Earth Wind & Fire - Open Our Eyes

​Today Marks The 52nd Anniversary of Earth, Wind & Fire’s 5th Studio Album “Open Our Eyes” Originally Released on March 25, 1974.

 

Open Our Eyes is the fifth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on March 25, 1974 on Columbia Records.

 

The album peaked at #1 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 15 on the Top Pop Albums chart and at #15 on the US Billboard 200 chart.

 

The singles were released from the album “

“Mighty Mighty", Kalimba Story and “Devotion".

 

“Mighty Mighty" peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart and at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100.

 

“Kalimba Story" was the second single released from the album it peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart and at #55 on the Billboard Hot 100.

 

“Devotion “ peaked at #23 on the Billboard Hot Soul Songs chart and at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100 Songs chart.

 

“Open Our Eyes” has been certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA.

 

Rolling Stone called Open Our Eyes "a pleasant miscellany of Africana, Latin rhythms, well-mannered funk, smooth jazz, Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder and the Fifth Dimension".

 

Track-listing

 

1. "Mighty Mighty"

2. "Devotion"

3. "Fair But So Uncool"

4. "Feelin' Blue"

5. "Kalimba Story"

6. "Drum Song"

7. "Tee Nine Chee Bit"

8. "Spasmodic Movements”

9. "Rabbit Seed"

10. "Caribou"

11. "Open Our Eyes"

12. "Ain't No Harm To Moan (Slave Song)"

13. "Fair But So Uncool (Walkin' In N'Awlins Mix)"

14. "Step's Tune"

15. "Dreams"

 

By Romie Rome for Musique Funkology.©

New Birth - Coming Together

​Today Marks The 54th Anniversary of New Birth’s 3rd Studio Album “Coming Together” Originally Released on March 24, 1972.

 

“Coming Together” is the third album by American funk and R&B collective New Birth, released in March 1972 by RCA Records.

 

The album reached #40 on the Billboard Top R&B Album chart.

 

The album released the single  "I Don't Want to Do Wrong", The single reached #41 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart.

 

Like the collective's first two efforts, Coming Together was produced by mentor Harvey Fuqua, whose style of building a whole song around a simple phrase is represented by "The Unh Song" (from their debut album) and the bass-laden "Oh Baby I Love The Way", and his uncredited assistant, Vernon Bullock .

 

It contained two tracks ("Don't Knock My Love" and "I Don't Want To Do Wrong") by its subgroup, Love, Peace & Happiness, which featured Ann Bogan. formerly of the Marvelettes. Leslie Wilson, who would later lead the group on I Can Understand It and Wildflower, and his brother Melvin, which also appear on their "Here 'Tis" album. The song "African Cry" was an Afrocentric version of the Paul Revere & The Raiders song "Indian Reservation".

 

It was this album that brought the various elements of New Birth (which also included the instrumental group The Nite-Liters and vocalists Londee Loren, Alan Frye and Bobby Downs) together and set the direction they would go in the future.

 

On this album, their trademark cover is represented by Frank Sinatra's "All The Way" (which. along with The Unh Song" was actually taken from their first album) and their funk jams are "Come Back Into My Life" and "Oh Baby I Love The Way."

 

It was their previous single "It's Impossible" as well as their next single "I Can Understand It" and their next album, "Birthday" that would put them on the map. This album also inspired the name for the hip hop collective Native Tongues.

 

Track-listing

 

1. Two Kinds of People (I Am)

2. Oh, Baby, I Love the Way

3. Yesterday I Heard the Rain

4. African Cry

5. I Don't Want to Do Wrong

6. Don't Knock My Love*

7. If I Can't Have You

8. All the Way

9. Unh Song

10. Come Back Into My Life

 

By Romie Rome for Musique Funkology.©

Mass Production - Turn Up the Music

​

Today Marks The 45th Anniversary of Mass Production’s 6th Studio Album “Turn Up the Music” Originally Released on March 23, 1981.

 

“Turn Up the Music” is the sixth studio album by American funk/disco musical group Mass Production released in 1981 on Cotillion Records.

 

The album reached #166 on the U.S. Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart.

 

Two songs were released from the album as singles “I Can't Believe You're Going Away”and the album’s title track  “Turn Up the Music”.

 

“I Can't Believe You're Going Away” reached #90 on the U.S. Billboard R&B Singles chart.

 

“Turn Up the Music” reached #36 on the U.S. Billboard R&B Singles chart.

 

The album was produced by Mass Production and Executively produced by Ed A. Ellerbe.

 

Tracklist

 

1. Our Thought (Tomorrow)

2. Turn Up The Music

3. Can't Believe You're Going Away

4. Sunshine

5. Bopp

6. Saucey

7. I Got To Have Your Love

8. Diamond Chips

9. Clinch Quencher

 

By Romie Rome for Musique Funkology.©

Cameo - Alligator Woman

​Today Marks The 44th Anniversary of Cameo’s 8th Studio Album “Alligator Woman” Originally Released on March 22, 1982.

 

“Alligator Woman” is a 1982 album by the American Funk/R&B band Cameo, released by Casablanca Records. It is the group's eighth studio album.

 

The album reached #23 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart and at #6 on Billboard's Black Albums chart.

 

Cameo released two singles from the album "Be Yourself" which peaked at #101 on Billboard's U.S. charts and and at #10 on Billboard's R&B charts.

 

The 2nd single "Flirt" peaked at peaked at #9 on Billboard's U.S. charts and and at #10 on Billboard's R&B charts.

 

The 3rd single and title track "Alligator Woman" peaked at peaked at #2 on Billboard's U.S. charts and and at #54 on Billboard's R&B charts.

 

The album’s cover artwork model is the Canadian singer/model Vanity (Denise Matthews).

 

”Alligator Woman” was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 copies.

 

 Tracklist:

 

1. Be Yourself

2. Soul Army

3. Flirt

4. Enjoy Your Life

5. Alligator Woman

6. Secrets Of Time

7. I Owe It All To You

8. For You

 

By Romie Rome For Musique Funkolog.©

Brick - Too Tuff

​ Today Marks The 38th Anniversary of Brick’s 7th Studio Album “Too Tuff” Originally Released on March 21, 1988.

 

“Too Tuff” is the seventh and final studio album by Atlanta Funk, Jazz band Brick released in 1988 on Magic City Records.

 

Upon its release the album failed to chart on the Billboard charts.

 

The song “Kum Danz” was released as a single from the album it too didn’t chart on Billboard charts.

 

Track-listing

 1. Kum Danz

2. Bring Your Love Back (To Me)

3. Got To Be Where You Are

4. Slide

5. Too Tuff

6. Say The Word

7. Do Me Right

8. A Part Of Me

9. Dazz

 

By Romie Rome for Musique Funkology.©

Con Funk Shun - Spirit of Love

​Today Marks The 46th Anniversary of Con Funk Shun’s 6th Studio Album  “Spirit of Love” Originally Released on March 21, 1980

 

Spirit Of Love is the sixth album by the musical group Con Funk Shun. It was released in 1980 on the Mercury Records label.

 

The album peaked at #7 on the Billboard Top Soul LPs[ chart and at 30 on the Billboard Top LPs chart.

 

Three singles were released from the album in 1980 “Got To Be Enough", “By Your Side" and “Happy Face".

 

“Got To Be Enough" peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs Chart and at #20 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.

 

“By Your Side" peaked at #27 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart.

 

The third single “Happy Face" reached #87 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs charts.

 

Track-listing

 

1.  "Got To Be Enough"

2 "By Your Side"

3. "Curtain Call"

4. "Early Morning Sunshine"

5. "Spirit Of Love"

6. "Happy Face"

7. "All Up To You"

8. "Juicy"

9. "Honey Wild"

10. "Lovestruck 1980"

 

By Romie Rome for Musique Funkology.©