Heard this classic soul gem on the oldies station by the incomparable soul/R&B family, The Staple Singers:
It ran around my brain all day, sounding so very familiar. Where, where, where had I heard that string arrangement before? Just before bed, it came to me: it was the sample John Legend used in his breakout hit collaboration with Kanye West, "Number One":
Hear it? I think it's sampled directly from the Staples. And in borrowing the loop, John Legend turned the sentiment of the original song on its heel -- what was initially a song about getting busy with the one you love is inverted to a desperate apology for cheating on the one you love. By doing this, it's almost as though he's questioning the authenticity of the sentiment of the original song, calling the notion of faithfulness into question in the most dulcet possible way. Which I guess shouldn't be so surprising. John Legend is an Ivy League grad, after all.
So remember, if you like John Legend, thank the Staple Singers.
Finally got a chance to catch some of the Live Earth videos on MSN tonight. I was generally very impressed with the video and sound quality, though in true MSN fashion, the player is kind of a pain. (The links below will take you to the right concert, but then you have to toggle to the correct performance. There doesn't seem to be any way to link directly to the performance - argh.) Anyhow, here's what I'm particularly digging.
The Gap started out selling clothes and records in San Francisco back in the day, and their love of music is still evident today in the many innovative Gap ads that use music and musicians in really interesting ways. Here's a list of some of my faves from the last 10 years or so (in no particular order):
1. Favorite Song - This is the full-length DVD version of the "What's your favorite song?" campaign they did in fall of 2005. Musicians interviewed include John Legend, Joss Stone, Alanis Morissette, Brandon Boyd (of Incubus), Jason Mraz, Michelle Williams, and Keith Urban. Listening to Boyd's triple-tracked vocals on Elvis Costello's "Allison" gives me full-body chills every time. There is nothing I love more than listening to musicians talk about their favorite music, which is why I think this is possibly the best ad EVER.
2. Denim Invasion - Directed by my idol, Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Elizabethtown, Jerry Maguire). Love the look on Orlando Bloom's face when they start running.
3. "Give a Little Bit" - The classic Supertramp song gets a new interpretation from Sheryl Crow, India.Arie, Left-Eye Lopez and Liz Phair. SO much talent in 30 seconds.
4. "Dress You Up" - I just love the modern interpretation of Madonna's song, and the fact that they stagger several voices on the melody line.
5. Bike Riding - Ashton Kutcher, Zooey Deschanel, Scarlett Johannsen and Jay Hernandez riding bikes together? I never actually saw this one on the air, but it's GREAT. Excellent use of the song.
6. Old School - I like the simplicity of this one. It's just Nikka Costa a cappella. Powerful and beautiful.
7. "What are you doing New Year's Eve?" - Rufus Wainwright's interpretation of a classic holiday song. Possibly my favorite version of this song.
8. Denim Swings - I never saw this one when it was on the air either, but this is one of my favorite songs of all time. Truly lovely.
9. Back in Black - The recent Audrey Hepburn-meets-AC/DC mash-up. Props for combining such an unlikely combination in such a cool way.
10. Feelin' Groovy and September - There were two Gap ads that I just loved that I can't find on YouTube anywhere. I believe both were from the Fall 2003 ad campaign. The first featured a modern take on Simon and Garfunkel's "Feelin' Groovy" and the other used the original version of Earth, Wind and Fire's "September." Both featured models wearing clothes and dancing in streets, as I recall. Both were excellent. If anyone finds a link for either of them, post it please!
Update: Two version of the missing "September" ad have finally been tracked down on YouTube. (Thanks Fred!) Check them out below. (9/20/08)
I have my issues with Sting, but you have to admit, the man sounds GREAT. If you missed the Police reunion on last night's Grammys, here's some video to check out.
It makes me proud to say, despite my love/hate relationship with the man, that Sting was my very first concert back in 1993.
Also, here is Christina Aguilera proving she deserves every accolade. The lady can blow.
And channeling Lady Day with white flowers in her hair, here is Beyonce singing a song from Dreamgirls. Not crazy about the arrangement, but again... the girl can sing.
But what the Grammys really reminded me of last night is how INSANELY talented Justin Timberlake is. I am not ashamed to admit that my friends and I went through a huge 'Nsync obsession when I was a senior in college (let me just repeat that - a SENIOR in college) and it was entirely because we could see the talent in JT even then. (For proof, watch this video.) And he has done an amazing job of developing that talent into something other-worldly. Need more proof? Check out this rehearsal of "What Goes Around" and then his duet with contest winner Robyn Troup.
It will come as no surprise to regular readers of this blog, but for me, the highlight of this year's Grammys was the amazing Corinne Bailey Rae/John Mayer/John Legend medley. As I said, an amazing time to be alive.
Radio station Cities 97 out of Minneapolis, thanks to media conglomerate Clear Channel, has a great feature on its Web site called Stripped, and it's a series of live, acoustic performances by artists like John Mayer, Melissa Etheridge, Rob Thomas and Gavin Degraw.
Right now I'm listening to John Legend, and if it's possible, I think I like it more with every listen. He plays an amazingly funky, grooved-out version of my favorite song from his debut album, "Number 1," and covers Stevie Wonder's "Visions," among the half-dozen songs in this performance.
