R&B

#OnRepeat: The Spinners’ “The Rubberband Man”

This week, I’ve had The Spinners’ “The Rubberband Man” #OnRepeat. After seeing the Marvel movie, Avengers: Infinity War, this week, this song (along with the events of the movie) won’t stop playing in myhead.

The Spinners are a vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, that were popular during the 1960s and 70s. The group is commonly associated with R&B, though their music also blends elements of Rock, Pop and Funk music as well and the band continues to perform on tours to this day with only one original member. Some of their most well-known songs are “I’ll Be Around,” “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” “WorkingMy Way Back to You,” and “Games People Play.”

“The Rubberband Man” was a song written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed, and recorded by The Spinners in 1976. The song was originally written for Bell’s son, who was teased at school for being overweight, eventually morphing from a theme of self-love and positivity, to a song about a guy who can make really funky impressive sounds by just using a rubberband. Personally, I still get a message of positivity and general feel-good vibes from the lyrics, even with the song focusing on music-making from a weird little man. The vocal group The Spinners’ smooth sound and vocal phrasing, along with the funky punctuations from the brass section and the strumming of the bass make this song so groovy that you’ll immediately start dancing within the first thirty seconds of listening to it.

Take a listen below:

What do you think? Do you have any favorite songs by The Spinners? Leave a comment below!

#OnRepeat: Sade’s “Flower of the Universe”

March 28, 2018 1 Comment

This week, I’ve had Sade’s song, “Flower of the Universe” #OnRepeat. Last week, I went to go see the movie, A Wrinkle in Time, and though I wasn’t too fond of the movie, I have not been able to stop listening to her song, which was in the movie, ever since.

Sade (born Helen Folasade Adu) is a singer, record producer, songwriter, actor, model, and arranger from England who got her start singing backup for a band called Pride during the 1980s. She and some of the band members formed their own band called Sade and released their first album in 1984, followed by several multi-platinum albums that would reach the top of both UK Charts and US Billboards. Her music blends Pop, R&B, Soul, Rock, and Jazz that flows perfectly under her smooth, low voice. Some of her most well-known songs are “The Sweetest Taboo,” “Smooth Operator,” “By Your Side,” “The Moon and the Sky,” and “No Ordinary Love.”

“Flower of the Universe” was written and recorded by Sade for the 2018 movie, A Wrinkle in Time, and is her first song that she has written in almost ten years. The song’s lyrics are told from the perspective of a mother or father who is telling their child that their love is what fills up the universe and gives them meaning (this is the message that I took from the lyrics so the song may not mean the same thing to you when you listen to it). The song is acoustic, simple and bare, with a chorus of voices acting as book ends to the song. Sade’s husky and sultry voice adds so much depth to this already hauntingly beautiful piece.

Truth be told, I have always been a huge fan of Sade’s voice and music—this song proves that Sade is still the classic, originally smooth and eclectic sound we have all grown so fond of over the past thirty years. She is what you think of when you think of R&B.

Take a listen below:

Do you have a favorite Sade song? What do you think of this one? Leave a comment below!