GQ: I Do Love You

Remarks:

This song went to #5 on the American R&B charts in 1979. It is a cover of an older doo-wop song – the backing singers even sing “shoo-be-do doo-wop” in the song! Through the magic of YouTube I know that Barbara Mason (“Yes, I’m Ready”, 1965) did this song.

Lyrics:

I do love you, ooooh
But it’s alright, alright, aaah

(I do love you)
(I love you, I love you)
I love you so right now
(Ooh-ho-ho-ooh)
My my baby, hey, yeah
Little darlin’ I said
(I do love you)
(I love you, I love you, ooh-ho-ho-ooh)
I love you so right now
Never, never gonna let
Gonna let, gonna let you go, na-na-na
Pretty little baby
(I do love you)
(I love you, I love you, ooh-ho-ho-ooh)
I say, I want you to try to understand
That I, I want to be your lovin’ man, babe
(I do love you)
(I love you, I love you, ooh-ho-ho-ooh)

My baby, I love you so
And I don’t want you to go, no, no
Why don’t you listen to me, ya
I’m beggin’ you on bended knees

(I do love you)
(I love you, I love you, ooh-ho-ho-ooh)
My girl, I prayed that your love
It would come to me
Someday
(I do love you)
(I love you, I love you, ooh-ho-ho-ooh)
Because I love you so, babe
You’re about to drive me mad
(I do love you)
(I love you, I love you, ooh-ho-ho-ooh)
I love you so right now
Pretty baby, pretty baby
(I do love you)
(I love you, I love you, ooh-ho-ho-ooh)
I love you so right now
Oh, baby, I love you so
And I don’t want you to go
No, no, no, no, no, no
Why don’t you listen to me
I’m beggin’ you on bended knees
(I do love you)
(I love you, I love you, ooh-ho-ho-ooh)

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Rufus and Chaka: Do You Love What You Feel

Chorus:
Do you love what you feel
Cause I love what you do to me
Do you love what you feel
Cause I love what you do to me

Babe, when youre holdin me
Somehow you seem to set me free
And when I dance with you, romance with you
Is all I sing

Chorus

Ive spent so many nights
Just taking fights within myself
Until you came to me
And held me like nobody else

Chorus

Tell me bout the way you like it
Anything you want is right
You and I are close together
Your lovin gets me feeling better

I wanna dance all
I wanna dance all
I wanna dance all night

Everytime youre holdin me

Chorus

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The fall of the shah

The shah of Iran fell in 1979, overthrown by Ayatollah Khomeini, a 76-year-old religious scholar who did not fire a shot.

The shah thought of himself as a king, but he was in fact a dictator of a banana republic. America helped to bring him to power in the Second World War and kept him in power to protect the oil of the Persian Gulf from Russia and as a counterweight to the Arabs.

He was hated by the people, as a dictator, as someone who licked America’s boot. But the shah had a powerful army and a secret service to match, Savak. He crushed his enemies – all except for one: Ayatollah Khomeini.

Khomeini lived in exile, in the holy city of Najaf in Iraq. He had a network of supporters inside Iran. The shah kept an eye on them but never moved against them. Perhaps out of respect for religion. But after crushing everyone else, the religious leaders were the only ones left who could challenge the shah.

Khomeini’s supporters kept asking him to start an uprising to overthrow the shah. But he kept saying, “Not yet.”

Then in January 1978 Savak planted an article accusing Khomeini of being a British agent. Khomeini said: “Now.”

His supporters staged a protest. The army crushed it, killing dozens. Forty days later came the mourning, which became a protest. More violence. And so on.

It seemed strange to the shah that Khomeini would have that much support. He thought America must be behind it, so he blamed foreigners for the unrest.

The protests would not go away. He changed prime ministers, several times. Nothing helped. Khomeini would not give an inch: he did not want to work with the shah – he wanted him gone. He kept up the protests.

In September 1978 the shah tried to crush the protests once and for all by military force. Some say thousands were killed. It failed. Worse still, it gave the military a distaste for shooting on its own people.

He put the country under military rule. But then later he freed a thousand political prisoners on his birthday and arrested some of his past ministers. His enemies saw it as weakness, his friends as betrayal, his wife as confusion.

When people saw that the military would no longer shoot them down, the protests grew. In December 1978, on Ashura, one of the biggest holidays in Iran, millions filled the streets, dressed in black for as far as you could see. It soon became apparent that they were protesting against the shah and for Khomeini.

On January 16th 1979 the shah left the country. He knew he was not coming back: he took his father’s ashes with him. The prime minister now ran the country.

On February 1st Khomeini returned to Iran after 15 years of exile. No one shot down his plane, not even Mossad, the Israeli secret service, despite being asked. Six million came out to greet Khomeini.

By February 11th the military swung behind him. It was over.

See also:

• The 2009 election in Iran
• Iran
• American Empire
• banana republic

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Isaac Hayes: Don’t Let Go

Hear that whistle its 10 o’clock
(Don’t let go)
(Don’t let go)
Come on baby it’s time to rock
(Don’t let go)
(Don’t let go)
I’m so glad I’ve got you here
(Don’t let go)
(Don’t let go)
Keeps me grinnin’ from ear to ear
(Don’t let go)
(Don’t let go)

Oo-ee, mmm this feelin’ is killin’ me
Aaaw shucks
Well, I wouldn’t stop for a million bucks
(I love you so)
Just hold me tight and don’t let go

Thunder, lightnin’, wind and rain
(Don’t let go)
(Don’t let go)
Love is formin’ inside my brain
(Don’t let go)
(Don’t let go)
I’m so eager I’m nearly dyin’
(Don’t let go)
(Don’t let go)
You’ve been keepin’ your lips from mine
(Don’t let go)
(Don’t let go)

Oo-ee, mmm this feelin’ is killin’ me
Aaaw shucks
Well, I wouldn’t stop for a million bucks
(I love you so)
Just hold me tight and don’t let go, yeah
Whooooa, yeah
Don’t let go
Come on and kiss me, kiss me sweet
Hold me tight baby and don’t let go
(Don’t let go)
Come on and love me
You’ve gotta love me
(Don’t let go)
I want ya, I want ya, I really, really want ya
(Don’t let go)
All night, feels so right
(Don’t let go)
Hold me tight, don’t let go

[Instrumental Interlude]

Hound dogs barkin’ upside the hill
(Don’t let go)
(Don’t let go)
Love is draggin’ him through the mill
(Don’t let go)
(Don’t let go)
If it wasn’t for havin’ you, girl
(Don’t let go)
(Don’t let go)
I’d be a-howlin’ and a-barkin’ too
(Don’t let go)
(Don’t let go)

Ooh-ee, mmm this feelin’ is killin’ me
Aaaw shucks
Well, I wouldn’t stop for a million bucks
(I love you so)
Just hold me tight and don’t let go, no
No, no don’t let go
I need ya so, girl
Hold me, momma
(Hold me tight if it takes all night)
(But don’t let go)
Don’t, don’t let me go
(I wouldn’t stop for a million bucks)
(‘Cause I love you so)
No, no, no I love you so, yeah

See also:

• Isaac Hayes: Walk On By

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R&B Time Warp

Here are the top songs on the R&B charts now, 10 years ago today , 20 years ago, etc. Through the wonder that still is YouTube, you can hear them all (Can you believe it has already been ten years since “No Scrubs”?):

2009: Jamie Foxx and T-Pain: Blame It

1999: TLC: No Scrubs

1989:  Jody Watley: Real Love

1979: Peaches & Herb: Reunited

1969: The Isley Brothers: It’s Your Thing

1959: Brook Benton: It’s Just a Matter of Time

1949: Big Jay McNeeley’s Blue Jays: The Deacon’s Hop

Curiously, the hardest year was not 1949 but 1989! The top song on May 3rd 1989 was Karyn White’s “Love Saw It”. I could not even find a bad audio of a live performance for that one, so I went for Jody Watley’s “Real Love” which did not become number one till May 6th. But even with that one there was no embeddable music video for the radio version of the song.

Update: 2019: Lil Nas X: Old Town Road

2029:

2039:

2049:

2059:

2069:

2079:

2089:

2099:

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Shalamar: The Second Time Around

I know you come a long way, baby
But you don’t need that heart of stone, no
You proved that you could do it, do it, baby
You could make it on your own

But you can’t keep runnin’ away from love
‘Cause the first one let you down, no, no, no
And though others try to satisfy you, baby
With me true love can still be found
Love can still be found

(The second time around)
Ooh, the second time is so much better, baby
(The second time around)
And I’ll make it better than the first time

You know I really love you
And I paid for my mistakes, yes, I did, girl
The more I try to hide my feelings, baby
This old heart gets in the way
And love won’t let me wait

(The second time around)
Girl, with me it’s better than the first time
(The second time around)
Let’s do it one more time, say it again

Say it again
(The second time around)
All that I’ve been through
I’ll do it again just as long as I’m with you
(The second time around)
Haaaaaa, the second time
Haaaa-uh

I’ll make it so good to you, babe
I make it so good to you

Not like the first time
(Not like the first time)
Not like the first time
(Not like the first time)
Not like the first time
Talking ’bout the second time

Not like the first time
(Not like the first time)
Not like the first time
(Not like the first time)
Not like the first time
Talking ’bout the second time

You can’t keep runnin’ away from love
‘Cause the first one let you down
And though others try to satisfy you, baby
With me true love can still be found

(The second time around)
I’m gonna keep you mine the second time, baby
(The second time around)
I’ll know what to do
Just as long as I’m with you

(The second time around)
Do it one more time, say it again
The second time around

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Phyllis Hyman: You Know How to Love Me

Measure for measure
Your love’s so much pleasure
Like a haunting melody
You came inside and captured me

And I’m so happy
You’re the rhythm of my rhyme
You and I together
We”ll stand the test of time

You know how to love me (Sure you do)
You know to make it right (So nice)
You know how to love me (There’s no denyin’)
Sweet as the morning light

Sooner or later
I knew you’d come my way
You’re welcome to my love
Just promise that you’ll stay

You know how to love me
Right in a special way
You know how to love me
Tonight all I wanna say
You know how to love me
You’re the real that I feel, never go away

Seeing’s believin’
Don’t you know you’re a dream come true
Ain’t nothin deceivin’
‘Bout the way that I’m lovin’ you, yeah

You know how to love me (You know, you know)
You know to make it right (I can feel it)
You know how to love me (No doubt about it)
Sweet as the morning light

Nothing’s forever
That’s what people say
But each time were together
Forever and a day

You know how to love me
Right in a special way
You know how to love me
Tonight all I wanna say
You know how to love me
You’re the real that I feel, never go away

You know how to love me (Oh, you know that you do)
(You know how to love me, baby)
Ooh, you know to make it right (Oh, I know you do, whoa)
Ooh, you know how to love me
(Seeing’s believin’, don’t you know you’re a dream come true, yeah)
Ooh, you know how to love me (Oh, oh, baby)
(Who will take this heart of mine) Ooh, you know how to love me
(Love me, baby, all the time, come on, give it to me, baby)
(You know how to love) Ooh, you know how to love me
(You know how)

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sudoku

Sudoku (1979- ) is a number game that you commonly see in newspapers. The rules are simple but winning is not. It is one of those sorts of puzzles that are hard to put down till you have the answer. And once you have the answer, you want to do another one!

Sudoku is made up of nine rows and nine columns with some numbers filled in. In addition, the puzzle is divided into nine 3×3 boxes, shown by heavy, dark lines.

The rule is this:

Fill in the missing numbers so that each row and each column and each 3×3 box has each number only once.

You cannot, for example, have two 6’s in the same row.

That is all you need to know. The rest is just thinking through which numbers must go where. At each step you will know enough to fill in at least one more number. What more do you need? Well, yes, some care and patience: one false move – one number in the wrong place – and you are done for.

My first sudoku puzzle took me an hour. It was hard! And even now it takes me about 15 minutes. You learn some tricks along the way.

Here are some of the things I do:

1. Look at all the ones and see if any are forced. Then all the twos and so on. By the time you get the nines you will have a fair amount of the puzzle filled in.
2. Look for rows, columns or squares with only a few missing numbers.
3. If you can narrow a number to one of two places, make a note of it. That way if one of the two places is filled with some other number, your number must go in the other one.
4. When you complete a row, column or box check to make sure that it has each number only once.

Despite the name, the game is American, not Japanese.

Even though it was an American, Howard Garns, who first thought up sudoku in 1979, it caught on in Japan in 1986 and then in Britain in 2004 before it caught on in America.

And even then it might not have made it to the English-speaking world if a retired New Zealand judge, Wayne Gould, had not walked into a Japanese bookshop in Hong Kong and saw a book of sodoku. He spent the next six years writing a computer program that could create sudoku puzzles quickly. In 2004 when he was done he gave free puzzles away, first to The Times in London and then to newspapers throughout Britain and America.

Sudoku is a kind of Latin square, a much older puzzle. A Latin square is, in effect, sudoku without the boxes. In 1979 Garns added the boxes and called it “Number Place”. We know it by its Japanese name, sudoku, because that is where it caught on first.

See also:

• The daily sudoku puzzle in the Guardian
• newspaper

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