Category Archives: Funk
ARETHA FRANKLIN-GET IT RIGHT.
ARETHA FRANKLIN-GET IT RIGHT. By the early eighties, Aretha Franklin’s wasn’t enjoying the same success as earlier on in her career. It had been ten long years since one of her albums had been certified gold. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she hadn’t had a single enter the top forty since 1976s Sparkle and …
THE ISLEY BROTHERS-GO FOR YOUR GUNS.
THE ISLEY BROTHERS-GO FOR YOUR GUNS. Some time ago, I wrote about The Isley Brothers 1976’ album platinum certified album Harvest For the World, which was released during the hottest period of The Isley Brothers’ career. This hugely successful run of albums started with the release of 1973s 3 + 3 which was also certified …
THE FUTURES-THE GREETINGS OF PEACE.
THE FUTURES-THE GREETINGS OF PEACE. I thought that since the Philadelphia International Records-The 40th Anniversary Box Set was due out on 21st May 2012, that I’d revisit a few of the artists that’ll feature on the box set. This has included The Jacksons, first post-Motown album The Jacksons, which gave them the most successful album …
BOOKER T. AND THE MGs-McLEMORE AVENUE.
BOOKER T. AND THE MGs-McLEMORE AVENUE. Back in 1993, I was truly fortunate to see Booker T. and The MGs live. They were accompanying Neil Young on his European Tour. For someone who loves the music of Booker T. and The MGs, Stax and Neil Young, this was a concert I wasn’t going to miss. …
THE JACKSONS-THE JACKSONS.
THE JACKSONS-THE JACKSONS. After the release if their 1975 album Moving Violation, it was all change for The Jacksons. They’d left Motown, the record company they’d called home for seven years, since the release of their first album Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 in 1969. That was the first of ten studio albums for …
ISAAC HAYES AND DIONNE WARWICK-A MAN AND A WOMAN.
ISAAC HAYES AND DIONNE WARWICK-A MAN AND A WOMAN. By 1977, much had changed for Isaac Hayes. Stax where he’d enjoyed the most successful period of his career, had been declared bankrupt. He’d then signed to ABC and while his first two albums 1973s Joy and 1975s Chocolate Chip had sold well, his next three …
THE DYNAMIC SUPERIORS-GIVE AND TAKE.
THE DYNAMIC SUPERIORS-GIVE AND TAKE. Much had changed since The Dynamic Superiors had released their debut album Pure Pleasure in 1975. Ashford and Simpson, who’d wrote and produced their first two albums Pleasure and The Dynamic Superiors, had been replaced for their third album You Name It. Replacing them were various songwriters and producers, that …
JAMES BROWN-GRAVITY.
JAMES BROWN-GRAVITY. When James Brown released the single Living In America in December 1985, it had been nine years since he’d last had a hit single. The last time one of James Brown’s singles charted in the US Billboard 100, was 1976, when Body Heat reached number eighty-eight. Since then, although James Brown was still …
ASHFORD AND SIMPSON-SOLID.
ASHFORD AND SIMPSON-SOLID. Previously, I’ve written about two of Ashford and Simpson’s album 1982s Street Opera and 1983s High Rise. While both were commercially successful, the album that followed High Rise, would surpass both these albums and prove to be one of their most successful albums. This was 1984s Solid, which reached number twenty-nine in …
ODYSSEY-HANG TOGETHER.
ODYSSEY-HANG TOGETHER. Not only was Odyssey’s 1977 eponymous debut album Odyssey, the group’s most successful album, it featured their biggest hit single, Native New Yorker. This was a song that would forever become synonymous with Odyssey, reaching number twelve in the US Billboard 100 and number six in the US R&B Charts. Spurred on by …
CISSY HOUSTON-PRESENTING CISSY HOUSTON.
CISSY HOUSTON-PRESENTING CISSY HOUSTON. During Cissy Houston’s long musical career, she’s worked with some of the biggest artists in music, singing backing vocals on some of the biggest most successful albums. This includes Aretha Franklin’s Lady Soul, Van Morrison’s Moondance, Donny Hathaway’s Donny Hathaway and David Bowie’s Young Americans. That’s not forgetting albums by Roberta …
ENCHANTMENT-ENCHANTMENT.
ENCHANTMENT-ENCHANTMENT. After being formed in 1966 at Detroit’s Pershing High School, Enchantment signed their recording contract in 1969. This came about when the group won a local talent contest sponsored by the local Detroit radio station WCHB. However, it would be another eight years before the group would release their debut album Enchantment, which will …
LEROY BURGESS-ANTHOLOGY VOLUME 1: THE VOICE.
LEROY BURGESS-ANTHOLOGY VOLUME 1: THE VOICE. Starting as the lead vocalist in Black Ivory during the early seventies, Leroy Burgess would go on to become one of the most successful men in music. Leroy wasn’t just a singer, he was a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, arranger and producer. His career started as lead vocalist of Black Ivory, …
CEU-CARAVANA SEREIA BLOOM.
CEU-CARAVANA SEREIA BLOOM. Back in 2005, when Céu released her eponymous titled debut album Céu on Opius Music I’ve been following her career with interest. Since then, she’s released two further albums, 2009s Vagarosa and 2012s Caravana Sereia Bloom. Given just how talented a singer, songwriter and musician Céu is, I’ve always felt that she …
TOM BROWNE-MAGIC.
TOM BROWNE-MAGIC. The story of jazz trumpeter Tom Browne’s career is a quite remarkable one. Born in Queens, New York in 1954, Tom’s first choice of instrument wasn’t the trumpet. Aged eleven he’d originally started learning the piano, before being inspired to switch to the trumpet by his collection of jazz albums. By 1975, Tom …
PATRICE RUSHEN-PATRICE.
PATRICE RUSHEN-PATRICE. By the time Patrice Rushen signed to Elektra Records after releasing three jazz albums for Prestige she decided to change her style and sound. Previously, the three albums she’d recorded for Prestige, 1974s Prelusion, 1975s Before the Dawn and 1976s Shout It Out had been traditional jazz albums. Now signed to Elektra, Patrice …
THE POINTER SISTERS-SERIOUS SLAMMIN.’
THE POINTER SISTERS-SERIOUS SLAMMIN.’ When The Pointer Sisters released their fourteenth album Serious Slammin,’ it was their ninth and final album to be produced by Richard Perry and their final album for RCA. Serious Slammin’ marked a change in their sound, with Richard Perry giving The Pointer Sisters a harder electronic, funky sound. This meant …
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