we always work it out somehow.. they said it wouldn't last, we had to prove them wrong.
rhythm nation is jam packed with obvious jams, this one, however is my fav. and the video with that guy from general hospital and djimon hounsou, i mean seriously. janet is a legend, now show some respect and turn it up!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Sunday, November 25, 2007
timbaland, luv 2 luv u
i'm disappointed that is has taken us here at obvious jams this long to post this one. i guess some of the most obvious jams are often looked over.
so sorry, timbaland. hope u're not still mad, u know we love you, yo.
so sorry, timbaland. hope u're not still mad, u know we love you, yo.
tracy chapman, fast car
come on, its obvious, isn't it?
i don't believe this, someone disabled the embedding by request. why would you want to deprive people from this?
why-o-why-o
i don't believe this, someone disabled the embedding by request. why would you want to deprive people from this?
why-o-why-o
madonna, human nature
i'm sorry for taking so long to post. i've been thinking about you, obvious jams. a lot. sometimes i don't know what i would do without you.
chicago gets me motivated in the morning and christopher cross helps me sleep at night.
lately, its been madonna, and more specifically the "bedtime stories" album that have been there for me.
& that is why i post this obvious jam. feel free to revisit this time in the mid 90's when this song came out and i'm sure u'll have flashbacks of the video. no one really does this kind of thing like her.
show some r-e-s-p-e-c-t and turn it up already!
chicago gets me motivated in the morning and christopher cross helps me sleep at night.
lately, its been madonna, and more specifically the "bedtime stories" album that have been there for me.
& that is why i post this obvious jam. feel free to revisit this time in the mid 90's when this song came out and i'm sure u'll have flashbacks of the video. no one really does this kind of thing like her.
show some r-e-s-p-e-c-t and turn it up already!
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
faithless- insomnia
don't be scared.
turn off all lights- except the strobe for later on. or if you are at work just close your eyes.
and crank the vol.
what you will experience will be pure delight. enjoy.
turn off all lights- except the strobe for later on. or if you are at work just close your eyes.
and crank the vol.
what you will experience will be pure delight. enjoy.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Rapper’s Delight - The Sugarhill Gang
We can all agree that this jam is classic, but many believe that it gave rise to that form of rap that we commonly call 'hip hop'. Others maintain that the term ‘rap’ itself became known worldwide because of it. They will say, without hesitation, that this was the first hiphop track ever created. And though tempting to believe, we at Obvious Jams are under no obligation to claim any jam a “First Jam”… not in any genre.
Never has hiphop seemed so homosexual as in its first inklings.
That aside, what is perhaps more relevant to this discussion is the singular effect Rapper’s Delight has had on Western music overall. Featuring one of the earliest references to 'hip' and 'hop' and a bass line sampled from another recently popular song (Good Times by CHIC), this singular jam sought to meld an emergent urban lingo and the craft of the remix into a futuristic art form. Fortunately for us, it succeeded admirably.
What is absolutely undisputed about this jam is that it was the first ‘hiphop’ or ‘rap’ single to become a Top 40 hit. Though the Top 40 is no indication of a song’s relevance, it certainly can stand as a testament to it’s obviousness. This song’s obvious nature is a predictable result of it’s nativity: in order to capitalize on the spontaneous popularity of NYC block parties featuring the now emblematic Technics 1200 setups and brightly vested MCs, Sugar Hill Records simply formed a group of black men with easily digestible lyrics and accessible flow, had them regurgitate this jam and sat back as the money rolled in. The erstwhile record label simply said, “wow, these people have something obvious on their hands: let’s cash in!” And cash in they did. Rapper’s Delight sold more than 8 million copies.
Furthermore, it single handedly launched ‘hiphop’ into the national canon of popular music, so that today sucka MCs and old skool fools alike may wear Sean Jean threads and gold chains, throw shapes into the camera and boldly display oversized t-shirts with this cryptic message:
“I am Hip Hop”.
KRS-One currently weeps at the site of it.
Never has hiphop seemed so homosexual as in its first inklings.
That aside, what is perhaps more relevant to this discussion is the singular effect Rapper’s Delight has had on Western music overall. Featuring one of the earliest references to 'hip' and 'hop' and a bass line sampled from another recently popular song (Good Times by CHIC), this singular jam sought to meld an emergent urban lingo and the craft of the remix into a futuristic art form. Fortunately for us, it succeeded admirably.
What is absolutely undisputed about this jam is that it was the first ‘hiphop’ or ‘rap’ single to become a Top 40 hit. Though the Top 40 is no indication of a song’s relevance, it certainly can stand as a testament to it’s obviousness. This song’s obvious nature is a predictable result of it’s nativity: in order to capitalize on the spontaneous popularity of NYC block parties featuring the now emblematic Technics 1200 setups and brightly vested MCs, Sugar Hill Records simply formed a group of black men with easily digestible lyrics and accessible flow, had them regurgitate this jam and sat back as the money rolled in. The erstwhile record label simply said, “wow, these people have something obvious on their hands: let’s cash in!” And cash in they did. Rapper’s Delight sold more than 8 million copies.
Furthermore, it single handedly launched ‘hiphop’ into the national canon of popular music, so that today sucka MCs and old skool fools alike may wear Sean Jean threads and gold chains, throw shapes into the camera and boldly display oversized t-shirts with this cryptic message:
“I am Hip Hop”.
KRS-One currently weeps at the site of it.
Friday, March 16, 2007
swv- remix
so, human nature happens to be one of my all time mj favs. its such a hot jam and these girls have totally merged it with their own jam to make something so hott and jamable. when i hear these beats i just can't help but move and you'll find that to be the case with most people who get it.
HOLLER ALL YOU HATERS!
HOLLER ALL YOU HATERS!
Sunday, March 11, 2007
tina turner - we don't need another hero
tina was so on to something with this jam.
UPDATE, SOME IDIOT REMOVED THE OTHER VIDEO- THIS IS STILL A JAM THO. YOU CAN'T PUT OUT TINA'S FIRE!
she came up with this song in the 80's and it was a part of a soundtrack from a movie she did with mel gibson. so badass.
i was kind of bummed when all i could find was a live version of this song from a concert she did in amsterdam. then i watched it several times and realized what a genius performer she is. note how she is perched behind the drums for most of the song and seems to feature the keyboard/saxophone/exotic thrusting, silver spandex wearing man throughout most of the performance.
after all, we DON'T need to know the way home.
UPDATE, SOME IDIOT REMOVED THE OTHER VIDEO- THIS IS STILL A JAM THO. YOU CAN'T PUT OUT TINA'S FIRE!
she came up with this song in the 80's and it was a part of a soundtrack from a movie she did with mel gibson. so badass.
i was kind of bummed when all i could find was a live version of this song from a concert she did in amsterdam. then i watched it several times and realized what a genius performer she is. note how she is perched behind the drums for most of the song and seems to feature the keyboard/saxophone/exotic thrusting, silver spandex wearing man throughout most of the performance.
after all, we DON'T need to know the way home.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
see also, tlc- creep
soooo, i couldn't decide. they are both hot so i'm hitting you with a double O - J
flannel and silk pj's abound!
flannel and silk pj's abound!
tlc- no scrubs
these 3 were on to something. the clothes, moves and lyrics make this a totally obvious jam! rip left eye.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
carly simon- i haven't got time for the pain
obvs! i grew up on this shit. for awhile when i was younger my mom had a pbs recording of a concert she did in maine or something and it was the only vhs we had for years. i used to run around outside in a bathing suit through sprinklers my backyard singing the spider song. you know the one i mean?
my tastes have somewhat changed since then. this is such a jam.
also note: "nobody does it better"
and any other carly simon song. she is a beautiful woman with so much soul.
"all those crazy nights when i cried myself to sleep"
amen
my tastes have somewhat changed since then. this is such a jam.
also note: "nobody does it better"
and any other carly simon song. she is a beautiful woman with so much soul.
"all those crazy nights when i cried myself to sleep"
amen
Friday, January 19, 2007
Ease On Down The Road - Michael Jakson & Diana Ross
Is it insulting to the so-called 'blogosphere' to post a jam that is this obvious? I feel like some of you out there are going to say, 'Come On, Dave! You asshole! Tell us something we don't know!' And yet, has there really been anything on this blog that wasn't already patently obvious?
And thus, in the supreme spirit of The Seventies, where one could, and usually did, inject anything traditionally white-bread with a little Soul, we have this obvious jam featured in the 1975 Broadway musical, and later the 1978 film, The Wiz, starring Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. You will recall that The Wiz was a soulful re-imagining, what some might call an urbanization, of The Wizard of Oz, presumably designed to capture those demographics left untouched by the presence of ruby slippers and flying monkeys. With the inclusion of singing and dancing, even the film version of The Wiz was a full fledged musical.
Now, we all know that Diana Ross and Michael Jackson are cool, but have you seen them lately? Flying monkeys indeed! See, this is when they were at their respective zeniths, certainly not the butt of the numerous jokes we can all heartily chuckle at today. Though Diana Ross still maintains a dignity that Michael Jackson relinquished years ago, her career has gone somewhat sour, with renewed interest owed to another musical cum Hollywood production inspired by her past: Dreamgirls.
None of these facts can alter the course of this jam, however. It will live large in the minds of all those who have heard it and have grown up with it, long before sucka MCs like Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, et al. took the helm with their new millennium exploitations of great, classic and obvious jams.
And thus, in the supreme spirit of The Seventies, where one could, and usually did, inject anything traditionally white-bread with a little Soul, we have this obvious jam featured in the 1975 Broadway musical, and later the 1978 film, The Wiz, starring Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. You will recall that The Wiz was a soulful re-imagining, what some might call an urbanization, of The Wizard of Oz, presumably designed to capture those demographics left untouched by the presence of ruby slippers and flying monkeys. With the inclusion of singing and dancing, even the film version of The Wiz was a full fledged musical.
Now, we all know that Diana Ross and Michael Jackson are cool, but have you seen them lately? Flying monkeys indeed! See, this is when they were at their respective zeniths, certainly not the butt of the numerous jokes we can all heartily chuckle at today. Though Diana Ross still maintains a dignity that Michael Jackson relinquished years ago, her career has gone somewhat sour, with renewed interest owed to another musical cum Hollywood production inspired by her past: Dreamgirls.
None of these facts can alter the course of this jam, however. It will live large in the minds of all those who have heard it and have grown up with it, long before sucka MCs like Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, et al. took the helm with their new millennium exploitations of great, classic and obvious jams.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
the cure- just like heaven
sure, this jam is obvious and so perfect. i once heard a remix of this with an outkast song at a bar that was seriously sweet. anyone who can find this remix will be rewarded.
don't you all wish you could have stayed in bed all day?
& you wish you could walk out of your house every morning with robert smith's hair.
word.
don't you all wish you could have stayed in bed all day?
& you wish you could walk out of your house every morning with robert smith's hair.
word.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Go West - The King of Wishful Thinking
I first encountered this song in the early 1990s while watching the beginning of an enchanting little fairytale movie you may recall entitled Pretty Woman. This song comes on strong in the movie's opening credits. I will never forget thinking as I first watched, "Who the F sings this jamming masterpiece?" I was so enthralled that my friend and I kept rewinding the movie to memorize the words. Today, I remember back and think, "Wow, we were a bunch of losers."
Whatevs... watch the video and I guarantee that you will want to shimmy to the beat. Things to take note of (and these are just a few): The lead singer's shoulders rocking to the beat. (It's infectious.) The keyboardist's T-shirt tucked into his tapered-leg jeans. The bass player's spandex black shorts and bright yellow blazer. The outfits in this piece are out of contrizzy. The zoom in to the guy's earring at 2:26... random. This video embodies all that was rad about the 1990s. Watch, love, jam!
Whatevs... watch the video and I guarantee that you will want to shimmy to the beat. Things to take note of (and these are just a few): The lead singer's shoulders rocking to the beat. (It's infectious.) The keyboardist's T-shirt tucked into his tapered-leg jeans. The bass player's spandex black shorts and bright yellow blazer. The outfits in this piece are out of contrizzy. The zoom in to the guy's earring at 2:26... random. This video embodies all that was rad about the 1990s. Watch, love, jam!
Saturday, January 6, 2007
Careless Whisper - George Michael
I could tell you numerous stories about this jam...stories to thrill you! To chill you...to make you laugh :) and ye, to make you cry ;(
But I will dispense with the emoticons and hyperbole, and simply provide you, Dear Reader, with a suggested play-list. This one is best found near the end of the night's festivities, perhaps even while the hostess has begun cleaning up to suggest to her guests that the party's over...but we have some bad news for her: once this obvious jam busts on, the party has just begun!
To correct the tendency of this jam to make a party go all night, I will, without further ado, delineate the Suggested Play-List (as I said, implement near the end of the night):
...
74.)I can't Go For That - Hall & Oates
75.)Careless Whisper - George Michael
76.)I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash
77.)Get Up (I Feel Like Being Like A) Sex Machine - James Brown
The End
See what I mean? It's just this kind of careful planning of your jams that creates an obvious closure to an otherwise wide-open evening.
btdubs...be not afraid to bust this one early on in the night as well. If you are in a diverse crowd of party people who all appear to be "feeling the love", I see no reason at all that this jam wouldn't obviously sparkle.
But I will dispense with the emoticons and hyperbole, and simply provide you, Dear Reader, with a suggested play-list. This one is best found near the end of the night's festivities, perhaps even while the hostess has begun cleaning up to suggest to her guests that the party's over...but we have some bad news for her: once this obvious jam busts on, the party has just begun!
To correct the tendency of this jam to make a party go all night, I will, without further ado, delineate the Suggested Play-List (as I said, implement near the end of the night):
...
74.)I can't Go For That - Hall & Oates
75.)Careless Whisper - George Michael
76.)I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash
77.)Get Up (I Feel Like Being Like A) Sex Machine - James Brown
The End
See what I mean? It's just this kind of careful planning of your jams that creates an obvious closure to an otherwise wide-open evening.
btdubs...be not afraid to bust this one early on in the night as well. If you are in a diverse crowd of party people who all appear to be "feeling the love", I see no reason at all that this jam wouldn't obviously sparkle.
Friday, January 5, 2007
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