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  • Jheri Curl June: Prime Time’s “Anytime is Prime Time (Theme Song)”

    Jheri Curl June: Prime Time’s “Anytime is Prime Time (Theme Song)”

    In the almost-10 years since we started Jheri Curl June, I’ve learned to keep an eye out in the record store for potential discoveries in the Jheri Curlaverse. Sometimes, this habit pays off–as in the case of 2018 JCJ honoree Georgio. But sometimes, even the most promising-looking record can fail to live up to expectations.

    This was the case when, back home in Michigan two summers ago, I came across Confess It Baby, the 1985 sophomore album by Prime Time. “Promising-looking” didn’t even begin to describe it: Posed in front of the skyline backdrop from a local public access talk show, dressed in the finest selections from the Steve Harvey menswear line, the motley crew assembled on the album cover (see below) looked like they stepped out of a production of Guys and Dolls with a cast comprised entirely by the lineups of the Whispers and DeBarge. This–combined with a tracklist full of suggestive song titles like “What’s That You Slipped Into My Wine,” “Sex-o-logical,” and “Baby Don’t Break My Back“–basically put my expectations through the roof.

    Likely because of these sky-high expectations, I was underwhelmed when I got home and gave Confess It Baby a spin. It isn’t a terrible record, by any means, and certainly not below par for Jheri Curl June; remember, this is coming from someone who counts discovering Georgio as a success. But it was generic enough that I’d all but forgotten about Prime Time until this Jheri Curl June rolled around and I remembered, “Oh yeah, what about that one record by the goofy-ass Whispers/DeBarge knock-offs?”

    All of which is to say, I have good news and bad news about today’s JCJ pick. The bad news is, Confess It Baby isn’t officially streaming, and while we’ve included some YouTube-only tracks in past years, I can’t be bothered doing it for Prime Time. Which brings me to the good news: the group’s 1984 debut album Flying High is streaming, and it’s actually a damn sight better than Confess It Baby.

    Don’t get me wrong, it’s also hilarious. The group shot on the back cover (see above) is almost as goofy as the one on Confess It Baby, except this time the assorted Whispers and DeBarge castoffs are in a production of The Outsiders. Meanwhile, lead singer Jimmy Hamilton kicks off closing track “Anytime is Prime Time (Theme Song)”–yes, Prime Time end their debut album with a song about themselves–by yelling, “What time is it?” as if that catchphrase didn’t already very clearly belong to Morris Day of the Time. But the electro-lite groove and sunny melody ensure that you leave with a smile on your face, even if you don’t have as overdeveloped sense of irony as yours truly.

    Anytime is Prime Time to listen to Prime Time… and the rest of the artists on these playlists:

  • Jheri Curl June: Steve Arrington’s “What Do You Want from Me”

    Jheri Curl June: Steve Arrington’s “What Do You Want from Me”

    We have long extolled the virtues of both Steve Arrington‘s actual Jheri curl and his Ohio-grown bouncy funk in relation to the three–time JCJ-inducted band Slave. However, not only could I easily put Arrington on the playlist every single year, but this year, I specifically wanted to give attention to his second group, Steve Arrington’s Hall of Fame, with this 1984 jam, “What Do You Want from Me.”

    Released the same year Arrington converted to Christianity (he would later become a licensed minister), this is a love song, but on closer listen also sounds like it could be a gospel song about serving Christ. At least the first verse does; then it devolves into moaning and talking about making love. But for my money, this song has a lot of the same love/sex/god themes that Prince was working with throughout his career, though with a lot less angst. It radiates so much warmth that it could only be on an album called Positive Power. I mean, just look at that beautiful backlit curl! It’s enough to make anyone a believer!

    And with that, Steve Arrington’s Hall of Fame has officially entered the JCJ (and just plain J.C.) hall of fame. As always, playlists are below:

  • Jheri Curl June: Gwen Guthrie’s “Peanut Butter”

    Jheri Curl June: Gwen Guthrie’s “Peanut Butter”

    As we rapidly approach the 10-year anniversary of Jheri Curl June, one of the most exciting things for me is the thrill of “discovering” an artist who I frankly should have known about already. This year, that artist is Gwen Guthrie: a former back-up vocalist, elementary school teacher (!), and commercial jingle singer from Newark, New Jersey, whose series of 1980s club hits led to her being dubbed the “First Lady” of New York City‘s legendary Paradise Garage.

    Listening to “Peanut Butter,” the opening track from Guthrie’s 1983 album Portrait, it’s easy to see why she earned the title. Like the rest of her first two albums, it’s produced by Sly (Dunbar) and Robbie (Shakespeare)–also known for their work with previous JCJ inductee and all-around badass Grace Jones–and it’s funky as hell, with the Jamaican production duo’s dub influences showing through in the highly percussive groove. Likewise, Guthrie’s sultry vocal and exhortations to “spread yourself over me like peanut butter” feel precision-engineered for the dance floor–particularly in the even dubbier extended club mix by Paradise Garage house DJ Larry Levan.

    I’m not gonna lie–sometimes I worry that we’ve scraped the bottom of the barrel, and that we’ll run out of exciting music to spotlight for Jheri Curl June sooner rather than later. But if after nine years I can still randomly stumble across somebody like Gwen Guthrie, it’s a reminder that there’s still a lot left to learn about and explore.

    Speaking of exploring, remember to check out our playlists! We’ll be back for the second full week of Jheri Curl June 2023 on Monday.

  • Jheri Curl June: Tomoko Aran’s “ひと夏のタペストリー (Hitonatsu no Tapestry)”

    Jheri Curl June: Tomoko Aran’s “ひと夏のタペストリー (Hitonatsu no Tapestry)”

    Tokoko Aran is a City Pop artist who put out a slew of albums on Warner Bros. during the 1980s, including this track, “ひと夏のタペストリー(Hitonatsu no Tapestry)” from 1983’s Fyukukan.

    “Hitonatsu no Tapestry” would sound great in a mix with George Duke’s “Shine On” from 1982 and George Benson‘s “Give Me the Night” from 1980. Though “Hitonatsu no Tapestry” shares some similarities with both of these songs, it incorporates more synths instead of a horn or string section, which is consistent with how Jheri Curl Music sounded after Prince’s 1999 album was released, and would sound for the rest of the decade. By 1983, R&B was shedding the remnants of Post-Disco and sounding much more cold and synthetic as it entered into the Jheri Curl golden age of the mid-’80s.

    But, you can relive the first couple of years of J.C.M. by listening to our playlists, here:

  • Jheri Curl June: Surface’s “Falling in Love”

    Jheri Curl June: Surface’s “Falling in Love”

    For the past nine years, we’ve harped on a lot about the sonic signifiers that make Jheri Curl Music what it is: your clean bass and rhythm guitar, your programmed drums, your layered synths, and so on. But one sound we’ve never had cause to mention is the flute… that is, at least, until now.

    “Falling in Love” was the debut single by the New Jersey-based group Surface: a vehicle for EMI Records staff songwriters David “Pic” Conley and David Townsend, with Conley’s girlfriend, Karen Copeland, on vocals. It is, at first glance, little more than a pleasantly chill midtempo J.C.M. trifle–imagine an S.O.S. Band album track, and you’ve basically got the picture. But then, the flute enters the mix–just a taste at first, then gradually growing in prominence, until all the sudden we’re treated to a full-blown solo. And you know what? It fuckin’ rules.

    I’ll admit, we’re not exactly unbiased when it comes to flute in pop songs. Callie’s other podcast dedicated a whole episode to flute jams; I spent a not-insignificant part of my youth listening to a cassette compilation called Funky Flutes and Sexy Sitars; at least one of us (I won’t say who) spent actual U.S. currency to see Jethro Tull in concert. But the flute adds so much to “Falling in Love,” it kind of begs the question why it wasn’t a more common sound in songs of its genre. Clearly, at least someone at Surface’s record label Salsoul agreed, because the single’s European picture sleeve prominently featured Conley serenading a bemused-looking Copeland with the instrument (see above).

    Unfortunately, “Falling in Love” didn’t kick off a whole new era of woodwind-mania in ’80s R&B. The single made it into the lower reaches of the Billboard R&B chart, peaking at Number 84 in summer 1983; the following year, electro-lite follow-up single “When Your Ex Wants You Back” reached the same position, after which Conley and Copeland broke up, marking the end of the group’s original lineup. Surface would eventually (ahem) resurface in 1986 with a new singer, Bernard Jackson, and a smoother sound heavily indebted to the likes of Babyface. It’s fine–we may even write about Surface Mark II in a future Jheri Curl June–but I think we all know what’s missing. Luckily, the version of “Falling in Love” on streaming services is an extra-long remix by Shep Pettibone, so you can wet your whistle and then some.

    Speaking of streaming, here are those playlists again:

  • Jheri Curl June: Circle City Band’s “Magic”

    Jheri Curl June: Circle City Band’s “Magic”

    This is gonna be a short post because I can barely find a damn thing about this group except for the fact that they are a “Mid-80s Boogie-funk Band from Indiana,” according to Discogs, and that they were founded and coproduced by a man named Stanlee Paul whose real name is, get this, Paul Stanlee Thomas (not to be confused with Paul Stanley.)

    Circle City Band only had three singles spanning from 1983-1985 until 2012, when Luv N’ Haight put out an album including remastered versions of their singles and previously unreleased tracks. Thank God they did, because 1983’s “Magic” is one of the funkiest deep tracks I’ve found, with zapping synthesizers and rumbling drums that could only originate in the bowels of the Midwest.

    Hear the magic of Jheri Curl Music on our playlists here:

  • Jheri Curl June: D-Train’s “‘D’ Train Theme”

    Jheri Curl June: D-Train’s “‘D’ Train Theme”

    It’s been a while since we last spotlighted James “D-Train” Williams–since 2015, to be exact, when we wrote about Paul Hardcastle‘s 1985 remix of D-Train’s 1981 breakout hit, “You’re the One for Me.” And frankly, that’s too long to go without some Vitamin D–especially now that we know it was Williams who sang the much-more-soulful-than-required hook to the original Pokémon anime’s “Pokérap,” thus completing the weirdest possible Venn diagram of Callie‘s interests and most likely fulfilling an ancient prophecy that will ultimately lead to the apocalypse.

    Unfortunately, the Pokérap does not count as an example of Jheri Curl Music; but 1982’s “‘D’ Train Theme” decidedly does, and folks, it is a banger. Recorded when “D-Train” was not only Williams’ stage name, but also a full-fledged duo comprising the singer and keyboardist/producer Hubert Eaves III, the “Theme” opens with a recorded announcement from the New York subway line, before launching into a nasty bass and drum-machine groove that lays the foundation for a synth hook positively dripping with J.C. juice. The lyrical content is just about what you’d expect–a series of exhortations to “get up on the funky D-Train”–but fans of the aforementioned Pokérap will be excited to hear Williams lay down some capable bars himself. “‘D’ Train Theme” may not teach you the names of the 150 original Pokémon, but it is funky as hell, and really, that’s what matters most.

    You can get on board the funky JC-train with the playlists below; see you tomorrow!

  • Jheri Curl June: Masayoshi Takanaka’s “Chill Me Out”

    Jheri Curl June: Masayoshi Takanaka’s “Chill Me Out”

    We have talked about City Pop and its proximity to Jheri Curl Music before with Hitomi Tohyama’s “Wanna Kiss”. Today we are featuring Masayoshi Takanaka, a jazz fusion legend, guitarist, composer, and producer who is influential in the City Pop genre. He is also known for playing with outrageous, custom guitars. Here’s a picture of him playing a huge red surfboard-shaped guitar:

    “Chill Me Out” from 1982’s Saudade is a perfect way to cool down on a hot summer evening, with the tinkling synthesizer that hits like ice cubes in a drink on a hot, balmy day. I also love the spoken word part that’s a conversation between Takanaka and session bassist T.M. Stevens, culminating in Takanaka shouting “CHECK IT OUT” and then ripping into a guitar solo.

    Oh, by the way, Randy Jackson also appears on this album. You know. THE Randy Jackson of Journey and “it’s a no from me dawg” fame. Unfortunately, I did not figure out which songs he appears on, but Discogs lists him as a background singer on the album.

    “Chill Me Out” definitely deserves a spot on your cookout playlist this summer. If you don’t have one yet, may we suggest our own here:

  • Jheri Curl June: Tom Browne’s “Funkin’ for Jamaica”

    Jheri Curl June: Tom Browne’s “Funkin’ for Jamaica”

    Surprise! I know it’s been a minute since we did… anything for Dystopian Dance Party, but the weather’s getting warmer, the days are getting longer, and the sounds of funky synthesizers are echoing in the distance; so we couldn’t resist coming back for another Jheri Curl June.

    For the uninitiated, Jheri Curl June is our annual celebration of a particular strain of wet, silky ’80s R&B that defies all non-hairstyle-related description (and no, we haven’t heard of post-disco… or boogie… or electro-funk… or…). We’ve explained the term several times in the last nine years: in our original 2014 introduction post, a 2016 video, and a 2018 podcast. We know it’s never going to catch on, but damn it, we’re in too deep to stop now.

    Having been at this for almost a decade, as you might imagine, we’ve begun to expand the boundaries of the pseudo-genre we coined, touching on City Pop and even reggae. This year, I think it’s finally time to unleash a new mutation that’s been sitting in my “JCJ ideas” playlist for years: I’m talking, of course, about Jheri Jazz.

    Tom Browne released “Funkin’ for Jamaica (N.Y.)” in July 1980 as the lead single from his second solo album, Love Approach; the song’s irresistible jazz-funk fusion hit Number 1 on the Billboard R&B chart in October, where it remained for three weeks. This puts it more solidly in what we might call the “proto-J.C.M.” category, which is probably why we didn’t feature it until now; for one thing, the lead instrument is Browne’s trumpet, and as we all know, Jheri Curl Music traditionally lacks non-synthetic horns.

    And yet, listening to the airtight groove of “Funkin’” today, it fits right in with our usual fare: particularly the razor-sharp muted rhythm guitar by Bobby Broom and that nasty bassline by a 20-year-old Marcus Miller. And did you catch that Flex-a-Tone straight out of 2017 JCJ honoree “Cutie Pie” by One Way? I rest my case.

    If you want an in-depth look into the story behind the inspiration and recording of “Funkin’,” I highly recommend this excellent article from Wax Poetics. In the meantime, I’ll just say that the music video above is the most concentrated dose of fun I’ve experienced in quite a while; everyone–Browne, Broom, Miller, singer Toni Smith, keyboardist Bernard Wright, and perhaps most of all incessantly mugging drummer Buddy Williams–looks like they’re having the time of their life. Hopefully kicking off the month with this absolute heater will help bring some fun into your life as well.

    Check out our growing Spotify and TIDAL playlists below:

  • Headbangers Book Club: Pamela Des Barres’ I’m with the Band (Part 2)

    Headbangers Book Club: Pamela Des Barres’ I’m with the Band (Part 2)

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    At long last, we’re finally concluding our two-parter on Pamela Des Barres’ epochal memoir I’m with the Band! In this episode, we get in some more digs at our nemesis Jimmy Page, with some bonus potshots at Don Johnson, and continue to gush about how nice it is to read a book where you don’t end up hating the protagonist by the end. The Book Club will be taking October off, but we’ll reconvene in November for a reader-selected book TBD–if you haven’t already suggested something, get your votes in now!

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