All Blog Posts (458)

Jimmy Sommers

Jimmy Sommers was first smitten with the saxophone when he was still a grade school student in his native area of Chicago. "The sax just seemed so cool" says Sommers recollecting on those days. His affinity and aptitude for the sax…

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Added by Edie Antoinette on August 18, 2008 at 3:30am — No Comments

BOBBIE HUMPHREY

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Added by MadameDivaChocolate on August 18, 2008 at 12:58am — 2 Comments

THE MAIN INGREDIENT

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Added by MadameDivaChocolate on August 17, 2008 at 7:00pm — 2 Comments

PLEASE CLICK ON AND GO SEE THIS WEBSITE BELOW. YOU WILL ENJOY IT. MY FRIEND VICKILYN REYNOLDS WILL BE STARRING AS HATTIE MACDANIELS IN THIS MUSICAL. IT WILL BE AT THE NATIONAL BLACK THEATRE ON FIFTH …

PLEASE CLICK ON AND GO SEE THIS WEBSITE BELOW. YOU WILL ENJOY IT. MY FRIEND VICKILYN REYNOLDS WILL BE STARRING AS HATTIE MACDANIELS IN THIS MUSICAL. IT WILL BE AT THE NATIONAL BLACK THEATRE ON FIFTH AVENUE NY,NY. YOU MAY REMEMBER I PUT HER UP IN THE HAIRPIECE CLIP OF THE TALKING WIGS SOME BLOGS AGO. HELP SUPPORT MY FRIEND AS SHE DOES HER THING SINGING, ACTING AND ENTERTAINING.

CLICK HERE--->>>>… Continue

Added by JACK-OF-HEARTS (AKA WIN) on August 12, 2008 at 10:00am — 2 Comments

Remembering Isaac Hayes

and Bernie Mac…

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Added by Edie Antoinette on August 10, 2008 at 9:00pm — 17 Comments

My tribute to a legend - Isaac Hayes

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Isaac Hayes, the baldheaded, baritone-voiced soul crooner who laid the groundwork for disco and whose "Theme From Shaft" won both Academy and Grammy awards, died Sunday afternoon after he collapsed near a treadmill, authorities said. He was 65.

Hayes was pronounced dead at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis an hour after he was found by a family member, the… Continue

Added by MadameDivaChocolate on August 10, 2008 at 6:00pm — 2 Comments

Tour Around The World

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Added by Edie Antoinette on August 6, 2008 at 10:30pm — 16 Comments

Prolifically Pure - Rex Rideout

Rex Rideout

producer l songwriter l arranger l musician…

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Added by Edie Antoinette on July 24, 2008 at 2:30pm — 2 Comments

On Your Own :: From Donny To Lalah

...and Daddy to Me.

"On Your Own" touches me in the deepest part of my core. It's as though Donny is breathing on me through Lalah, and by extension--encouraging me through my own Daddy, who like Donny, left way too soon.

This young lady is her father, as I am...mine.…

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Added by Edie Antoinette on July 23, 2008 at 9:30am — 3 Comments

Come Dance With Me

Sentimental recollections

like rainbows swirling

around big, fragile

floating bubbles

filled with our

dreams and ready to

~pop~

Kinetic, sultry

recommendations

like minds

wandering

and cozying up on

memories too hot

to

~stop~

Thoughts

dissipating into

'if onlys'

like surging

mirages

of what could

and should… Continue

Added by Edie Antoinette on July 22, 2008 at 12:30pm — 5 Comments

I Remember Motown

Vintage Motown: A jam session from the 1960s features Kim Weston (microphone) Stevie Wonder(dark glasses), Berry Gordy Jr. at the piano, Smokey Robinson (center rear) and Marv Johnson, at Gordy's left.

The Golden Age of the Motown Sound

By Vivian M. Baulch / The Detroit…

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Added by Edie Antoinette on July 22, 2008 at 12:00pm — 2 Comments

For Old Times Sake

Ramsey Lewis trio "TheInCrowd"

Because I hope we're still good friends

I'm scribbling these few lines

In hopes that just for old times sake

You'll answer me something.

It's funny how the time flies

When one is past the tender years

And yet old memories seem to cling

To things I once held dear.

Tell…

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Added by gmack on July 11, 2008 at 2:30am — No Comments

The Bitter And The Sweet

We were strangers when we met,

Only half alive, both trying to forget

The lonely nights that seem to have no end;

Afraid to love, or trust our hearts again.

And yet I knew

In the way your eyes searched mine,

You still had hopes,

That one day, some true love you'd find.

I bowed my head,

Not wanting you to see

The turmoil in my soul,

That you had stirred in… Continue

Added by gmack on July 3, 2008 at 1:18am — 2 Comments

HAPPINESS, IS A GIFT FROM GOD

Where oh where, is this road I seek

That leads a lonely heart,

to happiness peak?

Did the last one who passed that way

Remove the markers along the way?

Then I hard a voice from within me say

Was there a friendly smile,

you could have gave today

Was there a kindly word,

you could have spoke today

Was there a good deed,

you could have done today

Or a silent prayer,

you could have prayed… Continue

Added by gmack on June 29, 2008 at 3:30am — 2 Comments

CONFLICT

Tormented by a madness

So vaguely planed

That even I

Cannot understand

For seething deep

Within my soul

Are destructive forces

I must withhold

Fantastic dreams

That sear my mind

Like being God

And stopping time

Oh life

If there's no inward peace

For such as I

Who seek relief

Then beckon death

Whose silent wings

Will set me free

And erase all pain

By… Continue

Added by gmack on June 27, 2008 at 12:00am — 1 Comment

I FOUND US SOME OUT OF THE PAST, STILL IN TO THE FUTURE

Added by JACK-OF-HEARTS (AKA WIN) on June 26, 2008 at 10:56pm — 4 Comments

Traveling the LATE TRAIN!

John Whitehead Biography

Renowned singer songwriter, John Whitehead, wrote and performed many songs that gained national and international acclaim. "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" is just one of John's many mega hits. John was nominated three times for Grammy Awards.

It was John Whitehead's love of music that kept him going in…

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Added by Edie Antoinette on June 25, 2008 at 2:00pm — 10 Comments

Happy Birthday Sweetie

We didn't make it to Vegas this year, but here are some favorite sights from Las Vegas for your birthday.

Fremont Street

And we always make it to the Fountains at Bellagio …

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Added by saraphen on June 25, 2008 at 5:00am — No Comments

Lalah Hathaway-Grateful For Her Father's Gifts

Look at Lalah's cheeks! Awww!

Lalah Hathaway barely knew her father, who died in a fall from a New York City hotel room at age 33 in 1979. But the 36-year-old singer-songwriter shares Donny Hathaway's warm vocal tone, his extensive knowledge of music and his strong work ethic, which she has parlayed into a successful musical career of… Continue

Added by Edie Antoinette on June 20, 2008 at 10:00am — 3 Comments

Angela Bofill

...has long been known and loved for her timeless interpretations of love and love’s despair through song. More than two decades after she settled into life as a successful recording artist, Angela Bofill continues to make the world her stage. From Japan to the Philippines to the Caribbean to Europe, Africa and here in the United States, all those who have witnessed this vocal…

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Added by Edie Antoinette on May 20, 2008 at 12:30am — 11 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.