Category Archives: Soul
SHAWN LEE PRESENTS GOLDEN AGE AGAINST THE MACHINE.
SHAWN LEE PRESENTS GOLDEN AGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. Shawn Lee’s new album, Shawn Lee Presents Golden Age Against The Machine, which was released on 5th May 2014, has been a labor of love. It’s Shawn paying homage to the golden age of hip hop, which influenced and inspired him. So much so, that Shawn decided …
MUYEI POWER-SIERRA LEONE IN 1970s USA.
MUYEI POWER-SIERRA LEONE IN 1970s USA. In the early seventies, Muyei Power had established a reputation as one of Sierra Leone’s top dance bands. Along with Afro Nation, Sabaoh 75 and Super Combo, Muyei Power provided the soundtrack to daily life in Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital. Their music was a fusion of the music that …
THE IMPRESSIONS-ABOUT TIME.
THE IMPRESSIONS-ABOUT TIME. For any group, losing their lead singer can derail their fortunes. In some cases, this can prove fatal. It’s a body blow that the group never recovers from. Especially when the lead singer happens to have written many of the group’s biggest hits. This was the case with The Impressions. Since 1960, …
MAJOR HARRIS-MY WAY.
MAJOR HARRIS-MY WAY. For a member of a successful group, it’s always a risk to leave and embark upon a solo career. Often, the success they’ve enjoyed becomes a distant memory. Conversely, the success they’ve enjoyed is often surpassed upon embarking on a solo career. Everyone will have examples when an artists decision to embark …
WILSON PICKETT IN PHILADELPHIA.
WILSON PICKETT IN PHILADELPHIA. By 1970, when Wilson Pickett released Wilson Pickett In Philadelphia, his recording career was eight years old. He’d released his debut single If You Need Me in 1962, and since then, had enjoyed four number one US R&B singles. The first of these was his 1965 classic In The Midnight Hour, …
LET THE MUSIC PLAY: BLACK AMERICA DOES BACHARACH AND DAVID.
LET THE MUSIC PLAY: BLACK AMERICA DOES BACHARACH AND DAVID. It was in the Brill Building in 1957, that Burt Bacharach and Hal David first met. They were both aspiring songwriters. Burt was a twenty-nine year old music graduate from Kansas. Hal was the older of the two. He was a thirty-six year old New …
MONICA AZULL-I LIKE IT.
MONICA AZULL-I LIKE IT. I Like It. That’s not just the title of Monica Axull’s new single, but what anyone whose heard the single so far, thinks of it. Monica Azull many people believe, is a star in the waiting. She looks like she’s on the cusp of a successful career. She’s come a long …
ROCK IT…DON’T STOP IT-COMPILED BY SEAN P
ROCK IT…DON’T STOP IT-COMPILED BY SEAN P. 1979 was year zero for hip hop. It was in 1979, that some of the earliest, and most influential, hip hop singles were released. This includes Paulette and Tanya Winley’s Rhymin’ and Rappin.’ It’s become one of the most influential of the early hip hop singles. The same …
SYL JOHNSON-DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH.
SYL JOHNSON-DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH. For much of the seventies, Hi Records was one of the most successful Southern Soul labels. This success was only derailed by the increase in disco’s popularity. Before that, Hi Records had gained a reputation as a label who released innovative Southern Soul. The man behind the Hi Records’ success …
O.V. WRIGHT-WE’RE STILL TOGETHER.
O.V. WRIGHT-WE’RE STILL TOGETHER. I’ve always thought that O.V. Wright was one of the most underrated Southern Soul singers of his generation. That’s why I’ve always championed O.V. Wright’s music. In some ways, O.V. Wright was overshadowed by the commercial success and critical acclaim Al Green was enjoying. They were both n the same label, …
BOMBAY DISCO-DISCO HITS FROM HINDI FILMS 1979-1985.
BOMBAY DISCO-DISCO HITS FROM HINDI FILMS 1979-1985. Disco. Never has a musical genre divided opinion like disco. For some people, disco was the musical equivalent of a four letter word. In their eyes, disco sucked. That was the case back in 1979. Thirty-five years later, disco still divides opinion. During the thirty-five year period, disco …
MOVEMENTS 6.
MOVEMENTS 6. One of the longest running compilation series is Movements, compiled by Tobias Kirkmayer. The first instalment in the series, Movements was released back in 2005 on Perfect Toy Records. In an ever crowded compilation market, Movements was well received. A year later, in 2006, came Movements. Then nothing. Four long years passed without …
ERA RECORDS AND WEST COAST NORTHERN SOUL.
ERA RECORDS AND WEST COAST NORTHERN SOUL. The Era Records story began back in 1955. That’s when two cousins, Lew Bedell and Herb Newman decided to decided to form a record label in their hometown, Los Angeles. They called their new label Era Records. For Lew and Herb, this was indeed the start of a …
MERRY CLAYTON-GIMME SHELTER.
MERRY CLAYTON-GIMME SHELTER. When the Rolling Stones released Gimme Shelter in 1969, many people were left wondering who duetted with Mick Jagger on the single? That was Merry Clayton. Her vocal powerhouse helped make the song a classic. However, Merry Clayton wasn’t meant to even sing on Gimme Shelter. No. She replaced Bonnie Bramlett, who …
LOU ADLER-A MUSICAL HISTORY.
LOU ADLER-A MUSICAL HISTORY. Songwriter, producers, manager, director and impresario. That describes Lou Adler. During a long and illustrious career, that started back in 1958, Lou Adler has written over 150 songs and has 300 production credits to his name. Lou Adler has worked with some of the biggest names in music. Among them are …
SLAKAH THE BEATCHILD-SOUL MOVEMENT VOLUME 2.
SLAKAH THE BEATCHILD-SOUL MOVEMENT VOLUME 2. “It’s been a long time coming sang Sam Cooke.” The same can be said of Slakah The Beatchild’s forthcoming album Soul Movement Voiume 2. It’s the sequel to Soul Movement Volume 1, which was released to critical acclaim back in September 2008. After a gap of six long years, …
DR JOHN THE NIGHT TRIPPER-GRIS GRIS.
DR JOHN THE NIGHT TRIPPER-GRIS GRIS. The scenario that I’m going to describe, really happened, and demonstrates that even the most experienced people in the music industry get things wrong. It was in January 1968, and Dr. John completed his debut album Gris Gris. A copy of Gris Gris was sent to Ahmet Erteghun at Atlantic …
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