November 2009 Blog Posts (18)

Dezaray Dawn

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Dezaray Dawn is an exciting new artist on the future soul scene, possessing a voice which resonates with the depth of both emotion and experience. This German-born, Southern-raised Army brat is a self-described gypsy, having lived in 2 countries, 4 states, and 6 US cities by the time she was 16. She attended 16 schools in 12 years, and Dezaray states: “When nothing else was solid in…

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Added by Edie Antoinette on November 30, 2009 at 8:30pm — 3 Comments

Chicago Black Radio 1980's

Added by Harold Lee Rush on November 25, 2009 at 12:56pm — 2 Comments

The Sylvers

Prior to becoming "The Sylvers", the four eldest members (Olympia, Leon, Charmaine, and James) recorded as the Little Angels, appearing on variety shows such as "Make Room For Daddy" and "You Bet Your Life," and opening for such acts as Johnny Mathis and Ray Charles.

During 1972 the act was joined by brothers Edmund and Ricky. The sextet changed their name from the Little Angels to the Sylvers and released three albums on the… Continue

Added by Shelley "SoleMann" King on November 24, 2009 at 11:37am — 2 Comments

Stevie Wonder...Stevie At The Beach

Almost a precursor of California Motown in the 70s, given that the young Stevie Wonder spends a day at the beach!

Stevie at the Beach is the fifth album by Motown singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder released on the Tamla (Motown) label in 1964. This album—with the exception of the mild hit—"Hey Harmonica Man", was a concept album of sorts, focusing on beach and surfer anthems as an attempt to get Wonder to now sing surf… Continue

Added by Shelley "SoleMann" King on November 17, 2009 at 10:44am — 4 Comments

F * E * M * I

This Bay Area native of Puerto-Rican ancestry has established her musical presence with powerfully sweet vocals, passionately poetic song writing and sultry production. Her music has been defined as neo-funk & soul but its roots go much deeper with an infusion of afro-latin/carribean rhythms, jazz, hip-hop, salsa and rock, blending perfectly to create a unique sound all her own.

A radiating, fiery… Continue

Added by Edie Antoinette on November 15, 2009 at 8:00pm — 5 Comments

SoleMannKing...Simply Soleful (ROFLMBO)

BLUES AND SOUL MAGAZINE ARTICLE...1987

Although SoleMann was never a Major Music Star, he was well known throughout the south from 1982 to 1986. He had 1 album titled "Come and Get Your Sole" which was released in the spring of 1982 and was well recieved throughout the south...

The Album contained 12 songs, all of which was written by SoleMann himself, but the one song that generated heavy airplay, was a song that he had… Continue

Added by Shelley "SoleMann" King on November 14, 2009 at 5:38pm — 7 Comments

The Temptations & Funk Brothers...In Studio Session Rehearsal (1967)

Given the fact that Motown had not been conducting Live sessions with the vocalists and instrumentalists recording at the same time since at least 1963, this session was clearly staged for the CBS News cameras that were doing a brief piece called The Motown Sound.

Pictured in the studio are songwriters Lamont Dozier (Standing on the steps at the back of the studio), Brian Holland (The guy who cuts in on the band), Ivy Jo Hunter (Does… Continue

Added by Shelley "SoleMann" King on November 13, 2009 at 8:17am — 12 Comments

Did You Say, The Good Old Days

Ah the good old days. We so often think back about those good old days with little consideration as to why they earned the name. If you really stop and ponder the concept one may realize that it had nothing at all to do with a specific time in history but rather those who were making history at that time.

It was the people, not a timeline, that created an era where doing the right thing just because it was the right thing to do was what the memories we call the good old days. It was… Continue

Added by Steve Powell on November 11, 2009 at 2:56pm — 1 Comment

You Celebrate Halloween?

Because the "deceiver" is relentless and it appears that this evil spiritual being is quite successful at getting God's creation to deny his effect and influence upon mankind...God's sons continue to cry aloud and spare not.

Many people feel that they can legitimize the celebration and observation of this "holiday" called halloween by targeting and criticizing those who openly condemn it for what it is...a celebration of evil.

What may seem to be a logical explanation, offering… Continue

Added by Big Papa on November 11, 2009 at 9:22am — No Comments

Everything But The Kitchen Sink Goes Here. Updated :)

HERE ARE SOME INTERESTING, FUNNY, ODD OR JUST DOWNRIGHT WEIRD STUFF I FIND WHILE SURFING THE NET.

Here is one bully that got exactly what he asked for. Just goes to show ya, a person can only take so

Added by KnightD12 on November 11, 2009 at 7:00am — 4 Comments

A Salute To All Veterans Especially To My Sons And Brothers

My brother KnightD, not sure how many years he served in the AirForce

This is my youngest brother, he served 15 years in the army.

This is my oldest son Marvin. He graduated in 1983, that same year he joined the Army. He served 8 years.

This is my youngest son Michael,he graduated in 1985, that same year he joined the army, He… Continue

Added by Boo on November 10, 2009 at 11:15pm — 6 Comments

Impact Featuring Damon Harris

Damon Harris is most notable as a member of The Temptations from 1971 to 1975. Twenty years old when he joined the group, Harris was the youngest member of The Temptations during his tenure in the group. As a teenager Harris had formed a Temptations tribute band named The Young Tempts (AKA The Young Vandals).

After leaving the group, the dejected Harris decided to reform The Young Vandals with Simms, Timmons, and Tighman, renaming the… Continue

Added by Shelley "SoleMann" King on November 6, 2009 at 12:33pm — 4 Comments

The Vandals-In My Opinion

1970 release on the Isley Brothers’ T-Neck label. The falsetto here belongs to Otis Harris, Jr., who had formed this singing group as a teenager in Baltimore. The group sang Temptations covers and called itself the Young Tempts – until Motown objected. They became the Young Vandals and then, simply, the Vandals.

Otis Harris joined the real-life Temptations in 1971, occupying the high-tenor slot originally held by Eddie Kendricks.…

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Added by Edie Antoinette on November 6, 2009 at 9:30am — 8 Comments

For that special little one...

Pop-Pop's Garden
A holiday gift for that special little one...

Added by Lydell Jackson on November 5, 2009 at 10:28am — 1 Comment

People's Choice

Vocalist/keyboardist Frank Brunson formed People’s Choice in Philadelphia in the early ’70s.

Drummer/percussionist David Thompson, vocalists Valerie Brown and Marc Reed, guitarists Darnell Jordan and Johnnie Hightower, keyboardists Clifton Gamble and Bill Rodgers, and bassist/vocalist Stanley Thomas were in the original lineup.

Despite the vocalists, the group’s biggest hits were instrumentals. They were signed to… Continue

Added by Shelley "SoleMann" King on November 3, 2009 at 3:41pm — 1 Comment

Chicago Gangsters

Despite their name, the Chicago Gangsters were originally from Ohio,

consisting of brothers James, Sam, Chris, and Leroy McCant. Their sound ranged from heavy funk and disco to sweet, smooth soul.

They adopted the name Chicago Gangsters after catching on with the Gold Plate label, where they worked with prolific songwriter/arranger Richard Evans and a number of Chicago's top studio musicians.

Their debut LP,… Continue

Added by Shelley "SoleMann" King on November 3, 2009 at 10:57am — 13 Comments

IMITATION OF LIFE

What movie could bring a 14 year old Black male living in the segregated South in the very early 60s to the verge of tears? This one! Although I would never admit to crying, I will fess up to getting 'misty eyed'. Ahem cough, cough.

One hot summer afternoon, I decided to go to the movies. Lucky for me I lived within walking distance of 2 of the 4 movie houses that Blacks could go to. One was old, but the other had only been opened for a year or so. The new one had better air… Continue

Added by KnightD12 on November 3, 2009 at 2:57am — 10 Comments

Ronnie & The Hi-Lites

Ronnie & The Hi-Lites was a Doo-Wop Musical Group from the United States.

They formed in Jersey City, New Jersey in the early 1960s. Their song "I Wish That We Were Married" reached the 1962 Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The group originally called The Cascades, initially consisted of tenors Sonny Caldwell and John Whitney, bass singer Kenny Overby and baritone Stanley Brown. Adding 12-year-old Ronnie Goodson as their… Continue

Added by Shelley "SoleMann" King on November 2, 2009 at 1:58pm — 3 Comments

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Remembering Q

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Quincy Jones is thoroughly entwined in the musical background of my young adulthood. A genius of unique quality. I have been posting blogs and music throughout the years and decided to embark on the arduous but satisfying task of gathering some of it to remember the excellent legacy that he left.

Maze Feel That You're Feelin
Maze Somebody Elses Arms
Maze Southern Girl
Cant Get Over You
Maze Golden Time Of Day

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. The Butlers recorded their first single in 1960 titled "Loveable Girl". Left to right John Fitch, T Conway, Frankie Beverly, Sonny Nicholson and Joe Collins.