Sep 10, 2016

RhoDeo 1636 Grooves

Hello,

Today's artists have all enjoyed Prince's close attention and as such was instrumental in their music. Anyway this is my last posting on Prince it's been a privilige to honour this great artist here who died in such a tragic way. The females -as usual- get the last word ... N'joy

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Known for their trashy, pornographic image and sexually exploitive lyrics, Vanity 6 were a short-lived female vocal trio that came out of Prince's funk-rock empire in 1982. Vanity 6 were formed in Prince's hometown of Minneapolis, where singer/actress Vanity (whose real name was Denise Matthews) got together with fellow singers Brenda Bennett (a native of Boston) and Susan Moonsie. Backed by the Time, Vanity 6 recorded their self-titled debut album for Warner Bros. in 1982. The single "Nasty Girl" became a major hit, and like Prince's albums, Vanity 6 successfully bridged the gap between R&B/funk and rock/pop/new wave. Vanity 6's first album was also their last; in 1984, Vanity left the group and signed with Motown as a solo artist. Moonsie and Bennett, meanwhile, hooked up with singer Apollonia (another Prince disciple) and formed a new group called Apollonia 6. That trio recorded a self-titled album for Warner Bros. in 1984 and had a hit with "Sex Shooter," which was heard in Prince's film Purple Rain. Apollonia 6 also turned out to be a one-album act, as the group broke up in 1985. As a solo artist, Vanity didn't get very far commercially; none of her Motown albums were big sellers. And when she became a born-again Christian in the 1990s, Vanity gave up secular music for good. After years of battling kidney failure, she died in Fremont, California in February 2016 at the age of 57.

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Vanity 6 wasn't supposed to be about depth or vocal prowess. Its mission was to entertain, and if you accept this self-titled debut album for what it is -- wild, decadent, trashy entertainment -- Vanity and her colleagues are insanely fun. Prince's stamp is all over this 1982 release, which finds Vanity, Brenda, and Susan backed by the Time. The raunchy lyrics reflect Prince's obsession with all things sexual, and like Prince, Vanity 6 manages to bridge the gap between funk/R&B and rock/pop/new wave. Even if the sexually exploitive lyrics become predictable after awhile, this LP is quite diverse and unpredictable musically. The hit "Nasty Girl" and the hilarious rap tune 'If a Girl Answers (Don't Hang Up)" are irresistibly funky, and new wave audiences were drawn to more rock-minded tracks like "Bite the Beat," "Make-Up," and the Go-Go's-influenced "He's So Dull." As it turned out, Vanity 6's first album was also its last. In 1984, Vanity went solo, and Brenda and Susan formed the very similar Apollonia 6 with singer Apollonia. That group only recorded one album, which is probably just as well -- Vanity 6 and Apollonia 6 certainly weren't without their limitations. But despite those obvious limitations, Vanity 6 is a highly entertaining footnote in the history of Prince's Minneapolis funk-rock scene.



Vanity 6 - Vanity 6    (flac  192mb)

01 Nasty Girl 5:10
02 Wet Dream 4:12
03 Drive Me Wild 2:31
04 He's So Dull 2:32
05 If A Girl Answers (Don't Hang Up) 5:34
06 Make-Up 2:40
07 Bite The Beat 3:12
08 3 X 2 = 6 5:24

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Jill Jones was born in a small town in Ohio to an African-American mother and an Italian father. At the age of 17, she left home to pursue her dream of becoming a professional songwriter/singer. Her first job was as a backing singer for her idol, Teena Marie, who was managed by her mother. Marie was the opening act for Prince on the 1980 Dirty Mind tour, which is where Jones and Prince met for the first time. Prince was very impressed and kept in contact with Jones. It was in 1982 when Jones was invited by Prince to Sunset Sound sessions, where she sang on several 1999 tracks, notably "Lady Cab Driver." In 1983, she moved to Minneapolis at Prince's recommendation, where she began work on a solo album. Jill Jones' self-titled album was released on Prince's Paisley Park Records on May 26, 1987, almost four years after work had commenced on the project. Prince was listed as co-writer with Jones on four tracks ("Mia Bocca," "G-Spot," "All Day, All Night," and "For Love"); however, Prince's involvement in Jones' record was much more substantial than the public was led to believe. As was the case in many previous projects, he was in fact the sole writer of all the tracks on the album.

The album was warmly received in Europe; however, despite its obvious commercial potential, Jones' album failed to enter Billboard's pop and black Top 100 charts and none of the three singles, "Mia Bocca," "G-Spot," and "For Love," charted in the U.S. Jones went to England in the autumn of 1988 to work on songs intended for a second Paisley Park album, which was never completed. An important reason cited was that Jones and Prince were no longer on the same wavelength. They are rumored not to have spoken since. Two In the early '90s, Jones collaborated with Japanese avant-garde musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, Indigo Girls, and the Listening Pool, among others. However, she had been quiet throughout the latter 1990s until it was announced that an acoustic LP was to be recorded with Chris Bruce. The full-length album was released in 2001 and was titled Two. Jones has a wonderfully distinctive and emotive voice, and it is regrettable that her vocal cords have not graced many more musical recordings. She returned in 2009 when her single "Living for the Weekend" hit the Billboard charts.

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The debut set from Jill Jones was three years in the making and went through many different track listings, but in the end the final version was well worth the wait. The album is produced entirely by the multi-talented Prince and is highly regarded among his fans, even though it was not well received at the time. Highlights include lead single "Mia Bocca," "All Day, All Night," and "For Love," on which Prince can be heard on the backing vocals and the Revolution can be heard on all instruments. The closing track, "Baby, You're a Trip," was originally a Prince demo in the vein of "Purple Rain," and his backing track survives on this version. Jones' vocals are distinctive and passionate, and the influence of her mentor, Teena Marie, is evident throughout. The album was released on CD in 1987 but, due to a culmination of poor sales and poor promotion, was quickly deleted and has now become very sought after.



Jill Jones - Jill Jones   (flac  230mb)

01 Intro (Baby, You're A Trip) / Mia Bocca 7:21
02 G-Spot 4:30
03 Violet Blue 4:24
04 With You 4:00
05 All Day, All Night 5:41
06 For Love 4:27
07 My Man 3:15
08 Baby, You're A Trip 5:23

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When Prince broke up the Revolution in 1986, guitarist Wendy Melvoin and keyboardist Lisa Coleman, friends since childhood, decided to team up for a new musical project. The two had grown up together in Los Angeles, where both of their fathers were session musicians and encouraged their musical development from a young age. Coleman joined the Revolution in 1979 for Dirty Mind, and Melvoin signed on in 1984; in addition to their instrumental skills, the two also provided some of Prince's arrangements. Wendy and Lisa played almost all of the instruments on their self-titled debut and co-wrote most of the material with ex-Revolution drummer Bobby Z. After backing Joni Mitchell on Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm in 1988, the duo added Melvoin's twin sister Susannah and recorded Fruit at the Bottom, a song cycle about the ups and downs of romance. Several more family members joined up for the widely varied Eroica, which mixed Wendy & Lisa's disparate influences (funk, jazz, dance, pop, rock); k.d. lang also contributed vocals. Eroica followed in 1990, and though the duo were less busy during the decade, they returned in 1998 as the Girl Bros.

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Released in late 1987, Wendy and Lisa was the debut by Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman after they left Prince's much loved band, the Revolution. Although Sign o' the Times was justifiably heralded as a masterpiece, Melvoin and Coleman both possessed an energy and prowess that some felt was missing from that effort and those that followed. Luckily, a good part of those charms show up on this album. The deceptively simple "Honeymoon Express" has a propulsive energy mixed with effortless and recondite vocals, especially on the chorus. Given the pair's work with Prince, it's no surprise that the best songs here are conflicted and thought-provoking. Melvoin's off-centered and oddly sensual vocals never fail to impress, as does Coleman's keyboard shading and composing. The insinuating "Everything but You" is one of the more true-to-life and honest love songs you're likely to hear. The best track, "Stay," is suitably dark and oddly reassuring, and made this an instant classic. Everything's not great here. "Chance to Grow" and the instrumental "White" both meander. Produced by Coleman, Melvoin, and Revolution drummer Bobby Z, Wendy and Lisa lasted well beyond its release date and is one fulfilling effort.



Wendy & Lisa - Wendy And Lisa.   (flac 319mb)

01 Honeymoon Express 3:44
02 Sideshow 4:38
03 Waterfall 5:00
04 Stay 4:23
05 White 5:35
06 Blues Away 4:56
07 Song About 4:27
08 Chance To Grow 3:27
09 The Life 4:07
10 Everything But You 5:00
11 Light 4:57

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Wendy & Lisa fell victim to the sophomore jinx on the follow-up to their promising self-titled debut. On this album, the duo decided to incorporate dance-club beats and synthesizers into their music. The results were mixed. Though the album sounds more lively and slick than the debut, Wendy & Lisa came up short in the songwriting department. The beats also sometimes hamper whatever emotional depth Wendy & Lisa are attempting to convey, especially on "Someday I," which has a strangely upbeat sound for a song with rather downbeat lyrics. The title cut is similarly ill-conceived, with a dance club arrangement that is meant to be exuberant, but instead comes off as a bit shrill. Lyrically, there isn't as much depth, either; most of the tracks are simple love songs. There isn't anything truly unlistenable here-Wendy & Lisa remain gifted musicians-but there also isn't anything outstanding either. For simple musical pleasures, Fruit at the Bottom will suffice.....



Wendy and Lisa - Fruit At The Bottom   (flac 420mb)

01 Lolly Lolly 4:08
02 Are You My Baby 5:06
03 Satisfaction 4:53
04 Always In My Dreams 4:08
05 Everyday 4:04
06 From Now On (We’re One) 4:29
07 Tears Of Joy 4:38
08 Someday I 3:08
09 I Think It Was December 4:49
10 Fruit At The Bottom 4:25
bonus
11 Waterfall '89 (Alice & Sundial Seven) 4:20
12 Satisfaction (12" Dance Mix) 7:14
13 Are You My Baby (7" Remix) 4:17
14 Lolly Lolly (Random Dance Mix) 7:24

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9 comments:

Francois in Siam said...

No ogg links for Wendy & Lisa - Fruit At The Bottom (1989)
and for Vanity 6
Thank you Rho to upload some.

Anonymous said...

Could you reload vanity 6 flac version and appollonia 6 flac version please

Anonymous said...

Any chance for an upload of the Jill Jones album?

Chrisz said...

If you find the time, please correct the link for Wendy & Lisa - Wendy And Lisa (flac 319mb). Thanks a lot!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the reload of Jill Jones!

Rho said...

Hello Crisz there's nothing wrong with the link for Wendy & Lisa - Wendy And Lisa , try again

Chrisz said...

Hello Rho,

the link leads to the other Wendy & Lisa album, Fruit At The Bottom, not the first, as intended.

Rho said...

Hello Crisz, looks like being more specific helps solving the issue, which has been dealt with now...N-Joy

Chrisz said...

Hi Rho, thanks a lot! :-)