Thread by @naima

Happy Sunday ya’ll! There will be a quick #MusicSermon before the #Oscars tonight. Probably 6ish, but I’ll confirm soon ⛪️.
In the meantime, check the current leaderboard for the first round of our 90s R&B #MarchMadness. Round 1 ends Tuesday @ 12ET.

We’ll get started on tonight’s #MusicSermon in a few. It’s *should* be one we can finish by the time the #Oscars start, but if not we’ll rock until 8 and I’ll finish later. Please govern yourselves accordingly. ⛪️

*Steps into pulpit without robe on*
*Adjusts mic*

Good evening Sermonites, Saints and Aint’s.

On the occasion of the Academy Awards, on tonight, we’re going to have a special program in place of normal service...

As we prepare to root for Auntie Mary, Cousin Lonnie (Common) and Cousin Ray Ray (Raphael Saadiq) tonight with them all up for Best Original Song, we’ll take a look at some of “our” Oscar Music Moments.

We’re gonna roll chronologically with these. We’re mostly highlighting Best Original Song or Score wins & noms, but there’s a few other joints mixed in.
Let’s start w/ Isaac Hayes’ (& his tux’s) win for “Theme From Shaft” in 72, making him the first AA to win a non-acting award.

In ‘73, Michael Jackson’s “Ben” was nominated. I believe the first somg he did without his brothers (where’s @Lizzs_Lockeroom?) the most heartfelt ballad about a rodent until “Somewhere Out There” (which we’ll get to)

We’re gonna skip ahead to ‘81 and the good sis Irene Cara (where IS she?!) and the “Fame” theme song. She herself didn’t win for this bc she didn’t write it, but she’ll be back...

Lionel & Diana’s “Endless Love” was also nominated for Best Original Song in 81, but we’ve covered that specific performance like 3 times...We’ll skip it.

I talk a lot about how Bobby Brown really had us jammin' to a song about the Ghostbusters with "On Our Own", but Ray Parker Jr's original joint was nominated for Best Original Song in '84. This isn't the Oscar performance, but these ghosts are taking me OUTTTT...

But the winner in '84 was the song that put Jennifer Beals on the map...
and I told ya'll Irene would be back. "What a Feeling" (the theme from Flashdance).
I couldn't find an Oscar performance...but...

...she did co-write this song, and got her (golden) man.

Papa Quincy has 7 Oscar noms for Best Score or Best Original Song, including The Wiz and The Color Purple (which was completely snubbed at the '85 Oscars). He was also nominated for Best Original Song for "Miss Celie's Blues". I couldn't find a show clip, but that's alright...

The winner in '85 was my least favorite Stevie song (we can all say it. This is a safe space, and the man's catalogue is vast and wondrous enough to have misses that still win Oscars). "I Just Called to Say I Love You"...
What do we think of Diana's awards rendition?

I gotta let ya'll see Stevie's win so you can peep his tux though. The FLAIR.

Also in '85, the Prince wins Best Original Song Score for Purple Rain.

Re: Michael Jackson and Ben

Disclaimer: I may miss a moment or two (although there are precious few, frankly) and I might be off by a year once or twice. Let me extend a preemptive mea culpa.

Moving on...

I couldn't find the awards performance for this, so we're gonna use the official video; but I really need to see what else was up in '86, because Lionel is worthy, but kinda like with Stevie, "Say You, Say Me" isn't his strongest (?)
I'm also REALLY sad Gregory Hines is gone.

Another instance in which we're going to use the video because I can't find a performance - James Ingram & Linda Ronstadt were the voices behind the Best Original Song nominated "Somewhere Out There" (it lost to "Take My Breath Away" from Top Gun.

Speaking of "Take My Breath Away", this isn't a great quality clip, but they paired Melba Moore and Lou Rawls to sing the song for the ceremony and I live...

Now we're in 1993.
Peabo Bryson's Disney Reign begins (he was the Disney theme song kang for a second). "Beauty & the Beast" wins Best Original Song. I'll show this clip first, but it's low quality... (peep young Celine)

...and the video so you can get the full impact.

Also in '93, "I Run to You" and "I Have Nothing" are nominated. Not sure where Whitney was (Bobby Kris would have been an infant, still, I think), but Natalie Cole sang the songs for the ceremony.

Actually, "Beauty and the Beast" may have been 92, and "A Whole New World" 93...either way, back to back wins for Disney with Peabo's vocals.
I COULD find the awards performance for this, but it was the actors from the movie, and that's not what we're here for tonight...

And one last one before we break for the #Oscars, Janet Jackson's "Again" (Poetic Justice) was nominated for Best Original song in 93

We'll be back after the awards to finish!

Ok, I’m gonna try to wrap up our #Oscars special edition of #MusicSermon before I fall asleep.
(Gon’ head and scroll back to catch up of you weren’t here preshow)

So let’s jump to 98, with the one of the grandest diva collabs of all time: Whitney & Mariah, and “Miracles” (Winner of Best Original Song)

So, Disney movies usually have an in-film score version of a song, and an end credits version, which is the one used to promote the movie. Babyface produced the end credits version. The film version’s composer left his name off the Academy Award ballot.

So, when the song won the Oscar, and “Steven Schwartz” was called but not “Kenny Edmonds”, this gif was born

Jumping to '05, and I don't think I'm skipping anything bt 98 & 05 except "Lose Yourself".
Beyoncè is tapped to sing I think 3 of the 4 original song nominees.
Of note: while performing "Learn to Be Lonely" she LOSES A SHOE under her dress. But she's Bey, so we don't even know.

Then, in '06, Memphis came to the Oscars. And I realized for maybe the first time just how trill Taraji really was.
"It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" takes home best original song.

And Juicy, Paul and Crunchy Black were clearly not ready to accept this award... I LOVE the authenticity. 😂

EDIT (because it's late and I combined Anika and Noni to create "Anoki") In '07, "Listen" and "I Love You I Do" are both nominated for Best Original Song. Bey, Jennifer and Anika give a little medley (but the clip may cut before it gets to Anika)

Thread continues here: