Artist: Teena Marie
Video: From YouTube.
It seems a bit like going from the sublime to the ridiculous, from "People Get Ready" to "Lovergirl". Yet, had you asked me in 1985 which was the greater achievement, no doubt I would have picked this song. It still feels like a guilty pleasure. What the hey, it was groovy. Whoooooo!!
I had no idea, but Teena Marie (real name Mary Christine Brockert) actually had a long recording career, which included a Grammy nomination. A protege of Rick James, she had several top 40 hits on the Billboard R&B charts, including seven top 10's. I was only aware of this song and "Lead Me On", which was on the Top Gun soundtrack in 1986.
"Lovergirl" was her only song that climbed as high as the top 30 in the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #4. It takes the perspective of a woman who is the initiator of a romantic relationship, desiring only to be this man's lovergirl, and additionally to rock his world. The video is a live performance.
Sadly, Teena Marie died in 2010 at the age of 54. I was not aware of her passing.
On a lighter note, there is some exciting blog news! For the first time, I am featuring a poll. I want to know which 1985 songs are your favorites. We've got some ground to make up, and every few days I'll post a new poll with a few more choices. Eventually we'll have some kind of crazy tournament to determine the winner. It will be awesome! Tell your friends!
Seriously, tell your friends. It would be too sad if the winner got only one vote.
No comments:
Post a Comment