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The Jacksons - Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) vs Chi-Lites - Oh Girl - "Oh Girl" is so smooth and timeless. And you can feel the angst like a kick to the breadbasket. And as far as "Shake Your Body", it was just a reminder that Michael Jackson had an amazing voice. But of course, that was never a question. It's just striking when you've gone awhile without hearing one of his songs.
A Taste Of Honey - Boogie Oogie Oogie § (alt link if req) vs The Temptations - Papa Was A Rolling Stone - I listened to the 12 minute version, because I don't mind the length. And I would have voted for it regardless of length. Not that there is anything wrong with the other song, but it's pretty average.
Smokey Robinson - Being With You vs Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes - If You Don't Know Me By Now - I really wasn't digging Smokey's voice on this one, but as the song goes on I got used to it. It's not the worst thing in the world, and I started even to enjoy it a little bit. It still isn't a great song. On the other hand, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes sing with real feeling.
Rufus & Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody vs Etta James - I'd Rather Go Blind § (alt link if req) - Lol. This is no contest. This is like Mike Tyson vs Butterbean. Butterbean is being slept in the first round. I can see myself voting for this in the final, so hopefully it makes it a long way. I hear a lot of this song in Chris Stapleton's "Tennessee Whiskey" cover.
Merry Clayton - Southern Man vs War - Why Can't We Be Friends? - Easy choice. I dug Merry Clayton's funky southern soul cover of this song. The way she sang "I swear by God" was a small, but really exciting moment. I don't really get the love for War, they are in between meh and alright. I do like the reggae vibe of this song though, but ultimately it's a corny and obvious song. The part where they repeat "why can't we be friends?" over and over again is really grating.
Maceo and the Macks - Cross The Tracks vs Noora Noor - Dedication - Of course it's Queen christine showing y'all how to nominate a funk song. I wonder how many times that song has been sampled in hip hop songs. Wikipedia shows four times, but I swear it has to be way more than that. Nothing wrong with the other song, but I would like to hook up Noora Noor with better lyrical content and see how she does.
Cymande - Brothers on the Slide vs Lipps INC - Funkytown - New rule: only christine gets to nominate funk songs. The only nom worthy funk songs so far come from her. And really "Funkytown" isn't all that terrible, but it's kind of a silly mess of a song that starts way better than it ends. It's a really ambitious song too, I'll give it credit for that. It's more disco than funk though, but whatever.
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - Retreat! vs Ohio Players - Fire - "Fire" is a funk song that I don't have a problem with, and it wasn't nominated by christine. That's a good thing. I was considering a Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings song, but it wasn't this one.