Paul Randolph is the most upcoming Detroit artist. His career as a professional bass player and vocalist got him to record with Detroits finest. . He has written, performed, and recorded with Mad Mike Banks of Underground Resistance, 430 West, Carl Craig "Innerzone Orchestra" ("People Make the World go Round", "Galaxy", "Blackula"). Randolph also released "This Is What It Is" on Mahogani Music in 2004 and is also featured on 2 tracks on John Arnold's album released on Ubiquity last year.

Most recently his composition "This Mean That" made with Kevin Saunderson was made available on Su Su Records and OHM Record's "House Of OHM" compilation. His first collaboration for Still Music was the now worldwide hit On My Heart with Isoul8 that recently was remixed by Phil Asher. As a session musician he played with P-Funk, War, Brian Setzer, Zap Mama, Johnny Johnson, John Hiatt, Hugh Masekela, Robin Tower, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Ash, Kanye West, PJ Harvey, Ben Harper, Jr. Wells, Josh White Jr., Odetta, Jack Ramsey, and Eric Burdon to name a few.

Randolph also toured worldwide with his friend Amp Fiddler playing bass and singing background for the support of Amps first album on Genuine. This year, Paul cooked a stunning second full length for Still Music! His album titled LONELY EDEN - is a mindblowing demonstration of Pauls talents as a musician, vocalist and songwriter and features collaborations with Waajeed, Stephanie McKay, Dj Dez-Andres (of Slum Village fame) and Amp Fiddler.

This 12 is the second is the follow up to Believer (including a stunning Jazzanova Rmx) that already is doing the rounds with Gilles Peterson, Patrick Forge, Dixon, Jazzanova .. Earth 2 God show a different side of Paul Randolphs limitless talent. Truly influenced by the likes of TIM BUCKLEY, Paul shares with us his vision of spiritual acoustic soul music. Inspirational, Earth 2 God still maintains a fantastic hook reminiscent of the best from MARVIN GAYE & STEVIE WONDER. On the B side, we are blessed to present a remix from one of Detroits masters: MIKE MAD MIKE BANKs New school Detroit techno mainstay "Mad" Mike Banks has been an indelible force in the Motor City underground for nearly two decades.

As a founding member of Underground Resistance, he's contributed to the '90s renaissance of Detroit techno that has rebuilt the stripped-down hardness of the music from its historic roots (and shuttled artists such as Kenny Larkin, Drexciya, and Jeff Mills to acclaim in the process). He's also reunited American urban dance music with an element of political immediacy and social commentary unseen since the early days of hip-hop, and previously never a big part of techno in anything other than an implicit sense. Forming UR in the late '80s as an uncompromisingly independent outlet for music imbued with a critical, at times oppositional edge, Banks, together with partners Jeff Mills and Robert Hood (both of whom, together with Banks, defined the early UR catalog), built UR into an internationally recognized and respected name.

Although Mills and Hood left UR in 1992 to pursue DJ and production opportunities elsewhere, while Banks has stuck it out with UR, rebuilding the roster with artists such as Drexciya and Sean Deason and continuing to record solo under the UR name. Musically, Banks' roots lie in the early Detroit techno and Chicago house of the mid-'80s, particularly artists such as Derrick May, Juan Atkins, and Marshall Jefferson, as well as the experimental synth-pop of Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, and Yellow Magic Orchestra. Banks was a part of the vocal house/garage crew Members of the House, and produced a series of 12-inches with the group before defecting in the late '80s to form UR with Mills (who he met through the latter's radio show) and Hood

. Through that connection, Banks' music took on shades of acid and industrial, with a harder, more driving feel. More recently, Banks' style has gotten darker and more syncopated, with some releases recalling the early electro of Cybotron and Channel One tracks like "Clear" and "Technicolor. Earth 2 God Mike Banks remix is a journey to the roots of Detroit House and Techno. It carries all the elements that made UR a worldwide influential force and still conveys a true soulfulness that only Mike Banks knows how to create. It will ravish any Detroit fan as well as any soulful house lover. This is a club tune from Detroit and therefore deserves to be played loud anytime.

Views: 33

Replies to This Discussion

If the music wasn't so tight...then the lyrics...poetic...strong...listen you!!!!
I am so hooked! This is definately gonna be my travelin' music from now on!!!
Dag Man..this ain't legal by NO means how hooked I am to your commentaries! *terrible!!*

I find that I love your feedback just as much as I love them icons! *I should be flogged* LOL
I am too much for my own self! I should be doing other stuff and am I?? Noooo, I'm in here acting like a Randolph
Moodymann junkie! LOL!!!

Thanks L*

RSS

Introspection

Entr'acte

  1. play Norman Brown — Night Drive
  2. play Norman Brown — Feeling
  3. play Norman Brown — Still
  4. play Miles Davis — miles 1
  5. play miles 2
  6. play miles 3
  7. play miles 4
  8. play miles 5
  9. play Marvin Gaye — I Met A Little Girl
  10. play Santana — 01 Singing Winds, Crying Beasts
  11. play Santana — 02 Black Magic Woman-Gypsy Queen
  12. play Mongo — 02. Afro Blue



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 ♪♫♪

Members

About

© 2024   Created by Edie Antoinette.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service