When I heard news of the passing of legendary music producer, songwriter, musician and artist Kashif Saleem (born Michael Jones) at the age of 56, I was heartbroken and could only think was, "Another person connected to my youth has died??? Seriously...2016 is the worst year of all time." It wasn't long ago when TV One profiled him on their critically-acclaimed Unsung series and took us R&B lovers down memory lane from his beginnings with B.T. Express to his unmatched production and songwriting resume to his solo recording career. So when I was figuring out what my favorite songs of his were, the top three choices were pretty easy. However, I felt some kind of way leaving out such great songs like the majority of his eponymous debut, "Are You the Woman" (featuring background vocals by two of my favorite artists in Whitney Houston and Lillo Thomas), his remake of Mother's Finest's "Love Changes" with Meli'sa Morgan, "Love the One I'm With (A Lot of Love)" with Melba Moore and arguably the biggest snub in "Love Come Down" by Evelyn "Champagne" King. Nevertheless, y'all know how my anything-but-typical countdowns work, so let's celebrate some of Kashif's best work New Problem Tuesdays style...
#5 KASHIF, "Condition of the Heart (Extended Version)" (Condition of the Heart, Arista, 1985). If this were 20 years ago, "Condition of the Heart" would be nowhere near any countdown of mine. Don't get me wrong: I've never thought this was a bad song, but since it was featured on a slow jams compilation CD with other songs that actually motivated me to purchase the entire album, I would often skip it. However, right around the time of Kashif's Unsung episode, I started digging into his catalog, rediscovered this and realized how much I love it--especially when I stumbled upon the extended version. Although the lyrics vacillate between clever and cheesy--much like a lot of anything from the 80s--they're still pretty catchy and his background vocalists sice them up enough to make it palatable. Then again, I've always been more drawn to the melody and the sounds as they put me in the zone of that good old mid-80s music--especially because, like much of Kashif's music, it set the trend for a lot of R&B music to follow. However, the most important reason why "Condition of the Heart" made this list over a song like "Love Changes"--for which I nearly switched this--is because I've grown to love this song so much that for at least two weeks straight, this was one of the only songs I wanted to hear. If I were to randomly play it, then I'd probably be equally as hooked if not more. Quite the unexpected turn of events for a song I wasn't moved to listen to since high school...
#4 MELBA MOORE, "Livin' for Your Love" (Never Say Never, Capitol, 1983). Speaking of being the oddball out of my high school crew who was crate digging for 80s R&B instead of buying go-go P.A. tapes at Metro Center, I purchased This Is It: The Best of Melba Moore partially because of songwriters and producers like Paul Laurence, Freddie Jackson and, of course, Kashif who were involved in some of her biggest hits. Although the compilation was a winner in and of itself, one of the songs which stood out the most to me as soon as the opening notes played was the Kashif-produced, LaForrest "LaLa" Cope-written "Livin' for Your Love". From a musical standpoint, this track manifests Kashif's supreme gift of fusing conventional instruments with synthesizers without "overproducing"---a sound which notably influenced Glenn Jones' "Show Me" the next year, which was written by LaLa and produced by her along with Wayne Brathwaite and Steve Horton. Kashif also knew how to gather the right background vocalists as he, LaLa, Freddie Jackson, Lillo Thomas, Meli'sa Morgan and B.J. Nelson combined to lay down a solid foundation for and along with Moore's powerful pipes on this soulful ballad. Simply put, it's another dope showing from one of the brightest of the era...
#3 EVELYN "CHAMPAGNE" KING, "I'm in Love" (I'm in Love, RCA, 1982). If this were 25 or 30 years ago, then "I'm in Love" wouldn't be the Evelyn "Champagne" King song on this countdown because I originally had much more familiarity with "Love Come Down". However, the moment I heard this, it didn't take much to unseat her most popular hit outside of "Shame". When Kashif's signature drums drop followed by that square-like synth lead and the first bit of vocals saying "I've been thinking 'bout you-ooooh", it's an irresistible dance track. Interestingly enough, one of the biggest reasons I prefer "I'm in Love" over any other Kashif-produced King song is its ability to be sampled, which is a testament to how well produced it is. Last week, my homie Gladiator sent my alter ego twin A.J. Throwback a track to write to sampling "I'm in Love" and the beat was so infectious that he wrote his verse the same day--a quick turnaround of lyricism which has only happened twice for him in the past two years. Whether the credit should go more to the sampler for his consistently-banging drums or the samplee (which I know isn't a word, but it is today) for his chops as an innovative musician, the beginning of a potential new classic begins with this achievement in rhythm. Speaking of rhythmic perfection...
#2 HOWARD JOHNSON, "So Fine" (Keepin' Love New, A&M, 1982). I remember being in high school, listening to an old school block on the radio one night and jumping up to Kashif's "I Just Gotta Have You (Lover Turn Me On)" (another candidate for a snub) and Howard Johnson's "So Fine". Subconsciously, I either connected to listening to early 80s radio or hearing Big Dadi Scribbler play this during his deejaying days because the familiarity was instant. "So Fine" comes on gangster: after Johnson opens up twice with "oooooh...so fine...so fine, blow my mind", Kashif lays down a wicked opening Moog bass line, his influential rhythm arrangements (along with Morrie Brown) and a combination of Ira Siegel's notable guitar riff and minimalist synth parts with the right amount of musicianship per his usual. In fact, I can hear every bit of Johnson's interesting correlation between "So Fine" and New Jack Swing as he said, "It was Kashif who linked Teddy Riley with Johnny Kemp for 'Just Got Paid'." Once again, Kashif was ahead of his time. As for the Miami native with the same name as a hotel chain, he delivers soulful charisma reminiscent of Steve Arrington on the biggest hit of his career. At the end of the business day, it's about one thing: this song jams early and often. To think "So Fine" 1) nearly went to Evelyn "Champagne" King and 2) started off as a snack cake jingle, so thank God Johnson hated it enough to make Kashif go back and change the lyrics; I don't know if the world would've ever forgiven either of them for "Drake's cakes, Drake's cakes taste great"...
#1 WHITNEY HOUSTON, "You Give Good Love" (Whitney Houston, Arista, 1985). As much as people will celebrate the endless string of hits in the late, great Whitney Houston's historic and decorated career as arguably the greatest vocalist to ever pick up a microphone, I always gravitate to her first single and massive hit, the Kashif-produced, LaLa-penned "You Give Good Love." I can't begin to explain how much seeing Kashif's name in the credits solidified my love, respect and admiration for him as a producer. In fact, when anybody dared to throw shade his way, I'd always say, "Yeah, but he did 'You Give Good Love'"; that always shut down the argument. Musically, it goes without saying this is my favorite Kashif production (and collaboration with LaLa) as it feels like the successful culmination of previous ballads like "Livin' for Your Love", "Are You the Woman" and "Show Me" into an even more "palatable" blend of contemporary R&B and pop of the era. Vocally, this is young, but tour de force Whitney as she showcases her ability to weave effortlessly between the sweet and sultry and the rich and powerful. Aside from the smooth climb up the keys throughout this classic, my favorite part of "You Give Good Love" has always been the bridge because it's the climactic epitome of the best qualities of the song's biggest talents: Kashif the master producer and Whitney the incomparable powerhouse. Much like "So Fine", the song nearly ended up in the "wrong" hands--namely another legend in Roberta Flack. No shade to the fellow D.C.-area product, but thank God Kashif convinced LaLa to give it to Houston instead because I don't know about anybody else in the world, but I would've never forgiven him or LaLa if things went differently. "You Give Good Love" is "job well done" status all on its own. Rest in Paradise, Kashif Saleem...
If any of y'all are fans of Kashif's work like I am, then PLEASE feel free to share your favorite moments of Kashif as the musician, the producer and songwriter and/or the recording artist in the comments. Be on the lookout for the next edition of "Scribbler's Rave & Favorite Five"!!!
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