reflex...30... and the dishes are done man, the dishes are done

well, this is my final entry for my birthday month and im under a lot of pressure to wrap this up...have i been true & exposed myself to you via "thoughts processed thru others"? maybe. have i forgotten several songs that reflect me? most likely. will i remember the ones i wanted to play for you? not today, thats a guarantee. will i edit the blog once i notice how ridiculous some of my choices were? hells yeah. that its my thang & do i want to do.

doobie brothers - what a fool believes? (1979)


my 1st rock n roll memory was watching the doobie brothers on a re-run episode (literally, not the person) of "what's happening" in the early 80s. such a colorful performance with lasers and smoke...amazing to see at such a young age. my 3 year old eyes gravitated to the hippie flippin visuals as my soulful ears clinched to the voice of michael mcdonald. years later, i  finally saw the irony of the doobie brothers playing for high school kids in the city of watts, ca. um-humm....im sure they wouldve rather had seen earth, wind and fire. but hey...it worked for me!



i always used to (and still do) makeup schizo stories that allow me to pretend that he is my long lost father and somehow in the midst the lies i truly started to believe it. not really, but in that latchkey kid kind of a way. its the same thing as thinking that bill cosby was my dad and uncle phil was really my uncle phil and willis was my brother, but arnold was not, instead he was the annoying boy next door (no relation at all, adopted or not!).
but back to the doobies...they represent every stage of my life, from southern compassion in "blackwater", to mid-heartland soul in "takin it to the streets", to west coast liberation in "listen to the music". it all fits like a glove and matches like an oakland pimp... can you dig it?

listen to music (1972)

reflex...29

edwin starr - war (1970)


my 5th grade talent show performance at the boys & girls club of tustin, ca

twenty five miles (1968)


whatever happened to trying?

reflex...28

rick james - cold blooded (1983)


rick james - mary jane (1978)


no other man could rock the glitter braids like rick, except for don cheadle in "boogie nights.

reflex...27

jimi hendrix - remember (1967)


my first crush (besides tevin campbell)

reflex...26

mariah carey - vanishing (1990)


my first break up song.

reflex...25

betty davis - anti-love song (1973)


liberation is the catalyst for loneliness.

reflex...24

the staple singers - let's do it again (1975)


just gettin good lovin!!!

reflex...23

isaac hayes - joy part 1 & 2 (1973)


my very own theme song...despite the 30 seconds that was cut off...silly youtube rules.

reflex...19, 20, 21, 22

im all jammed up!

james brown - it's a man's man's man's world (1966)


a funky drummer (1969)


the boss (1973)


the big payback (1973)

reflex...18

michael jackson - man in the mirror (1987)


if you know me, you know that i watched this video everyday as a child to make myself cry. i guess it was the guilt of being able to eat ritz crackers with government cheese whenever i wanted to.

michael jackson - wanna be startin' somethin' (1982)


my 1st african ritual dance

michael jackson - the way you make me feel (1987)


(sigh) oh michael joseph...

reflex...17

prince - i would die 4 u & baby, im a star (1984)


prince - darling nikki (1984)


i mean really....do i need to say anything?

reflex...16

the bar-kays - soulfinger (1967)


get on the goodfoot! for they call me "running feet"

reflex...15 (ukiah)

betty carter - open the door (1987)


make me into the lover i always dreamt of being the one thats hopeless & and collapses into you. i want to depend on your breaths to remind me of purpose and immerse myself in your love. please open the door.

reflex...14

sly & the family stone - sing a simple song (1969)


keep it simple stupid! this aint charlottes web...stop tangling yourself up.

reflex...13

erykah badu - stay (1997)


the ultimate battle of old vs. new. to move ahead on thin lines of tomorrow or stay back and stride hard on solid foundation of the past. tributes and recreations, livin in the dreams of yesterday for the uncertainties of the future.

reflex...12 & 12.5

the four tops - baby i need your loving (1964)


"i need you & i want you baby, i need you & i love you, baby"

the four tops - bernadette (1967)


"youre the soul in me, more than a dream, youre a plan to me!"
take notes fellas.

"whatta lucky lady" - bernadette

reflex...11

quincy jones & bill cosby - hikky-burr (1969)


two master minds losing just that. psycho babble!

reflex...10

marvin gaye - i want you (1976)


welcome to the lions den...purrrrrrrrrmarrrrrrcus...

reflex...9

ella fitzgerald - sunshine of your love (1969)


its called juxtaposition!
"try reading a book sometime" - james earl jones

reflex...8

marlena shaw - woman of the ghetto (1969)


for those strong back bones that stomped the shit out of the gravel, allowing for me to skate my way through effortlessly....breezy

reflex...6 & 7

curtis mayfield - move on up (1970)


"bite the lip & take a trip"

the impressions - we're a winner (1967)


the uplifting spiritual sounds of mr. curtis mayfield. a sound that defined the civil rights movement and expressed pride & equally for all willing to accept it! thank you sir!

reflex...5

aretha franklin - rock steady (1975)


right on mama! too smooth for the groove, too tricky for the sticky!

reflex...4

shuggie otis "aht uh mi hed" (1974)


"its the crazy in love" song. i gotta get the hell out of here cause youre causing nothing but confusion and pain. im sick and tired of being sick and tired. im out! now, watch me dance away from here.

reflex...3

natalie cole - this will be - an everlasting love(1975)


despite the e-harmony or match.com or whatever dating website that drained the life out of this song...its still gotta a place in my heart & feet. when im not bummin out over boys...this is my freedom song! a girl can only dream right?

reflex...2

eddie murphy & rick james - party all the time (1985)


hahahaha...come on. eddie is the love of my life! ms. murphy! ms. murphy!

reflex...

is there any other way to describe who i am? day 1

ike and tina turner - bold sister (1970)


for the month of novemeber (my birthday month) i shall express my thoughts through others and define myself thru song. (im just lazy and have writers block). my playlist shall begin here w/ tina.