My grandfather owned a record store for some 20 years in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Calling him a serious vinyl collector would be an understatement. Around the house, however, music was never played. All the vinyl he ever owned remained in its original packaging until it was either sold, given away or stored in the “vault” in his basement where it remains till this day. Fortunately, he encouraged us to enjoy music of all types, never was he discriminatory.I had a very strict curfew living with my grandparents, but was allowed a grace period whenever attending a concert. The first show I went to without my parents was a D’angelo concert. It was the Voo Doo tour with Lucy Pearl. The opening act was Anthony Hamilton, an unknown at the time. He was good, damn good, as was the rest of the touring ensemble. That dreamy night is memorable for so many reasons. For starters, it was me celebrating my independence, but also D’angelo means so much to my generation. He was to my generation what Sade was to the preceding generation.
I ran across this G.A.M.M. comp a few years ago with a few heaters lurking. The stand out track was this unbelievably dope remix of D’angelo’s "Left & Right" from the prolific Voo Doo album. I remember playing th
e song constantly. The vibes over D'angelo's seductive vocals give the song legs and take it to another level, better than the original. The title of the track was different from its original counterpart, I assume for good reason. “Follow Me,” as the song was called, is not just a remix but an entirely new song with its own identity because of its greatness. The producer/DJ is Red Astaire, also known as Freddie Cruger. He’s had me hook, line and sinker ever since. 
ngs into sexually explicit works of pure genius comedy. The first Blowfly “party record” came out in 1971, which many consider a form of primitive rapping. When the Sugarhill Gang released “Rapper’s Delight” in 1979, Blowfly followed with his own profane version called “
