things and time will tell.

Sade – Flower Of The Universe (From Disney's "A Wrinkle In Time") RCA Records – none 2 x File, FLAC, Single, Mar 9, 2018 info A return to a long delayed series tracking Sade soundtrack contributions for no particular reason... Parts 1 and 2 here and here . In 2018, Sade released a new song recorded for the soundtrack of Ava DuVernay's adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's  A Wrinkle In Time . This was the first new song the band issued in 8 years, since their 2010 studio album,  Soldier Of Love (and a few unreleased tracks included on the 2011 Ultimate Collection  greatest hits set). And if a big-budget children's movie isn't where you expected Sade to pop up (especially after the somewhat darker, adult sound of the previous album), that would make sense, but this works well: Sade Adu's vocals as rich as ever, singing a love letter to a child and set over her own wordless backing vocals and a simple guitar. The music continues with the drumless, spars...

Various Artists – Special Selections From The Soundtrack Philadelphia (Sampler) Epic – AED 5695 Vinyl, 12", 33 ⅓ RPM, Promo, Sampler, US, 1993 info This soundtrack is questionable compared to the last one , but to be fair, Sade's track is actually just fine. She's back with the band on this one, turning in a cover of Percy Mayfield's lovely Please Send Me Someone To Love  as their contribution to the soundtrack for the Denzel Washington/Tom Hanks blockbuster, Philadelphia .  ...Which, by the way, makes this another soundtrack to a film I've never seen. (Pay attention and you'll notice a pattern.) The Sade song isn't going to wind up in your top ten, but it's definitely worth a spin. Please Send Me Someone To Love  is a nice piece of songwriting to begin with. You've probably heard five different versions of it over the years and, if you mostly remember the chorus, it's a cut with a surprisingly heavy set of lyrics . Interesting to hear Sade play...

Sade – The Remix Deluxe Epic – ESCA 5700 CD, Mini-Album, Compilation, Special Edition, Stereo Japan, Jun 2, 1993 info A CD this time, but a fairly rare one (around these parts anyway) with a couple buried treasures. A five track EP, apparently pulled together to promote a 1993 Japanese tour, Sade's The Remix Deluxe  was a Japan only release following up the previous year's  Love Deluxe album. Only one of the tracks was pulled from their then currently LP though, instead compiling together a handful of nice remixes and B sides onto a single disc. It's Sade. Do I really need to say anything else to make you want to listen? The disc opens with two remixes that had been released on vinyl singles the year before. First, Nellee Hooper adds a drum loop and ups the funk a bit on Feel No Pain . Sade's prayer for the strugglers of the Thatcher years is turned into something you could play late at night while you bring things down a little after a hop hop set in the club. (That...

Syl Johnson & Jimmy Johnson – Two Johnsons Are Better Than One Evidence – ECD 26122-2 CD, Album, USA & Canada, 2002 info A quick post, but after talking to R a couple days ago I realized I should share this one. Chicago lost two of our unsung musical treasures last week. Tragically, the losses came just a few days apart from the same family when soul singer Syl Johnson followed his big brother, blues guitarist Jimmy Johnson, in passing. Jimmy was 93 and Sylvester (who is also the father of R&B singer Syleena Johnson ) was 85. Jimmy was under appreciated, slugging away working the Chicago blues circuit for decades. He had backed other artists on guitar, but I'm pretty sure he was 50 or so before putting out an album under his own name. Syl was best known for the great soul sides he had cut in the late 60s and early 70s for Twinight here in Chicago and, later, Hi Records in Memphis. He kept recording blues and soul records for smaller labels into the 1990s, but his later ...

Al Green – Don't Look Back BMG, RCA – 74321 16310 2 CD, Album, Europe, 1993 info Today is my wife's birthday. She's turning one of those ages that people notice, that might provoke you to do a little assessing of where you're at in life... or make you a little self conscious about whether you've become "old." I've never been an expert at keeping her from worrying, but, for whatever it's worth, here's my reflection. She has become happier, healthier and stronger over the last 10 years. She is at once both infinitely more mature than then me and far more full of life, taking on new challenges and adventures adventures at both home and work (when she could have slowing down and sinking into easier routines at either).  She can be shy and hates being embarrassed more than anything in the world… but focusing on that can make it easy to miss that she's also become damn near fearless.  One of the few joys I've found hidden behind all the tensi...

Various Artists (Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad) ‎– Luke Cage Marvel, Netflix ‎– D002532221 Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Limited Edition, US, 19 Jul 2017 Info A few days ago, I was listening to a member of the union jump into an important discussion at a training I attended. He made some really thoughtful points, but in the middle of his comment he mentioned Luke Cage. Right away he paused to explain to everyone: "Sorry. Luke Cage was a comic book reference if that didn't make sense." Well, apparently we live a world right now where a good number of union members sitting in a meeting not only know who Luke Cage is, but have opinions on where he would stand on police, black lives matter, and union struggles. (The consensus, by the way, among people I spoke to was that he would clearly be on our side.) Ten years ago, if you had told me that one day there would be a Luke Cage TV show and that it would actually be good, I'd have been skeptical. If you said that the s...

Aaliyah ‎– Rock The Boat Label: Blackground Entertainment ‎– 72438-38814-7-5, EMI-Capitol Music Special Markets Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single, US, 2001 Info DJ Still Life ‎– Try Otra Vez BSTRD Boots ‎– BJX7:10 Vinyl, 7", US, 2011 Info A friend recently mentioned Aaliyah holding a special place in her heart, so I was very happy when I actually managed to hunt these down as I sorted through a stack of singles the next day. First up, two of her hits on a 45, helpfully labeled "FOR JUKEBOXES ONLY!" (I don't remember real jukeboxes that played vinyl still being much of a thing by 2001. What diner was playing the latest by Aaliyah if you popped in a quarter? And what would they be playing if we went there for lunch this weekend?) Rock The Boat  is a great track, but it's More Than A Woman on the flip that really gets me. Aaliyah is pretty much at her best with a killer hook, pounding drums, the squelchy synth bass and strings... Some of Timbaland's sci-fi funk fo...