"Don't Worry Be Happy" makes me want to assassinate Bobby McFerrin. I had a fit when this song beat "Man in the Mirror" for the Record of the Year Grammy in 1989.
Anyway, about the New Edition song/video. The Jamie Foxx lookalike is actually their choreographer, Brooke Payne (who is also Ronnie DeVoe's uncle), imaginatively cast in the role of...their choreographer. I doubt NE would have taken the opportunity to throw rocks at Maurice Starr, since at the time this song and video came out, New Edition was infinitely more popular and successful than Starr or the New Kids..."Please Don't Go Girl" was just starting to climb the charts at this point.
dslifton
· 1 month ago
Any post anywhere on the Internet that links back to Mellow Gold 47 is inherently awesome.
:::theroux
· 1 month ago
Another great article...the Taylor Dayne bit made me pee. She wins the Jennifer Grey award for having become completely unrecognizable.
Randomly: - Kenny Loggins is mos def the soundtrack king. Soundtrack queen? Irene Cara maybe? ("Fame", "Flashdance", "D.C. Cab") Miss Newton-John?
- Bobby Brown. His entire pop existence used to bug the sh*t out of me. I just didnt get it. He was one of the weaker new edition vocalists, there was the frickin' gumby haircut, and the man is only slightly more attractive than Flava Flav. Oh, and he did a rap about the Ghostbusters...that's the height of edgey.
- A Bobby Brown / Glen Medeiros smackdown?! Was it over who got to escort Tiffany to the Teen Choice awards? Was Martika called in to break things up?
luffy66
· 1 month ago
Madonna would get my vote as soundtrack queen
:::theroux
· 1 month ago
Forgot about Esther. I guess she gets the technical win on volume alone. I was thinking more of an artist whose career was defined by their soundtrack hits. When I think of Loggins, I just think of his movie music.
kmbone
· 1 month ago
No argument whatsoever from me about McFerrin. I was a Bobby McFerrin fan long before Simple Pleasures came out, so I have a bit more tolerance for "Don't Worry, Be Happy" than most people. The man is incredible. I'd like to think people would have heard of him because of his version of "The Cosby Show" theme song and his work on the 'Round Midnight soundtrack, but I'm fooling myself. It's too bad that McFerrin's name has almost become a punchline since then, so that people give you a weird look when you mention that you love his music.
kingofgrief
· 1 month ago
I've never had anything but love for "Don't Worry Be Happy". Even as burnout began to settle in, I was just glad the thing existed (and reached pole position to boot). I'll bet you and I were among the few to recognize Bill Irwin in the video, I have his appearances on PBS to thank for that.
I never realized "Perfect World" made the top 10. This was always a fave from Huey, despite the "fre/desire" cliche in the first verse. The more dismissals of Small World I read, the more I want to hear it. I've got an affection for underdog records.
What kills "If It Isn't Love" for me: the fake drama at the end of the bridge ("Love her? WHAT!?"). And then there's a flourish of drum-machine fills and back to the verse. Not the smoothest transition. I'll stick with "Mr. Telephone Man".
JonCummings
· 1 month ago
I believe it may have been this chart that sent me, as a 21-year-old, on a serious "I'll never listen to Top 40 radio again" kick. Other than "Sweet Child" and "Simply Irresistible," every song here makes me want to wretch. Ronny, Bobby, Ricky & Mike, if I hate this music, who cares what you like?
I'm with Heyliger on McFerrin's Grammy--though for me it belonged to Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car," not to MJ. I swore off "Don't Worry, Be Happy," which I hadn't particularly cared for in the first place, the moment it became the theme for George (H.W.) Bush's campaign rallies.
As for Huey, I still maintain that our little Rock Court only proves that 300 people can indeed be wrong.
jasonhare
· 1 month ago
For what it's worth, Jon, the minute McFerrin found out about Bush using the song, he ripped him a new one -- Bush responded by apologizing and inviting him to the White House...an invitation he declined.
DwDunphy
· 1 month ago
The phrase "Back to the shack" doesn't remind me of Kenny or Jackie, but of the terrible things that have occurred there with Groundskeeper Willie.
Beau
· 1 month ago
I bought McFerrin's "Spontaneous Inventions" and saw him live around that time, before "Simple Pleasures" made him famous and infamous. The guy was unreal. We played one song from "Inventions" before one of my music theory classes, and every serious singer's jaw dropped.
"Simple Pleasures," in which he branched out into overdubbing his voice instead of soloing, was less impressive but had a couple of cool moments such as his "Sunshine of Your Love" cover.
And the way I figure it, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" basically gave him the financial cushion to pursue any direction he wants. Such as this great clip on neurology that I think another Popdoser posted to Facebook: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne6tB2KiZuk
Meanwhile, Bobby Brown keeps himself in the news without doing a danged constructive thing.
jasonhare
· 1 month ago
First time I'm seeing that video. That's just awesome. Thanks for sharing. What was the song from "Inventions" that you played for the class?
Beau
· 1 month ago
It was actually my theory teacher who played it. It was the cover of Joan Armatrading's "Opportunity."
The sudden plummet at the 3:42 mark made jaws drop.
His version of "From Me to You" is just wonderful, too.
Gigi
· 1 month ago
Re: Bobby Brown - his marriage to Whitney was, um, slightly longer than you guessed, in that it was FOURTEEN years. He's a black hole of humanity, but "Don't Be Cruel" is my fave Bobby B jam, including "My Prerogative." Video is pleasingly over the top. (Also, I thought I was the only person who remembered Glenn Medeiros, besides his mom.)
Re: New Edition - how can that not be Jamie Foxx??? Uncanny. Has Ralph Tresvant come out of the closet yet? I find the song and the choreography strangely hypnotic.
Re: Taylor Dayne - I have been using her name as a synonym for "Satan" for years.
All Comments
Anyway, about the New Edition song/video. The Jamie Foxx lookalike is actually their choreographer, Brooke Payne (who is also Ronnie DeVoe's uncle), imaginatively cast in the role of...their choreographer. I doubt NE would have taken the opportunity to throw rocks at Maurice Starr, since at the time this song and video came out, New Edition was infinitely more popular and successful than Starr or the New Kids..."Please Don't Go Girl" was just starting to climb the charts at this point.
Randomly:
- Kenny Loggins is mos def the soundtrack king. Soundtrack queen? Irene Cara maybe? ("Fame", "Flashdance", "D.C. Cab") Miss Newton-John?
- Bobby Brown. His entire pop existence used to bug the sh*t out of me. I just didnt get it. He was one of the weaker new edition vocalists, there was the frickin' gumby haircut, and the man is only slightly more attractive than Flava Flav. Oh, and he did a rap about the Ghostbusters...that's the height of edgey.
- A Bobby Brown / Glen Medeiros smackdown?! Was it over who got to escort Tiffany to the Teen Choice awards? Was Martika called in to break things up?
his movie music.
I never realized "Perfect World" made the top 10. This was always a fave from Huey, despite the "fre/desire" cliche in the first verse. The more dismissals of Small World I read, the more I want to hear it. I've got an affection for underdog records.
What kills "If It Isn't Love" for me: the fake drama at the end of the bridge ("Love her? WHAT!?"). And then there's a flourish of drum-machine fills and back to the verse. Not the smoothest transition. I'll stick with "Mr. Telephone Man".
I'm with Heyliger on McFerrin's Grammy--though for me it belonged to Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car," not to MJ. I swore off "Don't Worry, Be Happy," which I hadn't particularly cared for in the first place, the moment it became the theme for George (H.W.) Bush's campaign rallies.
As for Huey, I still maintain that our little Rock Court only proves that 300 people can indeed be wrong.
"Simple Pleasures," in which he branched out into overdubbing his voice instead of soloing, was less impressive but had a couple of cool moments such as his "Sunshine of Your Love" cover.
And the way I figure it, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" basically gave him the financial cushion to pursue any direction he wants. Such as this great clip on neurology that I think another Popdoser posted to Facebook:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne6tB2KiZuk
Meanwhile, Bobby Brown keeps himself in the news without doing a danged constructive thing.
Which some nice record company put on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc1Wc7cyiTc
The sudden plummet at the 3:42 mark made jaws drop.
His version of "From Me to You" is just wonderful, too.
Re: New Edition - how can that not be Jamie Foxx??? Uncanny. Has Ralph Tresvant come out of the closet yet? I find the song and the choreography strangely hypnotic.
Re: Taylor Dayne - I have been using her name as a synonym for "Satan" for years.