0 10 Soulful Valentine Hits for the Heart

• Songs
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 02/14/2007

Some time ago, Michael Henderson wrote a magnificent and timeless song, "Valentine Love." On his solo album, Solid, Michael slows the tempo and sings the song (by himself) as a straight forward love song. In a duet with Jean Carn on the collection Norman Connors Saturday Night Special, "Valentine Love" is given a slightly quicker tempo, with Michael looking for forgiveness from the main lady in his life: Valentine Love Lyrics by Michael Henderson: I'm sending you a valentine in hopes that you're still mine and if that valentine doesn't reach you it's ok Now it's not as bad like you though it would be Come on baby, take my heart. I love you still and I always will be yours be yours yours yours yours I'm so in love with you I'm sending you this valentine in hopes that you're still mine and if that valentine doesn't reach you it's ok I can't make up your mind for you just have patience, that's all you can do I love you still, and I always will be yours be yours, I'm so in love with you (Michael's version only) I'm on my knees begging you back baby there's nothing I wont do there's nothing, there's nothing Michael won't do (Michael's version only) If I could only hold you in my arms again I'm so in love with you There nothing your baby won't do If I could just? Hold me I'm in love I'm sending you this valentine I'm sending you this valentine I'm sending you this valentine I'm in Love ---------- Here are my "10 favorite soulful R&B valentine hits for the heart" ranked in order: "Just as Long as We Have Love" Spinners with Dionne Warwick "I'll Try Something New" Smokey Robinson "I've Got So Much to Give" Barry White "Love's Holiday" Earth Wind & Fire "Always" Atlantic Starr "Lady Love" Lou Rawls "All This Love" Patti Labelle (originally by DeBarge) "Tonight I Celebrate My Love" Roberta Flack and Peabo Bryson "Give Me Your Love" Curtis Mayfield "Valentine Love" Norman Connors (featuring Michael Henderson and Jean Carn) Happy Valentine's Day. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Grammy Award Winners a Mixed Bag

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 02/12/2007

Grammy night was a mixed bag with the Dixie Chicks walking away with five awards, Red Hot Chili Peppers taking four, and Mary J. Blige cashing in three. Best acceptance speech: Ludacris (for best rap album), who thanked everyone but his pizza delivery person. Most surprised winner: Stevie Wonder with Tony Bennett for their duet "For Once in My Life." Stevie seemed completely surprised. Most unusual performance: a tie between Gnarls Barkley who sang "Crazy," and Christina Aguilera, who tried on James Brown's "It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World" for size. This show tries to be something for everybody. As a result, the prime time television broadcast blacks out many contemporary categories lots of people are interested in. Considerable time is taken up acknowledging lifetime achievement honorees, at the expense of spotlighting more current talent (in the Grammy Award winners circle). You get some brilliant moments of live performance from many of the artists as the main payoff for watching this show. Overall, it's hit or miss for consistent show-stopping. If you like the artist, you'll probably like their performance. Last week, I made a few predictions in the R&B category?   1) My pick: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "Be Without You" Mary J. Blige, The Breakthrough. The winner: Mary J. Blige   2) My pick: Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: "I Call it Love" Lionel Richie, Coming Home. The winner: "Heaven" John Legend   3) My pick: Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals: "Everyday (Family Reunion)" Chaka Khan, Gerald Levert, Yolanda Adams & Carl Thomas, Madea's Family Reunion. The Winner: "Family Affair" Sly & the Family Stone, John Legend, Joss Stone with Van Hunt   4) My pick: Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: "I Found My Everything" Mary J. Blige featuring Raphael Saadiq, The Breakthrough. Winner: "God Bless the Child" George Benson & Al Jarreau featuring Jill Scott (my alternate pick, really more jazz than traditional R&B)   5) My pick: Best R&B Song: "Be Without You" Mary J. Blige, The Breakthrough. Winner: Mary J. Blige   6) My pick: Best R&B Album: The Breakthrough Mary J. Blige. Winner: Mary J. Blige   7) My pick: Best Contemporary R&B Album: B'Day Beyonce' Winner: Beyonce'   Previous Post | Next Post

0 7 R&B Grammy Award Picks

• Commentary
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 02/08/2007

The 49th Annual Grammy Awards will be held this Sunday, February 11, 2007, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Here are my quick picks for possible winners in the R&B category. Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "Be Without You" Mary J. Blige, The Breakthrough Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: "I Call it Love" Lionel Richie, Coming Home Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals: "Everyday (Family Reunion)" Chaka Khan, Gerald Levert, Yolanda Adams & Carl Thomas, Madea's Family Reunion Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: "I Found My Everything" Mary J. Blige featuring Raphael Saadiq, The Breakthrough Best R&B Song: "Be Without You" Mary J. Blige, The Breakthrough Best R&B Album: The Breakthrough Mary J. Blige Best Contemporary R&B Album: B'Day Beyonce' Check back on Monday, February 12, to see if I have any psychic abilities. I don't think I'll be too embarrassed, because the 2007 Grammy Awards will be the year of Mary J. Blige. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Spinners Lose Vocalist Billy Henderson

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 02/06/2007

Spinners vocalist Billy Henderson, an original group member, passed away last Friday of complications from diabetes in Daytona Beach, Florida. He was 67. Henderson left the Spinners in 2004 after suing the group's corporation and business manager to obtain financial records. Four of the original Spinners performed together until recently. Spinners Live is a very good double album, featuring the rare duet with writer Linda Creed behind the mic on the classic soul hit, "Then Came You." Dionne Warwick sang the original duet with the group. The Spinners cut their teeth at Motown. "It's a Shame" was their one big Motor City hit for the label. Take another look at the official Spinners biography at their website for colorful career highlights. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Prince Electrifies Big Game without getting Electrocuted

• Commentary
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 02/05/2007

Two thumbs up to Prince for his electrifying halftime performance during a pouring rain at Super Bowl 41. He looked good, sang with spirit, played with energy, and gave one of the best Super Bowl halftime performances ever. Playing by the rules and delivering his hits clicked for pure entertainment. No suprises for the censors, although the sequence of a silhouetted Prince with his Purple Rain guitar behind a wind blown curtain got suggestive if you were watching carefully, will the halftime performer next year at Super Bowl 42 be able to top Prince? Previous Post | Next Post

0 Kool & the Gang Launch World Tour

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 02/01/2007

Fans in Italy, St. Vincent, Norway, and the USA will be able to catch the energy of Kool & the Gang during their extended 2007 world tour. Always exciting, I've never been disappointed at one of their shows. Here's the complete Kool & the Gang tour schedule featuring public and private dates. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Prince Salutes James Brown at Super Bowl 41

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 01/30/2007

Look for Prince to step lightly but brightly during the halftime show at Super Bowl 41 this Sunday, February 4. During his set, Mr. "Purple Rain" is scheduled to include a tribute to James Brown. One of the funkiest Prince hits is "Sexy M.F.," a vamp that borrows heavily from the style of soul brother number one. Don't expect Prince to perform it, as the censors would have a field day hitting the bleep button. (The halftime show will be on a slight broadcast time-delay). We play a unique version of "Sexy M.F." on Powerhouse Radio that even your grandmother could enjoy. Like the Rolling Stones who performed last year, Prince is a non-conformist, who can offer up some spontaneous, unpredictable moves. Given the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" incident in 2004, you can bet Prince will take the high road during the middle of the big game and keep things rated G. Check out the Super Bowl halftime show. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Al Green Cooks up Definitive Classic Soul

• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 01/25/2007

Capitol Records EMI has just released Al Green: The Definitive Greatest Hits on both CD and DVD. The DVD adds six film and video clips, including TV performances from 1971, 1978 and 2004. Before you scan through the 21 tracks we list on this new collection, here are 4 powerful Al Green "extras" I recommend for any serious "jolly Green giant" fan. "I'm a Ram" from Gets Next to You "Light My Fire" from Gets Next to You "Are You Lonely for me Baby" from Gets Next to You "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" from Let's Stay Together Al Green Gets Next to You, released in 1971, may be his best album, as it emphasizes the grittiest aspects of his Memphis funk soul (with no pun intended). Both "I'm a Ram" and "Are You Lonely for me Baby" showcase Green's raw Southern soul style with some slick horn arrangements courtesy of producer Willie Mitchell. "Light My Fire" is a terrific interpretation of the Doors classic, as it's sung by Al in a slower bluesy delivery accented by an understated pulsating rhythm. As Green progressed in his career, his hits were produced with a more mass appeal sound. You won't hear the harder edge. Al's cover of "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" is a great example. "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" also appears on the R&B compilation CD, Soul of the Bee Gees featuring Gibb brother songs sung by Candi Staton, Chaka Khan, Melba Moore, Jerry Butler, Thelma Houston, and others. Here are the tracks on Al Green: The Definitive Greatest Hits... Let's Stay Together Tired Of Being Alone Take Me To The River I'm Still In Love With You Look What You Done For Me Here I Am (Come & Take Me) Love & Happiness Keep Me Cryin' Call Me (Come Back Home) Livin' For You Let's Get Married Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy) L-O-V-E (Love) You Ought To Be With Me Oh Me, Oh My (Dreams In My Arms) Full Of Fire Back Up Train - (with The Soul Mates) I Can't Get Next To You Belle I Can't Stop Perfect To Me There's no argument that Al Green is one of the best "soul" singers of all time. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, and he deserves to be there. Previous Post | Next Post

0 New Diana Ross Covers Old Hit Parade

• Review
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 01/23/2007

Diana Ross steps back on stage this March to kick off a new world tour. Until then, she'll have a great promotional opportunity as a mentor on Fox TV's American Idol. We've been playing 5 tracks on Powerhouse Radio from her new release, I Love You, (since the CD was released on January 16). Listeners have the ability to vote on the tracks, and based on your rating numbers, you generally like Diana's take on these 5 songs from among the dozen old classics she tackles. Here's the scorecard up until today (based on a scale of poor to excellent): "Lovely Day" - good "More Today Than Yesterday" - good "The Look of Love" - good "Only You" - good "I Want You" - so so Here's a list of all of the Diana Ross I Love You tracks. More on I Love You in the January 24, 2007 Powerhouse Radio Newsletter. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Brian McKnight Touches Ten with Time

• Biography
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 01/18/2007

Brian McKnight has been making music since 1991. The first time he entered a recording studio, he says he was motivated "to pick-up where Marvin Gaye left off." That's an inspiring comment from a young man who wants to continue the elegant tradition of smooth classic soul. The Buffalo, New York native, born on June 5, 1969, is also aware of the changing nature of rhythm and blues today. He notes in his official biography that "the landscape of soul music has gotten younger." Despite this reality, Brian adds "I believe my material will appeal to everyone from teenagers to older folks." With this challenge in mind, comes Ten, a new release from Brian on Warner Brothers Records, his first for the label. "Used to Be My Girl" is getting a big push from the album. As the ladies can tell you, Brian McKnight has mastered the softer side of soul. Ten maintains his dominance within this genre. To learn more about Brian's secret formula for success, the official Brian McKnight biography (on his website) tells all. Previous Post | Next Post