I’ll Be Good For Rene And Angela

René & Angela were a duo consisting of artist/producers René Moore and Angela Winbush. They recorded three albums for Capitol Records before later moving to Mercury Records to release 1985’s Street Called Desire.

Despite the success of the album, the group disbanded by the end of 1986. Disagreements and conflicts caused tension within the band. Moore claimed the source of tension was due to Winbush lending her songwriting and production talents to other artists. However, Winbush said the demise of the group was due to Moore’s alleged violent behavior- including an onstage incident in 1986. The split was so intense, the duo had to communicate through attorneys.

Moore and Winbush went on to successful solo careers as performers, songwriters, and producers. Moore lent his songwriting and production talents to Michael Jackson’s album Dangerous and later went on to form Multi-Media Communications. Winbush went on to score five top ten R&B hits as a solo artist and wrote and/or produced songs for Sheena Easton and Stephanie Mills, among others.

Side One

I’ll Be Good

Side Two

I’ll Be Good (Instrumental)

Free From Calling On You

The roommate thought he was picking up a new group for the collection when he scored this colored disc for the collection. I recognized the group’s name immediately though, Stryper. I always like to have more than one single or LP from an artist or group and since this one is such a fun yellow color, we brought it home sooner rather than later. Even if we had the song before, the difference of the color would lure me into purchasing again!

The name “Stryper” derives from the King James Version of the Bible. “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”. The reference, Isaiah 53:5, is frequently included as part of their logo. Stryper’s drummer, Robert Sweet, also created a backronym for their name: “salvation through redemption, yielding peace, encouragement and righteousness”.

Side One

Free

Side Two

Calling on You

Mr. Richard’s Reviews: Jay-Z – IZZO (H.O.V.A.)

Jay-Z – IZZO (H.O.V.A.) (written by Jay-Z and composed by A. Mizell, Berry Gordy, Jr., D. Richards, F. Perren, Jay-Z, and Kanye West)

Jay-Z is a rapper that I always have mixed reactions about. I know that he and his Roc-a-Fella associates greatly influenced the industry and established many of the trends that pervaded during the late ’90s and early 2000s. However, his continuous beef with Nas and his egomaniacal effort to be the “best east coast rapper” at the time has now transformed into being the “best rapper” in general.

In terms of Jay-Z’s incessant reminders of his rags-to-riches glory, he is a brilliant marketer. This twelve inch, maxi-single in our collection is a great fit. Not only is it pressed on translucent blue vinyl, but this was a chart topper and a classic song to bump real loud, singing every word of the odd chorus.

Frank certainly heard this song playing out of his daughter’s six CD changer, boom box in 2001. Plus, as an original pressing, this is super collectible and he would have appreciated that.

Even though this track is from the now classic ‘Blueprint’ album, which was a direct attack on Nas (as previously mentioned in my review of “Rule”), I enjoy that it isn’t a diss at all. Jay-Z shouting out being born in Virginia and where he came from is not a preachy or overly prideful tune. I’m not fibbing when I say that I screamed in joy a little when I found this. So many memories come back when I rock out to IZZO, especially from hearing this song on the radio and singing it in its entirety to my mom while she drove crazy fast to get groceries or run to Marshall’s.

– Mr. Richard

Check out the original post HERE.

Losing My Religion

That’s me in the corner
That’s me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don’t know if I can do it
Oh no, I’ve said too much
I haven’t said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought, I saw you try

Side One

Losing My Religion

Side Two

Rotary Eleven

Tumblin’ Down, Have You Ever Been to Hell?

If you want to know more about Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, be sure to check out the past posts! There’s a bit of everything from a family tree to where they’re at now!

Side One

Tumblin’ Down

Side Two

Have You Ever Been to Hell

Fluorescent Subcutaneous Alien Hut

This is another one of those entries where I don’t know much about the band. I managed to find that the EP was likely released in the 1990s and is somewhere in the rock genre.

We picked this one up at Garnick’s as the roomie and I are always on the look out for something new. It has a neat insert so it stood out. Sometimes, judging something by it’s cover is a good thing!

Fluorescent Subcutaneous Alien Hut

Ubzub

Side One

Mammy Whammy
Ed Gein

Side Two

Corn and Peas
Tell the Story

Love Somebody With The Human Touch

Side One

Love Somebody

Side Two

Great Lost Art of Conversation

Side One

Human Touch

Side Two

Alyson