ETTA JAMES

Sugar On The Floor by ETTA James

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Biography by Bill Dahl (AMG)

Few R&B singers have endured tragic travails on the monumental level that Etta James has and remain on earth to talk about it. The lady's no shrinking violet; her autobiography, Rage to Survive, describes her past (including numerous drug addictions) in sordid detail.

But her personal problems have seldom affected her singing. James has hung in there from the age of R&B and doo wop in the mid-'50s through soul's late-'60s heyday and right up into the '90s and 2000s (where her 1994 disc Mystery Lady paid loving jazz-based tribute to one of her idols, Billie Holiday). Etta James' voice has deepened over the years, coarsened more than a little, but still conveys remarkable passion and pain.

Jamesetta Hawkins was a child gospel prodigy, singing in her Los Angeles Baptist church choir (and over the radio) when she was only five years old under the tutelage of Professor James Earle Hines. She moved to San Francisco in 1950, soon teaming with two other girls to form a singing group. When she was 14, bandleader Johnny Otis gave the trio an audition. He particularly dug their answer song to Hank Ballard & the Midnighters' "Work With Me Annie."

Against her mother's wishes, the young singer embarked for L.A. to record "Roll With Me Henry" with the Otis band and vocalist Richard Berry in 1954 for Modern Records. Otis inverted her first name to devise her stage handle and dubbed her vocal group the Peaches (also Etta's nickname). "Roll With Me Henry," renamed "The Wallflower" when some radio programmers objected to the original title's connotations, topped the R&B charts in 1955.

The Peaches dropped from the tree shortly thereafter, but Etta James kept on singing for Modern throughout much of the decade (often under the supervision of saxist Maxwell Davis). "Good Rockin' Daddy" also did quite well for her later in 1955, but deserving follow-ups such as "W-O-M-A-N" and "Tough Lover" (the latter a torrid rocker cut in New Orleans with Lee Allen on sax) failed to catch on.

James landed at Chicago's Chess Records in 1960, signing with their Argo subsidiary. Immediately, her recording career kicked into high gear; not only did a pair of duets with her then-boyfriend (Moonglows lead singer Harvey Fuqua) chart, her own sides (beginning with the tortured ballad "All I Could Do Was Cry") chased each other up the R&B lists as well. Leonard Chess viewed James as a classy ballad singer with pop crossover potential, backing her with lush violin orchestrations for 1961's luscious "At Last" and "Trust in Me." But James' rougher side wasn't forsaken -- the gospel-charged "Something's Got a Hold on Me" in 1962, a kinetic 1963 live LP (Etta James Rocks the House) cut at Nashville's New Era Club, and a blues-soaked 1966 duet with childhood pal Sugar Pie De Santo, "In the Basement," ensured that.

Although Chess hosted its own killer house band, James traveled to Rick Hall's Fame studios in Muscle Shoals in 1967 and emerged with one of her all-time classics. "Tell Mama" was a searing slice of upbeat Southern soul that contrasted markedly with another standout from the same sessions, the spine-chilling ballad "I'd Rather Go Blind." Despite the death of Leonard Chess, Etta James remained at the label into 1975, experimenting toward the end with a more rock-based approach.

There were some mighty lean years, both personally and professionally, for Miss Peaches. But she got back on track recording-wise in 1988 with a set for Island, Seven Year Itch, that reaffirmed her Southern soul mastery. Her following albums have been a varied lot -- 1990's Sticking to My Guns was contemporary in the extreme; 1992's Jerry Wexler-produced The Right Time, for Elektra, was slickly soulful, and her most other '90s outings have explored jazz directions. In 1998, she also issued a holiday album, Etta James Christmas. She was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001, and in 2003 received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. That year also saw the release of her Let's Roll album, followed in 2004 by a CD of new blues performances, Blues to the Bone, both on RCA Records. James then shifted gears and released an album of pop standards, All the Way, on RCA in 2006.

In concert, Etta James is a sassy, no-holds-barred performer whose suggestive stage antics sometimes border on the obscene. She's paid her dues many times over as an R&B and soul pioneer; long may she continue to shock the uninitiated.

**My Note: Having seen Etta at least 200 Times Live - these are some of my favorite songs - that she usually does at her show!!

LEE 'SHOT' WILLIAMS

Ease On Down In The Bed by LEE 'SHOT' WILLIAMS

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Lee "Shot" Williams
Daddy B. Nice's #13 ranked Southern Soul Artist

About Lee "Shot" Williams
Lee Williams was dubbed "Shot" by his mother for his habit of wearing suits and dressing up as a "big shot." Born in 1938 in Lexington, Mississippi, he moved to Detroit in the fifties and then on to Chicago, where he eventually hooked up with fellow Mississippian Little Smokey Smothers. He interned with Chicago-based Magic Sam, then toured with Earl Hooker and Bobby "Blue" Bland.

His first album under his own name, Country Disco, was released in 1977. In the eighties, without commercial prospects, Williams moved back to Memphis, where he might very well have lived out the remainder of his life in obscurity but for small-label Black Magic's interest in giving him an opportunity. The result, Cold Shot, was voted the best blues album of 1995 by "Living Blues" magazine.
In 1996 Lee "Shot" Williams moved to Ecko Records, where he recorded Hot Shot, distinguished by creditable, straightforward blues numbers such as "Make Me Holler" and "I'll Take The Risk."

By 2000, however, Williams had honed a much more focused musical persona, evident in his smash chitlin' circuit hit, "She Made A Freak Out Of Me." The following year, he recorded his signature hit, "Somebody's After My Freak" (from the Somebody's After My Freak CD). Since then, Williams has continued to put out a steady stream of top-notch Southern Soul discs annually.

August 10, 2005. "Ease On Down In The Bed" from 2005's Nibble Man from Southern Soul label Ecko is yet another song that's as valuable for the musical directions it suggests as it is for Shot's patented up tempo magic. A percolating, organ-enhanced rhythm section strikes out into virgin territory, rhythmically speaking, while Lee "Shot" patters on in a seductive voice about bedroom geography. It's short on melody, but high on originality, groove and atmosphere.

INEZ and CHARLIE FOXX

You Are The Man by iNEZ & CHARLIE FOXX

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Biography by Ron Wynn (AMG)
This brother/sister duo from Greensboro made a little noise on the soul scene in the '60s. They signed with Juggy Murray Jones' Symbol label in 1962. Their biggest hit was "Mockingbird," in 1963, which was a number two R&B and number seven pop smash. Their vocal tradeoffs and arrangement were primarily responsible for its appeal, though Foxx could do some sizzling numbers on her own. They continued with "Ask Me" and "Hurt by Love," then switched to Musicor. Their final moderate hit was "(1-2-3-4-5-6-7) Count the Days" in 1967 for Dynamo, which reached number 17 on the R&B charts. Inez Foxx had a solid LP on her own for Volt in 1969, At Memphis. But her solo songs for the label didn't generate much interest in the early and mid-'70s. James Taylor and Carly Simon later did a cover of "Mockingbird."


Review by Richie Unterberger (AMG)
Dynamo was the name of the Musicor subsidiary for which Inez & Charlie Foxx did most of their late-'60s recordings, and this collects a couple dozen tracks the duo cut for Musicor/Dynamo from 1966-1969. Their Dynamo output was more consistent than what they had recorded for Sue, thanks in part to input from producer Luther Dixon, who was married to Inez Foxx at the time. However, there was no outstanding single on the order of "Mockingbird" during their time with the label, and the pair still often sounded like a lesser, more pop-oriented version of Ike & Tina Turner. This is respectable but somewhat middling New York soul with, as was true of much of the city's 1960s soul output, a slicker sheen to the production than soul product from most other regions. On "I Love You 1,000 Times," they seem to be trying to mimic 1963-1964 Motown, and although they don't do so badly, that's a strategy doomed to failure. The comparison to the Turners bobs higher above the surface in the bluesy and sultry "I Stand Accused"/"Guilty" medley, one of the disc's highlights. A lowlight, however, is the outrageous 1968 medley of "Vaya Con Dios"/"Fellows in Vietnam," in which the traditional song turns into a rap about the Vietnam War. Just as you're getting all set for a protest or at least moving commentary, it builds into a plea for us to encourage American soldiers to get out of their foxholes and "kill another enemy to set us free, and to keep us free" -- not the sort of sentiment that could be heartily endorsed for a conflict that took so many needless lives, a disproportionate amount of whom (on the U.S. side) were African-Americans. This CD is preferable to a prior compilation of the Foxxes' Musicor/Dynamo work, Count the Days, as this has four more tracks, including a 1969 Inez Foxx solo effort, "You Shouldn't Have Set My Soul on Fire." Be cautioned that the version of "Mockingbird" is not the original 1963 hit single, but a 1968 remake with strings.

CLARENCE CARTER

Did I Do The Right Thing by CLARENCE CARTER

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Daddy B. Nice's #7 ranked Southern Soul Forerunner
Biography by Jason Ankeny (amg)
Singer Clarence Carter exemplified the gritty, earthy sound of Muscle Shoals R&B, fusing the devastating poignancy of the blues with a wicked, lascivious wit to create deeply soulful music rooted in the American South of the past and the present. Born January 14, 1936, in Montgomery, AL, Carter was blind from birth. He immediately gravitated to music, teaching himself guitar by listening to the blues classics of John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Jimmy Reed. He majored in music at Alabama State University, learning to transcribe charts and arrangements in Braille.

With blind classmate Calvin Scott, Carter in 1960 formed the duo Clarence & Calvin, signing to the Fairlane label to release "I Wanna Dance But I Don't Know How" the following year. After the 1962 release of "I Don't Know (School Girl)," Clarence & Calvin left Fairlane for the Duke imprint, renaming themselves the C & C Boys for their label debut, "Hey Marvin." In all, the duo cut four Duke singles, none of them generating more than a shrug at radio -- finally, in 1965 they traveled to Rick Hall's Fame Studio in Muscle Shoals, AL, paying $85 to record the wrenching ballad "Step by Step" and its flip side, "Rooster Knees and Rice." Atlanta radio personality Zenas Sears recommended Clarence & Calvin to Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler, and the label issued "Step by Step" on its Atco subsidiary -- the record failed to chart, and the duo was once again looking for a label.

Backed by a four-piece combo dubbed the Mello Men, Clarence & Calvin spent the first half of 1966 headlining Birmingham's 2728 Club. One Friday night in June while returning home from the nightspot, the group suffered an auto accident that left Scott critically injured, initiating an ugly falling-out with Carter over the resulting medical bill. In the meantime, Carter continued as a solo act, signing to Hall's Fame label for 1967's "Tell Daddy," which inspired Etta James' response record, "Tell Mama." The superb popcorn-soul effort "Thread the Needle" proved a minor crossover hit, and after one additional Fame release, "The Road of Love," Carter returned to Atlantic with "Looking for a Fox," issued in early 1968. "Looking for a Fox" proved the first of many singles to slyly reference the singer's visual impairment, not to mention showcasing the libidinous impulses that dominate many of his most popular records.

But few performances better typified the emerging Carter aesthetic than "Slip Away," a superior cheating ballad spotlighting his anguished, massive baritone alongside the remarkably sinuous backing of Fame's exemplary backing band. The record was a Top Ten hit, and its follow-up, "Too Weak to Fight," also went gold, solidifying Carter's newfound commercial appeal. He ended 1968 with a superbly funky Christmas single, the raunchy "Back Door Santa," in addition to mounting a national tour featuring backing vocalist Candi Staton, who later became Carter's wife as well as a soul star in her own right.

The percolating "Snatching It Back" was Carter's first Atlantic release of 1969 -- its B-side, a remake of James Carr's deep soul classic "The Dark End of the Street," remains one of the singer's most potent efforts, drawing on traditional blues and gospel to explore both the absurdity and anguish of infidelity. Subsequent singles including "The Feeling Is Right," "Doing Our Thing," and "Take It Off Him and Put It on Me" were only marginally successful, but in 1970 Carter returned to the Top Ten with the sentimental "Patches," his biggest hit to date. He nevertheless stumbled again with a run of 1971 releases like "Getting the Bills" and "Slipped, Tripped and Fell in Love," and in the wake of "If You Can't Beat 'Em" -- a duet with Staton -- Carter left Atlantic in 1972, returning to Fame with "Back in Your Arms Again."

Released in 1973, the leering "Sixty Minute Man" proved a novelty hit, but in 1975 he attempted to reignite his career at ABC, releasing "Take It All Off" and "Dear Abby" to little notice. By the end of the decade Carter was relegated to small independent labels like Future Stars and Ronn, and in 1980 signed to Venture for the ill-advised "Jimmy's Disco" and "Can We Slip Away Again?" In 1985 he resurfaced on the fledgling Ichiban label, returning to the ribald deep soul of his heyday -- the LP Dr. C.C. earned positive reviews and spawned the hilariously lewd "Strokin'," a major word-of-mouth hit. (A sequel, "Still Strokin'," followed in 1989.) Carter continued recording and touring regularly into the 21st century, maintaining a strong fan base throughout the South.

MR. ZAY

Old School Lover by MR. ZAY

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Mr. Zay
Daddy B. Nice's #80 ranked Southern Soul Artist

About Mr. Zay
Mr. Zay's debut album, Old School Lover, was released in 2002 (Mardi Gras). The album established Mr. Zay's credentials as a slow crooner in the style of Sir Charles Jones, Glenn Jones, and Willie Clayton. With a vintage-sounding melody and crisp production, the title track was a standout.

GENE CHANDLER

You Can't Hurt Me by GENE CHANDLER

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Biography by Richie Unterberger (AMG)
Gene Chandler is remembered by the rock & roll audience almost solely for the classic novelty and doo wop-tinged soul ballad "Duke of Earl"; the unforgettable opening chant of the title leading the way, the song was a number one hit in 1962. He's esteemed by soul fans as one of the leading exponents of the '60s Chicago soul scene, along with Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler. Born Eugene Dixon, he was a member of the doo wop group the Dukays and "Duke of Earl" was actually a Dukays recording; Dixon was renamed Gene Chandler and the single bore his credit as a solo singer. Chandler never approached the massive pop success of that chart-topper (although he occasionally entered the Top 20), but he was a big star with the R&B audience with straightforward mid-tempo and ballad soul numbers in the mid-'60s, many of which were written by Curtis Mayfield and produced by Carl Davis. Chandler's success became more fitful after Mayfield stopped penning material for him, although he enjoyed some late-'60s hits and had a monster pop and soul smash in 1970 with "Groovy Situation." His last successes were the far less distinguished disco- and dance-influenced R&B hits "Get Down" (1978) and "Does She Have a

Review by Andrew Hamilton (AMG)
A collection of Gene's Brunswick sides, 20 tracks of lively productions by producer Carl Davis. None of these sides made an impact on the pop chart and did only fair on the R&B chart, which is perplexing. Tunes like "Good Times," the romping, confident "Nothing Can Stop Me," his duet with Barbara Acklin "From the Teacher to the Preacher," "Fool For You," and the soulful "Here Comes the Tears" should have been much bigger. This is not definitive Chandler, but the 20 tracks are a good helping of some of his better recordings that were victimized by poor promotion.

JACKIE WILSON

It's Been A Long Time by JACKIE WILSON

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Jackie Wilson (vocals; born June 9, 1934, died January 21, 1984)

They called him “Mr. Entertainment,” and indeed Jackie Wilson was a gifted singer of considerable range and a charismatic showman who commanded a stage like few before or since. Wilson possessed a natural tenor. He sang with the graceful control of Sam Cooke and moved with the frenzied dynamism of James Brown. With all the flair and finesse at his disposal, Wilson routinely drove audiences to the brink of hysteria. A mainstay of the R&B and pop charts from 1958 to 1968, Wilson amassed two dozen Top Forty singles, all released on the Brunswick label.

On record, he was often saddled with grandiose arrangements and dated material, but he transcended even the most bathetic settings with the tremulous excitement of his vocals. And while he was over-recorded, averaging two albums a year from 1959 to 1974, there are some genuinely noteworthy albums in his catalog, including Lonely Teardrops (1959), Jackie Sings the Blues (1960), Soul Time (1965) and Higher and Higher (1967).

The Detroit-born Wilson turned to R&B after stints as a gospel singer and amateur boxer. (He won the American Amateur Golden Gloves Welterweight boxing title.) Wilson joined Billy Ward and His Dominoes as lead singer in 1953, replacing Clyde McPhatter when the latter left to join the Drifters. Wilson remained with the Dominoes until 1957, singing on such high-charting numbers as “St. Therese of the Roses.”

Wilson launched his solo career in 1958 with the singles “Reet Petite” and “To Be Loved.” Both were penned by Berry Gordy, Jr., a struggling songwriter who had yet to found his Motown empire. Another Gordy composition, “Lonely Teardrops,” was Wilson’s breakthrough, topping the R&B chart and becoming a Top Ten hit on the pop side. More R&B chart-toppers followed in quick succession: “You Better Know It,” “Doggin’ Around,” “A Woman, a Lover, a Friend.” He was now being managed by Nat Tarnapol, who aimed him more at the middle-of-the-road white market. A 1962 album, for instance, was recorded live at the Copacabana. (Berry Gordy Jr. similarly groom the Supremes and the Temptations for upscale rooms and Vegas venues.) Wilson would alternate harder-grooving R&B songs like “Doggin’ Around” (#1 R&B, #15 pop) with almost operatic balladry such as “Night” (#4 pop) in an attempt to cover all the bases.

Wilson’s unabated success and output were astonishing, impacting the R&B charts in every year from 1958 through 1973. Scattered among a surfeit of schmaltzy ballads were such R&B gems as “Baby Workout,” “Think Twice” (a duet with LaVern Baker) and “Chain Gang” (with Count Basie). Wilson’s biggest hit, the exquisitely soulful “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher,” came in 1967.

All totaled, he amassed 46 R&B hits, 24 of which crossed over to the pop Top Forty. He was unfailingly versatile, too, handling uptempo R&B and pop balladry with style and charisma. Jackie Wilson not only was “Mr. Excitement” but also, as some dubbed him, “the black Elvis.”

Wilson tore it up onstage with an act that radiated excitement and sex appeal. His popularity extended overseas, where, in 1963 he headlined a British show that had the Beatles as one of his opening acts. When the hits slowed down as musical tastes shifted in the late Sixties, Wilson remained active on the performing front. He was, in fact, performing “Lonely Teardrops” onstage in New Jersey when he suffered a heart attack that plunged him into a four-month coma and left him permanently incapacitated. His was one of the most tragic denouements in rock and roll history. Wilson remained in nursing homes for more than eight years until his death in 1984.

TIMELINE

June 9, 1934: Jackie Wilson is born in Detroit, Michigan.

1951: Bandleader/producer Johnny Otis discovers Jackie Wilson at a Detroit talent show and brings him to the attention of Billy Ward, with whose Dominoes Wilson will be invited to tour.

1953: Singer Jackie Wilson becomes an official member of Billy Ward and His Dominoes, replacing Clyde McPhatter.

June 1956: “St. Therese of the Roses,” by Billy Ward and His Dominoes - featuring Jackie Wilson on lead vocals - reaches #13 on the pop charts.

September 8, 1957: “Reet Petite (The Finest Girl You’d Ever Want to Meet),” Jackie Wilson’s debut single, is released on Brunswick Records.

April 21, 1958: “To Be Loved,” by Jackie Wilson, enters the R&B charts, becoming the first of 46 hits for the singer.

February 14, 1959: “Lonely Teardrops,” by Jackie Wilson becomes Wilson’s first Top Ten pop and tops the R&B chart for seven weeks.

July 11, 1960: “A Woman, a Lover, a Friend,” by Jackie Wilson, enters the R&B charts, will it will cap an amazing run of four #1 singles in less than two years.

December 1960: Jackie Wilson is voted Entertainer of the Year by Cash Box magazine.

February 15, 1961: Jackie Wilson is shot by a deranged female fan who has broken into his apartment. He is rushed to the hospital, where he recovers for six weeks (and leaves with the bullet still lodged in his abdomen).

May 4, 1963: “Baby Workout,” one of Jackie Wilson’s stronger R&B showings, tops the U.S. R&B chart for the first of three weeks. It also reaches #5 on the pop chart.

August 26, 1967: “(You’re Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher,” by Jackie Wilson, enters the singles charts, where it will peak at #1 R&B and #6 pop. It is Wilson’s fifth (and final) R&B chart-topper.

September 7, 1968: “I Get the Sweetest Feeling,” by Jackie Wilson, peaks at #34 on the pop chart. It’s his last Top Forty single, though he’ll continue to impact the R&B chart.

November 29, 1969: The rock and roll revival is in full swing, as Richard Nadar’s second oldies concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden presents Bill Haley and His Comets, Jackie Wilson, Gary U.S. Bonds, and others.

September 29, 1975: Jackie Wilson suffers a heart attack while performing at the Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, as part of Dick Clark’s “Good Ol’ Rock ‘n’ Roll” tour.

January 21, 1984: Jackie Wilson dies in Mount Holley, New Jersey, after lingering in a brain-damaged state for eight years as a result of his 1975 heart attack.

January 21, 1987: Jackie Wilson is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the 2nd annual induction dinner. Peter Wolf is his presenter.

June 1994: Rhino Records releases the three-disc box set Mr. Excitement, which chronicles the prolific, hit-filled career of R&B star Jackie Wilson.

ASHFORD & SIMPSON

Gimme Something Real by ASHFORD & SIMPSON

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Superstar singer songwriter powerhouse couple Ashford & Simpson will release a definitive collection of their Greatest Hits, Ashford & Simpson: The Real Thing on CD, DVD and DVD Blu Ray (Burgundy Records / Sony Music). The first-ever live in-concert audio and video recordings are performances by the duo of the hit songs they have written for themselves as well as those made popular by other major music artists. The release date is January 27, 2009.

** This is only the music from the dvd - not the dvd ....

MARVIN GAYE

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine (AMG)

The Shadow Of Your Smile by WILSON MEADOWS

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Vulnerable is the end result of a project entitled The Ballads that Marvin Gaye began in 1966. Gaye intended the project as a showcase for his crooning, as well as a way to pay tribute to the pop and jazz standards he loved. It was a labor of love that took him 12 years to complete, and even after it was finished, the record wasn't released until 1997. Was it worth the wait? For dedicated fans, it certainly was, since Gaye's voice is as beautiful and soulful as ever. However, anyone who is not a dedicated fan will find Vulnerable intriguing but significantly flawed, especially since several of the songs seem ill-suited for Gaye's seductive vocals. Which means that even though Vulnerable is a nice addendum to his catalog, it's little more than a curiosity.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

WALKED

SO

COULD RUN


AND WE COULD ALL LEARN TO FLY

WILSON MEADOWS

I'm Changing by WILSON MEADOWS

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Daddy B. Nice's #19 ranked Southern Soul Artist

About Wilson Meadows

Wilson Meadows was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1944. He grew up singing gospel music and while still young was a member of a group called the Zircons, who'd had a novelty hit back in the fifties. The Meadows Brothers, including Wilson, recorded at least two singles in the 70's, "I Can't Understand" and "I Tried It All." But that was as close as Wilson Meadows ever came to sniffing the "green" in the music business until 1997, when he was already in his fifties.

ROCKIE ROBBINS

For the Sake Of A Memory by ROCKIE ROBBINS

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Biography by Ed Hogan (amg)

Born Edward W. Robbins, Jr. in Minneapolis, balladeer Rockie Robbins began singing at an early age. Working with famed arranger/producers Richard Evans (Natalie Cole, Peabo Bryson) and Johnny Pate (Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions, Lonette McKee, OKeh Records), Robbins made an impressive debut on his self-titled LP, which was released in the spring of 1979 on A&M Records. The ballad singles "If I Ever Lose You" and a cover of EWF's "Be Ever Wonderful" received a lot of radio airplay but weren't big sellers, although "Be Ever Wonderful" charted at number 67 R&B in late 1979. Another impressive fact is that the record was even made, as the original session tapes were somehow erased while en route from the recording studio to the record company. Although Rockie Robbins wasn't a major seller, A&M believed in Robbins and kept him as an artist. Teaming with producer/arranger Bobby Martin -- whose previous credits including arranging a slew of hits for Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International Records and fellow A&M signees LTD with lead singer Jeffrey Osborne -- Robbins' second LP, You and Me, was issued the spring of 1980. The title track went to number nine R&B. The next single, the danceable, inspiring "Hang Tough," made it to number 70 R&B. Robbins' other A&M singles were "After Loving You," "Time to Think," and "I Believe in Love" (all were moderate hits). Switching to MCA Records, Robbins earned the distinction (like Loleatta Holloway and Ronnie McNeir, among others) of having two self-titled LPs in his catalog. The MCA LP was released in early 1985 and there was one charting single around the time of its release ("We Belong Together").

THE ELGINS

Darlin' Baby by THE ELGINS

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Biography by Bryan Thomas

Of all the groups calling themselves the Elgins -- there was an L.A.-based doo wop group and another group of Elgins who recorded for Congress, while Ritha Mae and the Temptations even used the name for awhile -- this Detroit-based quartet proved to be the most memorable, scoring two minor R&B hits in 1966 with their Motown debut "Darling Baby" (pop number 72/R&B number four) and "Heaven Must Have Sent You" (pop number 50/R&B number nine, also a major R&B hit for Bonnie Pointer in 1979). Both songs were written and produced by the powerful Holland-Dozier-Holland triumvirate.

The group's story begins in 1962 with a vocal trio calling themselves the Downbeats. Johnny Dawson, Cleo Miller, and Robert Fleming had occasionally accompanied Marv Johnson -- including their uncredited backing on "Once Upon a Time" -- prior to Johnson's hits for United Artists Records. The Downbeats also cut tracks for the Lupine family of labels before signing to the Tamla label. Their releases for the Motown family imprint were sporadic, however.

In 1966, lead vocalist andra Mallett (a.k.a. Sandra Edwards) -- one of the finest vocalists in the Motown Records stable -- joined Dawson, Miller, and Fleming. Four years earlier, in 1962, Mallett had recorded "It's Going to Be Hard Times" b/w "Camel Walk" for Tamla as Sandra Mallett and the Vandellas. Motown was all set to issue the quartet's debut for their VIP label, "Darling Baby," a Holland-Dozier-Holland production credited to the Downbeats. The song had been adapted from Lamont Dozier's solo release, "Dearest One" (Melody Records, June 1962). However, before Motown shipped the "Darling Baby" single, they slapped new labels on the 45s with the group's new name: the Elgins. Berry Gordy -- who reportedly insisted they change their name -- wanted to use the name now that the original Temptations -- Otis Williams, Paul Williams (no relation to Otis), Al Bryant, Melvin Franklin, and ddie Kendricks -- were no longer using the name once they signed to Motown's Miracle subsidiary.

VIP failed to promote the single outside the greater Detroit area, but it still managed to score a slot on the national R&B charts (number four) and charted at number 72 on the pop charts. Eight months later, the Elgins issued "Heaven Must Have Sent You," which charted Top Ten R&B briefly at number nine and number 50 on the pop charts. They followed up with a full album, Darling Baby, and another single, "I Understand My Man," but chart success eluded them and they disbanded shortly afterwards in 1967.

In 1971, Motown re-released "Heaven Must Have Sent You" in 1971. In the late '80s, a new group of Elgins was formed by British-born mogul/producer Ian Levine, who had previously worked with the re-formed Miracles and ontours (to name two). Johnny Dawson was the only original Elgin in the lineup. Sandra Mallett -- now going by Sandra Edwards -- was replaced by Yvonne Vernee-Allen. The other members were Jimmy Charles and Norbert McLean. This newly configured lineup recorded a remake of "Heaven Must Have Sent You," which had been a major hit for Pointer when she covered it only a few years prior. Levine also recorded a solo effort by Edwards.

REGGIE P

Ready To Accept by REGGIE P

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Reggie P.
Daddy B. Nice's #70 ranked Southern Soul Artist

About Reggie P.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Reggie P. entered the music business via the legendary funk band, the BarKays, in the late nineties. His first solo effort, Who Am I (Avanti, 2000), was an uneven assortment of songs and styles ranging from rock ("Dream Weaver" and "Your Lover Is A Bad Habit") to urban-smooth ("In The Air Tonight") to the Southern Soul promise of "Let Me. . . " and "Nobody Wants You."

An even more obscure LP (All Music Guide doesn't even list it), Can't Turn A Street Woman Into A Housewife, appeared in 2003. The CD found Reggie P. still vacillating between styles, with yet another reprise of the Gary Wright tune, "Dream Weaver." The disc, however, was notable for introducing two mid-tempo tunes that defined the Southern Soul formula Reggie P. would finally choose for good: "Don't Want To Lose Your Love" and "Droppin' Salt." "Droppin' Salt" in particular intrigued Deejays of the Deep South, and word of mouth drew fans to Reggie P.

Reggie P.'s breakout CD, Why Me? (Allison), arrived in 2005. Led by its title track, the independently-produced disc was everything its forerunners had not been: a tightly-focused, emotionally and musically-overpowering expression of Southern Soul music at its best.

The vocal mastery displayed on the album stand-outs--"Why Me?," "Come On Girl," "Hold On," "Eyes Are Rainin'" (with Sir Charles Jones, who also composed) and "Droppin' Salt" (wisely reprised from the Can't Turn A Street Woman Into A Housewife album)--catapulted Reggie P. into the first rank of Southern Soul vocalists.

From CD BABY: Notes:

Earning his "Prince and Badd Boy of Southern Soul" reputation through his raw vocals, hard image, and at times, outlandish persona, Reggie P.'s soulfully crafted recordings and smoldering live performances have ignited a blaze in the South, and unfortunately for some, there's not an extinguisher in sight.

Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, home of the historical Beale Street and Stax Records, where many nationally acclaimed artists such as Isaac Hayes, and Otis Redding revolutionized the music industry, Reggie P. is no amateur to the music scene. Discovered by and a former member of the very well known and loved funk group, The BarKays, Reggie has performed alongside and opened for such headliners as Mel Waiters, The Isley Brothers, R. Kelly, Tyrone Davis, The O'Jays and countless others.

Debuting his long awaited album, "Why Me?" Reggie P. gives you a V.I.P. invitation into his heart, mind, and soul. Combining the heartfelt lyrics and swaying melodies of his love ballads such as "Hold On" and "Ready To Accept" with his intensifying display of verbal foreplay and love making in "Come On Girl," Reggie P. is not afraid to show his sensitive nature, one of the many qualities that has left the ladies of the South mesmerized. Don't worry, Fellas... Reggie didn't forget about you. Reggie P.'s "Soul Steppin" will have you stepping for weeks. This funky groove along with "Drop That Thang" will definitely have you setting a blaze on the dance floor.

With an array of outstanding musical talent, Reggie P. has proven that he is more than qualified to carry the title, "The Prince and Badd Boy of Southern Soul!"

Check out the review by fans: http://cdbaby.com/cd/reggiep

EDDIE FLOYD

Stop Look What You're Doin by EDDIE FLOYD

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Biography by Steve Huey (AMG)

Soul singer/songwriter Eddie Floyd scored one of the defining hits of the Memphis soul sound with "Knock on Wood," a number one R&B smash that typified the Stax house style at its grittiest. Floyd was born in Montgomery, AL, in 1935, but grew up in Detroit, where his uncle Robert West owned a couple of record labels, including Lupine. In 1955, Floyd co-founded the seminal proto-soul group the Falcons, who eventually scored a major R&B hit with "You're So Fine" in 1959 (with Joe Stubbs, later of the Contours and 100 Proof Aged in Soul, as lead singer). After Stubbs' departure, Floyd spent a brief period as the Falcons' lead singer, until Wilson Pickett joined up. Now recording for West's Lupine imprint, the Falcons and Pickett cut their second undisputed classic, the gospel-inflected ballad "I Found a Love," in 1962. Pickett subsequently went solo, and the Falcons broke up in 1963.

Floyd recorded a few solo sides for Lupine, and moved to Washington, D.C., for a time to work with his DJ friend, Al Bell; the two founded a label and production company, Safice, co-writing songs and releasing Floyd's recordings. When Bell accepted a job as promotions director at Stax, Floyd followed him to Memphis, where he signed on with Stax as a staff writer and producer. He worked chiefly with Carla Thomas and William Bell at first, and often wrote in tandem with house guitarist Steve Cropper. In early 1966, their composition "634-5789 (Soulsville, USA)" became a number one R&B hit for Wilson Pickett; around the same time, Floyd released his first single for Stax, "Things Get Better," which failed to chart. That summer, Floyd cut "Knock on Wood," another song he'd written with Cropper; initially intended for Otis Redding, the tune wasn't big with Stax management because it was strongly based on the chord changes of Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour." However, distributor Atlantic smelled a hit, and released the song nationally; their instincts proved correct, as "Knock on Wood" became Stax's third number one R&B hit by the end of the year (strangely, it barely made the Top 30 on the pop charts). Floyd followed his instant soul classic with several more Top 40 R&B hits over the next four years, including "Raise Your Hand," "Love Is a Doggone Good Thing," "On a Saturday Night," "I've Never Found a Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)" (his second biggest hit), and a cover of Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home to Me."

In spite of diminishing commercial returns, Floyd stayed with Stax as a performer and writer right up to the label's bankruptcy in 1975. He spent two years with the Southern soul/blues label Malaco, recording the album Experience in 1977; while it was regionally popular, the Southern soul sound had long since fallen out of commercial favor. A brief stint at Mercury failed to remake Floyd for the disco age, and after recording with British mod revivalists Secret Affair, he largely drifted away from the studio. Floyd attempted a comeback on Ichiban with 1988's Flashback album; the following year, he performed at President Bush's inaugural ball, and went on to tour with the Blues Brothers Band. In 1998, Floyd made a guest appearance in Blues Brothers 2000, and also performed "634-5789" with Pickett and Jonny Lang. Meanwhile, countless artists have covered "Knock on Wood," most prominently a disco version by Amii Stewart that topped the pop charts in 1979. While in his seventies, Floyd recorded the affirming Eddie Loves You, a project where he revisited some of his classic songs. The album was released in 2008 from a revitalized Stax Records, the perfect pairing of artist and label.

Review by Richie Unterberger (AMG)

Floyd's seventh and last album for Stax contained a tiny R&B hit in the title track. The record employed the Con Funk Shun rhythm section that would soon rise to soul stardom on their own. But there wasn't much special about the tunes, which revealed some influences from the sounds of Philadelphia and Hi Records, both of which were then peaking in popularity. The CD reissue pairs the album and its predecessor, Baby, Lay Your Head Down (Gently on My Bed), onto one disc, although it's sequenced so that the earlier LP plays first.

RUE DAVIS

A Lonely Man by RUE DAVIS

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Rue Davis

Daddy B. Nice's #65 ranked Southern Soul Artist


Performer, producer and arranger Rue Davis flies beneath the musical radar, even for listeners schooled in Southern Soul music. A contributor to countless Southern Soul R&B discs, with a subtle but far-reaching influence on his peers, Davis himself has never been able to snag a solo contract with a Southern Soul "major" label like Malaco, Ecko or Mardi Gras.

Davis has a tune on his Dapp Daddy CD called "(We Were) Taylor Made," in which he sounds like the reincarnation of Johnnie Taylor. It's a reminder that Taylor remains Davis's (and many other contemporary Southern Soul artists') principal influence.

The song "Take Me Back To Farish Street" from the same Dapp Daddy disc (Knock On Wood, 2003) sounds a little like "fluff"--pop--on the first couple of listenings, but like "Honey Poo" it ages well. It also suggests a "sound" Rue Davis might explore further, to bring his artistic identity out from the long shadow cast by Taylor.

That being said, Rue Davis is steeped in the Southern Soul scene--he is a thoroughly seasoned performer.

RON ANTHONY

You Are My Lovesong by RON ANTHONY

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Ron won 1st Place in the 2007 Int'l Great American Song Contest - R&B/Hip Hop. His song "You Are My Love Song" earned accolades from contest judges, who called it the "perfect" love song - "full of romantic imagery, with an unforgettable melody."

Ron Anthony
Ron believes it’s time to put the LIVE back into performances and ROMANCE back into R&B music. As one of the hottest, most talented new singer/songwriters to hit the scene, he is leading that charge, ready to take the world by storm with his energetic performances, live band, romantic lyrics and a voice that Luther Vandross anointed as the next crooner! One of the lsst things Luther told Ron was "if you believed in yourself as I believe in you, heaven would be your audience and the stars would be at your feet!"

This Brooklyn native’s roots are in the church. A natural performer, he started singing at the age of 3 in a gospel choir where he discovered the power of music and his love for live performances. Ron spent his summers with his grandparents in North Carolina where he delighted the congregation with his rousing and evocative solos. He graduated from Erasmus Hall High School of Performing Arts, the training ground for multi-talented artists Barbra Streisand and Stephanie Mills. It was here that he developed his distinctive sound and five-octave tenor. Ron then studied with the famed artistic director Harry Poe at Mindbuilders Creative Arts Center where he triple majored in acting, musical theater and dramatic arts.

In 1992, Ron won a lead role in the touring production of “Mama, I Want to Sing”, spending several years performing in the United States, Europe, Japan and Taiwan where he made a name for himself as a live performer. He also began to build a solid reputation as a background singer, working with Phoebe Snow, Chico Debarge and Amel Larrieux.

Through these shows Ron caught the attention of the one of the greatest R&B vocalists of our time. Luther Vandross saw several of Ron’s performances and recognizing his undeniable talent, signed Ron to an exclusive deal to his production company. He spent the next year singing backgrounds with Luther off and on and recording and writing his music while performing private gigs and club dates.

Since then, Ron has been captivating audiences with his charismatic vocals and dynamic stage performances. Ron’s focus is reintroducing smooth lyrics and seductive melodies to today’s R&B and soul music. He signed with Notable Entertainment, the manager behind the phenomenal success of multi-platinum Grammy winner Ashanti and headed to the studio, crafting the heartfelt ballads “You and Me” and “You Are My Love Song”, the party song “Ay Oh!” and the tribute to his son "My Little Boy”.

“My music is multi-generational,” explains Ron. “I write songs that everyone can relate to – an eclectic mix of old school and the new.” He counts soul pioneers Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye among his influences, but it was the poetry of Maya Angelou that inspired him to develop his talents as a songwriter. His music explores the themes of love, respect and social responsibility.

Ron’s talents extend beyond the studio. He is a skilled actor who has appeared in the musical “Aint Misbehavin’” and shared the stage with CeCe Winans, Regina Belle, Shirley Caesar, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Stephanie Mills and Isaiah Washington. Most recently he opened for Gladys Knight on Valentine's Day 2007, and also the Temptations Review featuring Dennis Edwards and Mint Condition in Chicago, IL. Ron was also featured artist on Howard University's WHUR FM and spotlighted as "Artist of the Month" on the Netherlands' premiere R&B website www.SaveOurSoul.nl.

With his powerful vocals and signature sound, Ron Anthony has ushered in a new era of Grown and Sexy R&B.

ERIC BIBB

If Our Hearts Ain't In It by ERIC BIBB

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Biography by Richard Skelly (AMG)

Like Josh White Jr., who is the son of folk singer Josh White, singer, songwriter and guitarist Eric Bibb was raised in the folk tradition, the son of the folk singer Leon Bibb. Bibb's uncle was the world famous jazz pianist and composer, John Lewis, part of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Bibb was raised in a music-filled household, as family friends in the 1950's and 60's included Pete Seeger, Odetta, Bob Dylan and the late Paul Robeson, who was named Eric's godfather. Bibb got his first steel guitar at age seven, and he got some advice from Dylan that he never forgot, to "keep it simple, forget all that fancy stuff." When he was 13, Bibb entered New York City's High School of Music and Art, where he studied double bass, vocals, classical guitar and piano. When he was 16, his father asked him to play guitar in the house band for his TV talent show, Someone New.

In 1970, Bibb left New York City for Paris, where he met with guitarist Mickey Baker. There, he began to focus in on blues guitar, and, after moving to Stockholm, he became enamored with pre-war blues. He continued to write his own songs and perform during this time and returned to New York in 1980 to pursue a career as a folk and blues singer. He moved back to Sweden five years later and continued performing but also taught music in school. His debut, Spirit and the Blues showcased the sounds of bouzouki, mandolin, accordion and a gospel group, inspired by other recordings that married blues men like Leadbelly with gospel groups like the Golden Gate Quartet. He performed at the London Blues Festival in 1996, where he shared a set with Corey Harris and Keb' Mo', and he quickly followed up with 1997's Good Stuff. His third album, Me To You, featured performances and collaborations with some of his musical heroes, including Pops and Mavis Staples and Taj Mahal. He followed up the success of the album with tours of the UK, USA, Canada, France, Germany and Sweden. He recorded and released "Home To Me" in 1999, Roadworks in 2000, Painting Signs and Just Like Love in 2001, and he put out a third release in 2001, A Family Affair, which featured duets and solo tunes by Bibb and his father. Bibb joined Robert Cray on two U.S. tours in 2001 and 2002 and opened for Ray Charles in the summer of 2002. Bibb has been nominated for a Grammy for "Shakin' a Tailfeather" and he has been nominated for many W.C. Handy Awards in a variety of categories.

Ever the prolific songwriter, forever brimming with new musical ideas and a freshness of appreciation with no dimming in his enthusiasm for performing, Bibb has kept up a hectic schedule of performing and recording since Home to Me and A Family Affair were released in 2001. He recorded Natural Light for Earthbeat in 2003, Roadworks and Sisters and Brothers in 2004, and Friends in 2004. His more recent recordings include 2005's A Ship Called Love, Diamond Days and Twelve Gates to the City in 2006, and a collaboration with his father, Praising Peace: A Tribute to Paul Robeson. Not all of Bibb's releases are available in the U.S., but most can be found via the Internet. He released a live album in 2007, An Evening with Eric Bibb for the Telarc Blues label. Bibb's latest album, 2008's Get On Board, [Telarc Blues] features performances by Bonnie Raitt and Ruthie Foster. Bibb describes the sounds and songs on the album best when he says, it's "a further exploration into the place where blues meets gospel and soul."

PERCY SLEDGE

For The Good Times by PERCY SLEDGE

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Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine (amg)

Percy Sledge will forever be associated with "When a Man Loves a Woman," a pleading, soulful ballad he sang with wrenching, convincing anguish and passion. Sledge sang all of his songs that way, delivering them in a powerful rush where he quickly changed from soulful belting to quavering, tearful pleas. It was a voice that made him one of the key figures of deep Southern soul during the late '60s. Sledge recorded at Muscle Shoals studios in Alabama, where he frequently sang songs written by Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn. Not only did he sing deep soul, but Sledge was among the pioneers of country-soul, singing songs by Charlie Rich and Kris Kristofferson in a gritty, passionate style. During the '70s, his commercial success quickly faded away, but Sledge continued to tour and record into the '90s.

While he worked as a hospital nurse in the early '60s, Sledge began his professional music career as a member of the Southern soul vocal group the Esquires Combo. On the advice of local disc jockey Quin Ivy, he went solo in 1966. Ivy fancied himself a record producer and he agreed to help shape Sledge's song "When a Man Loves a Woman" into a full-fledged single, hiring Spooner Oldham to play a distinctive, legato organ phrase. Ivy released the single independently and quickly licensed it to Atlantic Records, who quickly bought out Sledge's contract. "When a Man Loves a Woman" became a huge hit in the summer of 1966, topping both the pop and R&B charts. It was quickly followed that year by two Top Ten R&B hits, "Warm and Tender Love" and "It Tears Me Up," which were both in the vein of his first hit. Although few of his subsequent singles were hits -- only "Take Time to Know Her" reached the R&B Top Ten in 1968 -- many of the songs, which were often written by Dan Penn and/or Oldham, were acknowledged as classics among soul aficionados.

Despite his strong reputation among deep soul fans, Sledge's sales had declined considerably by the early '70s, and he headed out on the club circuit in America and England. In 1974, he left Atlantic for Capricorn Records, where he surprisingly returned to the R&B Top 20 with "I'll Be Your Everything." Instead of re-igniting his career, the single was a last gasp, as far as chart success was concerned. Over the next two decades he continued to tour, and in the late '80s, "When a Man Loves a Woman" experienced a resurgence in popularity, due to its inclusion in movie soundtracks and in television commercials. Following its appearance in a 1987 Levi commercial in the U.K., the single was re-released and climbed to number two. Two years later, he won the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Career Achievement Award. Sledge was able to turn this revived popularity into a successful career by touring constantly, playing over 100 shows a year into the '90s. In 1994, he released Blue Night, his first collection of new material in over a decade, to uniformly positive reviews.

MARTHA REEVES AND THE VANDELLAS

Hello Stranger by MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS

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THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS

Unchained Melody by THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS

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IT'S A NEW YEAR - SO TIME FOR A CHANGE --- TIME FOR SOME BLUE-EYED SOUL .....

Biography by Richie Unterberger (AMG)

They weren't brothers, but Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield (both born in 1940) were most definitely righteous, defining (and perhaps even inspiring) the term "blue-eyed soul" in the mid-'60s. The white Southern California duo were an established journeyman doo wop/R&B act before an association with Phil Spector produced one of the most memorable hits of the 1960s, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'." The collaboration soon fell apart, though, and while the singers had some other excellent hit singles in a similar style, they proved unable to sustain their momentum after just a year or two at the top.

When Medley and Hatfield combined forces in 1962, they emerged from regional groups the Paramours and the Variations; in fact, they kept the Paramours billing for their first single. By 1963, they were calling themselves the Righteous Brothers, Medley taking the low parts with his smoky baritone, Hatfield taking the higher tenor and falsetto lines. For the next couple of years they did quite a few energetic R&B tunes on the Moonglow label that bore similarity to the gospel/soul/rock style of Ray Charles, copping their greatest success with "Little Latin Lupe Lu," which became a garage-band favorite covered by Mitch Ryder, the Kingsmen, and others.

Even on the Moonglow recordings, Bill Medley acted as producer and principal songwriter, but the duo wouldn't break out nationally until they put themselves at the services of Phil Spector. Spector gave the Wall of Sound treatment to "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," a grandiose ballad penned by himself, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil. At nearly four minutes, the song was pushing the limits of what could be played on radio in the mid-'60s, and some listeners thought they were hearing a 45 single played at 33 rpm due to Medley's low, blurry lead vocal. No matter; the song had a power that couldn't be denied, and went all the way to number one.

The Righteous Brothers had three more big hits in 1965 on Spector's Philles label ("Just Once in My Life," "Unchained Melody," and "Ebb Tide"), all employing similar dense orchestral arrangements and swelling vocal crescendos. Yet the Righteous Brothers-Spector partnership wasn't a smooth one, and by 1966 the duo had left Philles for a lucrative deal with Verve. Medley, already an experienced hand in the producer's booth, reclaimed the producer's chair, and the Righteous Brothers had another number one hit with their first Verve outing, "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration." Its success must have been a particularly bitter blow for Spector, given that Medley successfully emulated the Wall of Sound orchestral ambience of the Righteous Brothers' Philles singles down to the smallest detail, even employing the same Mann-Weil writing team that had contributed to "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'." It's a bit of a mystery as to why the Righteous Brothers never came close to duplicating that success during the rest of their tenure at Verve. But they would only have a couple of other Top 40 hits in the 1960s ("He" and "Go Ahead and Cry," both in 1966), even with the aid of occasional compositions by the formidable Goffin-King team. In 1968 Medley left for a solo career; Hatfield, the less talented of the pair (at least from a songwriting and production standpoint), kept the Righteous Brothers going with Jimmy Walker (who had been in the Knickerbockers).

Medley had a couple of small hits in the late '60s as a solo act, but unsurprisingly neither "brother" was worth half as much on their own as they were together. In 1974 they reunited and had a number three hit with "Rock and Roll Heaven," a tribute to dead rock stars that some found tacky. A couple of smaller hits followed before Medley retired from performing for five years in 1976. The Righteous Brothers continued to tour the oldies circuit off and on in the 1980s and 1990s. It was while on one of these tours that Bobby Hatfield died suddenly on November 5, 2003.

2009

AULD LANG SYNE by THE STYLISTICS

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