Farewell thee golden oldies

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WHAT’S UP!

There was a time when ‘oldies’ were all the rage in our matooke republic. Guvnor’s ‘Oldies Night’, every first Friday of the month, was a regular sell-out. Old Timers Pub in Ntinda drew in crowds; almost every bar in town had an ‘oldies night’, and the most popular guy at a party had an oldies playlist on his phone.

But that era seems to be coming to an end because the musicians who gave us those golden oldies are dying out.

The latest to start his own night shift is the legendary ‘balladeer’ Peabo Bryson, who died on Tuesday at the age of 75. He had suffered a stroke a few days earlier and had previously suffered a heart attack, from which he had reportedly fully recovered.

Paebo Bryson

One memory about Bryson that stands out for me is from sometime in the 1980s when we were watching music videos at one of the homes in Makerere. In those days, the popular kids were the ones who received videos from friends and relatives abroad. And when the latest came through, it was a time to gather and have a blast.

One of the videos we watched was of the song: Tonight I Celebrate My Love, by Bryson and Roberta Flack. It was a captivating video, so much so that at the end, when the two hold hands, one of the girls we were with got very upset. She was incensed that the handsome Bryson was holding hands with ‘that old woman’. We laughed at her, not a little bit out of envy, for the magic that Bryson could weave had obviously worked on a girl we hoped to work our own magic over.

Bryon was said to possess the ‘purest of voices, a deep, rich baritone that showed a unique versatility, but which found its sweetest of spots on soulful love songs’. He will probably be most remembered by the magical duets he did, including Beauty and the Beast (1991) with Celine Dione, and A Whole New World (1992) with Regina Belle. He also had major solo hits like Can You Stop The Rain (1991), Shower You With Love (1991), If Ever You’re In My Arms Again (1984), Love Like Yours And Mine (2018), and Let The Feeling Flow (1981). Let’s count down the other ‘oldies’ singers who have sadly reunited with their ancestors...

Marvin Gaye (1939 - 1984)

No oldies night is complete without songs like Sexual Healing, Let’s Get It On, and What’s Going On. Marvin Gaye was a tragic figure, a musical genius who had crippling stage fright, fought depression, and had a life of messy relationships. He was shot and killed by his father, Marvin Gay Sr, on April 1, 1984, after an argument.

Teddy Pendergrass (1950 - 2010)

He was famously referred to as ‘Tender Pender, the female bender’ in an interview included on his album, Live Coast to Coast (1979). Another soul singer whose career was tragically ended by a car accident, he started out as a drummer with the band Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. But he quickly became their lead singer before striking out on his own. Often called the ‘king of seduction’, he at times held female-only concerts. His 1979 song: Come Go With Me, is probably the greatest seduction song, ever. No oldies playlist is complete without Love is the Power (1988), Turn Off The Lights (1979) and Hold Me In Your Arms (1984, with Whitney Houston).

Whitney Houston (1963 - 2012)

She died in 2012, which in oldies terms is just yesterday, but she ruled the golden oldies era for years. You can hold a whole oldies night with just her, and no one will complain. The few times I get to play as a DJ, I often start off with her 1995 song: Exhale (Shoop Shoop). She reportedly did not even like the song before recording it, but it sets the mood very nicely. It is a ‘slow mid-tempo’ song that asks you to relax and breathe out... Exhale! Some of my favourites are: I’ll Always Love You, Saving All My Love For You, My Love Is Your Love and I Look To You.

Luther Vandross (1951 - 2005)

Luther Vandross.

Like a writer put it: ‘If Teddy was bedroom soul and Marvin was social and seduction, Luther was pure romance’. I remember watching a video of a Luther show where most of the women were crying openly. After Whitney opens the playlist and you want to up the tempo, Luther’s Power of Love (1991) does it nicely. Another singer who you can play all night, from ballads to upbeat songs like The Best Things In Life Are Free (1992) and The Glow of Love (1980). Shout out to the late, but still resounding, Aaliyah (2001), Prince (2016), Tina Turner (2023), Barry White (2003), Donna Summer (2012), Michael Jackson 2009), James Ingram (2019), Curtis Mayfield (1999), Dennis Edwards (2018), Roberta Flack (2025), Donny Hathaway (1979) and dozens more who continue to caress our souls and our nights. Thank you for the music, guys.