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    0 Leaders Are Readers

    • Photo
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 03/23/2025

    In the golden year 1959, a visionary created a valuable resource for 'Black community building' and knowledge growth. Dawud Hakim founded Hakim's Bookstore & Gift Shop in West Philadelphia, PA. The store is the oldest Black-owned bookstore on the East Coast. Books weren't the only attraction in the early days. This residence of reading was a place for people to gather and brainstorm about ways to move the community into a positive self-sufficient future. Fast-forward to 2025. Hakim's survives under the leadership of Dawud Hakim's daughter Yvonne Blake.   For over sixty years, Hakim's in-store theme has specialized in African American history. In an effort to boost Black commerce, Philadelphia radio station WURD in association with their 'Wake up with WURD' morning host Solomon Jones, implemented a "Black Cash Mob" event at Hakim's on Saturday, March 22, 2025. The standing room only crowd not only enjoyed the commerce of stuffing their shopping bags to burst with books, but they experienced a two-hour live broadcast on WURD at the bookstore led by host Michael Coard. Among the books I picked up was Beyond Category, The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington by John Edward Hasse with foreword by Wynton Marsalis. Roots Hakim's has an inspiring bookmark for your manuscripts with the catch phrase "Leaders are Readers." There's a historic landmark plaque in front of the bookstore that was dedicated in 2023. In part the plaque says: "A civil rights and Black activism gathering space in the 1960s. It was surveilled by the FBI along with other Black bookstores." I'm at the "Black cash mob" event outside of Hakim's in this photo taken by Kwasa Mathis of WURD. Kingsley at Hakim's, located at 210 South 52nd Street, Philadelphia, PA.   Previous Post

  • 0 15 Songs: Instrumentally Yours

    Today, music tracks without lyrics used by media outlets are often a staple of talk radio or podcasts. Sometimes called bumper music, these rhythmic elements lead into or out of commercial ad breaks. This brand of music vanished over time from contemporary radio playlists as a standalone feature. These tracks were played just like vocals. For the Instrumentally Yours project, you can eliminate real jazz and smooth jazz from this conversation. I'm not focusing on those tracks, except… Once in a while, a jazzy hit does crossover. "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" – Cannonball Adderly Quintet (1967) is an example. Another is "Rise" by Herb Alpert (1979). These and others instrumental gems delightfully dazzle the ears. With a challenge to put together something fresh, I went back and pulled some tracks that set a mood and tell a nice relaxing story. Every few months I create a mixed playlist of songs from my analog or digital sources and create a single wav/mp3 file. Real segues (mini cross fades) are included. I pulled out some of my favorite instrumentals to complete this playlist. You might try this on Spotify, or another streaming music service although you won't get the tight segues. Who are the Artists? MFSB Quincy Jones Brothers Johnson Kool & The Gang Con Funk Shun Love Unlimited Orchestra Ashford & Simpson Cliff Nobles Crown Heights Affair Paul Hardcastle Flora Purim Earth, Wind & Fire There are fifteen songs. Two artists have multiple tracks. Songs 1 & 2 by MFSB, Mother Father Sister Brother Three selections are by MFSB. There's a reason for this choice. Philadelphia producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff pulled together a bevy of outstanding studio musicians backing the all-star vocalists who lived on their record labels. MFSB was so good, that their instrumental versions of several Philly International Records hits also stand out. Song one in my mix is "My Mood." You might recognize this tune as a theme that was used before late night movies on television. Song two is "Back Stabbers," arranged differently than the O'Jays hit, with stylized strings and sophisticated funk up front moving the track along. I have five MFSB vinyl albums. Too bad Motown never really featured their own house band 'The Funk Brothers' as reoccurring solo artists . Song 3 by Quincy Jones In 1971, Quincy Jones produced the music for the movie Dollar$ (also know as The Heist) starring Warren Beatty and Goldie Hawn. I discovered the Little Richard vocal version first, which I have on a 45 RPM vinyl single (on the Reprise Label). Richard's version is called "Money Is." Quincy's instrumental version in the movie soundtrack is called "Money Runner." The instrumentation for both the Jones and Richard versions is identical. What you hear in the composition are production elements in the track that were popular for the time. The next song, also produced by Quincy Jones, shows how within a short period of time, a musical master can update his touch and stay contemporary with the times. Song 4 by The Brothers Johnson "Streetwave," the final track on the B side of their "Blam!!" record (above) features Louis Johnson on bass guitar and George Johnson on lead guitar. Harvey Mason gets a credit on drums. This 1978 instrumental has Quincy Jones written all over it. Mr. Jones produced all the tracks on "Blam!!" Seven years after "Money Runner," Quincy's signature sound is updated. His style with the Brothers Johnson foreshadows what's coming in 1979 with Rufus & Chaka and Michael Jackson under Quincy's watchful eye. Song 5 & 6 by Kool & The Gang New Jersey's Kool and the Gang morphed from local instrumentalist fame to funk hit purveyors Kool & the Gang later in their career. "Jazziacs at the Kool Jazz Café" comes from Kool's 2004 "Hits Reloaded" release. Group members are featured soloing throughout the track playing an occasional thematic refrain of their "Jungle Boogie" hit oldie. There is a quick spoken close by dj Vaughn Harper. "Jazziacs at the Kool Jazz Café" takes the band back to their routes. When "Light of Worlds" dropped in 1974," the album included "Summer Madness," a popular instrumental track that features Ronald Bell's haunting synthesizer and melotron and brother Robert "Kool" Bell's signature bass. The group has other instrumentals, but I chose these two. Song 7 by Con Funk Shun Vallejo, California gives us Con Fun Shun, a band lead by Michael Cooper (vocals, guitar), Felton Pilate (horns), and other group members. This crew defines what funk is. As with The Brothers Johnson, "Indian Summer Love" is the last track on the B side of Con Funk Shun's album "Secrets." "Indian Summer Love" is a great medium paced mellow groove instrumental featuring Pilate on synthesizer and producer Skip Scarborough. Scarborough also plays the instrument on the track. This instrumental creates the perfect atmosphere as you roll down the Pacific Coast Highway from Los Angeles to San Francisco and listen! Song 8 by Love Unlimited Orchestra Classically trained musician Barry White had quite a career playing with other people behind the scenes before he broke out big as a vocalist. His forty piece Love Unlimited Orchestra had a monster hit with 1974's "Love's Theme," but that's not the track we are featuring. White gets credit for composer, executive producer, horn arrangements, mixing, primary artist, and string arrangements. The Orchestra had a masterpiece with "My Sweet Summer Suite." Unlike two other artists mentioned above, this track appears first on side A of the 1976 LUO album "My Sweet Summer Suite." A different album is shown above. The "My Sweet Summer Suite "instrumental sounds like George Gershwin (composer of "Rhapsody in Blue") on steroids, with an amazing score challenging the string section to go through some heavy gymnastics in the middle of the track. It's produced by Barry White with arrangements by Gene Page. This instrumental was a minor hit on Black radio. Song 9 by Ashford & Simpson "Bourgié Bourgié," a 1977 instrumental featuring Valerie Simpson on piano, Eric Gale on guitar, and Ralph McDonald on percussion & congas is an uptown urban sprint that gallops along nicely. Nicholas Ashford and wife Valerie were a vocal duo. "Bourgié Bourgié was a surprise on the "Send It" album, highlighting Simpson's excellent work on keyboards. I think Quincy Jones was listening. You can hear ideas from this track on 1978's extended "Brand New Day" from The Wiz soundtrack sung by Luther Vandross, Diana Ross and others. Song 10 by Cliff Nobles Ok. I had to go really old school and include 1968's "The Horse" by Cliff Nobles & Company. Nobles was the group leader and occasional vocalist. I wanted the tone of Instrumentally Yours to be more new school, and less throwback. What do I mean? I considered other tracks without lyrics including "Time is Tight" by Booker T. & The MGs, "Cissy Strut" by Louisiana's the Meters, and another classic "Soul Finger" by the Bar-Kays (1967). Some chanting in Instrumentally Yours is allowed. "Soul Finger" has some. "The Horse" is on the Phil-L.A. of Soul label. There's something magical about the sonic resonance of this track that signals the future 'Philly sound.' That is, the Philly sound of the late 1970s into the 1980s. It turns out that the horn section players on "The Horse" would later become MFSB members! You could hear their influence even way back when. "The Horse" was a smash hit. Song 11 by Crown Heights Affair From Philly we go to Brooklyn, New York for the contribution "Dreaming A Dream" by Crown Heights Affair. This instrumental was their biggest hit peaking at number five on 1975's R&B charts. Nailed it guitar, nice keyboards, neat percussion, and nifty horns make this a very enjoyable track. There's some minor scat chanting in the track, but this is allowed. The group's instrumental arrangement is very good. Song 12 by Paul Hardcastle "Rain Forest" offers a danceable but subtle hip hop instrumental groove by Englishman Paul Hardcastle. The track was a popular hit for Paul in 1984. Song 13 by Flora Purim Flora Purim is a Brazilian singer synonymous with improvisational approaches to Brazilian and American jazz fusion. In 1978, her record "Nothing Will Be As It Was...Tomorrow" offered "Angels," an instrumental track written by Al McKay and Phillip Bailey of Earth, Wind & Fire. "Angels" is branded by Flora's magnificent voice. It glides along over a soothing instrumental beat. She's not singing lyrics. She's flowing along to the melody of the track using her light lilting cadence. Touchdown! It is very good. Song 14 by Earth, Wind & Fire When Flora Purim's "Angels" was picked, I knew that something by Earth, Wind & Fire had to follow it. EWF's 2004 Illumination album had several fine tracks. Selection eleven out of thirteen on the CD is "Liberation." Recorded and mixed in Santa Monica, California, "Liberation" feels like the west coast sprinkled with a hybrid of African and Latin percussion. It sounds like Purim's "Angels," with Phillip Bailey on the mic sans lyrics following the pulse of the instrumental. Both Purim's "Angels" and EWF's "Liberation" use the voice as an instrument to project hummable melodies without using actual words. Song 15 by MFSB MFSB is above. When thinking about this playlist, MFSB was the first group considered and three of their instrumentals were quickly selected. "Love is The Message" is a grand slam. It's an A+ production and closes out the mix. At eleven minutes + every second is worth it. "Love is The Message" was pulled off of the 1977 "Philadelphia Classics" double vinyl album. Many of the other Philadelphia International Records all-stars (The Three Degrees, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Teddy Pendergrass, etc.) are on the album in other tracks. Bobby Martin brilliantly arranged "Love is The Message." Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff wrote and produced this song that first appeared on the 1973 album "MFSB: Love is The Message." That version clocks in at six minutes, thirty-five seconds. The 11 minute version vamps along with punctuating sax solos. "Love is the Message" harmonies are sung by an occasional chorus of voices. A killer ensemble of musicians keep the sound tight and hot.  When you hear this song, it makes you feel joyous and happy. Just what we need through trying times in the modern world! The Playlist Here are the tracks again. Try this playlist out, Instrumentally Yours: MFSB - "My Mood" MFSB - "Backstabbers" Quincy Jones - "Money Runner" Brothers Johnson - "Streetwave" Kool & The Gang - "Jazziacs at the Kool Jazz Café" Kool & The Gang - "Summer Madness" Con Funk Shun - "Indian Summer Love" Love Unlimited Orchestra - "My Sweet Summer Suite" Ashford & Simpson - "Bourgié Bourgié" Cliff Nobles & Co. - "The Horse" Crown Heights Affair - "Dreaming A Dream" Paul Hardcastle - "Rain Forest" Flora Purim - "Angels" Earth, Wind & Fire - "Liberation" MFSB - "Love is The Message Hear how the transitions sound in this video: Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 Mission, Music and People: The Author Speaks

    Life is hard. Success is difficult. Learning from your experiences is a challenge. Why, because focus and commitment is what it takes to move forward despite difficult odds. These barriers may work against you. Mission, Music, and People In this video, I talk mission, music, and people. Mission inspired me to guide my professional broadcasting career along a straight path. Great music was a discovery experience across genres and cultures. People provided continuous inspiration to believe in the goodness of humanity. Discover some of my teachable moments in this "author speaks" story. Support us, and get your copy of my Powerhouse Radio paperback, eBook, or audiobook now from Audiobook.com, Amazon, Audible, Bookbaby, and other retailers. Thank you! Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 Hard Times for Radio Talent

    Another one of my former Philadelphia on-air broadcasting colleagues has had his position eliminated. First it was André Gardner. Now, it's Eric Johnson. These sad events all happened at the same highly successful Philly FM radio station during the past four months. Eric was not only on-air, he is what's called today a content officer or content manager; traditionally known in radio as a program director. These folks control the day-to-day broadcast operation. Personnel decisions effecting André and Eric hurt. The circus of revolving door talent, orchestrated by ring master management, is unfortunately a fact of life. Facts of life revelations compelled me to civilly spill my guts about my own professional experiences travelling up and down the radio highway. I amassed an eye opening forty-three years of frequent travel miles! I was lucky. I started as a seventeen year old, and bailed using my own exit strategy when I reached sixty-five. It was clear when I left, big industry transformations were coming. The winds of change were reaching gale velocity. Powerhouse Radio: Rough Roads, Radiance, and Rebirth, walks you through my own story and my love of my profession. Don't just take my word for it! There are dozens of verified reviews that have been posted about the paperback, eBook, and audiobook at Amazon. Here are just three of them that I selected at random:  My final thoughts The paperback and eBook are recommended, but if you favor an audiobook, that's also suggested! I read it myself. For a limited time only through February 28th as a Black History Month special, Audiobooks.com (you'll go to their website) has the audiobook for 50% off. All three versions of the book are also available at Amazon. Thank you radio for your experiences. Thank you radio fans past and present for your support! More about the book at KingsleyHSmith.com Photo of me taken at United States Ambassador Philip D. Murphy's residence in Berlin, Germany. After his Ambassador duties ended, Phil Murphy would eventually be elected Governor of the state of New Jersey. Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 Powerhouse Radio Audiobook Deal

    As you kick off the New Year, here's something that may inspire you to be nothing but your best. Before heartless consolidation and idiocy on the airwaves, radio was locally authentic for the people, that's you and me!   My 2025 gift to you is the Award Winning audiobook of my story. I read it myself.   For a limited time, only with Audiobooks.com, you get 50% off. Read the book summary for the scope of my adventure at audiobooks dot com. This is a great memoir.   Get this Winter special now before the deal is pulled. Thank you. Amazon has the paperback, eBook and audiobook too but not with this 50% off deal for the audiobook.   I'm holding the paperback in the photo. You asked for this special, so here it is!  Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 Blood, Sweat & Tears - What In The Hell Really Did Happen To Them?

    Once in awhile a really good documentary shows up on Amazon Prime Video. Recently I couldn't resist watching 2023's What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears?" For BS&T, It was an Eastern European first encounter in Yugoslavia (now Macedonia), Romania, and Poland that pulls you in. This tour, and much more make this production well worth watching. Replacement singer David Clayton-Thomas, and original BS&T lead vocalist  - founder Al Kooper all enter the storyline. I wondered too why Blood, Sweat & Tears disappeared so quickly compared to the band Chicago, and other horn driven ensembles. Here's a remix I did of BS&T drummer Bobby Colomby talking with DJ Frankie Crocker for the US Air Force when the group was hot. I took the raw dialogue (basically with little music), added some tunes that had to be shortened to keep the rights police happy, and made it visually contemporary for the YouTube age! It's 8 minutes, 40 seconds. Enjoy. Note: You must watch this one on YouTube as video playback on websites is disabled by the copyright owner. Select / touch 'Watch on YouTube' below. Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 Quincy Jones Music - One of a Kind

    • Review
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 11/07/2024

    Quincy Jones was one of a kind. These albums represent just a handful of his amazing work through the years. In June, 2006 I shared a review of the Quincy Jones autobiography, Q written by Jazzscript.co.uk. Check it out on our Powerhouse Radio website. Quincy Jones Musical genius Quincy Jones (1933 - 2024) was born in Chicago. He studied music at Seattle University and at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Jones wore many successful hats as a musical director, film scorer, composer, musician, producer, conductor, arranger, and record company executive. He played and toured with Ray Charles, Lionel Hampton, and Dizzy Gillespie. Jones scored over 50 films. His first film score was "The Pawnbroker," in 1963. He won numerous Grammy Awards for his many years of creative work. Jones produced albums for the very best, including Michael Jackson. Besides winning Grammy Awards, Quincy Jones produced the actual network presentation on television of this music awards program. Bio courtesy of BlackHistoryPeople.com. Community Reentry Book Discussion Besides reading a lot of music books, memoirs, and biographies, within the last two years I became very interested in books about community reentry and justice. These manuscripts reveal shocking stories about the USA justice system. With so much gun violence across America, especially in big cities, I felt the need to look for solutions in the right places and offer some help. One of the specific things I do is donate financially to a Philadelphia organization that works with young African American men between 18 - 34 to open up their world to other options and possibilities beyond gun violence. The group has recently expanded their reach to younger teens. After all, when so many fifteen year-olds are packing firearms, the youngest in our society need the outreach too. I also joined a community reentry book discussion group. Our circle tackled the books below in 2024 reading and discussing various perspectives. My top picks are Yuseff Salaam's Better, Not Bitter and Monique Couvson's Pushout. The Second Chance Club by Jason Hardy is also very good. Jason was a New Orleans, Louisiana probation and parole officer. Hardy's stories reveal an up close and personal connection with New Orleans men and women who have been under the thumb of "The Big Easy" justice system. All of these books are really worth your read. Try one or all of them in the new year.      Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 From Reel-to-Reel Tape Machine to Digital Audio Glory

    • Audio
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 10/24/2024

    Now, you only see these things in movies! When I put the Powerhouse Radio website back online in 2021, I needed a reel-to-reel machine to digitize old audio tape reels and cassettes so you could hear some magical history. This beautifully refurbished, vintage Teac 3300 - 10.5 inch reel wonder arrived in New Jersey from California in late 2024. Before this machine, I had an Akai X-200D - 7 inch (only) reel-to-reel that I acquired off eBay in 2021. As a teenager, I used a Lafayette RK 710 solid state reel-to-reel tape recorder to sample the best of AM & FM broadcasting. I mention this machine in my Powerhouse Radio Book (see my author website for book details). Does it Work? When I took the Teac 3300 out of the box, I wanted to test it immediately to check if the seller's promise of a refurbished machine was an honest evaluation. In the picture are two MacBooks: a MacBook Pro and a MacBook Air. I plugged the Teac 3300 into a small amplifier, then into a small mixing console that is  primarily used out in the field. Two mini speakers were plugged into the amplifier. Everything worked perfectly. No audio distortion from this reel-to-reel dinosaur. Mechanically it is solid. Aesthetically the look is pristine. The box was Grandma tested for dirt. It has a super clean gleam!   As a warning, if you need to hunt for a used reel-to-reel recorder, make sure you do your research and vet carefully what you are attempting to purchase. Usually, look for these: Lots of well shot pictures of the item A very long detailed description Full disclosure about any defects! Many positive reviews about the seller If all pass the smell test, I'm sure you'll get a boost in the trust factor for the possible transaction. How is Digitizing Done? Audio or musical features will jump from the tape / audio machines, possibly with the help of a mixing console, into the computer domain of MP3, MP4, or WAV files. WIFI can be used for some transfers. Most of the time cables get the job done, along with digital editing software for audio or video. We offer the produced versions when you hear or see them online! Thankfully, I did not have to return this 40 pound Teac 3300 machine back to California, but anyway, I saved the box it came in. Lucky me!  Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 Frankie Beverly, Philly, and the Musical Success of Maze

    • Video
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 09/18/2024

    Frankie Beverly formed the group Maze in Philadelphia, PA. The core members were Frankie Beverly, (vocals and guitar), Wayne Thomas (guitar), Sam Porter (keyboards), Roame Lowry (percussion), Robin Duhe (bass), and Michael White (drums). Other musicians would also join during the Maze journey. Time spent in the San Francisco/Oakland area in 1971 contributed to Beverly's unique blend of urban R&B. Frankie's legacy is his smooth, modern, soulful sound, presented through the context of a guitar and keyboard driven band. In this video, I honor Frankie Beverly's musical contribution, while noting his passing in 2024. Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 André Gardner - Philly Radio Professional and Legend

    • Radio
    • by Kingsley H. Smith
    • 08/14/2024

      André Gardner (left) is a great broadcast friend. The photo of us was taken in August, 2023. In glory days, we shared the mic at three Philadelphia FM stations (WIFI 92, WSNI 104.5, and WZGO 106). André is a class act, a first class guy, and knows more about the class of The Beatles than just about anyone. Bonus: check out my Soul of the Beatles expose'. November 24 update: Radio is a tough business. André and 102.9 WMGK Philly (his most recent station) have parted ways. Not his choice. Super consolidation is a reality today across many jobs where employees are losing gigs because of downsizing and automation. Despite this, I congratulate André who in November became a member of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame! Oh my, the irony of life! All the best my friend. Previous Post | Next Post

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