Discuss: You Make Loving Fun

[skcin]

I'm bored. This place is way too dead lately, esp. this forum. So I'm doing another song discussion/like or dislike/love it or hate it thread. Please post your thoughts on the song. I'm not doing a poll - it's too easy to vote & then not tell us why you voted the way you did.

YMLF is one of my most loved Christine-penned Mac tunes. The music, the lyrics, the tempo, the vocals - superb. I feel a hint of a disco vibe to it - but it's not a "disco" or "dance" song, it's still a definite rocker. Many artists made similar attempts at this, but failed miserably - Rod's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" and the horrid "I Was Made For Loving You" by Kiss come to mind - I wish I could forget them. But YMLF is fantastic; modern & current when it was released, a classic now. And it's sexy as hell.

Love love love older live versions of it, Stevie's backup harmonies perfectly compliment Chris's lead vocal. "and I'm beGINNING to wonder whyyyyy.......I've a FEELING it's time to tryyyy....." Second only to their vocal fabulousness on Rhiannon & Oh Daddy, IMO. Anyway, another thing that I love about it is the little musical break/jam in the middle. It's so tight, but sounds spontaneous to my ears. Love that although Lindsey does have a solo in there, it doesn't overshadow the other instruments at all, unlike some other songs. The thing I tend to play back in my head is actually Mick's drumming, the cymbals (I think.)

Music pro's - what instrument is Chris playing on this? Is it just an electric keyboard with a specific sound programmed in? Excuse my ignorance, but I have no clue how that sexy twangy sound comes from. I hope someone will be able to better explain what I'm asking.

[HomerMcvie]

The twangy sound is a Hohner Clavinet.
And my favorite part is the alternate ending lyrics, on the bonus disk.

[DrummerDeanna]

In an effort to not get this song mixed up with "Say You Love Me" again...I made sure I had the right one.

I really like this song. It does not contain the word "woo" and that makes me happy

Really though, I am not good at analyzing and figuring out WHY I like songs, but this one really jumped out at me the very first time I heard it, which was actually on The Dance. When I went back and listened to other versions I discovered the greatness of the song.

The lyrics are great, her voice is always superb and it's just an all-around great little ditty. One of my FM favorites for sure...

"I never did believe in miracles,
But I've a feeling it's time to try.
I never did believe in the ways of magic,
But I'm beginning to wonder why."

I love those lines...love.

[macfan 57]

YMLF is one of my favorite Chris songs. I love it just as much now as I did when I first heard it 30 years ago. I think it's a very funky(thanks to the clavinet) rhythm & blues song. Chris' vocals are perfect as usual & this song is a keyboard extravaganza. Chris also plays her Rhodes electric piano & hammond organ as well as that funky clavinet.

[Aisling]

i've always wondered if chris meant "loving" to be an adjective or a noun. i think about this everything i hear YMLF. . .it's one of those life mysteries that will continue to haunt me until the end of time.

[amber]

Originally Posted by Aisling

i've always wondered if chris meant "loving" to be an adjective or a noun. i think about this everything i hear YMLF. . .it's one of those life mysteries that will continue to haunt me until the end of time.

I thought she was using it as a verb? But far be it from me to get in the way of you being haunted till the end of time. I know how fun that is.

My favorite thing about this song is the band. Especially John's little bassline. Also so compelling it's almost mesmerizing is the "swweeeeeeeeeeeeet wonderful you" at the beginning. You have to sing it, you just have to, it is futile to resist.

Not so fond of the chorus "never did belee-ee-ee-eeeeve in miriculs.." etc. It's just a bit sugary sounding. Still incredibly catchy and unavoidably singable, though.
My next favorite part is what the band does after "doooon't. Don't break the spe-e-ell. It will be different and you know it will" *bowdowmpbudowmbowmbowmp* <===== this part.

This song is incredibly tight. It really is a perfect pop song, among FM's many. Again, the band is my favorite in this one.

[trackaghost]

One of my favourite ever Chris songs - very funky and very sexy.

Originally Posted by skcin

Love love love older live versions of it, Stevie's backup harmonies perfectly compliment Chris's lead vocal. "and I'm beGINNING to wonder whyyyyy.......I've a FEELING it's time to tryyyy....." Second only to their vocal fabulousness on Rhiannon & Oh Daddy, IMO.

I was listening to the studio version of that the other day, you know the one on the second disc of the expanded Rumours, and while I absolutely love those extra lines I can see why they cut them out of the final version. They're lush but they sound on the verge of going out of tune too

[amber]

Originally Posted by trackaghost

One of my favourite ever Chris songs - very funky and very sexy.

That is John's bassline, and the bandwork, that is talking. Making it "funky" (only basslines make things funky ) and sexy. Ha, not really, but the band work in this one definitely makes it much more funky and sexy than it could have otherwise been with just the vocals.
Did that make sense? I can't tell.
Anyways, I agree.

[trackaghost]

Originally Posted by amber

That is John's bassline, and the bandwork, that is talking. Making it "funky" (only basslines make things funky ) and sexy. Ha, not really, but the band work in this one definitely makes it much more funky and sexy than it could have otherwise been with just the vocals.
Did that make sense? I can't tell.
Anyways, I agree.

Yeah, that makes sense But I think it's a combination of John's bass and Chris' Rhodes electric piano that make it funky. They get into a grove together to make sweet, sweet lurve baby

It's such a great song and I love how Christine comes in on that high note: "Sweeeet, wonderful you..." Her voice sounds so slinky on that song.

[amber]

Originally Posted by trackaghost

Yeah, that makes sense But I think it's a combination of John's bass and Chris' Rhodes electric piano that make it funky. They get into a grove together to make sweet, sweet lurve baby

It's such a great song and I love how Christine comes in on that high note: "Sweeeet, wonderful you..." Her voice sounds so slinky on that song.

You are right, that is why I said "the band" is my favorite thing about this song. It grooves almost criminally. You can't discount Lindsey's guitar, either, or even Mick. No matter how much you want to discount Mick. hahaha. It really is a kind of perfect song.

Originally Posted by amber

Also so compelling it's almost mesmerizing is the "swweeeeeeeeeeeeet wonderful you" at the beginning. You have to sing it, you just have to, it is futile to resist.

[carrie721]

Originally Posted by amber

So like I said, the way it is being used. I get it now. "Don't blame it on me, blame it on my wild Budweiser...."

I would still never think of it as a noun, though. Even now, i have lost "getting it" like I did seconds ago.

What if the sentence was: "You make walking fun". Isn't that different? Isn't that a straight verb? If so, why is "loving" different?

Edit: I see by reading your Wikipedia that it is kind of complicated, and I should probably use that as the full explanation, instead of bugging you. It's pretty explicit, in theory it should explain it to me, though you are explaining it more simply.
Also, I am uncomfortably reminded of my mom right now, so...

"walking" would function the same way as "loving." for some reason, i cannot figure out what part of the sentence "loving" is functioning as in "YMLF," or i'm sure i could be more succinct. but i'm pretty braindead right now.

-carrie "grammar junkie" c.

[Villavic]

I just LOVE the song

[Dreamz19]

Originally Posted by skcin

I'm bored. This place is way too dead lately, esp. this forum. So I'm doing another song discussion/like or dislike/love it or hate it thread. Please post your thoughts on the song. I'm not doing a poll - it's too easy to vote & then not tell us why you voted the way you did.

YMLF is one of my most loved Christine-penned Mac tunes. The music, the lyrics, the tempo, the vocals - superb. I feel a hint of a disco vibe to it - but it's not a "disco" or "dance" song, it's still a definite rocker. Many artists made similar attempts at this, but failed miserably - Rod's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" and the horrid "I Was Made For Loving You" by Kiss come to mind - I wish I could forget them. But YMLF is fantastic; modern & current when it was released, a classic now. And it's sexy as hell.

Love love love older live versions of it, Stevie's backup harmonies perfectly compliment Chris's lead vocal. "and I'm beGINNING to wonder whyyyyy.......I've a FEELING it's time to tryyyy....." Second only to their vocal fabulousness on Rhiannon & Oh Daddy, IMO. Anyway, another thing that I love about it is the little musical break/jam in the middle. It's so tight, but sounds spontaneous to my ears. Love that although Lindsey does have a solo in there, it doesn't overshadow the other instruments at all, unlike some other songs. The thing I tend to play back in my head is actually Mick's drumming, the cymbals (I think.)

I love YMLF That song and "Over My Head" made me love Christine. I remembered hearing "Little Lies" "Everywhere" and "Don't Stop" as a child but I never knew it was FM/Christine. Before then I was mostly familiar with Stevie's songs. When I finally discovered from my Uncle who Stevie was and what group she was in I brought "The Very Best of FM." I would skip over some of Christine's songs (very ashamed to say that now but I have seen the light) but one day I let YMLF play through and I was like "damn I like this song." I started playing it to death and the rest is history.

I also love the older live versions where Stevie harmonies are better heard. I was just looking for the Rosebud performace of it on youtube the other night but it was taken off for copyright issues