LEVI STUBBS - (R.I.P) - THE FOUR TOPS

Levi Stubbles (June 6, 1936 – October 17, 2008), better known by the stage name Levi Stubbs was an American baritone singer, best known as the lead vocalist of the famed Motown R&B group The Four Tops.
Boomp3.com

Biography

Stubbs began his professional singing career with friends Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton to form the Four Aims in 1954. Two years later, the group changed their name to the Four Tops. The group began as a supper-club act before finally signing to Motown Records in 1963; by the end of the decade, the Four Tops had over a dozen hits to their name. The most popular of the Four Tops hits, all of which featured Stubbs on lead vocals, include "Baby I Need Your Loving", "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)", "It's the Same Old Song", "Reach Out I'll Be There", "Standing in the Shadows of Love", "Bernadette", "Still Water (Love)", and "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)".

Although Stubbs was a natural baritone, most of the Four Tops' hits were written in a tenor range to give the lead vocals a sense of urgency. Stubbs and the other Tops remained a team until Payton died in 1997, at which point Theo Peoples took his place. The Four Tops were elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Benson also died on July 1, 2005. Levi Stubbs passed away after a long illness on October 17, 2008.

As an actor, credited as Levi Stubbs, Jr., he provided the voice of the carnivorous plant "Audrey II" in the movie version of the musical Little Shop of Horrors (1986) and the voice of Mother Brain in the animated TV series Captain N: The Game Master (1989). Stubbs has also guest starred in a number of TV shows as himself.

Stubbs and his wife Clineice were married from 1960 until his death, and had five children. In 1995, Stubbs was diagnosed with cancer, and later, a stroke, and stopped touring. Since 2000, Theo Peoples has taken Stubbs' place as the lead singer of the Four Tops, with Ronnie McNeir taking the place that Payton originally held. Stubbs died October 17, 2008 at his home in Detroit after a long serious illness including cancer and a stroke. He was 72.[1]

Stubbs was a cousin of soul singer Jackie Wilson.

STACEY LATTISAW & JOHNNY GILL

Boomp3.com
Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

When she was a teenager in the early '80s, urban soul singer Stacy Lattisaw had a string of Top 40 R&B hits, with three songs -- "Let Me Be Your Angel," "Love on a Two Way Street," "Miracles" -- crossing over to the pop mainstream. Lattisaw recorded her first album for Cotillion Records at the age of 12 in 1979, under the direction of producer Van McCoy. However it wasn't until she hooked up with Narada Michael Walden, a former drummer with the Mahavishnu Orchestra who was just beginning a career as a producer, that she became a star. Under Walden's direction, she had five hit albums between 1981 and 1986. She continued recording into the late '80s, signing to Motown in 1986, but her audience slowly disappeared. By the early '90s, she decided to retire from a music career and concentrate on raising her family.

Biography by William Ruhlmann

Born in Washington, D.C., Johnny Gill was discovered by singer Stacy Lattisaw after singing in his family's group Wings of Faith from age five. His solo career began in 1983 with the Top 30 R&B single "Super Love." In duo with Lattisaw, he scored an R&B Top Ten hit in 1984 with "Perfect Combination." In 1988, Gill joined New Edition, replacing Bobby Brown. In 1989 he sang on two R&B hits: "Where Do We Go from Here," a #1 by Stacy Lattisaw, and "One Love," by George Howard. Gill finally scored as a solo singer in 1990 with the release of his album Johnny Gill, which sold a million copies, topped the R&B chart, and made the Top Ten in the pop chart. Following the relative failure of 1993's Provocative -- which didn't produce any Top 10 R&B singles and only went gold -- Gill reunited with New Edition in 1996. A month after New Edition released Home Again in September of 1996, Gill released Let's Get the Mood Right.

LES MCCAAN

Boomp3.com

Biography by Scott Yanow (AMG)

Les McCann reached the peak of his career at the 1968 Montreux Jazz Festival, recording "Compared to What" and "Cold Duck Time" for Atlantic (Swiss Movement) with Eddie Harris and Benny Bailey. Although he has done some worthwhile work since then, much of it has been anti-climactic.

McCann first gained some fame in 1956 when he won a talent contest in the Navy as a singer that resulted in an appearance on television on The Ed Sullivan Show. After being discharged, he formed a trio in Los Angeles. McCann turned down an invitation to join the Cannonball Adderley Quintet so he could work on his own music. He signed a contract with Pacific Jazz and in 1960 gained some fame with his albums Les McCann Plays the Truth and The Shout. His soulful, funk style on piano was influential and McCann's singing was largely secondary until the mid-'60s. He recorded many albums for Pacific Jazz during 1960-1964, mostly with his trio but also featuring Ben Webster, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Blue Mitchell, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Pass, the Jazz Crusaders, and the Gerald Wilson Orchestra. McCann switched to Limelight during 1965-1967 and then signed with Atlantic in 1968. After the success of Swiss Movement, McCann emphasized his singing at the expense of his playing and he began to utilize electric keyboards, notably on 1972's Layers. His recordings became less interesting to traditional jazz fans from that point on, and after his Atlantic contract ran out in 1976, McCann appeared on records much less often. However, he stayed popular and a 1994 reunion tour with Eddie Harris was quite successful. A mid-'90s stroke put him out of action for a time and weakened his keyboard playing (his band began carrying an additional keyboardist) but Les McCann returned to a more active schedule during 1996 and was still a powerful singer. His comeback was solidified by 2002's Pump It Up, a guest-heavy celebration of funk and jazz released on ESC Records.

Review by Andrew Hamilton (AMG)

The godfather of contemporary jazz-soul chills, changing the pace from his electrifying collaborations with Eddie Harris -- Swiss Movement and Second Movement -- that preceded and followed this mellow set of mostly love songs, which includes four selections from the pens of Helen and Kay Lewis (aka the Lewis Sisters). Two cuts, "Baby, Baby" and "Can't We Be Strangers Again," were originally done by Motown's Miracles and Edwin Starr & Blinky respectively. "How Many Broken Wings" and "What I Call Soul" are the sisters' other contributions, and McCann executes them to perfection. The keyboardist plays with an underlying intensity on Bill Evans' "Unless It's You," while the title track is good hard bop. Atlantic Records hasn't reissued this LP, so you have to rummage the Goodwills, online sites, and flea markets for a copy.

IRMA THOMAS

Boomp3.com
Review by J. Poet (amg)
After a lifetime in the business, the Soul Queen of New Orleans finally won a Best Contemporary Blues Grammy in 2006 for After the Rain. As everyone knows, there's a lot more to Thomas than the blues. She's a powerful R&B belter, simmering soul singer, and all round entertainer as comfortable with a standard like "Stormy Weather" as she is with a new tune like Dr. John's "Be You." True to its punny title, Simply Grand features Thomas in the company of 13 piano players laying down accompaniment on the acoustic grand. The tunes are old and new, borrowed and blue, but Thomas makes them all her own. The most powerful tracks here showcase Thomas and a solo pianist, bringing the feel of a smoky late-night bar on the end of lonely street to life. "Be You" features Dr. John, who played piano on the very first Thomas recording session, 1959's "You Can Have My Husband (But Don't Mess with My Man)." Rebennack's piano on "Be You" is dramatic and funky, halfway between a Mardi Gras romp and a Sunday morning sermon. Written by Rebennack and Doc Pomus, it's a simple, soulful love song with a playful vocal by Thomas . On the Louis Jordan standard "If I Had Any Sense I'd Go Back Home" Mac and Thomas get down and dirty, with Thomas delivering a casual vocal that plays around with the beat, while Rebennack backs her with clusters of rippling arpeggios. "Somebody Told You," a sassy Allen Toussaint R&B number Thomas recorded back in 1962, gets a reprise (in the same key as the original) with John Medeski rolling out some stomping New Orleans fonk on his solo while Thomas testifies with her usual soulful intensity. Marcia Ball chose the Leon Russell tune "Same Old Blues" for the session and gives it a gospel twist that lets Thomas flex her moaning lower resister. Randy Newman supplies keys and his own "Think It's Going to Rain Today" to close the album. Thomas makes a bleak lyric even more forlorn with an understated sighing vocal that's downright heartbreaking. But the album also has it's sassy, uptempo moments. John Fogerty's "River Is Waiting" also has a celebratory churchy ambience with great backing vocals, Henry Butler's sanctified piano, and Thomas' testifying lifting the tune to heaven. "Early in the Morning," another Louis Jordan tune, a tongue in cheek tale of a woman looking for solace after being up all night, gets a humorous read from Thomas and pianist Tom McDermott. "Underground Stream" is a pop tune from pianist David Egan that combines R&B and gospel with a classic '40s pop feel. The chorus is instantly memorable, and if there was any justice in the world it'd be the monster hit Thomas deserves.

LITTLE JOHNNY TAYLOR & TED TAYLOR

Boomp3.com
(AMG)
Review by Bill Dahl

Now here'a a relic from Little Johnny Taylor's prolific early '70s Ronn tenure that also features soul-blues singer Ted Taylor. Although they weren't related (except by label), the "Super Taylors" shared this album like long-lost brothers. Four duets find the two complementing one another most soulfully; otherwise, the album is comprised of solo sides by both (including Johnny Taylor's "Everybody Knows About My Good Thing").
Tracks

WILSON PICKETT

Boomp3.com
Review by Ron Wynn

A funny title, and a little bit better material and production for yet another Pickett attempt on RCA. He got a couple of chart hits, although the album itself didn't fare well. But it just wasn't the same; no longer was he roaring and belting out lyrics over a driving beat. Instead, he seemed like a mellow, almost restrained pop/soul type.

HMMMM - I'm not paid to be a critic But I liked this album.

Having had the pleasure of seeing the 'Wicked pickett' several times - it was nice to know that he had a quieter side to his music. Unfortunately, it didn't sell well - so he went back to making the kind of music that was expected by his buying public. But in some of his shows he did tone it down .....

SPANKY WILSON

Boomp3.com
Biography by Marisa Brown (amg)

Born in Philadelphia, PA, soul singer Spanky Wilson (a nickname she received as a child due to the spankings her father gave her when she behaved badly) joined the scene in the late '60s with big-band recordings, moving to Paris in 1985 to continue her career there. With collaborations with the like of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Lalo Schifrin, Marvin Gaye, Willie Bobo, and Sammy Davis, Jr., along with her own solo work, Wilson became a DJ favorite all over the world, including in England, where musician and producer Will Holland (Quantic, Quantic Soul Orchestra) spent many years searching for her (she had moved to Los Angeles in 2000). In 2004 Holland finally found Wilson, and they worked together on two songs for Quantic's record, Mishaps Happening, leading to a full-length Wilson and QSO album, I'm Thankful, which came out in 2006 on Ubiquity.

Review by Richie Unterberger (amg)

Everything that could be dug up from Spanky Wilson's mid-1970s stint at Westbound Records is on this 18-track compilation, including all ten tracks from her 1975 Specialty of the House LP; two cuts that surfaced many years later on CD compilations; and six previously unreleased items retrieved from the vaults. It adds up to a respectable, but not exciting, collection of material by a versatile singer whose jazz-pop leanings are evident in some of the tunes and performances, yet who is reasonably comfortable with numbers that call for more standard soul-funk stylings. Wilson might be a little too talented to deserve the "journeywoman" sticker, but nonetheless this music isn't much above that label, offering fair early-to-mid-1970s soul that's a little less slick than much such fare of the period, almost entirely steering clear of any hints of disco. For the most part, the best cuts are actually those that depart a little from the mainstream soul format, like a satisfyingly funky take on Bill Withers' "Kissing My Love" and a chance to revisit her somewhat jazz-poppier origins on "Home." Some of the cuts not released at the time gave her opportunities to try out some unexpected material, like her earthy take on Harlan Howard's "He Called Me Baby" and her cover of Lesley Duncan's "Love Song" (made more famous by Elton John). The discofied version of Howard's "The Chokin' Kind" was a bad idea, however.

VERNON BURCH

Boomp3.com
Review by Alex Henderson (AMG)

In the late '70s and early '80s, some people argued that Vernon Burch had made a big mistake by leaving the Bar-Kays. At the time, the Bar-Kays were huge. A combo that was originally known for Memphis soul had successfully reinvented itself as a hardcore funk band, and its albums of the period were doing a lot better than Burch's solo efforts. Naturally, some people couldn't help but wonder if Burch would have been better off sticking around for smashes like "Holy Ghost" and "Shake Your Rump to the Funk." But he didn't want to spend his entire career as the Bar-Kays' guitarist; he was determined to see what he could accomplish on his own. Recorded in 1979, Get Up was Burch's second album for Chocolate City/Casablanca and his fourth solo album overall. This LP, which marked the first time he worked with producer/drummer James E. Gadson, was a departure from his previous releases in that it found him emphasizing dance-oriented material. "Once Again in My Life" is the record's only ballad, and Burch is obviously going after the disco crowd on up-tempo dance items like "Arrogant Lady," "Never Can Find the Way (Hot Love)," and "Dr. Do It Good." Even the familiar "Try a Little Tenderness" (a major hit for Otis Redding in the 1960s) gets the disco-funk treatment. Get Up isn't a masterpiece, but it's generally enjoyable -- and it was an improvement over 1978's Love-A-Thon.

LYN COLLINS

Boomp3.com
Biography by Steve Huey (AMG)

Nicknamed the "Female Preacher," Lyn Collins was discovered in the early '70s along with her relatives Bootsy and Catfish Collins by James Brown, who was making the transition to the hardest funk phase of his career. Lyn Collins was born June 12, 1948, in Abilene, TX, where she grew up; she began singing in her teens, waxing a tune called "Unlucky in Love" at age 14, and married a man who served both as her manager and as the local promoter for the James Brown Revue. Collins sent Brown a demo tape and he responded by essentially putting her on standby in 1970, when Marva Whitney left the Revue. Former vocalist Vicki Anderson elected to rejoin, however, so Brown instead invited Collins to come to Georgia for a recording session in early 1971, which produced the single "Wheel of Life." By the end of that year, Anderson was ready to leave again, and Collins officially joined the James Brown Revue. In 1972, Brown's People Records label released Collins' self-penned single "Think (About It)"; produced by Brown, it became her first and biggest hit, made her the most commercially successful female singer in Brown's camp, and was later sampled for the main vocal hook in the party rap classic "It Takes Two" by Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock. Collins' first full-length album, also titled Think (About It), was released later in the year. Collins continued to record singles for Brown through 1973, also fulfilling her heavy touring commitments as a member of the Revue. Collins' second album, Check It Out if You Don't Know Me by Now, was released in 1975. She eventually became a backup session vocalist, also appearing on the soundtracks of the film Dr. Detroit and the TV series Fame. Around the late '80s/early '90s, Collins attempted a comeback as a dance-club diva, recording the house single "Shout" for Belgium's ARS label, and a self-penned track called "Break Your Heart" for an Italian label. In 1993, Collins' profile was given a boost by female dancehall reggae singer Patra, who invited Collins to perform on her hit remake of "Think (About It)"; partly due to the resulting interest, her two official albums were reissued in England and Holland. In addition, Collins' work has appeared on Polydor compilations like James Brown's Funky People and James Brown's Original Funky Divas, as well as the bootleg singles comp Female Preacher; she continued to tour and perform, most notably at the European Jazz/Funk Festival (in both 1998 and 1999) and the Montreux Jazz Festival. Shortly after returning from a European tour in February of 2005, Lyn Collins passed away on March 13, 2005 at the age of 56.

Review by Tim Sendra
At the time of the release of Think (About It) in 1972, Lyn Collins had been a member of James Brown's performing revue for about two years. Her full-throated voice had earned her the nickname "the Female Preacher" and a shot to record her own album. Of course, the Godfather was in the producer's chair, writing four of the nine tracks, directing the J.B.'s as they laid down their usual funky grooves, and liberally adding vocals throughout. The title track is the main point of interest here; from Collins' throat-ripping vocals to the track's nasty groove to Brown's background interjections, this is a killer. (Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock later sampled the track for their rap classic "It Takes Two"). The rest of the record is a little uneven: "Just Won't Do Right" is a good doo wop-ish ballad with some churchy organ and great vocals by Collins and Brown, "Wheels of Life" is a nice little groover that sounds like vintage Aretha Franklin, and "Women's Lib" is a very slow ballad that lets Collins show off her anguished yowl of a vocal to its fullest. Where the album stumbles is on the covers of familiar songs. Her versions of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" and the Gamble & Huff classic "Never Gonna Give You Up" are mediocre, and worst of all is her leaden take on "Fly Me to the Moon." Still, the record is worth tracking down for hardcore James Brown or funky soul fans. The less devoted should look for "Think (About It)" on one of the many compilations on which it appears.

BIG CYNTHIA

WELL IT IS FRIDAY - So here's something a little different - LOL
Boomp3.com

Daddy B. Nice's #58 ranked Southern Soul Artist

Cynthia Walker (Big Cynthia) was born in Houston, Texas, the daughter of Junior Walker, of Junior Walker & The All Stars fame ("What Does It Take To Win Your Love"). She began singing in local clubs as a teenager and became the opening-act artist for Southern Soul headliners, including Johnnie Taylor and Peggy Scott-Adams, who came through town. Avanti Records issued her debut CD, currently unavailable.

In 1997 Ace Records featured two tracks by Cynthia Walker on its highly-regarded sampler, Kings And Queens Of Ace. "I'm Bill's Wife," with the lyric, "Bill goes both ways," capitalized on R&B's early-to-mid-90's fascination with bisexuality, memorialized in most fans' minds by Peggy Scott-Adam's smash hit "Bill." The song gave ample evidence of Walker's blues diva's talents.

"I Should Quit You Baby," from the same compilation, was a straight-blues rant in the style of Chick Willis's "Stoop Down Baby," and a precursor of much of Cynthia's later choice of material.

Meanwhile Big Cynthia, as Cynthia Walker, also worked in the gospel circuit. In 1998 she was a featured vocalist on The Greater Walters of Chicago's gospel CD He Can Do Anything.

Renowned Southern Soul performer Mel Waiters signed Big Cynthia to his Brittney Records label, resulting in the 2002 CD, Ain't Nothing Like A Big Woman. The title track and the song "Freaky With You" in particular received favorable airplay on Stations of the Deep South.

Doing It Big (TMR) appeared in 2005, and the radio single from the CD, "If You Wanna Get It," a duet with up-and-coming vocalist Mr. David (of "Shoo Da Wop"/Sir Charles Jones fame), became an overnight chitlin' circuit favorite. The follow-up, "Eatin' Ain't Cheatin'," was as ribald and R-rated as contemporary chitlin' circuit R&B gets.

TOWNSEND TOWNSEND TOWNSEND & ROGERS

Boomp3.com
Townsend, Townsend, Townsend & Rogers was a band Produced & Conceived By Ed Townsend.

They Were Formed In 1978, Where They Got Signed To Chocolate City Records. The Members Of The Group Were Ed Townsend, His Sons David Townsend & Michael Townsend & His Nephew David Rogers. Their 1st Album For Chocolate City Records Was Titled, "Townsend, Townsend, Townsend & Rogers". Their 2 Hit Singles Were "Bring It Down To The Real" & "Playground Of Love."