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Automatic (Pointer Sisters Song)
"Automatic" is a song recorded by American vocal group the Pointer Sisters for their tenth studio album '' Break Out'' (1983). The song was released by the Planet label on January 13, 1984, as the second single from the album. It was written by Brock Walsh and Mark Goldenberg. "Automatic" reached number five on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and became one of their signature songs. Eventually, three other singles from ''Break Out'' reached the top-ten on the Hot 100 consecutively. ''Billboard'' named the song number 94 on their list of "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs Of All Time". "Automatic" was the group's first Top 40 hit to feature Ruth Pointer's distinctive contralto on lead. Background According to Ruth Pointer, "Automatic" was the final song chosen for ''Break Out'': "We were taking a break from recording in the office of Jim Tract, who was Richard Perry's right-hand man, and Jim mentioned that he had a stash of tapes we might want to listen to hile ona breather...We al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Pointer Sisters
The Pointer Sisters are an American female vocal group from Oakland, California, who achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. They have had a repertoire with many genres, they have sold around 50 million records throughout their career included. The Pointer Sisters have won three Grammy Awards and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994. The group had 13 US top 20 hits between 1973 and 1987. The group had its origins when sisters June and Bonnie Pointer began performing in clubs in 1969 as "Pointers Au Pair". The line-up grew to a trio when sister Anita joined them. Their record deal with Atlantic Records produced several unsuccessful singles. The trio grew to a quartet when sister Ruth joined in December 1972. They then signed with Blue Thumb Records, recorded their debut album and, with their new label, began seeing more success, winning a Grammy Award in 1975 for Best Country Vocal Performance for " Fairytale" (1974). Bonnie left the group ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Signature Song
A signature (; from , "to sign") is a depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. Signatures are often, but not always, handwritten or stylized. The writer of a signature is a signatory or signer. Similar to a handwritten signature, a signature work describes the work as readily identifying its creator. A signature may be confused with an autograph, which is chiefly an artistic signature. This can lead to confusion when people have both an autograph and signature and as such some people in the public eye keep their signatures private whilst fully publishing their autograph. Function and types Identification The traditional function of a signature is to permanently affix to a document a person's uniquely personal, undeniable self-identification as physical evidence of that person's personal witness and certification of the content of all, or a specified part, of the documen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A-side And B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of vinyl records and cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a single usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company intends to be the initial focus of promotional efforts and radio airplay, with the aim of it becoming a hit record. The B-side (or "flip-side") is a secondary recording that typically receives less attention, although some B-sides have been as successful as, or more so than, their A-sides. Use of this language has largely declined in the 21st century as the music industry has transitioned away from analog recordings towards digital formats without physical sides, such as downloads and streaming. Nevertheless, some artists and labels continue to employ the terms ''A-side'' and ''B-side'' metaphorically to describe the type of content a particular release features, with ''B-side'' sometimes representing a "bonus" track or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Reflex
"The Reflex" is the eleventh single by the English pop rock band Duran Duran, released on 16 April 1984. The song was heavily remixed by Nile Rodgers and Jason Corsaro for the single release. It was the third and last to be taken from their third studio album '' Seven and the Ragged Tiger'' (1983). The single became the band's first to reach the top of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and their second to top the UK Singles Chart. On ''Billboard'''s chart, it also became the first of two songs blocking Bruce Springsteen's " Dancing in the Dark" from reaching number one (along with Prince's "When Doves Cry"). Song history Producer Ian Little recalled the sound that Nick Rhodes played on his Roland Jupiter-8 keyboard: "... whenever I hear that steel-drum part it always brings a smile to my face because it's so out of tune. Steel drums always are, but it was exactly right in terms of rhythm and tone. So a wood-block sound was mixed in to make it even more percussive and, successfully, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rockwell (musician)
Kennedy William Gordy (born March 15, 1964), known professionally as Rockwell, is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known for his hit single "Somebody's Watching Me", which features Michael Jackson on chorus vocals. Gordy is the son of Motown founder Berry Gordy. Other relatives include half-siblings Redfoo, Rhonda Ross Kendrick and half-nephew Sky Blu (rapper), Sky Blu. Early life Kennedy William Gordy is the son of Motown founder and CEO Berry Gordy and Margaret Norton. His father named him Kennedy William after John F. Kennedy and Smokey Robinson, William "Smokey" Robinson. Career To avoid the appearance of nepotism, Gordy secured his record deal without his father's knowledge. Motown proposed the name of Rockwell and Gordy agreed to the change because he believed that he "rocked well". In 1983, Rockwell released his most successful single, "Somebody's Watching Me", with childhood friend Michael Jackson singing the chorus lyrics and Jermaine Jackson singing backing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Somebody's Watching Me
"Somebody's Watching Me" is a song recorded and written by American singer Rockwell, released by the Motown label in December 1983, as the lead single from his debut studio album of the same name. It features guest vocals by Michael Jackson with Jermaine Jackson performing additional backing vocals. The song became a major commercial success internationally, topping the charts in Belgium, France, and Spain, and reaching the top 5 in Canada, West Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. In the UK, it reached No. 6 and is Rockwell's only top 40 hit on the UK Singles Chart. ''Rolling Stone'' magazine called the song "an international and enduring smash hit that, more than 30 years later, remains the perennial paranoia-rock anthem and Halloween mix go-to song." Background and composition Rockwell is a son of Motown CEO Berry Gordy. At the time of the recording, Rockwell was estranged from his father and living with Ray Sing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
How Long (Betcha' Got A Chick On The Side)
"How Long (Betcha' Got a Chick on the Side)" is a song by American vocal group the Pointer Sisters, released as the first single from their ''Steppin''' album in 1975. Written by group members Anita Pointer and Bonnie Pointer with David Rubinson, the song's mixture of funky R&B and the sisters' soulful harmonies helped make it a standout in the Pointer Sisters' early catalog. The single was a significant success for the group, reaching number 20 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and was the group's first and only number-one single on the US Hot Soul Singles chart, where it spent two weeks at number one. Personnel *Anita Pointer – lead vocals, backing vocals *Ruth Pointer – backing vocals *Bonnie Pointer – backing vocals *June Pointer – backing vocals *David Rubinson – producer Musicians * Tom Salisbury – acoustic piano * Chris Michie – guitar * Wah Wah Watson Melvin M. Ragin (December 8, 1950 – October 24, 2018), known professionally as Wah Wah ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hot Dance Club Songs
The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the United States. History The Dance Club Songs chart underwent several incarnations since its inception in 1974. Originally a top-10 list of tracks that garnered the largest audience response in New York City discothèques, the chart began on October 26, 1974, under the title ''Disco Action''. The chart went on to feature playlists from various cities around the country from week to week. ''Billboard'' continued to run regional and city-specific charts throughout 1975 and 1976 until the issue dated August 28, 1976, when a 30-position ''National Disco Action Top 30'' premiered. The first number-one song on the chart for the issue dated August 28, 1976, was "You Shou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 positions but was shortened to 50 positions in October 2012. The chart is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African-American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, rock and roll, soul, and funk, it is today dominated by contemporary R&B and hip hop. Since its inception, the chart has changed its name many times in order to accurately reflect the industry at the time. History Beginning in 1942, ''Billboard'' published a chart of bestselling African-American music, first as the Harlem Hit Parade, then as Race Records. Then in 1949, ''Billboard'' began publishing a Rhythm and Blues chart, which entered "R&B" into mainstream lexicon. These three ch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jump (for My Love)
"Jump (For My Love)" is an electropop song by American girl group the Pointer Sisters, released on April 11, 1984, as the third single from their tenth studio album, '' Break Out'' (1983). The song hit the top ten on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, R&B, and Dance charts, and it was the best-selling American dance single of 1984, sold as a trio of songs including "I Need You" and "Automatic". The song features June Pointer on lead vocals and scored global chart success. Girls Aloud remade the song as "Jump", which saw a release in November 2003. History "Jump (For My Love)" features June Pointer on lead vocals. It was co-written by regular collaborators Marti Sharron, Gary Skardina, and Stephen Mitchell. Skardina and Mitchell were responsible for the chord progressions, melody, and arrangement while Sharron's focus was on the lyrics and melody. According to Sharron the instrumental track for the demo of "Jump" was completed before the lyrics: on first hearing the playback of the in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Urban Contemporary
Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of Black genres such as R&B, pop rap, quiet storm, urban adult contemporary and hip hop; Latin music such as Latin pop, Chicano R&B and Chicano rap; and Caribbean music such as reggae and soca. Urban contemporary was developed through the characteristics of genres such as R&B and soul. Because urban music is a largely U.S. phenomenon, virtually all urban contemporary formatted radio stations in the United States are located in cities that have sizeable African-American populations, such as New York City; Washington, D.C.; Detroit; Atlanta; Miami; Chicago; Cleveland; Philadelphia; Montgomery; Memphis; St. Louis; Newark; Charleston; New Orleans; Milwaukee; Cincinnati; Dallas; Houst ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Contralto
A contralto () is a classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range is the lowest of their voice type, voice types. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare, similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typically between the F below middle C (F3 in scientific pitch notation) to the second F above middle C (F5), although, at the extremes, some voices can reach the D below middle C (D3) or the second B above middle C (B5). The contralto voice type is generally divided into the coloratura, lyric, and dramatic contralto. History "Contralto" is primarily meaningful only in reference to classical and operatic singing, as other traditions lack a comparable Voice classification in non-classical music, system of vocal categorization. The term "contralto" is only applied to female singers; men singing in a similar range are called "countertenors". The Italian terms "contralto" and "alto" are not synonymous, "alto" technic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
