ROCK Sex: "Love Is The Drug" - Roxy Music > Chic > Grace Jones > Duran Duran

ROCK Sex dims the light, you can guess the rest.

Today, under the influence of "Love Is The Drug".

_______________

in the mid-'70s, Roxy Music began intersecting their Art Rock with Funk, through Bryan Ferry's love of Soul music.

The quintessential "Love Is The Drug" was the game-changer.


ROXY MUSIC -"Love Is The Drug" (1975)




Nigel Rogers loved the tight terse bass sound so much that it inspired this classic by Chic.

CHIC -"Good Times" (1979)


(Many other songs were then catapulted by this song.)



The combination of angular pop with martial disco influenced PostPunk, Mutant Disco, and New Wave bands to follow.

In the nexus of Reggae Dub, Disco, and New Wave was Grace Jones with her cover version.

GRACE JONES -"Love Is the Drug" (1980)



And if you combine the two songs by Roxy Music and Chic, you have the template for Duran Duran.

DURAN DURAN -"Planet Earth" (1981)



The Duran Duran spin-off band, The Power Station, featured Bernard Edwards (producer) and Tony Thompson (drums) of Chic.

---

"Love Is The Drug" also inspired these variations.


THE HOT RATS (Supergrass) -"Love Is the Drug" (2009)


BALLA -"Montra" (2010)


Bryan Ferry himself remade the song in a 1920s Jazz style, which was included in Baz Luhrmann's version of THE GREAT GATSBY (2013).





© Tym Stevens

---

See Also:

• "Good Times!" - Chic > SugarHill Gang > Queen > Defunkt > Ting Tings

• "Soul Makossa" - Manu Dibango > Trovaioli >
Michael Jackson

• "Don't Bring Me Down" - Ronnie Dawson > Electric Light Orchestra > Dazz Band > The Hives

• ROCK Orgy: "Genius of Love"

• "Strict Machine" - Norman Greenbaum + Donna Summer = Goldfrapp


• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist

---

LADIES FIRST: "Piece Of My Heart" - Erma Franklin > Janis Joplin > Mondo Kozmo

LADIES FIRST brings you another classic song that 'she did first'.

_______________

Most Soul Music fans know that Aretha Franklin was backed up by her sisters on stage and record, and that Carolyn Franklin and Erma Franklin had fine recordings of their own.

Erma recorded the first version of "Piece Of My Heart" in 1967.

ERMA FRANKLIN -"Piece Of My Heart" (1967)



Kindred Soul sister Janis Joplin admired that single so much that she recorded it on her band's classic album debut, CHEAP THRILLS. It became a standard in her repertoire to the extent that many think it was originally her song.

BIG BROTHER AND THE HOLDING COMPANY, w/ JANIS JOPLIN -"Piece Of My Heart" (1968)



Just to prove that there's plenty of Erma's heart to go around, the song has gained new life from Dusty Springfield, Bryan Ferry, Bonnie Tyler, Etta James, Faith Hill, Melissa Etheridge, Pink, Beverly Knight, and Steven Tyler.


Here's a new song based on the original Erma Franklin version.
MONDO KOZMO -"Plastic Soul" (2017)




"But I'm gonna show you, baby, that a woman can be tough."

© Tym Stevens

---

See Also:

• LADIES FIRST: "When the Levee Breaks!" - Memphis Minnie > Led Zeppelin

• LADIES FIRST: "Hound Dog" - Big Mama Thornton > Elvis > Jimi Hendrix

• LADIES FIRST: "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood!" - Nina Simone > The Animals > KILL BILL

• LADIES FIRST: "Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)" - Kim Weston > The Doobie Brothers

• LADIES FIRST: "Porpoise Song" - Carole King > The Monkees > Lola Dutronic > Django Django


• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist

---

ROCK Sex: "Take Me To the River" - Al Green > Bryan Ferry > Talking Heads

ROCK Sex takes you to the river and washes you down.

_______________
Al Green had previously covered the song "Driving Wheel" by that fellow Memphis great, Junior Parker. When Parker passed away, Al dedicated his original composition "Take Me To the River" to his memory:

AL GREEN -"Take Me To the River" (1974)


Bryan Ferry, of Roxy Music, often covered soul songs he loved on his solo albums. In late '77 he recorded this homage to Green:

BRYAN FERRY -"Take Me To the River" (1978)


Meanwhile, by odd coincidence, his former partner in Roxy Music, Brian Eno, was producing Talking Heads' second album as they too covered Green's song. Though their version was recorded a few months after Ferry's it reached the market before his. To this day many people believe this to be their song.

TALKING HEADS -"Take Me To the River" (1978)




© Tym Stevens

---

See Also:

• SHAKE AND FINGER POP! Soul Music and the Interior Truth, with Music Player!

• "Time Is Tight!" - Booker T > The Clash > Elvis Costello > Squeeze

• "I Thank You" - Sam And Dave > ZZ Top

• "Crosseyed And Painless" - Fela > Talking Heads > Brazilian Girls > Angelique Kidjo

• "Slippery People" -Talking Heads > The Staple Singers


• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist

---