0 The Queen of Sugar Hill Records: Sylvia Robinson

• Video
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 09/15/2017

It's good to be "The Queen" when you have the reputation of being one in the music business! Sylvia "Vanderpool" (1936 – 2011) had her first number one R&B song ("Love Is Strange") in 1956 as part of the vocal duo Mickey and Sylvia. She became singer/songwriter/producer Mrs. Sylvia Robinson after marrying Joe Robinson, owner of All-Platinum/Vibration Records. All Platinum eventually became Sugar Hill Records. Sylvia had another number one R&B hit in 1973 with "Pillow Talk." In 1974 her "Sweet Stuff" song peaked at number 4 on the R&B charts. By the end of the decade, Sylvia concentrated on harvesting the fresh young sound of the exploding, hip-hopping, street beat rap pioneers. These impresarios put Sugar Hill Records on the map. 1979's "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugar Hill Gang peaked at number 4 R&B giving the label an early hip-hop hit. In the video below you’ll see a few more noteworthy records by Sugar Hill artists. 60 seconds of Sylvia's "It's Good To Be The Queen" is featured in the label montage. "The Queen" throws down some amusing bougie lyrics. You know it's worth a laugh, so enjoy! Previous Post | Next Post

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

0 Mercy Mercy Me: Carlos Santana and The Isley Brothers

• Audio
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 07/23/2017

Back to 1969, the year both of these albums Santana and The Brothers Isley were dropped into the market! I've stacked them on top of each other before taking this shot. On The Brothers Isley you see left to right Rudolph, O'Kelly, and lead vocalist Ronald. Fast forward forty-eight years later, and now we experience Santana and the surviving brother of the original trio Ronald Isley (with Ernie Isley) teaming up to sing Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me." Their version is different and contemporary with a close that tips the hat to Marvin. Listen to Carlos Santana & The Isley Brothers sing Mercy Mercy Me from their album Power of Peace as featured by NPR. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Jerry Butler: The Ice Man Cometh and More

• Interview
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 06/17/2017

  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

0 The 20 Best Stax Records Songs

• Songs
• by Kingsley H. Smith and guest
• 05/29/2017

  I can't recommend enough Robert Gordon's excellent book Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the Soul Explosion. Robert takes you into "The Spirit of Memphis," the California dreamin' of Wattstax, and the buffet of "Green Onions" from Booker T. Jones (and supporting cast). Above is a photo I took of Booker T. Jones in April, 2011 at a private performance in Washington, D.C. To catch up on the song history of Stax Records and the staying power of the label's music, see our Stax 50 Delivers Classic Soul Grand Slam Hits. What are the 20 Best Stax Records Songs of all time? The Paste Magazine staff has selected their choices. Their picks are almost perfect. You might guess who is at number one and number two. Scan through the list at the Paste Magazine website. Celebrate 60 years of Stax! You can bet the two guys on Robert Gordon's book cover below made the list, but at what number? Find out! Previous Post | Next Post

0 The Mothership Lands In Washington DC at NMAAHC

• Photo
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 04/05/2017

Parliaments, Parliament, and Parliament / Funkadelic. All three names correctly identify phases of Mr. "Atomic Dog" George Clinton's musical career. A career that would grow extraordinarily big carrying along the baggage of a sizable supporting cast of characters. After seeing MC Hammer's show at Madison Square Garden in New York City in the early 1990's, I thought the Hammer-time on-stage posse was bloated but he couldn't touch this: the scale of Clinton's P-Funk funkateers. According to author Marc Taylor in A Touch of Classic Soul 2, The Late 1970s "It was costing George Clinton $150,000 a week to keep his 88-man entourage of singers, musicians, and crew on the road." I highly recommend Taylor's history of P-Funk for more insider revelations.  Here's one non-human member of the Parliament / Funkadelic show that's found a home in The National Museum of African American History & Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington, DC. The Mothership. I took both of these photos below during a visit to the museum in February. Clinton's Mothership from Mothership Connection fame is flanked by effigies of George on the left, and Bootsy Collins on the right. Long live the sound of Parliament / Funkadelic. Can you handle hearing George Clinton & His Gangsters of Love sing a Barry White song (featuring Clinton and El DeBarge) in our review of his 2008 album?   Previous Post | Next Post

0 Leon Ware: Motown Producer - Artist R.I.P.

• Audio
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 03/01/2017

Marvin Gaye's passionate "I Want You" and propositional "After The Dance" were major hits produced by the talented tune weaver Leon Ware. He co-wrote/produced Michael Jackson's 1972 #2 R&B hit "I Wanna Be Where You Are." Ware passed away on February 23 at age 77. When you orchestrate Motown hits, you get a chance to record your own records. Ware got the chance and had quite a few albums released. None of them were stand-outs. The one you see below is favorably rated among his solo catalog. Sonically Ware's voice lacked the sensuous primal passion of Marvin Gaye who Ware helped guide to the top. However, as a singer, Leon gave it his best. Your browser does not support the audio element. Listen to 88 seconds of "Learning How To Love You" from Leon Ware's rare 1976 Gordy label album "Musical Massage." It's the only Leon Ware album I have in our archive. This was a promotional copy given to me by Motown. Below is a photo of Ware from the back of the album, along with the front cover. "Musical Massage" featured Ware's version of "Body Heat," a song he co-wrote with Quincy Jones. "Turn Out The Light," the final song on the record was co-written by Ware, Minnie Riperton, and Richard Rudolph. Previous Post | Next Post

0 The Curtis Mayfield Story

• Audio
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 01/24/2017

From the Powerhouse Radio Archive Listen to the PowerhouseRadio.com production of The Curtis Mayfield Story featuring Curtis that I wrote, narrated, produced, and edited. 10 minutes, 13 seconds Your browser does not support the audio element. You can also read much more about Curtis Mayfield in the archive courtesy of The Buddah Group. It is an excellent synopsis of his early career. 2022 Bonus: In the video below I reveal the original "Superfly" Press Kit from our library. Check it out! Previous Post | Next Post

0 Miss Sharon Jones!

• Video
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 08/25/2016

I was so sad to learn about the passing of Sharon Jones. It wasn't a long timespan between my discovery of her as a new rising star and her untimely demise from cancer. Her gritty soulful songs have the bite of emotion you just can't ignore. Here's the the trailer from the new documentary about her life: Previous Post | Next Post

0 10 Classic Soul Songs To Enjoy

• Songs
• by Kingsley H. Smith and guest
• 07/20/2016

9 out of 10 ain't bad. Rob Patterson has an excellent selection of what he calls "10 Totally Cool Classic Rock/Soul Songs." His inclusion of 'classic rock' in the title is generous. Let's face it. Classic rock radio stations and online streams usually don't play any Black artists whether their sound fits or not. That's just the truth. Also, I disagree with his song pick for Aretha Franklin. You can understand why he passed on the obvious song choice. That would be too predictable. Read Rob's "10 Totally Cool Classic Rock/Soul Songs" at Best Classic Bands and watch the YouTube videos. Reminisce, remember, or reach for something new (if you are too young to have experienced them back in the day)! Previous Post | Next Post