I went back and forth about what song to pick for the final Slow Jam Saturday of 2022. Initially, I thought of collaborating with my guys Thomas Leo and Kyle Ng from YouKnowIGotSOul.com or big bruv Edward Browser from Soul In Stereo. In the end, though, the answer was evident when I looked back at the foolishness, heartbreak, and accomplishments of 2022 and what I want to carry into 2023.
I decided to go with “Pure Gold” from the elements known as Earth, Wind, and Fire. Initially appearing on the group’s nineteenth album Illumination, “Pure Gold” was produced by the legendary Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. Co-writing the song with Jam & Lewis were The Avilla Brothers and Tony Tolbert.
The legend Philip Bailey leads the song and elegantly sings about living your life with substance and not focusing on keeping up with the joneses or becoming the center of attention. In addition, “Pure Gold” has a strong message of self-worth, and true love is conveyed through the lyrics. Throughout the song, EWF encourages and reiterates to the listener that nothing is more valuable than true love and self-worth.
A message of peace and strength is conveyed in the song that urges its audience to take some time to find their inner strength and light. This theme is to choose a path of truth and light over worldly desires. As a result, love, above all other possessions, is the only thing that will always remain valuable and never fade away.
Final Grade: A
“Pure Gold” from Illumination is available on all streaming platforms.
Thirty years ago, in 1995, Bad Boy Records was a top-notch record label, but over a decade later, it had begun to lose its luster. While the “Bad Boys II” soundtrack and the debut album from Da Band did numbers, no real superstars were left on the label.
Whether it’s the loss of a celebrity you grew up with or a daily dumb remark from our current commander-in-chief, three months in 2025 are already getting crazy. So, for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I decided to change it up and offer something inspirational like Mariah Carey and her 2006 hit “Fly Like A Bird.”
Music video director David Yarovesky brings together Bill Skarsgård and two-time Academy winner Anthony Hopkins for his third feature film, “Locked” from the Avenue. Horror icon Sam Raimi produces the film, while Michael Arlen Ross pens the film’s screenplay.