Kem "Intimacy" 2010
Tender & Romantic
By Mark Edward Nero
Ever since 2002, singer-songwriter-musician Kem Owens
has been releasing tender, gentle, hopelessly romantic
jazz-R&B ballads that have made ladies from South Carolina to South
Africa swoon. And his latest album, Intimacy: Album III, which
released in the U.S. on Aug. 17, 2010, is no exception. The album
definitely lives up to it's name: all nine songs on this hour-long
release are deeply sensual tracks that will likely hit all the right
notes for women the world over. In fact, instead of Intimacy,
the album just as well could have been called
How to Seduce a Woman, Vol. 3 and still easily lived up to its title.
has been releasing tender, gentle, hopelessly romantic
jazz-R&B ballads that have made ladies from South Carolina to South
Africa swoon. And his latest album, Intimacy: Album III, which
released in the U.S. on Aug. 17, 2010, is no exception. The album
definitely lives up to it's name: all nine songs on this hour-long
release are deeply sensual tracks that will likely hit all the right
notes for women the world over. In fact, instead of Intimacy,
the album just as well could have been called
How to Seduce a Woman, Vol. 3 and still easily lived up to its title.
A Hopeless Romantic
There are no bad songs or even fast-forward material on Intimacy,
but that being said, some of Kem's tracks stand out a little more than others.
And one of the album's highlights is "Share My Life", a superbly romantic
tune about a man expressing to his lady how much he
wants to be with her forever: "Share my life, trust in me, you're all I
want, everything I need," he sings. "Maybe I'm a dreamer, you're still
my queen, your love's like a river, girl, it's runnin' right through
me." The song starts of tenderly and romantically, but by the end of
it, the track has evolved into a bold, soaring declaration.
Also worthy of praise is the laid back "Can You Feel It," during which Kem
puts his powers of seduction to work: "For every woman that needs a
man, there's a man that needs you too, maybe I'm the man for you/You
feel my heart, you fill my life, you make my day, I'm more in every
way, 'cause you open me, can you feel it?" Kem also has another winner
in "Love Never Fails," a tender ballad about a man who has broken up
with a lover but still remains hopelessly in love with and devoted to
that ex-lover.
Seducing Women
Kem also is outstanding on
"Why Would You Stay,"
a smartly-conceived ballad about a man who feels so horrible about
disappointing his woman (exactly how isn't explained) that he tells her
he wouldn't blame her for leaving him - then goes about convincing her
to stay with him. The song, like almost every other track on Intimacy,
is very well written and epitomizes why Kem is popular; he has an
amazing knack for tapping into what women feel, think and want to hear
and manages to articulate this smoothly and eloquently. Not since '90s
singer Babyface was on top of the charts has a man been so adept at
seducing women on songs.
Although this is a solid album from top to bottom
and can easily be listened to all the way through without
feeling the need to hit the fast forward button, it isn't perfect. If
you're not already in the bedroom when listening to Intimacy,
prolonged listening just might put you to sleep. And the album's last
track, "Golden Days," features a spoken word segment by neo-Soul
goddess Jill Scott that doesn't quite fit in with the jazz-R&B vibe
of the other eight songs. But to be honest, this is just nitpicking.
All in all, this is one of the better albums of 2010, without a doubt.
"Why Would You Stay,"
a smartly-conceived ballad about a man who feels so horrible about
disappointing his woman (exactly how isn't explained) that he tells her
he wouldn't blame her for leaving him - then goes about convincing her
to stay with him. The song, like almost every other track on Intimacy,
is very well written and epitomizes why Kem is popular; he has an
amazing knack for tapping into what women feel, think and want to hear
and manages to articulate this smoothly and eloquently. Not since '90s
singer Babyface was on top of the charts has a man been so adept at
seducing women on songs.
Although this is a solid album from top to bottom
and can easily be listened to all the way through without
feeling the need to hit the fast forward button, it isn't perfect. If
you're not already in the bedroom when listening to Intimacy,
prolonged listening just might put you to sleep. And the album's last
track, "Golden Days," features a spoken word segment by neo-Soul
goddess Jill Scott that doesn't quite fit in with the jazz-R&B vibe
of the other eight songs. But to be honest, this is just nitpicking.
All in all, this is one of the better albums of 2010, without a doubt.
Comment
-
Comment by Edie Antoinette on August 30, 2010 at 11:14pm
-
I think about this piece that I wrote when I listen
to #3...and by coincidence it's named the same:
LOVE NEVER FAILS
L....ove is the everlasting fiber that binds pure hearts
O...if everyone living would show it more fully
V...erifying it's power by all that they do
E...ach moment ...taking note of God's generosity
N...ever letting a day go by without thanking Him or
E...ndeavoring to please Him by obedience through
V...isiting and revisiting His Word
E...ntreating Him by heartfelt prayer while
R...elying on Him to guide us in all that we do
F...orever touching and being touched by His
A...lmighty and tender hand...like a child with a Father
I...nsisting not on our 'own' will but God's
L...eaving our burdens and cares in His strong hands
S...o that we may reflect His beauty eternally, because
LOVE NEVER FAILS....
©edie antoinette 2003
-
Comment by MR EZee on August 30, 2010 at 3:41pm
-
I had to read this over.....Actually this is a really good write up. Good job on listening closely to these lyrics.
-
-
Lmbooooooo ur so funny I love u girl lmboooo
-
-
Thanks! ET? Me? Uh, I was trying to be anonymous. LOL!!!!
-
-
Wow Nice write up. Hey didnt I see you on entertainment tonight??? lol
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Introspection
Entr'acte
Norman Brown — Night Drive- Norman Brown — Feeling
- Norman Brown — Still
- Miles Davis — miles 1
- miles 2
- miles 3
- miles 4
- miles 5
- Marvin Gaye — I Met A Little Girl
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The history of the Butlers/Raw Soul is dense, but for all of us music nerds, that's normal. It is not totally clear what year the Butlers actually formed but they released their first single in 1963 on Liberty Records. That single was "She Tried To Kiss Me" and another single followed on Guyden entitled "Lovable Girl." After the Guyden single the Butlers took a break not recording another record until the single "Laugh, Laugh, Laugh" was released on the Phila label in 1966. The group also backed Charles Earland and Jean Wells on one Phila single ("I Know She Loves Me").
As you might be noticing, the Butlers were doing a fair amount of recording but not achieving much success. The group's recordings sold regionally but never had the promotion to make an impact on the national scene. After the single with Phila, the Butlers moved to the Fairmount label (part of the Cameo-Parkway family) and released a handful of singles, some being reissued singles of the past. The Butlers were with Fairmount for 1966-67 and then moved to Sassy Records. Sassy released the group's greatest single (in my opinion) "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)" b/w "If That's What You Wanted." A copy of that 45 sold for just under $500 last summer on eBay. Even though that isn't that much in the world of record collecting--it's still a hefty sum. The Butlers released another single on Sassy ("She's Gone" b/w "Love Is Good") that appears to be even
harder to come by then the "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)" single.
The true history become a bit blurred here as the AMG biography states that the Butlers last record was released on C.R.S. in 1974 (". However, between 1971 and that single, Frankie Beverly formed a group called Raw Soul and released a number of singles. Some of the songs recorded by Beverly during this period are "While I'm Alone," "Open Up Your Heart," (both on the Gregor label) and "Color Blind." "Color Blind" was released by the Eldorado label and rerecorded by Maze. Beverly's big break came when Marvin Gaye asked Raw Soul to back him on a tour. Gaye helped Beverly/Raw Soul get a contract at Capitol. Beverly decided to take the group in a different direction, a name change occurred, and Maze was created.
The above isn't the most complete history of Beverly but hopefully someone will know a way to get in touch with the man or his management because a comprehensive pre-Maze history needs to be done on Frankie Beverly (his real name is Howard, by the way). Below you'll find every Frankie Beverly (pre-Maze) song available to me right now ("Color Blind" will be up soon).
If you have a song that is not included below, shoot it over to funkinsoulman (at) yahoo.com and it will go up in the next Frankie Beverly post (later this week--highlighting Maze). Also, if you have any more information please share your knowledge. The Butlers material has been comp-ed sporadically (usually imports) but the entire Maze catalog has been reissued and is available.
Enjoy. "She Kissed Me" (Fairmount, 1966 or 1967)
"I Want To Feel I'm Wanted" (not sure which label or year)
"Laugh, Laugh, Laugh"
(Phila, 1966)
"Because Of My Heart" (Fairmount, 1966 or 1967)
"Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)" (Sassy, 1967)
"If That's What You Wanted" (Sassy, 1967)
Frankie Beverly is one of those cats that has lasting power. He started in the music business doing a tour with doo wop group the Silhouettes and then formed his own group called the Blenders. The Blenders never recorded a single, Beverly wouldn't appear on wax until forming the Butlers a few years later. Along with Beverly, the Butlers included Jack "Sonny" Nicholson, Joe Collins, John Fitch, and Talmadge Conway.
Beverly would later enjoy great success fronting Maze and Conway would become a
well-known penning Double Exposure's
"Ten Percent" and the Intruders' "Memories Are Here To Stay."
While Maze is a phenomenal group, Beverly's work before that group will always stand out as his best (imo).
The Butlers produced tunes that most Northern Soul fans would kill for and Raw Soul gave the funksters something to pursue. If, by chance, you know of a way to get in touch with Frankie Beverly or his management, please drop me an e-mail. It would be absolutely great to do an interview with him about his pre-Maze work. He's still playing out, most recently doing a New Year's Eve show in Atlanta.
:: Funkinsoulman ::
Power...Through Simplicity ♪♫♪
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