I Just Called To Say I Love You - Classic or Dud?

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I still like his slogan though: "I'd rather drive myself than ride with a drunk driver". :)

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 23 October 2006 12:10 (seventeen years ago) link

see also gary numan and kraftwerk (electric cafe, anyone?).

actually most of the Gary Numan stuff that got hated on so hard has aged very well, except for maybe Metal Rhythm

Thomas Tallis (Tommy), Monday, 23 October 2006 12:44 (seventeen years ago) link

And first side of Electric Cafe is good.

Mark (MarkR), Monday, 23 October 2006 12:57 (seventeen years ago) link

i just imagined stevie wonder covering 'cars', which would be great on so many levels

gear (gear), Monday, 23 October 2006 17:09 (seventeen years ago) link

Hotter Than July generally is much better than the benchmark praise it usually gets (it's the Scary Monsters/Some Girls/Blood on the Tracks of his career).

I don't actually like Hotter Than July that much. I almost never listen to anything other than "Rocket Love" "Master Blaster Jammin'" and "Lately". As much as I appreciate the sentiments, "Happy Birthday" is dire.

And re: of Electric Cafe, I've never heard the album, but "Musique Non-Stop" and its video are awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/comment_servlet?all_comments&v=ck24WTjlQg8&fromurl=/watch%3Fv%3Dck24WTjlQg8

Rodney... (R. J. Greene), Monday, 23 October 2006 18:09 (seventeen years ago) link

"Keep on Running" is a great but overlooked track from Hotter Than July.

musically (musically), Monday, 23 October 2006 21:31 (seventeen years ago) link

I only got HTJ a couple of months ago and was glad I did; it's certainly a better record than Songs in the Key of Life, but then again, I'm a Talking Book fan. Near-classic for: "Rocket Love," "Did I Hear You Say You Love Me," "Master Blaster," "Lately," and "I Ain't Gonna Stand For It."

Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Monday, 23 October 2006 21:44 (seventeen years ago) link

"Keep On Running" is from Music of My Mind.

Rodney... (R. J. Greene), Monday, 23 October 2006 22:08 (seventeen years ago) link

eleven years pass...

this is so much more synthetic than i remember
i guess at the time synths were so common it didn't strike me as such

The Desus & Mero Chain (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 21 May 2018 15:52 (five years ago) link

it's kind a weird space station MOR feel, like almost wendy carlos vibes

The Desus & Mero Chain (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 21 May 2018 15:52 (five years ago) link

Never liked this. I was surprised by how good his 70s work was when I first heard it.

No purposes. Sounds. (Sund4r), Monday, 21 May 2018 16:58 (five years ago) link

I don't dislike this song. It's pure sap, but the verses are pretty. Also, I believe that it was Oscar nominated for the forgotten Gene Wilder comedy The Woman in Red.

"Part Time Lover" absolutely sucks, though.

incel elgort (cryptosicko), Monday, 21 May 2018 18:08 (five years ago) link

It WON the Oscar, and against some crazy popular competition.

"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)," Phil Collins
"Footloose," Kenny Loggins & Dean Pitchford
"Ghostbusters," Ray Parker Jr.
"I Just Called to Say I Love You," Stevie Wonder
"Let's Hear It for the Boy," Tom Snow & Pitchford

nourish nourish your turtleheart (Eric H.), Monday, 21 May 2018 18:26 (five years ago) link

Yes, "I Just Called To Say I Love You" may be the worst song in that lineup, and any single one of Purple Rain's songs should've been there in its place. But I'm still happy to think of Stevie as an Oscar winner. Just wish it could've been for something from Jungle Fever.

nourish nourish your turtleheart (Eric H.), Monday, 21 May 2018 18:29 (five years ago) link

"Part Time Lover" absolutely sucks, though.

― incel elgort (cryptosicko

what the

morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 21 May 2018 18:38 (five years ago) link

the Vandross scatting on "Part Time Lover" alone...

morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 21 May 2018 18:39 (five years ago) link

...is annoying.

incel elgort (cryptosicko), Tuesday, 22 May 2018 00:58 (five years ago) link

Song bangs

flappy bird, Tuesday, 22 May 2018 02:28 (five years ago) link

Sorry haters

flappy bird, Tuesday, 22 May 2018 02:28 (five years ago) link

This song and Part Time Lover are both dope af idgaf

billstevejim, Tuesday, 22 May 2018 17:54 (five years ago) link

preach

Hire Planes (dog latin), Tuesday, 22 May 2018 20:28 (five years ago) link

Part Time Lover is great, I Just Called is pants.

Poisoned by Johan's pea soup. (Tom D.), Tuesday, 22 May 2018 20:53 (five years ago) link

it's kind a weird space station MOR feel, like almost wendy carlos vibes

Listened this morning, and totally agree!

Also listened to "Love Light in Flight" for the first time in a few decades, which might be the best of the Woman in Red singles, balancing the synth synths with such strong vocals:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij46sqHkwfQ

... (Eazy), Tuesday, 22 May 2018 21:29 (five years ago) link

I'm now fully immersed in the synth bubblebath of this-era Stevie.

... (Eazy), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 00:02 (five years ago) link

Classic

you bet, nancy (map), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 03:58 (five years ago) link

I love that "Love Light in Flight" has the word "autopilot" in its lyrics, while using the presets that (I can't remember which but) either Margouleff or Cecil derided him for relying on.

nourish nourish your turtleheart (Eric H.), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 12:46 (five years ago) link

It's a pretty crap song, but "Love Light" and "Part Time Lover" are great. All worse than "Do I Do."

Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 23 May 2018 12:49 (five years ago) link

Few songs aren't.

nourish nourish your turtleheart (Eric H.), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 12:52 (five years ago) link

Actually, I take it back, it's an OK sentimental song. I used to think Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney were both relatively unique for having written many of the best songs of all time as well as many of the worst, but Paul is sooooo much worse on this front.

Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 23 May 2018 12:53 (five years ago) link

Speaking of those two: 'What's That You're Doing' off of McCartney's 'Tug Of War' album (which also features the execrable 'Ebony & Ivory') is an absolute barnstormer and would have made a much better single

Hire Planes (dog latin), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 14:10 (five years ago) link

my grandparents had the Woman In Red soundtrack and 'Love Light In Flight' is giving me serious summer holiday nostalgia. Quite a big fan of the title track and 'Don't Drive Drunk'

Hire Planes (dog latin), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 14:11 (five years ago) link

using the presets that (I can't remember which but) either Margouleff or Cecil derided him for relying on

If that's true, it's pretty mean-spirited. The dude is blind. How's he supposed to program a DX7?

Vast Halo, Wednesday, 23 May 2018 18:06 (five years ago) link

four months pass...

John Prine cover:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jylCc-fD-wo

... (Eazy), Wednesday, 17 October 2018 14:21 (five years ago) link

fantastic

niels, Thursday, 18 October 2018 11:10 (five years ago) link


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