Apologies for the enforced hiatus; My PC threw it's computer-shaped toys out of it's pram and it's taken me this long to rebuild it. Trying to blog on a Blackberry just ain't the same...
Let's make up for lost time, shall we?
Presenting and dissecting our favourite tracks, be they Soul, Jazz, Funk, even Rock or Classical, given our mood.
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Lalah Hathaway - Heaven Knows (1990)
The daughter of soul singer Donny Hathaway and classically trained vocalist Eulaulah. In 1990, Lalah Hathaway released her self-titled album;. the first release was Heaven Knows produced by Derek Bramble. The follow-up single was the beautiful Baby Don't Cry, produced by Angela Winbush. In 1991, Hathaway released the EP, Night & Day in Japan. A Moment was released in 1994, debuting at no. 34 on the US Top R&B albums chart. The lead single Let Me Love You charted on the Hot R&B charts (incidentally, how many different R&B charts do they have in America?) at no.37. In 1999, Lalah Hathaway collaborated with the legendary Joe Sample (he of The Crusaders)and released her third album, The Song Lives On.
After a five year hiatus, Hathaway returned with her fourth album Outrun the Sky. The single Forever, For Always, For Love peaked at no.1 on the US Adult R&B Airplay chart.
In 2007, Hathaway signed to the revived Stax Records and in 2008 released her fifth album Self Portrait. Self Portrait released on June 3, 2008 in the US debuted at no. 63 on the Billboard's Hot 200 and reached the top ten on the Top R&B albums chart, making this album, Hathaway's most successful album to date. She received a Best Female R&B Vocal Performance Grammy Award nomination for That Was Then.
After a five year hiatus, Hathaway returned with her fourth album Outrun the Sky. The single Forever, For Always, For Love peaked at no.1 on the US Adult R&B Airplay chart.
In 2007, Hathaway signed to the revived Stax Records and in 2008 released her fifth album Self Portrait. Self Portrait released on June 3, 2008 in the US debuted at no. 63 on the Billboard's Hot 200 and reached the top ten on the Top R&B albums chart, making this album, Hathaway's most successful album to date. She received a Best Female R&B Vocal Performance Grammy Award nomination for That Was Then.
Angela Winbush - Treat U Rite (1994)
Written by Angela Winbush and released as the first single from her third solo album, Angela Winbush. It was her first single in over four years, from her first album of new music in over five years. The song entered the U.S. Billboard R&B chart on February 26, 1994, where is spent twenty two weeks on the chart, peaking at number six. produced by the great Chukii Booker, his style is immediately evident to his fans and was a great accompaniment to her sultry vocals.
She may be better known to some of you of course for her time duetting with René Moore, but were you aware that she got her big break via Gary Byrd introducing her to Stevie Wonder, resulting in her becoming part of Wonder's backing vocal group, Wonderlove.
She may be better known to some of you of course for her time duetting with René Moore, but were you aware that she got her big break via Gary Byrd introducing her to Stevie Wonder, resulting in her becoming part of Wonder's backing vocal group, Wonderlove.
Cheryl "Pepsii" Riley -Guess I'm In Love (1993)
Cheryl Riley, who worked as a nurse for handicapped children for ten years before beginning her singing career, topped the US R&B chart and hit the Top 40 on the US pop chart at no. 32 with the 1988 ballad, Thanks for My Child, a song written by Full Force. It also peaked at no. 75 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1989. Riley still had her nurse's job when the song went to number one on the R&B chart.
The genesis of that song began with Full Force member Bowlegged Lou's experience with the complications of his wife's first pregnancy.
As pivotal as Thanks for My Child was for Riley's career, it was not the first song Lou offered to her. She refused his offer to record I Wonder If I Take You Home because she did not want to spread herself too thin, but after it became a million-selling hit for Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam in 1985, she thought she had missed her big break.
The title track single to her debut LP Me Myself and I made it to no.18 on the R&B charts in early 1989. Another single, Every Little Thing About You, peaked at no. 55 on the R&B charts later that year. Her second LP, Chapters, was issued and yielded the singles How Can You Hurt the One You Love and a cover of Aretha Franklin's 1968 hit Ain't No Way. Her third album All That! was released by Reprise records, and featured the singles Gimme and the track below, Guess I'm in Love.
After a hiatus from the entertainment industry, Riley re-emerged in the early 2000s as a star in a number of gospel plays for best-selling playwright Tyler Perry. In 2006, she released her first album in 14 years, called Let Me Be Me.
The genesis of that song began with Full Force member Bowlegged Lou's experience with the complications of his wife's first pregnancy.
As pivotal as Thanks for My Child was for Riley's career, it was not the first song Lou offered to her. She refused his offer to record I Wonder If I Take You Home because she did not want to spread herself too thin, but after it became a million-selling hit for Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam in 1985, she thought she had missed her big break.
The title track single to her debut LP Me Myself and I made it to no.18 on the R&B charts in early 1989. Another single, Every Little Thing About You, peaked at no. 55 on the R&B charts later that year. Her second LP, Chapters, was issued and yielded the singles How Can You Hurt the One You Love and a cover of Aretha Franklin's 1968 hit Ain't No Way. Her third album All That! was released by Reprise records, and featured the singles Gimme and the track below, Guess I'm in Love.
After a hiatus from the entertainment industry, Riley re-emerged in the early 2000s as a star in a number of gospel plays for best-selling playwright Tyler Perry. In 2006, she released her first album in 14 years, called Let Me Be Me.
Friday, 1 April 2011
Remembering Marvin Gaye
April 1st 1984 played the worst kind of joke on me; I'd heard on the radio news that Marvin Gaye had been shot and killed by his Father and I honestly thought it was some kind of spoof (I was a kid at the time), it didn't sink in until the next day when I read the newspaper and realised it was real. We were robbed of one of the great musical talents of our time.
The Music of Marvin Gaye as well as being something to remember and be collected, with a career spanning over nearly twenty years, it's no wonder that many of today's artists continue to honour and try to emulate Gaye. Although no longer a physical presence, his existence as an artist is one that is sure to be a vital part of the millennium and beyond.
The tracks below are the obvious tracks you'd think of when people think of Marvin, although it really is just the tip of the iceberg. Theres a lot of gems in his back catalogue that would take too much space here.
Enjoy.
The Music of Marvin Gaye as well as being something to remember and be collected, with a career spanning over nearly twenty years, it's no wonder that many of today's artists continue to honour and try to emulate Gaye. Although no longer a physical presence, his existence as an artist is one that is sure to be a vital part of the millennium and beyond.
The tracks below are the obvious tracks you'd think of when people think of Marvin, although it really is just the tip of the iceberg. Theres a lot of gems in his back catalogue that would take too much space here.
Enjoy.
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