Love songs in R&B, Hip Hop & Rap Music

"Love Songs" (01/09/2001) R&B Isley Brothers (The), Legacy RecordingsThe Isley Brothers: Ronald Isley (vocals); Ernie Isley (acoustic, electric & 12-string guitars, bass, drums, congas, timbales, maracas, percussion, background vocals); Chris Jasper (piano, electric piano, Clavinet, ARP synthesizer, tambourine, percussion, background vocals); Marvin Isley (bass, woodblocks, percussion, cowbell, background vocals); Rudolph Isley, O'Kellly Isley (background vocals); Malcolm Cecil, Robert Margouleff (programming). Additional personnel: George Moreland (drums, percussion). Producers: Isley Brothers, Malcolm Cecil, Robert Margouleff. Compilation producers: Leo Sacks, Marvin Isley. Engineers: Malcolm Cecil, Robert Margouleff. Originally released on T-Neck Records. Includes liner notes by Virginia Prescott. Digitally remastered by Joseph M. Palmaccio (2000 Sony). It's hard to believe that Ronnie Isley collaborated with Dr. Dre and the departed Tupac Shakur on some of the late 20th century's most hardcore hip-hop music. Isley, of the renowned group the Isley Brothers, has his roots firmly placed in '70s R&B and soul music. D'Angelo, Maxwell, and R. Kelly, among other bedroom-music artists, all owe a bit of thanks to the Isley Brothers, the original slow-jam crooners. The trio's sexiest and most sensual moments have been captured on Love Songs, an ongoing series of CD collections of the same name on Columbia Legacy and Epic Legacy Records. (Other Love Songs sets for 2001 include recordings from Frank Sinatra, Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin, and Duke Ellington.) And as far as thematic compilations go, this one is a winner. The 13 selected tracks on Love Songs don't skip a beat, and the sexy boudoir fare remains consistent throughout the album's 70-plus minutes. There is a certain sensitivity inherent to Isley's falsetto voice that sets him apart from other singers in this category of music. It's a vulnerability and tenderness that Barry White, and others of the like, do not have. Such Isley Brothers greats as "For the Love of You," "Voyage to Atlantis," "Sensuality," and "Between the Sheets" are included on Love Songs. The CD is a treasured example of the original bedroom music, and arguably more potent than its contemporary counterparts. No amount of pheromones, love potions, or "spells" can come close to the romantic rendezvous that is the Isley Brothers' Love Songs. Play this album at your own risk -- and expect to call in "sick" to the office the next day. ~ Liana Jonas Along the way to being a bridge throughout the history of R&B throughout the latter half of the 20th century, the Isley Brothers also directly helped shape facets of the genre along the way. Starting in the '70s, eldest Isley siblings Ronald, Rudolph, and the late O'Kelly carved out a soundtrack for silk-sheet relations along with fellow love lords Barry White and Marvin Gaye. This collection hinges on Ronald Isley's creamy falsetto; it's easy to mistake him for Al Green, particularly against a background of swirling keyboards on "For the Love of You (Parts 1 & 2)" and the crying guitar of "Voyage to Atlantis." As usual, the Isleys include unlikely artistic interpretations (Todd Rundgren's "Hello It's Me," and Seals & Crofts' "Summer Breeze") that work superbly. The most memorable bedside listening comes from the thick-as-molasses beat, crooning vocals, and background grunting of "Between the Sheets," the quintessential jam that's influenced an army of contemporary R&B lotharios, including R. Kelly and Joe. LOVE SONGS proves the Isleys to be the masters at the art of the seductive song.

"Love Songs (Gold CD Hdcd Edition) [Remaster]" (02/05/2001) Rock & Pop Cole, Natalie, Warner Elektra Atlantic Corp. (JapaThis Asian version of Natalie Cole's LOVE SONGS features 19 digitally remastered tracks including "Unforgettable," " Inseparable," and "When I Fall In Love." This 2007 reissue of Natalie Cole's 2001 compilation, LOVE SONGS, is identical in track selection and sequencing to the earlier release, but it features a more recent and far more flattering cover photo of the singer. The 19-track selection contains most of Cole's biggest hits, including her posthumous duet with her father Nat "King" Cole on his signature hit "Unforgettable" and the rollicking "This Will Be An Everlasting Love," which in the months prior to this release had been used in an inescapable series of TV commercials for an Internet dating service, providing Cole with a renewed exposure. This 2007 reissue of Natalie Cole's 2001 compilation LOVE SONGS is identical in track selection and sequencing to the earlier release, but it features a more recent and far more flattering cover photo of the singer. The 19-track selection contains most of Cole's biggest hits, including her posthumous duet with her father Nat "King" Cole on his signature hit "Unforgettable" and the rollicking "This Will Be An Everlasting Love," which in the months prior to this release had been used in an inescapable series of TV commercials for an Internet dating service, providing Cole with a renewed exposure. Like a lot of artists who have had compilations released as part of the various Love Songs series that have surfaced from different labels, Natalie Cole has released so many songs that fit the bill -- just about 95 percent of her output, in fact -- that it seems redundant to gather her material in the name of the theme. So it's no surprise that Love Songs doesn't look much different from most of the other Natalie Cole anthologies, although it is a little heavier on ballads. This features a fair amount of her '70s and early-'80s highlights. Several chart hits -- "I Live for Your Love," "Inseparable," "I've Got Love on My Mind," "When I Fall in Love" -- are included. And yes, nearly a third of the tracks have "Love" in the title. ~ Andy Kellman Like a lot of artists who have had compilations released as part of the various Love Songs series that have surfaced from different labels, Natalie Cole has released so many songs that fit the bill -- just about 95-percent of her output, in fact -- that it seems redundant to gather her material in the name of the theme. So it's no surprise that Love Songs doesn't look much different from most of the other Natalie Cole anthologies, although it is a little heavier on ballads. This features a fair amount of her '70s and early-'80s highlights. Several chart hits -- "I Live for Your Love," "Inseparable," "I've Got Love on My Mind," "When I Fall in Love" -- are included. And yes, nearly a third of the tracks have "Love" in the title. [With the exception of slightly different artwork, this release is identical to a 2001 release with the same title.] ~ Andy Kellman

"Love Songs" (01/13/2004) R&B Temptations (R&B) (The), Motown RecordsThe Temptations include: David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Dennis Edwards, Damon Harris, Paul Williams, Richard Street (vocals). Producers include: Smokey Robinson, Ronnie White, Norman Whitfield, Terry Woodford, Clayton Ivey. Compilation producer: Harry Weinger. Recorded between 1965 & 1975. Includes liner notes by Tom Terrell. This is part of Motown's "Love Songs" series. Among the several romantically themed Motown collections Universal compiled during the early 2000s, the Temptations' Love Songs is certainly one of the standout titles. It's furthermore one of the standout collections amid the Temptations' vast and dizzying catalog. Granted, it's a bit short on quantity (clocking in at only 46 minutes and 14 songs when Universal could have easily multiplied that sum many times over, given the depths of the Temptations' peerless catalog), but it's certainly not short on quality. Every song here is an absolute gem -- every single one. Several of the inclusions are universally known ("My Girl," "The Girl's Alright With Me," "Since I Lost My Baby," and "Just My Imagination [Running Away With Me]," in particular), yet even those songs here that aren't quite as widely recognized nonetheless deserve to be (namely, early-'70s recordings like "Love Woke Me Up This Morning," "Hey Girl [I Like Your Style]," and "Heavenly"). A few of the inclusions appear here in alternate mixes, but chances are you won't notice the alterations -- they're subtle revisions and not really worth going out of your way to hear. In the end, you'll somewhat wish Universal would have filled this disc to the brim (another 30 minutes of music could have been added easily without diluting any of the disc's overall quality or listenability), but that's a very particular complaint. By and large, Love Songs is a wonderful listen from beginning to end, especially for those listeners who aren't fully versed in the Temptations' greater catalog, not to mention those listeners who simply would like a collection of sentimental love songs. Few soul groups to this day have done it better than the Temptations did during their heyday. ~ Jason Birchmeier