No More Brown Sugar

Singer D’Angelo, born Michael Eugene Archer, died today at the age of 51.  He was battling pancreatic cancer, the same kind of cancer that killed Patrick Swayze.  I wouldn’t say that I was a huge D’Angelo fan, but I loved his first album, titled “Brown Sugar”, which was released in 1995.  The first single from that album was the song, also named “Brown Sugar”.  For your convenience, I’ve provided a video of that song below.  This is such a good song. 

That same album also featured a cover of the Smokey Robinson classic, “Cruisin’”. 

Sometimes song covers can be works of art, when done correctly.  Then again, some song covers can be downright garbage when done poorly.  D’Angelo did Cruisin’ justice with his cover. 

Enter 2000.  D’Angelo would drop his second studio album, “Voodoo”.  The only single I recall from that album would be “Untitled”, which was not a song I particular cared for.  To me, it was just okay.  I could listen to it, but I never made any effort to put the song on my iPod. 

I want to say that last year or possibly in 2023, someone had the gall to tell me that the cover of “Untitled” by Elmiene was good.  It’s not.  Sometimes, you just can’t beat the original.  This would be one of those instances. 

For the sake of completing this entry, I’ve included a video of D’Angelo’s “Untitled”, not that subpar cover.  

D’Angelo had such a distinct sound and was such a musical talent.

He will be missed. 

Needless to say, cancer is a mother fucker.