15 Albums That Changed My Life

With the news of Donna Summer‘s passing, I felt the I need to share the Top 15 albums that changed my life. You’ll notice the she actually makes two appearances on the list. urbanlandmedia.com

1) “Lady In Satin” by Billie Holiday (This was her last album and even though her voice is about gone at this point, the raw emotions in each song still make me want to cry. And when they re-issued the CD with outtakes, I was in heaven! “The End Of A Love Affair” in all its glory!)

2) “Live & More” by Donna Summer (This was the first album that I saved my allowance to buy. Donna never sounded so good. And the MacArthur Park Suite made me want to learn how to mix. And “Mimi’s Song” still brings a tear to my eyes.)

3) “Private Life: The Collection” by Grace Jones (This is one of my favorite collections because it chronicles the best years of her career. I consider her to be the real deal when it comes to being an icon.)

4) “Thank God It’s Friday – Soundtrack” Various Artists (Because I started DJ-ing during the tail-end of the Disco era, I couldn’t get enough of all the gorgeous hits on this double album. No Disco collection is complete without it. And let’s not forget that in this movie Donna Summer debuts “Last Dance”.)

5) “Self Titled Album” by Wendy & Lisa (I really felt that even though Purple Rain was supposed to be fictional, it sort of fore told the future of The Revolution. So, I was happy for Wendy & Lisa when they ventured out on their own. Plus I always suspected that they were lesbians…and they were.)

6) “Live & Uncensored” by Millie Jackson (This was the first album that my drag mentor, Tony Rose gave me to learn material to compete in the Monday Night Talent Show at Rene’s back in Tampa in 1985. Without this album, there would be no Jade Elektra today.)

7) “Substance” by New Order (Back in the 80′s, I loved Alternative Dance Music and this album served me several hits like “Bizarre Love Triangle”, “Confusion” (which was in the first gay porn I ever owned) “Blue Monday” and “The Perfect Kiss”)

8) “Lady Sings The Blues – Soundtrack” by Diana Ross (I used to sneak and listen to my mother’s albums and among what I called The Dead People’s Club like Billie Holiday, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin & Jimi Hendrix was this brown double album that came with a picture book with scenes from the movie. I would listen and imagine what the story was for this film. Being that I was only about 6 or 7 years old, I had heard Billie’s records but did not appreciate her like I do today. So, in a way, Diana’s recordings really introduced me to this legendary Jazz vocalist.)

9) “Time Out” by The Dave Brubeck Quartet (The signature song “Take Five” came from this album and was the theme song for the radio show that my uncle, Herbert King asked me to assist him with back in 1980. This began my DJ career. And opened my eyes to the world of Jazz. Even to this day, this track brings a smile to my face. It’s so revolutionary in its composition and changed music forever.That radio show at WMNF 88.5 back in Tampa, Florida taught me not how to mix, but how to program. Something that is lost in radio and clubs today.)

10) “Live” by Erykah Badu (I sorta liked the video for “On & On” since it paid homage to one of my favorite films, The Color Purple, but that was as far as it went. Then I heard the “Erykah Badu Live” album and fell in love with her. I love it when an artist sounds even better live. That means that you can’t capture the true essence of them in a studio. There is a magic and communication that happens only in that moment between the performer and the audience. Absolutely brilliant!)

11) “Experience: Jill Scott 826+” by Jill Scott (Here’s another one that I slept on until I heard her live. It’s sad to me that the Neo-Soul movement didn’t gain more momentum after 2005. There are plenty of fans out there, but this type of real Soul Music has been lost in the shuffle of Pop and Hip Hop. Sad. And one of the other things that I loved about this album was that she got revenge on the bootleggers who made a House version of “He Loves Me” by taking it and putting it as a bonus track and calling it the Illegal Mix. So, she got paid after all.)

12) “Let’s Make A Dope Deal” by Cheech & Chong (Now, I know most don’t think of Comedy albums when they write these lists, but the sure genius of these two guys telling a complete story and doing all the voices of all the characters from beginning to end is just amazing. The imagination behind it and the comedic timing to set up and tell each joke can not be matched. Mind you…this is not a stand up album. It is a conceptual masterpiece. There is no laugh track or audience to be found.)

13) “Thriller” by Michael Jackson (When this album came out, you could not tell me that I was not Michael Jackson. I saved up and bought every jacket and sparkling glove that I could get my hands on at the local mall. I don’t think there has ever been a better marriage between producer and artists than on this album. Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson really changed the music business forever.)

14) “1999″ by Prince & The Revolution (Back in the day, a double album was a big deal. Probably because the attention span of the young ones today is that of a gnat, most labels frown upon a double album today. But this was Prince’s first and I guess he had a lot to say, because it spoke volumes to me. It was a new decade and it was charged with New Wave, Funk and Sex. Tracks like “Little Red Corvette” and “Lady Cab Driver” set the stage for my adolencent mind.)

15) “The Emaculate Collection” by Madonna (Shortly after this album dropped, I actually got to meet Madonna at The Soundfactory in New York City. This was the first time I was completely star-struck. I couldn’t get over how short she was and I even danced with Luis Xtravaganza- one of dancers from The Girlie Show Tour. Big mistake! I’m no dancer. But until this album you really didn’t have a greatest hits package for the Material Girl.)

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