Category Archives: R&B
BIG BOY BLOATER AND THE LIMITS-THE WORLD EXPLAINED.
BIG BOY BLOATER AND THE LIMITS-THE WORLD EXPLAINED. Some people are just born to sing the blues. It’s almost as they’re predestined to follow in the well trodden path of bluesmen like Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, Floyd Dixon and Jimmy Rogers. There’s something about their world weary voices, the experiences they share, and their storytelling …
DAVID GRANT-DAVID GRANT.
DAVID GRANT-DAVID GRANT. For any artist, leaving a successful group can be something of a gamble. Regardless of how successful the group has been, there’s no guarantee that a successful solo career will follow. Obviously, there are exceptions to this, with Teddy Pendergrass one that springs to mind. After he left Harold Melvin and The …
MYSTIC MERLIN-SIXTY THRILLS A MINUTE.
MYSTIC MERLIN-SIXTY THRILLS A MINUTE. When Mystic Merlin signed Capitol Records, it looked as if the New York based soul and funk group had a great future ahead of them. They were tipped to join funk’s elite, joining Parliament, Funkadelic, Brass Construction, B.T. Express. Charles Kipp had been hired to produce their debut album Mystic …
LISA LISA AND CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE-LISA LISA AND CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE.
LISA LISA AND CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE-LISA LISA AND CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE. After signing to Columbia Records, the three members of Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Lisa Velez, Alex Panador and Mike Hughes would embark upon the most successful period of their career. During the four year period between 1985 and 1989, …
CHERYL LYNN-INSTANT LOVE.
CHERYL LYNN-INSTANT LOVE. When Cheryl Lynn released her eponymous debut album Cheryl Lynn, it contained a single that since then, has become synonymous with Cheryl, Got To Be Real. It reached number one in the US R&B Charts, while her debut album was certified gold. Since then, Got To Be Real has become a disco …
THE STAPLE SINGERS-THE STAPLE SINGERS.
THE STAPLE SINGERS-THE STAPLE SINGERS. By the early eighties, The Staple Singers had spent over thirty years performing and recording. Their career started in 1948, with the group singing in churches in the Chicago area. Four years later in 1952, they signed their first record contract, releasing their debut album Uncloudy Day in 1959. Since …
JOHN AND GINA CAREY-THE FAMILY THAT LIVE, LAUGH AND LOVE TOGETHER.
JOHN AND GINA CAREY-THE FAMILY THAT LIVE, LAUGH AND LOVE TOGETHER. This year, 2012, has been a big year for John and Gina Carey, releasing three albums so far. On St. Valentines’ Day 2012, which was quite apt, considering how devoted to a couple they are, they both released their new solo albums. John released …
THE DELLS-ONE STEP CLOSER.
THE DELLS-ONE STEP CLOSER. The last time I reviewed an album by The Dells, it was their 1978 album Love Connection. Like their previous album, They Said It Couldn’t Be Done But We Did It Anyway, it was produced by Norman Harris’ The Harris Machine. Along with some of Philly’s finest musicians, The Harris Machine …
CHAKA KHAN-NAUGHTY.
CHAKA KHAN-NAUGHTY. After Rufus released their sixth album Street Player in 1978, Chaka Khan decided the time was right to launch her solo career. Her peerless vocals played a huge part in the success of Rufus, resulting four of their albums being certified gold and 1977s Ask Rufus being certified platinum. Chaka’s solo career started …
GQ-TWO.
GQ-TWO. When Sabu and The Soul Survivors were founded in 1968 they were a quartet, but by the early seventies, the group became The Rhythm Makers primarily playing funk. The Rhythm Makers released one album had one Hole In Your Side, which contained the jazz-funk hit Zone. Then when drummer Kenny Banks left the group, …
VISIONEERS-HIPOLOGY.
VISIONEERS-HIPOLOGY. After a long wait of six year since the release of Dirty Old Hip Hop, Marc Mac under the guise of Visioneers is back with the follow-up Hipology, a double album,due for release on 11th June 2012, on BBE Music. However, during the intervening six years, Marc hasn’t been resting on his laurels. Far …
JEAN CARN-WHEN I FOUND YOU LOVE.
JEAN CARN-WHEN I FOUND YOU LOVE. This year has been a good vintage for anyone who loves Philly Soul. First came the release of Philadelphia International: The Re-Edits, then came the release of Philadelphia International Classics: The Tom Moulton Remixes. Then just two weeks ago came the Magnus Opus, the Philadelphia International: 40th Anniversary Box …
M.F.S.B.-SUMMERTIME.
M.F.S.B.-SUMMERTIME. Recently, when reviewing The O’Jays’ Message In the Music, I mentioned how that 1976 was a pivotal year for Philadelphia International Records and their legendary house-band M.F.S.B. From the very first album Philadelphia International Records released, M.F.S.B. provided the album’s heartbeat. These musicians included bassist Ron Baker, guitarist Norman Harris and drummer Earl Young. …
QUINCY JONES-YOU’VE GOT IT BAD GIRL.
QUINCY JONES-YOU’VE GOT IT BAD GIRL. During his career, Quincy Jones has fulfilled every musical role possible. This has seen him working as an arranger, producer, composer, conductor and musician. Despite this, when many people talk about Quincy’s career, they automatically mention that he produced Michael Jackson’s legendary 1981 Thriller. Mind you, Thriller did sell …
NATURAL FOUR-THE NATURAL FOUR.
NATURAL FOUR-THE NATURAL FOUR. Having formed in Oakland in 1967, Natural Four signed their first recording contract with a local Oakland label Boola Boola Records. Their debut singles was I Thought You Were Mine, which sold over thirty-thousand copies in the Oakland area. After the release of the follow-up, Why Should Me Stop Now ABC …
EDDIE LEVERT-I STILL HAVE IT.
EDDIE LEVERT-I STILL HAVE IT. Never before, has an album title been more apt than Eddie Levert’s debut solo album I Still Have It. What Eddie Levert still has, is one of the best voices in R&B music. Eddie proves the maxim that form is temporary, but class is permanent. After joining The O’Jays in …
MICHAEL KIWANUKA-HOME AGAIN.
MICHAEL KIWANUKA-HOME AGAIN. When a new artist is compared favorably to some of the biggest names in music, then generally, people start to take notice. However, for those of us somewhat long in the tooth, we wonder whether, this is just the marketing department of a record company trying just a bit too hard to …
ARCHIE BELL AND THE DRELLS-WHERE WILL YOU GO WHEN THE PARTY’S OVER?
ARCHIE BELL AND THE DRELLS-WHERE WILL YOU GO WHEN THE PARTY’S OVER? One of the many highlights on Tom Moulton’s recent Philadelphia Classics-The Tom Moulton Remixes was Tom’s remix of Archie Bell and The Drells’ Where Will You Go When the Party’s Over? Of the thirty-one remixes, that was one of my favorites. That set …
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