Category Archives: R&B
THE COUNT BISHOPS-THE COUNT BISHOPS.
The Count Bishops-The Count Bishops. Label: Chiswick. Format: LP. During 1977, a genre that has continued to divide opinion was at the peak of its popularity, punk. This anti music was championed by critics and cultural commentators who were willing to overlook that many of the musical charlatans within punk bands could barely play their …
NEW YORK CITY BLUES.
New York City Blues. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. The golden age of blues in New York was between the forties and sixties. By then, many people had moved from the southeastern states and brought with them southern rural music. Soon, blues music was being heard in ballrooms, clubs, theatres and on the streets of …
DUSTY SINGS SOUL.
Dusty Sings Soul. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. Dusty Springfield’s love of soul and R&B was apparent from the very start of a solo career that spanned three decades. Between 1964 and 1995 she released fifteen studio albums. However, she was at the peak of her powers when signed to Philips Records. Especially on the …
ALL TURNED ON! MOTOWN INSTRUMENTALS 1960-1972.
All Turned On! Motown Instrumentals 1960-1972. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. Previously, Ace Records have dug deep into the Motown vaults and released two successful and critically acclaimed compilation series. Motown Girls was the first and this was followed by Motown Guys. However, now two becomes three with All Turned On! Motown Instrumentals 1960-1972, which …
LENNY KAYE PRESENTS LIGHTNING STRIKING.
Lenny Kaye Presents Lightning Striking. Label: Ace Records. Format: 2CD. Versatile describes musician, composer and producer Lenny Kaye. Many music fans remember him as the guitarist in the Patti Smith Group. Lenny Kaye also worked with everyone from REM and James to Suzanne Vega and Kristin Hersh right through to Soul Asylum and even poet …
THIS LOVE WAS REAL-LA VOCAL GROUPS 1959-1964.
This Love Was Real-LA Vocal Groups 1959-1964. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. During the forties and fifties, doo wop groups were formed in towns and cities across America. From Baltimore to Chicago and Detroit to New York new groups were founded. This was also the case in Los Angeles during the golden age of doo …
CAN I GET A WITNESS-STAX SOUTHERN GROOVE.
Can I Get A Witness-Stax Southern Groove. Label: Kent Soul. Format: CD. Satellite Records was founded in 1957 by Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton and four years later, in 1961, the label changed its name to Stax Records. The newly named label was then joined by Volt Records which was its sister label. This was …
LORD SHANGO ORIGINAL 1975 MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK BY HOWARD ROBERTS.
Lord Shango Original 1975 Motion Picture Soundtrack By Howard Roberts. Label: Tidal Waves Music. Format: LP. During first half of the seventies, Blaxploitation films started to grow in popularity and by soon, Hollywood producer saw the potential in what was a relatively new genre. However, there’s much debate about what was the first Blaxploitation film? Some critics …
YOU GAVE ME A REASON TO LIVE-SOUTHERN AND DEEP SOUL FROM LOUISIANA.
You Gave Me Reason To Live-Southern And Deep Soul From Louisiana. Label: Kent Soul. Format: CD. During the sixties and seventies, South-West Louisiana was famous for its vibrant and music industry which was soon expanding and thriving. Initially, the region was famous for the Cajun sound and Zydeco, but soon, artists and producers started recording …
STOP THE WAR.
Stop The War. Label: Kent Soul. Format: CD. When the Vietnam War began on the ‘1st’ November 1955, Americans never realised that this bloody and brutal war would last nineteen years, five months, four weeks and one day. By the time the War ended on the ’30th’ April 1975 America was a nation divided. Those in favour of …
THE CLARK SISTERS-THE SOUND OF GOSPEL RECORDS’ YEARS 1976-1981.
The Clark Sisters-The Sound Of Gospel Records’ Years 1976-1981. By the late-sixties, both jazz and blues were no longer as popular as they once had been. That was when it dawned on some mucicians that unless the music they loved evolved, is risked becoming irrelevant. Both jazz and blues evolved and over fifty years later, …
CLASSIC ALBUM: DR JOHN-DR JOHN’S GUMBO.
Classic Album: Dr John-Dr John’s Gumbo. Success didn’t come overnight for the late, great Dr John. His first three albums failed to chart and his fourth album The Sun, Moon and Herbs stalled at 184 in the US Billboard 200 in August 1971. This was progress for one of music’s great survivors. He was on his way and returned in April 1972 with his breakthrough album Dr John’s …
MODERNITY.
Modernity. Label: Kent Dance. Format: CD. Ever since the birth of rock ’n’ roll, youth cults have come and gone. Some have proven to be nothing more than passing fads that nowadays, are mere footnotes in cultural history. Some youth cults have endured, and played an important part in British culture. However, none of the …
CULT CLASSIC: ESTHER PHILLIPS-WHAT A DIFF’RENCE A DAY MAKES.
Cult Classic: Esther Phillips-What A Diff’rence A Day Makes. Despite releasing eighteen albums during a career that lasted thirty-five years most people haven’t heard of Esther Phillips. That’s a great shame because she was one of the most talented, versatile and underrated singers of her generation. She possessed a totally unique and unmistakable voice and her versatility allowed …
CULT CLASSIC: DR JOHN-IN A SENTIMENTAL MOOD.
Cult Classic: Dr John-In A Sentimental Mood. There aren’t many musicians who enjoy the longevity that the late, great Dr John enjoyed. His career lasted the best part of sixty years and he released thirty studio albums and nine live albums. Dr John also won six Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and …
CLASSIC ALBUM: DR JOHN-IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
Classic Album: Dr John-In The Right Place. Very few musicians or bands can be accurately described as an overnight success. That is something that hardly ever exists except in the minds of a few tabloid journalists . The reality is that most bands need to do the hard yards and hone their sound before commercial …