Ashford & Simpson

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Ashford&Simpson seem to have had a long long career, much of which i'm really quite clueless about. I absolutely love 'Bourgie Bourgie', for that indulgent late 70s coke overload sound. but what about the rest of their back catalogue? and didn't they do a lot of stuff for other people? what about that?

― gareth, Friday, 21 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I know they wrote songs for other people before they had a recording career. Also, I think they recorded some stuff in the 60's as Nick and Val.

― Sean, Friday, 21 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

They were certainly solid. As a rock.

― MarkS(no, not that one), Friday, 21 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

"found a cure" verges on the godlike and "it seems to hang on" is nearly as good. unfortunately, the rest isn't as good, especially as the years went on and you realized, "yeah, they really are husband and wife."

― fred solinger, Friday, 21 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Valerie Simpson's first solo alb on Motown, produced by hubby, is v. good in an early seventies Millie Jackson kind of way. She also sang backing vocs on most of the late-period Steely Dan albs!

― Andrew L, Friday, 21 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Don't know a lot of their stuff, but the album 'A Musical Affair' contains one of the greatest silk-sheet sex ballads I've ever heard. It's called "Rushing To," though for the longest time I imagined they were really saying "Pershing II," which isn't quite as sexy, granted.

― scott, Friday, 21 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

some wd find it MORE sexy, scott — tho i admit not me

― mark s, Friday, 21 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I think that the John Davis Orchestra version of "Bourgie Bourgie" is better... You should check it out.

― Chris H., Saturday, 22 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Nicholas Ashford is the worst singer in history. Worse than Kris Kristofferson. Worse than Kurt Wagner. Worse than that iron-lung patient in Embrace. Doesn't the guy in Embrace sound like John Wetton?

― dave q, Saturday, 22 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

two years pass...

I have followed Ashford & Simpson most of their Musical Careers and they are very talented artist and song writters for such songs as"Ain't No Mountain High Enough"and "Reach Out and Touch Somebodys Hand"Only to name a few of their great hits.So let's give them there props.Just because you may not know of them doesn't mean there not awesome at what they do.You have listen to the music to understand and feel the vibes from it.And Nick Ashford is only at this best singing beside Valerie.

― Ann, Wednesday, 31 March 2004 00:24 (twenty years ago) link

That red-headed guy on American Idol was terrible.

― dleone (dleone), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 00:31 (twenty years ago) link

Yeah. I figured the Motown show was designed to weed out Big Red. But then the country show was custom-made to preserve Cap'n Nascar, and look what happened.

― m.e.a. (m.e.a.), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 01:29 (twenty years ago) link

Cap'n Nascar is so my new stripper name

There's something weird about Nick Ashford, and it's not just the hair dye

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 04:45 (twenty years ago) link

four years pass...

"Solid": has anyone song ever needed verses less?

― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 14:01 (sixteen years ago) link

yep

― blueski, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 14:02 (sixteen years ago) link

their club in Harlem is the only club in the U.S. that I have actively told my booking agent "please try to get me a show there" about

no dice tho

― J0hn D., Wednesday, 14 May 2008 14:18 (sixteen years ago) link

love love love "stay free"

― impudent harlot, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 14:45 (sixteen years ago) link

"Solid": has anyone song ever needed verses less?

But then you'd miss the "Not run away, it was no time to play/We build it up and build it up and build it up" part.

Love love WORSHIP them! "So So Satisfied" hurts so good. "Found a Cure" is the archetypal bourgie boogie (even more archetypal than "Bourgié Bourgié" if only because John Davis & The Monster Orchestra's version had the lyrics). And they wanna live in a "High Rise."

Still, I must direct your attention to the genius of the great lost soul duo Cephus and Reesie Mayweather:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3519810055450945393

― Kevin John Bozelka, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 15:33 (sixteen years ago) link

five years pass...

so psyched about bumping a gareth thread

listening to High Rise (1983!), and really loving it. i have is it still good to ya, sure! are the rest of the later LPs secretly amazing?

― MAAVENN (Matt P), Monday, 12 August 2013 02:41 (eleven years ago) link

VALERIE SIMPSON ‘Performing The Music of Ashford & Simpson’
Date:08/25/2013
Cost:$49.50

Birchmere outside D.C.

Hmmmm, could be good.

― curmudgeon, Monday, 12 August 2013 16:58 (eleven years ago) link

four years pass...

Domestic bliss was rarely this sharp and weird.

― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 2 February 2018 02:36 (six years ago) link

six years pass...

can't stop playing this one at the moment...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDMWY5G3SJY

― Bernard Quidbins (NickB), Thursday, 5 September 2024 08:50 (six days ago) link

feel like i'm long overdue a dive into their albums. any pointers?

also this thread sucks

― Bernard Quidbins (NickB), Thursday, 5 September 2024 08:52 (six days ago) link

i only really know 'street corner', 'solid', 'stay free', 'it seems to hang on', 'one more try', 'bourgie bourgie' and 'found a cure', but what an insane list of tunes that is, let alone their compositions for other people

― Bernard Quidbins (NickB), Thursday, 5 September 2024 08:57 (six days ago) link

As with Womack & Womack (maybe Rene & Angela too), I hesitate about according A&S full five-star treatment because the male partner has considerably less vocal charisma

― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 5 September 2024 11:57 (six days ago) link

"Tried Tested and Found True" should not be slept on!

― henry s, Thursday, 5 September 2024 12:13 (six days ago) link

aww Alfred Nick Ashford sings beautifully! he has a zone of his own. VS is the star for sure but they are wonderful together.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upFziNa48Jc

― J Edgar Noothgrush (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Thursday, 5 September 2024 13:29 (six days ago) link

I like him! I listened to "Is It Still Good to Ya" on my morning walk.

― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 5 September 2024 13:36 (six days ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxyFkPV4UIc

― brimstead, Thursday, 5 September 2024 13:44 (six days ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAWgkVfjjnk

― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 5 September 2024 13:46 (six days ago) link

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