Thursday, June 30, 2022
The Three Degrees - Tenshi No Sasayaki (When Will I See You Again)日本語演唱
I have just noticed that the copy of Tenshi No Sasayaki by the Three Degrees which I posted some months back has become unavailable, so here is another copy.
The Three Degrees - Nigai Namida
I've just noticed that the copy of Nigai Namida Which I posted last year has become unavailable, so here is another copy.
Monday, June 27, 2022
P. P. Arnold - (If You Think You're) Groovy (1967)
P.P. Arnold again on a German TV program backed by the music of The Small Faces.
Small Faces with P.P. Arnold - Tin Soldier (1968)
This is P.P.Arnold ( real name Patricia Ann Cole) who I have spoken about before. She was rescued from n abusive marriage in the USA and taken to the UK by Ike and Tina Turner who employed her as an Ikette to back their show. However she stayed in the UK and teamed up with The Small Faces and did some great work with them. Some of today's singers could take a lesson in dress code from her. She proves that a woman does not need to dress in an overly revealing fashion to look attractive.
Sunday, June 26, 2022
Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Jessica Williams - (They call me) The Queen Of Fools (1984)
Jessica Williams again with her late 1970s hit.
Jessica Williams again with her late 1970s hit.
Jessica Williams - Gamblin' on your love
#JessicaWilliams first made an impression on the music scene as part of a disco group called Arpeggio in the late 70s. as such she can be seen on Soul Train with their biggest hit, Love and Desire.She went solo a short time later with a big scoring album Queen Of Fools. For a long time thereafter she continued her career as a backing vocalist for people like Tina Turner and Barbara Streisand. In 2020 she revived her solo career with a cover version of Al Jarreau's So Good. I'm hoping we here more from heras she has a pleasant voice which I find reminiscent of another Disco star, Thelma Houston, on certain tracks.
Monday, June 20, 2022
HD - 2013 Guitar Geek Festival - Barbara Lynn - We Got A Good Thing Goin...
Barbara plays her own composition here but before she gets going she tells the story of how Mick Jagger phoned her and asked if The Rolling Stones could do a cover of the song! She says she nearly fell on the floor with shock but she laughed all the way to the bank! She's playing a special presentation guitar here. Nice guitar indeed.
Donna Hightower -- No Puedo Vivir (1974)
Another side of Donna Hightower. From her Spanish years.
Donna Hightower -- No Puedo Vivir (1974)
Donna Hightower -- 1960 Antibes Jazz Festival "I Can't Give You Anything...
Graham Shepherd
nSdoopstreeb9f0r9me02 2tf11c212 efm18luc1hDut · YouTube · Shared with Public
Yesterday was the 95th anniversary of the birth of #DonnaHightower in Carruthersville Missouri ,the daughter of Sharecroppers. By 23 she had been married and divorced with two children and was working as a waitress when a newsman heard her singing and won her a contract with Decca Records. She was classed as an RnB, Soul and Jazz singer and did much work with small Jazz ensembles. She toured the USA with people like B.B. King, Johnny Mathis and Della Reese. In the early sixties she performed in England, France and Sweden with the likes of Quincy Jones and The Platters. She settled in France then Belgium and finally Spain where she was highly appreciated for he recordings in Spanish. Este Mundo es un Conflicto (This World Today is a Mess) was an international hit. In the accompanying clip she reminds me a bit of Sarah Vaughan, that is sassy (Sassy was Sarah's nickname). I like the way her facial expression and body language match the words! Also notice how the video lights up at 0.55 when it goes close up on Donna! In 1990 she returned to the USA to live in semi retirement in Austin. Her final performance was in 2006 at the Spanish Jazz Festival. She died in 2013. RIP Donna.
Never Can Say Goodbye
Marcia Hines with a cover of a famous Gloria Gaynor song from her Discotheque Album.iframe width="480" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/HAWp47DKX2o" frameborder="0">
In The Living Years
11Marcia Hines was born in Boston to Jamaican parents in 1953. She and her older brother were raised by their mother Esme after their father died when Marcia was 6 months old, during an operation to remove wartime shrapnel. Former US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, was Marcia's cousin. At 16 she was discovered by Australians M. Miller and Jim Sharman who were in the USA looking for African American talent to star in the Australian production of Hair. She accepted the offer and went to Australia making her debut in 1970 making her the youngest person ever to star in a major stage role. Miller had to register as her guardian in fact! When Hair ended Miller and Sharman offered her the role of Mary Magdalene in the Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar.This role put her on the map so to speak and a prolific recording, stage and TV career followed.She produced more than a dozen studio albums and toured in support of people like B.B.King and Lionel Ritchie in the USA. Her repertoire ranges over Disco, romantic ballads , show music and covers of many people in Pop music.
She is highly appreciated in her adopted land and in 2009 was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia. She has a daughter Deni born of a teenage pregnancy she had just before going to Australia.They sometimes appear on stage together. while doing this research I was given a selection of 150 tracks by YouTube and so found it extremely difficult to select two which define her and have stretched to 4, all very different in character! The first here is a cover of a Michael and The Mechanics number about someone wishing he/she had been closer to His/her father " In The Living Years"
Sunday, June 19, 2022
Carrie Cleveland - Love Will Set You Free
While searching suggestions from YouTube I came across this very romantic story. Carrie Cleveland and her husband Bill Cleveland of Oakland Cf decided to make an album of songs written by Bill and taken from love letters they had exchanged, working in their garage. Bill was a law enforcement officer and also a self taught musician who could play just about any instrument. All instruments heard here are played by Bill. They had 1000 vinyls of the album and some singles pressed. Carrie recalls that many were just given away to friends. The album was to be an expression of their love for each other. Sadly Bill died of a heart attack at 54. Carrie remarried and the couple moved away from Oakland. Her son Heston however picked up on the story and this has resulted in the album being released in vinyl and cd form in 2018. Carrie is now 81 but appeared on stage in2020 and still has her charming voice. While living in Oakland Carrie and Bill had often played in clubs in the Bay area. Carrie was a shy person but Bill always encouraged her to sing whenever the opportunity arose. The one thing that surprises me is that she was never picked up by one of the big record companies and promoted. Here I'm thinking Atlantic, who were instrumental in building the careers of many African American singers like Bettye Swann and LaVern Baker, two of my favourite singers. Take a listen to her beautiful voice and see if you agree.
Carrie Cleveland - 'I Need Love (LP version)' (Official)
This is the promo material for the 2018 rerelease of Carrie and Bill's work.
If You Hold My Hand - Donna Hightower
Donna Hightower wins best song 1971 at the Mallorca Song Festival.What a charming young lady she was. Wonderful stage personality and great voice too.
BARBARA LYNN-then you can tell me goodbye
Barbara with a favourite song of mine. Some nice stills of her.
barbara lynn - misty blue
Barbara with a song that was probably Dorothy Moore's biggest hit. I've featured Dorothy's version some time back. Both are great.
Simply The Best (Live At Slim's, San Francisco, CA / 8-30-1990 & 8-31-1990)
. This is Irma Thomas, the undisputed Soul Queen of New Orleans and a long time favourite of mine. I have featured her before so you can see lots of stuff on her if you scroll my FB back a year or so. But now my You Tube search engine has been coming up with some great new material by her. So much stuff that I've had a difficult job choosing just five tracks. The one I'm leading off with here is a great hit for Tina Turner, but I like Irma's version in a slightly lower key better. Her backing group at Slim's in San Francisco provides a great wall of sound too. Plenty of horns, the way you expect a New Orleans band to be. And even her band intro is great!
Irma Thomas Live In Porretta
Irma Thomas live at Porretta Soul Festival in Bologna Italy.This is where she really gets down to about as deep as Deep Soul gets. Utter desperation in fact. A great performance. Just a pity the video cuts off before the audience reacts.
Bridge Over Troubled Water – Irma Thomas and Kyle Roussel of the Preserv...
Irma again with a powerful version of what was probably Simon and Garfunkel's biggest hit.
IRMA THOMAS - "I Needed Somebody"
Irma live in Kentucky with a song which is also an Ann Peebles standard. Both are great versions. Irma edges closer to Deep Soul.
I Can't Help Myself (Honeypie Honeybun)
Irma with what was a huge hit for the Four Tops.You can't really compare a song done by males with the same song done by a female vocalist so I'm going to say that I think these two versions are the best of type each.
Ruby Turner - I'd rather go blind #6
Just seen this! Ruby Turner with the same song I put up a couple of weeks ago but now with an Acapella finish! Truly beautiful!
Dee Dee Bridgewater-Just tell me why
Dee Dee Bridgewater with full orchestra backing. Great stage personality. Reaching some depths here!
House of the Rising Sun
Dee Dee Bridgewater was born Denise Garrett in Memphis TN in 1950 and raised in Flint Michigan.Her father was a teacher and trumpeter which meant Dee Dee was always around music as a child and so not surprisingly she made this her career. She sang with a rock group at school and in 1969 she toured the USSR with her school singing group. In 1970 she married Cecil Bridgewater and became lead singer with the Thad Jones Lewis Jazz Orchestra. Over a career of more than four decades she has produced a large number of albums mainly in the Jazz genre. She is also an accomplished actress and played the role of Billie Holiday in the biopic of that very talented but troubled lady ( Lady Day.) For this she was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award. She won a Tony Award for the musical The Wiz. Her awards for music are many, including 6 Grammy nominations (two awards) and two Honorary Doctorates, one at University of Michigan and one at Berklee College of Music. She is a goodwill ambassador for the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation which aims to reduce world hunger with its programs worldwide. She runs a mentorship program for young singers at Berklee. Other notable awards include Commandeur dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettre, NEA Jazz Masters, German Jazz Trophy and induction into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.
Married three times she has three children. One daughter serves as her company manager and another is an accomplished Jazz singer who sometimes appears with her on stage.
Dee Dee has a very mellow and warm voice which however can reach down into Soul And Deep Soul with ease. She is still active today and tours widely in relation to music and philanthropy. I only discovered her recently and I'm wondering why it took so long to wake up to a person of such high Quality.
House of the Rising Sun
Dee Dee Bridgewater - I Can't Stand the Rain (Video)
Dee Dee from her latest cd which she is currently on tour promoting. This is Ann Peebles' songbut a slighly down tempo version from Dee Dee. The picture was taken a long time ago!
It Ain't Easy
Dee Dee again in up tempo mode. The picture here shows her very symmetric classic features well.
Valerie Holiday - Endless love (Ruud's edit).mp4
Valerie Holiday's solo contribution to the BBC4 show in 1982.Valerie holds the record for being with one group the longest time. Five and a half decades.
Sheila Ferguson of The Three Degrees - Send in the clowns
Last week I showcased Fayette Pinkney's one solo album she made after leaving The Three Degrees to take up college studies.Her place was taken by Helen Scott who had earlier been a member but who had left to have a family. This week I have split the new line up into its separate components to show how each member has a very distinct voice to contribute.I have said a lot about the Degrees in previous posts as I believe they were and still are the best female threesome ever.Sheila Ferguson. Send In The Clowns
Helen Scott of The Three Degrees- Here I Am/ Wouldn't Change A Day
Helen Scott's solo on the BBC4 show. Helen replaced Fayette when the latter left to take up collage studies.
The Three Degrees - When Will I See You Again- Royal Albert Hall- 1979
This is the complete Sheila, Valerie, Helen line up live at the Royal Albert Hall with the closing number. It doesn't get any better than this! Full orchestra backing, full house of well behaved fans, and in my opinion , the best female threesome!
Fayette Pinkney: One Degree [Full Album + Bonus] (1979)
This week's featured artist is a very special one for me. This is Fayette Pinkney who was a founding member of the Three Degrees and was with them for twelve years. She left in 1977 and went back to complete college studies in Psychology which she had unable to do as her family did not have the means.She did graduate studies and become a councilling psychologist in an academic hospital. She also gave voice lessons to upcoming but disadvantaged singers and was the leader of the Gospel group in her church. She went on tours with the latter. Sadly she passed away in 2009 at the age of 61 from acute respiratory problems. Someone who had known her well said that Fayette was a person who had lived her whole life not just with love but with agape. If I went on one of those shows where you are asked what person from history would you most want to have a conversation with for me it would be Fayette.
In 1979 she made a single album with British start up company Chopper Records. Unfortunately the album was largely ignored even though she has an exquisitely beautiful voice and the material chosen seems fine . The whole album was put up on YouTube a few days ago so I am able to showcase this now from start to finish from this very exceptional( in so many ways) lady.
Stormy Weather
Several months ago I ordered a Viola Wills compilation cd.It arrived today. Here's one of the tracks. One of the greats of disco. Very nice person too I believe, One time she turned up at a club for a disco show but there were only six people there as it clashed with a big ball game. But she went ahead and they all danced until the early hours! RIP Viola.
Bettye Lavette - Let Me Down Easy
Here's Bettye with the same song she does on Jools Holland's Hootenanny about 45 years later. Immensely powerful Soul singer and she still is today. Amazing.
Bettye Lavette - Let Me Down Easy (Jools Annual Hootenanny 2013)
Bettye Lavette (betty Jo Haskins) was born in1946 is Muskegon Michigan and raised in Detroit. She learned to sing in her parent's home and by 16 had made her first single which was picked up by Atlantic Records and it became a major hit. She toured with some top Atlantic stars like Barbara Lynn and Otis Redding. She signed briefly with Motown and went to Nashville to record for them. Then followed a 6 year period where she did not record but starred in a Broadway production " Bubbling Brown Sugar". Around 2000 some earlier unpublished work with Atlantic was picked up by French and Dutch companies and by 2005 her career really took off winning Comeback Blues album of the year. She has shared the stage with sir Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Jon Bon Jovi. In 2010 she published her British Rock Songbook. A tribute to Bob Dylan followed. She has been nominated for many awards in the Blues category and has appeared on many prime time TV shows.In 2013 and 2014 she was on Jools Holland's New Year Hootenanny. in 2018 she was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2020was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. She was Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year in 2021, at the age of 75.
She is married to Kevin Kiley a musician and antiques dealer. They live in West Orange N.J.
Bettye LaVette - Things Have Changed (Live on eTown)
Bettye Lavette live on eTown 2018 .I'm trying to find out the names of the eTown musicians. They are really great too. I featured them earlier with Marcia Ball. This is Bettye with another Bob Dylan interpretation. You can see her checking the lyrics. Dylan"s words are often very involved!
Bettye LaVette - I Who Have Nothing @ 92Y NY,NY
Bettye LaVette at a 2013 concert in honour of song writer Mike Stoller. On August 16th 2021 I featured this song by Linda Jones and at the time I said that there is Soul then there's Deep Soul And there's Linda Jones. I now believe I've discovered another singer who gets down to that same depth!
Bettye LaVette - It Ain't Me Babe (Audio)
Bettye from her album of Bob Dylan songs at 73 years of age!
Roberta Flack Sing’s “Let It Be Me” From Chapter Two on The Flip Wilson ...
Roberta Flack has a voice that is hard to characterise in any of the major genres like Soul, RnB,.Pop, Jazz and so on. Some say it is a subgroup of RnB which they call Quiet Storm.Some have criticised her voice as boring and lifeless but she has a huge following of fans worldwide who call her classy, urbane, smooth, reserved and sophisticated. This includes me. But I'll let skilled musical analyst Fil from Wings of Pegasus on the next clip tell you exactly why we all think that way. Music scholar Jason King says she occupies a complex space in popular music as the nature of her power as a performer to generate rapturous, spellbinding mood music and to plumb the depths of soulful heaviness by way of classically informed techniques is not too easy to classify or or make sense of with the limited tools we have in music criticism.
She was born Roberta Cleopatra Flack in 1937 in Black Mountain North Carolina to Laron and Irene Flack and raised in Arlington Virginia. DNA test shows her family origin to be Cameroonian. She started playing piano at 9 and would accompany the choir in her Methodist Church but then go to the Baptist Church to hear Gospel from people like Mahalia Jackson and Sam Cooke. Her skill at piano attracted a full scholarship to Howard University and she became the youngest person ever to enter it at 15. As an undergrad she produced Verdi's Aida and received a standing ovation from the entire Howard Faculty. She switched majors from piano to voice and graduated at 19. Graduate study was unfortunately interrupted by the death of her father and she took a job as a teacher. She continued to keep at singing, in clubs, and was eventually recognised and given a contract with Atlantic Records at 31. She produced 19 albums and received many awards including 14 Grammy nominations with 5 awards, an Honorary Doctorate and in 1999 a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. She toured widely including South Africa with Nelson Mandela in the audience.She is 85 today but unfortunately wheelchair bound after a stroke in 2018.She is still active in several spheres including Animal Rights.
Roberta Flack Sing’s “Let It Be Me” From Chapter Two on The Flip Wilson Show (HQ)
Roberta Flack delivers a unique LIVE performance of her classic break th...
This is a very detailed analysis of why Roberta's voice is so captivating and interesting. The analyst is Fil of Wings of Pegasus. He is incredibly knowledgeable with vocals as well as guitar as he is a guitarist himself. Always a pleasure to listen to. The song is one of Roberta's greatest hits of course.
More
This song always reminds me of some friends Eileen and I had nearly 5 decades ago, Roy and Janet. The four of us went to the Quirinal Hotel in Hillbrow for a drink. A gentleman was at the piano taking requests for songs to play. Roy asked for this very romantic song. The pianist played it flawlessly from memory.
Ruby Turner - I’d Rather Go Blind (Album, ITV 19.5.1988)
Ruby Turner born in 1958 in Montego Bay Jamaica moved to Birmingham UK with her family at age 9.In the 1980s she sang with Culture Club at the height of their success. Her first solo contract was with Jive Records and many albums resulted to great acclaim in the UK and in the USA. She has done session work with people like Brian Ferry, UB40, Steel Pulse, Steve Winwood, Jools Holland and Mick Jagger. She has also sung Motown work of the Four Tops, Jimmy Ruffin and the Temptations. On New Years Eve 1999 she sang the National anthem to Queen Elizabeth and her party at the opening of the Millenium Dome. From 2007 to the present she has been on Jools Holland's Hootenanny. In 2012 she accompanied Jools on a stage outside Buckingham Palace for the Queen's 60th anniversary celebrations. In 2016 she was on the Queen's honours list and became Dame Ruby Turner MBE for her service to music. As an actress she has appeared on stage with productions of Fame, Streetcar Named Desire and Carmen Jones. Films include Love Actually, Reggae Britannica, and Famous Fred. She also narrated a BBC4 documentary on British Reggae. She released her first Gospel album in 2013 and appeared as a guest judge on a BBC Gospel competition. She was engaged twice but never married. Here she performs the big Etta James hit live. I would classify this as Deep Soul.
Jools Holland - Stay With Me Baby (Live At The Ritz 2.10.1994) ft. Ruby ...
Ruby Turner with her bigtme collaborator Jools Holland and his ensemble at the Ritz in London in 1994. She was later to become Dame Ruby Turner MBE for her service to music. Jools is at the Steinway.
Ruby Turner - What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted
Ruby again with the Motown hit by Jimmy Ruffin off Ruby's Motown Songbook album.
Ruby Turner - I Heard It Through The Grapevine (The Tube 7.2.1986)
Ruby Turner and supporting band doing a cover of the big Marvin Gaye hit.I don't know the names of the musicians and backing singers but they are great. Guy to the left of Ruby is really into this. Lady in white blouse to the right is very good too. All are working in unison.
Donna Hightower - This World today is a Mess (Austrian TV, 1975)
I am celebrating receiving the cd with this Spanish inspired live performance in Austria of one of her biggest hits.Born in the USA she lived in Spain for for quite some time, was fluent in Spanish and was highly appreciated there
Susan Cadogan ‐ In The Ghetto
Susan Cadogan yet again with a beautiful cover of one of Elvis' biggest hits.
Hurt so Good
Born 1951 in Kingston Jamaica she moved to Belize with her family as a child but returned to Jamaica and worked as a librarian at the University of the West Indies at Boma. Her beautiful singing voice was noticed during this period and she went on to produce a number of albums in the 70s. Her biggest hit was Hurt So Good, a cover of the Millie Jackson hit. It was popular in South Africa and I remember it being played on radio.She went back to librarianship for most of the 80s but has done several returns to music since then. In 2001 she performed live at the Heineken Startime show in Kingston.She is still active today and released duet work in 2016 and 2017.
iframe width="480" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/VCXaqrk24KY" frameborder="0">
Esther Phillips sings As Tears Go By
This is Esther Phillips again with her cover of a Marianne Faithful song. Although she passed away 37 years ago I was happy to note that she is still regarded as an artist important enough to publish a 5 cd box set of her work this year. I'm told my order has just been shipped. The video to this clip is a bit silly I think except for the stills of Esther. She was a beautiful lady.
Randy Crawford - Imagine
Randy " Veronica Crawford was born in 1952 in Macon Georgia. She is highly appreciated in the UK where she received a Best British Female Artist Award. In her home USA she received two Grammy nominations but no award. Performing in clubs initially she made a name in the 1970s with George Benson and Cannonball Adderley .In 1980 she was named Most Outstanding Artist at the Tokyo Music Festival. Her string of hits, many Transatlantic, include Street life, One Day I'll Fly Away You Might Need Somebody and Brook Benton's Rainy Night In Georgia. In 2007 she did a live studio show with David Gilmour and Amos Lee for UK and USA TV. She has sung with the likes of Al Jarreau, Quincey Jones, Zucchero , David Sanborn and Joe Sample. In 2018 she was all set to do a tour in South Africa but unfortunately suffered a stroke. We wish her a full recovery.
Her style is unique and immediately recognisable with a wonderful warm vibrato. One seldom sees her without that broad smile! wonderful stage presence.Attached is John Lennon's idealistic Imagine. The world seems sadly so far from that at present.
Randy Crawford - Knocking on heavens door
Randy Crawford again live doing the iconic Rainy Night In Georgia, by Brook Benton.
Randy Crawford - Rainy Night In Georgia,(by Sunny Rainbow)
Randy Crawford again live doing the iconic Rainy Night In Georgia, by Brook Benton.
Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You
Bob Dylan has always been one of my favourite wordsmiths ( Nobel prizewinner) but here Ann Peebles takes a Dylan song to a whole new level!
Ann Peebles - I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody's Home (live - 1999)
Another live Ann Peebles! (25 years later!) Wonderful stage presence. She always seems so happy to be doing what she does so well!
TOPPOP: Ann Peebles - Beware
However there are a few things that can immediately lift my mood and here's one. It's coming across a live performance by this lady, Miss Ann Peebles! I've had a lot to say about her before so I won't repeat it except to say that I don't think she's capable of doing a song badly and that she is one of a special, small set of singers I can put on repeat all day!
Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye
The natural ,unforced and gentle voice of Bettye Swann again. This is the voice that makes her THE Queen of Soul in my opinion.
Bettye Swann - Cover Me
Bettye Swann again. Unfortunately not live but some nice stills nevertheless. Her wonderful smile evident except the one at 2.13 where she seems to be saying "And just where is your homework young man?"( Remembering the latter part of her career!)
Esther Phillips - And I Love Him - 1966
Esther Phillips was born Esther Mae Jones in 1935 in Galveston Texas. She divided her time between divorced parents in L A California and Houston Tx. At 14 she was a mature singer and was added to the Johnny Otis group.She changed her name to Phillips after seeing a Phillips 66 sign for petroleum products in a gas station! With Otis she had a string of RnB number ones but these stopped after she left his group. She became addicted to heroin and that did not help.
After spending some time with her dad to recuperate she restarted her career with Atlantic Records and had a big hit with the Beatles number in this clip. They flew her to England where she was in a Beatles film.She did return to Otis to sing at the Monterey Jazz festival.
One of her biggest hits in this latter period was Home Is Where The Hatred Is, a song about her drug addiction. One of the saddest songs I've heard in a long time. She was nominated for a Grammy for this but lost out to Aretha Franklin. Franklin magnanimously handed her the trophy and said it should have been hers. A very productive period ensued with Kudu Records and she hit the charts for the last time in 1985 with Turn Me Out. Very sadly this was posthumous as she had died in 1984 from kidney failure in a California clinic, induced by her earlier drug addiction.
I really like her style in this clip, sitting down and singing as though she is having a quiet conversation about her love. She reminds me a bit of Bettye Swann in style here, a lady I regard as the Queen of Soul and who I've featured some time back.
Gladys Knight - Help Me Make It Through the Night
Gladys Knight was born in Atlanta Georgia in 1944 and like many Soul music artists first sang in a church choir. She won a talent contest at 8 years old and when in her teens formed a group with her brother and sister and some cousins. The accompanying group called themselves The Pips after cousin James "Pip" Woods. The complete list of Pips members at one time or another is Brenda Knight ( sister), Bubba Knight (brother), cousins Eleanor and William Guest, cousin Edward Pattern and friend Langston George. The group had an early hit with Every Beat Of My Heart (Gladys at 17) and they were opening for big names like Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke. After a contract with Brunswick Records ended they were managed by Vee-Jay Records.
In 1966 they signed with Motown and had some major successes like I Heard It Through The Grapevine and If I Were Your Woman. Gladys opened for Diana Ross on a 1973 tour but was dropped after Diana complained that Gladys was overshadowing her as far as fan ratings went. I would call her style Gentle Soul, and this would be my preference too.
After Motown came a very fruitful period with Buddah Records, with hits like Midnight Train To Georgia . Gladys rejoined the Pips after some time as a solo artist and signed with Columbia Records and were produced by Motown husband and wife team of Ashford and Simpson. !n 1988 the Pips resigned finally. This latter part of Gladys' career included some good collaborations like Patti LaBelle and Dionne Warwick. In 1989 she was chosen to do the theme for the 007 movie License To Kill. 2005 saw her duet with Ray Charles. In 2009 she sang His Eye Is On The Sparrow and The Lord's Prayer at Michael Jackson's funeral. in 1997 she and the Pips gave a concert in The White House at which Bill Clinton gave a short but very well informed speech about the role that African American music played in music in general in the USA.
Gladys Knight has long been a favourite of mine and that opinion is shared by many. She is the recipient of many awards like 7 Grammies (23 nominations) an honorary Doctorate, induction into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame (1996), Society of Singers ELLA award and the title Empress of Soul and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame plus many more.Gl
I (Who Have Nothing) - Gladys Knight (1979)
Gladys doing a great cover of a song that Dame Shirley Bassey made famous. (Linda Jones had a Deep Soul version I posted some time back).This is Gladys' distinct "Gentle Soul" version.
Gladys Knight & The Pips - Midnight Train to Georgia (Official Audio)
Gladys and the Pips with a big hit from their time with Buddah Records. Maybe they really are thinking about going back home here?
The Pointer Sisters Slow Hand (UK TV APPEARANCE 1981)
Today being Valentines Day I thought I'd play a song regarded by many as the most romantic song ever written ( by Michael Clark and John Bettis). This is a threesome/foursome which has long been a favourite of mine, The Pointer Sisters from Oakland California. Ruth, Anita, Bonnie and June were the daughters of strict parents who called Rock and Roll the Devil's music. Father was a minister in fact! Out of parent's watchful eye Bonnie and June formed a twosome to be joined by Anita and Ruth . In the early days they did not have the budget for expensive clothes for the stage so they shopped in thrift shops and hence adopted a classic smart 1940s look which I think was their best look of all! They had a vast range of musical styles including Pop, Disco, Jazz, Electronic, Blues, soul, Funk, Rock, and country. In the latter guise they were the first black female group to perform at The Grand Ole Opry! They have received three Grammy awards and are rated 32nd on the Billboard Hot 100. Bonnie left in 1978 to go solo and did some work with Motown. June left in 2004 after a struggle with drug abuse and died of cancer in 2006 sadly. Sadly too Bonnie died in 2020. June's place was taken by Ruth's daughter Issa and in 2009Ruth's grand daughter Sadako Pointer joined to make four again, but the normally rotated as a threesome.
Pointer Sisters Who Do You Love
All four Pointer Sisters together in this track. Some nice pictures of the foursome too. The one at 0.16 even allows one to tell them apart immediately! Another nice thing is this early classic smart 1940s dress code. Their best look I think!
The Pointer Sisters - Jump (For My Love) (Official Video)
I thought it would be appropriate to go back to LaVern Baker and this medley of pure Rock and Roll! I call these the golden years for her, Back in the USA doing exactly what she does best to audiences as large as Madison Square Gardens( this is Montreaux) and before the onslaught of diabetes complications took her legs and ultimately her life. Love the way she lets each member of her band strut his stuff too.
LaVern Baker: Rock and Roll Medley!
I thought it would be appropriate to go back to LaVern Baker and this medley of pure Rock and Roll! I call these the golden years for her, Back in the USA doing exactly what she does best to audiences as large as Madison Square Gardens( this is Montreaux) and before the onslaught of diabetes complications took her legs and ultimately her life. Love the way she lets each member of her band strut his stuff too.
Sarah Vaughan in concert 1987
I've just noticed that my post of Sarah Vaughan in concert in Brussels from a while back has been disallowed because of copyright infringement. That is sad as it was a great concert and I feel that my column is lacking without a similar concert from Sassy, the Divine One, Sarah! So here is a replacement, the 1987 concert at Bern with George Gaffney on piano,Andrew Simpkins on bass and Harold Jones on drums. This is towards the end of her life but she has lost none of the control she is famous for. If the finale of the end song, Send In The Clowns does not move you in some way then, well enough said!
Saturday, June 18, 2022
Dorothy Moore Misty Blue
This is Dorothy Moore with her biggest hit featured on a BBC program in 1976. She was born in 1946 in Jackson Mississippi and brought up by her great grandmother who recognised that she had a vibrato singing voice when she was only 3 years old. She began singing in church at a very young age and was part of a gospel group while attending The State University in Jackson. Her career as an RnB/Soul singer took off in 1976 with this song featured here. She also brought many songs over from mainstream Adult Contemporary and Popular music genres.I chose this version of Misty Blue because it is live and shows her beautiful stage presence with a warm and engaging smile and her statuesque 6 foot 1 inch height off well. The only thing wrong with the video is that it is too short! She has a rich, warm and as her great grandmother noticed, vibrato voice. In 1986 she went back to her roots and made a much acclaimed Gospel album. She is still active today and I saw her doing Misty Blue in 2019 at the age of 73. Her hair is completely white but the voice has not changed perceptibly and she still has an engaging stage presence. She has quite rightly received many awards in her lifetime. I attempted to buy her album Misty Blue but had my money returned and "unobtainable" sent. Fortunately I found an alternative company who can definitely do it and it will arrive in time for my birthday! Couldn't wish for a better present!
Gloria Gaynor - I Am What I Am.
Gloria Gaynor was born in 1943 into a large family filled with music, love and hospitality, she says. She is an icon of the Disco scene and has a repertoire of great hits Disco and RnB. She is still active today and has sung her survival anthem (see below) in many places around the world. These include a great performance in Argentina where she raps with the audience and sings some verses in Spanish. ( She speaks perfect Spanish as there were many Spanish speakers in the New Jersey neighbourhood she grew up in.) In 2017 she dressed as an airline hostess and made an ad for the airline.Hilarious. At 74 she looked great in the uniform! She used the song to advertise washing hands properly to survive the pandemic in 2020 and in2021 she collaborated with Kylie Minogue to thank the latter for reviving Disco. She has received many awards including an Honorary Doctorate.
Something
Dorothy Moore again with a George Harrison composed song. Just one of a comprehensive repertoire of many types of music she put out.
I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor "Live"
Gloria Gaynor again with her iconic song which became an anthem for survivors everywhere. Supported by child prodigy Ethan Bortnick (best arpeggio artist Gloria ever worked with, she says!) and a great orchestra and audience!
Viola Wills - If You Could Read My Mind (Official Video)
Viola Will with the Gordon Lightfoot penned If You Could Read My Mind. See above post.Viola Will
Viola Wills - Gonna Get Along Without You Now • TopPop
Viola Wills was another top proponent of the Disco Dance scene with a long list of hits to her name. Born Viola Mae Wilkerson in 1939 she was married in her teens and had 6 children before the age of 21. She was discovered as a singer by Barry White in 1965 and she also worked with Joe Cocker and Smokey Robinson. Her first big break came in 1979 with Gonna Get Along Without You Now ,which is featured here on a dance show. Following this she had a string of Disco hits which resulted in three entries in The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles among other things. She did live shows in the Disco Dance scene.These were also popular with the gay community . She was known to be a good sport and the story is told of a bunch of guys who arrived at a dance venue only to find that there were only some 8 or so in attendance. Instead of cancelling the show she went through the whole show for just this small audience and sang and danced the night away with them. After her somewhat disastrous first marriage(!) she remarried in 1982 and with new husband Robert Ashmun formed Robert Viola Ashmun Records. She died in 2009 of cancer leaving 6 children, 18 grand children and 8 great grand children as well as her husband. RIP Viola.
Former Ladies of The Supremes 1989 in Japan
Another great Supremes line up. In the order that the ladies introduce themselves as they enter the Japanese venue they are Lynda Laurence, Scherrie Payne and Jean Terrell. The very ebullient Lynda (and the FOOD! ) followed by an excited Scherrie who gets mixed up between JAPAN and JAPANESE, and the more demure Jean (Nice to see you). Then onto the stage where Lynda is given the lead in what can only be described as a Megawatt performance from her. It was typical of Jean to let the others take the lead. The Supremes had evolved into a real three woman group instead of a lead with two backups. One of the nice things about Jean's style of leadership.
Former Ladies of The Supremes 1989 in Japan
The Supremes "Up The Ladder To The Roof" My Extended Version!
I bought my first turntable in 1968 and all the Vinyl LPs I bought back then were Motown stuff. The Four Tops (whom I still consider to be the greatest male Soul/RnB group ever and Levi Stubbs the greatest male singer in the genre) and the Supremes. In those days Diana Ross led the Supremes but she left in 1970 and was replaced by Miss Jean Terrell. At that stage the line up was Jean, Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong. For short they were known as the JMC Supremes. I consider Jean to be the best lead ever. She had a beautiful Soprano voice, a great stage personality and she had very good relationships with the people she sang with. She encouraged a rotating lead within a song or from one song to another. This allowed the multi facet voice of the late Mary Wilson to shine in all its glory for example. In the header picture here you see Cindy, Jean and Mary from left to right. The still photos on this clip are great too. I especially like the one at 3.25. Great outfits. Perhaps Cindy's pin stripe suit (centre) is a hint to her future role as an ordained minister in a church? Unfortunately Motown did not promote The Supremes nearly as strongly as they had done in the Diana Ross days. Jean only stayed with them officially for three years. She did come back and reunite with a number of other line ups like the one in the clip after this.
The Three Degrees - MacArthur Park
Ever since first hearing The Three Degrees I have been convinced that they are the best female threesome singing group in the world.There is no other group which has their perfect harmony. I have also never seen any other group with their level of sophisticated choreographic unison.There have been several lineups over the nearly six decades of their existence but the one in this clip was I think the most successful. In order of appearance in this clip are Fayette Pinkney, Sheila Ferguson and Valerie Holiday. The latter lady holds the record for the longest stay with a single group. They are not the highest selling group in their home country, USA, But I believe that is only because of relatively poor marketing. They are very popular in Japan and both the clips chosen are done live in Japan. The second is done entirely in Japanese which is pronounced perfectly according to a Japanese speaking commenter. The title is Nigai Namida which means Bitter Tears. In a previous post I had them doing Tenshi No Seseyaki which means When Will I See You Again. They won the 1975 world song competition held in Japan with this. The song in this post was written by Jimmy Webb after a painful romantic breakup. It was composed at the piano of good friend Buddy Greco with whom he was staying while recovering.Some people call it the silliest song in the world but everything in it was real! MacArthur Park was the place Jimmy and his girlfriend always met. Someone really did leave a green iced cake out in the rain and there were really some old men playing checkers by the trees. Buddy Greco was so impressed with the song that from then on whenever he gave a public performance he always closed off with it.
Three Degrees - The late Fayette Pinkney (live in Scandinavia)
This is Fayette Pinkney of The Three Degrees singled out giving a solo performance in Norway as part of the main show.She is able to showcase her great vocals and what is also great is the close up view of her facial expressions which are constantly changing with the emotion of the line she is singing. Fayette was a very special person for a number of reasons. She was a founding member of the group at 15 in 1963. She sacrificed much for the group, putting in long hours of practice to achieve those wonderful harmonies when most girls her age were dating guys and having some fun. The original line up was Fayette with Shirley Porter and Linda Turner. The latter two were soon replaced by Valerie Holiday and Helen Scott. Helen Scott left to start a family and was replaced by Sheila Ferguson. Thus we arrive at the group I showed doing MacArthur Park. However in 1977 Fayette wanted to date Lou Rawls and that did not go down well with the management. They gave her an ultimatum, either date Lou or be in the group. Thus she came to be fired. This was not really the train smash it sounds as she did not intend being the group for decades like Valerie and the money she had earned in the group enabled her to do what she really wanted to do . This was to go to College, which she had not been able to do as her family did not have means. She earned a bachelors degree in psychology followed by a Masters in Management. This enabled her to take a job as a councillor in a women's hospital in Philadelphia. In her free time she voice trained up and coming young singers from disadvantaged backgrounds and also led the choir group in her church. She also went on tours with this group. She gave birth to a daughter when she was 46 but sadly the infant died at two days old. Sadly too Fayette passed away from acute respiratory failure at 61. Towards the end of her life she was given a BEMA (Black Enterprise in Music Award). Remembering Fayette, someone who had known her said that she was the sort of person who had lived her whole life not just with love but with agape. I think I can honestly say that if I went on a program which asked the question " Who from history would you most like to meet" it would be Fayette Pinkney, looking at the outline of her life.
Ann Peebles -I Can't Stand The Rain (Rare and Stripped Down)
Ann Peebles and her husband Don Bryant composed this song.Ann Peebles is mathematically speaking at the intersection of three different sets. First is the set of all singers who in my opinion can't do a song badly. Second the are all singers who use their natural voices to sing. No forcing or silly histrionics. Thirdly they are in the set of singers I am happy to set my computer playing a 48 track compilation double cd playing on repeat all day! Footage of her singing live is all too rare so this live stripped down version is wonderful. This is all real music created in real time by the performers. No electronic gizmos . That's Ann's husband on the Wurlitzer keyboard. The petite lady just perches on a tall wooden stool and creates! I believe she is very light on her feet and that the song in which she says she's 99 pounds of Soul is her actual weight (45kg!) The second clip is a happier song and again is conversational in style.
Please Send Me Someone to Love
Here's proof that Thelma Houston's singing career was far from over even after Disco waned! Her performance of a well known Soul classic shows off her quite incredible vocal range.
Don't leave me this way - Thelma Houston
This is Thelma Houston doing a Disco rework of what had been a big hit for Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. She was born in 1946 and achieved international acclaim with this song in 1977. I find that a bit surprising as I would thought that someone with her talent would have been recognised sooner. Her performing genre is Disco and unfortunately when the popularity of Disco waned she was in a sense left with nowhere to go. However she adapted and went into TV shows, acting and other types of music. In the second clip you can hear her giving the Rolling Stones a run for their money. She is described as a very natural sort of person who does not put on any airs. What you see is what you get. A pleasure to work with it is said by all who have been in that position. In the live clip here she is having a lot of fun and so are the dancers. I like her outfit too. Smart but unpretentious.
Marcia Griffiths - children at play
The featured artist is Marcia Griffiths from Jamaica whom I have mentioned before in relation to Women's Day. She is called The Queen of Jamaican Reggae and is now 71 and still performing. She started her career at 15 and was immediately snapped up by a producer who had her singing with the likes of Bob Marley, Bob Andy and other big name Reggae stars. She had a long term singing relationship with Bob Andy and they billed as Bob and Marcia. Her single Electric Slide performed before her 20th birthday was the largest selling single by a female Reggae singer of all time and started a popular dance. She was awarded the Jamaican Order of Distinction (Commander Class) in 2014. She has been involved in a number of films about Reggae for the BBC. Her repertoire includes Reggae standards as well as crossovers to RnB and Soul. I'm not sure if Children At Play has been performed by any other Reggae stars. Perhaps someone with more knowledge of the genre could tell me. When Will I See You Again is of course one of the biggest hits for The Three Degrees.
Labelle - Lady Marmalade (Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi Ce Soir ) 1974 • ...
This is a group known as Labelle, consisting of Nona Hendryx, Sarah Dash and Patti LaBelle (left to right in the picture.)I feel it is appropriate to feature them in remembrance of Sarah Dash who passed away just over a week ago. They originally formed as a foursome with Cindy Birdsong, calling themselves the Blue Belles, later changing to Bluebelles. In 1967 Cindy left suddenly to join The Supremes and the group changed to Labelle, with Patti changing her name to Patti LaBelle (capital B). her real name was Patricia Holt. They also adopted a Glam Rock look with space suit inspired outfits seen in this clip which is a live performance of their iconic hit Lady Marmalade (pronounced Mar-mar -lah-dah). The lyrics are a mixture of English, French and gibberish. None of the ladies spoke French and so they were quite shocked to hear that the song was about a prostitute when a French speaking nun wrote to them about it! But the song was a huge hit and led to a gold award in1974. They were the first African American pop group ( actually any kind of pop group) to appear at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. They were also the first African American vocal group to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine. In 1976 they split up, with Nona achieving success as a somewhat avant garde singer, Sarah making a career as a session singer including some collaboration with Sir Keith Richards and Patti earning Grammy awards for her albums and standing ovations for live performances, often at the Apollo or an even larger venue. Patti is a standard soprano with a three octave range, but unlike many such singers whose power falls off in the higher ranges, hers gets stronger, leading to the label "high octave belter". She also has a flamboyant on stage delivery which makes her a very interesting vocalist. The threesome came back together in 2008 once more. Sarah had been in a serious vehicle accident in the interim but credits the fact that she could eventually walk without assistance to her faith in God.
Tammi Terrell Funk Brothers "I Gotta Find A Way To Get You Back" My Exte...
I always have my collection of Soul/RnB CDs to relax to!Here are two great artists I have.The first is Tammi Terrell whose 48 track Complete solos I have and the second is from the complete duets of Tammi Terrell and Marvin Gaye, another double cd. Tammi Terrell( real name Tammi Montgomery) started her career at 15. Marvin Gaye was assigned to her as singing partner.Sadly the partnership was cut short when Tammi developed a brain tumour .The first sign was collapsing on stage when singing with Marvin. Eight surgeries followed but she died just short of her 25th birthday. Her death affected Marvin very badly causing several years hiatus and some problems with drugs. He had been like an older brother to Tammi. He did however get his career back on track but he had a very tragic death just after turning 45. He got into an argument with his father, Marvin Snr., a retired minister. The latter went to fetch his gun and fired 5 heavy gauge rounds into his son's chest. He was charged with murder but these were dropped when it was discovered that he had a brain tumour. He died two years later. On a happier note, one of the advantages of using the YT versions of songs is the set of artist pictures you get. You can see that both Tammi and Marvin were very photogenic people.
PP Arnold and The Small Fakers.....Classic Grand,GLASGOW
P.P. Arnold (in her 70s) and the Small Fakers
Barbara Acklin - This Girl's In Love With You
For some time I thought that Barbara Acklin was a one hit wonder girl with her biggest hit Love Makes A Woman but i've discovered that she has an extensive repertoire of great songs to her name, many of them self compositions as she was an acknowledged song writer too.By the time she was 11 she was singing solos in the First Baptist Church and when still a teen she sang in clubs etc. At 18 she took a job as a receptionist at Brunswick Studios. She began writing for several big name stars at Brunswick including Jackie Wilson who convinced the company to let her cut a disc after hearing her sing. Apart from many self compositions she also did numbers like the one here composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dionne Warwick who had a big hit with this.I prefer Barbara's version which is further into Soul. The entry below is also famous and I have posted Roberta Flack's before. The two versions are very different but I like both equally. Sadly Barbara died at only 55 after contracting Pneumonia.
P.P. Arnold - Tin Soldier - 229, London - October 2017
Back in the late sixties a lady by the name of P.P. Arnold teamed up with a British Rock group known as The Small Faces ( remember Itchykoo Park?) You can find her doing Little Tin Soldier on You Tube. Great performance. But here she is back in 2017 teaming up with a modern day take off group called The Small Fakers doing the same song. Her performance now is absolutely wild compared with the somewhat demure lady in 1968,but it is just so great to see a 71 year old lady having so much fun on stage! Her real name is Patricia Ann Cole. She was rescued from an abusive relationship by Tina and Ike Turner who took her to the UK and included her in their show there. She was one of The Ikettes as Ike called them!She stayed in the UK however which is how she met The Small Faces. Her pronounciation definitely takes on a nice British infusion. She moved to Spain where she still resides but she still performs at 74 and very well too. In the clip above this she performs on Beat. Some time back I saw a great video of this song which she does from the cab of a 1950's British steam locomotive. I wanted to show that video but can't find it again. She just sings while the driver shovels coal, adjusts controls hardly glancing at Patricia. The camera swings to the English countryside going past faster and faster and then to the connecting rods and Walschaerts valve gear spinning faster and faster. Beautiful! When I was a student I built an American Union Pacific Big Boy in Meccano and was most proud of getting the Walschaerts movement correct!
LaVern Baker--Shake a Hand, 1995 Live Performance
akeLaVern B in this clip performing live after losing both legs to diabetes and after spending three years in hospital. At this stage she was looking forward to receiving prosthetics from a family run company in Boston who were doing the work pro bono as medical expenses had used up most of Lavern's money. She was rearing to get back on stage and not be wheelchair bound. Unfortunately she died from cardiac arrest due to diabetes before that could be. She recorded much material with Atlantic Records before volunteering to do a performance tour for US soldiers during the Vietnam war. Circumstances led to her being offered the post of resident performer at Subic Bay Naval station. She accepted and only left 22 years later when the Philippines government asked the US to leave. If I had been in the US Navy at Subic Bay I think I would have just kept volunteering for tours of duty to be able to hear a performer of this calibre on a regular basis! The second clip below is from her 3 disc compilation set containing 71 tracks which I have been lucky enough to obtain. It is interesting to to hear how her style and the production quality evolve over the 14 year span of time. Initial tracks had too much noisy horn. It seems the producers realised just what a great voice she had and toned it down on the horns!
LaVern Baker at Porretta Soul 1996
LaVern Baker. The Porretta Soul Festival is held every year in Rufus Thomas park in the city of Porretta Terme in Bologna, Italy. It was started by Graziano Uliani in 1988, an avid fan of the Memphis Sound , in honour of Otis Redding tragically killed in a plane crash. Elvis also did this song. He had high regard for LaVern too. Her song Hey Memphis is a take off of Little Sister by Elvis.
DEE DEE WARWICK - WHEN LOVE SLIPS AWAY (RARE CLIP)
Dee Dee Warwick. Watch the way uses her mouth to get that great enunciation!
Dee Dee Warwick Yours Until Tomorrow ORIGINAL)
This is another of my favourite singers, Dee Dee Warwick who was the younger sister of Dionne Warwick . She comes from a very talented family, her cousin being Whitney Houston and her aunt being Cissy Houston. Sadly she passed away only in her early sixties but Dionne was gracious enough to say that Dee Dee was the real singer in the family. I agree with Dionne on that. Dee Dee has more inclination to Soul while Dionne is suited to more general/pop numbers such as the famous Burt Bacharach /Hal David numbers which shot her to great commercial fame. Dee Dee did not reach that level of fame, probably for two reasons. Firstly she was less commercial in appeal and secondly because she was open about being Lesbian at a time when this was not an acceptable thing to do. The song she does here has been done by a great many artists and I find the way they do it is a good litmus test of their ability. Doubtless to say Dee Dee passes with flying colours! Live footage of her singing is all too rare but in the clip to follow I have found such. Watch the way she uses her mouth to get a very clear enunciation . One can clearly hear every word.
Linda Jones - I Who Have Nothing
Linda Jones had one of the most immediately recognisable voices of the Soul Music genre. There's Soul and then Deep Soul where the singer reaches to deeper emotional depths, but I think Linda needs a further , deeper category of classification. The circumstances of her death were both traumatic and sad for her many fans. She went to her mother's apartment for a short rest between the afternoon and evening performances at the nearby Apollo Theater in Harlem but slipped into a state of insulin shock and was pronounced dead that evening. The news was relayed to a packed Apollo as fans waited for her to appear. She was just 27 years old. Here she brings her unique style to a song also performed by Dame Shirley Bassey.
Barbara Lynn
This an artist by the name of Barbara Lynn (born Ozen later Cumby ) performing in 1962. She plays and sings in a genre called Gulf Coast Blues and is also a composer of note. Playing rhythm guitar with her here is Clarence Gatemouth Brown. She is from the Texas coastal town of Beaumont and in the second clip taken in 2010 she is playing in her hometown. She has been on tour with big names like Gladys Knight, Marvin Gaye, Dionne Warwick, Jackie Wilson, Otis Redding and many more, but strangely has not achieved their level of fame. I came across an analysis of her playing technique and singing by a British guitarist who had very high praise. It's very technical but you can look it under Wings of Pegasus. She has a great stage personality and I saw a clip of her telling the story of getting a phone call from Mick Jagger wanting to do her song Oh Baby We've Got A Good Thing Going. She nearly fell on the floor but laughed all the way to the bank! She is still performing today at the age of 79. Without fanfare or fuss she just gets on a Greyhound bus with trusty left handed Stratocaster and goes off to meet like minded artists . You can see such people in the second clip doing her song Wild Night Tonight.
Friday, June 17, 2022
THE SUPREMES LIVE IN MONTREUX - 1976 "HE AIN'T HEAVY, HE'S MY BROTHER" ...
This is the debut performance of Susaye Greene, the last singer to officially join The Supremes. At 4 foot 11 inches she was the shortest Supreme ever, but her training as a coloratura soprano made her the most highly trained Supreme ever. Unfortunately Motown stopped promoting the Supremes shortly after this. However she went on to make an independent career and I was happy to see her still performing with Scherrie Payne ( to her left here) and Joyce Vincent who often stood in to make a threesome. This was in 2019. For me this is one of the most amazing performances by The Supremes ever
Something Inside So Strong (Remaster)
This song was written during the Civil Rights days in the 60s but it applies to Women's Rights today just as aptly. Something Inside So Strong. The singer is Marcia Griffiths from Jamaica, who is known as the Queen of Jamaican Reggae.
Irma Thomas - Another Lonely Heart
This is Irma Thomas off her CD After The Rain which I received recently from the USA. It has a slightly Country style about it. This footage also shows some great pictures of Irma.She recently turned 80 and is still going strong .I saw some footage of a Christmas show she did in 2020 in the St Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter, New Orleans. She looked and sounded great! Only a handful of performers can boast of a six decade career! The 2018 Honorary Doctorate from Tulane University was well deserved.
Sarah Vaughan - The More I See You (Live from Sweden) Mercury Records 1964
The balance on this clip of Sarah Vaughan is perfect and highlights just what a great voice she had. The control is absolute and she seems to do it without effort. In my opinion this is really great music, when the voice is the main instrument. The backing is right on point and the camera work is excellent showing the full range of emotion she brings to the number. It seems a lot of other people shared my opinion. She was the recipient of many awards in her lifetime, including four Grammies and an Honorary Doctorate.
Marcia Ball - "The Party's Still Going On" (eTown webisode #371)
This lady is #marciaball born in a small Texas town a few miles away from the state line with Louisiana. As a young girl her parents moved across the state line and so she calls herself a Louisiana girl. Musically she is where Louisiana Swamp Blues meets Texas Rock. Her instruments are piano and voice. I've never seen anyone play the piano quite like she does. She has a distinctive way of crossing right leg over left and Bouncing to the rhythm . Maybe this is the most comfortable position for her being a tad taller than 6 foot. Listen to The Party's Still Going On. ( I like the bit about Papa's in the kitchen....he's throwinging everything he's got into the pot! So much of Louisiana music comes down to food and cooking! Great place to be.)
Bettye Swann This Old Heart Of Mine R
The person in the attached clip is #BettyeSwann from Shreveport, Louisiana. Although commercial interests have not been all that kind to her ( you won't find her in shops in SA) I believe she is the top of the pile Absolute Queen of Soul/RnB. The visual with this is the cover of her compilation cd done with Atlantic Records. I was fortunate to obtain a copy from a collector in New Jersey who was selling off his collection. He had played it once, into his computer. I've done the same. I also found her Money Records compilation.Unfortunately she dropped out of recording at the age of 36 in 1980 when George Barton who was her husband and manager died. She became a school teacher for the rest of her working life except for one weekend of concerts in 2013 when she was 69 in the small English seaside town of Cleethorpes. The population of the town tripled as fans from all over the world came in for this special event. Unfortunately rcordings of the concert are not good, with the backing band up way too loud. If someone could remaster them I'd stand in line for the cd. Bttye has a beautiful, natural and unforced voice as is evident in this version of a song which was a big hit for The Isley Brothers.
Irma Thomas & Ry Cooder Backwater Blues
Irma is a very well known and liked personality in New Orleans. She owned a restuarant in the city where she frequently performed for the patrons. However when Katrina hit it was completely destroyed. A gold medal given to her on the occasion of her Emmy award and which had been on display in a glass case was never found. It is still somewhere in the mud left by Katrina. She gave several benefit concerts for victims of Katrina after the storm. Here she sings a song about what it was like when the storm hit, backed by iconic Cuban guitarist Ry Cooder. "I looked down on the house where I used to stay but I couldn't stay there no more....Ir
Ann Peebles Bouncing Back
Ann Peebles, an American Soul treasure. If you own two or three Tina Turner albums you will most probably have heard her sing " I Can't Stand The Rain". The song was composed by Ann Peebles and her husband, Don Bryant in 1970.They had wanted to attend a show but were prevented by a torrential downpour! It became one of Ann's iconic songs. She has a vast repertoire of Soul material but unfortunately was not imported to SA. I was lucky enough to recently acquire a 45 track double cd from USA. She and her husband are still alive ( and very much in love they say!) but sadly she stopped performing in 2013 after a stroke. This is Ann in 1990 . Watch the backing singers when it's their turn! They really get into it! Horns are great too.
To Sir With Love
"How do you thank someone who has taken you from crayons to perfume?" Here is the beautiful voice and great piano work of Roberta Flack, the youngest person to enter Howard University and who received a standing ovation from the entire Faculty for her production of Aida as an undergraduate.
Kim Weston live at the Dominion Theatre, London 1990.
This is Kim Weston who was with Motown Records in the erly 70's and produced a large store of material with them. including a famous duet with Marvin Gaye.This is Kim in 1990 at the Dominion Theatre in London. In this set of numbers she does that Duet again with Edwin Starr. Tragically Marvin is already gone to an untimely death at 45 in 1984.But the duet with Edwin is good, even though Mr. Starr gets the words a bit mixed up! Kim has in my opinion the biggest and most powerful Northern Soul voice to ever go through Motown. Unfortunately she was only with them for a few short years, otherwise I believe she could have been their anchor Megastar.She does not do Bubblegum for sure as you can see from her version of The Greatest Love Of All here at Dominion. The voice and breathing control is absolute and that mighty voice just seems to come completely naturally. Another nice thing about Kim is that her dress code for the stage is impeccably elegant, unlike some of what passes for singers today! I believe also that #KimWeston is Bill Clinton's favourite vocalist. His opinion carries some weight. I heard him give a short but well informed speech on the role played by African American music in the wider context of American music in general. This was given on the occasion of a concert given by Gladys Knight and The Pips in the White House. Judge for yourself!
Vicki Sue Robinson - Turn the Beat Around (Audio)
Here is the late Vicki Sue Robinson with the get up and go song! VSR was gone way too soon from cancer (45) but left a great legacy of Disco. Turn The beat Around later became a big hit for Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine.
LaVern Baker--Jim Dandy, Saved, 1988 TV with Interview
Here is my celebratory performance from LaVern Baker at the 40th anniversary celebrations of Atlantic Records. AS Phil Collins says in his intro speech, Atlantic showed that it was OK for white kids to listen to black music. They promoted many African American artists and brought them to wider audiences. LaVern was an iconic 50's RnB and pre Rock and Roll singer who was admired by the likes of Elvis and so on. After a divorce she volunteered to go to Vietnam to entertain US troops fighting in that war. While on this tour she caught pneumonia and was sent to a US naval base at Subic Bay in the Phillipines to recover. When she was ready to depart the people on the base asked her to stay as resident singer and entertainments manager. She accepted and only left 22 years later when the base was closed down. Unfortunately she was a diabetes sufferer and had both legs amputated in 1995 due to this. Medical expenses had used up all her money and she could not afford prosthetics. However a family business in Boston offered to make them pro bono. She was all rearing to go back out there and perform without the wheelchair but sadly had a fatal cardiac arrest in 1998. She was buried in an unmarked grave. In 2011 some fans got money together remember her with a tombstone and dignity.
Lavern Baker - 9-8-1996 (PORCC Show)
This is the best footage I've ever seen of any singer! This is LaVern Baker taken about one year before her sad death from diabetes complications and shortly after a long stay in hospital and losing both legs. The indominatable spirit of LaVern Baker! Also excellent audio and well focussed well placed camera!
Irma Thomas - I've been loving you too long
Irma Thomas is one of my absolute favourite singers. As a 16 year old girl she lost her first job, washing dishes in a restuarant, becase the patrons complained about her singing while she worked. In 2018 at the age of 76 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate for her more than 5 decades of service to music and to the people of New Orleans, her home city, by Tulane University in the city. ( that used to be University of Louisiana.) There is Soul, then there's Deep Soul and then ......there's this Powerhouse Soul from Irma. Enjoy!
Mary Wilson - You Danced My Heart Around The Stars (1980)
So sad to hear of the death of Mary Wilson at 76 . So full of life and plans for The Humpty Dumpty Foundation among other things. A group which helps broken people put their lives together again.
She was one of the founding members of The Supremes and sang with a number of that groups line-ups.(My favourite was the JMC Supremes, when Jean Terrell took over leadership in 1970. Cindy Birdsong and Mary made up the threesome. Mary went on to a great solo career and was active to the end. She was atruly impressive person. Enjoy her 1980 song I've linked to here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
One Day I'll Fly Away - Vesta Williams (1984)
Vesta again with a song that is strongly associated with Randy Crawford. Written by Joe Sample. This is a great version!
-
Joan Armatrading has been on the back burner of my list but let's rectify that! Great singer and guitarist as well. Always uses high qua...
-
After a 5 month wait I am happy to say the Post Office found this waiting for me! A package containing Esther's Kudu Anthology and A bea...
