Get Down.1

I am fairly certain that many of you will have an idea, or perhaps more than one, as to what “get down” means and what it is referring to. There is the literal meaning, to simply lower oneself, and then it takes off from there. The informal/slang meanings are plentiful – relax, have a good time, being “hip” to something, or simply just to start “doing” something, to name a few. Then there is its association with dancing, as in “getting down” on the dance floor – just think Saturday Night Fever! And, I suppose, the sexual nature of the phrase followed soon after. If you’re old like me, you might even remember the first time you not only heard the idiom used this way, but also with the sexual connotation. For me it was in 1975 when I first heard K.C. & Sunshine Band’s “Get Down Tonight,” with the lines: “Do a little dance, make a little love,’/Get Down tonight.” If you were not a big fan of that song, as I was/am not, don’t worry, it’s not on the playlist! My favorite usage of the phrase, however, comes from urban dictionary quoting Arnold Schwarzenegger: “GET DOWN, there’s a snipah on ze roof!” But I digress.

So, what was going through my head when I came up with the “moniker” for this playlist? Well, other than the “anti-genre” kick that I seem to be on these days, I was really thinking about the many different kinds of music there are that might initiate that “get down” feeling in whatever way the listener interprets the music. Cop-out? Maybe, but who’s counting?

Before you start “getting down,” here’s the scoop on some of the artists you’ll be listening to. There are sixteen songs on the list (1.4 hrs.) spanning 40 years (1984-2024) and ranging from pop to rap, and everything in between. First up are Bronski Beat, who were a British synth-pop band formed in London, England in 1983. The initial lineup, which recorded the majority of their hits, consisted of Scottish musicians Jimmy Somerville (vocals) and Steve Bronski (keyboards, percussion), and English musician Larry Steinbachek (keyboards, percussion). Simon Davolls contributed backing vocals to many songs, Throughout the band’s career, Bronski was the only member to appear in every lineup. The band achieved success in the mid-1980s, particularly with the 1984 single, “Smalltown Boy,” (the featured song) from their debut album, The Age of Consent. All the members of the band were openly gay, and their songs reflected this, often containing political commentary on gay issues at that time.

Basement Jaxx’s song, “Right Here’s the Spot,” is from their 2003 album, Kish Kash. They are an English electronic music duo consisting of Felix Burton (1973) and Simon Ratcliffe (1972). The pair got their name from the regular club night they held in Brixton, London. They first rose to popularity in the underground house scene of the mid-1990s but would go on to find international chart success and win Best Dance Act at both the 2002 and 2004 BRIT Awards. They often feature vocalists on their tracks, and this one is no exception. For this track the featured artist is Meshell Ndegeocello (born Marshall Lynn Johnson), and American singer/songwriter and bassist who has been wowing us with her vocal prowess and amazing bass lines since 1993. Her latest release is No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin (2024).

Ini Kamoze (Cecil Campbell 1957)) is a Jamaican reggae artist who began her career in the early 1980s and rose to prominence in 1994 with her signature song, “Here Comes the Hotstepper,” from his 1994 album, Stir it Up. When I first stumbled on this song awhile back, I did not recognize the name, but the memories came flooding back after the first few notes and chanting! His self-titled debut album was released in 1984 as a six-track mini-LP. In the liner notes (remember those?) he describes himself as a “pencil-thin…disentangled…six-foot vegetarian.” The featured version of this hit song is a Heartical Mix, one of at least 20, possibly more, mixes of this song! In fact, it is difficult to find an original non-mix of this song. However, YouTube came to the rescue yet again, so it’s at the end of the post.

Blackstreet (often stylized as BLACKstreet) is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by record producers Chauncey “Black” Hannibal and Teddy Riley. They released four albums between 1994 and 2003. They achieved relative commercial success leading up to their 1996 single, “No Diggity,” which featured Dr. Dre and Queen Pen, my featured song. Their debut album, Blackstreet, featured the singles “Booti Call,” “Before I Let You Go,” and “Joy.” In 1996, they released their second album, Another Level. This was a breakthrough success due to the aforementioned single, “No Diggity.” In 1998, Blackstreet won the Grammy Awardfor Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

And now for some music!

Ini Kamoze. “Here Comes the Hotstepper” 1994.

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