Vocalist Michael Cooper had already displayed his talents in the vocal group Con Funk Shun. He then blessed fans with his solo debut, Love Is Such a Funny Game, in 1987. For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to give Cooper flowers for that album’s second single, “Dinner For Two.”
Cooper’s authoritative yet passionate tenor is enhanced by a thumping bassline, a sax introduction, and silky background vocals, which combine to form a compelling vocal ethos. Lyrically, the song tells us about a man expressing his desire to take a woman he is interested in out on a date. It is a romantic song with lyrical imagery of a romantic dinner for two in a cozy cafe, with wine, music, and sweet serenading.
He expresses his love for her and how she has “excited his heart and soul” and made him “feel so real.” He wants to show her his love and affection. The song culminates with him asking the woman if he can pick her up in his car so they can have dinner for two. Almost forty years later, the song is still a romantic slow jam capturing the feeling of falling in love.
Final Grade: A
“Dinner For Two” from Love Is Such a Funny Game is available on all streaming platforms.
There are some albums you revisit because of nostalgia, and then there are albums you return to because they remind you just how high the standard used to be. Anita Baker’s Rapture falls into that second category. Released in 1986, the album did more than make Baker a star. It helped define what sophisticated, grown R&B could sound like without losing any soul, sensuality, or personality.
Gwen Stefani had already established herself as a significant force with No Doubt when she released her debut solo album, *Love. Angel. Music. Baby* in 2004. This week, while my iPod was on shuffle, one of my favorite songs from that project, “The Real Thing,” came on. Although the original version has an upbeat new-wave feel, the Slow Jam Mix takes it to another level and is the perfect choice for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday.
Unless you’re a music purist, mentioning Randy Jackson from the famous family is likely to elicit a joke. However, any serious Jackson fan knows that Randy had musical achievements long before the punchlines. Before he was old enough to buy a drink, he had already co-written “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” and “Lovely One” with Michael Jackson.