marvin’s first number one hit and Motown’s most successful record of the 60’s. Its also number 80 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

Another fascinating thing about this song, is that after it was written by the duo, the vocals were recorded by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles. During one of the quality control meetings that I mentioned in the previous post, it failed to make the cut. The song was then re-recorded by the Isley Brothers and their version failed to make the cut as well.

Norman and Barrett were so sure that they had a hit on their hands, they recorded it a third time with a few changes. The song was slowed down a bit and the background vocals recorded by The Andantes (who I have never heard of but I will be looking up) and The Funk Brothers reworking the instrumental track.

Marvin Gaye recorded this song in 2 months. A fascinating fact about this song – Norman Whitfied arranged the vocals for this track and ensured that Marvin’s lead vocal was arranged above his actual register (music people will understand this). Imagine you sing in a particular range that you are comfortable with. Then imagine being made to sing it lower or higher than you are used to. That’s what that means. Anyway, what this achieved was that Marvin Gaye had to struggle vocally to hit the high notes. The result was a rawer, raspier Marvin Gaye which complemented the very very soft vocals of The Andantes. I swear, a lot of these young cats need to go back in time and be schooled by the masters.

In another twist on this song, Marvin recorded his version before The Pips. Whitfield recorded a fourth version using a gospel style just in case. While it became a hit, he had fallen in love with the Marvin Gaye version and won Berry Gordy’s approval to release the Gaye version.
A huge reason I love the Motown era is the fact that each song is about something. So this song is about a guy who hears through the grapevine (from other people) that his girl is going to leave him for her ex. Heartless I tell you.

This song has been covered by a lot of artists from Michael McDonald to Roger Troutman of Zapp & Roger fame.

I cant find this song on esnips as I would have loved to have it playing on my blog….Hopefully, I will have better success with the other songs….

About the record label

I am so so excited about this series. I know literally every song from every act that was and is still on this label. I will profile songs from the 1960's till now. The songs that i feature will be some of the ones that have touched me in one way or the other. Some i love, some not so much, some are funny, cheesy...its a broad range of emotions evoked by these songs. I will give my thoughts and commentary on the songs and provide some information on the artists/acts. I will also try to make connections to people that have covered or sampled these songs and i ask that readers jog my memory, make corrections, share memories tied to the songs..anything.

Before i launch into the songs, i think some information on the label itself and how it evolved is the right place to start.....So here goes...


Berry Gordy Jr founded Tamla Records with an $800 loan from his family in 1958 in Detroit, Michigan. The name of the company was changed to Motwon Record Corporation in 1960 after Gordy discovered that the name Tamla was originally in use.

It was the first record label owned by an African American to primarily feature African-American artists who achieved crossover success. In the 1960s Motown and its soul-based subsidiaries were the most successful proponents of what came to be known as "The Motown Sound", a style of soul music with a distinct pop influence.

Gordy's first signed act was The Matadors, a group he had written and produced songs for, who changed their name to The Miracles when Tamla signed them. Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson became the vice president of the company (and later named his daughter "Tamla" and his son "Berry" out of gratitude to Gordy and the label). Many of Gordy's family members, including his father Berry, Sr., brothers Robert and George, and sister Esther, had instrumental roles in the company. By the middle of the decade, Gwen and Anna Gordy (his sisters) had joined the label in administrative positions as well.

Among Tamla's early artists were Mable John, Barrett Strong and (on the Motown label) Mary Wells. In 1960, Gordy launched Motown Records as a sister label. Because of the "Motown" name's association with "Motor City" Detroit, the blanket record company under which both Motown Records and Tamla Records operated was incorporated as "Motown Record Corporation". By the mid-1960s, the label, with the help of songwriters and producers such as Robinson, William "Mickey" Stevenson, Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Norman Whitfield, was a major force in the music industry.

In the 1960s (from 1961 to 1971), Motown had 110 Top 10 hits, and artists such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Four Tops and The Jackson 5 were all signed to Motown labels. The company operated several labels in addition to the Tamla and Motown imprints. A third label, which Gordy named after himself, featured The Temptations and Martha and The Vandellas. A fourth, V.I.P., released recordings by The Velevettes and The Spinners, and a fifth, Soul, featured Jr.Walker & the All Stars and Gladys Knoght & The Pips (who were the first act to have been successful before joining Motown).

Motown's music was crafted with the same ear towards pop appeal. The company specialized in a type of soul music it referred to with the trademark "The Motown Sound". The Motown Sound was typified by a number of characteristics: the use of tambourines to accent the back beat, prominent and often melodic electric bass guitar lines, distinctive melodic and chord structures, and a call and response singing style that originated in gospel music. In addition, pop production techniques such as the use of orchestral string sections, charted horn sections, and carefully arranged background vocals were also used. Complex arrangements and elaborate, melismatic vocal riffs were avoided; Motown producers believed steadfastly in the "KISS principle" ("keep it simple, stupid")

Berry Gordy used weekly quality control meetings, held every Friday morning, and veto power to ensure that only the very best material and performances the company came up with would be released. The test was that every new release needed to "fit" into a sequence of the top 5 selling pop singles of the week. As a result, several tracks which later became critical and commercial favorites were initially rejected by Gordy. In several cases, producers would re-work and re-re-work tracks in hopes of eventually getting them approved at a later Friday morning meeting.

Many of Motown's best-known songs, such as all of the early hits for The Supremes, were written by the songwriting trio of Holland-Dozier-Holland (brothers Brian & Eddie Holland and colleague Lamont Dozier). Other important producers and songwriters at Motown's Hitsville USA recording studio and headquarters included Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong, Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, Frank Wilson, Motown artists Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, and Gordy himself. Many artists and producers of Motown Records collaborated to produce numerous hit songs, although the process has been described as factory-like. The Hitsville studios remained open and active 22 hours a day, and artists would often be on tour for weeks, come back to Detroit to record as many songs as possible, and then promptly set back out on tour again.

The style created by the Motown musicians was a major influence on several non-Motown artists of the mid-1960s, such as Dusty Springfield.

In addition to the songwriting prowess of the writers and producers, one of the major factors in the widespread appeal of Motown's music was Gordy's practice of using a highly select and tight-knit group of studio musicians, collectively known as "The Funk Brothers", to record the instrumental or "band" tracks of the Motown songs. Much of the Motown Sound came from the use of overdubbed and duplicated instrumentation. Motown songs regularly featured two drummers instead of one (either overdubbed or in unison), as well as three or four guitar lines.

Artist development was a major part of the Motor Town's operations. The acts on the Motown label were fastidiously groomed, dressed and choreographed for live performances. Motown artists were advised that their breakthrough into the white popular music market made them ambassadors for other African American artists seeking broad market acceptance, and that they should think, act, walk and talk like royalty, so as to alter the less-than-dignified image commonly held by white Americans in that era of black musicians. Given that many of the talented young artists had been raised in housing projects and were short on social and dress skills, this Motown department was not only necessary, it created an elegant style of presentation long associated with the label. The artist development department specialized primarily in working with younger, less experienced acts; experienced performers such as Junior M Walker and Marvin Gaye were exempted from artist development classes.

Many of the young artists participated in an annual package tour called the "Motortown Revue", which was popular first on the "chitlin circuit", and later around the world. The tours gave the younger singers a chance to hone their performance and social skills and also to learn from more experienced artists.

Despite losing Holland-Dozier-Holland, Norman Whitfield, and a number of its other hitmakers by 1975, Motown still had a number of successful artists during the late 1970s and 1980s, including Lionel Richie and The Commodores, Rick James, Teena Marie and DeBarge. By the mid-1980s, Motown was losing money, and Berry Gordy sold his ownership in Motown to (MCA) and Boston Ventures in June 1988 for $61 million.

During the 1990s, Motown was home to successful recording artists such as Boyz II Men and Johnny Gill, although the company itself remained in a state of turmoil. By 1998, Motown had added artists like 702, Brian McKnight, India Arie and Erykah Badu to its roster.

Motown's current roster includes India Arie, Erykah Badu, Mya, Kem, Yummy Bingham, Lindsay Lohan, Damian and Stephen Marley, Trick Trick and Nick Cannon.

A huge blockbuster film about motown is due out in the Summer of 2009, directed by F.Gary Gray and starring Beyonce, Nick Cannon, Mariah Carey, Denzel Washington with Forest Whitaker as Barry White and Jamie Foxx as Edwin Starr.

Introducing....................

I tried. I said i wouldnt do anything music related on my blog but the pull is just too much. So i am introducing the Motown Series. This is my favorite musical era ever. I adore the music and the back stories to the songs and artists from this period.

I know i am going to have a blast with this.....

So so disappointed

"CSI" co-star Gary Dourdan has been charged with felony possession of heroin, cocaine and ecstasy stemming from his arrest last month, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Dourdan is scheduled to appear in court on May 28.

The 41-year-old actor was arrested after police found him asleep in his car in Palm Springs on April 28. He was allegedly parked on the wrong side of the street with the car's interior light on.
Prosecutors said Dourdan is scheduled to appear in court in Indio, about 130 miles east of Los Angeles, on May 28. The criminal complaint was dated Tuesday.

A call to Dourdan's attorneys wasn't immediately returned early Thursday.

Dourdan has played crime scene investigator Warrick Brown on CBS' "CSI" since 2000.

Several celebrities were in Palm Springs for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in nearby Indio.

I am so so disappointed. People that know me and those who followed my blog know that this man is MY DREAM MAN. I have no words.....

A little extra

An 18 year-old girl tells her Mom that she has missed her period for two months. Very worried, the mother goes to the drugstore andbuys a pregnancy kit.The test result shows that the girl is pregnant. Shouting, cursing, crying, the mother says, "Who was the pig that did this to you? I want to know!"

The girl picks up the phone and makes a call. Half an hour later a Ferrari stops in front of their house; a mature and distinguished man with gray hair and impeccably dressed in a very expensive suit steps out of the Ferrari and enters the house.He sits in the living room with the father, the mother and the girl and tells them: "Good morning, your daughter has informed me of the problem. However, I can't marry her because of my personal family situation but I'll take charge. I will pay all costs and provide for your daughter forthe rest of her life. Additionally, If a girl is born I will bequeath her 2 retail stores, a townhouse, a beach front villa and a $1,000,000 bank account. If a boy is born, my legacy will be a couple of factories and a $2,000,000 bank account. If it is twins, a factory and $2,000,000 each. However, if there is a miscarriage, what do you suggest I do?"

At this point, the father, who had remained silent, places a hand firmly on the man's shoulder and tells him,"You'll sleep with her again!"

Its all over me..........

I've finally found the nerve to say

I'm gonna make a change in my life starting here today

I surrender all my love

I never thought I could

I'm giving all my love away and there's only one reason that I would

And baby it's you....

(CHORUS)

The way you walk

The way you talk

The way you say my name and smile

The way you move me

The way you soothe me

The way you sleep softly through the night

Every morning you rise and open your eyes

I just wanna be there with you baby

I just wanna be yours from this day forth

Next year lets call this day our anniversary

The day I placed my heart in your hand

And said that it was yours to keep

From this moment on say that you'll always be mine

Cuz girl when i'm alone with you

There's only one thing that's on my mind

And baby it's you

(CHORUS)

These words are from a song i really like which is a few years old - its by Jesse Powell and the song is appropriately titled You.

I have always shied away from puting my life on blast on my blog. But since there is reduced traffic on my blog now and also because i am so freaking happy that i want to burst - here goes..... I AM IN LOVE.

Not the butterflies in my stomach love. But the deep in my soul, the one God meant for me, earth shaking, world changing, knock my socks off love.

Its so unbelievable. I wasnt looking for it. He is so unlike anyone i have ever dated. This man is amazing. I can tell him anything. He looks at me like i am the most beautiful thing ever. We talk for hours about everything. I respect him, i truly truly love him. Everyday when i hear his voice or i see him, i have to pinch myself to wake myself up from this dream. He suprises me, he makes me laugh, he makes me cry, he makes me giggle....There are simply no words to explain this...

Our story is such an amazing one and i reckon we make people sick with all our goings on...But i dont care. I go through like in a cocoon of peace and happiness. Everything in my life he knows. Things i cant say, he knows...he reads my soul in a way that would be scary if my walls were up.

I am bursting with happiness and i know that this is THE ONE.

Love is so so great......

Women's Issue - Scary Story

01 April 2008Mhlaba Memela

Residents of Mpola near Pinetown in Durban are in shock after an enraged husband shot his wife dead yesterday morning after she refused to have sex with him. Her husband had also accused her of infidelity. She was only 24 years old.

Locals said the couple had been experiencing marital problems. The women’s stepchildren said they heard their father and stepmother fighting but took it for granted.

“We later heard a gunshot from their bedroom. But it was not clear what was happening. We ran out to tell the neighbours about the incident,” one of them told police.

Neighbours who gathered outside the home of the couple expressed shocked at the incident. They said the man appeared to be a Christian and never showed any signs of being a violent person.

Local councillor Nkosi Dimba said the community was traumatised by the incident.

“While I was sleeping I heard people knocking on my door. On opening up, I was met by these young children crying at my door. They informed me that their father had killed their mother.
“I immediately drove to the police station to report the matter. The suspect confirmed that he had killed his wife, saying that she had refused to have sex with him on several occasions,” said Dimba.

“In the house was the body of his wife in a pool of blood.”

Police spokesman Nokuthula Nkosi said police arrested the man at the scene of the incident.

She said police are investigating a case of murder.

Received from a Nigerian brother - 419

These scam artists dont stop...This one had me cracking up....

I introduce my self only if you will take your time to read my mail and think about what you can do for this charity organization, please be informed that this is Zion Charity organization, that is located in WestAfrica to help the children and motherless baby home. Please be informed that you can be sincere with your heart only if you try to concentrate about what is nessacerry, i am not begging you for money or gift,but i have no choice or options, becsause i have come to realize that one way for me to help this kids is for me to contact the foreginers or a person likeyou.This charity organization needs surpot from you any body around you, justincase you have a tender heart and undertstand the situation,you can try as much as you can to donate to this organization because your hlep will be appreciated and you shall be more blessed by God Almighty or even shall be rewarded by your fellow men. Please try to understand that my point is that i need your surport financially to help raise this charity organization here in Africa because this children are dying and lack of finance, please nothing is too small as amount you donate must be blessed after we have received your fund. I started this organization since last year and only few human's have been sincere and good to us, please we beg you in God's Name,the Bibble say's give it shall be given unto you, good measure press down shaking together and running over.Please try to understand my mail,we need about$50,000usd(Fifty Thousand Us Dollars) to keep in the bank for this organization. I understand that most of you don't like west africa but if you have the fear of God,then you will understand my mail.I will appreciate if you look into my heart via this mail and try to get my point. All i am saying is that i need your surport, all i do is to try to get contact abroad and send them this mail for their surport to our CHARITYORGANIZATION, anything you can donate please do not excitate to contact usor you can bring the fund to our CHARITY ORGanization. Please contact me vai this mail if you can give us a surport, nothing istoo small for us to receive,my contact information are listed below.

Namee:Mr Andrew Adebayo
Email:zionorganization_lessprivilage@yahoo.com
Tell+234 70 3132 9723
Please try to contact me if you can surport this organization,God is your only reward and you don't ezxpect human to give you a reward but JESUS Christ our personal lord and saviour.God blesss you as i hope to hear from you for your help soon.

Mr Andrew Adebayo.

Random Musings 1

• I find talking about money very very bad manners and in very poor taste. Only with very very very close friends will I reveal the cost of anything and even then, it is usually a ball park figure. I don’t talk about pay checks or anything. In relationships, it is even worse. I will not take cash from a lover/partner and I don’t discuss how much he earns or how much I earn. It makes me very very uncomfortable
• I derive pleasure – true pleasure from giving. If I am not giving money away, I am giving unsolicited, surprise gifts. I talk to a friend and she says she has heard about some book, I get it. A friend of mine is a sweet tooth so every time I see her, I have some form of candy with me. An ex-colleague who traumatized me where I used to work had his first child. A girl. Almost like I had no sense, I bought something for his daughter and sent it off. I get such a thrill from seeing people’s faces when they get something unexpected
• I need to understand the concept of false nails on toes. I am really and truly confused by this. On the hands I get. But when I am at the salon and I see the glue coming out and then the false nail being fixed onto a toe, I am just gobsmacked. I don’t understand it
• Is it right to be obsessed with your own feet? Cos I am. I love my feet so so much

Dirty Business

I have always disliked bathrooms. Sure mine is cute and pink and full of all the indulgent products i love so much. BUT its still a bathroom and a lot of nastiness happens in there. Number 1, Number 2, brushing teeth, spitting, tissue paper and all that yuckiness.

I hardly spend too much time in my bathroom. Even when i have had a rough day, i wont lounge in the bath. I would rather get it over with and then take my time moisturizing, cleansing, dabbing, painting my toe nails in my room and definitely out of the bathroom.

I dont even like hearing about bathroom business. Some people i know are very comfortable with taking me (on the phone) into the bathroom. One minute you are talking about something, the next you hear the trickle of water and even the toilet flushing (the horror of it). Or even talking about it. Telling me they will call me back cos they have to go to the bathroom. Tell me you will call me back - no need to tell me why....

Anyway, at my new job, there is a revolution of sorts here. I shudder just writing this.

People announce they are going to the bathroom. One guy even has a schedule. At 3 ish, he heads to the bathroom and people hail him for going to do his business. People carry newspapers into the bathroom which is an announcement that some nastiness is going to happen. I nearly passed out the other day when some guy went round the whole office looking for something to read. I guess he had no luck because the next thing i knew, he was carrying his laptop into the bathroom, telling me he was going to watch a movie.

This is so weird to me. I hate bathrooms. When people come out of bathrooms, i try not to go near them for a while until the air around them is clean...People have nasty manners and there is no telling if they washed their hands and what else they got up to there.

I hate bathrooms......

A re-birth

I closed my other blog down for reasons not as serious as many think. I still need an outlet for my thoughts. I write not for comments or accolades but as release for my soul. So this space will just be me and my words and randomness...No music here..just me