Labi Siffre revisited

On June 29, 2016, I presented Claudius Afolabi Siffre (born in London, 1945), the fourth of five children to a Nigerian father and a British mother of Barbadian-Belgian descent. The introduction went like this: "Labi Siffre neither had huge international hits nor broke sensational chart records. He caused no drug or sex scandals - in fact, he was with the same man for 49 years. He isn't a superstar, he is a thinking artist, an openly gay singer who has built a small cult following with works that deal squarely with homophobia and racism. In addition to his nine albums, the multi-talented Siffre has written three books of poetry and has also written for the stage. He isn't a diva, he is a regular guy. As much as I enjoy writing about flamboyant, larger-than-life personalities like Bowie, Elton, Little Richard or Cole Porter, sometimes I feel like honoring the less flashy artist, who happens to be talented and does his job well. Hello Mr. Siffre!"

A few days ago, however, I started listening to one of his albums, giving it the attention it deserved. Long story short: I ended up listening to all of his albums - and I did so more than once. I had an epiphany: the man is a true genius! And, even though his story is one of the most visited (the sixth of all-time), I feel that I owe him more. This will be all about the songs. I urge you to listen.

I will begin with his later entries: although less known that his early songs, they display a maturity and depth rarely found. The album The Last Songs (1998) was recorded in front of a small live audience. Every single song is great. Lose Myself In You is a beautiful love song for real people:

Cling To The Ledge is a song of existential angst:

The Song To Sing is an acapella protest against Section 28 or Clause 28, which affected England, Wales and Scotland. The amendment was enacted on 24 May 1988, and stated that a local authority "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship". It was repealed on 21 June 2000 in Scotland by the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Act 2000, one of the first pieces of legislation enacted by the new Scottish Parliament, and on 18 November 2003 in the rest of the United Kingdom by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003.

Why Isn't Love Enough is another protest song against homophobia. In it he says:

"Love is something everybody needs
How dare they deny my humanity
Love is love is love
Love is love is love
So why isn't love enough

For 30 years
we been lovers
ain't that enough
to prove our love
yet still they say
it's pretending
they rule the land
head in the sand
with all the world
against us
one thing's for sure
I just love you more"

Little Boy Baby Blue is a heartbreaking account of the effects of his parents' divorce on a 5-year-old boy:

Sparrow In The Storm is a spiritual song of delicate beauty:

Everything is about surrendering yourself to love:

"Tonight you made me choose
You made this unbeliever believe that love is real
You made me see the power of love to heal
You conquered my defenses
You washed my fears away
You taught me how to win
by losing everything"

Samaritans is about society's indifference towards the poor:

Another great love song is Rainbow Moon:

... also from the same album, This Is It:

Finally, from this great album, Face To Face (A Paper Regret) is about separation:

Man of Reason was released in 1991. My favorite song from this album is School Days, a scathing condemnation of racism with some of the rawest vocal ever delivered by Siffre:

This is an excellent live version:

Sensible Betrayal in the City is about the eternal argument, love or sex?:

Most People Sleep Alone is about loneliness:

"Sad is easy
But we've been shattered
Separate sorrows
In separate rooms
Understanding to the marrow
Understood the love we lost
Now we're fading into shadows
The world is full of strangers
In this heartbreak hotel
If this is self-indulgence
It hurts like hell, most

Most people sleep alone
No matter what the papers say
Loneliness is here to stay"

This is A Matter of Love:

This is When Lights Are On:

This is Wash Away Your Troubles in Love:

... and this is Lovers in Arms:

In 1987 he released the single (Something Inside) So Strong which was surprisingly a notable chart success, peaking at #4 in the UK. The following year, it was included in the album So Strong. The song has remained enduringly popular and is an example of the political and sociological thread running through much of Siffre’s lyrics and poetry. It won the Ivor Novello Award for "Best Song Musically and Lyrically", and has been used in Amnesty International campaigns, a television advertisement and Alice Walker's film against female genital mutilation, Warrior Marks. This is the original video:

This has better audio:

From the same album, this is And The Wind Blows, also a song against social, racial, and political injustice:

Listen To The Voices is a song in the same vein:

Hard Road is a song of hope:

I Will Always Love You is a beautiful love song:

Lovers is a proud declaration of love:

Finally, from this album, I'm Alright:

My favorite Labi Siffre album from the 1970s is Crying Laughing Loving Lying (1972). It includes many great songs, my favorite among them is My Song:

For The Lovin' was another fantastic song:

It Must Be Love is a happy and catchy tune, a #14 UK hit for Siffre. It was later covered by Madness became a #4 UK hit:

This is the reflective Cannock Chase:

Till Forever is short 'n' sweet:

Come On Michael is a lively little tune:

Saved, on the other hand, is an acapella statement on religion:

Good Old Days is a wistful look at the past:

In the 70s, Siffre sounds like a love-child of Sam Cooke and Paul Simon, with an earnestness in his voice reminiscent of early Don McLean. Love Oh Love Oh Love is one such song:

On the subject of Pristine Verses, let's hear what Siffre has to say:

Of all my songs, this is one of my favourites and unique insofar as I wrote the song in a dream while asleep. I woke up, got out of bed, went downstairs, wrote the lyric and the melody down on paper and went back to bed. In the morning I was pleased to find that the song was as moving as it had been in the dream

You'll Let Me Know is about a 17-year-old asking for a chance at pop stardom:

Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying (the album's title track) was a #11 hit in the UK:

Labi's debut album was released in 1970 and was simply titled, Labi Siffre. Maybe When We Dance was one of the bonus tracks when the album was re-issued as a CD:

Maybe was one of the album's better tracks:

Make My Day is another one:

... so is Here We Are:

Ask Me To Stay is another good one:

... so is the Donovan-esque You And I Should Be Together:

This is I Don't Know What's Happened To The Kids Today:

This is I Just Couldn't Live Without Her:

... and this is Something On My Mind:

In 1975, Labi Siffre released the album, Remember My Song. This is the title track:

This is Down:

I Got The has the "honor" to have been sampled by Eminem for his hit My Name Is. For Labi's thoughts on this, check the original story: here.

This is Old Time Song:

This is Another Year:

This is The Vulture:

This is Dreamer:

This is Hot And Dirty In The City:

Finally, from this album, this is You've Got A Hold On Me:

Labi's second album was called The Singer And The Song (1971). It begins with There's Nothing In The World Like Love:

This is A Shadow Of Our Love:

This is Fallin' For You:

This is Till Nightime Comes Along:

This is Thank Your Lucky Star:

This is Bless The Telephone:

Finally, from this album, this is Summer Is Coming:

From the album For The Children (1973), here's Let's Pretend:

This is Prayer:

This is Entertainment Value:

... and this is If You Have Faith:

Finally for today, from the album Happy (1975), this is Staride To Nowhere:

That's all for today. I hope that you enjoyed the songs as much as I did. Take care!

The Motown Top 250 Countdown (#145-136) & This Week's Statistics

Hello, my friends, old and new! It's the weekend, which means it's time for our Motown countdown.

Martha and the Vandellas

Position #145 is occupied by a classic: I Can't Get Next to You was the second of the Temptations' four number-one hits on the United States pop charts, and was also one of the best-selling singles the group released. Billboard ranked it as the #3 song for 1969. It was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong and produced by Whitfield.

The applause that starts the song, which is cut short by Dennis Edwards' spoken "Hold it, hold it, listen" line, was sampled in another Temptations song, Psychedelic Shack.

This is I Can't Get Next to You by The Temptations:

Al Green released his own version in 1971, which strips the composition of its fast pace and multi-lead vocals, and instead renders it as a slow-burning plea for love. Here it is:

... A month later, Savoy Brown released their own version, based on Green's arrangement:

The Osmonds released a version of the song on their 1974 album, Love Me for a Reason:

In 1995, Annie Lennox covered the song on her Medusa album, with a slight lyrical alteration to reflect her gender:

At #144 we find Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers, a Canadian soul band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with their first and biggest hit, Does Your Mama Know About Me (1968). The song is about the worries of a young black man dating a white girl.

After the Jackson 5 signed to Motown in March 1969, Bobby Taylor became the group's first producer. He supervised the bulk of their first album, Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5, recording the Jacksons on a number of soul covers, including The Miracles' Who's Lovin' You.

Tommy Chong was a member of Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers before he became famous as a comedian. Does Your Mama Know About Me, a Tommy Chong co-composition, peaked at #29 on Billboard's Hot 100, at #5 on the US R&B chart, and at #44 in Canada. Here it is:

Diana Ross & The Supremes did a cover of this song for their 1968 album Love Child:

For the song at #143, we travel to 1982. Let It Whip was the Dazz Band's biggest hit, peaking at #1 on the US R&B chart for 5 non-consecutive weeks. The single also reached #2 on the Dance chart and #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1983.

Co-written by producers Reggie Andrews and Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, Let It Whip features a percolating drum machine rhythm underneath live drums, and a Minimoog bassline underneath an electric bass guitar. Here it is:

The song was also covered by fictional a cappella group The Treblemakers in the 2012 film Pitch Perfect and is featured on the film's soundtrack:

At #142 we find the post-Diana Ross Supremes with their 1970 single, Stoned Love. Written by Kenny Thomas and Frank Wilson and produced by Wilson, it was the last Billboard Pop Top Ten hit for the group, peaking at #7, and their last Billboard #1 R&B hit as well, although the trio continued to score top ten hits in the UK well into 1972. This single and Up the Ladder to the Roof are the only top-ten Supremes singles to feature Jean Terrell on lead vocals instead of Diana Ross, who left the group in January 1970 to pursue a solo career. In the UK, it was the post-Ross Supremes' biggest hit, reaching #3 in the singles chart. The single spent six weeks in the UK top ten and five weeks in the US top ten.

A plea for love and peace similar to those recorded by Sly & the Family Stone in the late 1960s, the lyrics of Stoned Love were a plea for the people of the world to end conflict and animosity between each other, specifically the Vietnam War. Writer Kenny Thomas chose the term "stone love" to define the concept of an unchanging bond between one another. A slight variant of that phrase appeared two years later in The Stylistics' title I'm Stone in Love with You.

Many people saw the song as a coded reference to drug use, and many radio station owners were at first apprehensive to play the record. Motown founder Berry Gordy was also said to have hated the song, and label executive Barney Ales had to arrange for the RKO radio stations to agree to play Stoned Love before releasing the single. This is it:

At #141 is the second true classic for today. Heat Wave by Martha and the Vandellas (photo). Heat Wave is a 1963 song written by Holland, Dozier, and Holland. The single hit #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B chart - where it stayed for four weeks running - and peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Produced and composed with a gospel backbeat, jazz overtones, and doo-wop call-and-response vocals, Heat Wave was one of the first songs to exemplify the style of music later termed as the "Motown Sound". It also garnered the group's only Grammy Award nomination for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording for 1964, making the Vandellas the first Motown group ever to receive a Grammy Award nomination. Here it is:

The Who covered the song on their album A Quick One:

The Martha and the Vandellas version was featured in the 1970 film The Boys in the Band, in a scene in which several of the characters perform an impromptu line dance to the recording:

It was recorded and released as a single in September 1975, by Linda Ronstadt. Ronstadt's version of the song reached #5 on Billboard's Hot 100:

At #140 we find The Commodores and their hit Too Hot Ta Trot. Featured on the soundtrack to (and performed in) the movie, Thank God It's Friday, it first appeared on their 1977 live album, and it spent a week at number one on the R&B singles chart and peaked at #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1978. This is it:

This is the extended 12" version:

At #139 is yet another song by The Commodores called Lady (You Bring Me Up) (1981). It reached #8 on Billboard's Hot 100 and also peaked #5 on the US R&B Chart. It was a #1 hit in New Zealand.

Lady (You Bring Me Up) was written by Commodores member William King, his wife, Shirley, and Harold Hudson, a member of the Commodores' backing group, The Mean Machine. Lionel Richie sang the lead vocal, and it was one of the group's last big hits before he left the group for a solo career. Here it is:

At #138 is one of Motown's classiest acts, Smokey Robinson, with Being with You. The song was released as a single in 1981 and spent five weeks at #1 on the US R&B chart from March to early May 1981 and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, behind Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes, his highest charting solo hit.

Casey Kasem had this to say about the song on his radio show, American Top 40:

"Now let me tell ya about a coincidental relationship between Smokey at #2 and Kim Carnes who's at #1 again this week. Kim's last hit was More Love, her remake of an old Smokey Robinson hit. Well, Smokey liked Kim's version so much that he wrote her another song, but when Smokey's producer heard the demo, he told Smokey, "You oughta record it yourself!", and that's the song we just heard in the #2 position. And how ironic it is that Smokey's recording of the song he'd written for Kim Carnes has been kept out of the #1 spot by a Kim Carnes hit for 3 weeks running."

The single peaked at #1 in the UK and New Zealand, #2 in France and Ireland, #5 in Canada, #7 in South Africa, and #14 in Australia. This is Being with You:

Very soon after Robinson's English single was released, Motown's subsidiary label Tamla released a Spanish version of the song under the title of Aqui Con Tigo:

Finally, for today, there are two songs tied for the #136 position. First, here is Edwin Starr. The follow-up to his huge #1 single, War (1970), was a song of similar construction titled Stop the War Now, which was a minor hit in its own right (#26 on the Hot 100, #5 on the R&B chart, and #33 in the UK). It was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong and produced by Whitfield:

Here's a reggae cover of the song by Lloyd Parks:

Also at #136 is There's A Ghost In My House by R. Dean Taylor. There's a Ghost in My House was written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland, together with R. Dean Taylor. It was originally recorded by Taylor in 1966.

Produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier, it was released as a single on the Motown subsidiary V.I.P. label in April 1967 but was not a hit. However, after it had become a popular dance song in Northern soul clubs in Britain, such as the Blackpool Mecca and Wigan Casino, R. Dean Taylor's record was reissued on EMI's Tamla Motown label and reached #3 on the UK chart in 1974. It's one of the songs that I really like. Here it is:

The Fall covered There's a Ghost in My House on their 1987 album The Frenz Experiment: 

Now, let's continue with our statistics; strange things happened as far as countries were concerned: France and Greece had an especially poor showing, missing the weekly top 10 for the first time since I don't know when. Italy, Cyprus, and Spain also had a rather mediocre week, while Turkey continued its string of poor weeks. Of the major players, it was the English-speaking countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia) that carried the torch, as well as Germany, Brazil, and Russia. This gave the chance to shine to countries not usually found in the top 10, like Sweden, Ukraine, and Indonesia. Which is great - renewal is always welcome.

Here are this week's Top 10 countries:

1. the United States

2. the United Kingdom

3. Germany

4. Canada

5. Sweden

6. Australia

7. Brazil

8. Ukraine

9. Russia

10. Indonesia

Here are the other countries that graced us with their presence since our last statistics (alphabetically): Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Austria, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Finland, France, FYR Of Macedonia, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Myanmar (Burma), the Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Happy to have you all!

And here's the all-time Top 10:

1. the United States = 32.1%

2. France = 18.2%

3. the United Kingdom = 11.6%

4. Greece = 8.5%

5. Russia = 2.3%

6. Canada = 1.8%

7. Germany = 1.8%

8. Italy = 0.99%

9. Cyprus = 0.91%

10. Turkey = 0.75%

That's all for today, folks. Till the next one!