Above ground, watching fireworks

Simp-son! If any true entertainment is to be had via Jessica Simpson's tit-perky new single, "A Public Affair," it's not really the song itself, but the joy in watching the gays who shape our lives get their feathers all ruffled over the fact that Jessica Simpson dared to be reminiscent of Madonna!!! I mean, dining out on other people's "sound" and "culture" in the name of pop music? Can you imagine?!?! Simpson is practically a pioneer in nerve!

Yes, the guitar riff of "APA" is pure "Holiday," and the cascading sound effect is a wink at "Lucky Star," but "A Public Affair" recalls more than that -- it's fluorescent-brite like Kylie Minogue's "Love at First Sight" and just rhythmic enough without pouncing on you, so that it's mostly like Jennifer Paige's "Crush" in a major key. And that's my ultimate problem with "A Public Affair" -- it's all head and no ass, as melody screeches and gushes in your ear, while beat and bass line are turned way down (there's a rather hilarious go-go-esque drum breakdown that's literally buried around three quarters in, probably so as not to offend the soccer moms). Here is where the dance-pop revival puts on frosted lip gloss that's so cheap it'll end up giving you a rash.

Holy shit, a posthumous single that isn't excruciatingly sentimental? Imagine that! Well, actually don't, because Luther Vandross' "Shine" is a reality, and a glorious one at that. It's a Jam and Lewis production from God knows when (maybe literally!) with programmed drums that pump and crunch the way Steve "Silk" Hurley's did in the early '90s. At the track's center is a prominent sample of Chic's "My Forbidden Lover." In a way, this brings Luther's recording career full circle the first single sporting a lead solo vocal from Luther was Change's 1980 hit "The Glow of Love," which all but replicated Chic's "Good Times." "Shine," much like Kirk Franklin's "Looking for You" is a slice for our too-cool pop landscape. Of course, this means it's banished to the ghetto of the Urban AC format -- only those who still use the term "grown and sexy" will be privy to this track's silky charms. "Shine" came out of nowhere -- it was released to radio last month, before the announcement of The Ultimate Luther Vandross compilation. Funny that it arrived at a time that I'd sort of forgotten about missing him. This makes me want him back more than ever.

(Major thanks to Stephanie for the heads-up on "Shine!")

And speaking of heads-up, yikes: I'm so embarrassed to admit that I found out via fucking Pitchfork that a hip-hop producer near and dear to my heart, Marley Marl, has returned to the remixing game (after years of inactivity). You know, I don't even feel worthy to enjoy the track, which is more rambunctious and blissfully obnoxious than I'm accustomed to from Marley (really, with that prominent and quivering high-pitched riff, I feel like he's channeling DJ Muggs' work on the first two Cypress Hill records). Anyway, this is, instantly, among my favorite hip-hop tracks of the year (rowdy fun like this is so hard to come by!), and KRS-One's re-energized turn has as much to do it as Marley's beats. So, this was quite the recommendation -- thanks Pfork! I think it redeems the massive cluelessness that occurred just days before, when in his ass-kissy write up of Frank Kogan's Real Punks Don't Wear Black Tom Breihan, with pandering quotes in tow, called Teena Marie "crap." I'm sure he loves Beyoncé, though.

I know you probably won't believe me, but Booka Shade's electrohouse remix of Yello's '80s curio "Oh Yeah" (that weird, groovy nonsense track featured in scads of commercials and, perhaps most famously, Ferris Bueller's Day Off) is fucking great. I know that we're in exponential-novelty territory here -- a nostalgia-teasing re-imagining of what was a novelty song to begin with is a concept that would at least turn my stomach, if not make my head explode -- but you'd never be able to tell with how cool and calm things are. BS distill the song to a sleek gloss, shifting things around, teasing you with a drawn out "Ohhhhhhh yeaahhhhh," before letting the song break out into its original melody and form. There's a vintage Chicago-house sensibility to the clattering rhythms. This is for the sausage king in all of us.

And, if "Oh Yeah Oh Six" doesn't count, there are two throwbacks of the week this time around. The first is the video for Inner City's "Good Life," which ran on BET J recently. This, simply, is one of the most exciting pop-accessible dance tracks ever made. I'd never seen the clip before, but was disappointed to find that scenes from Slaves of New York were cut into it (especially since, as I found out immediately after, the full, non-SONY cut had already been upped to YouTube). But then, I watched it again and realized how fucking weird it was -- it was as much a commercial for the movie as it was for Detroit techno, a way to ease America into the genre (I'm assuming this was one of the first "perks" of Inner City's silly record deal with Virgin).

Because nothing says techno like Bernadette Peters, right? Anyway, enjoy the weirdness:

And finally, Jonno and I recently were bemoaning the fact that Nocera's "Summertime, Summertime" video has yet to show up on YouTube (and speaking of that, where the fuck is Yo-Yo and Ice Cube's "You Can't Play With My Yo-Yo" clip?). Anyway, the Nocera thing sucks, because I wanted to put up that one, too in celebration of July 4 (which is the hardest of the hardcore summer days, in my opinion). And so, you'll just have to settle for an MP3 instead. Oh well. Anyway, this song is amazing, thanks not just to Kurtis Mantronik's punching-bag percussion, but also to Nocera, perhaps the worst in a genre built on bad voices. Girlfriend doesn't just sound like she's never spoken English before, she sounds like she's never spoken, period, before. Anyway, this is now and forever, my ultimate summer jam. Enjoy your holiday weekend. I know I will (lookout Jersey, here I come).

Comments

[Ian]

What the fuck is she saying, Rich? I think I only caught the chorus.

But I must say, I kinda like it (we need more shimmy-able songs this summer). I know that's terribly embarrassing, but have you heard her "Fired Up"? Now that's all ass and a brown-bagged head.

[mariaaaaa]

Happy Fourth of July y'all!

Spot on with the Simpson single commentary. I'll be sure to check the rest out later on at home...

[Greg]

I remember listening to "Summertime, Summertime" back in the '80s and trying to sing along. I could never figure out what the hell she was saying! Hilarious! I still have the cassette.
My favorite singer from that era is still Jewish princess Alisha and her single "All Night Passion."

[Transcendental Moo Cow]

Hey Rich, Jessica Simpson totally bites off "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" with her "ooooooooooooooh, oh oh oh"s towards the end of "Public Affair," too. Which is just bizarre! (Listen again, you'll definitely hear it.) I guess there ain't no valley low enough to keep her from hittin' the clubs with her girls these days.

[david]

i don't know whats worse; the new mediocre-at-best jessica simpson single, or the lazy gay-zy commentary by andy towle and trent pink blog whatever... it makes me more than a little sick that someone like andy towle dictates for so many what "we gays" are supposed to be living like. the tanned up, muscled up, might as well be a straight lawyer from B.U. summering in "the pines" schtick is almost as boring as the entire La Simpson ouerve.

[Daryl]

Great post Rich. You really took me back with your reference to Nocera. "Dake meee, Dake me to the waaa-der" "Summer-dime, summer-dime". I think the only one who came close to being as off key as she was is Giggles of Love Letters fame. Jersey represent (West Orange).

[Ridwah]

Fun Yellow remix, it immediately took me back to The Secret of My Success. Where have you gone, Helen Slater??

[seanbperiod]

madonna's "Holiday" is not the orignal song to carry that tune.. the song originates with "and the beat goes on" by the whispers, which was also redone by will smith in 199 as "Miami"

Also, Kirk Franklin's "Looking for you" is also a direct ode to Patrice Rushen's "Haven't you heard".

I'm not discrediting you on your knowledge of the "who's who originated what", but more focused to the gay readers, who seem to think madonna is the "be all, end all" of music. Other people came before her, and others will follow. Hip hop is a genre that started by taking from others and twisting it to sound another way..

I'm by no means a Jessica Simpson fan- i just wish people would have better knowledgeable arguments than "blatent rip of madonna"

[JH]

A Public Affair puts me in mind of an especially average Kidz Bop arrangement.

[Rich]

TMC -- so true. I actually had that in my notes (heh, yeah, notes) about "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," but it totally slipped my mind in the rush to get this up.

SPB - So true. Also, you check the last NFAG post (linked to in the Luther section), you'll see that I posted "Haven't You Heard" alongside "Looking for You." My love for the latter is a direct result of my love for the former.

[Thomas]

Thanks for the "Shine," Rich. You're so right - this is a light, wet, summer kiss of a single which most of America, sadly will never hear. I'm so wet just thinking of what MAW could do with this on the remix...

[tekay]

not going to totally jump on the hatin' of jessica bandwagon, but everyone does realize that she started her career as a biter. i mean, her first single "i think i'm in love" (is that it?) was simply new lyrics over john cougar's "jack and diane." i mean where do you really go from there?

[LeBon]

The Luther tune is nice, but the vocals are mixed about 3-6db too loud (no doubt in order to overcome the effects of the hardcore for-radio limiting that occurs in mastering), effectively blunting some of energy that the tune would otherwise offer and giving a bit of an undercooked feel. A shame really, but such is the world of engineering and mastering these days where so much life is squashed out of everything in favor of apparent loudness. Will no one think of the nightclubs???

[So...]

I feel ya, seanb. Madge has been bitin' rhymes from day one, but it hasn't stopped her from gaining millions of fans. There is all kinds of debate as to what is "homage" and what is "a rip-off," and in my humble opinion, it's just a song. If ya like it, turn it up. If not, turn it off. It's as simple as that.

[emilya]

myra breckinridge!

[nate]

Thank you for "Good Life." I'd totally forgotten about it. More old school house please.

[Mer]

Jessica's new song songs like a Rick Astley song to me. I wish he'd make a US comeback. I love that firecrotch.

[jezebelly]

The main problem with JSimp's single is that she doesn't have the pipes to dominate that splashy mix. Now, Christina Aguilera would bitchslap a synth.

Anyway, I BEG, BEG, BEG of you to write an essay on the vocal stylings of Joyce Sims. She makes Nocera sound like she's a graduate of Berklee.

[Veggie Girl]

Rich,

Yesterday on the train this popped in my head ...

Only a model would answer an essay question by caressing himself.

... and I busted out laughing. That line's been getting me since Thursday. My favorite since atwirl was spoken about in the abstract like karate or kindness. Too good.

[Veggie Girl]

Uh, but on this topic ... the worst part of the JS single I think is the affected breathy singing. Did she jog to the studio? But it's no worse than most new stuff on the radio. I don't expect much from her, so it's not any more of a disappointment than is the entirety of new pop music. Who will save it, I wonder.

[musicploitation]

Jessica Simpson = The next Debbie Gibson. Public affair = Shake Your Love?

[mjq]

I'm playing "Shine" over and over again and dancing around my house even though my air conditioning is barely working. It's like the last 20 years never happened, the sound is so classic. I can't thank you enough for posting it.

[mjq]

Plus... I wonder if Luther said to Jimmy and Terry, "You owe me one, bitches, for stealing "Glow of Love" for Miss Janet. Write me somethin'."

[sean]

Jessica Simpson is a pimple, ok?, I don't care what you say....

[raphaela]

Luther!
Oh that's brilliant and fresh!
Thank you!