20 Years Ago • Dancing in 1994

Clockwise: Whitney Houston, Rozalla, MK featuring Alana, and Ultra Naté.

As my inspiration for the post this morning, I took a look at the dance charts for January of 1994, twenty years ago. I will kick off with the song that was #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play almost exactly 20 years ago, on January 27th, 1994. That song from off the soundtrack to 'The Bodyguard', and featured the sterling vocals of the late, great Whitney Houston. This is "Queen of the Night", written by some of the greatest names of music at the time. The songwriting credits were listed as Whitney Houston, Antonio "L.A." Reid, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Daryl Simmons, and Michael Jackson! Wow! Here is Whitney Houston singing "Queen of the Night".

The second song I'd like to share with you is "I Love Music", a song that seems perfect for this blog, doesn't it? The song was written in 1975 by Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff, the men behind the Philadelphia Sound so prevalent in the 1970s. Nineteen years later, the song was recorded by Rozalla, a young woman born in Zambia, and later moved to London to be closer to the music scene. Her version of the song was included on the soundtrack to 'Carlito's Way', a film directed by Brian DePalma, and starring Al Pacino and Sean Penn. The song was a good one for the singer, showing off the richness and fullness of her tone. The public must have agreed with that, for the song was #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart for the week ending January 22nd. This is Rozalla singing "I Love Music".

For some, Ultra Naté was considered one of the most flamboyant and talented of the many 1990s House Divas, never one to come up short with a performance in the recording studio. Bold and brash, she was able to reach for new heights with her vocals, while never sacrificing the heart of the song. This could be because she was also a songwriter, and understood the songs so well. On the weekend ending January 8th, the song at the top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play was "Show Me", a fun and catchy song. I hope you enjoy Ultra Naté singing "Show Me" as much as I do!

The final song for this Friday morning is one by Marc Kinchen and featuring Alana Simon. While this might not sound familiar to you, if you were in the clubs in the 1990s, you would be more familiar with their recording names, MK (featuring Alana). MK was a big DJ and producer at the time, making hits for both himself and others for the clubs. The pair had a couple of hits together, including "Love Changes", the song on top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart the week of January 15th. Electric and powerful, it is no wonder the song had people rushing out to the dance floor. This is MK featuring Alana with "Love Changes".

Have a great weekend!

Billy Porter • Show Me

Billy Porter recently became a name on the lips of everyone, having won the 2013 Antoinette Perry Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role as Lola in 'Kinky Boots' at the 67th Tony Awards. But that wasn't his only award for the role, as he also won Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical and Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical. But long before that, Porter had released an amazing studio album, one I am proud to have in my collection. In 1997, Porter released an eponymous album, although it is sometimes referred to as 'Untitled'. It is very hard to come by now, but it is well worth the trouble.

I have to admit I first learned about Billy Porter not from this album, but from the soundtrack of a 1996 film, 'First Wives Club'. The movie, featuring Bette Midler, Diane Keaton, and Goldie Hawn as funny, smart, and fierce women, featured a great song, "Love Is On The Way". The song was written by Peter Zizzo, Denise Rich & Tina Shafer, and was going to be featured on the 1997 album, until Midler heard it and decided it had to be part of the film soundtrack. It is an amazing song, and Bill performed it so well. Here is "Love Is On The Way", off the 'First Wives Club' soundtrack.

That song shined the light on Porter, and left the crumb trail for me to follow to the album. The 12-track collection is filled to the brim with R&B lusciousness, starting with the first song, "Show Me". The song was written by La La, and is a wonderful mid-tempo song that allows Porter to soar. Here is the music video for "Show Me".

The rest of the album is filled with new material, save a wonderful cover of Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed". It starts off sweet and mild, and takes us on a wonderful journey. Speaking of journeys, his take on "Borrowed Time", written by Gary Haase and Brett Laurence, is a sexy and steamy song. It also features the depth of his voice, being able to show off a softness, some heat, and some beautiful strength. Enjoy the music video featuring Billy Porter singing "Borrowed Time".

The album is just filled with love, truth, and caring. I love it, and still play it all the time. While I can't find anywhere you can purchase this album online, he does have another album I love, 'At The Corner of Broadway & Soul'. It is available on iTunes and Amazon. For more about Billy Porter, you can 'like' him on Facebook, and to 'follow' him on Twitter. Both will give you links to learn more about what it is like to be the toast of Broadway, and give you the chance to let Billy know how much you appreciate his great musical talent!