Twostepcublog

" Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) " was the debut single for one of the biggest and most influential acts in disco, the band Chic. Led by guitarist Nile Rodgers with Bernard Edwards, Tony Thompson, and singers Alfa Anderson and Luci Martin, the group spent eight weeks at #1 on Billboard 's Disco/Dance Chart with the album Chic charting featuring this song, " Everybody Dance ", and " You Can Get By ". "Dance, Dance, Dance" also reached #6 on both the pop and R&B charts as well as hitting the same rank in the UK and Canada. Nile just released a new album, It's About Time , under the Chic name, which includes guests like Lady Gaga and Elton John.

" Here Comes The Change " is the new song from singer/songwriter Kesha . It comes from the upcoming movie On The Basis Of Sex , a portrayal of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her legal battles for gender equality, starring Felicity Jones as the future Supreme Court Justice.

" Everything's Gonna Be Alright " - Father MC from the album Close To You (1992) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #37 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 1 Today's song of the day comes from rapper Father MC, who had landed one of the first hits for the up and coming Uptown label, promoted by Puff Daddy, with the Cheryl Lynn-sampling " I'll Do 4 U " which reached the pop top 40 in the spring of 1991. A year later, Timothy Brown released a sophomore album under the Father MC name, Close To You . The lead single, " One Nite Stand ", which featured Mary J. Blige (who had also sung on "I'll Do 4 U), climbed to #22 on Billboard 's R&B chart, but only "bubbled under" their pop Hot 100 at #111. With the second release, he went to sampling another classic disco anthem, this time Chic's "Good Times", which has already been rap's go-to for years since "Rapper's Delight" in the 1980s. The record, &quo

" Music Is My Way Of Life " was the "B-Side" to Patti LaBelle 's 1979 single " It's Alright With Me ". While that song made it to #34 on Billboard 's R&B chart, "Music" charted on its own as well, reaching #81 on that list. But on the Disco/Dance Singles chart, the extended version of the song helped it climb to #10, Patti's first solo top ten hit on the list. It came from her album It's Alright With Me .

" What You Waiting For " is a track from neo-house DJ/producer Sigala (aka Bruce Fielder) from his debut album Brighter Days , which was just released yesterday. It features Kylie Minogue on vocals, and fans wishing for more dance music from her will be pleasantly surprised. Brighter Days already features eight songs that have made the British Top-40, including " Easy Love ", which went to #1 there in 2015.

" No Mistakes " - Patty Smyth from the album Patty Smyth (1992) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #33 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 4 Today's song of the day comes from singer Patty Smyth , who had a huge pop hit in the fall of 1992 with her duet with Don Henley, " Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough ", from Smyth's self-titled second solo set. Her follow-up single was a midtempo rock nugget "No Mistakes". Written by Smyth with Kevin Savigar, it also featured Henley on back-up vocals, on a country-rock tinged reflection on love through difficult times... "No Mistakes" became Patty's second and so far last solo top-40 pop hit in February of 1993. The song also scaled to #4 on Billboard 's Adult Contempoary (or "easy listening") radio chart. Internationally, the song was much bigger in Canada, peaking at #3 for one week. The third single from Patty Smyth , was another bittersweet country-rock number, " I Should

" It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me " was the biggest R&B hit for low-voiced lothario Barry White . Taken from his 1977 Barry White Sings For Someone You Love , the mid-tempo record spent five weeks at #1 on Billboard 's R&B list, while rising to #4 on the pop Hot 100. Despite White's stature as one of the biggest acts in disco, he only had two top ten hits on the Disco/Dance Singles chart, and this was one of them, peaking at #5 and spending 19 weeks on the chart.

" Love S.O.S. " is the latest single from French electro-dance duo Justice . It comes from their remix album Woman Worldwide , and features vocals from Romuald. And yes, there's this pole dancer. Oofdah.  The pair "bubbled under" the American pop Hot 100 in 2007 with " D.A.N.C.E. ".

Friday's here, and it's time to run down my top 100 tunes from the previous week. After a month we finally have a new #1 from singer/songwriter Lauv, while Weezer (picture above) take their cover of Toto's "Africa" into the top five. Former big hits from Panic At The Disco, A Great Big World, Morgan Evans, Alessia Cara, and Alice Merton drop off my list, while songs from Luke Combs, Benny Blanco/Halsey/Khalid, and Jess Glynne make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red ). Happy birthday, kiddo! This Week              Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. I Like Me Better - Lauv (2) 2. Gold Rush - Death Cab For Cutie (4) 3. Boo'd Up - Ella Mai (1) 4. Africa - Weezer (6) 5. Girls Like You - Maroon 5 f/Cardi B (3) 6. Tequila - Dan + Shay (10) 7. Beyond - Leon Bridges (7) 8. Natural - Imagine Dragons (12) 9. Don't

" Comforter " - Shai from the album ...If I Ever Fall In Love (1992) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #10 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 20 Today's song of the day comes from the soul vocal group Shai , who had a massive pop hit out of the box with their acappella-ish debut single " If I Ever Fall In Love ". Their follow-up single was the booty-call anthem "Comforter", written by members Carl Martin (who also produced the track), Marc Gay, and Darnell Van Rensalier. It replaced the acappella cleanness with a wall of swaying sound behind the singers... "Comforter" became Shai's second top ten pop hit in April of 1993. The song also climbed to #4 on Billboard 's R&B chart. Internationally, the single peaked at #24 in New Zealand, but never made any headway anywhere else. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

" Mighty High " was the biggest hit for the gospel soul group Mighty Clouds Of Joy , who assembled in Los Angeles in the early 1960s. With their fifth studio album Kickin' , the act delved into disco with this opening track, remixed and lengthened for the dance clubs. The result topped Billboard 's Disco/Dance Singles chart for a full five weeks at the start of 1976, while climbing to #22 on their R&B chart and making an appearance on the pop Hot 100 at #69. Original lead singer Joe Ligon passed in 2016, but the group still is together. ....and the original...

" Happier " is the new single from EDM DJ/producer Marshmello . It features British modern rock act Bastille , and comes from their one-off non-album single. I have to say, prepare yourself, this video featuring former Nickelodeon star Miranda Cosgrove will get you. Seriously.

" That's What Love Can Do " - Boy Krazy from the album Boy Krazy (1993) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #18 (three weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 16 Today's song of the day comes from the female vocal group Boy Krazy, who were put together in New York City in the early 1990s. Kimberly Blake, Johnna Lee Cummings, Josselyne Jones, RuthAnn Roberts, and Renée Veneziale recorded their self-titled debut (and only) album, which was completely written and produced by the British production team of Stock Aitken Waterman, the guys behind Rick Astley, Kylie Minogue, Donna Summer's Another Place & Time album, and more. The first single from the set, "That's What Love Can Do", originally stiffed in the UK, after which Veneziale took off. A second single, " All You Have To Do ", didn't do any better, also missing the chart in Britain. But during that time, select radio stations in the U.S. started to play "That's What Love Can Do", a

Linda Clifford was one of the most popular female disco artists that never really got a break on mainstream radio. Despite going to #1 four times on Billboard 's Disco/Dance chart, she had only reached the top ten on the R&B chart once, in 1978, with " Runaway Love " (#3 R&B), and never made the top-40 on the pop Hot 100, going to #41 a frustrating two times. " I Just Wanna Wanna " comes from her album Here's My Love , which charted as an album on the Disco list. It reached #73 there in at the end of the decade.

" Honey " is the latest promo single from the upcoming album of the same name from Swedish pop goddess Robyn . She's trending on Twitter's top ten right now, so anticipation must be overflowing for her new set arriving in October. Her last album came in 2010, and it's been 22 years since her first hit " Do You Know (What It Takes) " hit #7 on the U.S. pop chart.

" Nuthin' But A "G" Thang " - Dr. Dre with Snoop Dogg from the album The Chronic (1992) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #2 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 24 Today's song of the day comes from producer/rapper Dr. Dre , aka Andre Young, who grew up in the suburbs around Los Angeles like Compton, notorious for its gang violence and poor economic standing. Shuttling around between schools before dropping out, Dre got his first big break as a member of the World Class Wreckin' Kru, a breakdance-style troupe which also included friend DJ Yella and future steady Michel'le. With them they scored a moderate hit on the R&B chart in 1988 with " Turn Off The Lights " which peaked at #30 R&B and #84 pop. But by the time this record was peaking, Dre and Yella had already moved on, hooking up with rapper Ice Cube, Eazy-E, and MC Ren to form the seminal gangsta-rap group N.W.A. (N****z with Attitude), which changed forever the sound, look, and ge

Candido Camero is a veteran Afro-Cuban drum and percussion player who got his start way back in Cuba in the 1940s, recording with different bandleaders before releasing his own music starting in 1956. In 1979, Candido signed with disco label Salsoul Records and released the seminal album Dancin' & Prancin' . From that set his remake of the Santana song " Jingo " went to #21 on Billboard 's Disco/Dance chart, but the title track was just as essential. He's still around at #97, after winning a National Endowment of the Arts jazz masters award.

" Energia (Parte 2) " is the new single from dance-pop duo Sofi Tukker , who team up with Brazilian singer/drag queen Pabllo Vittar . The original version of the song is from their all-bop debut album Treehouse (one of my personal favorite albums of this year).  As Sofi Tukker, Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern had a top-5 dance hit earlier this year with " Best Friend ", and were nominated for a Grammy Award for best dance recording in 2017 for " Drinkee ".

" Bed Of Roses " - Bon Jovi from the album Keep The Faith (1992) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #10 (six weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 15 Today's song of the day comes from pop-metal stars Bon Jovi , whose fifth album Keep The Faith had landed a top-40 hit in the fall of 1992 with the title track . The second release from the record would be the waltz-like ballad "Bed Of Roses". Written by Jon Bon Jovi and produced by Bob Rock, the western-tinged song would get their momentum back... "Bed Of Roses" returned the band to the pop top ten in America in March of 1993. The song climbed to #25 on Billboard 's Mainstream Rock radio chart, and crossed over to become their first to reach the Adult Contemporary (or "easy listenng") tally. Internationally, the song reached the top ten in Canada (#2), the Netherlands (#9), Switzerland (#9), Australia (#10), and Germany (#10). It also made the top-40 in the UK (#13), New Zealand (#13), Ireland (#

" My Claim To Fame " was the first and biggest hit for disco artist James Wells. Released as a single in 1978 with " True Love Is My Destiny " as the B-side, the pair charted at #4 on Billboard 's Disco/Dance Singles Chart. The song appears on the album of the same name, but he never reached either the pop or R&B chart in America. Wells hailed from Chicago, and the track was written and produced by British disco studio master Ian Levine, who wrote and produced Miquel Brown's "So Many Men, So Little Time", and produced the first singles for boyband Take That. But this would be Wells' only hit; sadly Wells died from AIDS-related illness in 1989. But this big orchestral bop deserved a much better reception. 

" Little Bird " - Annie Lennox from the album Diva (1992) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #49 This week's "robbed hit" comes from Scottish singer Annie Lennox , whose first solo album after putting the Eurythmics on hold, Diva , had scored a pair of top-40 pop hits in America with "Why" and "Walking On Broken Glass". The third single put out in the States (and the fifth in her native UK) was the bouncy uptempo "Little Bird". Written by Lennox and produced by Stephen Lipson, the lyrics belie the agony the protagonist is feeling, but in the end decides to "spread her wings and fly". The video is iconic, predating many other attempts of the recreation of Annie's personas from her old videos performing on stage by impersonators (men and women), as she was very pregnant at the time...  While "Little Bird" scaled to #3 on the British singles chart - coupled with soundtrack cut " Love Song For A Vampire &q

" Remember Me " is the latest single from singer/songwriter Heiðrik , who hails from the Faroe Islands, which is a self-governing country within Denmark, but currently makes Iceland his home. It's from his 2016 album Funeral . The electro-pop artist is also a painter and film director as well.

" I Got A Man " - Positive K from the album The Skills Dat Pay da Bills (1992) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #14 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 14 Today's song of the day comes from rapper Positive K , aka Daryl Gibson from the Bronx, who after flowing with different local groups, struck out solo in the mid-80s. In 1989, he collaborated with female rap legend MC Lyte on " I'm Not Havin' It" , which hit Billboard 's Rap Singles chart at #16. With that exposure and guest nods on other hip-hop records, Gibson changed over to Island Records, where he recorded his debut album, The Skills Dat Pay da Bills. The lead single, "I Got A Man", was like a more uptempo version of "I'm Not Havin' It", with a female counterpart blowing off a persistent suitor. Now the story is that they wanted Lyte on this track, but her record label said no go. So Positive K supposedly recorded both parts and sped up the female verses to change his

Pattie Brooks, an American singer who had started as a backup singer, before getting signed on her own by Casablanca Records in the late 1970s. So when the label, who hosted the likes of Donna Summer and the Village People, came up with making a "disco movie", Brooks was enlisted to provide one of the tracks. Her song, " After Dark ", was probably the most "pure disco" of the lot, with a heavy sprinkle of Latin percussion and beat beneath Brooks' voice, which travels from cooing to belting, on the song written by Simon and Sabrina Soussain. As part of the Thank God It's Friday soundtrack which charted as a single unit, it spent six weeks at #1 on Billboard 's Disco/Dance chart, while never even making the pop or R&B chart. The song would also appear on her album Our Ms. Brooks in 1979. Brooks' daughter Yvette Marine was a member of Rick James' girl-group band the Mary Jane Girls.

" Trip " is the second hit single from London-born soul singer Ella Mai . Ella spent her high school years in New York City, and eventually found herself as a member of a group that competed on the X Factor . This new jam follows her breakthrough hit " Boo'd Up ", which spent four weeks at #1 on my personal chart, and reached #5 on Billboard 's pop Hot 100. "Trip" is from her upcoming self titled debut full-length album , which will be released on October 12th.

" Informer " - Snow from the album 12 Inches Of Snow (1993) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 (seven weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 19 Today's song of the day comes from Darrin O'Brien, a Canadian from Toronto who recorded under the moniker Snow , who with the help of DJ Marvin Prince and rapper MC Shan, recorded his debut album 12 Inches Of Snow . Released when Snow was incarcerated on an assault charge, the storyline of first single "Informer" was made even more topical. Written by the artist with Edmond Leary and Shawn Moltke, the MC Shan-produced track would be so convincing in his reggae toasting delivery that people were convinced he was from Jamaica. With verses about going to jail rather than snitching, it was the biggest hit of the genre ever ... There's a subtle sample of "Assembly Line" from the Commodores in the verses...  "Informer" spent seven weeks at #1 on the American pop chart in March and April of 1993. The son

"Flower" was the recording moniker for model and singer Cheryl Flor (now Cheryl Saban ), who was born and grew up in southern Califormia. Discovered by producer David Chackler, she released the album Heat in 1979. While her sole charting hit " How " only spent a week at #75 on Billboard 's Disco/Dance Singles Chart, another album track, "Classical Love", became a cult favorite, with its layers of swirling string instruments. Cheryl was featured in Playboy magazine posing in their "Disco Queens" spread. Years after this record, she married TV mogul Haim Saban, an Israeli-American who bankrolled projects like the Power Rangers and is a board member of Univision TV. One of her daughters from a former marriage was on the last season of Beverly Hills 90210 , while another is married to the bassist in Jane's Addiction. In 2012 she gained a spot on the United Nations delegation from the U.S., while also being a designer and philanthropis

" One Shot " is the latest single from country singer/songwriter Hunter Hayes . Hayes, who was nominated for a Grammy award for Best New Artist in 2013, is back regaling and regretting his alcohol-fueled antic of the previous night. In 2012 he had back to back #1 Country Airplay hits with " Wanted " and " Somebody's Heartbreak ".

" Hip Hop Hooray " - Naughty By Nature from the album 19 Naughty III (1993) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #8 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 20 Today's song of the day comes from the rap trio from New Jersey, Naughty By Nature , whose breakthrough hit " O.P.P. " reached the top five on the American pop chart in the fall of 1991. Two years later, the group released their third album (and second under the "NBN" name), 19 Naughty III . The lead single from the set, "Hip Hop Hooray", relies on a mix of samples instead of the prominent Jackson Five hook on "O.P.P.", but it did sport a chorus you can chant behind, and stood out as a positive celebration of the genre instead of bragging or beefing. It still brought them more endearment from the classic rap crowd, many of whose artists appear in the video, which was directed by Spike Lee... "Hip Hop Hooray" became Treach, Vin Rock, and DJ Kay Gee's second top ten pop hi

What else could I serve up this 21st night of September? " September " was released in 1978 as the second "bonus track" single on The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol 1 from the superstar pop/funk/soul/rock band Earth, Wind & Fire . Written by the group's leader Maurice White, guitarist Al McKay, and songwriter Allee Willis, the wall of disco goodness became the biggest month to hit the chart, reaching #1 on Billboard 's R&B chart, and #8 on the pop Hot 100. However somehow and someway this song never made the magazine's Disco/Dance Singles chart, so I don't know what shenanigans happened, but they happened.

" One Of Us " is the third promo release from the upcoming ABBA tribute album from Cher , Dancing Queen , which is only a week away from its release date. The original missed the American Hot 100 pop chart ("bubbling under" at #107) in 1981, but did manage to go to #33 on Billboard 's Adult Contemporary radio chart. Overseas, it was a different story, where the song went to #1 in Germany, the Netherlands, and Ireland, and hit #3 in the UK. Here she has no bells or whistles or Autotune or club beat, just a synth background behind her voice.

Friday's here, and it's time to run down my top 100 tunes from the previous week. This time out Ella Mai holds on to the #1 spot for the fourth week, while Death Cab For Cutie (pictured above) climbs into the top five. Songs from the Revivalists, Calvin Harris/Sam Smith, and Chris Young make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red ), while former big hits from U2, Diana Ross, Camilla Cabello, Marshmello/Anne-Marie, Chris Lane/Tori Kelly, and Ghost drop off my list. welcome Autumn! This Week            Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Boo'd Up - Ella Mai (1) 2. I Like Me Better - Lauv (2) 3. Girls Like You - Maroon 5 f/Cardi B (3) 4. Gold Rush - Death Cab For Cutie (6) 5. Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Backstreet Boys (4) 6. Africa - Toto (11) 7. Beyond - Leon Bridges (8) 8. A Little Honey - Nathaniel Rateliff &

" Get Away " - Bobby Brown from the album Bobby (1992) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #14 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 10 Today's song of the day comes from former New Edition singer Bobby Brown , whose third solo album Bobby had already spun off a pair of top ten pop hits with " Humpin' Around " and " Good Enough ". The third release from the record would be the new jack swing jam "Get Away". Written by Brown and producer Teddy Riley along with Louis Silas Jr., Bernard Belle, and Tony Haynes (Belle and Riley co-wrote Michael Jackson's "Remember The Time" together), the single was harken fans back to the sound of his massive Don't Be Cruel work... "Get Away" became Brown's third top-20 hit on the American pop Hot 100 in February of 1993. In fact, it would be his last physical single to hit the pop top-40 so far (there's an airplay hit coming up). The song also spent two weeks at #3 on Billb

Ripple was an alternative soul group who came together in Kalamazoo, Michigan in the early 70s, before moving to Atlanta. They released one record on indie GRC Records in 1973, and had a handful of hits on the R&B chart, with their biggest being their first, " I Don't Know What It Is, But It Sure Is Funky ", which came a notch from reaching Billboard 's R&B top ten at #11, and popped on to their pop Hot 100 chart at #67.  Four years later, they switched genres, scoring a deal with disco kings Salsoul. Their second and final album, Sons Of The Gods , featured the track " The Beat Goes On And On ". That song slipped on to the R&B chart at #91, but the extended version of it was their sole club hit, climbing to #13 on the Disco/Dance Club Play chart in 1978...

" Ohio " is the new single from the one-man indie rock act Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness . The singer/songwriter, who had previously worked in bands like Jack's Mannequin and Something Corporate, had a top ten rock radio hit in 2014 with " Cecelia and the Satellite ", which also reached #96 on Billboard 's Hot 100 pop chart.  This new song has an unforgettable chorus that flows through your mind as you ponder moving miles and miles away as a child.

" Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat) " - Digable Planets from the album Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space) (1993) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #15 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 13 Today's song of the day comes from the hip-hop trio Digable Planets , who got together in Brooklyn in the late 1980s. Incorporating jazz music samples and laid-back flows in their rap style, "Butterfly" Butler, "Doodlebug" Irving, and "Ladybug Mecca" Viera set themselves apart from most of the other acts of their genre. Capitalizing on an atmosphere where experimentation was welcome, with acts like PM Dawn, Guru and Gang Starr, and De La Soul selling records, the trio entered with an even more distilled version of  "jazz-rap". With their lead single, "Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)", they recreated a spoken-work night with over samples of Art Blakely's "Stretching" and Fred Wesley's "Blow Your Head"