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Pop Rock Nation

Author: GG

  • Friday Throwback – If It Isn’t Love

    It’s amazing to me how many people don’t know their New Edition history. It hurts my feelings. Ya, people know Bobby Brown because of Whitney. But what about everyone else? As a group, they were one of the best R&B groups of all time. And maybe even more importantly, they were able to make the transition from teenage group to adult group. They were able to grow with the times as seen by Heart Break, their adult careers (which seemed to have sputtered out for all of the members), and the comeback album, Home Again. Here’s one of my favorite NE videos.

    • Are those ballet slippers on Ralph?
    • Who is the dude that talks to them at the beginning?
    • And who is that random Asian girl that turns on the music?
    • I think I saw the New Kids steal these same moves.
    • Johnny Gill has the same haircut as Prince Akeem from Coming To America.
    • What was the reason for shirtless Ralph dunking his head in the water?
    • Do Mike and Ron even need to be in the video? Everyone knows they didn’t sing backup on this song.
    • Love her? What?
    • Ok, were they trying to recreate the Fun Bunch high five?

    I’m all for NE recording until the day they die. They can still sing (well at least Ralph, JG, and Ricky Bell can) and I bet you they’ll be able to throw down on the dance floor for at least another 10 years.

  • Friday Throwback – Too Legit To Quit

    How big was MC Hammer? Considering the dude had a cartoon, a doll, and near 20 years later people still call a certain pair of roomy pants, “Hammer Pants”, I’d say that he was pretty big. It’s funny how people think that Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt ‘Em was his first album. That’s how big he was. He was so big that his first (and better) album Let’s Get It Started is pretty much forgotten. And how many people opened their ears to “rap music”, simply because U Can’t Touch This found it’s way to their speakers. Well, let’s thank Rick James for that one.

    When his third album came out, Too Legit To Quit, I was anticipating something Michael Jackson-esque. And when I didn’t get it, I was pretty disappointed. But I still enjoyed his single for it’s incredible energy.

    • My cousin Bruce thought the song was called Do The Jerk.
    • Who here thought the most catchy part of the song was the girl singing, “Hey, hey!!!!!!!!!”?
    • Looks like Hammer worked out hard for this one after being made fun of for being a little chunky in the U Can’t Touch This video.
    • Bill Cosby would’ve called the dancing in this video, “having a fit”.
    • I wonder if Hammer was going to wrestle in that double singlet after he was done shooting the video.
    • You can see what eventually became the Deion Sanders end zone dance when Hammer is dancing in the streets.
    • How much longer was Hammer on that throne?
    • That’s called the “rock, paper, scissors” dance.
    • Ok, let’s see if I can get all of these guys: Jose Canseco, Isiah Thomas, Kirby Puckett, Jerry Rice, Rickey Henderson, Prime Time, Andre Rison “House on Fire”, Chris Mullin, Roger Clemens, Roger Craig and Ronnie Lott (in Raiders gear, boo!), the woman from the Harlem Globetrotters, David Robinson, and Jerry Glanville.
    • Too bad the 2 legit hand sign didn’t get over, but I’ll still rock it from time to time.
    • Damn, I forgot there was a fake MJ at the end of this thing.

    If you want to keep up with the Hammer Man, you only need to read his blog. He keeps up with tons of stuff and even does some audio messages at MCHammer.com.

  • Friday Throwback – Party All The Time

    Before Eddie Murphy was bagging Scary Spice and Babyface’s ex-wife in the same month, he was a fairly insecure young man when it came to women. Actually, he probably still is. Recorded in 1985, the song was produced by Rick James. This must’ve been before he kicked mud on Eddie’s couch. And I’m not sure if everyone knows this, but Party All The Time peaked at number 2 on the Billboard charts. Not bad for a comedian. The song isn’t great, but it’s very 80s.

    • Who put the dirty mop on Rick James’ head?
    • How come Eddie didn’t say, “Yo, turn me up in the headphones,”?
    • Is Rick wearing leather pants?
    • That one dude in the studio looks like a tall Michael Bivins.
    • And were all those people in the studio Eddie’s posse?
    • This might possibly be the greatest verse in music history: I’ve seen you in clubs just hanging out and dancing/You give your number to every man you see/You never come home at night because you’re out romancing/I wish you bring some of your love home to me.
    • Why is that one dude touching himself at the 2:28 mark?
    • I wonder if Rick burned the naked girl before or after the making of this video?

    That was the only song that you could get through on his debut album How Could It Be. I guess the world wasn’t ready for sensitive Ed. He would go on a release a much better album (we are talking Eddie Murphy here) called Love’s Alright which included a very memorable song with Michael Jackson called Whatzupwitu which featured Eddie and MJ floating in the video. No word on if Mike gave him a kick and a “hee hee” for making fun of his crying in the song She’s Out Of My Life.