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.
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.