WJSS Weekend Sounds: Readers Select Their Favorite Love Songs
In honor of Valentine's Day and the three-year anniversary of Wendy Jane's Soul Shake, I asked readers to send me their favorite love songs. I said I'd pick one for today's Weekend Sounds post. It sure wasn't easy.From R & B classics like Caught Up In The Rapture by Anita Baker, to ones that made my heart melt back in the 70's like Heatwave's Always and Forever, to Shining Star by The Manhattans to jazz standards old and new like I'm In The Mood For Love by Ella Fitzgerald, and Close Your Eyes by Michael Buble, to Grace by Me'shell Ndegecello to Al Green's love anthem, Let's Stay Together, I wondered how I'd pick just one.Add to that mix, the soul-stirring Nobody by Hodges, James, Smith & Crawford, the easy, breezy 90's classic, Right Here by SWV (which sneaks in an MJ sample), blue-eyed soul hit When A Man Loves A Woman by Michael Bolton, and As by Stevie Wonder that I listened to over and over again, locked in my bedroom listening to that entire treasure of an album, to contemporary stand-outs, A Couple of Forevers by Chrisette Michele, and Til The End Of Time by Timothy Bloom featuring Vee Bozeman, and you get an idea of what I was up against in making my selection.Finally, my good work friend, Medalit Scott chimed in with not one, but three, Michael Jackson videos: You Rock My World, Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, and Love Never Felt So Good. Another friend chimed in when she saw these nominations posted on fb, that perhaps the MJ selections would have an unfair advantage since everyone knows how much I adore the man's work. I have to admit I did kind of tell myself I would exclude the MJ selections because of my inability to be unbiased and objective when it comes to my childhood love.So, here it is: the love song I chose is....drum roll, please.... Because I Love You by Lenny Williams, nominated by Deb Mason-Johnson. I was in the mood for a song that would give me goosebumps when I listened to all of the nominations this morning, one by one, and this is the one that did it. Thank you, Deb! (Deb is a great horror writer. You can download or purchase her books on Amazon.)When I listened to this song, it gave me flashbacks to my 70's days, and I loved seeing the live band, people actually playing instruments, dressed in polyester, silk, afros, feathered hair, sideburns and mustaches. And, then there is singer, Lenny Williams. I don't think I remember this song, or didn't know it, and was surprised that I didn't recognize the name Lenny Williams. Then I looked him up and felt embarrassed I didn't remember he was the lead singer of Tower and Power. My parents had the Tower of Power albums, Urban Renewal, and Tower of Power, which I loved, and especially loved for the vocals of Lenny Williams.Here's Lenny William's solo hit, Because I Love YouThank you again to all of you who nominated songs. Here is the list, in no particular order, of the nominations and their contributors:Song/Artist Nominated by:1. Caught Up In The Rapture by Anita Baker Amie Plante2. Right Here by SWV Amie Plante3. Let's Stay Together by Al Green Jane Strisik Busker, Summer Short4. When A Man Loves A Woman byMichael Bolton Karen Miller5. Shining Star by The Manhattans Ilidia Cardoso Poulin6. A Couple of Forevers by Chrisette Michelle Karen Oldham-Kidd7. Close Your Eyes by Michael Buble Ilidia Cardoso Poulin8. Nobody by Hodges, James, Smith & Crawford Donald King9. Grace by Me'shell Ndegecello Amie Plante10. I'm In The Mood For Love by Ella Fitzgerald Ellen Taylor11. Always and Forever by Heatwave Warren Leach12. Til The End Of Time by Timothy Bloomfeaturing Vee Bozeman Deb Mason-Johnson13. As by Stevie Wonder Beth Barclay Livingston14. You Rock My World by Michael Jackson* Medalit Scott*Best Video15. Don't Stop Til You Get Enough by MJ Medalit Scott16. Love Never Felt So Good by MJ Medalit Scott Love to all. Sources: www.youtube.com