Obviously, I have failed my daughter. My wife, daughter, and I were visiting my mother-in-law’s communal residence. Curiously, in the background was, of all things, the Ohio Players’ Fire, a song I love. My daughter did not know this track.
On the ride home, she clarified that she isn’t familiar with many ’70s soul songs. She does know the Beatles, Motown, and other stuff from the ’60s, as well as Gladys Knight and the Pips on Arista Records. Reciprocally, she has taught me about 1990s/early 2000s soul, such as Aaliyah and Blaque.
I have all of the songs mentioned in some physical form
Some songs:
Fire – Ohio Players. I made a post in 2016 of other songs titled Fire.
Lady Marmalade – LaBelle. This is the song that she had a vague understanding of because it had a line in French; did she learn it in high school class? The song was added to the National Recording Registry in 2021.
Tell Me Something Good – Rufus. My niece Rebecca sang this song in concert during a Chaka Khan medley that my daughter heard. The daughter may not know that Stevie Wonder penned it. Chaka Khan and I have the same birth month.
Strawberry Letter #23—the Brothers Johnson. Shuggie Otis wrote and performed the song; I have it on CD. Shuggie was the son of 1950s music legend Johnny Otis. This cover, produced by Quincy Jones, is iconic. I wrote about this song in 2015. Here’s the single, which is good, but the album cut is better..
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) -Sly and the Family Stone. I love Sly, and there are a bunch of other songs she should know about.
STAX
Mr. Big Stuff – Jean Knight. A Stax Records hit
Respect Yourself – the Staple Singers, arguably my favorite Stax song from the 1970s, though their I’ll Take You There is a worthy choice as well.
Thin Line Between Love and Hate -The Persuaders. The Pretenders covered this.
Why Can’t We Live Together – Timmy Thomas. I have this on an LP. One of the longest intros on a single I’ve ever heard at over 90 seconds before the vocal.
Getaway – Earth, Wind, and Fire. There’s a lot of EWF she should know.
There’s Love In Them There Hills – the Pointer Sisters. Play in the dark, as loud as you can; it’ll be clear why after the first 2:30.