His band Sex Mob has been together since 1995 touring the world. Sex Mob has won numerous awards, and has had their music featured on MTV, Saturday Night Live and NPR. Their most recent CD, Sexotica, was nominated for a Grammy in 2006 for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Their previous recording, Dime Grind Palace (Ropeadope), features legendary trombonist Roswell Rudd.
His nine-piece ensemble, the Millennial Territory Orchestra, recently released their debut recording, MTO Vol. 1 on Sunnyside records. MTO was formed in 1999 for a series of Midnight shows at Tonic, and spent a year and a half long residency at the Jazz Standard. Bernstein also arranged and co-produced Baby Loves Jazz, featuring vocalists Sharon Jones and Babi Floyd, along with keyboard master John Medeski. The CD is available on Verve records.
Bernstein was the musical director for I’m Your Man, a documentary on Leonard Cohen that focuses on a tribute concert held at the Sydney Opera house, it was released by Lions Gate films in spring 2006.
He recently filmed an hour long segment for Solos, a Canadian Television program featuring solo performances by musicians including Andrew Hill, Joe Lovano, and John Scofield. Bernstein was also the subject of a feature entitled Creative Spaces on NPR’s All Things Considered, and was interviewed by Terry Gross in 2002.
Since November 2004 Bernstein has been a member of the Levon Helm band, playing at the Midnight Rambles in Levon’s home in Woodstock. Bernstein wrote the horn arrangements for Bill Frisell’s Grammy winning 2004 recording Unspeakable, as well as for artists including Lou Reed, Rufus Wainwright, Darlene Love, Elton John, and Marvin Pontiac.
In 1992, musical iconoclast Hal Willner produced the debut CD by Spanish Fly, a cooperative trio with Bernstein, slide guitarist Dave Tronzo and tubaist Marcus Rojas, and they have been collaborating ever since.
Bernstein has musical directed many Hal Willner projects, including tributes to Leonard Cohen, Doc Pomus, and Harold Arlen, and created the music for Robert Altman’s film Kansas City. He was also the musical director for the touring version of the Kansas City band, which included David “Fathead” Newman, Don Byron, James Carter, Christian McBride, and Nicholas Payton.
During his 10 years as a member of John Lurie’s Lounge Lizards he arranged the music for Get Shorty, Clay Pigeons, Fishing With John and many more film, television and commercial projects with Mr. Lurie.
For composer/Foetus mastermind Jim Thirwell, Bernstein arranged Steroid Maximus to be performed live by a 19 piece ensemble.
As a composer he has scored the documentaries Keep the River On Your Right, Balloonhat, and episodes for the Nickelodeon TV series “The Backyardigans”; as well as dance pieces for Alvin Ailey, Body Vox, the Donald Byrd Dance Company, the Flying Karamazov Brothers and the San Francisco Ballet, and numerous commercial jingles.
Bernstein has played trumpet with a diverse group of artists including Marianne Faithfull, Linda Ronstadt, David Murray, David Berger, Digable Planets, Sting, Medeski Martin and Wood, Courtney Love, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Don Byron and Mocean Worker.
Darling Nikki
Steven Bernstein Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I guess you could say she was a sex fiend
I met her in a hotel lobby
Masturbating with a magazine
She said how'd you like to waste some time
And I could not resist when I saw little Nikki grind
And I just couldn't believe my eyes
She had so many devices
Everything that money could buy
She said sign your name on the dotted line
The lights went out
And Nikki started to grind
Ahh!
Nikki!
Oh
The castle started spinning
Or maybe it was my brain
I can't tell you what she did to me
But my body will never be the same
Her lovin' will kick your behind
Oh, she'll show you no mercy
But she'll sho' 'nough sho' 'nough show you how to grind
Woke up the next morning
Nikki wasn't there
I looked all over and all I found
Was a phone number on the stairs
It said thank you for a funky time
Call me up whenever you want to grind
Ah!
Nikki!
Oh
Ah!
Come back Nikki!
Come back!
The song "Darling Nikki" by Steven Bernstein is a tale about a wild sexual encounter with a woman named Nikki. The singer meets Nikki in a hotel lobby, where she is masturbating with a magazine. She offers him the chance to join her in her castle, filled with an impressive array of sex toys, and he accepts. The lyrics describe their intense sexual encounter, with Nikki showing the singer no mercy but teaching him how to grind. The singer is left reeling from the experience and wakes up alone the next morning, only finding a phone number on the stairs with a message to call her whenever he wants to grind.
The lyrics of the song are quite graphic, depicting a sexual encounter that is both intense and unconventional. The song's narrator is leaving himself vulnerable and open to new experiences, leading to a wild night of pleasure that ultimately leaves him wanting more. The lyrics also bring up the idea of Nikki as a dominant figure, with the singer submitting to her control willingly.
Interestingly, "Darling Nikki" was covered by Prince on his 1984 album "Purple Rain," which caused controversy due to the song's explicit lyrics. This led to the creation of the "Parental Advisory" sticker that is still used on albums today.
Line by Line Meaning
I knew a girl named Nikki
I was acquainted with an individual called Nikki
I guess you could say she was a sex fiend
One may label her as obsessed with sexual activities
I met her in a hotel lobby
We encountered each other while occupying the same space within the entrance of the building intended for temporary residence or accommodation
Masturbating with a magazine
She was stimulating her genital organs manually using a periodical
She said how'd you like to waste some time
She questioned me on whether I would like to engage in non-purposeful thrills
And I could not resist when I saw little Nikki grind
I was unable to decline observing Nikki gyrate sensually
She took me to her castle
She escorted me to her abode of grandeur
And I just couldn't believe my eyes
I was astonished by what I was observing
She had so many devices
She possessed numerous mechanical or electronic appliances
Everything that money could buy
She procured everything that currency could purchase
She said sign your name on the dotted line
She requested my signature on the specified area of the document
The lights went out
The room was devoid of illumination
And Nikki started to grind
Nikki initiated the act of gyrating sensually
Ahh!
An exclamation of expression
Nikki!
Referencing Nikki
Oh
An exclamation of expression
The castle started spinning
The building began rotating
Or maybe it was my brain
Alternatively, it might have been my mind
I can't tell you what she did to me
I cannot divulge what actions were performed upon me
But my body will never be the same
However, the physical vessel I encompass will forever be altered
Her lovin' will kick your behind
Her way of displaying affection will metaphorically cause the recipient to experience pain
Oh, she'll show you no mercy
She will not exhibit mercy towards an individual in regards to their request
But she'll sho' 'nough sho' 'nough show you how to grind
However, she will indeed provide instruction on the act of sensually gyrating
Woke up the next morning
I regained consciousness the following day
Nikki wasn't there
Nikki was not present
I looked all over and all I found
I inspected each area and the sole thing discovered
Was a phone number on the stairs
Was a contact number located upon the steps
It said thank you for a funky time
The message conveyed appreciation for a fun encounter
Call me up whenever you want to grind
Contact me if and when you desire to engage in sensual gyrations
Come back Nikki!
A plea for Nikki to return
Come back!
A plea for an individual to return
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Prince Rogers Nelson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind