web analytics

Pop Rock Nation

Tag: Thriller

  • The Infatueighties Countdown: #101: “Ain’t Nobody”

    Chaka Khan. Chaka-chaka-chaka-chakakhan. Chaka Khan. Oops,wrong song.

    A year before she had her biggest hit with a cover of a Prince album track, the woman whose momma named her Yvette Marie Stevens joined forces with her old band Rufus for the last time and produced this electro-soul classic. If they were gonna go out, I guess why not go out with this, right?

    The cover of the 45 for \"Ain\'t Nobody\" by Rufus & Chaka Khan.

    Some of you may remember “Ain’t Nobody” from the movie “Breakin’”,which it made an appearance in after it’d already become a hit. What some of you may not know is that the song, which was written by Rufus member David “Hawk” Wolinski, was originally earmarked for use on “Thriller” by Quincy Jones (I can hear Michael singing it). However, Wolinksi decided to keep the song and use it as one of the two studio tracks on “Live-Stompin’ at the Savoy”. Add Chaka’s unusual phrasing and one of her most powerful vocals, you wind up with one of the best-loved songs of her career, although it’s chart position (#22 pop) wasn’t exactly earth-shattering. Nevertheless, the song won Rufus & Chaka a Grammy, and to this day, no Chaka concert is complete without it.

    I did not realize this song had a video until, you guessed it, I popped over to YouTube earlier today. No big surprise that the rest of Rufus appears nowhere in this video. Nevertheless, witness Chaka in her full-fledged big-haired glory. And bust a move like Turbo and Ozone.

  • Viva Le Jacko: The Ultimate MJ Mix

    Michael Jackson's Off The Wall

    Here at MHW, we have two absolutely diehard Michael Jackson fans on the team. Aside from almost sharing a birthday (we were born 48 hours apart), me and GG have a shared Jackson obsession. That’s why, when he threw down the challenge for me to make the ultimate Michael Jackson mix CD, I accepted it with relish. I knew he understood that trying to narrow down my favorite MJ songs would be like trying to pick my favorite kids…if I had kids.

    Can you narrow Michael Jackson down to 80 minutes? Well, I tried my best. Out of something like 160-something MJ songs in my iTunes (cobbled together from his Motown anthology and all of his Epic albums, including the hits compilations and the box set…and various guest appearances), I deleted, organized, organized and deleted until I felt I’d come up with the perfect Michael primer. I also searched Youtube for a couple of cool clips instead of posting the standard videos.

    So…how much of an obsessive am I? A month or so ago, rummaging through the used bin of a local record store, I found a copy of “Off the Wall” on CD. Not just any copy, mind you, but a copy of the CD with the original cover (which Michael eventually changed, I guess because he didn’t to be reminded of his original skin color). Needless to say, I bought it. This despite the fact that I already own three copies of the same album (1 each on vinyl, cassette and CD). If I found an 8-track copy somewhere, I’d probably pick that up too.

    Oh, AND I have the “E.T” Storybook Soundtrack. Neener.

    Anyway, I stretched out the time limit a bit, but here’s my Ultimate Michael Mix. Scream at me about what I left out in the comment section. Oh, and I decided not to include any J5 or Jacksons stuff-that’s another mix for another time.

    (more…)

  • "Thriller 25": The Funk Of 40,000 Years

    If you listen to pop radio in 2008, you’ve gotta be a Michael Jackson fan. Why? Because if the popular songs of the day don’t sound like Prince, they sound like Michael. Aside from mentioning outright thieves of his look and his sound like Usher, Justin Timberlake and Ne-Yo, everyone from Britney and Beyonce to Jay-Z (“American Gangster has more MJ shout outs than any record I’d ever had) and Fall Out Boy (the rock band who hired soul man and MJ disciple Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds to produce their latest CD) owe The King of Pop a debt of gratitude.
    I could go into more detail about what makes “Thriller” such an iconic album (and a good one, too!!): but you might as well just read this: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/53802/michael-jackson-thriller-25/
    I wrote it, anyway.
    For a list of today’s new releases (besides “Thriller”) go here: