Sorry about the absence yesterday. I was in my own personal hell assembling desks at work “busy” and didn’t get to it.
This weekend while sipping a nice little cabernet I turned to my Direct TV music channels as I usually do for some relaxation. Tuned in to the Old School Funk channel I found a few tunes that deserve another listen. I know I like a song when I ask, “Who sings this?” Thus, we have the Tom Browne’s “Funkin’ For Jamaica.”
My screen told me this was released in 1981. Which seems about right judging from the men’s skinny jeans, tight tank tops, and the single gold arm-warmer on the woman singing. Tom Browne was a jazz trumpeter who composed the song with vocalist Tonni Smith who provides the super-catchy hook and lyrics. This was a time when real musicians could play their real instruments on pop tracks and still hit number one. Which they did on the R&B charts with this song.
“Funkin’ For Jamaica” was later sampled by my girl Mariah on the soundtrack to her disaster movie Glitter. Vocally, Mariah’s sample is too breathy in my opinion. I’ll post links to both so you can be the judge.
Original:
Mariah Carey and Mystikal:
Tags: 80s, funk, Tom Browne
One version is better listening and the other is better viewing.
I enjoyed Tom Browne’s version much more. It has a powerful rawness to it unlike Mariah’s more commercial sound.