MUSIC 101: The 1980s

With
M U S I C
P L A Y E R !

The music that matters.

The MUSIC PRIMER Series!

A fun INTRO into the great musics
of each decade
in one Music Player!

---

M U S I C
1 0 1 :
1 9 8 0 s !

MUSIC 101: The 1980s
by Tym Stevens
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.

101 SONGS
FROM 101 GREAT ALBUMS!
In chronological order,
one album per act,
one song per album.
Punk! HipHop! New Wave!
Funk! Hardcore! Psychedelic!
World! GoGo! Industrial!
Metal! Blues! Grunge!



From 1980 through 1989!
A crash course in crucial!

Music Primer series:
350 Albums: 1956-2020
The 1950s
The 1960s
The 1970s

The 1990s
The 2000s

---

---

The Music Player contains one song each
from these 101 classic albums!

1 9 8 0
01) David Bowie, "Scary Monsters"
Art Rock.

02) Grace Jones, "Warm Leatherette"
New Wave Dub Disco.

03) The Cramps, "Songs The Lord Taught Us"
Psychobilly.

04) Devo, "Freedom Of Choice"
New Wave.

05) The Cosmopolitans, "Wild Moose Party"
Frat Garage.

06) The Specials, "More Specials"
Mod Ska.

07) The Soft Boys, "Underwater Moonlight"
Punkadelic.

08) Peggy Scott, "Great Scott"
Soul and Disco.

09) Split Enz, "True Colours"
New Zealand New Wave.

10) The Undertones, "Hyptonized"
Punk Pop.

11) The Delmontes, "Carousel" (rec. early '80s)
Mod Pop.

12) Professor Longhair, "Crawfish Fiesta"
New Orleans gumbo.

13) X, "Los Angeles"
L.A. Punk.

14) Rockpile, "Seconds Of Pleasure"
Mod Power Pop.

15) The B-52s, "Wild Planet"
Punk Mod.

16) Capt. Beefheart And His Magic Band, "Doc At The Radar Station"
Post Blues.

17) Squeeze, "Argybargy"
Mod Pop.

18) Utopia, "Deface The Music"
Beatlesque tribute.


_______________

1 9 8 1
19) The Rolling Stones, "Tattoo You"
Rawk.

20) The Knack, "Round Trip"
"Revolver"-esque Pop.>

21) The Go-Go's, "Beauty And The Beat"
Mod Pop.>

22) Gang Of Four, "Solid Gold"
Punk Funk.

23) Pretenders, "Pretenders II"
Beat Pop.

24) Black Flag, "Damaged"
Hardcore Punk.

25) The Police, "Ghost In The Machine"
Art Reggae.

26) Buzz And The Flyers, "Buzz And The Flyers"
Rockabilly.

27) Girlschool, "Hit And Run"
All-female British Metal.


_______________

1 9 8 2
28) Zapp, "Zapp II"
Electro Funk.

29) The Fabulous Thunderbirds, "T-Bird Rhythm"
Blues Soul.

30) The Spongetones, "Beat Music"
Beatlesque Pop.>

31) The BusBoys, "American Worker"
New Wave Soul.

32) Kas Product, "Try It"
Coldwave.

33) Barrence Whitfield And The Savages, "Barrence Whitfield And The Savages"
Rockabilly and Garage Rock.

34) The Atlantics, "Atlantics" (rec. early '80's)
Punk Wave.

35) Bruce Springsteen, "Nebraska"
Eerie singer/songwriter.

36) War, "Outlaw"
L.A. Funk.

"DJ's spinning/ I said my, my..."


37) The Clash, "Combat Rock"
Punk Dub Protest.

38) Marvin Gaye, "Midnight Love"
Erotic Soul.

39) The Prisoners, "Come To The Mushroom"
Art Punk.

40) Pigbag, "Dr. Heckle And Mr. Jive"
Alternative Dance.

41) Roxy Music, "Avalon"
Art Wave.

42) Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five, "The Message"
New York HipHop.

43) Paul McCartney, "Tug Of War"
Beatles coda.>


_______________

1 9 8 3
44) Malaria!, "Compiled: 1981-1983"
Coldwave and Industrial.

45) Liquid Liquid, "Optimo" (early '80s)
Punk Funk.

46) Bad Brains, "Rock For Light"
Hardcore Punk (+ Reggae).

47) Sly And The Family Stone, "Ain't But The One Way"
Funk redux.>

48) The Creatures, "Feast"
Polyrhythmic PostPunk.

49) Was (Not Was), "Born To Laugh At Tornados"
Art Soul.

50) Tears For Fears, "The Hurting"
Soulful New Wave.

51) King Sunny Ade, "Synchro System"
Nigerian Jùjú.

52) Talking Heads, "Speaking In Tongues"
Art Funk.

53) Dicks, "Kill From The Heart"
Political Hardcore.


_______________


1 9 8 4
54) Katrina And The Waves, "Katrina And The Waves I"
Beat and Motown.

55) The Art Of Noise, "Who's Afraid Of...?"
Synth Pop Dub.

56) The Fuzztones, "Leave Your Mind At Home"
Garage Rock.>

57) Cocteau Twins, "Treasure"
Ethereal Wave.


_______________

1 9 8 5
58) The Untouchables, "Wild Child"
Ska and '60s Soul.

59) John Fogerty, "Centerfield"
Swamp Rock.

60) Koko Taylor, "Queen Of The Blues"
Chicago Blues.

61) Jesus And Mary Chain, "Psychocandy"
Fuzz Alternative.

62) Mark Stewart, "As The Veneer Of Democracy Starts To Fade"
Industrial Conscious Rap.

63) Various Artists, "The Indestructible Beat Of Soweto"
South African Mbaqanga collection.

64) Eurythmics, "Be Yourself Tonight"
Soul Wave.

65) The Smiths, "Meat Is Murder"
Alternative croon.

66) LL Cool J, "Radio"
Def Jam HipHop.

67) Thee Mighty Caesars, "Beware The Ides Of March"
Garage Rock.


_______________

1 9 8 6
68) The Delmonas, "5!"
All-female Garage Rock.

69) African Head Charge, "Off The Beaten Path"
World Dub.

70) Let's Active, "Big Plans For Everybody"
Pop Psyche.

71) Marcia Ball, "Hot Tamale Baby"
Soulful Blues.

72) Film soundtrack, "GOOD TO GO"
Go-Go Funk collection of Washington D.C. bands.

73) Peter Zaremba's Love Delagation, "Spread The Word"
Psyche Pop.

74) Run-DMC, "Raising Hell"
Hard Rap.

75) XTC, "Skylarking"
Alt Psyche.


_______________

1 9 8 7
76) Tom Waits, "Frank's Wild Years"
Art Cabaret.

77) Wire, "The Ideal Copy"
Alt Industrial.

78) Guadalcanal Diary, "2x4"
Jangle Pop.

79) Love And Rockets, "Earth Sun And Moon"
Alt Goth.

80) Public Enemy, "Yo! Bum Rush The Show"
Conscious Rap.

81) Omar And The Howlers, "Hard Times In The Land Of Plenty"
Texas Blues.

82) R.E.M., "Document"
Alt Americana.


_______________


1 9 8 8
83) The Primatives, "Lovely"
Alt Pop.

84) The Smithereens, "Green Thoughts"
Beat Rock.

85) Bootsy Collins, "What's Bootsy Doing?"
P-Funk.

86) L7, "L7"
All-female Grunge.

87) Living Colour, "Vivid"
Afro Punk.

88) Cowboy Junkies, "The Trinity Session"
Moody Roots.

89) Last Exit, "Iron Path"
Harmolodic Thrash.


_______________

1 9 8 9
90) Bonnie Raitt, "Nick Of Time"
Soul and Blues.

91) Pixies, "Doolittle"
Alternative Rock.

92) 3rd Bass, "The Cactus Album"
Alt HipHop.

93) Bob Dylan, "Oh Mercy"
Political singer/songwriter.

94) Barry Adamson, "Moss Side Story"
Cinematic seeds of TripHop.

95) Lou Ann Barton, "Read My Lips"
Soul and Blues.

96) Lobos Negros, "Lobos Negros"
Spanish Rockabilly.>

97) Nine Inch Nails, "Pretty Hate Machine"
Industrial Rock.

98) Queen Latifah, "All Hail The Queen"
Conscious Rap.

99) Julee Cruise, "Floating Into The Night"
Cinematic Dream Pop.>

100) Chris Isaak, "Heart Shaped World"
Rockabilly croon.

101) Nirvana, "Bleach"
Grunge.

"Raise expectations to a new intention..."

© Tym Stevens

---

The Music Primer Series:*
1) 350 GREAT ALBUMS That Will Change Your Life!: 1956-2020

2) MUSIC 101: The 1950s

3) MUSIC 101: The 1960s

4) MUSIC 101: The 1970s

6) MUSIC 101: The 1990s

7) MUSIC 101: The 2000s


* The albums heard on the Decades series are different than the 350 Albums overview.


___

Further Study, dept.:

• Revolution 1950s: The Big Damn Bang of Rock'n'Roll!

• 1950s Rock, C: The '80s disciples, with Music Player!
__________
• BEATLESQUE Albums: 450 Alternate Universe BEATLES Albums You Need!, with 2 Music Players!

• BEATLES 'Reunion Anthology': 1970-Now, with Music Player!

• 'Why We Love YOKO ONO (Or Should)!', with 2 Music Players!
__________
• Sly Stone > Prince, with Music Player!

• "APACHE", HipHop's Sacred Secret Beat! - Bongo Band > Bambaataa > EVERYONE EVER

• "Amen Break" - How 6 Seconds From 1969 Propel All Modern Music
__________
• 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY - Its Transcendent Influence on all Pop Culture, with Music Player!

_______________
• 2000 Great Albums on Pinterest!


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

---

---

---

---

MUSIC 101: The 1970s

With
M U S I C
P L A Y E R !

The MUSIC PRIMER Series!

A fun INTRO into the great musics
of each decade
in one Music Player!

---

M U S I C
1 0 1 :
1 9 7 0 s !

MUSIC 101: The 1970s
by Tym Stevens
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.

101 SONGS
FROM 101 GREAT ALBUMS!
In chronological order,
one album per act,
one song per album.
Rock! Soul! Folk!
Funk! Prog! Fusion!
Glam! Disco! Soundtracks!
Reggae! Punk! Electronic!



From 1970 through 1979!
A crash course in crucial!


Music Primer series:
300 Albums: 1956-2015
The 1950s
The 1960s

The 1980s
The 1990s
The 2000s

---

---

The Music Player contains one song each
from these 101 classic albums!

1 9 7 0
01) John Lennon, "Plastic Ono Band"
Confessional ballads and grunge.

02) Doris Troy, "Doris Troy"
Rock'n'Soul.

03) Ananda Shankar, "Ananda Shankar"
Sitar Rock.

04) Vashti Bunyan, "Just Another Diamond Day"
Ethereal Folk.

05) The Stooges, "Funhouse"
Hard Rock Jazz Punk.

06) Kris Kristofferson, "Kristofferson"
Outlaw Country.

07) The Doors, "Morrison Hotel"
Blues Rock.

08) The Delfonics, "The Delfonics"
Philly Soul.

09) Rodriguez, "Cold Fact"
Protest Folk Rock.

10) Ike And Tina Turner, "Workin' Together"
Rock'n'Soul.

11) Os Mutantes, "A Divina Comedia Ou Ando Meio Desligado"
Tropicália Psychedelia.

12) Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Cosmo's Factory"
Swamp Rock.


_______________

1 9 7 1
13) The Staple Singers, "The Staple Singers"
Gospel Soul.

14) Tonto's Expanding Head Band, "Zero Time"
Electronic experimental.

15) Cradle, "The History" (rec. early-'70s)
All-female Hard Rock.

16) The Last Poets, "This Is Madness"
Protest Rap.

17) Serge Gainesbourg, "Histoire de Melody Nelson"
Cinematic Rock.

18) Isaac Hayes, "SHAFT"
Stax Soul film score.

19) Paul and Linda McCartney, "Ram""
Pop Rock.

20) Ann Peebles, "Straight From The Heart"
Memphis Soul.

21) Hound Dog Taylor, "Hound Dog Taylor And The HouseRockers"
Chicago Blues.

22) Black Sabbath, "Master Of Reality"
Metal Rock.

23) Fela, "With Ginger Baker -Live!"
AfroBeat.

24) Booker T And The MGs, "Melting Pot"
Stax Soul instrumentals.

25) Dennis Coffey, "Evolution"
Funk Rock.

26) Redbone, "Message From A Drum"
Native American Rock'n'Soul.

27) Piero Umiliani, "Synthi Time"
Electronic.


_______________

1 9 7 2
28) War, "The World Is A Ghetto"
Funk.>

29) Fanny, "Fanny Hill"
All-female Rock band.

30) The O'Jays, "Back Stabbers"
Philly Soul.

31) T.Rex, "The Slider"
Glam Rock.

32) Aretha Franklin, "Young, Gifted, And Black"
Atlantic label Soul.

33) Miles Davis, "On The Corner"
Funky Fusion.

34) Deep Purple, "Machine Head"
Hard Rock.

35) Yoko Ono, "Approximately Infinite Universe"
Avant-Garde singer/songwriter.>

36) Bill Withers, "Still Bill"
Soul.

37) Brainticket, "Psychonaut"
Prog Rock.

38) Al Green, "I'm Still In Love With You"
Memphis Soul.


_______________

1 9 7 3
39) George Harrison, "Living In The Material World"
Pop Rock.

40) Led Zeppelin, "Houses Of The Holy"
Eclectic Hard Rock.

41) Sly And The Family Stone, "Fresh"
Funk.>

42) Dr. John, "In The Right Place"
New Oreans Funk.

43) Bob Marley And The Wailers, "Catch A Fire"
Reggae.

44) The Who, "Quadrophenia"
Rock concept album.

45) Herbie Hancock, "Head Hunters"
Funk Jazz.

46) New York Dolls, "New York Dolls"
Trash Glam.

47) The Isley Brothers, "3 + 3"
Rock'n'Soul.

48) Kim Jung Mi, "Now"
Korean singer/songwriter.

49) Curtis Mayfield, "Back To The World"
Social Funk.

50) Hawkwind, "Space Ritual"
Space Prog.

51) Black Nasty, "Talkin' To The People"
Rock Blues.

52) Ellen McIlwaine, "We The People"
Guitar virtuoso.

53) Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, "JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR"
Gospel Rock soundtrack.

_______________

1 9 7 4
54) The Ohio Players, "Fire"
Ohio Funk.

55) 10cc, "Sheet Music"
Zappa-esque Pop.

56) Funkadelic, "Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On"
Funk Rock.>

57) Badfinger, "Wish You Were Here"
Beatlesque Pop.>

58) Gene Clark, "No Other"
Soulful singer/songwriter.

_______________
1 9 7 5
59) The Pointer Sisters, "Steppin'"
Funk.

60) Los Dug Dug's, "Cambia, Cambia"
Mexican Beatlesque.

61) Bernard Fevre, "Suspense"
Electronic Dance.

62) Babe Ruth, "Babe Ruth"
Funky Rock.

63) Betty Davis, "Nasty Gal"
F-U-N-K.


_______________

1 9 7 6
64) Marvin Gaye, "I Want You"
Erotic Soul.

65) Frank Zappa, "Zoot Allures"
Rock Jazz.

66) Jorge Ben, "Africa Brasil"
Tropicália Funk.

67) Bob Dylan, "Desire"
Poetic singer/songwriter.

68) The Upsetters, "Super Ape"
Reggae Dub.

69) The Modern Lovers, "The Modern Lovers"
Indie Rock.

70) Parliament, "The Clones Of Dr. Funkenstein"
Space Funk.

71) The Runaways, "The Runaways"
All-female Hard Rock.>

72) Stevie Wonder, "Songs In The Keys Of Life"
Funky singer/songwriter.


_______________

1 9 7 7
73) The Clash, "The Clash"
Punk Rock.

74) Kraftwerk, "Trans Europe Express"
Electro.

75) The Jam, "In The City"
Mod Punk.

76) Suicide, "Suicide"
Synth Punk.

77) Fleetwood Mac, "Rumours"
Classic Rock.

78) Iggy Pop, "The Idiot"
Proto-Industrial.

79) Ultravox, "Ha! Ha! Ha!"
Punk Pop.

80) Brian Eno, "Before And After Science"
Indie and Ambient.


_______________

Queen of noise.

1 9 7 8
81) John Williams, "SUPERMAN"
Symphonic soundtrack.

82) Brides Of Funkenstein, "Funk Or Walk"
Funkadelic.

83) Eddie Hinton, "Very Extremely Dangerous"
Muscle Shoals Soul.

84) Patti Smith Group, "Easter"
New York Punk.

85) The Rolling Stones, "Some Girls"
Punky Rock and Disco.

86) Nick Lowe, "Jesus Of Cool"
Power Pop.

87) Buzzcocks, "Another Music In A Different Kitchen"
Punk Pop.


_______________

1 9 7 9
88) Elvis Costello And The Attractions, "Armed Forces"
Punk Pop.

89) Wire, "154"
PostPunk.

90) Joni Mitchell, "Mingus"
Jazzy singer/songwriter.

91) Roxy Music, "Manifesto"
New Wave Disco.

92) Casino Music, "Amour Savage"
French New Wave Disco.

93) David Bowie, "Lodger"
Art Rock.

94) Essential Logic, "Beat Rhythm News"
PostPunk.

95) Pink Floyd, "The Wall"
Cinematic concept album.

96) Talking Heads, "Fear Of Music"
New York Indie.

97) Lijadu Sisters, "Horizon Unlimited"
AfroBeat Pop.

98) The Knack, "Get The Knack"
Power Pop.

99) The Cars, "Candy O"
Art Rock/New Wave.

100) The Pop Broup, "Y"
PostPunk Dub.

101) Nikki And The Corvettes, "Nikki And The Corvettes"
Power Pop.

Rastaman vibrations.

© Tym Stevens

---

The Music Primer Series:*
1) 350 GREAT ALBUMS That Will Change Your Life!: 1956-2020

2) MUSIC 101: The 1950s

3) MUSIC 101: The 1960s

5) MUSIC 101: The 1980s

6) MUSIC 101: The 1990s

7) MUSIC 101: The 2000s


* The albums heard on the Decades series are different than the 350 Albums overview.


_______________

Further Study, dept.:

• Revolution 1950s: The Big Damn Bang of Rock'n'Roll!

• 1950s Rock, B: The '70s Disciples, with Music Player!

__________
• FUNK, The True History: 1970-1974, with 3 Music Players!

• SLICE TONES: Sly Stone And His Infinite Influence!, with 5 Music Players!

• BEYOND COOL: Pedro Bell, Funkadelic's visionary!
__________
• BEATLES 'Reunion Anthology': 1970-Now, with Music Player!

• LENNON-esque: All-Star Homage Playlists To His BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players!

• McCARTNEY-esque: All-Star Homage Playlists To His BEATLES And SOLO Styles!, with 2 Music Players!

• BEYOND COOL: Badfinger, the Beatles of the 1970s!, with Music Player!
__________
• THE RUNAWAYS, And Why Women Of Rock Are Essential!

• "Exile On GRRL Street", Or How THE STONES Can Tribute Riot Grrrls Tributing Them!
__________
• "Ground Control to Major Tom" - THE LONELY ASTRONAUT Movies, with Music Player!

• 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY - Its Transcendent Influence on all Pop Culture, with Music Player!

• How STAR WARS Is Changing Everything!

_______________
• 2000 Great Albums on Pinterest!


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

---

---

SLICE TONES: Sly Stone & His Infinite Influence!

...with 5 Music Players!

SLY STONE has turned 70!
To celebrate, here are Music Players with 4 decades of his disciples!

A music critic once said Soul should be divided into Before Sly and After Sly. In truth, all modern music since 1970 has been influenced by his group.

Here's a music player of The Family Stone's greatest works, followed by 4 Music Players* of 500 artists from all over the spectrum. All are in chronological order.

Music Player Shortcut links:
• 𝟭 SLY & THE FAMILY STONE: 1965-Today
• 𝟮 Sly Stone's influence: 1967-1979
• 𝟯 Sly Stone's influence: 1980-1989
• 𝟰 Sly Stone's influence: 1990-1999
• 𝟱 Sly Stone's influence: 2000-Today

*These are Spotify players. Join up for free here.

---

𝟭

S L Y
A N D
T H E
F A M I L Y
S T O N E

SLY & THE FAMILY STONE,
The Music: 1965-Today
by Tym Stevens

This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.

Sly Stone produced the first records of upcoming garage and psychedelic bands in San Francisco, before joining his peers with the spectacular success of his group, Sly & The Family Stone.

The two architects of Funk are James Brown and Sly Stone. While they shared a tight propulsive rhythm, they were different in every other way.

• James kept a tight groove with Jazz touches, centered on rhythm and horns. Sly brought a freewheeling looseness that included wild Rock and avant Jazz.

• James was perfect process, sharp suits, and lock precision. Sly was power afro, brash bohemia, and happy chaos.

• James was backed by soul brothers. The Family Stone was male and female, maple and peach.

• James had national hits but was strongest within the circuit of black radio and clubs. Sly had international success while playing big festivals, including his legendary triumph at Woodstock.

• James was about the community. Sly was about a family of humanity.

Most Funk bands that followed assimilated James' tight groove with Sly's flair and philosophy.

The Family Stone has two phases: STAND and RIOT. All the music from 1967 leading into 1969's STAND album is sunny, fast, optimistic, inclusive. From 1971's THERE'S A RIOT GOIN' ON onward, the sound turns bluesy, staggered, critical, insular.

They are the two first and most essential Funk albums ever made.

★ Special spotlight should shine on Larry Graham. His invention of 'pluck-n-thump' bass-playing transformed modern music.

First heard on "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" (1970), it turned funky Soul into The Funk, and influenced Yes, Fela, Jaco Pastorius, Bootsy Collins, Gang Of Four, Bill Laswell, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Living Colour, Primus, Antibalas, the "Seinfeld" theme song, and scores more.

---

S L Y
S T O N E ' S
I N F L U E N C E

Sly & The Family Stone opened up a world of possibilities that everyone explored.

Whenever you enjoy thump-ass bass, drum machines, vocoders and pitch shifters, funkadelic guitar, stabbing brass, strutting dance, political soul, empowerment anthems, and diversity bands...
say "Thank You" to The Family Stone!

Listen to the following acts and enjoy their influence in rhythm, sounds, philosophy, and fashion.

---

---

𝟮

S L I C E T O N E S /
SLY STONE's
I N F L U E N C E :
1 9 6 7 - 1 9 7 9

Stevie Wonder; Betty Davis;
David Bowie; Parliament

SLY STONE-esque:
1967-'79
by Tym Stevens
This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.
*(This Player is limited to the first 200 songs.
Hear the unlimited Playlist here.)

Guests include:

Tony Joe White, James Brown, James Gang, Yes, Funkadelic, Chicago, Traffic, Stevie Wonder, The Rolling Stones, Rita Lee, Deep Purple, Miles Davis, Betty Davis, Frank Zappa, War, Roxy Music, Fat Albert, KC & The Sunshine Band, Mother's Finest, Steely Dan!

---

𝟯

S L I C E T O N E S /
SLY STONE's
I N F L U E N C E :
1 9 8 0 - 1 9 8 9

Grace Jones; Tom Tom Club;
Prince; Red Hot Chili Peppers

SLY STONE-esque:
1980-'89
by Tym Stevens

This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.

Guests include:

Magazine, Gang of Four, Zapp, Material, David Bowie, Grace Jones, Tom Tom Club, Prince, INXS, Trouble Funk, fireHOSE, Sly & Robbie, R.E.M., Tackhead, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, Lenny Kravitz!

---

𝟰

S L I C E T O N E S /
SLY STONE's
I N F L U E N C E :
1 9 9 0 - 1 9 9 9

Lenny Kravitz; Beastie Boys;
Public Enemy; Meshell Ndegeocello

SLY STONE-esque:
1990-'99
by Tym Stevens

This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.

Guests include:

Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Family Stand, Jane's Addiction, Living Colour, Arrested Development, Primal Scream, Joi, Primus, D'Angelo, Mercury Rev, Dag, Meshell Ndegeocello, Los Lobos, Fatboy Slim, OutKast, Ozomatli, Macy Gray, Beck!

---

𝟱

S L I C E T O N E S /
SLY STONE's
I N F L U E N C E :
2 0 0 0 - T o d a y

Nikka Costa; Fatboy Slim;
Alice Smith; Cody ChesnuTT

SLY STONE-esque:
2000-Today
by Tym Stevens

This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.

Guests include:

Nikka Costa, Gorillaz, Barry Adamson, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Gnarls Barkley, The Budos Band, Rhythm King & Her Friends, John Legend, The Roots, Susan Tedeschi, Jill Scott, Jurassic 5, Alice Smith, Cody ChesnuTT, Galactic, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings!

---

"Everybody is a star
One big circle going round and round!"


© Tym Stevens

---

See Also:

• FUNK, The True History: The 1960s, with 3 Music Players!

• FUNK, The True History: 1970-1974, with 3 Music Players!


• Sly Stone's "I Want To Take You Higher" And Its Unending Influence!, with Music Player!

• "Everyday People" - Sly Stone > Joan Jett > Arrested Development

• "Sing A Simple Song" - Sly Stone > Jimi Hendrix > James Gang > P-Funk > Chili Peppers > Public Enemy

• "If You Want Me To Stay" - Sly Stone > Bootsy Collins > Red Hot Chili Peppers > Prince > Nikka Costa

• "Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego!" - Funkadelic > Sly Stone > Beastie Boys

• ROCK Orgy: "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)!"

• "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh" - Bill Withers > Diana Ross > Sly Stone > Zapp

• Sly Stone > Prince, with Music Player!


• The Real History of ROCK AND SOUL!: The Music Player Checklist

---

---

THE BIG PAYBACK: Thank you, Greg

"I'm the Antenna
Catching vibration
You're the transmitter
Give information!"
- KRAFTWERK

This is a Spotify player. Join up for free here.

Someone always wanders into your life and changes everything. When it's for the better, we should thank them.

---

G R E G

My friend Greg expanded my whole musical outlook. We were teenagers in a remote, conservative area circa 1980. Greg was a mischievous lunatic who would do anything without any qualms.

While I was recoiling from the slick corporate music scene into The Beatles and counterculture politics, Greg was the first to embrace Punk and New Wave. This seemed at odds, but Greg exposed to me to a range of new stuff that was advancing off of what I already loved.

Stephen, David, me, and Greg (in mock-Bowie-mannequin pose).

These were the real Indie years.

You could only see Rock acts on late night shows, sometimes. Magazines were few and cost too much. I taught myself the history reading back issues of Rolling Stone for free at the library. Verrry few Punk and New Wave acts were carried by major labels, and were promoted haphazardly at best. No college radio shows yet, no clubs, no tour circuit, no video channels, and almost no press, just obscure ads in fanzines and word of mouth. Bands were putting out indie records, but you had to mail-order them on pure faith, an impossible expense for most teenagers. Where I was, in the rural outskirts, everyone was still trying to process or erase the '60s, and this new '80s futurism stuff just seemed like evil alien shadows on the far horizon.

That's why Greg loved it. He went to all the little record stores and somehow ordered all of these. The few majors and many of the minor labels. He was ahead of the curve on everything. Whatever tore open the envelope, that's what he had to do.

The Clash. The Cars. The B-52's. Elvis Costello. Split Enz. Plastics. Gary Numan. Gang Of Four. The Jam. Talking Heads. Punk and New Wave and PostPunk and Psychobilly and Coldwave and Power Pop. Usually before they had been labeled.

We watched the new acts on maverick TV like "Saturday Night Live", the stellar "SCTV" from Canada, or most often on "Fridays", the L.A.-based competition. When Split Enz performed "I Got You" on "Fridays", it was the exact moment where my ambivalence faded and I was converted entirely to the new breed.

Sadly, my friend has passed on. To honor him on what would have been his birthday, this is a music playlist of all the wonderful music that Greg expanded my life with. When I hear these songs, Greg is eternal and as fearless as ever.

Thank you, my friend, for enriching our lives.

---

"I wanna bite the hand that feeds me
I wanna bite that hand so badly
And the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools
Tryin' to anaesthetise the way that you feel"

- ELVIS COSTELLO


"She opened strange doors
that we'd never close again"

- DAVID BOWIE


"Electric angel rock and roller
I hear what you're playing"

- THE CARS


"By day we run, by night we dance, we do
I'm in love with the coming race
I've got the best, I'll take all I can get
I'm living for the Eighties"

- KILLING JOKE


© Tym Stevens

---

See Also:

• Thank You, Greg!, with Music Player!

• MUSIC 101: The 1980s, with Music Player!


• "Girl U Want" - Devo > Soundgarden > Polysics > Boyskout

• LADIES FIRST: "Demolition Man" - Grace Jones > The Police > Sting

• "Nightclubbing" - Iggy Pop > Human League > Grace Jones > Nine Inch Nails > Oasis

• "Love Is The Drug" - Roxy Music > Chic > Grace Jones > Duran Duran


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

---

ROCK Sex: "Crosseyed And Painless" - Fela > Talking Heads > Brazilian Girls > Angelique Kidjo

"I'm changing my shape, I feel like an accident,
They're back to explain their experience..."

ROCK Sex says "facts continue to change their shape".

Another cultural relay handoff today, centered around a TALKING HEADS song.

_______________

Nigerian FELA Ransome Kuti is the father of AfroBeat, a polyrhythmic and political funk-jazz inspired by James Brown and the counterculture rebellion of the '60s.

These propulsive jams had enormous musical influence, from the late '70s New York DIY scene and London's dub culture, to son Femi Kuti and Antibalas today.

FELA -"Roforofo Fight" (1972)



New York's Talking Heads and producer Brian Eno expanded their palette with a kind of abstract Punk take on AfroBeat, starting with the crucial album REMAIN IN LIGHT (1980).

Their expanded touring band included keyboard sorceror Bernie Worrell (P-Funk) and guitar maniac Adrian Belew (King Crimson).

TALKING HEADS -"Crosseyed And Painless" (1980)



New York's Brazilian Girls stirs the pan-cultural stew further with their take on the Heads' song. Singer Sabina Sciubba scats across five different languages.

BRAZILIAN GIRLS -"Crosseyed And Painless" (2006)



In 2018, Benin's favorite musical maverick Anglelique Kidjo remade the entire REMAIN IN LIGHT album.

ANGELIQUE KIDJO -"Crosseyed And Painless" (2018)



"The feeling returns whenever we close our eyes
Lifting my head, looking around inside..."


© Tym Stevens

---

See Also:

• "Take Me To the River" - Al Green > Bryan Ferry > Talking Heads

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

• "Radio Head" - Talking Heads > Tito Lariva > Radiohead

• "Warning Sign" - Talking Heads > Local Natives

• ROCK Orgy: "Genius of Love"

• "Wordy Rappinghood" - Tom Tom Club > Chicks On Speed


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

---

ROCK Sex: "Warning Sign" - Talking Heads > Local Natives

ROCK Sex says it happened before and it will happen again.

_______________
One of the great producer and band partnerships in Rock is Brian Eno's collaborations with Talking Heads.

This song has a killer drum break by Chris Frantz, mesmeric bass by Tina Weymouth, and stellar guitar work by David Byrne.

Its paranoic edge and polyrhythmic dynamics embody their musical transition from The Velvet Underground toward Fela.

TALKING HEADS -"Warning Sign" (1978)



Talking Heads set the template for most every indie band for the next three decades, with their normal anti-style look and mercurial style shifts.


The British electronic group The Black Dog uses the drums in this reaction.

THE BLACK DOG -"Seer & Sages" (1990)



English songwriter Sophie Michalitsianos interpolates the song as a folky dream with TripHop textures.

SOL SEPPY -"Love Boy" (2006)



Here's another descendent, Local Natives, doing "Warning Sign" with a harmonic emphasis that would also please Beatle or Brian Wilson fans.

LOCAL NATIVES -"Warning Sign" (2010)



© Tym Stevens

---

See Also:

• "Take Me To the River" - Al Green > Bryan Ferry > Talking Heads

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

• "Radio Head" - Talking Heads > Tito Lariva > Radiohead

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

• ROCK Orgy: "Genius of Love"

• "Wordy Rappinghood" - Tom Tom Club > Chicks On Speed


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

---