Friday Five : |ˈfrÄ«dā – fÄ«v| : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button in iTunes and share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up the media player of your choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.

The Five:

“Tell Me” by Groove Theory (from Essential R&B: 90’s Anthems (disc 3), 2010)

While they may have been a one-hit wonder, Groove Theory did introduce the world to Amel Larrieux and we’re all the better for it. That Mary Jane Girls sample it just too much of a groove to ignore; slowed down just enough to lay back and let the jam flow.

“Stop Running Away” by Incognito (from Amplified Soul, 2014)

Oh, so it’s gonna be like that? Easily the grooviest record put down in 2014-to date, Incognito’s formula hasn’t changed all that much over the years, but when you do your thing better than the rest, why mess with the ingredients. Soul, jazz, R&B, and funk, all wrapped up in a groove that just don’t quit; I probably enjoy this music far more than I should.

“Mend This Generation” by Stu Gardner (from The Complete Motown Singles, Volume 9: 1969 (disc 48), 2007)

Oh, Complete Motown Singles…, you’ve confounded me again! This is a funky instrumental track with a bevy of bass taking the lead.

“The Greatest Romance Ever Sold (radio edit) (feat. Eve)” by Prince (from The Greatest Romance Ever Sold, 1999)

No Prince, please don’t rap. Please? Clearly a afterthought—Eve’s verse is cut+paste into the intro of the album version—this is the lesser remix of “The Greatest Romance Ever Sold,” which is a solid late-’90s Prince cut! However, the main event on this single was The Neptunes’ remix featuring Q-Tip. Hell, the Jason Nevins disco-fied remix is pretty hot, as well. Now I’ve gotta go listen to them … ain’t that a bitch.

“Joy in Repetition (feat. Hilde Marie Kjersem & Peder Kjellsby)” by SÁ¸lvguttene (from Shockadelica: 50th Anniversary Tribute to the Artist Known as Prince (disc 4: The Beautiful Ones, They Hurt You Every Time), 2008)

The tribute record so good that Prince had it shut the hell down with utter quickness. This cover is … odd. Lacking. Missing that certain je ne sais quoi. Frankly, this is kind of a bummer after such an excellent Friday Five. Man, funk this, I’m going back to listen to those “The Greatest Romance Ever Sold” remixes.

What’s on your shuffle today?

About the Author

Michael Parr

Husband, Father, Writer, Musical Voyeur, Pop Culture Glutton, Gourmet in Training. I'm the tall guy behind all these short guys. You can find me on the Twitter.

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