Song of the Day: Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly “Joy and Pain”

Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly

Song of the Day: Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly “Joy and Pain”

A little game: Can you finish these lyrics?

“Joy and Pain

Are like sunshine and ________?”

Rain! That’s right. Maybe you just know the 1988 Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock hit “Joy and Pain” but it was originally a Maze featuring Franky Beverly track, released eight years earlier on Capitol Records. As a 90’s kid, I have to admit, my 80’s and 90’s R&B recall is better than for earlier decades. My husband though, who is 15 years old than I am, has a better recall with 70’s and 80’s. This song came back into our lives a few weeks ago. I was setting up for my set in the Gold Room at Eighteenth Street Lounge, and the DJ in the other room had already started to play. At one point I saw my husband get up from reading the news on his Iphone and walk hurriedly towards the other DJ. I thought he saw someone he knew, but it turns out he heard Frankie Beverly preaching his powerful message of accepting the good with the bad and that was what drew him in. The song is over seven minutes long, so he had some time to really soak it in. When he came back he was nostalgic, happy and dancing. This set off a two day streak of the original “Joy and Pain” playing in our cars, our home, and on repeat in our heads. I’m not mad about it either: it’s a great track with a catchy vibe. Sexy when compared to the remake and it includes lots of interesting musical components when you carefully listen.

We’re ushered into the track with a two minute instrumental intro, funky bass line and keyboard riff. Then Franky Beverly enters the track, preaching about the time when we were younger and in love for the first time. We thought it would last forever, but alas, we discover heartbreak. Not to fret: life will bring back joy, the sunshine with the pain on the other side of the experience. And we learn to appreciate both. Pain can feel like it lasts forever sometimes, but the sunshine is always on it’s way back.

“Over and over you can be sure
There will be sorrow but you will endure
Where there’s a flower there’s the sun and the rain
Oh and it’s wonderful there both one in the same”

 
Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly