There was a time during my carefree youth when I was listening to little else outside of jazz and fusion but funk. We're talking Prince, Gap Band, The Time and several other lesser known acts on the scene at that time. Right up there with the Purple One in my book was Cameo.
Now, you're probably thinking "Word Up" and the mid-eighties breakthrough album of the same name and yeah, I dug that record, too. But I started paying attention to them around the time "Alligator Woman" became a party anthem around 1982 and when She's Strange came out a couple of years later, I was hooked.
Led by primary vocalist Larry Blackmon, Cameo navigated through the changes going on in R&B when the Funkadelic/Parliament and Earth Wind & Fire horn-driven slabs of organic funk gave way to leaner, more synth-heavy hip-hop of the eighties. That doesn't sound all that necessarily attractive, but Blackmon made it work with catchy hooks, a dash of rock and a continuing commitment to Philly soul harmonies.
That signature sound of theirs became crystallized with 1984's She's Strange. It's a delightful frolic through early hip-hop, reggae, soul ballads and rock. All underpinned by a solid foundation of rhythm and blues.
The second track, "Love You Anyway," is a mid-tempo jazzy funk number that's tightly written and catchy. The song begins with those old-school soul three part harmonies sung to perfection and backed with just a slap bass guitar and percussion. When the rest of the instrumentation comes in, there's a horn chart and minimal synths, just like the old days of the band. By looking back, it oddly made the song age better than most of their music which sounded very much of their time. I'm not going to bother quoting any lyrics here, it's just your basic unrequited love spiel that's not important to what makes this song go.
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Article comments
1 - mmlucid
Diamond in the Rough.
Released in 1988 Machismo came along at a major turning point for the music industry. House music was taking over and the funky sound that Cameo had created two decades before had come to a commercial climax with their groundbreaking multi platinum album “Word Up”. The follow up album “Machismo” was a vain attempt by Cameo’s producer - lead singer Larry Blackmon to cash-in one last time before fading into funky oblivion.
Although one song on this album does stand out as a tribute to how far the band had come.
“In The Night” featuring Miles Davis was written by Larry Blackmon and Merv de Peyer.
Miles’s contribution represented the ultimate musical endorsement for the funksters, the hard driving track provided him with a refreshing new funky sounding backdrop for his characteristic dark, soul-full trumpet. The track achieved the vibrant energy level and magnetic allure that Cameo had captured on the Word Up album.
I believe Miles enthusiasts and Cameo fans alike should enjoy this.
It is too bad the rest of the album didn’t really cut it.
Fredrick Jacob.