Song Lyric Sunday was created by Helen Vahdati from This Thing Called Life One Word at a Time and author Jim Adams from A Unique Title For Me is our current guest host. For complete rules or to join in the fun, click here.

This week’s theme is  “Written or sung by Tom/Dick/Harry or including one of these names in the lyrics.”

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Though it never charted on the Billboard Hot 100, Funkin’ for Jamaica hit number one on the U.S. R&B chart in 1980 and stayed there for a month. It also peaked at number nine on the dance chart and made the Top 10 on the UK singles chart.

Jazz trumpeter Tom Browne co-wrote the hit with Toni Smith (Thomassina Carrollyne Smith), who performs the vocals, as an homage and memoir of the neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens where Browne was born and raised.

FUN FACTS

• Funkin’ for Jamaica appears on Browne’s second album, Love Approach.
• The song became one of the most interpolated melodies in R&B with the chorus’ chord sequence used by dozens of artists.
• During its initial release, some thought Funkin’ for Jamaica was done by Chaka Khan, mistaking Toni Smith’s wailing vocals for that of the Rufus lead singer.
• Oscar and Grammy-award winning composer and music producer, Dave Grusin, played the piano during the recording session for Funkin’ for Jamaica. He also produced the song, along with Larry Rosen.

Enjoy!

See my Song Lyric Sunday selection for FeliciaDenise.com.

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Disclaimer: I have no copyrights to the song and/or video and/or hyperlinks to songs and/or videos and/or gifs above. No copyright infringement intended.