#if you listen to one of these make it oleta adams

[skinnyscottishbloke]

🎶✨when you get this you have to put 5 songs u actually listen to. then send this ask or tag 10 of your favorite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool)✨🎶

tagged by the faaaabbbbbbulous @queeranomaly thanks frand

So Apple Music makes a new "Favorites" playlist for me every week based on what it thinks I like/what I've been listening to a lot, so the 5 songs are gonna come from there =)

Skewing older this week but I do love all of these songs so it's accurate ahaha.

Tagging (no pressure) @bisexualwvtson @exlibrisfangirl @mamajosrefuge @malgudinights @lordoftherazzles @galwithalibrarycard @nickmybeloved @panlyra @hellahappytea and anyone else who wants to do this! =)

[survibers]

Dhruv: A Playlist

Who’s Lovin You - The Jackson 5 // Sister Golden Hair - America // Unchained Melody - Al Green // My Heart Belongs to Me - Barbra Streisand // Everywhere - Fleetwood Mac // Light of a Clear Blue Morning - Dolly Parton // Thinking of You - Sister Sledge // Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) - Marvin Gaye // Midnight Train to Georgia - Gladys Knight & The Pips // Daniel - Elton John // Ain’t No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell // 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover - Paul Simon // Take a Chance on Me - ABBA // Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) - Kate Bush // Just Like Heaven - The Cure // Don’t Dream It’s Over - Crowded House // Evergreen - Barbra Streisand // Fast Car - Tracy Chapman // I’m On Fire - Bruce Springsteen // Woman In Chains - Tears for Fears & Oleta Adams // Seven Wonders - Fleetwood Mac // The Beautiful Ones - Prince 

“It was always the becoming he dreamed of, never the being.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald, This Side of Paradise

Listen Here

[saeyoungs-sunflower]

music shuffle game tag!

Thank you for the tag, @truth-be-told-im-lying !! I love tag games!💞

Easy rules! Just put your music library on shuffle and list the first 10 songs, giving a few lines on each if you want to!

1. The Boxer - Simon and Garfunkel: Haha a good start! I adore these guys, and folk is my favourite genre. Genius song with a focus on narrative, and those harmonies mmmm GORGEOUS.

2. Theme of King J.J. - Yuri!!! on Ice: HAHAHA well I have been exposed. This is my favourite anime, and say what you want about JJ but you gotta admit this song is such a banger I’m sorry. It’s in my ‘confidence’ playlist HAHAHA

3. Whispers - Passenger: GUYS. Probably one of my favourite songs of all time. I have sobbed to this song so many times. If you wanna know more about me, listen to this song. The lyrics just...ughhh such a good song.

4. Haven’t Met You Yet - Michael Buble: No, I am not a middle-aged woman. Yes, I love Michael Buble, and not just his Christmas album. Just a great feel good song, ya know? Usually have it playing when I’m getting ready in the morning lol

5. I’m Not Here - Me + T: Bit of a random one (obvs it’s a shuffle challenge Sunny duh). From a movie of the same name, starring Sebastian Stan (LOVE that man). Fun fact, I had to go to counselling after watching that movie so there’s that haha, watch with precaution.

6. Down in New Orleans - Dr John: Of course Disney was gonna come at some point, right? From ‘The Princess and the Frog’, which I think is very underrated. Out of all the Disney princess movies, it’s got the best soundtrack in my opinion. Love a bit of jazz.

7. Castle Street - Lewis Watson: Very pretty, I really like Lewis’ music. He writes really genuine lyrics and beautiful melodies. Another folk artist who I love, very underrated so I recommend giving him a listen! ‘Windows’ is another song of his that I adore.

8. Don’t Let the Sun Go Down - Oleta Adams: This is the best version of this song, in my opinion. Powerful, emotional, AMAZING. I do love Elton John and George Michael, but Oleta wins this one for me. One of my dad’s favourite songs, so maybe that’s why I love it so much.

9. Anthem - Chess in Concert: Oh Lord here comes my theatre side. Very powerful, and pretty topical actually. From the musical ‘Chess’, I’ve never seen the show but my brother showed me this song and I fell in love with it. This isn’t my favourite version, because that one isn’t on spotify. I’ve linked my fav one though :)

10. It Will Come Back - Hozier: Would it really be my music library if Hozier didn’t pop up at least once? He’s in my top ten favourite artists probably. This song makes me feel like a sorcerous who has seduced the heir to the throne and he can’t resist my mystical forest aesthetic and if that ain’t a vibe then I don’t know what is.

Well, wasn’t that a real mix hahaha

This has been so much fun! I live for talking about music.

You know the drill by now haha, anyone who I would have tagged has already been tagged so if you see this and want to give it a go then go for it!💛

[blackkudos]

Oleta Adams

Oleta Adams (born May 4, 1953) is an American soul and gospel singer and pianist known for her powerful and soulful voice. Discovered by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith of Tears for Fears, they contacted her to invite her to join their band as a singer and pianist on their next album, The Seeds of Love and singing a duet with Orzabal on their hit single "Woman in Chains". Her album Circle of One received much critical acclaim, and eventually peaked at #1 in the UK in 1991 after her biggest hit to date with her Grammy-nominated cover of Brenda Russell's "Get Here".

Biography

Adams was born the daughter of a preacher and was raised listening to gospel music. In her youth, her family moved to Yakima, Washington, which is sometimes shown as her place of birth. She got her musical start in the church.

Before gaining her opportunity to perform, Adams faced a great deal of rejection. In the 1970s, she moved to Los Angeles, California, where she recorded a demo tape. However, many music executives were exclusively interested in disco music rather than Adams' preferred style.

With the advice of her singing coach, Lee Farrell, Adams moved to Kansas City where she did a variety of local gigs. She started her career in the early 1980s with two self-financed albums which had limited success.

Collaboration with Tears for Fears

In 1985, Adams was discovered by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, founders of the English band Tears for Fears, while she was performing in a hotel bar in Kansas City, Missouri, while they were on a US tour. Two years later, they contacted her to invite her to join their band as a singer and pianist on their next album, The Seeds of Love.

In 1989, the album was released and the single "Woman in Chains", sung as a duet by Adams and Orzabal and with Phil Collins on drums, became her first hit. Adams embarked on a world tour with Tears For Fears in 1990, performing by herself as the supporting artist at the start of each show, and remaining onstage throughout the Tears For Fears set where she would provide piano and vocals.

1990s

Following her work with Tears For Fears, Adams was offered a recording contract by their label, Fontana Records, and restarted her solo career in 1990, assisted by Orzabal, who co-produced her new album, Circle of One. The album received much critical acclaim, and (after a slow start) eventually peaked at #1 in the UK in 1991 after she scored her biggest hit to date with her Grammy nominated cover of Brenda Russell's "Get Here". The song reached the UK and US top 5 and became popular during the 1991 Gulf War conflict as families of deployed troops in the region embraced the tune as a theme song.1991 also saw Adams sign to independent music publisher Fairwood Music (UK) Ltd. and contribute to the Elton John/Bernie Taupin tribute album, Two Rooms, on which appeared her version of John's 1974 hit "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me". Adams' version became another top 40 hit in the UK.

Her next album, Evolution (1993), was also a commercial success, making the UK top 10. It also featured her self-penned adult contemporary single "Window of Hope". Her 1995 release, Moving On, saw Adams move more in the direction of R&B, and she also reunited with Roland Orzabal for the duet "Me and my Big Ideas" on the Tears For Fears album Raoul and the Kings of Spain the same year. Two years later she released the Christian themed album Come Walk with Me where she received a nomination for a Grammy Award for "Holy Is the Lamb" in 1997.

In 1998, she toured as a guest vocalist on Phil Collins's Big Band Jazz Tour.

2000s

In 2001, Adams released her sixth album, All the Love, a return to an R&B/Adult contemporary sound. The album was re-released in 2004 in Germany with a different title I Can't Live a Day without You.

In 2004, Adams reunited with Tears for Fears once again as she made a surprise guest appearance onstage at their Kansas City concert, performing "Woman in Chains".

On October 3, 2006, Adams released her first Christmas album, entitled Christmas Time with Oleta.

On April 21, 2009, Adams released her eighth album entitled Let's Stay Here.

2010s

On February 10, 2017, Adams released her ninth album, her first album in eight years, entitled Third Set.

Personal life

In 1994, Adams married drummer John Cushon at a United Methodist church in Kansas City, where they both taught Sunday School. They met in 1980 while working on a demo tape for Adams. Adams stated that she never had a passion to get married but on January 17, 1994 she and Cushon were involved in the Los Angeles earthquake. Adams referred to this as a sign from God that she was ready to get married.

Discography

Studio albums

1982: Untitled

1983: Going on Record

1990: Circle of One

1993: Evolution

1995: Moving On

1997: Come Walk with Me

2001: All the Love

2006: Christmas Time with Oleta

2009: Let's Stay Here

2017: Third Set

Compilations

1996: The Very Best of Oleta Adams

2004: The Ultimate Collection

Awards and nominations

Other Awards

Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music, 1994

[alonzotheeboy]

I wanna start listening to Tears For Fears bc of you!! What songs / albums would you recommend?

This is what i’ve been waiting for

The album I recommend above all else is Songs From The Big Chair, and even tho it sounds like the most 80′s music ever, it’s still timeless af. Head over Heels is a good introductory song, but one that might be easy to ease into is Everybody wants to rule the world. Those two songs are the best introductory songs on the album but the next song you listen too should be entirely up to you since (and im not exaggerating when i say this) literally every song from Songs From The Big Chair is perfection. Even the filler songs like Broken and Listen are just walls of sound that are just *chefs kiss* 

Of course, Songs From The Big Chair is entirely timeless, but if you’re into more specific genres, they got plently.

If you want to get into their album The Hurting but get scared off by the titles cause you’re not into too serious stuff, its okay cause it’s only the lyrics that go deep. Like Mad World, The Hurting, and Pale Shelter are the best bops. love them bops. bops that mean something cause the lyrics go hella deep. 

Also, weirdly enough, their single The Way You Are is said to be one of their worst songs ever and it’s still a bop. Like you can tell the lyrics are hella off but it’s still so good if you just wanna chill to it.

Seeds Of Love is an Album like if the Beatles went to church and became soul singers. Like omfg literally every song should be listened to with a pair of headphones but this one deserves that privileged more than any of them. Literally every song if above 5 minutes but after the first listen you’ll probs want them to go on forever. Oleta Adams is what makes this album work which is why I recommend Badman’s Song above any other. Sowing The Seeds Of Love is actually the first song I ever heard from Tears for Fears so I hold it in a special place in my heart and ask that you also give that a listen as well. Woman in Chains is the best song from the Album no kap but its got a heavy message that might kill your vibe so just warning ya.

If ur into the 90′s, listen to Elemental. Tears for fears is not for everyone and this album along with Raoul And The Kings Of Spain are great on the ears but just an acquired taste. That’s all I really wanna say about those Albums. Like if you like em, you like em. Listen to Cold from Elemental, and listen to Raoul And The Kings Of Spain from… well Raoul And The Kings Of Spain.

The most modern sounding album is their most recent one and they seem to move with the times which is very hard to do for some bands but they always seem to be able to do it and capture the essence of eras. Everybody Loves A Happy Ending is literally as old as I am, and even tho it’s one of their weakest albums, it’s still somehow absolutely great????? its so weird, but anyway, listen to Who Killed Tangerine and you’ll get a feel real quick.

Thank u for asking and sorry for going a little nuts but yeah, i really like this band i really like that other people are getting into them. 

ALSO THEY’RE RELEASING A SINGLE IN APRIL SO THIS CORONA STUFF BETTER KNOCK IT OFF BEFORE THEN

OOP almost forgot

This is the best live concert ever recorded of them that i’ve seen. You’re welcome.

[thehifiproject]

1989: a vintage year for classic albums

What was in the water 30 years ago? Today, in 2019, a surprising number of artists and bands are celebrating the 30th anniversary of some of their greatest albums. Sure, 1988 and 1990 have their fair share of significant releases, but 1989 was a stonker of a year. 

Read on to discover our favourite ‘Big Albums’ from 1989.

The decedent 80s drew to a close with landmark releases across all genres. The ‘second summer of love’ had pushed dance music and rave culture into the mainstream, whilst indie guitar upstarts suddenly found themselves playlisted on daytime Radio One. As these contrasting acts rubbed shoulders on TOTP and across NOW compilations, influences began to cross-pollinate, lighting the touch paper for Madchester and beyond.

In the studio, samplers and digital recording kit had become more affordable. Artists could realise ideas without the mortgage-scale budgets of the Fairlight pioneers earlier in the decade (Bush, Gabriel, Horn, Clarke et al).

At home, the CD format was firmly established but still in its infancy compared to its dominance in the late-90s. Cassette tapes sold more than vinyl in 1989, mainly driven by the US market. 1989 was also the year Comet Group bought up all 31 branches of the Laskys hi-fi chain – remember Laskys? You could still buy hi-fi separates in stores like Boots, but the masses mainly wanted neater ‘stack’ or ‘midi’ systems from brands like Aiwa, Kenwood, Technics and Sony.

So, what were we playing on these systems?

If we squint our rose-tinted vision just beyond hits by Jive Bunny, Kylie & Jason and, ugh, Band Aid II, 1989 offers a plethora of genre-defining debut LPs alongside creative peaks from established artists.

Before I ruffle anyone’s feathers, I admit this is a totally subjective piece. I have not been studying sales figures or cross-referencing reviews in Q Magazine, but many ‘89 albums pop up in the ‘Top 10’ lists of Pitchfork, NME or Rolling Stone etc, and they’re frequently referenced as key influences by artists and producers today.

Here’s a selection of my favourites. It’s by no means exhaustive.

Which albums were you cueing up on your Technics linear-tracking deck in 1989, and what type of TDK tape were you recording them onto?

Let us know in the comments.

1. The Cure – Disintegration

Last week the band completed a five-night run of gigs at Sydney Opera House, celebrating 30 years since the release of their landmark Disintegration album. No doubt many of its tracks will also feature when they headline Glastonbury this summer.

I was a big Cure fan as a teenager. I nipped out of school at lunchtime to buy Disintegration on the day it was released. It was a hot, sunny day and I drew the curtains to listen in the dark.

2. The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses

Before Spike Island or even Fool’s Gold, 1989 introduced us to this genre-defining eponymous Mancunian debut. Nothing quite chimes and grooves like the Roses’ early output and its unrivalled sing-along nostalgia.

3. De La Soul – Three Feet High & Rising

Rhymes, skits and daisies. This funky and humorous collage of samples from the NY trio has been referred to as “genius”, “a hip-hop masterpiece”. It was reissued by Vinyl Me, Please as a double LP in their Essential series earlier this year.

4. Kate Bush – The Sensual World

How do you follow a career-defining work like Hounds of Love? It seems you turn inwards, re-write the closing passages of Ulysses and employ a Bulgarian male choir. You also deliver one of the most heart-breaking performances committed to tape in This Woman’s Work.

The Sensual World may not reach the heights of its predecessor (it was one of the albums Kate reworked significantly for the Director’s Cut project), but it remains a convincing release from such an enigmatic creative talent. It earned her Brit Award nominations for both Best Album and Best Producer.

5. New Order – Technique

Ibiza, Factory, The Hacienda, ecstasy, even sheep sound effects. The stories behind this album have sold thousands of books for each member of the band. It was their first LP to reach No 1 in the UK and still sounds magnificent today.

6. Tears For Fears – The Seeds Of Love

The band’s third studio album took almost two years and £1million to make. Considering the hugely successful Songs From The Big Chair cost nearer £70,000, this could have led to the end of their record contract and career! Luckily, they had the chutzpah to see it through. Seeds reached No 1 in the UK and achieved platinum status in numerous territories across the globe.

Sadly, the album took its toll on Orzabal and Smith’s relationship. It was the last one they could work on together for over a decade.

Immaculately produced, the album features many established session players (including Phil Collins on drums, who himself released But Seriously… in 1989), but is most noted for introducing the world to the voice of Oleta Adams.

7. Neneh Cherry – Raw Like Sushi

If you came to Raw Like Sushiexpecting nine more tracks like the huge hit Buffalo Stance, you would have been disappointed. The album stood out for its range of styles and depth of influence. When you reflect on Cherry’s debut as an album envision by a ‘musician/artist’, rather than fronted by the ‘rapper/singer’ Buffalo Stancesuggests, it’s no surprise that she is still recording and performing today.

8. Pixies – Doolittle

Back in the late 80s, nothing else sounded quite like The Pixies. With their second full-length, the band perfected their loud-quiet-loud pop blast, offering up a key blueprint for Nirvana’s looming commercial breakthrough Nevermind.

9. Tom Petty – Full Moon Forever

Louder Sound describes Petty’s ’89 release as“a remarkably consistent collection of wonderfully constructed rootsy rock songs. Petty teams up with ELO guru and fellow Travelling Wilbury Jeff Lynne, who does an immaculate production job as well as co-writing the album’s standout tracks, Free Fallin’ and I Won’t Back Down.”

10. Soul II Soul – Club Classics Vol 1

In the summer of 1989, the single Back To Life and its accompanying MTV-friendly video took Soul II Soul’s London slant on R&B/Soul around the world. The album goes deeper (Back To Life features only as an acapella) but brings underground club vibes to the mainstream, going triple-platinum in the UK and Top 20 in the US (No 1 in the R&B chart).

“A happy face, a thumping bass for a loving race.”

11. Paul’s Boutique

Sorry! I couldn’t keep this list to just ten albums! The Beasties’ now-beloved second album was considered a flop at the time, but, in the ensuing years, has been embraced as a landmark of sample-based hip-hop.

The Best Of The Rest

It doesn’t stop there. The list of landmark 1989 albums rolls and rolls.

What have we missed in the list below?

10,000 Maniacs, Blind Man’s Zoo

Elvis Costello, Spike

NWA, Straight Outta Compton

Tracy Chapman, Crossroads

Eurythmics, We Too Are One

Simply Red, A New Flame

Ian McCulloch, Candleland

Lenny Kravitz, Let Love Rule

The Beautiful South, Welcome to the Beautiful South

The Jesus and Mary Chain, Automatic

Nirvana, Bleach

The B-52s, Cosmic Thing

Queen, The Miracle

Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Mother’s Milk

Lou Reed, New York

The Cult, Sonic Temple

The The, Mind Bomb

The Wedding Present, Bizarro

Pop Will Eat Itself, This Is the Day…This Is the Hour…This Is This!

Throwing Muses, Hunkpapa

The Wonder Stuff, Hup

Julee Cruise, Floating into the Night

Simple Minds, Street Fighting Years

The Primitives, Pure

Jesus Jones, Liquidizer

Tin Machine, Tin Machine

Kirsty MacColl, Kite

808 State, 90

Kitchens of Distinction, Love is Hell

[mercyoncanvas]

if someone wanted to really understand you, what would they read, watch, and listen to?

read- so the romantic in me wants to say anything by beverly jenkins. like let me fall in love all over history with different variations of 80′s and 90′s heartthrobs (morris chestnut has starred in three). but toni morrison is a definite. sula in particular.

watch-  I swear, Spike Lee must’ve seen the future and based she’s gotta have it on me. The treatment of Beyonce’s mine is definitely a peek into the mind of 2014 Mercedes Jones.

listen- kimbra - version of me ; noname- telefone ; janet jackson- velvet rope

have you ever found a writer (whether books, journalism, and/or comics) who thinks just like you? if so, who?

tracy chapman definitely. like her whole discography got me through college. but if we’re talking particulars of exclusively folks who write books etc. toni morrison writes like how I wish I could see art – if that makes any sense.

list your fandoms and one character from each that you identify with.

I remember the deep and dark days of 2006 and stalking the internet for bandom fanfiction (day 26 for anyone being nosy) I’m not much into fandoms now but if I was I would definitely take a peek over into Game of Thrones. I wonder if people still argue through Author’s Notes anymore.

do you like your name?  is there another name you think would fit you better?

It’s taken like at least 14 years to learn to love my name. All the car jokes got real old beloved. I’m just happy my parents didn’t try to name me something like volkswagon.

do you think of yourself as a human being or a human doing? do you identify yourself by the things you do?

human being. yes, we do things, but we’re always being. you can do a whole bunch of things but that doesn’t mean anything if who you are inwardly doesn’t match.

are you religious/spiritual?

I’ll admit I sometimes do feel lost in the shuffle but I know there is something out there. Cause if there’s nothing out there? Yikes.

do you care about your ethnicity?

oh to be young, gifted, and black. I love being black y’all.

what musical artists have you most felt connected to over your lifetime?

I stated Ms. Tracy before, but Tracy Chapman is huge one. Beyonce because duh? (she said world stop, and we stopped). Oleta Adams. MC Lyte. Amel Larrieux. Stevie Nicks.

are you an artist?

I mean I’d like to think I am. Just ignore my the still white board on my easel and ignore the fact I keep sketching out Rihanna’s cupid’s bow in my notebook.

do you have a creed?

Real g’s move in silence but but keep their ears open. also, let yourself be taken over for the 99 and 00′s.

describe your ideal day.

There’s a beach and an umbrella and the sun is damn hot but the breeze blows ever couple minutes. I’ve got my book open and my music is playing but just low enough to hear kids laughing.

dog person or cat person?

Both. also hamsters.

inside or outdoors?

Depends on the time of year. Right now inside but the snow can be pretty to walk around in.

are you a musician?

I used to play piano a lot. But it’s been a smooth seven years since I’ve sat down and really played.

five most influential books, movies, tv shows, comics, over your lifetime.

girlfriends, over the cherry moon, sula, lemonade, making the band 2.

if you’d grown up in a different environment, do you think you’d have turned out the same?

Probably. Would’ve played the piano more that’s for sure. I mean somethings are nature but nurture plays a huge part.

would you say your social media is a fair representation of the “real you”?

I have several IGs for a reason.

what’s your patronus?

I’d want it to be something cool and majestic like an antelope, but let’s be real, it’s like a street cat. They survive anything. And have a shiny coat while doing it.

which Harry Potter house would you be in? or are you a muggle?

Ravenclaw but would definitely be smoking whatever is the equivalent of weed on the grounds cause some of them are way too intense.

would you rather be in Middle Earth, Narnia, Hogwarts, or somewhere else?

Hogwarts baby. Weekends guzzling butterbeer and the Yule Ball? All damn day.

do you love easily?

If you ask my exes you’d get a resounding no, but they still get my yearly Xmas cards don’t they?

list the top five things you spend the most time doing, in order.

 1. listening to music  2. sleeping  3. browsing for new paints  4. ordering takeout  5. mouthing the words to my music very enthusiastically. 

Honorary mentions include forgetting to hit people back, wanting some wine, and wanting to visit NYC for the weekend.

how often would you want to see your family every year?

Let’s be real everyone is trying to keep up with us. I wish I could some people more often though.

have you ever felt like you had a “mind-meld” with someone?

Me and Tina may fuss and fight, but she somehow always knows when to have fries ready for me whenever I come into the Double C and if that’s not twinning I don’t know what is. I had Rachel too but… it just hurts to think about it now. I thought I had it with someone else but… I think I read more into than what it is. And some people you just... always have a connection with.

could you live as a hermit?

A complete hermit? Not at all. I’m way too nosy and waiting for gossip sites to post new things would get real old real fast. Although I do get the appeal

how would you describe your gender/sexuality?

cis-lady and well ask me on a day someone loves me. a solid three on the kinsey scale.

do you feel like your outside appearance is a fair representation of the “real you”?

Brown eyes, might possibly smell like acrylic paint, kinda thick? It’s true and you should say it.

on a scale from 1 to 10, how hard is it for someone to get under your skin?

I’m a Leo take that as you will.

three songs that you connect with right now.

1. Poke Bowl- Radiant Children 2. UMI Says- Mos Def 3. Get Through- rum.gold

pick one of your favorite quotes.

“You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.” - Toni Morrison

[isitstraightvodka]

Get Here by Oleta Adams is a beautiful song and I’d love to see how you interpret it!

Gorgeous song, I love it :(( This blurb’s short but sweet, wanted to get it out there!

He couldn’t stop thinking about her. Every day, every night, every hour, she was on his mind. It had been that way for months but he never admitted, he never told her how he felt or what he wished to have with her. Every chance he got to tell her that he loved her, he froze up and said something else, he was too afraid to tell her. It didn’t help when she hugged him so tightly tonight after his show, when she buried her face in his shoulder, when he caught the scent of her perfume, when he felt her hands clutch at the material of his custom suit, it only made him love her more.

The bed he was laying in was huge, more than big enough for two, he couldn’t sleep, his mind was too busy thinking about the way she held him closer when he tried to pull away. He tossed and he turned, staring blankly at the ceiling as he rubbed his face in frustration. His arm fell upon the empty side of the bed, wishing she was there, sleeping peacefully or looking at him, a smile on her face and her hand on his chest, asking him if he was OK. It wasn’t right to think of a best friend in this way but he couldn’t stop himself, it hurt more when he attempted to do that, it physically pained his heart, he had to let the feelings grow.

Harry wanted her in his life, as more than just a best friend. He wanted to be her lover, her closest confidant, her partner, her boyfriend, the one she could run to do whenever she wanted to and be welcomed with a kiss. He wanted to be that person for her, he didn’t want to watch her be with somebody else when he believed she belonged with him, he didn’t want her to slip through his fingers. He had another opportunity to tell her, he had wasted enough of him, he had to build up the courage to put his heart out there on the line. He came to the conclusion that he would rather have her know how he felt and have his dream crushed than her never knowing what his heart said to him whenever she flashed him a smile.

The digital clock read 1:38AM. He hoped she was awake. He slipped out of bed and pulled on the t-shirt he wore last night, hopping into a pair of sweatpants before leaving his suite and heading over to hers on the same level. He raised his hand to knock on the door and suddenly froze, like he always did, wondering if he was about to make a huge mistake. What if she doesn’t feel the same way? What if I ruin our friendship? Is it worth it? It was his head asking him those questions but he never listened to his head, Harry always followed his heart. He took a deep breath and knocked twice, swallowing deeply while he waited. To his surprise, she opened the door, dressed in one of the hotel’s robes, rubbing one of her eyes.

“Harry? Why are you awake? Is someth-”

“I love you.”

The words flew out of his mouth effortlessly, after holding them in for so long. He stood there, hands tucked in his pockets, eyes locked to her, her expression full of shock. Awkward silence arose between the two, a green gaze staying with her surprised one, lips parted but she couldn’t find any words to say, so Harry said more, to coax a reaction out of her.

“Remember how many times we watched Notting Hill together? Well I’m Julia Roberts right now, and I’m just a boy, standing in front of a girl, asking her to love him.”

She gasped, choking back tears at his words, as memories flooded into her mind, of all the times she wanted to hear him say those three little words. She could barely say them back, instead she cried his name and flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist and hiding her face in his chest. Harry’s response was instant, arms locked around her, pulling her closer, he needed her closer, he always wanted her closer, closer than close. He smiled into her hair and kissed the top of her head, happy that he went with his heart and not with his head.

“Does this mean you love me too?”

“Yes, yes, I do…I love you.” She mumbled, sighing in content when she felt his hold get tighter around her. The words in her voice were like music to his ears, a boyish grin adorning his face, one she couldn’t see but one she could easily sense when he kissed her again. He asked her to come to his suite and sleep with him, and because she was a girl in love, she replied with a “Yes.” and a searing kiss.

xx.

[blackkudos]

Oleta Adams

Oleta Adams (born May 4, 1953, Seattle, Washington) is an American soul, jazz, and gospel singer and pianist.

Biography

Adams was born the daughter of a preacher and was raised listening to gospel music. In her youth her family moved to Yakima, Washington, which is sometimes shown as her place of birth. She got her musical start in the church.

Before gaining her opportunity to perform, Adams faced a great deal of rejection. In the 1970s, she moved to Los Angeles, California where she recorded a demo tape. However, many music executives were exclusively interested in disco music rather than Adams' preferred style.

With the advice of her singing coach, Lee Farrell, Adams moved to Kansas City where she did a variety of local gigs. Adams started her career in the early 1980s with two self-financed albums which had limited success.

Collaboration with Tears for Fears

In 1985, Adams was discovered by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, founders of the English band Tears for Fears, while she was performing in a hotel bar in Kansas City, Missouri whilst they were on a US tour. Two years later, they contacted her to invite her to join their band as a singer and pianist on their next album, The Seeds of Love.

In 1989, the album was released and the single "Woman in Chains", sung as a duet by Adams and Orzabal and with Phil Collins on drums, became her first hit. Adams embarked on a world tour with Tears For Fears in 1990, performing by herself as the supporting artist at the start of each show, and remaining onstage throughout the Tears For Fears set where she would provide piano and vocals.

1990s

Following her work with Tears For Fears, Adams was offered a recording contract by their label, Fontana Records, and restarted her solo career in 1990, assisted by Orzabal, who co-produced her new album, Circle of One. The album received much critical acclaim, and (after a slow start) eventually peaked at #1 in the UK in 1991 after she scored her biggest hit to date with her Grammy nominated cover of Brenda Russell's "Get Here". The song reached the UK and US top 5 and became popular during the 1991 Gulf War conflict as families of deployed troops in the region embraced the tune as a theme song. 1991 also saw Adams sign to independent music publisher Fairwood Music (UK) Ltd. and contribute to the Elton John/Bernie Taupin tribute album, Two Rooms, on which appeared her version of John's 1974 hit "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me". Adams' version became another top 40 hit in the UK.

Her next album, Evolution (1993), was also a commercial success, making the UK top 10. It also featured her self-penned adult contemporary single "Window of Hope". Her 1995 release, Moving On, saw Adams move more in the direction of R&B, and she also reunited with Roland Orzabal for the duet "Me and my Big Ideas" on the Tears For Fears album Raoul and the Kings of Spain the same year. Two years later she released the Christian themed album Come Walk with Me.

In 1998, she toured as a guest vocalist on Phil Collins's Big Band Jazz Tour.

2000s

In 2001, Adams released her sixth album, All The Love, a return to an R&B/Adult contemporary sound. The album was re-released in 2004 in Germany with a different title I Can't Live a Day without You.

In 2004, Adams reunited with Tears for Fears once again as she made a surprise guest appearance onstage at their Kansas City concert, performing "Woman in Chains".

On October 3, 2006, Adams released her first Christmas album, entitled Christmas Time with Oleta.

On April 21, 2009, Adams released her eighth album entitled Let's Stay Here.

On February 10, 2017, Adams released her ninth album, her first album in eight years, entitled Third Set.

Personal life

In 1994, Adams married drummer John Cushon at a United Methodist church in Kansas City, where they both taught Sunday School. They met in 1980 while working on a demo tape for Adams. Adams stated that she never had a passion to get married but on January 17, 1994 she and Cushon were involved in the Los Angeles earthquake. Adams referred to this as a sign from God that she was ready to get married.

Discography

Studio albums

1982: Untitled

1983: Going on Record

1990: Circle of One

1993: Evolution

1995: Moving On

1997: Come Walk with Me

2001: All the Love

2009: Let's Stay Here

2017: Third Set

Holiday albums

2006: Christmas Time with Oleta

Compilations

1996: The Very Best of Oleta Adams

2004: The Ultimate Collection

Wikipedia