Tonight will be one for the record books, as I finally see Janet “Ms. Jackson if you’re Nasty” live. Before that, though, I must show some love to one of my favorite Janet slow cuts for Slow Jam Saturday.
The year was 1995, and Janet was still basking in the success of her 14 million worldwide-selling fifth album, Janet. As we all know, that album validated Janet as an icon and a sex symbol. That said, the song I chose to go with was “70’s Love Groove”.
The song was recorded during the Janet sessions and was initially released as the B-side to “You Want This.” However, it gained more attention when featured on the soundtrack of the 1994 fashion comedy film, Ready to Wear. In the spring of 1995, I first heard the song on the Quiet Storm on my local radio station.
The DJ mentioned that it was an exclusive from the album Janet Remixed, which unfortunately wouldn’t get a commercial release in the United States. Thankfully I recorded the song and had it on tape for years. I finally got a physical copy of the song when I traveled to Korea five years later and picked it up at a record store overseas.
Collaborating with her longtime producers, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Janet crafted a seductive bop. A sensual and sultry slow jam, “70’s Love Groove” explores love and passion in a 70s-inspired environment. The song sets the mood by mentioning afros, incense, black lights, and mood rings – all symbols of the 70s counterculture promoting peace, love, and sexual liberation. Janet Jackson sings about exploring each other’s bodies, taking time, and enjoying the moment.
The song’s message is about getting lost in the moment and being in touch with one’s sensual side. The repetition of the “70’s kinda love” lyric shows that this love-making is reminiscent of that era, where free love and sexual exploration were the norms. Overall, the song highlights the sensual nature of the 70s and encourages the listeners to give in to their desires and embrace the moment.
While I doubt Janet even sings a snippet of this song tonight, I still hold it in high regard and keep it rotation.
Final Grade: A
“70’s Love Groove” from Janet, Remixed is available on all streaming platforms.
This week’s Second Listen Sunday pick takes us back to 2006 to revisit “So Amazin’,” the third album from Christina Milian. Arriving in stores on April 19 of that year, the project was produced largely by Cool & Dre, sans one song, and saw the singer earn writing credits on nine of the album’s songs.
For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I want to showcase love for Rahsaan Patterson and his album track “Can We Wait a Minute” from his self-titled debut album, released in 1997.
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I wanted to take a trip back to 2000 and show some love to the R&B duo K-Ci & JoJo and their third album, “X,” which was released in stores on December 5, just in time for a holiday stocking stuffer. Arguably, the group suffered from the sophomore slump with their second album, as only two singles were successful.