December Soul: Farewell

This little parade of December/January blue-eyed soul artists comes to an end today.  There are many that haven't been featured...the obvious History of Rap co-conspirator Justin Timberlake, ivory princess Teena Marie (RIP), Jon B., Average White Band, Joe Cocker, Adele, etc. etc.  However, I absolutely can't end this without mentioning 2 final names - Marc Broussard and Michael McDonald. 

The first song I heard of Broussard's "Home" was actually performed on Clash of the Choirs by a choir directed by Blake Shelton.   A friend of mine called me all excited (as music nerds can be sometimes) and literally yelled into the phone, "you've GOT to listen to this guy!"  I did and loved it (good call Christy).  Before then, I'd heard Broussard's cover of Al Green's, "Love and Happiness". But for some reason it didn't click with me the 'hugeness' of his talent until that call.  I think what impresses me is his ability to go from hard core soul classics like "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" as featured on his S.O.S. Save Our Souls album to the pop sound of "Cruel" from his 2011 project Marc Broussard.  Below is "Let Me Do It Over" from that same project.

Michael McDonald always brings a smile to my face; I enjoy his music, his lyrics and imitating his voice.  So much soul, so little enunciation.  Thank God for cd jackets and websites dedicated entirely to lyrics.  I have done many stellar performances of "This Is It", "I Keep Forgettin'"(with that killer bass line as stolen by Warren G and Nate Dogg), and "What A Fool Believes".  Of course the words for "Fool" for me kinda went like this: "He came from somewhere back in derr long ago, somethin' somethin' SOOOOMEthin, sunting sunting alriiight...Sheeeeee had a place in his life, heeeeee never made her think twice, as she riiifal to hur apologeee...".  LOL.  McDonald's recent projects have featured remakes of golden oldies - some tracks are just "eh", but many are well done, keeping true to the era but still in his style. I think what I like about Michael is his likable persona, and he seems to record, write, sing both behind the scenes and on stage because he loves it.  No selling out, no unnecessary short cuts, just simply a musician making music.

Below is a video of his performance at Berklee's commencement ceremony, graciously performing with their students.  There's 2 things I'd like to do - graduate from Berklee, and perform with Michael McDonald.

Oldie of the Day: Jon Gibson

Truly unfairly not known R&B/Christian/gospel artist Jon Gibson freaked out a lot of folks because he looked like he belonged in a Ferris Bueller movie scene but sounded like Stevie Wonder.  It pains me that his music has never been widely known or distributed.  It's like he was too Christian for the secular market, but too on the edge musically for Christian companies.  Definitely sad.  Whether he was performing one of his well-written songs (he's a self-taught musician and songwriter), or covering Stevie Wonder or Andrae Crouch, he has a voice not easily forgotten. 

I was in absolute love with today's first song, "Friend in You" in junior high; I realize now that part of the reason is because it is similar to Wonder's way of crafting a song with simple accompaniment (like "Overjoyed").  This song also mysteriously played on the radio repeatedly for 30 minutes one Friday night when I was 15; it was the same night that a friend told he planned to commit suicide.  Thank God he didn't.  I don't know if he heard this song at all that night, but I do remember many tears and much praying that night.  And I remember the relief and gratitude when I saw him again.  Sadly this friend passed away years later due to cancer.  Although we had lost touch by then, I still cherish the memory of him and our jr. high comraderie.  I think of him every time I hear this song.

The second song, "So Blue, doesn't have such a deep meaning to it; I just  like it ;). My favorite lines: "I think too much, sometimes I think myself right into a jam". This is from the Love Education album, which I consider to be Gibson's best work.  And in checking my cherished cassette copy (yes I said CASSETTE), I see the copyright is 1994....this thing is 18 years old.   Oi and vey.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year and Merry 2012!  I hope you had an amazing holiday season and that you're getting geared up for the next 12 months.  If 2011 was tough (as it was for a lot of people), may 2012 be the complete opposite, an upturn for you, full of peace, relief, fun and accomplishment. If 2011 was great for you, may 2012 blessedly continue your winning streak.

My 2012 has already begun quite awesomely, simply because I have not heard any silly year-themed rhyming phrases.  I'm absolutely t h r i l l e d. You know the ones: 2008 is gonna be great (#gag), 2009 is gonna be fine (#ACK!), 2010 we're gonna win (#RETCH!!), 2011 the year of heaven (#commeresoIcancutyou).   All 2012 rhymes, please pass me by.

January will continue the December soul theme, simply because the holidays were so good I missed a few posts.  Recently a friend reminded me to post as part of blue-eyed soul theme UK-born Joss Stone.  Like Duffy, she grew up listening to R&B/soul artists, and began training her voice by singing along with Aretha Franklin's Greatest Hits album in her early teens.  She's performed both original music as well as some great oldies such as For the Love Of You and I Put A Spell On You (with Jeff Beck). This past fall the group Super Heavy, whose members include Joss, Mick Jagger, Damian Marley, A.R. Rahman and Dave Stewart, released its debut. 

What do you think about this Super Heavy collaboration?

Oldie of the Day: December Soul

Ahhh...how many afternoons did I spend singing my heart out: "Been around the world and I-eye-yiii, I can't find my babehhh, I don't know and I don't know whyyyyy, why he's gone away..." A lot of folks were shocked when Lisa Stansfield showed up on the scene with a sultry voice like a female Barry White, but with the looks of the Iowa girl next door.  Well, maybe not Iowa -  maybe more like a NYC Village gal.  I definitely wouldn't have guessed she was British.  Stansfield has also delved from time to time into recording a few jazz tracks.

Have I said yet how interesting it is that so many blue-eyed soul artists are from the UK? Does anyone have an opinion as to why? 

Anyways, below is a fave track, "All Woman" and "Change".  I started to include the MTV videos, but went the live route so you can see this woman holding her own (over 20 years) without auto-tune.  Also, the classic 90s outfit made me laugh. 

December Soul: Mayer Hawthorne

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I hope everyone had a wonderful time, I know I did.  There's nothing like having no drama and lots of fun with loved ones.  I even heard from a long-lost friend - #mega-smile.  However I feel like I'm suffering from a food hangover.  Seriously, I think cabbage, green tea and prune juice are in the near future. Welcome 2012.

Anyways, here's a late installment, and hopefully you've heard of this guy already - Mayer Hawthorne.  He's been on the scene for a while...I finally checked him out after reading a comment on a NCIS blog. Yes, it took an off-handed comment from actor Michael Weatherly (aka "Tony") to convince me to deliberately and formally check out Hawthorne's music.  And that is the power of media.

Hawthorne continues the trend of neo/blue-eyed soul in the US...note the 60s/70s/80s/retro sound and the falsetto voice.  (I wonder if it's possible to be a male contemporary soul singer - black or white - and sing baritone or bass.) Hawthorne also continues this underground trend of musicians who play, write, sing, produce - in other words, the return to talent.  Being from Michigan, I'm sure he's familiar with the Motown way of producing records.  I hope to see him the next time he's close to town.

"You've Got the Makings Of A Lover" definitely copies the sound of 70s R&B ballads; it reminds me of "Too Late To Turn Back Now" by Cornelius (listen to it here).

"Shiny and New" is kind of a hybrid of Earth, Wind & Fire "Love Holiday" and The Stylistics "You Make Me Feel Brand New". Very Nice!



For a blue-eyed soul explosion, youtube Hawthorne singing on Darryl Hall's Live From Darryl's House.

December Soul: Remy Shand

I remember when Canadian neo-soul singer Remy Shand first came out with "Take A Message". I thought, ok please don't be a one-hit wonder.  His sound is that quintessential tenor/falsetto male soul, influenced by people like Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye.  But after his early 2000s cd, where did he go?!  From what I can gather, he's had a difficult few years, including a messy divorce and his mother's passing. 

I hope that he chooses to come back soon and share his music publicly again. If I ever make it to his neck of the woods, I will be tempted to try to track him down.   There's an unfinished track floating around, but it's got a few sound glitches. You can check it out here: A Day In the Shade.  Meanwhile below is "The Way I Feel".

Since Remy doesn't have any Christmas songs available, here's a throwback from the band Chicago.  Just a couple days til Christmas, are you ready?

December Soul - Duffy

Duffy, a Welsh artist, is part of that so-called "British invasion" of soul artists in the past few years.  I just listened to her cover of "Mercy" and realized she also kind of reminds me of Kristin Chenowith, both in physical features and because of the high-pitched voice.  Duffy seems to have cut her teeth on the old Motown sound and old soul/R&B music.  And in my opinion, her covers of old tunes like "These Arms of Mine" show her respect to the soul genre  without parrot-like imitating those singers.   That is a trap many singers, regardless of style, tend to fall into when covering a song. 

I am concerned about this Adele-like trend of singing the saddest songs ever known.  There's such pain that comes from her; I hope that her personal demons do not extinguish her voice at a premature age. 

Enjoy this *BUM-BUM* "Tainted Love" cover from Duffy. And I've included "Mercy" since I couldn't find any Christmas song from her that I liked enough to post here.

Happy weekend!

Oldie of the Day: December Soul Pt. 3

You know what gets me excited? Being caught up in a google vortex searching for music and finding treasures I never knew existed.  That's how I find independent artists, long-forgotten albums and unique collaborations.  So the current blue-eyed soul theme is gonna take a slightly more bluesy turn today, thanks to Dr. John and Eric Clapton.  Ok, I have to admit that something about Dr. John makes my right earlobe itch a little bit, but dang that man can kill a piano! And what music lover can't get along without a little Sir Clapton?

This first clip is from one of the installments of VH-1 Duets (great idea VH-1) - Dr. John's "Right Place, Wrong Time".  After that is a clever song, "Mixed Nuts", from a Christmas movie with the same title starring Steve Martin, Madeline Kahn, and host of other actors. 

*Have you finished all your Christmas shopping?

December Soul - Pt. 2

Wednesday's Hall & Oates was a serious throwback, so let's go with someone under the age of 40 today and is part of the flow of soul-inspired music coming from the UK.

Jamie Lidell is one of those guys that I didn't realize who he was until his music was used on a Target commercial:





There's something about Lidell that reminds me of Jamiroquai (whew, throw-back to the 90s).   Maybe it's his voice, or the walk on the slightly weird side that they both have.  I do enjoy his sequencing, and mix-in of beat-boxing.  His earlier work definitely is electornic dance music inspired; while his latest releases has some elements of this, it seems to be (a little) more accessible.  It will be interesting to see what he does in the future.

December Soul

I'm taking this month to pay tribute and/or bring awareness to the artists that personify "blue-eyed soul".  I touched on this briefly a few entries ago when I talked about Robert Palmer's covers of two great Marvin Gaye songs.

It's been said that you can't teach soul.  That statement may hold a lot of truth, but one must be careful not to exclude an entire group of people as not being soulful or incapable of performing excellently in this style.  Are there certain elements inherent to a culture's music and art? Absolutely...just watch a group of people clapping to a song.  Most black folks will clap on beats 2 & 4, most white folks on 1 & 3 - and a few folks from both groups will be lost on beat 3.66666.  But I can't entirely agree with the statement because every great African American soul singer learned the craft by being immersed in it, growing up in it, walking it on the way to work, singing it in the church or bar - living it.  And if music is an expression of internal emotions, can these emotions be only relegated in every case to a group of people? No.  I think this is why "blue eyed soul" has always been interesting to me.  These seem to be artists that were only content when expressing musically in a style previously known only to African American culture.  They studied and learned to be more than proficient in it.  They take elements of it and brew it into their songs and are quick to publicly acknowledge its influence.

#steppingdownfromsoapbox

Ok, I'm done - how about some music?

A few months ago I got re-acquainted with Hall & Oates as I watched their dvd, Our Kind Of Soul, which was very entertaining. I also spent an entire morning at work (shhhh!) in a H & O vortex, trading audio and youtube clips and teen-angst stories with a co-worker.  Here's a nice gem - am I the only one that didn't know Hall wrote "Everytime You Go Away"?  And listen to that opening...guitar, organ, drums taking back down to the blues...#SMOOCH!! Love it!  And after that, enjoy "Children Go Where I Send Thee"...which totally reminds me of Steve Martin and his "family" singing and dancing in The Jerk.

Oldie of the Day: Mercy / I Want You

This is a part deux of giving thanks for music...and for people in the field that don't follow the norm.  Do you remember this guy?  I guess this is also a pre-cursor to the "Blue-Eyed Soul (a.k.a. "White Chocolate") singers/performers I want to discuss at some point. 

Anyways, I like Robert Palmer, and I always thought he had the kind of voice that made you take notice.  These Marvin Gaye songs he covered are beautiful - and this is a unique medley - Mercy Mercy Me and I Want You. I wouldn't have thought to put those together, but he makes it work.

This is kinda lengthy, but it's from Palmer's interview on The Arsenio Show, which totally fits the Oldie day theme.  It also gives a glimpse into the  musician he was.  So sad that he's gone.