The Straight Dope

Go Back   Straight Dope Message Board > Main > Cafe Society

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 12-22-2010, 08:24 AM
Argent Towers Argent Towers is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
What was this song? 80s or early 90s, female singer. Mainstream pop.

OK, finally a song identification that's not for some obscure song. This one is totally mainstream, like, I hear it in supermarkets and when holding for customer service on the phone.

It sounds like it's from the 80s or early 90s with a female singer. It has a Janet Jackson-esque production sound, very heavy on the synthesized drums and other totally synthesized instrumentals. Sort of Amy Grant sounding too. The beat is a shuffle, like "My Baby Takes The Morning Train." or a slower version of "Lido Shuffle" just to name two other well known songs with shuffle beats.

I can't remember any specific lyrics other than part of the chorus which sounds like "Oooh oooh, baby I love you." Yeah I know how generic those lyrics are...but I actually don't think those are it, since a search did not bring up the song I'm thinking of. At any rate it's something that rhymes with "oooh, oooh" and then "baby, I..." and then two more syllables.

If I could just play the melody that goes with those lyrics (which are probably all wrong) you would recognize it quickly. It's a totally cloying, mainstream corporate '80s pop song that most people would probably change the radio station to avoid.
Reply With Quote
Advertisements  
  #2  
Old 12-22-2010, 08:37 AM
Ponch8 Ponch8 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicago
Posts: 2,882
"Head to Toe" by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam?

http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/...Jam+Head+2+Toe
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 12-22-2010, 08:44 AM
It's Not Rocket Surgery! It's Not Rocket Surgery! is online now
Guest
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Is it Amy Grant, with "Baby Baby"?
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 12-22-2010, 10:28 AM
needscoffee needscoffee is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Use this website to play the melody and it will tell you the song.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 12-22-2010, 11:29 AM
Hippy Hollow Hippy Hollow is online now
Guest
 
Join Date: May 2005
From your description I would hazard a guess of Jane Child's "Don't Wanna Fall In Love": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWd__w5UWVc
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 12-22-2010, 11:58 AM
Poysyn Poysyn is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Hold me now - One 2 One?
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 12-22-2010, 12:20 PM
Fear the Turtle Fear the Turtle is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: SoCal High Desert
Posts: 655
Sheila E. - Glamorous Life?
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12-22-2010, 01:22 PM
Argent Towers Argent Towers is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Quote:
Originally Posted by needscoffee View Post
Use this website to play the melody and it will tell you the song.
It couldn't identify it, but if anyone wants to hear the melody I mean, paste this into the notes bar on that website: D3 C3 A2 C3 D3 D3 C3 .
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 12-22-2010, 01:27 PM
Argent Towers Argent Towers is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
I said in the OP that it was a shuffle beat...very distinctive kind of beat. None of the other songs that have been suggested are shuffles.

A song with a beat very similar to the one in the song I am trying to find: My Baby Takes The Morning Train.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 12-22-2010, 01:35 PM
fargingbastige fargingbastige is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
I Touch Myself by the Divinyls
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 12-22-2010, 05:31 PM
tripthicket tripthicket is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Let's try Will to Power - Baby I Love Your Way
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 12-22-2010, 05:34 PM
Argent Towers Argent Towers is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
That song is not a shuffle. Thanks anyway.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 12-22-2010, 05:40 PM
Argent Towers Argent Towers is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
You want to know what the instrumental and beat of the song sounds like? Listen to the first ten seconds of this, which is not the song in question, but has a very, very similar musical feel. You just need to listen to the first ten seconds, not the whole song.

This is nearly identical to the rhythm and sound of the song that I am trying to find. This should help narrow it down.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 12-22-2010, 06:20 PM
needscoffee needscoffee is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Quote:
Originally Posted by Argent Towers View Post
It couldn't identify it, but if anyone wants to hear the melody I mean, paste this into the notes bar on that website: D3 C3 A2 C3 D3 D3 C3 .
??? It pulled up this: http://www.free-ringtones.uk.com/ton...illac_mono.mid

Can you play into that any other melody line from your song? Keep trying any snippets you can remember. It will find it if you have any correct melody lines.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 12-22-2010, 06:22 PM
needscoffee needscoffee is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
This page gives more ways to find a missing melody, including humming it into your computer's microphone.
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 12-22-2010, 06:39 PM
pulykamell pulykamell is online now
Charter Member
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: SW Side, Chicago
Posts: 25,603
Shuffle, female, late 80s/early 90s... all I could think of is Alannah Myles Black Velvet. I don't quite think it's the song given the rest of the description, but worth a shot.
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 12-22-2010, 06:47 PM
GuanoLad GuanoLad is online now
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Where the wild roses grow
Posts: 18,227
I guess it's not Amy Grant The Things We Do For Love, a remake of the 10cc song.
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 12-22-2010, 06:58 PM
Trion Trion is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jun 1999
Rio by Duran Duran?
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 12-22-2010, 07:05 PM
needscoffee needscoffee is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Quote:
Originally Posted by needscoffee View Post
This page gives more ways to find a missing melody, including humming it into your computer's microphone.
Oops, I forgot the link.
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 12-22-2010, 07:16 PM
Argent Towers Argent Towers is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Thanks for the attempts, people, I do appreciate it. And I'm glad that people are starting to understand the shuffle part of it. Unfortunately nobody's nailed it yet.

I ask again that you listen to just the first 10 seconds of this song, which has almost exactly the same rhythm, tempo, instrumental feel (highly synthesized, overproduced and cheesy), and maybe it'll come to you.

The song I'm thinking of was very popular and is still heard in supermarkets, waiting music for customer service numbers, etc....I bet as soon as someone figures it out (which they will, sooner or later) people will be astonished that they didn't think of it first.
Reply With Quote
  #21  
Old 12-22-2010, 07:20 PM
pulykamell pulykamell is online now
Charter Member
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: SW Side, Chicago
Posts: 25,603
OK, I'm sure this can't be it, but it fits your description other than the female vocals:

The Way You Make Me Feel by Michael Jackson?

I'm sorry for insulting your intelligence, but every other bit of your description fits pretty much.
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 12-22-2010, 07:26 PM
Argent Towers Argent Towers is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Haha I almost wrote "it sounds the same as The Way You Make Me Feel in the last post, but I figured one song for comparison was enough.

Good ear. Keep thinking along those lines, people.
Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 12-22-2010, 08:30 PM
GuanoLad GuanoLad is online now
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Where the wild roses grow
Posts: 18,227
Even if this isn't it, it's worth linking to. Duffy, Mercy.
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 12-22-2010, 08:46 PM
pulykamell pulykamell is online now
Charter Member
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: SW Side, Chicago
Posts: 25,603
OK...I'm hoping this is it:

True Blue by Madonna? The chorus even ends "True blue, baby I love you." This has got to be it, no?

Last edited by pulykamell; 12-22-2010 at 08:47 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 12-22-2010, 08:51 PM
Argent Towers Argent Towers is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Yeah, that's it. Thanks. I knew someone would get it sooner or later.
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 12-22-2010, 08:57 PM
Ike Witt Ike Witt is online now
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Lost in the mists of time
Posts: 10,781
After all that, it is Ma freakin' donna?

No mind, there are some reminders of good old songs in the thread. And thanks to Poysyn, I remember that song, Hold Me Now but couldn't remember the name of the group that sang it.

Last edited by Ike Witt; 12-22-2010 at 08:59 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #27  
Old 12-22-2010, 09:00 PM
SeaDragonTattoo SeaDragonTattoo is online now
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Chicago, north, beachside
Posts: 4,222
Ugh. I was so sure it was going to be "I'm Your Baby Tonight" by Whitney Houston!
Reply With Quote
  #28  
Old 12-22-2010, 09:02 PM
pulykamell pulykamell is online now
Charter Member
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: SW Side, Chicago
Posts: 25,603
Quote:
Originally Posted by Argent Towers View Post
Yeah, that's it. Thanks. I knew someone would get it sooner or later.
Woo hoo! "Cherish" was my initial Madonna guess, but the lyrics didn't quite fit, so I went down the catalog to see if I could find another popular shuffle by her. Lots of hit shuffles in the 80s, it seems.
Reply With Quote
  #29  
Old 12-22-2010, 10:50 PM
multimediac17 multimediac17 is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
'True Blue' trivia! The song is about her then-husband Sean Penn, and since they divorced Madonna has refused to perform it live or include it on any greatest hits compilations, despite it being a number one hit.
Reply With Quote
  #30  
Old 12-22-2010, 11:46 PM
tripthicket tripthicket is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ike Witt View Post
And thanks to Poysyn, I remember that song, Hold Me Now but couldn't remember the name of the group that sang it.
See, now this is what I like to stumble across when reading threads like this 'un. I was thinking of Hold Me Now, same name but totally different song, done by The Thompson Twins, and was pleasantly surprised, as I'd never heard this one before. Yay!
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:06 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2013, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

Send questions for Cecil Adams to: cecil@chicagoreader.com

Send comments about this website to: webmaster@straightdope.com

Terms of Use / Privacy Policy

Advertise on the Straight Dope!
(Your direct line to thousands of the smartest, hippest people on the planet, plus a few total dipsticks.)

Publishers - interested in subscribing to the Straight Dope?
Write to: sdsubscriptions@chicagoreader.com.

Copyright © 2013 Sun-Times Media, LLC.