Janet Jackson and the Sea and Cake: The Connection?

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Someone to Call my Lover is the new single by Janet Jackson. Am I insane or are does this song sound like it could have (minus Janet's lyrics and voice) been ripped from the Sea and Cake's album the Fawn???

Is anyone with me on this?!

― Chaz A. Bartok, Thursday, 19 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm not sure whether I could literally agree with the way you've phrased it --- I doubt you could get Prewitt to put that guitar lick on record --- but yes: I completely see what you're saying. Bubbly, smooth, and peaceful; sine waves and clean guitars. All it needs is McEntire tapping over the top.

― Nitsuh, Thursday, 19 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I've not heard anything by the Sea and Cake, but I was yesterday I was thinking to myself "If the vocals were removed from the new Janet Jackson single then I might really like it. And it could pass for indie electronica. "

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Thursday, 19 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Mmm. Good call. Janet's been moving this way for some time, realizing that her voice lent itself to silky-smooth escape trax. I quite like the new single.

― Sterling Clover, Thursday, 19 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The new Janet Jackson 45 is actually the riff from 'Ventura Highway' by America with the melody from one of Satie's Gymnopedies played over the top (dunno which one, but it's the one everybody knows. Even Janet.) Ventura Highway is one of thee all time great songs. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I first heard Janet's cover.

― harvey williams, Thursday, 19 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I have been thoroughly enjoying the last couple Janet Jackson singles (she's my favorite Jackson). How did this happen?, I ask myself. I *am* still scared of her crazy half-jacket in the 'All For You' video. Would she sing as well in a wooly jumper?

― matthew hintz, Thursday, 19 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Am I the only one who finds Janet Jackson really frightening these days? Something about that blank smile, and those teeth...I wonder if she had them filed that way, or if she just grinds them like a speedfreak. Actually, heavy ecstasy use would explain everything about Janet c 2001.

― Kris, Thursday, 19 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Janet Jackson sickens me utterly. People fawn over her, yet her voice is so wafer-thin that it's almost non-existant. Why do people care?

― alex in nyc, Thursday, 19 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

She's meh (or is that feh), but the intensity of alex in nyc's distaste rockets the entire jackson family up towards godhood.

My favourite: waylon, obviously

― mark s, Thursday, 19 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Why? Because the music's great, I love that album. There should be more of it. :-) All hail Jam/Lewis!

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 19 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Kris: I haven't seen her much, but I saw her last video or so and something was not... right.

― Josh, Friday, 20 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Watching her in the "All For You" video, I also noticed something...wrong. I had the idea that she might have been computer- generated (or at least somehow augmented).

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Friday, 20 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Computer augmented? That's pretty slick yo. And safe too. No nasty surgery.

― Josh, Friday, 20 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

My theory was that Janet's face was digitally superimposed onto the head of another dancer.

I had no idea about the Satie.

― Michael Daddino, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two years pass...

Dreamy Single Nostalgia

― nabiscothingy, Thursday, 10 June 2004 03:35 (twenty-one years ago)

three months pass...

Wow! I just heard the 30-second excerpt on iTunes: wow!

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 16 September 2004 20:50 (twenty-one years ago)

One of 2001 and Ms Jackson's best singles.

― B.A.R.M.S. (Barima), Friday, 17 September 2004 08:23 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

I completely missed harvey williams's post that this was a sample of "Ventura Highway," which I just downloaded and think is fantastic as well.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 13 January 2006 17:41 (twenty years ago)

Is there a name for this sort of guitar sound/tone? It reminds of the guitar on Hejira.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 13 January 2006 17:45 (twenty years ago)

What's the big surprise? The Sea and Cake has always kinda been the indie Christopher Cross anyways.. (which isn't a bad thing to me at least). The Sea and Cake make accessible music. So does Janet. *shrug* *yawn*?

― Dom iNut (donut), Friday, 13 January 2006 18:19 (twenty years ago)

eight years pass...

How about how Janet's "Empty" sounds like TNT-era Tortoise ... except it came out a year before?

― jaymc, Friday, 17 October 2014 06:23 (eleven years ago)

two months pass...

Srsly still flipping out about this

― jaymc, Wednesday, 31 December 2014 05:14 (eleven years ago)

and then it's like fucking drum and bass what is happening

― jaymc, Wednesday, 31 December 2014 05:15 (eleven years ago)

Tbh I'm not entirely sure if I prefer The Fawn or The Velvet Rope (obv not the album this song is from)

The college friend who got me into that Sea and Cake album also got me into Erykah Badu (& Phish, too, actually). He was also the one who would blast Q-Tip's Vivrant Thing throughout the fraternity house whenever he cleaned his room

― d'angelo's liaisons (Drugs A. Money), Wednesday, 31 December 2014 22:28 (eleven years ago)

Was really hoping this was a collaboration, as unlikely as it seemed

― man alive, Thursday, 1 January 2015 02:41 (eleven years ago)

lol I went and listened to the song and was gonna post "the guitar part sounds more like something a band like America would do" -- then I realized that's what it actually is.

― man alive, Thursday, 1 January 2015 02:43 (eleven years ago)

heh

― jaymc, Thursday, 1 January 2015 08:57 (eleven years ago)

my revival post is about "empty" tho

― jaymc, Thursday, 1 January 2015 08:58 (eleven years ago)

I really like this thread and anticipate new evidence of the link.

― calstars, Thursday, 1 January 2015 15:51 (eleven years ago)

"Empty" is an amazing song

― d'angelo's liaisons (Drugs A. Money), Thursday, 1 January 2015 22:35 (eleven years ago)

I've never ~listened~ to this song before and this is awesome!!!

― y kant max read (Stevie D(eux)), Saturday, 3 January 2015 22:24 (eleven years ago)

omg "empty"... when the bass comes in <3
I have never listened to TVR, is the whole album this good?

― I can just, like, YOLO with Uber (bernard snowy), Sunday, 4 January 2015 02:10 (eleven years ago)

omg yes

― y kant max read (Stevie D(eux)), Sunday, 4 January 2015 02:12 (eleven years ago)

I have been talking about the forward-thinking brilliance of "Empty" since it came out, basically. It still surprises me that it's not more widely celebrated alongside, say, "One In A Million".

Though I guess the difference is that "Empty" didn't spark a generation of ambient miami bass pop (or did it??? List your suggestions here).

One tune that is quite similar (though not as amazing and not miami bass inspired) is Basement Jaxx's "Always Be There".

― Tim F, Sunday, 4 January 2015 02:19 (eleven years ago)

Thanks for this.

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 6 January 2015 03:32 (eleven years ago)

"miambient"

― y kant max read (Stevie D(eux)), Tuesday, 6 January 2015 03:35 (eleven years ago)

oh my GOD what is this "Empty" song this is insane!!!!

― y kant max read (Stevie D(eux)), Tuesday, 6 January 2015 03:37 (eleven years ago)

Another tune from this era that is slower but I think feels similarly luxuriant is Mya's "It's All About Me".

― Tim F, Tuesday, 6 January 2015 03:41 (eleven years ago)

two weeks pass...

You guys are gonna think I'm crazy but the bassline for Janet's "You" reminds me just a little bit of The Argument. ..

― spliffify (Drugs A. Money), Tuesday, 20 January 2015 13:28 (eleven years ago)

lol

― Tove Lo Tove You Baby (jaymc), Tuesday, 20 January 2015 13:50 (eleven years ago)

three weeks pass...

Lol are there any other examples of miambient bass pop out there?

― the saer returns (Drugs A. Money), Sunday, 15 February 2015 09:58 (eleven years ago)

Funnily enough I mentioned Mya's "It's All About Me" which is kinda -bient but not miam-, whereas this miami bass remix removes most of the -bient, but still I have always found it very pretty as well as bumping:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLxZBWi-h5g

― Tim F, Sunday, 15 February 2015 10:16 (eleven years ago)

five years pass...

omg where has this thread been all my life.

sea and cake and janet are probably both in my alltime top ten most listened-to artists.

semi-related: there's a new dj spinna white label remix of "pleasure principle" and oh my. . . !

― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Tuesday, 25 August 2020 00:56 (five years ago)

also, i'm positive that the sea and cake riff chaz was thinking was slightly reminiscent of "someone to call my lover" all those years ago is "choice blanket" from their first album.

― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Tuesday, 25 August 2020 01:03 (five years ago)

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