Let's Talk About Sex

My latest offering once again provides a connection with selections made previously available. The post entitled "James Brown's Funky People" finished with a track by one Mr.Hank Ballard, and so we begin my latest musings with something by the same artist. The subject matter therefore, courtesy of Ballard's band The Midnighters, is .......S E X.....a three letter word that has been part of the lexicon of popular music seemingly since Thomas Edison invented the phonogram in 1877.

You have to be careful when choosing material of a sexually charged nature and not necessarily becuase of it's shock value.... Having decided that my next post would include 4 or 5 songs with "sexy" in the title I went searching for what I thought would be an interesting selection of music only to discover that there are a lot of risque items out there that are anything but.

"Sexy" songs seem to fall into two main categories. Firstly, there's the wishy-washy MOR mediocrity of items like "Sexy Eyes" by Dr.Hook, the appalling "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" by Rod Stewart, "You Sexy Thing" by Hot Chocolate (which actually isn't THAT bad) or "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred all, for the most part, recordings by white artists leading me to believe the possibility that caucasians aren't very good at conveying carnal knowledge on record. On the other hand one only has to listen to Barry White's walrus-on-heat mumblings or the fake-orgasmic groanings of either Donna Summer on "Love To Love You Baby" or the unknown female on the faintly embarrassing "Love Won't Let Me Wait" by Major Harris to understand that black artists can get it wrong too.

The second category is modern R&B. There are a bewildering array of "sexy" songs in the modern R&B canon - "Sexy Back" by Justin Timberlake - "Sexy Plexi" by Jack Johnson - "So Sexy" by Twista & R.Kelly - "Sexy Love" by Ne-Yo - "Grown And Sexy" by Chamillionaire - to name but a few. No doubt each of these songs were released in conjunction with a scandalously expensive and suitably raunchy video designed to boost record sales for what is essentially run-of-the-mill pop fodder. To be honest the majority of pop videos these days seem to feature a profusion of scantily-clad women in beautifully shot rubbish directed with precious little imagination so it's a little unfair to lay the blame on one particular genre of music for what is a general malaise within the pop/video industry. Sex sells after all.

Regarding sex in music as a whole, it seems to me that it's a subject that really only works when it is either taken "tongue-in-cheek" (pun intended) or when it is dealt with "no holds barred". Of course it would be impossible to hear EVERY song that deals with this specific subject, as along with the proverbial Drugs & Rock N'Roll, it has and always will be one of rock's common denominators in terms of lyrical inspiration and consequently one could devote a whole blog to it's history and development.

But enough of my brow-beating and let's get to the music. This post will specifically deal with those "sexy" songs mentioned above though to be honest there aren't an awful lot to choose from hence the inclusion of a number of fairly well-known items. This will be followed specifically by a selection of salacious pre-rock items from that golden period before the birth of rock n'roll.

THE MIDNIGHTERS - Sexy Ways (1954)



The return of Hank Ballard (real name John Kendricks), and taken from his days as front-man with The Midnighters. Previously known as The Royals, it was Ballard's arrival in the line-up that resulted in a complete change in their musical direction. Recorded 4 years before "The Twist" and from that all-important pre-rock n'roll period mentioned above when artists were providing a welcome alternative to the bland pop material gracing the record charts at the time. This is effectively a re-write of a Ballard composition called "Work With Me Annie" that included the lyrical couplet "Annie please don't cheat/give me all my meat". The instrumental middle section of this record alone would have given those Tin Pan Alley songwriters palpitations.

PRINCE & THE NEW POWER GENERATION - Sexy M.F.(1992)



Having been slightly less than complimentary when discussing the importance of James Brown on the diminutive one's career, you have to admit that no-one in black popular music's history has even come close to emulating Brown's achievements.....apart from this little guy. Taken from a period when Prince's career was beginning to sag a little, this is still a stunning track that The Godfather Of Soul himself would have been proud of. Whether James would have been this explicit is doubtful but then Sex has always been a Prince obsession. An example of the "no holds barred" kind of sexy discussed above. No-one does it better.

AIR - Sexy Boy (1998)



A minor hit in the UK for Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel AKA Air and taken from their "Moon Safari" debut album, a record that has yet to be bettered by the French duo. As I don't actually speak French, I have absolutely no idea what is being discussed in this song apart from the two words "Sexy" & "Boy". Nice tune though.

TIMMY THOMAS - Sexy Woman (sometime in the early 70's)



A one hit wonder if ever there was one. Timmy Thomas is most well-known for the 1973 track "Why Can't We Live Together?" one of those songs that you instantly recognise without having a clue as to what it is. This funky and slightly obscure little item was sampled by D.J.Shadow and Cut Chemist for their excellent "Product Placement" collaboration album.

THE BEATLES - Sexy Sadie (1968)



An anomaly. A "sexy" record that isn't directly about the act itself. Written by Lennon after The Beatles visit to Rishikesh, this song was originally entitled "Maharishi" but had to be changed for legal reasons. Penned after it was discovered that the enlightened one was seemingly more interested in jumping into bed with the female members of The Beatles entourage than teaching the Fab Four how to reach the astral plane.

Included becuase it happens to be one of those personal Beatle favourites that you don't hear nearly enough of.