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Sunday, April 23, 2006

BY WAY OF LOVE'S EXPRESS

when i saw the tv commercial announcing an upcoming ASHFORD & SIMPSON concert, i knew i had to do whatever i took to be there. luckily, i didn't have a gig out of town tonight, so the 'whatever it took' part of my decree wasn't too insurmountable. the challenge basically meant i had to travel out to QUEENS near SHEA STADIUM on the #7 train, then catch a bus for a couple of miles to QUEENS COMMUNITY COLLEGE where this rare event was being held.

the all-day rainfall didn't once deter me from trekking to witness these two musical monoliths perform live, as i have never seen them in concert before. they did perform live on my talk show once, but that was just a taste compared to the feast i experienced tonight.

NICK & VAL are real singers who really know how to sing. they sounded like heaven, and christmas, and ice cream. they look 20 years younger than their actual ages, and their catalog of timeless songs has even more credence today amidst a landscape of disposable pop tunes currently on the radio.

sometime in the middle their MOTOWN MEDLEY i started to cry, and even as it was happening, i clearly understood why i felt so emotional. it was because these songs are the soundtrack to my life story. their songs remind me of a long ago innocence i locked away for safe keeping. it was AIN'T NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING that got me welled up, but it was YOUR PRECIOUS LOVE that made my tears flow.

backstage, at the post-concert reception, i had a lovely conversation with LIZ ROSENBERG, who i met years ago through CHER. LIZ is fantastic, very grounded and real. she told me that her first assignment at WARNER BROS. was ASHFORD & SIMPSON, and that they've remained friends ever since.

NICK & VAL were genuinely surprised to see me out in QUEENS. i told them i wouldn't have missed it for the world. we hugged, took pictures and then i was off to catch my bus, which took me to the train bound for a rainy night in MANHATTAN.

ME & BABY BROTHER

my ipod has two NICK & VAL playlists in it. one consists of songs from their catalog as recording artists, and the second playlist consists of music they wrote and produced for other artists. the first playlist i named simply ASHFORD & SIMPSON. the second playlist has a very provocative name that most people will find offensive. it comes from the younger brother of a girl i once knew.

her younger brother had a knack for defiling everything his older sister held dear, in this case, the name of ASHFORD & SIMPSON. i have a fondness for the irreverent, so i personally think her little brother's pet name for the legendary music giants is very funny. younger brother's pet name for them was "ASSFART & SYPHILIS".

here are the top twenty from each playlist in my ipod:

ASHFORD & SIMPSON:

1. Count Your Blessings
2. Nobody Knows
3. Love Don't Make It Right
4. I Ain't Asking For Your Love
5. By Way Of Love's Express
6. Don't Cost You Nothin'
7. Send It
8. So So Satisfied
9. Found A Cure
10. Stay Free
11. Dance Forever
12. Crazy
13. Finally Got To Me
14. Follow Your Heart
15. It Seems To Hang On
16. Street Corner
17. High-Rise
18. Solid
19. Let Love Use Me
20. Silly Wasn't I

"ASSFART & SYPHILIS":

1. No One Gets The Prize/The Boss ...Diana Ross
2. Clouds...Chaka Khan
3. I Will Fight ...Gladys Knight & The Pips
4. Keep Away Girls...Stephanie Mills
5. I Ain't Been Licked...Diana Ross
6. Uh-Uh OOh-Ooh Look Out [Hurley's Mix]...Roberta Flack
7. I'm Every Woman...Chaka Khan
8. I Can't Give Back The Love ...Dusty Springfield
9. Remember Me...Diana Ross
10. Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing...Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
11. Reach Out, I'll Be There...The Four Tops
12. You're All I Need To Get By...Diana Ross
13. It's My House...Diana Ross
14. Ain't No Mountain High Enough...Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
15. California Soul...The 5th Dimension
16. Taste Of Bitter Love ...Gladys Knight & The Pips
17. Some Things You Never Used to Do...Diana Ross & The Supremes
18. Your Precious Love...Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
19. Destination Anywhere...The Marvelettes
20. Stuff Like That...Quincy Jones

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Posted by Ru on Sunday, April 23, 2006 at Sunday, April 23, 2006 | Permalink

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