Category Archives: R&B
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 …
BILLY PAUL-EBONY WOMAN.
BILLY PAUL-EBONY WOMAN. Billy Paul played a hugely important role in the success of Philadelphia International Records. Not only was his 1972 album 360 Degrees of Billy Paul the first album released on the newly founded Philadelphia International Records, but his classic single Me and Mrs Jones gave the label their first number one single. …
BIG BOY BLOATER AND THE LIMITS-BIG BOY BLOATER AND THE LIMITS.
BIG BOY BLOATER AND THE LIMITS-BIG BOY BLOATER AND THE LIMITS. Recently I reviewed BBE Music’s forthcoming compilation Snowboy Presents New Vintage Volume 1 and although the compilation is crammed full of some great music, one track stood out from the rest, Big Boy Bloater and The Limits’ Big Fat Trap. From the moment I …
KEB DARGE AND LITTLE EDITH’S LEGENDARY WILD ROCKERS 2.
KEB DARGE AND LITTLE EDITH’S LEGENDARY WILD ROCKERS 2. While Keb Darge has been a compiler of quality compilations since the late nineties, his life has revolved around music since the seventies. His career started as a record collector, then dancer, DJ, record compiler and label owner. Keb started his career Northern Soul DJ and …
THE DELFONICS-LA LA MEANS I LOVE YOU.
THE DELFONICS-LA LA MEANS I LOVE YOU. When Stan Watson, manager of The Delfonics, and owner of Philly Groove Records, met novice producer Thom Bell in 1967, this would be the start of a relationship that saw The Delfonics not only pioneer the Philly Sound, but become one of the most successful soul groups of …
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 …
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 …
GINA CAREY-LOVE LETTERS TWO.
GINA CAREY-LOVE LETTERS TWO. Just three months after releasing her sixth solo album Love Letters, Gina Carey returns with another album Love Letters Two. This is a combination of old and new songs. There are four songs apiece from Gina’s two previous albums, 2011s Melodic and 2012s Love Letters. The three new songs, You, Being …
DEE DEE WARWICK-FOOLISH FOOL.
DEE DEE WARWICK-FOOLISH FOOL. Although Dee Dee Warwick’s career started in 1963 when she recorded You’re No Good for Jubilee Records, produced by Leiber and Stoller, it wasn’t until she signed for Mercury Records and began working with producer Ed Townsend that her career took-off. Before that, Dee Dee had recorded for a variety of …
THE DYNAMIC SUPERIORS-YOU NAME IT.
THE DYNAMIC SUPERIORS-YOU NAME IT. Although The Dynamic Superiors were formed in 1963, it wasn’t until 1975 that they signed to Motown Records. It was for Motown, that The Dynamic Superiors released four of their five albums. For their first two 1975 albums The Dynamic Superiors and Rare Pleasure, Ashford and Simpson produced these albums. …
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 …
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 …
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 …
BETTY WRIGHT AND THE ROOTS-BETTY WRIGHT THE MOVIE.
BETTY WRIGHT AND THE ROOTS-BETTY WRIGHT THE MOVIE. Ten years after the release of her previous album, 2001s Fit For A King, Betty Wright released her sixteenth studio album Betty Wright The Movie in 2011, which was a collaboration with The Roots. On Betty Wright The Movie, Betty collaborates with Joss Stone, Snoop Dogg and …
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