0 The Jacksons are Joyful about New Icon Honor

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 10/09/2008

Performing Rights organization BMI represents more than 375,000 songwriters, composers, and publishers with more than 6.5 million works. At their September, 2008 Urban Music Awards in Los Angeles, the Jacksons were honored with the BMI Icon Award. Marlon, Tito, Janet, Jackie, & Randy Jackson (left to right). Where's Michael and Jermaine? (missing in action!) Here's a portion of what BMI's had to say about the Jacksons in capturing their tribute: "One of pop music's most influential quintets, The Jacksons blazed a trail for R&B and pop music, creating a sound and musical image that is emulated to this day." "Hailing from Gary, Indiana, and formed in 1966, the Jackson brothers' Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Michael and, joining in 1976, younger brother Randy were a true American success story, transcending race and redefining the sound of pop and R&B music." "They were the first group to have their first four singles hit number 1, and they remain one of the most globally influential pop and R&B groups in history." "The Jackson 5 were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997." Previous Post | Next Post

0 George Clinton & his Gangsters of Love

• Review
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 10/07/2008

In September, 2008, P-Funk fans received a new taste of "The Mothership Connection" in the guise of George Clinton and his Gangsters of Love. In full disclosure, I'm a big fan of the original Parliament-Funkadelic recordings. I have a combined mix of at least 9 of their very early individual vinyl albums. Somehow, the novelty of funkmaster George Clinton, the "One Nation Under A Groove" guy, recording a new CD of love songs seems out of character with his "Dr. Funkenstein" persona. Fear not. Clinton doesn't exactly create a Ronald Isley styled collection of standard chestnuts. Helped by a supporting cast, the tunes stay interesting. Lending their credibility are Carlos Santana, Sly Stone, El DeBarge, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and legendary Philadelphia producer/engineer Bobby Eli. Still, it's hard to take some of these covers seriously, but then, the original appeal of P-Funk mania was Clinton's zeal for fun and unpredictability. So get ready for several unconventional interpretations of Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, Ruby & The Romantics, The Four Tops, and others. Either George Clinton and his Gangsters of Love CD is genius, or the joke's on us. "Ain't That Peculiar"- (featuring El DeBarge/Sly Stone/The P-Funk All-Stars) "Never Gonna Give You Up" - (featuring El DeBarge) "Mathematics Of Love" - (featuring Kim Burrell) "Let The Good Times Roll" - (featuring Kim Manning/Red Hot Chili Peppers) "Pledging My Love" "Gypsy Woman" - (featuring El DeBarge/Carlos Santana) "It's All In The Game" - (featuring Belita Woods) "Heart Trouble" - (featuring Paul Hill) "Our Day Will Come" - (featuring Kendra Foster) "Sway" - (featuring Belita Woods) "A Thousand Miles Away" Hidden Track 1 Hidden Track 2 Hidden Track 3 Hidden Track 4 Those 4 hidden tracks feature collaborations with some folks who I guess didn't want their names plastered on the CD jewel case. Hidden Track 1, borrowing portions of the melody from "I'll be Good To You" by the Brothers Johnson, features a lively rap from guess who? The final 3 hidden tracks sound like outtakes to pad the CD. Your browser does not support the audio element. Listen to 1 minute & 12 seconds of Barry White's "Never Gonna Give You Up," featuring George Clinton and El DeBarge. Previous Post | Next Post

1 Aretha Returns with This Christmas 2008

• Christmas
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 10/02/2008

Aretha Franklin has recorded several Christmas songs throughout her career, but never a complete holiday album, until now. On Tuesday, October 14, 2008, This Christmas Aretha is scheduled to be released. The album is a joy. Aretha's magic is her unique ability to stamp her vocal personality on this material with trademark nuances of gospel, blues, and straight ahead soul. Every cut is a pleasure to listen to. It's hard to choose a favorite. This Christmas Aretha weaves a tone of tradition tying together the varied selections. The songs are a vibrant showcase for a style that only Ms. Franklin can serve up. Her pipes are still peppy with precision. Though she can't command some of the silky tonality of her younger years, there's no doubt that Aretha's voice still has plenty of pop to dominate these excellent arrangements. Aretha Franklin fans, old and new, will love This Christmas Aretha: "Angels We Have Heard On High" "This Christmas" "My Grown-Up Christmas List" "The Lord Will Make A Way" "Silent Night" "Ave Maria" "Christmas Ain't Christmas (Without The One You Love)" "Angels" "One Night with The King" "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" "T'was The Night Before Christmas" Here's Ms. Franklin signing copies of the This Christmas Aretha CD 'booklet insert' at Borders in Washington, DC (Monday, October 20, 2008) for hundreds of adoring fans (photo by Hugh Smith). Listen to 30 seconds of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" by the Queen of Soul, Aretha. Your browser does not support the audio element. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Ashford and Simpson Rise High

• Video
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 09/30/2008

Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson have written some of the best classic soul songs of all time. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" may be their best. I'm still holding out hope that I'll eventually get to see them perform live. Ashford & Simpson have had a strong solo career as performers. Valerie Simpson has also released her own albums. This is the front and back cover of their 1983 vinyl album, High-Rise Enjoy the "High-Rise" video on YouTube. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Cymande Rhythms from the Caribbean

• Audio
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 09/25/2008

Cymande has to be included in a long list of Caribbean music makers who have had their brief 15 minutes of fame. Some of the others include T-Connection "At Midnight," Beginning of the End "Funky Nassau," and Dave & Ansel Collins "Double Barrel." These groups hit the scene in the 1970's, but were never able to break through in a big way in the USA. Cymande, like Osibisa, does a good job of weaving Afro-Caribbean rhythms with jazz and R&B. This picture of Cymande is from their Second Time Round album. The guys in the band hail from such diverse ports of call as St. Vincent, Guyana, and Jamaica. Listen to 75 seconds of "Bra" from Cymande's debut album, Cymande. Your browser does not support the audio element. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Osibisa Rhythms from Africa

• Audio
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 09/23/2008

Long before the term "World Music" became popular, a band from Africa, Osibisa, carved out a slice of classic soul history by mixing Ghanaian rhythms, R&B, jazz, and rock. Since 1971, and over 20 albums later, Osibisa continues to please their international audience of fans. Listen to 2 minutes 13 seconds of "Sweet America," from Osibisa's 3rd release, Heads (this is the cover photo from the album in my collection). You'll hear Osibisa span the melodic bridge from Mandrill to Jethro Tull. Next time, we'll be check out Cymande, another band chock full of Afro-Caribbean rhythms. Your browser does not support the audio element. Previous Post | Next Post

3 Labelle is Back to Now with Roll Out

• Audio
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 09/18/2008

Sarah Dash, Nona Hendryx, and Patti LaBelle (left to right) are back in the game with Back To Now, a new Labelle album to be released on October 21, 2008. Lenny Kravitz, Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff, and Wyclef Jean share producing chores for the reunited songbirds. Nona notes that "working with both Lenny and Kenny & Leon was meant to be. I really think the music led us to the people who would understand the new Labelle credo 'back to now'." This new chapter of the Labelle story promises to deliver more of what the group is famous for: strong voices, provocative songs, and feminist themes. Nona adds "our new album is like going home and eating your Mom's cooking, if your Mom was a good cook, that is!" Sylvester's "You Make Me Feel Mighty Real," also reincarnated on Thelma Houston's A Woman's Touch from 2007, is back one more time featuring the mark of LaBelle. Sarah says "It ain't nothin' but a jam. It's gonna make you dance like a fool." Back to Now also features the Gamble & Huff 'message in the music' inspired "Tears For The World," of which Patti LaBelle says "it talks about all the things we want to change." It looks like the return of this pioneering trio will be a definite hit. Your browser does not support the audio element. Listen to 30 seconds of "Roll Out," the Wyclef Jean produced first single from Back To Now. 2021 Update: Poll removed. Thank you for voting! Please cast your vote from a low of 1 to a high of 5 (no page reload is necessary) and/or leave a comment with your thoughts about the track. I'll let you know what I think when I review the entire album. Previous Post | Next Post

0 The Brass Construction Skyy Connection

• Audio
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 09/16/2008

Many of the 1970's era classic soul bands were bulging with bodies, and the 9 man ensemble of Brass Construction is no exception. Keyboard, flute, timbale, percussion, and vocalist group member Randy Muller arranged the songs on their 1975 debut album, Brass Construction. Horns dominated much of soul during the golden age of R&B. Brass Construction is a great example of power funk blending guitars, brass, and percussion. "Movin'" and "Changin'" are perhaps the best Brass Construction tracks ever, both from their very first release. Brooklyn, New York's B.T. Express was influential in inspiring the sound of their New York City Borough brethren, Brass Construction. When the 1980's rolled around, Randy Muller continued to influence the sound of the new decade, producing and arranging several tracks for Skyy, (shown here), including their 1983 album, SkyyLight. Skyy's biggest hit was 1981's, "Call Me." Listen to 90 seconds plus of Brass Construction's "Peekin'," followed by "Show Me The Way" from Skyy. Your browser does not support the audio element. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Beyonce' Is Queen of Chess Movie & New Album

• Commentary
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 09/11/2008

Contemporary audiences know that Motown, Stax, Atlantic, and Philadelphia International Records provided a promotional gateway for what would later become the broad social acceptance of the beat of rhythm and blues. Take the R out of R&B, and the beaming B becomes a beacon for the relatively unknown shadowy story of the business of blues record labels. Leonard Chess was an entrepreneur who was in the right place at the right time during the day when blues was king. In the 1950's and 1960's, his Chicago based Chess Records is credited with launching the electrified careers of many blues artists. Etta James is one of them, and Beyonce' will star as Etta in Cadillac Records, a new movie coming soon about how Chess Records ruled the sound of electrified blues. Other notables in this flick include Mos Def, who plays Chuck Berry, and Cedric the Entertainer, who will portray bluesman Willie Dixon. 1968's Electric Mud, by blues icon Muddy Waters, is the sole Chess album in my personal collection. Muddy was cast in an unusual role on this record performing trendy psychedelic blues ditties. Although I enjoyed it, the album was universally panned, but it's a good example of how Chess Records tried to keep in step with the changing music tastes of the time. Beyonce' is one of the biggest stars in Cadillac Records. Her presence should drive interest into this historic record company (Chess). Jumping from the past to the present: on October 7, 2008, two new songs, "If I Were A Boy," and "Single Ladies" will be available to radio from Beyonce's forth coming third studio album, which will not be released by Music World Music/Columbia Records until Tuesday, November 18th. Beyonce' has co-written and co-produced all of the tracks on (as of this date) the untitled new album. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia

• Video
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 09/09/2008

Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia, is the most ambitious CD collection to date chronicling the amazing classic soul journey of R&B music innovators Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff. 71 songs are featured on the new 4 disk set, due for release at physical and digital retail outlets on Tuesday, October 21, 2008, via a partnership between Legacy Recordings and Philadelphia International Records. How is this anthology different from The Sound of Philadelphia: Gamble & Huff's Greatest Hits or Conquer the World: The Lost Soul of Philadelphia International Records, both released earlier this year? 33% of the tracks on this new record were never released on Philadelphia International Records! However, either Gamble & Huff, or their creative musical collaborators, are responsible for prominently injecting the Philly sound into the production of these expatriate non-P-I-R tracks. CD 1 "Expressway (To Your Heart)" Soul Survivors "La-La Means I Love You" Delfonics "Cowboys To Girls" Intruders "Hey, Western Union Man" Jerry Butler "Ready Or Not Here I Come" Delfonics "Only The Strong Survive" Jerry Butler "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" Delfonics "Brand New Me" Dusty Springfield "Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You" Wilson Pickett "You're The Reason Why" Ebonys "Drowning In The Sea of Love" Joe Simon "I'm Stone In Love With You" Stylistics "I Miss You" Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes "Back Stabbers" O'Jays "Sunshine" O'Jays "I'll Be Around" Spinners "Slow Motion (pt. 1)" Johnny Williams "Me & Mrs. Jones" Billy Paul "If You Don't Know Me By Now" Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes "Love Is Here" Futures CD 2 "Love Train" O'Jays "Break Up To Make Up" Stylistics "Family Affair" MFSB "It's Forever" Ebonys "Time To Get Down" O'Jays "There's No Me Without You" Manhattans "I'll Always Love My Mama" Intruders "The Love I Lost" Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes "I Wanna Know Your Name" Intruders "Dirty Ol' Man" Three Degrees "Put Your Hands Together" O'Jays "Thanks For Saving My Life" Billy Paul "Mighty Love" Spinners "Be Thankful For What You Got (Pt. 1)" William DeVaughn "For The Love Of Money" O'Jays "Where Do We Go From Here" Trammps "T.S.O.P. (The Sound of Philadelphia)" MFSB (featuring the Three Degrees) CD 3 "Then Came You" Spinners with Dionne Warwick "Love Is The Message" MFSB (featuring the Three Degrees) "When Will I See You Again" Three Degrees "Where Are All My Friends" Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes "Picture Us" Bunny Sigler "Bad Luck" Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes "Give The People What They Want" O'Jays "Billy's Back Home" Billy Paul "Hope That We Can Be Together Soon" Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes (featuring Sharon Paige) "Do It Any Way You Wanna" People's Choice "The Big Hurt" People's Choice "Let Me Make Love To You" O'Jays "Wake Up Everybody" Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes "I Love Music" O'Jays "Don't Leave Me This Way" Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes "Let's Groove" Archie Bell & The Drells "Livin' For The Weekend" O'Jays CD 4 "Kiss and Say Goodbye" Manhattans "I'm Not In Love" Dee Dee Sharp "You'll Never Find Another Love" Lou Rawls "The Rubberband Man" Spinners "Enjoy Yourself" Jacksons "Free Love" Jean Carn "I Don't Love You Anymore" Teddy Pendergrass "See You When I Get There" Lou Rawls "Use Ta Be My Girl" O'Jays "Close The Door" Teddy Pendergrass "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" McFadden & Whitehead "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else" Jones Girls "Hurry Up This Way Again" Stylistics "Love T.K.O." Teddy Pendergrass "I Ain't Jivin', I'm Jammin'" Leon Huff "It's Gonna Take A Miracle" Deniece Williams "If Only You Knew" Patti LaBelle Deniece Williams, William DeVaughn, Joe Simon, The Trammps, Dusty Springfield, The Spinners, The Delfonics, The Stylistics, The Manhattans, Jerry Butler, and Wilson Pickett did not record for Philadelphia International Records. Including these performers does reveal how the Philly production sound touched a broad variety of individual styles. For instance, you'll see in the video below the album cover featuring the spirited vocalist who went straight from Memphis to Philadelphia to capture some Philly magic. Most of the tracks on Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia are full-length original album versions. Unlike Philadelphia Classics, the double LP set from 1977 (released on CD in 2002), which featured spectacular extended versions of "Don't Leave Me This Way, "Love Is The Message," and others, there are no super extended versions in this 4 CD release. Instead of the short versions of "Be Thankful for What You Got (pt. 1)" by William DeVaughn, and "Let's Groove" by Archie Bell & The Drells (only 3 minutes here), I would have included the longer original album versions. My favorite lost track in this collection is "I'm Not In Love," Dee Dee Sharp's sexy cover of the 1975 10CC hit. I used to play Dee Dee's version on the radio back in the day. Glad it is here, although on my pre-release copy of this box set, Dee Dee Sharp's name is missing from the performer list on the back CD jacket! If you treat yourself to this excellent collection, the CD bonuses include: A booklet with unpublished photos Philadelphia International Records Timeline Historical essays by Felix Hernandez, Lynell George, Gerald Early, Joe McEwen, and James Miller Conversations with Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and producer Thom Bell This is hot stuff! A one-hour television special, Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia will blast off on PBS in November, 2008 with repeats through 2009. Enjoy the 1 minute video tribute that I've produced and narrated in honor of Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia. Previous Post | Next Post