R&B music suffered another loss earlier this week when Ronnie Wilson, a founding member of The GAP Band, passed away. While mainstream music listeners know Charlie Wilson’s name, I wanted to highlight Ronnie and his pen game.
While The GAP Band is known for its funk numbers, their catalog also has its share of Outstanding (pun intended) ballads. Now I could have chosen “Yearning For Your Love,” “Going In Circles,” or “Wednesday Lover.” However, there is something special about “Season’s No Reason To Change,” which is this week’s pick for Slow Jam Saturday.
Initially appearing on the group’s 1982 album, Gap Band IV showcases Ronnie’s songwriting ability and, of course, Charlie’s ability to sing anything. Through a lush four-minute arrangement, the listener is treated to mature lyrics such as:
“So I was rolling down the Mountain Side the Sun come around melting the snow away
Girl I’ve been gone for such a long long time Seasons no reason to change
Girl I love you more and more each day and each and every day I pray that you will stay
Girl I keep loving you more and more each day Seasons no reason to change”.
For me, the song is a correlation to weather and relationships. When you are in a relationship, just because things around you change does not mean you should be negative when it comes to the treatment of your partner. Furthermore, the song’s production could have easily crossed over to a country music station.
While Charlie Wilson would become a mega solo star in his own right, his work with The GAP Band, particularly the ballads, still sounds fresh in 2021. Charlie’s brothers, who made up the rest of the band, equally deserve their flowers as well. “Season’s No Reason To Change” is just one of the many highlights from Ronnie
Wilson’s songwriting catalog.
Final Grade A
Gap Band IV is available on all streaming platforms.
Growing up in the nineties, movies aimed at a melanin audience often featured soundtracks that had to be just as flavorful as the films themselves. This week, for Slow Jam Saturday, I want to take a trip back to 1993 and highlight one of the slow jams from the soundtrack of “Menace II Society”.
Last week marked two significant anniversaries for one of the greatest artists of all time, Mr. Prince Rogers Nelson. It’s only fitting that I show him some love for Second Listen Sunday. The first anniversary was on the 21st, commemorating nine years since his passing. The second anniversary was on the 22nd, celebrating the 40th anniversary of his seventh studio album, “Around the World in a Day.”
One of my most significant decisions late last year was to pledge to Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. At the time of this writing, I am in Atlantic City for my fraternity’s Regional Conference, where I will represent my chapter, Beta Alpha Omega. In that regard, I believe the perfect song for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday is “The Best Man I Can Be.”