The Seven Songs You Don’t Want to Miss on Your Way to RADwood L.A.
“The Seven Songs You Don’t Want to Miss on Your Way to RADwood L.A.”
If you’re reading this, you’re spoiled. Gone are the days of hearing a song once and never knowing what it was. Since the very genesis of Napster, we’ve been tossing our tapes out the window for BitTorrent. With Siri at your fingertips and streaming services abound, there’s really no reason to let a tune slip past your (ravishingly good) radar. As we pucker up for a hit of nostalgia from the RADwood crackpipe, I decided to divulge a few of my favorite tunes that you might have Shazammed 20 years ago-And just in time for your drive in.
House: Not talking real estate, yo!
K.W.S “Please Don’t Go” (Network Records 1992)
I’d like to debut this playlist with a powerhouse track from electro house trio- K.W.S.
This slice of honey house ham hails from across the pond and debuted in 1992 as an electro-pop cover of the famous song “Please Don’t Go”, a hit track originally recorded by KC and the Sunshine band. After a five-year career with nine separate singles, K.W.S. went their separate ways with a pretty wicked set of Billboard Gold certifications for this single.
M:G “Sweet Honesty”(Classified Records 1998)
Birthed from the club infested scene of San Francisco, this breakdance essential was debuted on the bay area radio station WILD 94.9 to wildly positive reception. The song was a club and disc jockey favorite, flooding the dance station airwaves as a highly requested song for a short time before promptly vanishing off the air for good. Gone are the golden days of the radio DJ, do you remember?
Hip-Hop: check,check, one two one two
Digital Underground feat. 2pac “Same Song” (TNT récords, 1991)
Here’s another massive song that may have been overshadowed by other exponentially successful singles. Originally a title track for the Dan Aykroyd movie, Nothing But Trouble, “Same Song” features a young strapping Tupak Shakur (skip to 2:15 for Emperor Pac) in what’s considered his debut commercial verse. After some brief lighthearted collaborations with Digital Underground, Tupac would quickly springboard to the top of the charts under Death Row Records while covering much darker subject matter. Come on, did you think I was going to leave out a Tupac track for Radwood L.A.?
Skee-Lo “I Wish” (Scotti Bros, 1995)
“I wish I had a rabbit in a hat with a bat and a 94’ miata”. That’s how it goes, right? Yet another quintessential one hit wonder, Skee Lo spits a clever self-deprecating rap over a very loose sampled song titled “Spinnin” by funk legend Bernard Wright. This song has often made appearances at different times across many different music libraries of mine, serving as a staple crowd pleaser.
Rock: Not The Geology kind
The Cure “Close To Me” (Fiction Records, 1985)
The Cure is like sausage- I love the product, but I’d rather not know how it’s made. Possibly one of the most complicated bands in my recent memory, Robert Smith has managed to deliver stellar music for over three decades under this iconic moniker. This particular “single” version happens to differentiate itself from the original song by its incorporation of a New Orleans horn section recorded in post-production, stay tuned till the end to check it out!
The B-52’s “Legal Tender” (Warner Brothers, 1983)
Whoa, remember these guys? About six years before the b-52’s sold their souls to the Devil for a little ditty called “Love Shack”, they happened to jam out a pretty decent song that I’ve been in love with since I first heard it in a tattoo shop, no joke. While “Legal Tender” happens to be the only bearable song on the entire album (sorry mom), the same might not be said about the music video… this one might be for ears only.
Q Lazzarus “Goodbye Horses” (Probe Plus, 1988)
I love songs with a great set of legs. Some music seems to effortlessly glide through the decades, aging with such grace I often forget the years behind them. This is one of those tracks. Ethereal and dark vocals ooze with complexity while simple four-count drums drive home the haunting beat. Remember, this song is so groovy it had Buffalo Bill tugging at his own teat.