Category Archives: Soul

Gospel, Great Bands, Soul

Look out for St. Paul and The Broken Bones

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Gritty with an elemental rhythm, tight-as-a-drumhead playing, and a profound depth of feeling: these are the promises of a great soul band. And St. Paul & The Broken Bones deliver on those promises.

Front man Paul Janeway’s handle “St. Paul” is a witty allusion to the vocalist’s grounding in the church. Like so many soul singers, Janeway, from Alabama, was raised on the gospel side, in a non-denominational, Pentecostal-leaning local church. Virtually no non-religious music could be heard in his devout household.

“The only secular music that I heard at all was a ‘70s group called the Stylistics, and Sam Cooke. That was about it. The rest of it was all gospel music. When I was about 10 years old, I was groomed to be a minister. My goal in life until I was about 18 years old was to be a preacher.”
– Paul Janeway

St. Paul & The Broken Bones – Don’t mean a thing:

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Blues, Film, Gospel, Rock'n Roll, Soul

Video of the day: Sister Rosetta Tharpe – The Godmother of Rock’n Roll (documentary)

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Sister_Rosetta_Tharpe

“Sister Rosetta Tharpe was anything but ordinary and plain, she was a big, good-looking woman and divine, not to mention sublime and splendid. She was a powerful force of nature–a guitar-playing, singing evangelist.”
– Bob Dylan

Sister Rosetta Tharpe (March 20, 1915 – October 9, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and recording artist. A pioneer of twentieth-century music, Tharpe attained great popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with her gospel recordings that were a unique mixture of spiritual lyrics and rhythmic/early rock accompaniment. She became gospel music’s first crossover artist and its first great recording star, referred to later as “the original soul sister”. 

Willing to cross the line between sacred and secular by performing her music of ‘light’ in the ‘darkness’ of the nightclubs and concert halls with big bands behind her, Tharpe pushed spiritual music into the mainstream and helped pioneer the rise of pop-gospel beginning with her 1939 hit “This Train.” Her unique music left a lasting mark on more conventional gospel artists such as Ira Tucker, Sr. of the Dixie Hummingbirds. While she offended some conservative churchgoers with her forays into the pop world, she never left gospel music.

Tharpe’s 1944 hit “Down By The Riverside” was selected for the American Library of Congress National Recording Registry in 2004, with the citation stating that it captured her “spirited guitar playing” and “unique vocal style”, which were an influence on early rhythm and blues performers, as well as gospel, jazz, and rock artists. Her 1945 hit “Strange Things Happening Every Day”, recorded in late 1944, featured Tharpe’s vocals and electric guitar, with Sammy Price (piano), bass and drums. It was the first gospel record to cross over, hitting #2 on the Billboard “race records” chart, the term then used for what later became the R&B chart, in April 1945. The recording has been cited as an important precursor of rock and roll. Tharpe has been called the Godmother of Rock n’ Roll.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe – The Godmother of Rock’n Roll (Documentary):

Sister Rosetta Tharpe: The Godmother of Rock & Roll features archival performances and new interviews with Joe Boyd, tour manager of the 1964 American Folk, Blues and Gospel Caravan; Howard Carroll of gospel group The Dixie Hummingbirds, which toured frequently with Tharpe; Anthony Heilbut, gospel record producer and writer; life-long friend Roxie Moore; Ira Tucker, Jr., son of The Dixie Hummingbirds’ Ira Tucker, Sr.; Tharpe biographer Gayle Wald; and others. (PBS)

– Hallgeir

Great albums, Music Calendar, Otis Redding, Soul, Stax

Today: The Dock Of The Bay by Otis Redding was released in 1968


Otis-Redding-The-Dock-of-the-Bay

“…It’s two thousand miles I roamed, just to make this dock my home.”

This should have been the start of a magnificent career, instead it gives us,  in a fine and vital way, Otis Redding’s place in soul music at that time. It was released posthumously (and it was the first of many).

The songs are chosen by Steve Cropper (produces and guitar player) and he did a remarkable job, it must have been a difficult task to assemble this album, the first after Otis’s death. It could have been a cash-in and a dark memorial album but instead we got lively, and fitting presentation of Otis’s fantastic abilities.

The album consists of singles, A and B-sides, a one hit duet with Carla Thomas, and some previously unreleased tracks (1966-1967). It IS a mixed bag, but in a good way!

Otis Redding – (Sittin’ on) The Dock Of The Bay (Official video):

I love the album and think Steve Cropper did the best job any one could do when putting it together. The choices are not obvious but we get a good representation of what Otis Redding was about and what he could do. A sad but vivid soul classic!

In 2003, the album was ranked number 161 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

My favorite track is the incredible ballad, I Love You More Than Words Can Say.

Otis Redding – The Dock of the Bay (Spotify):

– Hallgeir

Music Calendar, Soul

Today: Stevie Wonder released “Talking Book” in 1972 – 41 years ago

talking-book-steve wonder

 The artist breaks through and takes control, though not in that order. Suddenly he’s writing better ballads than he used to choose, and not at any sacrifice of his endearing natural bathos (if you have doubts about “Sunshine of My Life,” try “Blame It on the Sun”). “Maybe Your Baby” and “Big Brother” continue his wild multi-voice experiments but come in out of left field. And “Superstition” translates his way of knowledge into hard-headed, hard-rocking political analysis.
~Robert Christgau

From Wikipedia:

Released October 28, 1972
Recorded 1972
Genre Soul, funk
Length 43:31
Label Tamla
Producer Stevie Wonder, Robert Margouleff,Malcolm Cecil

Talking Book is the fifteenth album by Stevie Wonder, released on October 28, 1972. A signal recording of his “classic period”, in this one he “hit his stride.” The album’s first track, “You Are the Sunshine of My Life”, earned Wonder his first Grammy Award, for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

Superstition live on Sesame Street:

Sandwiched between the release of Music of My Mind and Innervisions, Talking Book saw Wonder enjoying more artistic freedom from Motown. Guest appearances include Jeff Beck, Ray Parker, Jr., David Sanborn, and Buzz Feiten. The sound of the album is sharply defined by Wonder’s keyboard work, especially with the synthesizers he incorporated, giving a funky edge to tracks like “Maybe Your Baby”. His use of the Hohner clavinet model C on “Superstition” is widely regarded as one of the definitive tracks featuring the instrument. His swinging clavinet and harmonica embellishments on “Big Brother”, though, defy categorization.

Stevie_Wonder-Talking_Book-Interior_Frontal

Reception:

Released after Wonder toured with the Rolling Stones in 1972, Talking Book became an immediate hit. The popular appeal of the recording helped destroy the myth that R&B artists were incapable of creating music that could be appreciated by rock audiences, and marked a unique period for R&B artists (especially Motown artists).

  • Talking Book peaked at #3 on the Pop Albums chart, and became the first album for Wonder to top the Top R&B Albums chart where it remained for three weeks.
  • Wonder won three awards for Talking Book at the 1974 Grammys: Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for “You Are the Sunshine of My Life”, and both Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song for “Superstition”.
  • Incidentally, at the same ceremony, Wonder’s next album, Innervisions, won Album of the Year and Talking Book’s producers Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff won the Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical award for their work on that album.
  • In 2003, the album was ranked number 90 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

You are The Sunshine of My Life – Rainbow Theatre in London. Feb 1974:

Songs

  1. “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” 2:58
  2. “Maybe Your Baby” 6:51
  3. “You and I (We Can Conquer the World)” 4:38
  4. “Tuesday Heartbreak” 3:02
  5. “You’ve Got It Bad Girl” (Wonder, Yvonne Wright) 4:59
  6. “Superstition” 4:26
  7. “Big Brother” 3:34
  8. “Blame It on the Sun” (Wonder, Syreeta Wright) 3:26
  9. “Looking for Another Pure Love” (Wonder, Syreeta Wright) 4:43
  10. “I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)” (Wonder, Yvonne Wright)

 

Album of the day – Talking Book (1972):

From allmusic.com – John Bush:
After releasing two “head” records during 1970-71, Stevie Wonder expanded his compositional palate with 1972’s Talking Book to include societal ills as well as tender love songs, and so recorded the first smash album of his career. What had been hinted at on the intriguing project Music of My Mind was here focused into a laser beam of tight songwriting, warm electronic arrangements, and ebullient performances — altogether the most realistic vision of musical personality ever put to wax, beginning with a disarmingly simple love song, “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” (but of course, it’s only the composition that’s simple). Stevie’s not always singing a tender ballad here — in fact, he flits from contentment to mistrust to promise to heartbreak within the course of the first four songs — but he never fails to render each song in the most vivid colors. In stark contrast to his early songs, which were clever but often relied on the Motown template of romantic metaphor, with Talking Book it became clear Stevie Wonder was beginning to speak his mind and use personal history for material (just as Marvin Gaye had with the social protest of 1971’s What’s Going On).   … read more over @ allmusic.com

Other October 28:

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Music Calendar, Soul

Today: Sam Moore is 78 Happy Birthday

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Samuel David Moore aka Sam Moore (born October 12, 1935) is an American Southern soul and rhythm & blues (R&B) singer, who was the tenor vocalist for the soul vocal duo Sam & Dave from 1961 to 1981.

Sam Moore is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame (for “Soul Man”), the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and a Grammy Award and a multi-Gold Record award-winning recording artist. Sam & Dave were the most successful and critically acclaimed duo in soul music history. Moore has also achieved a distinguished 25-year career as a solo performing and recording artist.

In 2008, based on a poll of other musicians, Rolling Stone named Sam Moore one of the 100 greatest singers of the rock era (1950s-2008).

Sam & Dave:

Sam Moore and Dave Prater were both experienced gospel music singers, having performed individually with groups the Sensational Hummingbirds and The Melionaires. They met in The King of Hearts Club in Miami in 1961, where they were discovered by regional producer Henry Stone, who signed them to Roulette Records. After modest success at Roulette,they were signed by Jerry Wexler to Atlantic Records in 1964, then being ‘loaned’ out to Stax Records to produce, record and release their records.

The duo’s November 1965 single, “You Don’t Know Like I Know,” started a series of ten straight top twenty Billboard R&B hits that included “Hold On! I’m Comin'” (1966), “You Got Me Hummin’ (1966), “When Something Is Wrong with My Baby” (1967), “Soul Man” (1967), and “I Thank You” (1968). Most of their hits were penned by Isaac Hayes and David Porter. In most recordings, they were also backed by Hayes on piano with Booker T and the MGs and The Memphis Horns. The ending of their association with the Stax record label and their frequently volatile relationship contributed to their first break-up in 1970. Their last performance together was on December 31, 1981, at the Old Waldorf in San Francisco. On 9 April 1988, Prater died in a car crash in Sycamore, Georgia.
(Wikipedia)

Soul medley with Bruce Springsteen:

Moore and Prater (posthumously) were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on January 15, 1992. Shortly after the induction, Moore announced plans to record a solo LP, featuring duets with Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins and others.
On August 29, 2006, Moore released his first solo album, Overnight Sensational.

Sam and Dave – When something is wrong with my baby:

What a fantastic singer! Happy birthday Sam!

Solo discography:

Plenty Good Lovin’ : The Lost Solo Album 2002
Sam Moore recorded this album in 1970 with R&B great King Curtis, who produced eight of the ten tracks. The album was originally intended to be Moore’s solo debut, but it was shelved for a variety of reasons (including the murder of King Curtis shortly after the album was recorded).

Overnight Sensational 2006 (album of today on Spotify):

 

Other 12 October:
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