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- Flashback
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 04/18/2007
We've been featuring interesting magazine covers from my personal magazine archive on recent consecutive Wednesdays. Today is the 5th of a 5 part series with an October/November 1980 cover of Blues & Soul saluting Philadelphia International Records. It's a TSOP Philly Flashback. I have removed the names of some of the artists from the lower left-hand panel. Can you identify all 10 artists on the cover? 2021 Update: Contest is over and we selected a winner. If you can, we'd like to reward you, (a true 'Philly Sound' lover), with some Memphis soul! The first person to name all 10 artists on this cover will win a copy of the new 2 CD set, Stax 50th Anniversary Celebration. Leave your guess in a comment. All 10 artists must be named in the same comment. This is Magazine Flashback part 5 of 5 See Magazine Flashback part 1 of 5 See Magazine Flashback part 2 of 5 See Magazine Flashback part 3 of 5 See Magazine Flashback part 4 of 5 ----- Previous Post | Next Post
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0 TLC Cops CrazySexyCool Crown
- Flashback
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 03/27/2007
When Atlanta, Georgia based TLC first hit the music scene in 1992 with their spirited "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg," the track sampled Kool & the Gang, James Brown, Bob James, AWB, and Silver Convention. Despite the generous "borrowing" on their debut, Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas went on to become the dominant female R&B/hip-hop trio in the 1990s. 1995's "Waterfalls" topped the pop charts at #1 for seven weeks. Even though the album Waterfalls sold over nine million copies, TLC still ended up filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy because of legal and financial problems. In 2002, at the age of 30, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez was killed in an automobile accident. Salt-N-Pepa passed the baton to TLC, (who handed it off to Destiny's Child). Each trio in the timeline redefined new benchmarks for success, eventually surpassing their predecessor. Forty years after the Supremes, strong, powerful, sexy, and independent women continue to capture the imagination of music fans. Previous Post | Next Post
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0 B.B. King and Friends Bust a Bluesy Movie Move
- Flashback
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 02/28/2007
In 1998, B.B. King and friends recorded a masterful piece of R&B/blues/pop under the stage name "Louisiana Gator Boys." The all-star performance was featured in the movie Blues Brothers 2000, and on one song, showcased King, Dr. John, Lou Rawls, Eric Clapton, Grover Washington Jr., Bo Diddley, Clarence Clemons, Billy Preston, Koko Taylor, and several others. The Blues Brothers first film project was released in 1979, and featured performance roles/songs from numerous stars including James Brown, Chaka Khan, Ray Charles, and the legendary John Lee Hooker. Trivia question answer: Aretha Franklin is featured in both Blues Brothers movies, singing "Think," in The Blues Brothers, and "Respect" in Blues Brothers 2000. Previous Post | Next Post
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0 Earth, Wind & Fire Flashback
- Flashback
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 05/24/2006
This official photo, taken five years ago, is from the Earth, Wind & Fire 2001 cool blue tour. Foreground left to right, "Mr. Electricity," Verdine White, Ralph Johnson, and Phillip Bailey. Check out my complete review of Earth Wind & Fire's 30th Anniversary Concert, together with their special guest, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan. Previous Post | Next Post
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0 Funky Forty for Janet Jackson
- Flashback
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 05/17/2006
May 16, 1966, 40 years ago, all for you, Janet Jackson took control of her crib, as the last sibling born into the famous Jackson clan. A cherubic child prodigy, sister J. conquered the boob tube at age 10 as an actor on Good Times. She also graced the television screen on the series Different Strokes, and Fame. Sixteen year old "Miss Jackson," (if you're nasty), released her first album in... 1982 - Janet Jackson 1984 - Dream Street 1986 - Control 1987 - Control Remixes 1989 - Rhythm Nation 1814 1993 - Janet 1995 - Janet Remixed 1997 - The Velvet Rope 2001 - All For You 2004 - Damita Jo Control was Janet's first big success, masterminded by producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (formerly of the Time). Jam and Lewis are back, producing Janet's new 2006 release, as she "celebrates 20 years of Control." Look for new songs in May and June. Although I've seen Michael with The Jacksons live once, my only chance so far to attend a Janet concert slipped away after she got ill before a tour scheduled to land in Philadelphia, and I never got to use the tickets. Can J. get her music career back into high gear? If Madonna can re-invent herself, so can Janet. Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis did wonders for 2005's Illumination by Earth, Wind, & Fire, so I'd bet on Miss Jackson, and you should too (if you're nasty). Previous Post | Next Post
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0 U Can't Touch This - MC Hammer all the Time
- Flashback
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 04/19/2006
There's nothing like the excitement of a large arena concert, with 18,000 plus fans dancing themselves into delirium. Such was the case at one of the strongest live shows I attended in the 1990's: Hammer at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Still known as "MC" back then, his electrifying and costly stage show rocked the big apple with "a cast of thousand" homeboy and homegirl dancers, extras, and hanger-on's. He had so many people on stage during his show, it was a visual blizzard keeping up with all the dancing and theatrical action. For the long haul, the expensive payroll of such a production proved too much to sustain. Today, Hammer is still showing us all those fancy moves, but now, he's doing it through the gift of online gab. If you're ready for Hammer in the morning, Hammer in the evening, Hammer all the time, then prepare yourself for the non-stop MC Hammer Blog experience. By the way, the former bat boy for the Oakland A's is doing his thing for Major League baseball too. It's home run Hammer time, slamming the online banter out of the park, faster than a super homeboy from the Oaktown. Hammer is too legit to quit. Previous Post | Next Post