Mark Morrison - Return of the Mack

I have been pretty bad about this whole blogging thing. Can't say I am busy, more like I am not around a computer as much as I used to be. I figure, since this is technically still a soul music blog, we will go back to exactly that. I felt obligated to post some Mark Morrison after I heard him on the radio the other day.

Morrison is most famous for his hit single "Return of the Mack." It is the story of a man who lied and cheated, but he comes back to set things right. But who am I to tell you the story when Morrison can do it all on his own.

Also, for all my fellow Ducks, check out "Return of the Quack" - the title speaks for itself.

Listen Now: Mark Morrison - Return of the Mack
Mark Morrison - Return of the Mack Download
Mark Morrison - Return of the Mack Lyrics

Steve Miller Band - Jungle Love

"Jungle Love, it's driving me mad, it's making me crazy!"

I assure you that there are not many things that compare to the act of making jungle love. It is arguably the best kind of love that you can make . . . no ifs, ands or buts.

Like I said previously, we are trying to incorporate a little bit more than just soul music. No worries, I have plans to throw some James Brown on here in the next couple days, especially after seeing a sweet tribute to him on VH1 the other day. But for now, Steve Miller Band is going to take to the stage, because I have been obsessed with "Jungle Love" - both the song and the act of doing it.

You might have remembered when I mentioned them back with Johnny Guitar Watson. "Gangster of Love" was masterfully done by both Watson and Steve Miller Band, so it is only fitting to feature SMB again. 

Listen Now: Steve Miller Band - Jungle Love

Steve Miller Band - Jungle Love Download

Steve Miller Band - Jungle Love Lyrics

Usher - Confessions Part II

Can't give you Part 1 and then not give you part 2. So, just to let Usher finish the story, here is "Confessions Part II."

Listen Now: Usher - Confessions Part II
Usher - Confessions Part II Download
Usher - Confessions Part II Lyrics

Usher - Confessions

You did not think that I was going to mention Usher and the Confessions album and then not let you get a chance to hear it. Last week, I put up "You Got It Bad" from one of Usher's previous albums. Like I said then, it is hard not to include Confessions anytime you bring up Usher.

I will definitely get to "My Boo" and "Burn" later on, but for now I figure that it is only right to go with the title track to start things off, especially since it comes in two parts on this album.

Listen Now: Usher - Confessions
Usher - Confessions Download
Usher - Confessions Lyrics

Master Class - Love Quest

Since I have been taking this site in a number of different directions lately, I figure that this is a great time to breach the subject of instrumentals. My man Colin Jones over at Stills sent this over to me the other day. It is hard to classify Master Class under any genre, but that is the evolution that I am going for with Jingle Jams.

Since I opened my inbox this morning and found "Love Quest" sitting there, I have come across a couple of other gems from Master Class. The horn-heavy instrumentals are coupled with original drum kits, making for a unique sound. While I am sure that most of you are familiar with "Gain" - a widely sampled instrumental bit. Master Class goes beyond a few good songs. I for one will be digging a little bit deeper with the little bit of time I have left this morning. For now, enjoy the gem that Colin sent my way and do not forget to take a look at "Gain" as well.

Listen Now: Master Class - Love Quest
Master Class - Love Quest Download

Usher - You Got It Bad

I have a hard time believing that Usher will ever match what he did back in the early 2000s. I mean, it is pretty difficult to make a comparable follow-up to Confessions, which is one of the best contemporary R&B albums I have ever heard. As much as I love that album though, we are going to pull some stuff from the pre-confessions era. We are going to go back to 8701, which features some of my personal favorites. Included in that list is "You Remind Me."

We are going to save "You Remind Me" for another day though and instead are going to go with "You Got It Bad" because you really cannot go wrong with that. Like I said, I love Usher from the early 2000s and 8701 still gets some play time from me.

I actually thought Raymond vs. Raymond was a solid album and the biggest reason for it being so different than his previous work is simply because of the evolution of R&B. On the bright side, Usher is still doing it and doing it big at that. While I would love to hear him bring out another autotuneless R&B album, I doubt that it will happen.

Listen Now: Usher - You Got It Bad
Usher - You Got It Bad Download
Usher - You Got It Bad Lyrics

The Roots - Break You Off

The Roots are one of the few contemporary groups that still feature a whole company of instrumentalists. With a complete horns section backing up the original 5 members, they are as good as it gets live. In fact, I have seen them live two times and will be seeing them again for the third time at Outside Lands Music Festival in August.

They have a wide variety of music, including a collaborative album that they did with John Legend. On Wake Up, they remastered a number of classic songs, including hits from Curtis Mayfield and Bill Withers. Prior to that, they released Phrenology, Seed and Seed 2.0. All three of these albums are impressive in their own right. The rest of their work is also great, but those have got to be my favorites.

Today I have "Break You Off" for your listening pleasures. It is one of my all-time favorite Roots songs, up there with the likes of "The Seed 2.0" and "Rolling in the Heat." So here come The Roots, Enjoy!

Listen Now: The Roots - Break You Off
The Roots - Break You Off Download
The Roots - Break You Off Lyrics

Prince - Raspberry Beret

A lot of birthdays going on right now. We got a chance to celebrate the likes of Bob Dylan, but we skipped another legend yesterday. Prince turned 53, but somehow he is still on his "Welcome to America" tour. I was lucky enough to snag some tickets and see the icon perform alongside Sheila E. and some former Sly & The Family Stone members.

He put on a 3.5 hour performance that included about 8 encores. Of course he played "Purple Rain" and "I Wanna Be Your Lover" which are among my favorite Prince songs. He also did a sweet medley and eventually closed out the set with "Raspberry Beret" - today's feature.

Listen Now: Prince - Raspberry Beret
Prince - Raspberry Beret Download
Prince - Raspberry Beret Lyrics

John Legend - Sun Comes Up

Finding John Legend songs to post is easy. The hard part comes when you have got to decide which song to post. Luckily, I have friends who like to throw great Jingle Jams my way.

While I would have loved to go forth with one of Legend's more well known tracks, I figured we would dig deep today, not that I did much digging. I figure that most of you know the basic routine of "Save Room", "Ordinary People" and "Green Light" so maybe a little something you have not heard from him might excite you.



While John Legend has 4 albums to his name, including his most recent collaborative effort with The Roots, he does quite a bit of work behind the scenes and has an expansive collection of singles and covers. In fact, he has released a couple of live albums as well.



Today, we are going to get into one of his live collections, all of which are quite impressive. He recorded "Sun Comes Up" in 2003 with a small venue feel to it. I hope you enjoy it. Included in that performance was also his cover of Nina Simone - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood. While it cannot be compared to the original, it is epic to say the least.



Listen Now: John Legend - Sun Comes Up

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John Legend - Sun Comes Up Lyrics

Listen Now: John Legend - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (cover)

Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay

In honor of Bob Dylan having just turned 70, I thought it was only fitting to start posting more than just soul music. I know I have had glimpses of other genres here and there, but hopefully it will become a more regular thing. I have been meaning to add a little bit of variety anyways, so here it is.

While I am not a huge Rolling Stone fan (the magazine) anymore, they did have a pretty sweet tribute to Dylan for his 70th. They picked out his top 70 songs of all-time to compile a pretty interesting list. Atop of the list of course was "Like a Rolling Stone" and as you went down, you had the chance to come across the likes of "Hurricane" and "All Along the Watchtower." Finally, you get to Lenny Kravitz addition to the list with "Lay Lady Lay."

"Lay Lady Lay" is written in the style of the ballad and is really the furthest thing from what you see as classic Dylan. In any case, it is a great song, especially for the bedside stereo.

Listen Now: Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay
Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay Download
Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay Lyrics

John Legend - Out of Sight

I am sorry, but I have not stopped listening to John Legend all morning. This one is off of Once Again and came in the form of a bonus track. "Out of Sight" reminds me a lot of one of Legend's more exciting and racy tracks "P.D.A." I will not go on too long, so just sit back and enjoy some easy listening as you start your afternoon.



Listen Now: John Legend - Out of Sight

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Lenny Kravitz - Again

Sorry for not posting in a while, starting a new job and enjoying the Summer . . . you know how it goes. In any case, I am still here. So without further ado.

I figured that since I got you started with Maxwell, I would transition into some Lenny Kravitz. Even though he has got a rock/pop style, Kravitz still has some soul to his music. In fact, the guy incorporates all kinds of different genres into his music. His latest album Funk is a clear depiction that he has a wide variety of styles.

Certainly you know "American Woman" and I can definitely appreciate that song, but today we are going to feature something different from Lenny. "Again" definitely comes in second place for me, as far as Lenny Kravitz songs go at least. He is definitely one of the few soft rock artists that I can really appreciate.

Listen Now: Lenny Kravitz - Again

Lenny Kravitz - Again Download

Lenny Kravitz - Again Lyrics

Maxwell - This Woman's Work

Maxwell joins the likes of Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott, D'Angelo & Raphael Saadiq in the beginnings of the neo-soul movement. Now, artists with a Motown influence are bursting onto the scene. Guys like Mayer Hawthorne made their presence felt in recent years.

Maxwell has a style that is all his own. You could draw comparisons to Lenny Kravitz, but that has much more to do with Maxwell's willingness to experiment with a variety of genres. On occasion, you might hear Maxwell do a rock cover only to switch over to a Jazzy tune on the next track.

Today, we actually feature a cover that Maxwell did. While he has got plenty of work to choose from, I could not pass up "This Woman's Work" as the first Maxwell post. There will definitely be plenty more from him on here. You can count on hearing "Get to Know Ya" in the near future.

Listen Now: Maxwell - This Woman's Work
Maxwell - This Woman's Work Download
Maxwell - This Woman's Work Lyrics

Mayer Hawthorne - Fantasy Girl

We were able to pay tribute to Raphael Saadiq and his new album last time around. However, in the same week, Mayer Hawthorne dropped a new LP as well. While none of it is his original work, Impressions is definitely an album worth taking a look at.

The album is headlined by the likes of "Mr. Blue Sky" by ELO and Chromeo's "Don't Turn the Lights On." both covers are exemplary and are a good depiction of what the 4 other tracks hold. Hawthorne keeps the songs much the same, but they definitely have a taste of his style.

One of my personal favorites, one that I had never heard before, is "Fantasy Girl." Written by a guy named Steven Salazar, I am almost positive that this song slipped through the cracks and never made it big. That is not to say that it is not a great song.

Listen Now: Mayer Hawthorne - Fantasy Girl
Mayer Hawthorne - Fantasy Girl Download

Raphael Saadiq - Movin' Down the Line

Raphael Saadiq just released his new album: Stone Rollin'. While it does not quite compare to The Way I See It, it definitely has its fair share of great tracks. The album centers around the common theme of breakup and heartbreak songs, which are always a good time. With a jazzy/blues sound, he assumes the same style that was so popular with The Way I See It. While his first two albums were not done in this style, I assume he is going to keep it coming just like this.

Off the new album, there were a number of tracks that I would have loved to feature, but given that most of them are not exactly Jingle Jams, I had to go with one of the few that is. That is not to say that "Movin Down the Line" is not a great track, but it is not the best track on the album. I am a huge fan of "Go to Hell", "Heart Attack" and "Good Man." All these songs follow the common theme of the album, in case you cannot tell by their titles.

Listen Now: Raphael Saadiq - Movin' Down the Line
Raphael Saadiq - Movin' Down the Line Download
Raphael Saadiq - Movin' Down the Line Lyrics

Al Green - I'm Still in Love With You

I told you I would bring you another Al Green track. So let's skip the talkin' and get right to the jingling! Here is "I'm Still in Love With You." No download this time though, sorry.

Listen Now: Al Green - I'm Still in Love With You
Al Green - I'm Still in Love With You Lyrics

Al Green - Let's Stay Together

It has been a while since we had some Al Green up here. I mean, Al Green is a man amongst boys when it comes to baby makin' music. Smooth vocals and lyrics that will remove clothes all on their own, make him a great addition to any Jingle Jam playlist.

It is only right that after "Tired of Being Alone" we get down with "Let's Stay Together." I will not go on too long about Al, I would rather just let him do all the talking, so here we go. Since I know you will not be able to get enough, we are not going to stop here. In fact, we are going to keep it coming with another Al Green track next.

Listen Now: Al Green - Let's Stay Together
Al Green - Let's Stay Together Download
Al Green - Let's Stay Together Lyrics

Outkast - Pink & Blue

With yesterdays posts out of the way, we are going to steer in a slightly different direction. With Andre 3000 and Big Boi heading the charge for Speakerboxxx and Love Below, OutKast is one of the best hip-hop duos out there. To go with my last post, Andre 3000 was featured on John Legend's Evolver album on the track "Green Light."

OutKast started as a parody group, with humorous songs such as "Ms. Jackson", "Roses" and "Hey Ya." They continued on in that fashion, but also adopted a slightly more serious tone. However, in the end, they remained true to their funny and upbeat style.

Today we break the age barrier with "Pink & Blue." In other words, "you make me talk baby talk." This is the story of a young man pursuing an older woman . . . it does not get much better. I will leave you with my favorite lyric and let Andre and Big Boi do the rest:


"You could have been born a little later but I don't care
So what if your head sports a couple of grey hairs
Same here, and actually I think that's funky"

Listen Now: Outkast - Pink & Blue

Outkast - Pink & Blue Download

Outkast - Pink & Blue Lyrics

John Legend - Out of Sight

I got a little carried away with John Legend and did not stop listening to his lesser-known material. After hearing "Sun Comes Up" for the first time in a while, I felt that I had to go back to some of the hidden classics. "Out of Sight" has to be one of my favorite Legend tracks that nobody knows. It has a similar feel to one of his hit singles, "P.D.A" and pretty much the same message - I wanna do you anywhere and everywhere.

Listen Now: John Legend - Out of Sight
John Legend - Out of Sight Download
John Legend - Out of Sight Lyrics

John Legend - Sun Comes Up

Sadly, the work that I did yesterday managed to get deleted. from what it looks like, blogger was having some issue. In any case, I am just going to have to remember what I can from yesterdays write-up, but it is going to be a bit shorter.

I can always appreciate a request from a friend, so I was stoked when my man Sean Hodson sent this song my way the other day. As a huge John Legend fan, I was stoked to hear somebody mention a song other than "Green Light", "Ordinary People" and "Save Room."

John Legend has 4 extraordinary albums, including his latest collaborative effort with The Roots: Wake Up. Apart from a collection of amazing albums, he has also done a series of live recordings and covers that never fail to impress. "Sun Comes Up" is a track from one of these live performances and you can really feel the small venue vibe that it has.

Legend also has a number of other awesome live recordings, including a cover of Nina Simone - "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood." While his version does not rival Simone's, it is a great rendition of the track.

Listen Now: John Legend - Sun Comes Up
John Legend - Sun Comes Up Download
John Legend - Sun Comes Up Lyrics