To wit, I have chosen Minnie Ripperton’s “Loving You” for this week’s flashback.

There are many reasons this song is the one people think of when they think Minnie Ripperton. It’s an awe inspiring exhibition of her radiant voice and vocal range, which she flexes effortlessly as the arrangement glistens with the sound of Spring…

Over the years the song has become one for lovers and appropriately so. Whether or not you’re in love, listening to “Loving You” induces this warm fuzzy feeling. It’s as if Ripperton captured that sweet, heart thumping, love high in the lyrics and execution of the song.

No one else can make me feel
The colors that you bring
Stay with me while we grow old
And we will live each day in the Spring time…

Ripperton waxes poetic about love and then transitions into a lovely “la la la la la…” before hitting a crystalline operatic high note to send chills down your spine.

This song also holds a particularly special place in my memories because I remember listening to it on vinyl. It was one of those albums my mother held onto as her vinyl collection dwindled; one that I would pull out of the sleeve and gently place on the turn table when I was a teenager. When I think of the song, I remember the Perfect Angel album cover with Minnie Ripperton casually wearing a pair of denim overalls, eating an ice cream cone…hearing the record spin as the needle slides along the groove…

It’s a beautiful classic that makes you want to fall in love if you aren’t already. Give it a listen now and I can assure you that ever if you’re having a bad day, “Loving You” will lift your spirits and make you think of love.

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The list was developed by a poll of various artists and music industry insiders. Each singer selected has been profiled and their place on the list justified either by another, influenced artists or Rolling Stone editors. The most interesting profiles are from artists writing nostalgically about how a particular vocalist influenced his or her music career.

One of my favorites is the one about Janice Joplin by Stevie Nicks. It’s a beautiful tribute in which Nicks reminisced about being yelled at because of her set running late and being amazed by Joplin’s ability to be completely raw while on stage

Janice put herself out there completely, and her voice was not only strong and soulful, it was painfully and beautifully real. She sang in the great tradition of the rhythm & blues singers that were her heroes, but she brought her own dangerous, sexy rock & roll edge to every single song. She really gave you a piece of her heart. And that inspired me to find my own voice and my own style.

Joplin was number 28 on the list…In fact, only three women it into the top 25: Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner and Etta James.

They may be few but they are definitely mighty. Here are the other women who made the illustrious list:

Nina Simone
Whitney Houston
Dusty Springfield
Joni Mitchell
Patsy Cline
Bonnie Raitt
Gladys Knight
Mavis Staples
Christina Aguilara
Bjork
Ronnie Spector
Dolly Pardon
Mariah Carey
Patti Smith
Darlene Love
Annie Lennox
Karen Carpenter
Patti LaBelle
Stevie Nicks
Mary J. Blidge

Image via Newscom

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The Pussycat Dolls are one of those groups that I really want to see live. Who doesn’t want to see the sexy femme fatal quintet group perform on stage? If you like nothing else about the Pussycat Dolls, there is no denying that they are hot, hot, hot.

In January the Dolls are kicking of their Doll Domination World Tour in Europe. Tickets are currently on sale for the UK leg of the tour, with state side dates yet to be announced.

Check out PCD Music for more news on the Pussycat Dolls’ World Domination Tour.

Image via Total Assault

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I’ll be honest, I was expecting Katy Perry to go away after the excitement of her faux lesbian anthem died down. Unfortunately, I have no such luck.

Starting in January, Perry will be hitting the road for a North American tour. The tour kicks off in Seattle, WA on January 23 and wrapping up in St. Petersburg, FL on April 28.

The cool thing is that Perry is playing a series of intimate shows in small theaters to large clubs.

For more information and tour dates, check out KatyPerry.com.

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Based on the kitchy nature of “So What” one would expect P!nk to come with her signature soulful punky-pop style. However, there are quite a few bluesy and even country tinged numbers on Funhouse.

The songs on the LP span the gambit from mellowed out and naked to devilishly infectious. “I Don’t Believe You” and “Mean” are pared down, vulnerable, ballads while “Bad Influence” and “Funhouse” - the title track - are dancably dark party tracks.

Overall, the album is just ok. Nothing really special, but still strong enough to stand on its own.

Funhouse comes out next Tuesday but you can give it a listen in its entirety here. If you really like it, you can pre-order the album on iTunes and get a bonus track for your enthusiasm.

Image via Total Assault

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With Britney Spears’ latest single “Womanizer” burning up the charts, I thought it important to note that the song sucks.

That’s right, I said it. I tried to refrain from dissing Spears as she makes her long awaited comeback, but the song she’s chosen to mark this return to pop fame (as opposed to crazy child star infamy), is a complete throwaway.

My regular readers will note that I have been in Brit’s corner; routing for her to make a strong come-back. I did however watch with horror as she took home three awards for quite possibly one of the weakest songs in her collection. And now this; it’s disappointing to say the least.

It’s not that I don’t like Britney Spears. On the contrary, she is one of my favorites of the myriad pop stars borne of the Mickey Mouse Club era. Her voice leaves something to be desired, but few from her club crew could top her when it came to entertainment value. Her music wasn’t spectacular but the delivery and catchiness was infectious.

But now…Well, have you heard “Womanizer”? Just take a second to give it a listen:

Aside from the fact that her voice sounds worse than usual, with uber-slick production to cover it up, the song is so very generic, it could have been made by any mediocre talented pop star wannabe.

Oh and don’t get me started on the chorus - or bridge as it were - during which Brit says the word womanizer 10 times! Unfortunately, she doesn’t even redeem herself with a catchy chorus worth listening to (forget *wanting* to sing along with)…The song in general is a godawful mess wrapped in the Britney Spears brand.

Ultimately, the song is far weaker than “Gimme More” and a lame attempt to create the cheapest and easiest cash flow possible for Britney; the sweetheart of the pop music industry.

Brit, if you’re paying attention, please, please, please come up with something worth listening to, make a video where you’re dancing and please for Christ’s sake, remember what showmanship is all about.

Image via Newscom

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According to TMZ’s Harvey Levin, the divorce has been a done deal since way back in July. In fact, he claims the trickle down of information was carefully orchestrated to coincide with Madges “Sticky & Sweet” tour and directorial debut with Filth and Wisdom, which hit theaters just last week.

Sounds completely feasible to me…

In addition to directing a movie, a compilation of snippets from Madonna’s early recordings interspersed with parts of her Hall of Fame induction speech has made its way to the internet.

The Tape features Madonna discussing her journey from broke dancer to learning to play the guitars and drums in a Queens synagogue. Nostalgically, she tells of how one day she was struggling to make ends meet and the next, she was on her way to stardom.

“Everything happened exactly as it was supposed to happen.”

HT

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I talked previously about how The Ting Tings were growing on me and today’s radio interview sealed the deal for me. Their story of being signed and dropped from their label, starting out with another band, becoming fragmented and then performing in Islington Mill was quite intriguing.

So what was it that won me over? The pair did live studio performances of “Shut Up and Let Me Go” and “That’s Not My Name” and I was impressed with the crystalline quality of vocalist Katie voice. It was absolutely beautiful and sounded even better than on recordings.

The Ting Tings are playing the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles tonight after which they’ll continue on to Las Vegas and other US tour destinations. Visit their MySpace page for more tour details.

Image via The Ting Tings MySpace

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Erykah Badu is known as a neo-soul pioneer and for displaying artistry in a time when such appeared lacking in R&B. The genre seemed to be on its way to becoming an extension of hip hop while simultaneously birthing pop artists and new sub-genres. While Badu has even admitted that she’s not sure what it is, she is probably one of the main artists whose music was instrumental in defining neo-soul.

While some would argue that her debut LP was her best, and still others will laud her vocal display on her live album, many have slept on the overall creativity of Mama’s Gun. With its conceptual and poetic lyrics, thumping grooves and smoothed out melodies, accompanied by the distinct crooning of Badu’s mezzo-soprano timbre, this album is like a shot to the head of listening pleasure in any order or from beginning to end.

“Didn’t Cha Know” is heavy with Badu’s exposed vulnerability. Set to slow a pulsating baseline that elicits the feeling of a journey in time, Erykah’s takes us through her ups and downs as she endeavors to find her way through life and love. Sometimes confused, sometimes unsure which way to go, prone to mistakes but willing to take risk, you get a since of her yearning for understanding in this life uncertain when she sings:

Love is life and life is free
Take the road of life with me
Free your mind and find your way
There will be a brighter day.

Not to be taken for granted, Ms. Badu is “Cleva” and that is what makes her special. She may not be the most beautiful, the richest, most educated, the best cook, or have the biggest “Booty,” make no mistake that she is a rare treasure and could still pull your man, but doesn’t want him. With funky arrangements of wind instruments and percussion, she pines for divine love and someone to who will breath love in her air as well as stimulate her mentally in “Kiss Me on My Neck.”

If you want to feel me, better be divine
Bring me water, water for my mind
Give me lovin’, breath love in my air
Don’t abuse me, ’cause these herbs are rare.

From musings about the state of the world and her place in it in songs like “My Life” and “Time’s a’Waistin’”, to messages of empowerment in “Bag Lady” and “Penitentiary Philosophy”, to tales the of falling in and out of love in songs like “Orange Moon” and “Green Eyes”, Mama’s Gun was exhibition of poetic skill, rhythmic experimentation and abstract creativity. It is also one of the best LPs in her entire catalog in terms of really demonstrating Erykah’s depth and uncanny musical cunning.

Image via Newscom.

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Despite the obvious fact that Aubrey was the only true star of the group, Diddy worked pretty hard to squash that light. According to PopCruch, Diddy decided he had had enough of Aubrey during the last episode of this season’s Making the Band.

Apparently the root of the problems are the issues of trust (or the lack thereof) amongst the girls, during the discussion of which, Aubrey gave Diddy a piece of her mind. As the episode ended, Diddy said:

“I don’t have to communicate shit to you or this group, in fact, I do not want you in this group!”

Back in August however, on the Wendy Williams Show, Aubrey had this to say:

“AO: No, I won’t be getting kicked off, but in regards to the relationship I think like, this season will definitely put all of that to rest. And if I were having a relationship, I definitely wouldn’t have been going through all of that mess with him (in reference to her uncomfortable run-ins with Diddy seen on the show).

WW: What about your future with the group? Are you out, are you in?

AO: I’m definitely in Danity Kane. [source]

So is she in? Is she out? Take the poll on MTV and then find out on next week’s episode of Making the Band.

Image via Danity Kane MySpace.

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