Last December, hip-hop pioneer John “Ecstasy” Fletcher passed away at the age of 56; so it seemed long overdue to pay tribute to the group he co-founded, Whodini, with this year’s Jheri Curl June. “Freaks Come Out at Night,” from the group’s seminal 1984 album Escape, is a perfect example of an early hip-hop, electro Jheri Jam, complete with a bouncy synthesized beat and a horny robot talk box.
Whodini now lives in the hallowed halls of the proverbial Jheri Curl Hall of Fame, in the same wing as the Egyptian Lover and the Jonzun Crew, with Ecstasy’s signature Zorro hat and tiny shorts on display right next to the Egyptian Lover’s leather suit and everyone’s fingerless gloves.
We’ll be back tomorrow with more Late Era Jheri Curl Music; in the meantime, playlists are below.
If there’s ever been an artist who embodied proto-Jheri Curl Music without ever quite crossing over into J.C.M. proper, it’s Nile Rodgers. As the guitarist and co-producer behind disco innovators Chic, Rodgers played a key role in the creation of the more streamlined “post-disco” sound; yet by the early ’80s and the dawn of what we call the Jheri Curl Era (JCE), he had taken a left turn from the majority of his acolytes, moving in more of a pop direction with his solo debut Adventures in the Land of the Good Groove and high-profile productions for the likes of David Bowie, Madonna, and Duran Duran.
Rodgers’ second album, 1985’s B-Movie Matinee, is no exception; it isn’t quite Jheri Curl Music, though it certainly has elements in common–dig, for example, the electro-style programmed bassline and bright, brassy synths that open “Let’s Go Out Tonight,” one of two singles released from the album (and, incidentally, the only one of Rodgers’ solo singles to crack the Hot 100). But then again, J.C.M. itself was kind of on the wane by 1985; and even if it isn’t quite orthodox Jheri Curl, how could I refuse myself the opportunity to share this absolutely bonkers video, which features Rodgers (wearing some kind of futuristic Cosby sweater) bringing a Japanese Bunraku marionette to life, taking her out on a date, and then seemingly turning into a marionette himself? Besides, Nile Rodgers wrote the Soul Glo jingle; even if his rhythm guitar style hadn’t influenced virtually every artist we’ve written about for Jheri Curl June, that alone would ensure his place in JCM history remains secure.
We’ll be back tomorrow with more picks from the latter-day JCE; in the meantime, playlists are below.
We’ve spoken briefly about Perri “Pebbles” Reid before, in the context of our 2016 profile of her ex-husband and producer, L.A. Reid, as well as our 2018 profile on André Cymone, who co-wrote her contribution to the Beverly Hills Cop II soundtrack, “Love/Hate.” But part of the point of Jheri Curl June Ladies’ Week is to give the women of Jheri Curl Music a chance to step out from their male producers’ shadows and get their own turn in the spotlight; and besides, Pebbles’ 1987 debut album–and the Number 1 R&B hit “Mercedes Boy” in particular–is just too damn good to ignore.
Written by Pebbles herself and co-produced with Charlie Wilson (yes, thatCharlie Wilson), “Mercedes Boy” is vintage late-era JCM, with a freestyle-inspired programmed bassline and a positively dripping guitar solo. The music video, released in March of 1988, might try to fool us with its close-cropped male dancer; but we all know the hairstyle the boy of Pebbles’ dreams is really rocking, and let’s just say her Mercedes had better have some plastic headrest covers.
Sadly, that wraps up Ladies’ Week for this year; but Jheri Curl June still has a week and a half left to go! Until then, check out those growing Spotify and YouTube playlists below:
I’ve been sitting on this song for the last seven years holding out to see if maybe, just maybe, Vanity’s music would appear on streaming services and we could add it to the Spotify playlist. Unsurprisingly–and, like Eddy Grant‘s absolute fuckin banger “Electric Avenue,” with which we kicked off the festivities this year–that doesn’t seem likely anytime soon. So, I’m finally including Vanity in Jheri Curl June Ladies’ Week (although we did mention her back in 2015 in our Jheri Curl Cinema writeup on The Last Dragon).
“Under the Influence” is my favorite Vanity song. Granted, it was written by Motown songwriters, which is probably why it’s, uh, better than most of her solo stuff (although I love the entire Wild Animal album as well, and will die defending it). Vanity looks stunning in the video, flipping between a glamorous white ’20s-inspired look shot in black and white and some bizarre lacy number with a scarf, two different-colored knee-high boots, and what looks like the pirate hat that I got from the Pirates of the Caribbean gift shop at Disney World back in 2007. Who else BUT Vanity could look that good wearing that stupid outfit and rolling around on the stairs of an opulent hotel entranceway?
We’ll be back with our final day of Ladies’ Week tomorrow. In the meantime, check out the Spotify and YouTube playlists below… just, sadly, don’t expect to see Vanity on the former.
Earlier this week, we mentioned that Bonnie Pointer had departed the Pointer Sisters for a solo career in the late ’70s. Her third album, 1984’s If the Price Is Right, still has remnants of the disco sound of her former musical output, but soaked with Jheri Curl juice. Even the album cover features a glossy image of Bonnie in a Vanity 6-esque teddy.
Sadly, Bonnie Pointer passed away last year, on June 8, 2020; but because we postponed Jheri Curl June that year, we are honoring her with a posthumous induction into a year late. Rest in peace, Bonnie Pointer!
Remember to check out the Spotify and YouTube playlists below. We’ll be back tomorrow with another day of Jheri Curl June Ladies’ Week!
Fredi Grace & Rhinestone was a trio from Atlanta, Georgia consisting of Fredi Grace, Rosalind Sweeper, and Keith Rawls. “Tight,” the titular track off their second (and last) album, is a sparse, funky opener with soaring vocals by lead singer Grace. On a side note, Grace’s tensile strength must be incredible, because after nearly six minutes of instructing her lover to hold her EVEN TIGHTER, she still seems unsatisfied. Squeeze responsibly, folks!
We’ll be back tomorrow for Day 3 of Jheri Curl June Ladies’ Week. In the meantime, remember to check out the Spotify and YouTube playlists below!
If there’s one thing to be said about Jheri Curl Music, it’s that–much like its namesake hairstyle–it’s remarkably gender-neutral: Many of the genre’s greatest tracks were sung by women. That’s why every Jheri Curl June, we designate one week as “Ladies’ Week” to celebrate the contributions of woman artists to our most beloved style. And boy, oh boy, are we kicking off the latest installment right with this 1983 number by the Pointer Sisters.
Formed as a duo by June and Bonnie Pointer in 1969, the Pointer Sisters eventually grew to a quartet and scored a number of hits in the 1970s–including their 1974 country crossover “Fairytale,” which earned them the distinction of becoming the first Black musical group to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. By the end of the decade, the group was on the brink of dissolution, with Bonnie departing for a solo career while June opted to take a break from music. Ultimately, however, the other two sisters (Ruth and Anita) coaxed June back to continue as a trio with producer Richard Perry, and they began releasing more pop- and rock-oriented material, beginning with 1978’s Energy.
Today’s track, “Automatic,” comes from 1983’s aptly-named Break Out: the Pointer Sister’s sixth album with Perry, by which time they had shifted from rock to straight-up electro-funk–or, as we know it in these parts, JCM. And let me tell you, it goes–especially in the extended 12″ remix, which gives plenty of room for session musicians John Van Tongeren, Mark Goldenberg, and Dennis Herring to weave their surprisingly funky spell. If this isn’t an all-time Jheri Curl slapper, I don’t know what is–plus, check the video below for some bonus, easy-to-follow choreography!
https://youtu.be/HCWPodbRqHE
We’ll be back tomorrow with more of the finest female-fronted Jheri Curl Music. Meanwhile, Spotify and YouTube playlists are below:
Like yesterday’s spotlight artist the Jonzun Crew, the Egyptian Lover is a pioneer of the Jheri Curl-adjacent hip-hop subgenre electro (or, as they liked to call it on the West Coast, electro-hop). Way back in our first-ever Jheri Curl June, we even called his 1986 club hit “Freak-a-holic” “the ultimate jheri curl track.” And certainly, the Lover himself (a.k.a. Greg Broussard) had one of the most impressive actual J.C.’s of JCJ history, as evidenced by the aforementioned track’s legendary video.
But Broussard was more than just a mixin’, scratchin’, record-lovin’ son of a gun: he was also a sensitive soul, as evidenced by this slow jam from his 1984 solo debut On the Nile. In a 2016 interview with The Guardian, Broussard shared an unlikely source of inspiration for the song: Rat Pack crooner Dean Martin, specifically his 1969 cover of Buck Owens’ “Crying Time.” To be honest, I don’t hear it–partly because Martin sings the song in his indelible, boozy croon, while the Lover doesn’t “sing” so much as pout along with the music. But let’s face it: “Crying Time” also doesn’t feature a shit-hot guitar solo like the one session guitarist Chuck Gentry plays on “I Cry,” so it’s pretty much a wash.
Join us again on Monday for Ladies’ Week, our annual celebration of woman-fronted Jheri Curl Music. In the meantime, you can listen to our picks so far on the playlists below.
The Jonzun Crew’s 1983 debut album Lost in Space contains several electro staples, but more importantly for our purposes, it features the Jheri Jam (TM) “Space Cowboy.” All I have to say about this song is that it fuckin’ rules. Just listen to that silky synth and funky bassline. Marvel at Michael Jonzun’s glorious Jheri curl, shimmering in the light beneath his enormous white ten-gallon hat. Laurence Fishburne would rock a similar style three years later as Cowboy Curtis in Pee Wee’s Playhouse:
The whistling sound from The Good, the Bad & the Ugly that features prominently in “Space Cowboy” would also later be used by Cameo all over their Word Up! album. So, I don’t know what this connection with Western stuff and Jheri Curl Music is, but I’m all for it.
As always, Spotify and YouTube playlists are below. We’ll be back tomorrow to close out the week with another Jheri Jam (TM)… but it probably won’t have as much yodeling as today’s.
Last month, I bought a house in Columbia, Maryland–putting me, for the first time since I moved to the “DMV” region in 2014, closer to Baltimore than Washington, DC. So, now that I’m a safe distance from the erstwhile Chocolate City, I have a confession to make: I don’t particularly care for go-go, DC’s main musical export and a cornerstone of its cultural identity. Don’t get me wrong; I appreciate its rich heritage, its importance to the District’s Black community, and its proven ability to annoy gentrifiers when played at extreme volumes outside the Metro PCS store in Shaw. But, well, I have to agree with my Baltimore-born girlfriend and say that a lot of go-go kind of just sounds to me like somebody banging pots and pans and hoarsely yelling along to the radio. I’m not saying that it’s bad; just that–like Mambo sauce, another favorite of DC locals–it’s an acquired taste, and I never acquired it.
I say all this, partly to get it off my chest after almost seven years of DC-adjacency, but also to acknowledge that Trouble Funk is different–specifically, their 1983 album In Times of Trouble, which blends go-go with nascent hip-hop and, yes, more than a little bit of Jheri-curled funk. Lead singer Tony Fisher may still be yelling hoarsely on a track like “Good Times”–and somebody, somewhere, definitely still sounds like they’re banging on pots and pans–but these go-go stand-bys are seasoned with liberal dashes of razor-sharp funk guitar and slippery, squealing synths courtesy of James Avery and the late Robert “Syke Dyke” Reed. I doubt I’ll ever be a true go-go convert, especially now that I’m inching further and further away from DC; but between this and E.U.‘s “Da Butt,” I’d say there’s hope for me yet.
We’ll be back tomorrow with more classic Jheri Curl cuts. In the meantime, grab some pots and pans and hoarsely yell along with the playlists below:
