Not just the title of Earth, Wind & Fire's new album, but a highly appropriate heading for these humble jottings regarding the evergreen funk band who burst into your author's life around forty years ago.
The album has been out on the streets for eleven days at the time of writing, and it is only by my perusing through the online version of Blues & Soul Magazine, and listening to "Now, Then & Forever" on Spotify, that I have come to realise just how good this latest work by arguably my favourite band of all time really is.
Having politely listened to the "best" of Pink Floyd with my housemate and our dinner guests last night, I cannot express enough how refreshing this latest collection is to my hearing buds.
"Now, Then & Forever" offers fresh, exciting new material that also retains the overall Earth, Wind & Fire "sound".
I am not going to review the album here. There are far better purveyors of that respected trade than I could ever aspire to. Suffice to say, the music on offer is a spectrum of sound, from dance-able funk, to smooth love songs to jazz fusion that were the trademark of those halcyon days that spanned the 1970s and 1980s.
So why should this album, their first for eight years, be so highly regarded? The band have, by their own admission, gone back to their roots. Two years ago the album was ready to be released; founder member Philip Bailey, who has taken over the reins from Parkinson's-stricken former band leader, Maurice White, listened again to the collection and decided it just wasn't good enough.
Bailey then decided to listen to all of Earth, Wind & Fire's recordings, from the early days, through the golden era which heralded their major successes on the disco floor, onward to the experimental period when they allowed themselves to get caught up in the digital explosion, thereby losing that fresh cutting edge sound that gave them so much success.
It was clear that they needed to get back to that crisp sound with the Phoenix Horns, real percussion and hypnotic bass lines that carried them through their most prolific period.
As a group, Bailey, Verdine White (Maurice's bass playing brother) and percussionist Ralph Johnson, the three survivors from the band's glory days, decided they had to get back "into the groove".
Two years on, returning from the drawing board, Earth, Wind & Fire have come up with a classic album that brings back the excitement of "September", "Boogie Wonderland"; the freshness that brought us "That's The Way Of The World" and the romance of "After The Love Has Gone".
With "Love Is Law", "Dance Floor" and "The Rush", as well as the rest of the album, Earth, Wind & Fire return to the arena as victors.
And just to add to the excitement, BBC viewers caught Earth, Wind & Fire on the "Strictly Come Dancing" Results Show last weekend.
Earth Wind & Fire are definitely back living the "Fantasy" of a resurrected career. I, for one, am filled with "Gratitude".
Thursday, 31 October 2013
Tuesday, 29 October 2013
Happy Birthday Otis Williams
October 30 marks the 72nd birthday of one of the greats in R&B / Soul music. Otis Williams, founder and last surviving original member of the Temptations, was born in Texarkana, Texas but moved to Detroit Michigan at the tender age of ten years old.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 1989 as a member of the most successful black American group of all time, Williams' tenor voice very rarely came to the fore of the Temptations' numerous hits. The distinctive, rasping, anguished vocals of David Ruffin (replaced by Dennis Edwards in 1968) or the silky, falsetto timbre of Eddie Kendricks were generally regarded as the "voices of The Temptations" during the group's most successful period during the 1960's.
Although not prominent on their hit recordings, Williams was the mainstay of the group, having to deal with the falling by the wayside of several members of The Temptations, notably the fall from grace of Ruffin, Paul Williams and the subsequent departure of Kendricks.
Along with his long standing buddy, Melvin "Blue" Franklin, Otis Williams kept the group together, albeit with a number of personnel changes through the years. The sad loss of Franklin, who died in 1995 following a series of brain seizures, left Williams as the last surviving member of the group who had originally joined Motown in 1961.
The Temptations still perform to this day; the current line up is: Otis Williams; Ron Tyson; Terry Weeks; Joe Herndon and Bruce Williamson.
In a recent interview with Ebony, Otis Williams shares his thoughts on his musical legacy, along with some strong criticism of today's music scene.
I'm sure all our readers join me in wishing Otis Williams a very Happy Birthday and many thanks for keeping the Temptations going through the good and difficult times.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 1989 as a member of the most successful black American group of all time, Williams' tenor voice very rarely came to the fore of the Temptations' numerous hits. The distinctive, rasping, anguished vocals of David Ruffin (replaced by Dennis Edwards in 1968) or the silky, falsetto timbre of Eddie Kendricks were generally regarded as the "voices of The Temptations" during the group's most successful period during the 1960's.
Although not prominent on their hit recordings, Williams was the mainstay of the group, having to deal with the falling by the wayside of several members of The Temptations, notably the fall from grace of Ruffin, Paul Williams and the subsequent departure of Kendricks.
Along with his long standing buddy, Melvin "Blue" Franklin, Otis Williams kept the group together, albeit with a number of personnel changes through the years. The sad loss of Franklin, who died in 1995 following a series of brain seizures, left Williams as the last surviving member of the group who had originally joined Motown in 1961.
The Temptations still perform to this day; the current line up is: Otis Williams; Ron Tyson; Terry Weeks; Joe Herndon and Bruce Williamson.
In a recent interview with Ebony, Otis Williams shares his thoughts on his musical legacy, along with some strong criticism of today's music scene.
I'm sure all our readers join me in wishing Otis Williams a very Happy Birthday and many thanks for keeping the Temptations going through the good and difficult times.
Saturday, 26 October 2013
Southern Soul Is Alive And Kicking!
The Southern states of the U.S.A. are steeped in a long
history of music. African Americans have enriched that history, from ”negro
spirituals” through to Blues, Jazz, R&B and Soul Music.
This writer’s first introduction to Soul was via the rasping
vocals of the likes of Otis Redding and Wilson Picket back in the 1960s.
The Stax record company, based in Memphis Tennessee, and the
Fame, and later, Muscles Shoals studios based in Muscles Shoals Alabama,
launched a new wave of Rhythm and Blues across America and the rest of the
world during those halcyon days that revolutionised popular music.
Singers, such as Pickett, Joe Tex, Aretha Franklin, Etta James,
Candi Staton, Bettye Swan, The Staple Singers and Millie Jackson cut some of
their biggest hits in Muscle Shoals.
The Stax label provided an even greater legacy through
artists such as Redding, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Eddie
Floyd, Booker T & the MGs, William Bell, Johnnie Taylor and many more.
The seventies brought singers like Al Green, Denise Lasalle,
Tommy Tate, Luther Ingram, Ann Peebles, Dorothy Moore to the public eye; all
based in the Southern States.
So what’s happening today? Veterans such as Lasalle, Floyd,
Moore and Staton continue to wow their fans; but a new breed of Southern Soul artists
have burst on the scene in recent years.
Artists such as Darryl Johnson, Alonzo Reid, Sweet Angel,
MsCharli Creole Diva and Jerry Adams are proving to lovers of Soul Music that
the South still has a lot to offer.
Joe Tex II, son of the aforementioned Soul legend, is
continuing the legacy of his father’s classic work; Joe’s reworking of I Gotcha
into a soulful ballad is a fine example that the Southern Soul sound is still
alive.
Darryl Johnson, of the Detroit Memphis Experience, and
former member of The Chairmen of the Board, has launched his solo career with a
beautiful song entitled “Nightmare” that has broken through to the UK Soul Top
20.
Sweet Angel has been recording bluesy soulful original
material, in the Denise Lasalle, Betty Wright vein since 2007. Her latest
single, “Still Crazy For You” is attracting radio play both sides of the
Atlantic.
Alonzo Reid paid his dues as a youngster, learning from such gospel acts as the Swan Silvertones before going on the road with the Pilgrim Jubilees of Chicago. Alonzo later played behind the likes of Shirley Caesar, The Mighty Clouds Of Joy and The Soul Stirrers before crossing over to Rhythm and Blues in 1997.
Having played drums and percussion for the late, great Marvin Sease for 14 years, Alonzo stepped up to the plate with his debut CD, "Undercover Freak" in 2011. Alonzo has just released his new single, "Three Wishes".
MsCharli currently has a new single, “Giddy Up” making
waves, along with a clever Zydeco arrangement of the same song.
Jerry Adams, with a strong gospel background, and influenced
by Motown giants , The Temptations and Marvin Gaye, is currently attracting a
great degree of interest through his joint release of “Rock You” and a remake
of the classic “My Girl”.
So, it is clear, that just from these few examples, Southern
Soul IS alive and kicking!
Labels:
blues,
muscle shoals,
randb,
soul,
soul music,
southern soul,
stax
Friday, 25 October 2013
Friday, 5 April 2013
Marvin Gaye and his Girls
Marvin Gaye and his Girls
The Women who Influenced Marvin’s Life and Works
Left to right: Marvin; Janis; Alberta; Marvin Sr; in front Marvin III.
The biggest,
and warmest, influence on Marvin Gaye was his mother, Alberta. She gave him
love that was missing from Marvin’s tempestuous relationship with his father,
Marvin Pentz Gay Sr; a loveless father – son relationship that would tragically
result in Marvin’s untimely death.
Marvin’s
first wife, Anna Ruby Gordy was seventeen years older than Marvin; being his
boss's sister had obvious advantages, but later as their marriage began
to fall apart, Marvin felt, unjustifiably as it happened, that Berry Gordy would be
influenced by his sister and try to end Marvin’s Motown career. Although they
were unable to have children of their own, Marvin and Anna adopted their son,
Marvin III in 1965.
Anna was the
prime mover in getting Marvin to record and perform during his formative years
as an entertainer. Marvin’s earlier hits, such as, “Pride and Joy” were purely
him singing to his wife. “Stubborn Kind of Fellow” was based on Anna citing his
stubbornness.
While
recording the “Let’s Get It On” album, Marvin was introduced to family friends
of Ed Townsend, co-writer and co-producer, who brought their seventeen year old
daughter, Janis Hunter to the studio. It was love at first sight; ironically a
seventeen year age difference in the opposite direction to Marvin and Anna, did
not stop a relationship flourishing. Marvin later dedicated his “I Want You”
album to Janis.
Janis moved in with Marvin and the couple had
two children: daughter Nona (born September 4, 1974) and son Frankie
(born November 16, 1975). After a long and painful divorce with Anna; Marvin
dedicated his album, “Here My Dear”, along with his advance and royalties, as
alimony to Anna, Marvin and Janis married in 1977. The couple divorced in 1981.
Marvin’s
younger sister Zeola has upset Janis, along with Marvin’s children, including
Anna and Marvin’s adopted son, Marvin III, by producing a play entitled “My
Brother Marvin”, claiming it to be based on newly revealed journals kept by
Marvin’s parents in the 1980s.
Janis has
labelled the play, which opens to the sound of a gunshot, exploitative and ghoulish.
The play features none of Marvin’s music; something that prospective theatre
goers might reasonably expect to hear during a play claiming to be about the
man.
It seems controversy
continues to surround Marvin Pentz Gay II nearly thirty years after the singer’s
death. Marvin himself added the ‘e’ at the end of his surname in an attempt to
distance himself from his father, who administered the fatal wound on April 1st
1984.
Paul Forrest will be featuring tracks from Marvin Gaye in his radio show, "Soul Galore" on Wolfman Radio Saturday 5th April 4 pm UK time (11 am Eastern, 10 am Central, 8 am Pacific).
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