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    0 Buddy Miles Interview: Pop, Soul, or Progressive Rock?

    Buddy Miles was a musician who was often criticized for skating on a fault line, juggling a delicate balance between his love for rock and R&B. Miles did have two hits on the Billboard R&B charts during his career. With this serious dalliance, embracing a tightrope walking between and on both genres, Buddy eventually got his props in the world of soul. Not so much for rock. "Rockin' and Rollin' On the Streets of Hollywood" peaked at #33 R&B during 1975, and the much better "Them Changes" crested at #36 R&B in 1970. I've written quite a bit about Buddy Miles. I highly recommend the Buddy Miles Tribute Obituary I penned when he passed in 2008. Before his untimely death, I almost had a second opportunity to interview him! The backstory is in the obit. For the first time, I've created a YouTube video featuring my only interview with Buddy Miles at The Bottom Line, when he appeared at the club in New York City with the Electric Flag.  This video replaces the audio only version that has lived on Powerhouseradio.com for an extended period of time. That version is now sunset. Read the obit piece. Follow the link above for much more background, then view: Who Was Buddy Miles Listen to or watch our interview with Buddy Miles on YouTube and enjoy. Touch the picture below to go to YouTube. Three Minutes, 45 seconds. Bonus: Watch a really quick 90 second interview I did at the Indie Authors Book Fair held in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Saturday August 9, 2025.   Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 Blues Image Interview: Ride Captain Ride

    There's a lot on your mind when three players from an up and coming band walk into your radio program soon after you've just turned 18 years old. That was my situation as a college freshman at New York University.  Ride Captain Ride Striding out of the Loeb Student Center elevator and into the radio station studio, WNYU AM, was bassist Malcolm Jones, conga player Joe Lala, and organist Skip Konte of Blues Image. The band was in New York City for an appearance at Ungano's Club on 70th Street in Manhattan. It's April 1, 1970! Blues Image had a contemporary rock hit, Ride Captain Ride, that would eventually peak at #4 on the Billboard pop charts by July. How nervous was I with only 3 months of amateur experience? Very. At one point, the conversation slipped into a jovial acknowledgement of my plentiful use of the filler word  'um!' After awhile, as if on cue, all four of us adlibbed a vocal harmonic 'um' in unison as if we were kindred spirits! The band members could relate. I didn't tell them that this was my first interview with multiple guests, and only my second interview ever! From audio only to audio plus video I'll admit that there have been four different versions of my audio only Blues Image interview posted in the Powerhouse Radio archive section of the website. You may not want to hear the original 40 minute version that included three different songs from Blues Image's 1970 album "Open." That version was never posted. I had to trim the songs to save time. The 'um' chant segment had to go too! The first edited version was 11 minutes, 25 seconds The second edited version was 8 minutes, 38 seconds The third edited version was 7 minutes, 43 seconds The fourth, current (new) and final version is 6 minutes, 12 seconds I've sunset the audio only versions, but happily version four of the Blues Image interview by Kingsley H Smith is posted on YouTube (You'll go to YouTube). Follow the highlighted link. I newly recorded many of my questions on video to rescue you from hearing my inexperienced teenager audio meandering. The guys did a great job presenting an interesting profile about Blues Image. They expressed thoughtful music scene opinions about the current state of performing in the new decade. Enjoy!   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 Art Blakey Interview - Jazz Is?

    Art Blakey has a lot to say about music and the electronic influences diluting the genre he loves in this audio interview recorded 13 years before his passing. I learn why Art Blakey thinks there is an important connection between our ears and the craft of jazz. You know I was thrilled to talk to this jazz legend live on-air during my broadcasting journey through Atlantic City, New Jersey radio. Definitely check this one out! Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 AWB - Average White Band Interview - Pick Up The Pieces Interview

    Average White Band - AWB were the real deal. While a student at New York University, I interviewed AWB members Hamish Stuart and Molly Duncan live on WNYU FM radio right after the first AWB Atlantic Records album was released. It was one of the first USA interviews by the Average White Band. It's 1974! AWB was in New York City to appear at the Bottom Line music venue. Enjoy! Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 Harvey Mason Sr Talks Marching in the Street

    Drummer Harvey Mason Sr. was 28, and I was 24, when we chatted up a storm live on-air in the WUSS 1490 AM Atlantic City radio studios. We discussed the life of a studio musician, growing up in the shore resort, and the release of Harvey’s first solo album, Marching in the Street. The conversation happened on a chilly, January day in 1976. In 2024, you can say that Harvey humbly reflects a persona of understated confidence. It goes without saying that you need a lot of talent to sustain a '50 year plus career.' In the video you’ll learn how the teenage Harvey played with his home town musical group while he matured in Atlantic City, New Jersey, before going on to be one of the most requested players for studio sessions among the greats. I had only been at WUSS for fourteen months, in what was my first full-time on-air gig. My entire story is in the highly rated audiobook, eBook, and paperback Powerhouse Radio: Rough Roads, Radiance, and Rebirth available at Amazon and other online retailers. Experience, Credentials, Expertise If you are not impressed by the artist shout-outs you'll hear in the video, check out this incredible list of Harvey Mason artist credits on his website. Harvey Mason Sr. attended Berklee, one of the leading institutions for music, dance, and theater study. He graduated from the New England Conservatory. Here's my nine minute and change, exchange with the amazing Harvey Mason. Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 Art Blakey Interview

    Art Blakey with his Jazz Messengers had an amazing career. Anyone who was anybody played with Blakey during the golden era of the art form. He showcased and featured fresh talent who were on the way up. How many albums did Art record? If you counted one per day each day consecutively you'd still be counting for several months! Thirteen years before he passed in 1990, I was lucky enough to sit down and talk with him at radio station WUSS AM in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Enjoy! Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 Jerry Butler Ice Man Interview

    You'll love what Jerry Butler is cooking up in this classic conversation I had with him at radio station WSSJ AM, Camden, New Jersey just outside of Philadelphia. In 2023 we finally added it to YouTube with some visual dynamite. Our chat is an upgrade to the audio only version that lived in our Powerhouse Radio Archive. Butler had four number one songs on the Billboard R&B Charts: "He Will Break Your Heart" 1960 "Let It Be Me" 1964 "Hey, Western Union Man" 1968 "Only The Strong Survive" 1969 His career was rejuvenated in the late 1970s - early 1980s when he recorded for Philadelphia International Records, and on his own label as you'll hear in my conversation with him. Watch the Jerry Butler audio interview on YouTube. Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 Ledisi Speaks From The Soul

    • Interview
    • by Kingsley H. Smith and guest
    • 08/22/2017

    I've been a big fan of Ledisi since 2008 after writing about and listening to her holiday album in the update Ledisi Lifts Christmas Up with Musical Style. The New Orleans native has a lot to say in this brief six minute interview with the purveyors of You Know I Got Soul. She talks about the state of R&B music, her impressions of fan feedback, and gets us excited about a new album that she is about to drop. You can watch her thoughts below, and read the entire transcript of the conversation at Ledisi Interview: New Album "Let Love Rule", Evolving Sound, Having Fun With R&B at You Know I Got Soul. Previous Post | Next Post

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    0 Jerry Butler: The Ice Man Cometh and More

      Jerry Butler The Philadelphia Sessions (CD) are 24 soulful tracks from two albums The Ice Man Cometh and Ice On Ice featuring all songs produced by Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff. Butler was born in Sunflower, Mississippi right before World War II. He migrated to Chicago eventually singing with his Windy City friend Curtis Mayfield in the late 1950s. Jerry was an original member of The Impressions. Gamble & Huff had a huge impact on Jerry Butler's career with The Ice Man Cometh and Ice On Ice. Ice On Ice includes "A Brand New Me", the Gamble - Huff - Thom Bell song that Butler delivers in a spirited but slightly understated way (when compared to the Aretha Franklin and Dusty Springfield cover versions). Listen to 35 seconds of Jerry Butler singing "A Brand New Me." Your browser does not support the audio element. Butler's voice blends well with the Philly sound keyboard and strings arrangement. This element separates Jerry's rendering from the alternate approaches taken by both Aretha and Dusty.   The Very Best of Jerry Butler is also a solid collection of 11 hit songs including the classic "Ain't Understanding Mellow" duet with Brenda Lee Eager that is not included on either The Ice Man Cometh or Ice On Ice.   The Ice Man Cometh, Ice On Ice, and The Very Best of Jerry Butler are all perfect resources to hear the polished soul of "the Ice Man." Turn on your audio and listen to my 1982 interview with Jerry Butler.   Previous Post | Next Post

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