tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91778396297616724682011-11-28T00:21:51.421ZSoulchoonzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03903602547213277685noreply@blogger.comBlogger401100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-15650164997964513352009-02-27T19:23:00.004Z2009-02-27T19:52:24.474Z<a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/Sag-z_3dlTI/AAAAAAAAAdk/p0TW1VipYGs/s1600-h/gap+band.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 169px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/Sag-z_3dlTI/AAAAAAAAAdk/p0TW1VipYGs/s400/gap+band.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307561223894439218" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">This album may have been a bit too 'street' for a lot of Gappers out there, and the guys had, by this point, started forging links into the Hip Hop community with liaisons with the likes of Snoop Dogg, Case and others. Well, this 1999 album contained a few heavy funk tracks with rap from said Dogg, and to be honest I loved them! The Cd also has more than enough quality soul moments too, and I would rate this CD as one of their best ever. The album is the last group effort, which is a shame, and Charlie has well and truly made his mark as a solo artist now with four solo sets. We can hear where Charlie was heading on here. I don't mind as he can carry it off - goodness knows, everyone and their dog stole his vocal style in the 90s didn't they?! The first song on here is a hard piece of booty shaking G-Funk with plenty of - dare I cal lit such - OL' Skool sensibilities. The beats hit hard, the bass is low and the funky guitar licks act as a great setting and The Wilson Brothers are more than up to this late '90s Hip Hop Funk groove. Snoop drops his lyrics and does a great job I have to say - his southern, laid back nonchalant drawl is just right on this party groove.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I bet, though, many would prefer the more typical Gap cut, "Baby I Remember Your Face". Very 90s, yet still a classy, traditional Gap cut through and through. My favourite song is the KILLER midtempo "Good Old Fashion Lovin'". If ever the boys made a drop-dead essential track then this is definitely it! This is synthy soul with a chilled out muted trumpet - the track steals the show completely - but is spoiled with a remix at the end of the CD. Avoid that version! One for the kids! LOL. Saying that, the hard groove of "Scandalous" with it's House Of Pain sample hits as hard as a Cypress Hill cut but with real soul. Charlie lays down the law here and is aided by a scornful Snoop who drops in a few rhymes along the way. This is very modern but still very strong. "Messin' With My Flow" is more sparse and less bass-heavy and is a typical upbeat Gap effort, whereas "Style And Grace" returns to familiar territory. "Y2K" was a very strong album from a well-established group looking to develop and ply their sound to a younger generation. the great thing is, it worked well and still the more conservative ears such as mine had some more than credible moments. Don't let this one disappear.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0000258SL?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B0000258SL">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B0000258SL" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-1565016499796451335?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-62289151519585137602009-02-24T19:53:00.003Z2009-02-24T20:16:05.321Z<a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SaRU3dj9xTI/AAAAAAAAAdE/zI3P67pOGDw/s1600-h/phoenix.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 172px; height: 172px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SaRU3dj9xTI/AAAAAAAAAdE/zI3P67pOGDw/s400/phoenix.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306459572754302258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">If we forget their "For Lovers Only" set for the moment, then I can say with some conviction that this is one of the best and most consistent Temptations albums since 1984's "Truly For You" (see 80s reviews). For Lovers Only was a masterpiece, and this set is as essential, but in a different way. Over 11 years have passed since I bought this, and I still cannot stop playing it as every track is strong, soulful and is aimed at the quality soul lover. Although the line-up changes like the weather, their unique sound remains the same and it is a tribute to the strength and commitment of Otis Williams to keep the flame burning following the sad and early death of Bass, Melvin Franklin. I cannot fault one single track on here - all tracks are worthy of the highest praise possible. A track that will both surprise you and excite you is the first track to be lifted as a single, which is "Stay". The Temptations actually sample themselves with the bassline and guitar riff of their 60s smash, "My Girl", and with the production magnificence of Narada Michael Walden they delivered a top-drawer and totally unmissable summertime smash. This is the sort of track (and album) that grabs your attention.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The following cuts will impress you greatly, too. If ballads are your bag then there are plenty, including a more downtempo reading of For Lovers Only's 1994 cut, "Take Me in Your Arms". This is mouth-watering soul at its very best. Terry Weeks of For Lovers Only has now been a fully-fledged member of the group for 11 years and he still fits like hand in glove. There are some classy dancers and midtempo songs, too that defies the current obsession with the tired hip-hop / RnB formula. The guys had obviously gone into the studio and took time to create a CD of enormous appeal, longevity and quality that I imagine that creativity was taken out of the hands of Motown executives!!! Check the amazing "My Promise". This actually features Theo Peoples on lead vocal, and was recorded prior to his departure. What a powerful singer he is. The Temptations have still to better this track this side of Y2K. This is the sort of soul CD that REALLY sorts the men from the boys! Do not delay in acquiring this album as you can find it dirt cheap on Amazon, and do NOT overlook it. Every track a quality cut and an album that cannot be beaten. SOUL HEAVEN.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000009QLT?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738&amp;creativeASIN=B000009QLT">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000009QLT" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br /><br /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab" id="Player_0b0731f0-5b03-4e94-bb01-36cfbd973a31" width="336" height="280"> <param name="movie" value="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;MarketPlace=GB&amp;ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fsoulchoonz-21%2F8014%2F0b0731f0-5b03-4e94-bb01-36cfbd973a31&amp;Operation=GetDisplayTemplate"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;MarketPlace=GB&amp;ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fsoulchoonz-21%2F8014%2F0b0731f0-5b03-4e94-bb01-36cfbd973a31&amp;Operation=GetDisplayTemplate" id="Player_0b0731f0-5b03-4e94-bb01-36cfbd973a31" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="Player_0b0731f0-5b03-4e94-bb01-36cfbd973a31" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="336" align="middle" height="280"></embed></object> <noscript><a href="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;MarketPlace=GB&amp;ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fsoulchoonz-21%2F8014%2F0b0731f0-5b03-4e94-bb01-36cfbd973a31&amp;Operation=NoScript">Amazon.co.uk Widgets</a></noscript><br /></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-6228915151958513760?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-10959037047456470412009-02-24T19:39:00.003Z2009-02-24T19:51:45.987Z<a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SaRN0Ki0eCI/AAAAAAAAAc8/BqGw5tyK470/s1600-h/willwheaton.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 175px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SaRN0Ki0eCI/AAAAAAAAAc8/BqGw5tyK470/s400/willwheaton.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306451819528222754" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">We have been treated to two essential albums from this most impressive vocalist. This album was released in 1998, and was followed in 2005 by the equally impressive "Old Skool Soul" album. I was listening to </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Lincoln Adler</span><span style="font-family: arial;">’s "The Dream" CD (Chartmaker, 1996) recently and got to my favourite song which is "Show You The Way To Love". I have always raved about the song, and the great new singer that stole the show. Will’s vocals are very, very soulful, and his voice plummets as low as the late, great </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Isaac Hayes</span><span style="font-family: arial;">, and as such is a sheer powerhouse in his delivery. Although this set was released in 1998 I cannot believe how ‘now’ it sounds. I have spoken to Will many times since I discovered this CD, and I agree with Will that the set was, for all intents and purposes, ahead of its time. I can see this where the uptempo material is concerned as the style is definitely not out of place with today’s chunkier, funkier rhythms. I am also very impressed with the quality of the songs, easily faring well against the major labels. The general gist of the CD is summed up eloquently by the liner notes: "And remember listening to this album alone is not advised you must be in the presence of another consenting adult!" OK, this is a CD for horizontal dancing and no bones about it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">As for who is helping Will on this CD, that’s the best part. Lincoln Adler appears with the aforementioned "Show You The Way To Love", and we also have the VERY classy work of </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Raymond Jones</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> with the KILLER ballad, "Baby Its On". Will, on this song, is as mature and adult as you can hope for and this song is pure CLASS. Do not miss this song whatever you do. If that is not enough then I implore you to check out the HEAVENLY final cut, "My Promise" which is delivered to us courtesy of producer </span><span style="font-family: arial;">S. Mayo</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> who is a </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Chapter 8</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> affiliate and wrote the glorious "Give Me A Chance" of their "Forever" album. AND Chapter 8 member </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Valerie Pinkston</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> can be heard doing background vocals. If that isn’t classy, then you tell me what is! </span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">More classy ballad action can be found on track 4 which is complete quality – I like the occasional dramatic synth flourish which reminds me of </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Prince</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. "Let’s Do This" has a flavour of </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Christopher Williams</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> vocals tied in with the sort of groove we heard on the last-but-one </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Manhattans</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> CD such as "Can You Take It" which was a composition by … Will Wheaton! All these songs are just exceptional by anyone’s standards and personally I would buy the CD purely for any one of songs, but there is also the more uptempo material to get our teeth into. I was not expecting "Le’ Me Ride" or "Jiggy Love" to be anything worth reviewing but I couldn’t be any more wrong. The Isaac-inspired vocals on "Le’ Me Ride" complete with its funky, infectious bassline is little short of superb. Slinkier, and dirtier still in the beats department is "Jiggy Love". Not sure what Jiggy is, but Will seems to like it! ESSENTIAL 90s SOUL.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://cdbaby.com/cd/willwheaton/from/thevibescribe"><img src="http://cdbaby.com/gif/cdbaby_navarrow_buythecd_150.gif" alt="Buy the CD" width="150" border="0" height="36" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-1095903704745647041?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-18190075597123004492009-02-24T19:14:00.003Z2009-02-27T10:34:36.371Z<a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SaRHpwWSWBI/AAAAAAAAAc0/qdEWJ7MMtuM/s1600-h/image+13.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 168px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SaRHpwWSWBI/AAAAAAAAAc0/qdEWJ7MMtuM/s400/image+13.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306445043627874322" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">Answered Questions was one of THE albums that made the hot summer of 1990 even HOTTER. This remarkable due consists of songwriter Morris Rente and the delicious hi-octave ranged vocalist Marva King. Together they delivered one of the albums of 1990 and it was a pretty bad show that they never went on to record a follow-up album together as there was real magic here. I had long been a fan of Marva King, since her 1981 LP, "Feels Right" for Planet Records, and bar one very unusual and Hip Hop flavoured CD back in 2004 has not disappointed me. Lovers of quality ballads and dancers will be more than appeased with this album, and if you, like me, like nice artwork the album sleeve is a real extra bonus too! I have 5 choices on this CD - the first being the excellent uptempo "Happiness Is" which allows Marva to really fly high with her remarkable vocal skills. This sort of track would not be out of place on a more soulful Jeff Lorber album - something I wish he would do more of today.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The semi-instrumental stepper, "Serious" takes us into a different flavour, a synthesised voice and funky groove helps create light and shade on the album, which is something I very much appreciate. I hate to listen to a CD that plods along at the same tempo. Gimme something to latch onto and I'm happy! "Now That I Have You" is a lovely late 80s ballad in the mode of, say, La Rue or Club Nouveau and should please, as will the KILLER sexy groove of "Let's Make Love Always". This track sends me to heaven. Just need the right company and I'll be all set! ;) The flagship song, though, it has to be said is the punchy and more bass-pin thumping beat-ballad "Give It Up". This is as classy as 1990s Soul / RnB whatever could have wished to have been. Marva really is scrumptious and proves that she is, above ANY other so-called singer around, that she is the real talent. How DARE the likes of non-0entities such as Beyonce grace the Presidential party when they cannot hold a candle to the likes of this Lady? To me it's an insult and an injustice and is the raison detre why I write. Let's seek out talent, let's celebrate it and spread the word. Be they from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s or today. If it's quality, Soulchoonz will cover it.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.musicstack.com/show.cgi?aid=thevibescribe&amp;currency=GBP&amp;find=answered+questions"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Buy Rare Answered Questions CDs at MusicStack</span></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-1819007559712300449?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-13184163171434347702009-02-22T22:37:00.004Z2009-02-22T22:53:06.420Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SaHV3-8pN_I/AAAAAAAAAb8/rbh68Y4GkSw/s1600-h/james+ingram.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 169px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SaHV3-8pN_I/AAAAAAAAAb8/rbh68Y4GkSw/s400/james+ingram.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305756993786034162" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">This album was released with little fanfare in the summer of 1993 and was, at best, ignored and at worst, panned. WHY? Firstly </span><span style="font-family:arial;">James Ingram</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> is one of THE definitive male vocalists of all-time - of any musical genre for that matter - and secondly, the legendary Philly GOD </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Thom Bell</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> produced a number of songs which were beyond essential. If you love Thom Bell's sweet Philly styling with the likes of </span><span style="font-family:arial;">The Spinners, The Delfonics, Johnny Mathis</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> etc, then you will love this updated 90s sound. Equally lush and orchestrated but still 100% Thom Bell in each and every way. These songs really pull at my heartstrings and wet the eyes. Check out the beautiful Thom Bell songs below and see why I feel this album is simply amazing. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">James' interpretation of the 1973 Mathis track “A Baby's Born” (see our 1970s reviews section) is just spine-tingling, and “This Is The Night” and “You Never Know What You Got” are just sublime. The full orchestration, sitar and hallmarks of everything that made the Philly era classic are all present and correct.<br /><br />“Any Kind Of Love” is a real groover complete with flute and horns, and straight out of the </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Bell &amp; James</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> era. Superb! </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Indeed, another top-draw producer is </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Keith Thomas</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> – he of </span><span style="font-family:arial;">BeBe &amp; CeCe Winans</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> and Vanessa Willaims fame – and his inclusions here are also little short of breathtaking. Beware, and I mean SERIOUSLY beware...do NOT flick through tracks such as “Let Me Love You This Way” and “Always You” and dismiss them as schmaltz or Disney tunes. What a grave, grave error that would be. I guarantee that if you listen to them properly and absorb them they will absolutely overwhelm you. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">There are only a few songs on here I do actually accuse of being sickly sweet or schmaltzy, and one of these – surprisingly – is the </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Maurice White</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> cut “Sing For The Children”. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Thankfully, Wounded Bird Records stateside have seen fit to reissue this CD, along with many other classy soul and jazz CDs, and have given it an important and much needed second chance. Make sure you check it out. It's more than a gem. It should be sat in with the Crown Jewels.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Barry Towler</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000QJLQNA?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738&amp;creativeASIN=B000QJLQNA">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000QJLQNA" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z1IB-QRHdIo&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z1IB-QRHdIo&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BeXzr6b-0LA&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BeXzr6b-0LA&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></span></span><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-1318416317143434770?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-37376884581800267512009-02-20T21:40:00.003Z2009-02-20T21:53:40.272Z<a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZ8jYdN9CGI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/HsNO73lTVY0/s1600-h/ali.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 177px; height: 177px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZ8jYdN9CGI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/HsNO73lTVY0/s400/ali.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304997789132720226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">I was shocked to see this CD listed on Amazon for less than a POUND! Shocking what price quality comes at these days, but what better if you don't know this CD and that my words inspire you to take a chance and order the CD. If you do not know this VERY talented UK artist then let me start by saying that "Crucial" is a very apt and prophetic title for this set of MONSTER UK Soul. Ali is a London born vocalist who will do nothing but delight those of us who truly love real and true soul music. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">As with the best of the UK material - think Loose Ends etc - the CD was recorded in the USA and it will not take you long to discover that this guy has the most remarkable and soulful voice that we had been treated to in years. His voice is breathtaking blend of Ronald Isley, Phil Perry, Al Green and Bobby Womack. Ali doesn't have to pretend to be these people; his vocal phrasing is amazing and is an all-embracing mixture of all the aforementioned artists. My only question is...11 years on where is he now?!</span><br /> <br /><span style="font-family: arial;">"Crucial" will favour the traditionalists much more than the homies, which is fine by me and I bet you're settling into your comfy chair knowing that as well! Although some tracks have an urban feel, the very few samples that have been utilised are done so sparingly and with a feel of humility and respect. Keni Burke's "Risin To The Top" and Steve Parks' "Movin' in the Right Direction" are there, chopped up, interpolated and used as garnishing and not as the meat and two veg. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I honestly cannot fault any track on this CD and I will only say that you would be a fool to overlook such a classy, soulful and dazzlingly talented artist. For those who are into other 90s artists such as <span style="font-family: arial;">Maxwell or Rahsaan Patterson my advice is to sit back and listen. No messing about - just get a copy.</span> As David Dickinson would say, it's as "cheap as chips!"</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000005HQZ?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B000005HQZ">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000005HQZ" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-3737688458180026751?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-1611189875631370012009-02-20T07:48:00.006Z2009-02-27T11:32:08.363Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SafPHBIWemI/AAAAAAAAAdc/GyP-pWdl_Yg/s1600-h/LORENZO+SMITH+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 176px; height: 172px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SafPHBIWemI/AAAAAAAAAdc/GyP-pWdl_Yg/s400/LORENZO+SMITH+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307438405348915810" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The early 1990s carried on in the quality soul vein of the 1980s, and albums like Lorenzo Smith's "Let Me Show You" are a shining exemplifier of how new artists came onto the scene unfettered by a corporate desire to follow the rap trend, and artists like this really were in their element. This album was released in 1990 on the quality Philadelphia label, Alpha International and contained a lot of songs that will mean as much to you 19 years on as they did back then. Some real Philly Cream appeared alongside Lorenzo on this effort, such as Larry Gold, Donald Robinson, McKinley Horton and Randy Bowland amongst others. I would like to raise awareness of four particular songs, and start off with the superb "Tic Tok". Vocally Lorenzo has quite a range and can adapt his voice to match the mood and style. For example, "Tic Tok" has the man really sounding like Peabo Bryson and at the time I had wished that Peabo had made more contemporary tunes like this - tracks such as "Come On Over" are perfect for him, and it's this exact essence that Lorenzo Smith succinctly captures on here.<br /><br />The next choice is the superb midtempo floater, "Natasha". Vocally, Lorenzo is a range higher and more like Bryan Loren - in fact this would not have been out of place on his re-titled "Lollipop Luv" album from 1984. Superb. Classy material continues without hindrance with the BRILLIANT Peabo Bryson-ish "Let Me Show U". He even vocalises just like Peabo on here. This really is a great ballad and the mood is set right by Jerry Cohen and Larry Gold on keyboards, and some classy female backing vocals. The 90s wasn't all swing and rap was it?! My final choice is the gorgeously synthy "My Love" which owes more to the late 80s than the new decade. With such quality material to enjoy in the 90s it was agonising to see this sort of material marginalised and, eventually, swept aside. Thankfully it's coming back folks, and this music will be champion in the end as it stands head and shoulders above the trash that usurped it. Many of these fine, fine CDs are available on Amazon quite reasonably - so I won't shirk away from bringing them to your attention!<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Barry Towler</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000008KV6?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B000008KV6">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000008KV6" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span></span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1bROd66s6So&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1bROd66s6So&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-161118987563137001?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-31506894503477900632009-02-20T07:41:00.005Z2009-02-27T10:47:19.926Z<a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZ5fkhVBDOI/AAAAAAAAAYk/QI58ROtKZPw/s1600-h/DEE+HARVEY.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 177px; height: 173px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZ5fkhVBDOI/AAAAAAAAAYk/QI58ROtKZPw/s400/DEE+HARVEY.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304782492115471586" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">Dee Harvey was one on MANY quality releases that saw the light of day on Motown in the early 1990s. Such quality, and still as essential today as they were the moment they hit the streets. Dee Harvey is a classic soul singer in every sense and schooled in the traditional balladeer mode, but still able to kick ass with a dancer if he needs to. If you have the "Five Heartbeats" soundtrack album then you will already have been aware of his performance in the film as Flash, and also his KILLER 80s-styled stepper "In The Middle" which was written and produced by George Duke. The man was perfectly suited to the classy establishment of Jheryl Busby and Steve McKeever who expertly steered Motown through it's sale to MCA in 1988 until Polygram got it's hands on it and eventually maimed it by giving it to the grossly inexperienced and inappropriate Andre Harrell. Today, as you know, an album of this quality would never appear on the once-great label.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Back in 1991 I fell immediately in love with "Leave Well Enough Alone", a song describing the most sexy temptation a married man might well face and the dilemma he finds himself in. A similar tale to that laid down by the late, great Tyrone Davis, but a smoother, 1990s approach. A superb track that deserves championing to this day. Still a monster, too, is the Tena Clark penned and produced "Just As I Am". At first I thought this song was going to be a bit sugary and schmaltzy BUT get passed the initial 60 seconds we are given a real and true treat. What a vocalist Dee Harvey is! Wow. Where is he now, that's what I want to know! My third choice is the brilliant uptempo synthy number, "Nothin' But Emotion" - a great track and still I play this today. Some great funky guitar licks on here and a testament to Dee, Tena and Motown for creating some timeless material in a decade that slid more and more into musical banality and chaos as the decade went on.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" ><br /></span><div style="text-align: right; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" ><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000091JUA?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B000091JUA">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000091JUA" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qMcklUz_EFg&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qMcklUz_EFg&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-3150689450347790063?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-44290531473726106092009-02-19T08:12:00.003Z2009-02-24T18:48:37.442Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZ0WzEgOBdI/AAAAAAAAAWM/bw9iOssksS4/s1600-h/SEAN+OLIVER.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 158px; height: 160px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZ0WzEgOBdI/AAAAAAAAAWM/bw9iOssksS4/s400/SEAN+OLIVER.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304421002750330322" border="0" /></a><style> <!-- @page { size: 21cm 29.7cm; margin: 2cm } P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">This SUPERB CD out of Toronto, Canada, was very popular here in the UK, an went down a storm on Jazz FM at the time. This Canadian native has more than enough soul in his bones, and taking a listen to this CD will not take you too long to see why us Brits got rather hot about this 1997 release. This intrigued me slightly, I guess, because as far as our music goes I suppose that it is what I would call 'a step to the left' in terms of musical style. By this I mean that it is an unusual yet delightful mix of musical styles ranging from soul, garage, jazz and swingbeat...all blended together! This is well summed up by the lyrics of “<span style="font-style: normal;">Can I Flow” </span>which are quite different in style. This isn't a bad thing at all as you will admit to giving a listen to the soulful and synth drenched “<span style="font-style: normal;">Solitaire”</span>. It just has that tinge of 'difference' about it which is really fresh.<br /><br />From this we swing into some good-time soulful funky tune with '<span style="font-style: normal;">These Are The Days</span><i>''</i> As a vocalist, I would liken him to fellow 90s indi artist, Ruscola. The feel of “<span style="font-style: normal;">You And Me”</span> is a fantastic fusion of early garage in the style of Richard Rogers' “<span style="font-style: normal;">I Can't Stop Loving You”</span> and also a smidgen of 70s Salsoul thrown in for good measure. Indeed, “<span style="font-style: normal;">Magic” </span>is very similar indeed and owes more to Mr. Fingers a la his 1994 CD release, “<span style="font-style: normal;">Back To Love”</span> as well as the keyboard riff from Michaeol Wycoff's "Looking Up To You" being used for inspiration. Superb, I assure you! Uptempo tracks such as “<span style="font-style: normal;">Need To Be Alone”</span> really are ones that weedle their way into your head and stay there. For ballads, check out the more-ish “<span style="font-style: normal;">Sweetest Goodbye”</span> which has the ghost of a 90s R Kelly cum Isley Brothers flavour to it. A jazzy moment is on offer with “<span style="font-style: normal;">Driftin'”</span><i> </i>complete with female co-vocal and keyboards that Lonnie Liston Smith would have used back in the 70s. This CD is a very safe bet, and available in limited quantities from good old Amazon! </span> </p><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Barry Towler</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00002743H?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B00002743H">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B00002743H" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Szx7-PoHNgo&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Szx7-PoHNgo&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-4429053147372610609?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-34632829590648779012009-02-19T08:03:00.004Z2009-02-24T18:50:06.242Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZ0TUvpZ3EI/AAAAAAAAAWE/xyLTmW2sJqc/s1600-h/billy+porter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 151px; height: 151px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZ0TUvpZ3EI/AAAAAAAAAWE/xyLTmW2sJqc/s400/billy+porter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304417183220751426" border="0" /></a><style> <!-- @page { size: 21cm 29.7cm; margin: 2cm } P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">As a debut set, “<span style="font-style: normal;">Untitled”</span> by Billy Porter was extremely strong, and is situated firmly in the more traditional and quality soul mode than many of the more urban releases that were – and still are – filling the shelves in the late 1990s. This is a set that one could have expected from the late '80s or the early '90s. The guy himself has a very strong voice that he employs with good effect. It's a shame that we have not yet had a follow-up album, but Billy can be heard adding vocals to a classy Garage tune now and again. And this is equally as good for me. “Untitled” is an extremely consistent set, and starts in a really strong manner with his faithful cover of Glenn Jones' 1984 classic from “Finesse”, <span style="font-style: normal;">Show Me</span>. The music here is all-real, filled with live instruments, and does the record a great service. I have too many favourites to actually describe the whole album, but I'll pinpoint a few cream cuts so that you can get a better overall picture. </span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">The funky, slap-bass guitar filled “<span style="font-style: normal;">I'll Do Anything</span> is as good as anything you will hear in the late 1990s, and complements Billy's vocal talents perfectly. My favourite song on here is the brilliant “<span style="font-style: normal;">For Your Love”, a track that </span>makes use of proper musicians, real instruments and soulful singing. Unlike most new male artists at the time, Billy neither has to shout, whine, dress like a clown or use risqué or suggestive lyrics to make his mark - his talent and the quality production and material are more than adequate. Check out the gorgeously delicate “<span style="font-style: normal;">Maybe I'm Amazed”</span> and you'll be in no doubt about the calibre of this new young artist. The CD closes on a real quality moment: “<span style="font-style: normal;">Untitled”</span> is the type of slow tune that we could have expected from Michael Wycoff on his “<span style="font-style: normal;">Love Conquers All” </span>set, the warm Fender Rhodes and the vocal phrasing just ooze a timeless classy feel. This album and this artist falls into the 'sophistisoul' category without a doubt. Essential. </span> </p><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Barry Towler</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe</span></span> </div><span style="font-family:arial;"> <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000002GOD?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738&amp;creativeASIN=B000002GOD">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000002GOD" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QEXX_8BZbSY&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QEXX_8BZbSY&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></span></span><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-3463282959064877901?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-9021772407266602962009-02-19T07:56:00.004Z2009-02-24T18:50:39.774Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZ0RZgaSaTI/AAAAAAAAAV8/EePgRjYoubU/s1600-h/mcclendon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 162px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZ0RZgaSaTI/AAAAAAAAAV8/EePgRjYoubU/s400/mcclendon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304415066006907186" border="0" /></a><style> <!-- @page { size: 21cm 29.7cm; margin: 2cm } P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">I stumbled across Gerald McClendon's CD online by sheer serendipity. Unfortunately there was but one measly short sound sample of a track called "Choose Love" but what I heard blew my socks off! This was such a quality SOUL song that I immediately contacted Gerald and obtained a copy of his CD, not knowing what to expect from the man. He has been an opening act for The Temptations, has worked in clubs and on a cruise ship and has performed worldwide. His passions are for soul and Motown and any hit he can render upon request when performing. Of the CD then … this is no cabaret or tribute CD, as I may have feared. Gerald has held true to his passion in music by delivering first class SOUL music with, "old school" sensibilities. I hear so much quality and style in this CD. I get plenty of Motown inflections, amongst others, within his vocal range. Overall, I would best compare Gerald to the much missed and mega-talented Vince Ebo and the quality of his tunes also reflect back to Vince’s tracks sush as "Love Is The Better Way" or "Just 2 B With U". I also hear the slick, precise resonance of Smokey Robinson on "Round And Round" with a dash of Billy Griffin, a twist of Hudson Young and a healthy sprinkling of Lenny Williams and the gaiety of Ronnie McNeir's arrangements on tracks such as "Your Love". </span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">Overall, this is a CD to put on and leave on though my clear winners are as follows. "I’m Loving You" is an irresistible groove spiced with a fine keyboard arrangement, not to mention the backing vocals. I definitely hear the vibe of Ronnie McNeir in "Your Love" and the vocals have a hint of Gerald Alston at times. I think its fair to say that whilst Gerald has definitely his own voice his passion and love of soul music shines through with his versatile vocals. I am also keen on the uptempo groove of "Can’t Stop This" which is another winner, as is the easy flowing mellow funk of "Come Alone". I am reminded of Hudson Young’s 1994 single "It Could Be A While" with this, especially in how the vocals are paced. My second killer bar the title song is the magnificent "Round And Round" – this is QUALITY soul and needs to be recognised as such. Smokey is definitely influencing the man on this slab of soul brillance – I draw parity with the vocal inflections of "Feelings Flowing" from Smokey’s “Intimate” album. Gerald Alston springs to mind with the finale "Stop The Madness" and ends this short yet extremely sweet CD on a socio-political note. Although this slipped out unnoticed by this scribe in 1999 this easily compares with anything released or reviewed today in 2009. You will not regret purchasing this CD. </span> </p><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Barry Towler</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><a href="http://cdbaby.com/cd/mcclendon/from/thevibescribe"><img src="http://cdbaby.com/gif/cdbaby_navarrow_buythecd_150.gif" alt="Buy the CD" width="150" border="0" height="36" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-902177240726660296?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-69936496776696242342009-02-17T14:22:00.006Z2009-02-24T18:51:15.273Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZrIwvQXRHI/AAAAAAAAARc/h2obQsbnptQ/s1600-h/41ECYWQ2EBL._SL500_AA240_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 173px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZrIwvQXRHI/AAAAAAAAARc/h2obQsbnptQ/s400/41ECYWQ2EBL._SL500_AA240_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303772250826556530" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">After reviewing Val Watson's 2004 effort it naturally led to my appraisal of this juicy collection of soulful tid-bits overseen and produced by the super-talented Gerald McAauley. This 10-tracker is a real must and should you not own it then make amends now by heading over to Amazon and securing a copy at a ridiculously inexpensive price. This 1999 album saw us out of the last century with some of the classiest and droolsome cuts that you could have wished for. A few cuts were already familiar, having been released on respective artist albums, but it was, for one, gratifying to have them all in one basket. As far as I was concerned at the time - as now - it was the 'unreleased' tracks that were of greater interest. The first of these was due to be on Larry Springfield's debut Motown album in 1993, but that project was apparently shelved. His strong vocals were paired on "Can We Do That?" with the knee-trembling Chanté Moore for this sexy, erotic jam of the highest order. I was so pleased to hear Chanté perform a song like this - as it would have been literally hotfoot from her "Precious" album and comes before she was forced to make music for teenagers by MCA.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"Checkin" was already available on Bobby Lyle's 1997 "The Power Of Touch" album, and this bassy jazz-rap is as cool as a cucumber, Dred Scott being responsible for a spoken word, poetic approach. Classy material so don't skip it. Fans of Brenda Russell may have missed the scintillating ballad from Rub Mullins' 1997 CD, "Dance For The New World" set - so here it is in all it's glory. Marcus Johnson's 1998 cut "Won't You Let Me Love You" is also featured - vocalist Tate Moss sounding great on this jazzy piano-led ballad, and the sorely missed Carl Anderson is included with "Nocturnal Mood", which was the Guv'nor cut from the "L.A. Jazz Syndicate Vol. 2" compilation. This is a haunting track without doubt and I believe the last solo work that this great talent laid down. The show-stopper was George Benson's "Pages". This has since, as you may have been aware, been included on the excellent "Love Pages" compilation by the Café Soul All-Stars (see Y2K reviews.) I assume this was destined to be included on his "Standing Together" album, but appeared here for the first time. Even now, a decade later this song send me somewhere special - the drunken guitar lick is ever so fleeting but does things for this daft old scribe! A great track, a great compilation and dirt cheap to boot!</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00000IXUS?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B00000IXUS">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B00000IXUS" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-6993649677669624234?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-45741270730811739052009-02-17T13:08:00.007Z2009-02-24T18:51:54.716Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZq4s2gBhNI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/sirQmp7ww7Q/s1600-h/41CGWCW1WAL._SL500_AA240_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 172px; height: 172px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZq4s2gBhNI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/sirQmp7ww7Q/s400/41CGWCW1WAL._SL500_AA240_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303754591865767122" border="0" /></a>Gabriela Anders is Argentinean, hailing from Buenos Aires. This beautiful, talented and oh-so-yummy young lady delivers us a SUPERB and CONSISTENT Latin tinged "smooth jazz" set and has the production talents of George Duke, Paul Brown and Matt Pearson to lean on. The end result is a soul/jazz lovers dream. Most 'smooth jazz' leaves me colder than a snow man's naughty bits, but this album warmed me up no end. Vocally she comes to us in an extremely sensual and sexy way indeed. Imagine a vocal fusion of Astrud Gilberto and Chante Moore. Interested? Some of her vocal phrasing echoes of Sade, but this lady is far superior and has a much wider, varied and more interesting vocal range. The only disappointing track is the dreadful reggae tinged "Seven Days", so simply program your CD / MP3 player to skip this blip and sit back and just ENJOY.<br /><br />I could write reams on this album, so in short the album is smooth, jazzy, summery, soulful, well produced and very, very more-ish. There are a few cover on here, including what has to be the best ever remake of "The Girl from Ipanema". This is a soul-lovers delight; immeasurably soulful, sultry and perfect for the Quiet Storm slot. George Duke really has pulled off a great one here and it's nothing short of EXCELLENT. The other cover is of Roberta Flack's 1988 gem "You Know What It's Like" and is more true to the original but perhaps mellower. Soul hero, Eric Benet adds his mighty fine tonsils to the mix on the spine tingling duet "Forever". I really can't applaud this CD enough and it has to rate as one of the best vocal jazz fusion sets of the late 90s explosion, and as equal in stature to contemporary sets by Marilyn Scott or Hillary James. A further two album ensued after 2000, available on Amazon, but these sadly lacked the power and impact of this CD.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000009OPV?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B000009OPV">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000009OPV" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JyZ0sEbsrEo&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JyZ0sEbsrEo&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-4574127073081173905?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-47487231951215155862009-02-17T12:27:00.005Z2009-02-24T18:52:31.799Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZqxhcL1FVI/AAAAAAAAAQk/HJJAU2zUFMo/s1600-h/phyllis.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 180px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZqxhcL1FVI/AAAAAAAAAQk/HJJAU2zUFMo/s400/phyllis.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303746699241788754" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Like many, I was shocked by the untimely and tragic passing of Phyllis Hyman. The power of this Lady was for all to see when she appeared live at the Southport 10 event in November 1991, and being a tall Lady she must have appeared 7 feet tall with her hair up! That concert was a privilege. So, following her passing Philadelphia International released 2 albums of posthumous material, and "Forever With You" was the last release. I am sure that Gamble and Huff are sat on a lot more material. I know for a fact that Harold Melvin cut one last final album in the late 90s, and that's gathering dust. Anyway, less of my moaning! What can I say about this remarkable 1998 CD? It is a classy, jazzy, sophisticated, deep and profound and offers us an insight into the writing talents of this sadly missed Lady of Soul.<br /><br />Using "in the can" material and with some technological wizardry, Forever with You is essential on all 12 counts here - though some tracks are more essential than essential itself! </span> <span style="font-family:arial;">After the jazzy, horn filled jogger that is Forever with You is a real KILLER that is "Funny How Love Goes". This is classic Philly soul at its best and will really pull on your heartstrings - Damon being a real class act too, and one I had hoped we will hear more of, and a scheduled album on Philadelphia never surfaced. He has recently popped up on a House track called "What Am I Supposed To Do" with Reelsoul. That is essential too! The dancers, "How Long" and "Tell Me What You're Gonna Do" are absolute stunners and are more contemporary than we may have expected! Essential, nonetheless. "Come Right Or Not At All" is a lowdown jazzy rumbler to be enjoyed to the max, and the title song (to be sampled below!) is also what we commonly call a chooooooon! The real KILLER is the traditional '70s Philly sounding cut, "Set A Trap" which features Bunny Sigler on co-vocals. Other Philly stalwarts such as Dexter Wansel, Jack Faith and Norman Harris add some sparkle as well as other producers of note, Nick Martinelli and Barry J. Eastmond. No serious, level-headed soul fan worth their salt would even dare consider ignoring this CD. This is a CD to cherish for many reasons. Alas we may never hear her type again. Mandatory soul music from the 1990s and from a true diva and talent.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Barry Towler</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000009D33?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B000009D33">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000009D33" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span></span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_ZJg4dVUNyQ&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_ZJg4dVUNyQ&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-4748723195121515586?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-7774626560134136682009-02-15T23:12:00.004Z2009-02-24T18:53:08.789Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZiiiAOrU6I/AAAAAAAAAOc/VBLHWpMbk4I/s1600-h/image+12.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 167px; height: 164px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZiiiAOrU6I/AAAAAAAAAOc/VBLHWpMbk4I/s400/image+12.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303167266289570722" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">This 1992 CD from Lil' Louis has to be one of the best dance albums of it's day. Very, very soulful and definitely deserves a place on these pages as do other sets from the House genre, such as Mr. Fingers and Michael <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Watford</span> amongst many others. Lil' Louis shows a deeper leaning towards soul on this album. You may well recall his huge Clubland hit on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">FFRR</span> records, "French Kiss" which rode out on the Acid House fad, so if that's all you can recall I bet that you would have seen this album and passed on by. Natural really, but not always the wise thing to do as I learned! This CD contains <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">enough</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">quality</span> uptempo stuff that it served me well over quite a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">few</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">house parties</span> over Christmas and New Year, 1992, and thankfully these tracks have not dated at all. The track that more conservative ears will hit <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">upon</span> is the KILLER ballad, tucked away near the sunset of the CD.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">This track will start my critique as most of you will be interested in this one! Imagine the most emotional and heart-wrenching quiet storm number from the early 90s, fashioned with a gorgeous acoustic guitar, very much in the style of a modern day Chic. I nearly died when I heard this song, and I have to say as far as ballads go from dance artists like this, no-one has beaten him yet. No-one. This is a soul cut to die for and even if you ignore all my other choices, I bet you won't be kicking this song out of bed! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Lol</span>. "Club Lonely" is my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">first</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">uptemp</span> choice, a pulsating and quite jazzy house number with pounding bass and sexy vocals from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Joi</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Cardwell</span>, who is still very much active as a singer today. This really is a great 90s dance cut, and even I also love "New Dance Beat". This was written in 1992 and the lyrics are very prophetic as to the state of today's music industry. Lil Louis tries not to sound smug when he says "they used to laugh at me...but I see the future". His list of what is going to go wrong is so spot-one one may believe he engineered it all himself to prove his point! My fave dancer on here is the KILLER "Do U Luv Me" (</span><span style="font-family:arial;">Below you will hear a posting of this gem!)</span><span style="font-family:arial;">, again featuring <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Joi</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Cardwell</span>. A triumph of soulful dance which has stood the test of time! I finish with the deep and epic "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Jazzmen</span>" which has a number of tasty solos including <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Bashiri</span> Johnson on percussion and Mac <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Gollehon</span> and Reggie Pittman on trumpet. Lovely stuff! Do NOT overlook!</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Barry <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Towler</span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >The Vibe Scribe</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0012GMZVI?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B0012GMZVI">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B0012GMZVI" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; font-weight: bold;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tMgHKDc1T1Y&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tMgHKDc1T1Y&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-777462656013413668?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-68958583443758533372009-02-15T21:26:00.005Z2009-02-24T18:53:35.963Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZiI0dvzHSI/AAAAAAAAAOE/Ou5EEsPIE34/s1600-h/the+stylistics+love+is+back+in+style.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 171px; height: 171px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZiI0dvzHSI/AAAAAAAAAOE/Ou5EEsPIE34/s400/the+stylistics+love+is+back+in+style.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303138996148444450" border="0" /></a>"Love Is Back In Style" was the last effort to date from these guys, and the album was real surprise. I was not, to be honest, expecting it to be as brilliant as it was but as soon as I heard it I was smitten. I wasn't too impressed by 1991's "Love Talk" so wasn't holding out much hope here. However, this CD is produced by the ultra-talented Preston Glass and what he has done on this album is to set the classic Stylistics Philly sound to a mid 90s setting - and he succeeded! Big time in fact. The sitar is in the mix, and although the backings are programmed and there are no strings, this is as good as any of their work on TSOP, or with Thom Bell earlier in the 70s on Avco. The CD even included a guest in the form of Biggie Smallz - Godknows how they hooked up with him, but there you go. The things you see when you haven't got your gun. Oddly enough, I ignore that dreadful track and focus on the real quality, and to which I highlight a whopping 8 tracks.<br /><br />Track one, "I Once Had A Love", perfectly allows Tenor Russel Thompkins Jr to prove that his vocal skills are no less than what they were 25 years earlier. This is a truly great track and typical of the best work you would have expected from these guys back in the 70s. A track I played to death at the time was "Shoulder". This is a track that has a permanent home in my heart. I cannot conceive not having this track, and I feel exactly the same about "Have You Ever Been In Love" too. Preston Glass and The Stylistics together are a force to be reckoned with, and they are a tour de force of real, unadulterated sweet soul music. Many missed out on this CD and I hope you'll take a chance and grab this rare CD now. "Keeping You To Your Promise" is a great track, and was covered recently too. The upbeat "Go" is very 80s and Russell's falsetto fitting the bill, not as shrill as he was and that's not too bad a thing! I imagine you bought both of the recent Preston Glass albums, and the style Theron will give you a clear indication of what "Where Do You Run" is like. A midtempo song without the Philly accouterments, this is straight quality mid '90s soul music as good as it comes. The 70s is adopted again for "Love Can Heal A Wounded Heart", and the killer midtempo groove of "You Must Love Loneliness" completes this essential modern set from a veteran band. Now a rare album, don't allow it to disappear forever.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">Barry Towler</span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">The Vibe Scribe</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /></span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0000000FD?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B0000000FD">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B0000000FD" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-6895858344375853337?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-81893354632682368622009-02-15T10:44:00.004Z2009-02-24T18:54:06.644Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZf0wj0o6GI/AAAAAAAAAMk/QFV9tEwKzJo/s1600-h/THE+MAC+BAND+Love+U+2+The+Limit.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 179px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZf0wj0o6GI/AAAAAAAAAMk/QFV9tEwKzJo/s400/THE+MAC+BAND+Love+U+2+The+Limit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302976201338972258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The 1990s started off really positively, and MCA were serving up a lot of quality material, including this excellent and - in my humble opinion - far superior follow-up set. The McCampbell Brothers suffer from being known, purely and simply for the cross-Atlantic smash hit, "Roses Are Red", and even though that was an awesome track, it has cast a long shadow over their career and has eclipsed their equally excellent 1990s material. Fresh and fly, this CD did not disappoint, and plenty of talented names joined in the fun to ensure that the likes of we were thoroughly pleased with it. Fresh from their work on the latest Temptations effort, Keith Andes and Larry Hatcher weighed in with the storming "Someone To Love", setting the scene for the Maestro of the Quiet Storm, Gary Taylor, to do his stuff.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The title song, a re-working of the tune located on Gary's own "Compassion" album (see 80s reviews) is far better in my view, and the other uptempo Taylor numbers "I'm No Stranger" and "Think About Me" are simply brilliant. Even though these are uptempo numbers, Gary still manages to work in his famous bridges which manage to give me goose-bumps as much as his ballad work. The ballads, though, take the biscuit. "You Are My Heart" is a powerful cut, highlighting how strong these guys' vocals really are, but nothing prepared me for the AWESOME "All Or Nothing At All". This would slot in perfectly on Gary's "Take Control" album against classics such as "I Live 4 U" and "Whatever". In the words of the late, great Kenny Everett, if you like shivers down your dooberry then this is the song for you. The guys would record but one more album, "The Real Deal" in 1991, but as far as I am concerned this Cd was the very pinnacle of their recording work. To date at least!</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000091QAF?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B000091QAF">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000091QAF" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span><br /></span><br /><object style="font-family: arial;" width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7936uJlvZAY&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7936uJlvZAY&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-8189335463268236862?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-54046542863183401102009-02-13T23:10:00.004Z2009-02-24T18:54:38.042Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZX-lNU5mBI/AAAAAAAAAL0/mrBaDKYl0WQ/s1600-h/image+16.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 171px; height: 171px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZX-lNU5mBI/AAAAAAAAAL0/mrBaDKYl0WQ/s400/image+16.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302424051484563474" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">This album was given so much positive press and exposure on it's release in the late Summer of 1998 it's completely baffling as to why <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">there</span> was no follow up. However, hopes are high as the lady returns to recording with Norman Connors on his latest album, Star Power, although it is nothing like what we have on here. But, to be fair, this was a monumental debut album and was a veritable 'who's who' of the great, the good and the out-of-this-world. What newcomer could boast, in the late 1990s, of having Norman Connors, Angela <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Bofill</span>, Dexter <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Wansel</span>, Gerald <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Albright</span>, Bobby Lyle, Paul Jackson Jr, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Paulinho</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Da</span> Costa,Freddie Washington, the Earth, Wind and Fire Horns, Ali-Ollie <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Woodson</span> and Jean <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Carne</span> make appearances on their album? I adore this album and it still gets a regular airing, and 5 cuts in particular. Such class, finesse and style I was reminded of a 90s Phyllis Hyman, and when Philadelphia International released her posthumous "Forever With You" set it was, for me, a perfect combination of albums and songs.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">For the modern crowd, the 90s jogger "Love Hurts" pulls no punches. Not surprising that this was a single release. Cutting edge, slick and urban yet sophisticated, this song was the perfect entree to the mouth-watering treats that followed it. The track on here which reduces me to a blubbering wreck is "Inside My Love". This is one of Dexter <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Wansel's</span> finest, most spine-tingling, moments since he kicked off "Living All Alone" with THAT haunting <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">synth</span>. This is top-draw adult <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">RnB</span> at it's very best. A powerful song with real grit and integrity. Marion Meadows' sax is simply the icing on the cake and a perfect accompaniment to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Wansel's</span> expert hands on the keyboards. I cannot live without this song...simply beautiful. The sprightly "Special My Love" has Norman Connors' handiwork all over it. He's recently re-visited it on his new Cd but it does not even compare to this. Was it worth actually trying? I think not. The eerie and different "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Tossin</span>' And <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Turnin</span>'" is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">another</span> clear winner and is has real punch when turned up LOUD! This set is full of contrasts and it works! The genius is that although this is the case, the album flows along perfectly. A great job done. My final pick is "He's The Only One", again featuring Marion Meadows on sax. Spellbinding quality soul. If you don't own this then don't let your collection suffer any longer without it!</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Barry <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Towler</span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000006Q1W?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B000006Q1W">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000006Q1W" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-5404654286318340110?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-49063060133360073372009-02-13T22:46:00.006Z2009-02-24T18:56:44.211Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZX5L9j5qcI/AAAAAAAAALs/fG96q7_VU60/s1600-h/image+15.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 163px; height: 163px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZX5L9j5qcI/AAAAAAAAALs/fG96q7_VU60/s400/image+15.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302418120197646786" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Vince <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ebo</span> was a phenomenal talent and his unique vocals were immediately recognisable. I first learnt of this man through his work with Chuck Gentry under their guise as The Fit, who released their one and only album for A+M Records in 1988. Vince was lucky enough to turn up again on Warner Brothers a few years later in 1992 for this CD which was ignored by most at the time. Lucky, then, that you can pick it up for mere pennies - I kid you not - on Amazon. Tommy Sims, who came to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">prominence</span> at the end of the decade with his "Peace And Love" set adds two songs to the mix in the form of "Make It Work" and "Why", though for me these are neither star's greatest works. There are two real killers on here and to miss these would be a real crime.<br /><br />The title track is simply a wonderful example of quality real soul in the early 1990s, before the lunatics took over the asylum and everyone making a record had to be under 18, wear their trousers dangling around their naughty bits and also wear woolly hats and commando gear whilst saying "you" and "ah, yea" all the time. Oh, don't I sound bitter! Well, yeah, 'cos I am, and with damn good reason! I'm a music fan! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Lol</span>. "Love Is The Better Way" is a sublime piece of modern soul and hearing the sheer magnificence of this song brings home how sad it is that this man took his own life far too young. A crying shame, but at least we have these songs and also the wonderful "Just 2 B With U" that appeared later in the decade. My second highlight is "Love", a track that you would expect from the likes of Robert <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Brookins</span>. On the first, bright, sunny, warm day of spring this is exactly the song to add as a soundtrack to that amazing feeling. The sax on here adds a real soulful edge and cannot be beaten. The rest of the CD is not at all bad, but for me these songs are simply sublime and a must-have for the 90s soul fan.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Barry </span><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Towler</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000008FB1?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B000008FB1">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000008FB1" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; font-weight: bold;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span><br /><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-4906306013336007337?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-52350062373975557282009-02-13T22:13:00.005Z2009-02-24T18:57:14.782Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZXxAfySMiI/AAAAAAAAALk/iCcSlu3yxeM/s1600-h/image+13.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 170px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZXxAfySMiI/AAAAAAAAALk/iCcSlu3yxeM/s400/image+13.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302409127133327906" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">My mind boggles as to why this Lady was not a huge star. Such a lovely voice, the ability to turn her delicately <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">tattooed</span> hand to any style she so desired should have been a firm foundation for her. The rocket that should have launched her into stardom was production from the mighty Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Past their prime, admittedly, and suffering from the identity crisis caused by the 1990s they still were able to create some magic and especially with such a talent as Angel. In places I can hear echoes of Marva King and Karyn White, both utterly amazing talents and both equally scrumptious! What this album does is work on many levels. It aims to appeal to many sets of ears and the opening song is one I can point to for an example. A gorgeous floater, soulful and drizzled with 70s styled keys, this is a perfect vehicle for Janet Jackson and SHOULD have been massive. Such a pity as this is one classy crossover track. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The Sounds Of Blackness' "Big" Jim Wright contributes a lot to this set and he shares writing duty on many songs, including the feel-good "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Knockin</span>'", another cut that Janet should have been recording instead of the kiddies' R&amp;B that she <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">seems so</span> intent upon. Fans of THAT spine-tingling Jam and Lewis sound should look no further than the painfully short "Om". You can see that this Lady is very spiritual and everything about her points towards a more New Age kinda girl, and the sentiments of the likes of India.Arie are predated by a few years here. This cut is GORGEOUS. Plenty of the old magic still there - even if it runs at a bare 1:59!!! This is a very short delve into the mechanics of guided meditation - though don't try it - I assure you it's like trying to pass your driving test theory by simply reading the front cover! Again, that old 80s magic appears again on the single, "Lil' Red Boat". Why was this not a radio hit?! The cut, though, that will have you clicking away like a thing possessed on the link below is the KILLER "Kisses Luv Lips". Play the link below and bask in the magnificence of this cut. It is AWESOME. There is so much to love about this track, the Fender Rhodes, handled by Big Jim are great and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Paulinho</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Da</span> Costa on <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">percussion</span> is subtle yet perfect. A sexy track, and one to really turn up loud. Worth a purchase for this song and this song alone. Don't let this one slip away.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Barry <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Towler</span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000007P2L?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B000007P2L">Buy From Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000007P2L" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span><br /></span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TNqe6xsPxd8&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TNqe6xsPxd8&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-5235006237397555728?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-75698656397961801992009-02-13T21:41:00.007Z2009-02-24T18:57:49.074Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZXpwJo50aI/AAAAAAAAALc/bWnGue5me7Q/s1600-h/image+12.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 165px; height: 165px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZXpwJo50aI/AAAAAAAAALc/bWnGue5me7Q/s400/image+12.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302401149729100194" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">This CD came 5 years after his SUPERB "Frame By Frame" album in 1992, and is to date his third, and latest release. For me this was equally as essential as the previous sets. Bernard, as you may know hails from the Netherlands, and was schooled in England. His history is interesting - after leaving school he joined a local Dutch band called Steam. He later teamed up with , and later he teamed up with </span><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;" >writer and producer Rob Van Schailk and founded dance group The Limit.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > Various hits followed and in the early 90s Bernard released his debut Solo CD. A pity we have not heard from this talent for over a decade, and if you check this album out you will also wonder where he is and what he's up to! Bernard has a penchant for jazzy flavours with a twist of soul. A Maestro on keyboards and drums, Bernard Oattes has a fine voice too and he deploys it here on the title song of the CD. The song comes in vocal and instrumental versions, so you takes yer money and you takes yer choice, really.<br /><br />Kees Ten Dam (aka KTD) supplies beautiful alto sax, and the legendary Peter White throws his awesome guitar skills into the process. There's also trumpet and flugelhorn for those, like me, who cannot get enough of it. The vocal version of "Rules Of My Heart" was an instant success for me. An exceptionally haunting track, the lyrics are superb and intelligent and the eerie synth is a constant companion here. I cannot get enough of songs like this, and you can trust this gentleman to deliver them. If "Frame By Frame" was your bag then you will appreciate this. Enough said. "Closing In On You" is a cool number, programmed but laced with muted trumpet and vibes, the enigmatic Dedre Twis adds her backing vocals. Very nice. This too comes in an instrumental guise. Fans of quality jazzy instrumentals will take to "Soaring", complete with Peter White and some lovey Gary Taylor-like synths. Great stuff. "Twilight Love" is another vocal effort of note and should satisfy fans of soulful 90s jazz. The phrasing of the chorus would actually suit Sade very well - it's a livelier take on her style, I suppose, on "No Ordinary Love". Recommended.<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" ><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000001PIJ?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B000001PIJ">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000001PIJ" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; font-weight: bold;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-7569865639796180199?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-76209116182498355882009-02-13T20:58:00.005Z2009-02-24T18:58:25.441Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZXi55JJOJI/AAAAAAAAALU/hj7T0Ud2-Y0/s1600-h/ray+parker+jr+i+love+you+like+you+are.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 153px; height: 153px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZXi55JJOJI/AAAAAAAAALU/hj7T0Ud2-Y0/s400/ray+parker+jr+i+love+you+like+you+are.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302393620518221970" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">It's very rare I bother switching on the TV these days, and when I do what do I see? Ray Parker Jr dressed as a London ticket inspector dancing around advertising a telecoms service. Pity, I thought ruefully, that this great artist is best known for the Ghostbusters theme tune. He was, and still is much more than that. In view of that I thought I'd add this 1991 gem for MCA into the mix as it was a CD that didn't seem to get much attention at the time. The set was very much like J.T. Taylor's SUPERB CD released the same year, and similarly consisted of very agreeable uptempo grooves and tunes for a candlelit dinner. What I like about Ray's writing, especially on this Cd, is that it's rather cheeky. I like cheeky, and I have to say whether you like rap or not you have to smile at the fantastic leader single from the CD, "She Needs To Get Some" which features rapper Father MC. The lyrics are not at all risque but the double entendre is well in motion and I am sure wasn't missed on those well versed in the idiom as I!!! As an aside, Commodores lead vocalist and all-round scouser, J.D. Nicholas, weighs in on backing vocals. How cool is that?!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The second release from here was "Ain't Gonna Go For That", a second piece of uptempo pie that sat nicely at the quality end of the New Jack phenomenon. The aim, I feel, was to emulate the success of recent hits by Bell Biv DeVoe and Ralph Tresvant. It works well, and the song is still a good'un today. For the more conservative I suggest the more traditional outing "Let's Go Back To Bed", a track that was included in Andy Peebles show once or twice. This still sounds great, but I have to say all these cuts pale in comparison to the track written and produced by Gary Taylor..."Square One". Most will know of Gary's own version from the CD of the same name released later in 1993, but here we have Gary's original version in all it's glory. If you loved the Great Man's "Take Control" album then this is for you. It's very similar to his own, latter, version BUT there is a musical edge and superiority with this version. Ray's vocals are a really good match for this groove and I love it to pieces. Gary adds his own vocals in the background and I have to say that it is really magic. Still available at a reasonable price, I cannot believe that this album is 18 years old. That scares me!</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000008JAC?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B000008JAC">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000008JAC" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span><br /><br /><object style="font-family: arial;" width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NkQiySKKnP0&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NkQiySKKnP0&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-7620911618249835588?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-44533968217256839202009-02-13T11:58:00.005Z2009-02-24T19:03:17.264Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZViuUKPIII/AAAAAAAAALM/LHCLwL2dS7g/s1600-h/naradamichaelwaldensendinglovetoeveryone.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 181px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZViuUKPIII/AAAAAAAAALM/LHCLwL2dS7g/s400/naradamichaelwaldensendinglovetoeveryone.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302252684123775106" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">OK, so </span>Narada<span style="font-family:arial;"> looks as if he's had a champion day out at the Chelsea Flower Show, and I can't say I blame him. I once streaked naked at the Chelsea Flower Show one year. Instead of being arrested, as I expected, I won first prize for the best dried arrangement! OK, joking aside, please ignore my bad joke and </span>Narada's<span style="font-family:arial;"> hat which threatens to attract a horde of bees. This extremely rare CD was released in japan only in 1995 and contained 5 </span>stonkingly<span style="font-family:arial;"> soulful tracks amongst what is best described as a rock music environment. </span>Narada<span style="font-family:arial;"> is a talent at whatever he does, but he won't mind my saying that I prefer he keep it soulful. It's kept soulful </span>enough<span style="font-family:arial;"> for me here, and if you are able to track a copy down - </span>MusicStack<span style="font-family:arial;"> or </span>eBay<span style="font-family:arial;"> is your best bet, then it's well worth the thrill of the chase. If any track is going to get you hunting it's gonna be the hot duet between </span>Narada<span style="font-family:arial;"> and Howard Hewett. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">This is track 5 on this album, and even amongst the chosen gems it sticks up head and shoulders. It's a warm, sexy and very 90s stylish ballad which has some excellent vocal interplay between our soulful heroes; Howard, I am definite, has the vocal advantage and is very much at home on a soulful, sexy groove such as this. Well worth paying the steeper Japanese import price tag, though. And in 1995 they </span>weren't<span style="font-family:arial;"> cheap! "Tell Me What It's All About" is a quality, quality second track with a sturdy </span>bassline<span style="font-family:arial;"> and plenty of </span>synth<span style="font-family:arial;"> - </span>Narada's<span style="font-family:arial;"> vocals shine brightly on this one. A radio-friendly effort is the upbeat "Soul Desire", a track that you could imagine </span>Shanice tackling with great aplomb<span style="font-family:arial;">. Lovely warm keys on here too. OK, a bit poppy perhaps but I love my pop as much as anything else and it does one good to have a change! If the loping Soul II Soul beat is your bag from the '90s then the melancholic and emotional "Best Years Of Our Lives" will make you happy. A great track this with plenty of haunting </span>synth<span style="font-family:arial;"> and atmosphere. My final pick is the mindful "Lay Back", a bouncy and cheerful track which reminds us to take time out in our lives to do what makes us happy. What makes me happy is listening to great 90s </span>soulchoonz<span style="font-family:arial;">, and these picks are certainly of that ilk.</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Barry </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Towler</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >The Vibe Scribe<br /><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>thevibescribe</span>&amp;currency=GBP&amp;find=<span style="color:red;">narada+michael+walden</span>"></b><br /><b> Buy Rare Narada Michael Walden CDs and LPs at MusicStack</b></span></div> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-4453396821725683920?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-74489983034099098132009-02-13T11:00:00.006Z2009-02-24T19:03:48.868Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZVTXFJAPmI/AAAAAAAAALE/PbqAjo64cKA/s1600-h/image+14.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 159px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZVTXFJAPmI/AAAAAAAAALE/PbqAjo64cKA/s400/image+14.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302235792280665698" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Vivienne is a truly magnificent artist from good old Blighty, and she is gorgeous to boot. Add to this the fact that she weaves musical magic wherever she goes, then it's one heady mixture that simply had to be incorporated into Soulchoonz' 1990s selections. It's so obvious where Vivienne's musical heart lies. It lies right in the bag of a certain Brenda Russell. Love Brenda, love Vivienne. Her vocal delivery is virtually the same, the music easily on par. I once saw the video for "Sing" on MTV's "Soul Of MTV" programme and the video was GREAT! Paulinho Da Costa - always a gent with a smile to defeat the most pessimistic - is there, bashing away on percussion and having one hell of a time! This 1992 album for London's FFRR imprint is a simple, delicious, slice of US-inspired jazzy UK soul. I cannot fault it at all and to see it on Amazon so cheap is something else worth celebrating during the credit crunch! A great soulchoon doesn't have to be an expensive one.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I start off this review with the tremendous Brenda Russell-like "Beware". Plenty of real instruments, slap bass and strings in a single track designed to get you up, moving and smiling. This is real feel-good soul and trust me, you cannot beat tracks such as this! "Move On" is so Russell-like it hurts. The track is a basic synth-based journey which is so smooth and so mellow and definitely NOT boring. Music like this is timeless, simply delightful and it goes without saying that if you frequent this site then you really ought to be ordering this if you don't already own it. Fans of Incognito will appreciate "Heading Right Back To You", almost complete with a Sounds Of Blackness type funky beat, this is a great jogger. "Don't Push Me To My Limit" is a warm, summery piece and in the style of, say, Isabelle Antena. "I Want To Get To Know You" takes Brenda Russell on at her own game and the result is definitely a tie! Truly uplifting and inspiring, this is built upon by the KILLER "Sing" which is a perfect blend of Brenda Russel vocally and lyrically, and 70s Isley Brothers musically - think "Harvest For The World" and you're not too far from the truth. If you want a great Cd at a great price to help brighten the day and uncrunch your credit, then click below. You'll be more than pleased you did.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00004SJXS?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B00004SJXS">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B00004SJXS" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fBGF-GqpUGA&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fBGF-GqpUGA&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-7448998303409909813?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-7299968133687137122009-02-13T10:05:00.007Z2009-02-24T19:04:23.923Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZVH7lhRu0I/AAAAAAAAAK8/gZNd9lFDVzA/s1600-h/identitycrisis.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 158px; height: 158px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZVH7lhRu0I/AAAAAAAAAK8/gZNd9lFDVzA/s400/identitycrisis.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302223225308166978" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">I may be wrong BUT this was the last new release on the Tabu label, which by the mid 1990s was distributed through Motown. There was no fanfare for this release and little airplay, wghich was frustrating as the CD is blindingly good. Produced by the cream of the Tabu label and very much honouring the sound of the label and it's illustrious heritage with the likes of Jam and Lewis, Alexander O'Neal, Cherrelle etc., producers Clarance Avant, Zac Harmon and Christopher Troy wave their musical wands and weave some real soulful magic. Identity Crisis are, as you can see by the cover, are REAL musicians of Latino heritage and the lead singer is very much in an 80s soulful mode a la Switch or Lakeside. Brilliant. I am also a great fan of Zac Harmon and Christopher Troy. Their 90s work with Lo-Key, Alexander O'Neal, Five Star and Evelyn "Champagne" King is beyond reproach. They carried on the torch that was woefully dropped by Jam and Lewis in a rush to appeal to the 90s New Jack generation.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The title track, I have to admit, sounds pretty dated as it was a sop to the Hip-Hop crowd but at the time it was quite a fun, upbeat and 'wave you arms about' sort of track. Ahem. Umm...moving swiftly on! Haunting synths, Spanish guitar, spine-tingling vocals and plenty of real percussion greet your ears immediately at the opening of "Come To Me" - now this is a track that has definitely no need to be hidden away under the carpet, sounding as good today as it did then. What we now call a stepping groove is probably the likeliest moniker for "Summer". A great little number about our most lamented time of year in the UK, and one can picture the fun and games somewhere like Malibu Beach, but the romance tends to falter a bit when you try and associate it with Clacton Peer! Lol. "Te Neccisito" is another quality cut and check the sample clip below if you need to check out the statement! "Kiss And Make Up" is an epic track running at 7 minutes, and is straight out of the Solar sounds of the 1980s. A brilliant downtempo summer groove with plenty of real musicianship to boot. Hats off to Messrs Harmon and Troy for this one. The vibes and haunting Gary Taylor-styled synth draw us into the sexy and spellbinding "I've Got What You Need". I have not stopped playing this track since I bought the set in the summer of 1994, and if you don't know it please take a chance and snap up a dead-cheap copy from Amazon on the link below. Brilliance from the 1990s for all connoisseurs to enjoy.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000006K55?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B000006K55">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000006K55" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/f8qgJTW0zvA&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/f8qgJTW0zvA&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-729996813368713712?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-34569053002774435122009-02-13T09:36:00.005Z2009-02-24T19:05:00.086Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZVAW2rcvfI/AAAAAAAAAK0/Gn3jnQsVnko/s1600-h/image+13.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 157px; height: 157px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZVAW2rcvfI/AAAAAAAAAK0/Gn3jnQsVnko/s400/image+13.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302214897677680114" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Motown , as I mentioned in my review of By All Means' essential "It's Real" album was - up until Andre Harrell and his Uptown Homeboys took over in 1996 - really firing on all cylinders in the 1990s. Where MCA used to be dependable for quality soul releases, this was no longer the case and Motown had taken over that mantle. The latest in a long line of QUALITY 90s Motown releases was Byron "Blu" Mitchell with his superb "From Out Of The Blu". This year saw one of the hottest on record in the UK and Blu, along with producer Dwayne Wiggins of Tony Toni Toné fame stepped up to the plate and met it head on with a CD crammed with cool summertime vibes that were - and are still - unbeatable. If you own the 1993 Tony Toni Toné set then you cannot fail to know and love "Anniversary". If that vibe is right up your street then this CD is for you! The first song was revisited in amended form by the Dazz Band on their "Time Traveller" album back in '01 but the original - and best - is here complete with hi-hat and funky, summery, 70s guitar licks. I can feel the warm breeze on my skin as soon as this song opens up. Handy when all I see from my window is melting snow! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"Let's Get Together", complete with flute, brass and strings is a joy to behold - Blu is a very competent vocalist and totally at home on this sort of groove, as he is with the down-low and sexy "Pillow Talk". My, this is a sexy track and the dreamy vibes and 80s keys work in conjunction with a deep, rumbling bass line to make a very horny groove indeed. So sad that this material was soon to be swept away for the likes of Horace Brown, 702 and quite a few others I don't really want to recall right now. Summer exudes from the flute-filled 70s midtempo, "Out Of The Blu", and the brilliant "Lip Service" will do nothing but get a smile on your face. This track is upbeat and perfect for radio or the dancefloor. The Philly guitar, trotting beats and laid-back synth underpin a monster 90s groove. Brilliant. A better dancer, though, is "Most Wanted" - rather in the vein of the Tony's "I Couldn't Keep It To Myself", I have seen this work a dancefloor to great effect. Who says quality can't work on a dancefloor? I have left my favourite song til last. This is nearly 6 minutes of 90s soul heaven in a Philly mode complete with sitar, flute and strings. The lyrics even remind me of what Thom Bell may have crafted, but the beats and the aura is still very much mid 90s. This track is beyond essential, and it saddens me to think that there was never a follow-up album. We can only hope!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000006K4K?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B000006K4K">Buy From Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000006K4K" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-3456905300277443512?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-65283626929237642412009-02-13T09:28:00.004Z2009-02-24T19:05:28.638Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZU9jnotzfI/AAAAAAAAAKs/0LC9-87CDrs/s1600-h/image+12.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 153px; height: 153px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZU9jnotzfI/AAAAAAAAAKs/0LC9-87CDrs/s400/image+12.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302211818443099634" border="0" /></a><style> <!-- @page { size: 21cm 29.7cm; margin: 2cm } P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“</span><span style=";font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >Private Time” has to be Walter Beasley's finest hour. This was one hell of a CD, crammed with sensual ballads, uptempo monsters and silky instrumentals. Walter has, for my two cents, not come up with anything as invigorating as this album since and I really and truly hope he returns to this winning formula of soul, jazz and funk. Everything that we love in a soulchoon is encapsulated within this 1995 CD release. The album was praised – much to my surprise – and it is so easy to see and hear why. I even love the graphic design and artwork that are part-and-parcel of the album. Hard hitting, funky and riff-laden the contemporary urban 90s groove works as a strong foundation for Walter's tenor sax, and the result is not so much as hard but it's like a clenched fist in a velvet glove. Smooth...with a bit of a punch! The vocalist on the next gem, “Calling To Me”, is the super-talented Kenya Hathaway (expect her début CD soon!), and the tempo is irresistibly catchy and hook-led. This is a 90s version of the bouncy uptempo tunes that we all love from the 80s. Superb and equally timeless. Now, anyone who has followed Walter Beasley will know he loves his cover versions. Usually I find a quiet corner and start sucking my thumb, rocking gently back and forward at the prospect BUT what he does with “A Love Of Your Own” is superb. It's a fresh, funky downtempo take and DIFFERENT!!!!! I really was – and still am – impressed by this version. </span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style=";font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >The title track is a top-draw instrumental, minus the 90s urban feel, and more in tune with what he later recorded for Shanachie and Heads Up. This is about as far as I go into “smooth jazz” before I start looking for a quick escape route! No means of escape necessary for the KILLER cut on here, “If You Let Me In”. In the same vein as “Treat U Rite” with that back beat, and a seriously resounding and pulsating bass line, tasty guitar licks and a stunning A1 vocal delivery from Walter himself, this is one of the best tracks this man has ever laid down. Liz Withers released her début CD on Blue Note recently – and I for one was not one iota with it. However she makes an appearance her with Walter on the superb ballad “I Will Be The One”, where her vocals truly shine out in the right sort of setting. If Walter's 80s output was more to your liking then “Baby Can't You See” is a vocal that will resound with you, but I think that anyone of any persuasion cannot fail to fall in love with the scintillating semi-vocal “Deep In My Soul”. This is atmospheric in the extreme, and the haunting backing harmonies do nothing but elevate this higher. It's at the end when the vocals kick in that I really get the shivers. Superb. If this was a set you bypassed then click on the link below and snap up a copy. Believe me, it's worth every single penny.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style=";font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: right; font-weight: bold;"><span style=";font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >Barry Towler</span></p><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000001EGO?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B000001EGO">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000001EGO" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-6528362692923764241?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-25314642327393134302009-02-12T22:35:00.006Z2009-02-24T19:06:08.603Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZSn0_gOzsI/AAAAAAAAAKk/-F5swXNkFCQ/s1600-h/b4cf046c89.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 167px; height: 170px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZSn0_gOzsI/AAAAAAAAAKk/-F5swXNkFCQ/s400/b4cf046c89.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302047190163574466" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">This superb 1994 release virtually disappeared without a trace, and without any fanfare at all which was a crying shame. I found that most of what us connoisseurs would call quality was either brushed aside or completely ignored. Wait for the time when these albums are considered "rare groove" </span>Lol<span style="font-family:arial;">. This was a small label release with a big label sound, and the participants on this CD, too, were certainly from the league of big boys. </span>LSO<span style="font-family:arial;"> was the </span>amalgam<span style="font-family:arial;"> of the Linda Stokes of Magic Lady fame, and her mega-talented producer-arranger-writer husband Michael Stokes so if that isn't enough to get your pulse quickening then I suggest that you check your pulse! If you are a soul fan worth your salt then click the link below and grab a copy before it becomes a real rarity. There are some real quality tracks on here, and whether you prefer searing hot ballads or uptempo material your thirst for your ideal will be quenched. I'm lucky as I love both - and much more - so "What's A Girl To Do?" is a real treat. Linda is not alone on this CD and she invited some of Motown's finest vocalists to join her and the result is truly magic. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Two duets, then, of real note: the first is a fantastic song featuring Smokey Robinson called "Blue Skies, Brown Eyes"; this is an uptempo track with much of a '90s groove and that said Michael Stokes essence is still all over it. Drenched in excellence, too, is Smokey who sounds just as good in this setting as he did back in the days of his fronting the Miracles. This man could simply read out the telephone directory and he would do it with such grace, soul and style. I never want this great man to stop making music. Our second Motown </span>alumni<span style="font-family:arial;"> is ex-Temptation Louis Price, fresh from his own solo set for Motown with the ultra-sexy quiet storm scorcher, "Secret Admirer". This is as good as quality 90s soul music ever got. Linda and Louis are a perfect meeting of soulfulness on this cut and Louis in particular, really extols the virtues of traditional R&amp;B balladry. Once a Temptation always a Temptation. I still get the shivers listening to this 15 years after I bought it! "Down Down Down" also qualifies as a 90s soul gem, and this cut features Gerald </span>Albright<span style="font-family:arial;"> on sax. A slinky and seductive track with plenty of </span>bassline and synth<span style="font-family:arial;">, I know that you will love this. A biggie of the '90s was Angela </span>Winbush's<span style="font-family:arial;"> "Treat U Rite", and the title cut is one that is almost cut from the same cloth. A </span>rhythmic<span style="font-family:arial;"> foot tapper with a harder, 90s, urban edge yet, importantly, the soul is still very much there. That's the main thing, folks! The 90s may have been a really confusing and annoying decade music-wise but the quality was there </span>in between<span style="font-family:arial;"> all the dross. So, check this gem out and don't look back.</span><br /><a id="publishButton" class="cssButton" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="if (this.className.indexOf(&quot;ubtn-disabled&quot;) == -1) {var e = document['stuffform'].publish;(e.length) ? e[0].click() : e.click(); if (window.event) window.event.cancelBubble = true; return false;}" target=""><div class="cssButtonOuter"><div class="cssButtonMiddle"><div class="cssButtonInner"><br /></div></div></div></a><br /><div style="text-align: right; font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;">Barry Towler<br />The Vibe Scribe<br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00000DPI7?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B00000DPI7">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B00000DPI7" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-2531464232739313430?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-1744981501162079132009-02-12T22:07:00.006Z2009-02-24T19:06:46.416Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZSjLHHm1bI/AAAAAAAAAKc/C7VjGxkPsvc/s1600-h/c54253t1524.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 174px; height: 174px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZSjLHHm1bI/AAAAAAAAAKc/C7VjGxkPsvc/s400/c54253t1524.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302042072606758322" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Mr. Fingers, or Larry Heard as he's better known, has delivered some really top-draw soulful house music over the years and this album released on MCA late in 1992 was an excellent example of how soulful Deep House music was. An eerie, haunting synth backdrop, dreamy keys and a pumping bassline. Some cuts are very much rooted in soul music and jazz, and Larry Heard is excellent at drawing all styles together, getting them into a fine blend and delivering the choicest dance cuts and seductive midtempo efforts. His follow-up set for the UK-based Black Market Records in 1994 was even more delicious - and very much a rarity now. In fact, when it was released in 1994 I phoned said Black Market Records to buy a copy...and the doophus on the phone had no idea it existed. Know your own product, that's what I say! Pmsl. Anyway, for those who love soulful, deep House then this is a CD for you. Most of you will have heard "What About This Love" - a mighty fine, cool, track that actually surfaced late in 1989 and was an instant winner for me. A track that stopped me in my tracks and had me pumping the radio up. Thanks, Jeff Young! Those were the days! 20 years on and the song has not deteriorated one modicum. Now THAT's what I call music!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">"Closer" is Deep House heaven. The haunting synths are enough to get the spine tingling, and Larry's melancholic vocals exude a sense of erotic and sexual anticipation..."I want you...yet I don't know you" he says...the urgent and galloping beats pay homage to his urgency and the bassline, akin to a disco beat adds another dimension. This is a mighty fine opening cut by any standards. Einstein would not be required to describe the flavour of "A Corner Called Jazz". A midtempo track with dreamy keys, female backing and some tremendously soulful sax. Lovely stuff!If you loved "What About This Love" then the KILLER "On My Way" will be another house flavour to savour. I cannot get enough of the Deep House sound, and thankfully - if you look hard enough - it's still about. Check the upcoming release from Cortes featuring Terry Dexter, and the Deep Mix in particular. Heaven!!!! My final pick is "Alright" which contains some lovely synth work and more soulful vocals courtesy of Larry Heard. For the more conservative soul head this may be a bit too far out but I imagine that the vast majority will be able to make a connection with this. The more of this stuff the better as far as I'm concerned!</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000008IPK?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B000008IPK">Buy From Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000008IPK" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br /></span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RnIKF98WHt4&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RnIKF98WHt4&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-174498150116207913?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-39320227478680819782009-02-09T14:11:00.009Z2009-03-03T11:42:49.280Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZA7GiccM3I/AAAAAAAAAHs/aBbjsOaxP5A/s1600-h/ejjohnson1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 166px; height: 166px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZA7GiccM3I/AAAAAAAAAHs/aBbjsOaxP5A/s400/ejjohnson1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300801744926421874" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">This album contains some FANTASTIC tunes. The set was not widely known about on it's release in 1999, and it did not reach the ears of most soul music connoisseurs until 2003 when Richard Searling stumbled across it and waved the flag for it on his radio show. What a discovery! We all know and love Emmanuel Johnson as the sweet and soulful lead vocalist with the brilliant Enchantment through the 1970s and 1980s, and this set showcases the man's extraordinary talents at the closing of the 1990s. This is as soulful and essential as it comes. Fans of the man's vocals will want to grab a hold of this album as soon as possible. I believe you can still locate a copy direct from the man himself or, now, on CD Baby (please check the link below!) The set may not be as well received today as it should simply as it is not "urban", "street" or "RnB" enough. For this cantankerous old goat the fact it is none of the aforementioned makes it a damn sight more palatable and acceptable!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The title song is an instant winner, it's one of those tracks that should, if you're a soul fan worth your salt, make you sit up and take real notice. I certainly did, and immediately went to seek out a copy. OK, the music is programmed and the strings are not real but synthesised, but in the late 90s, as today, most quality artists were treated with contempt at best and indifference at worst and so had to take their careers into their own hands, doing what they could with what resources they had. Personally I think this is a good thing and in E.J.'s case he has come up with more than a competent set. "Keep My Love" is a top-draw cut that would not be out of place alongside quality gems that were floating around a decade earlier - think Theryl and artists like that and you're not far away from the truth. I'd also check out the gorgeous "Before The Feeling Slips Away", comparable with contemporary gems from the likes of Armsted Christian and Billy Porter, but with a jazzy George Benson-styled scat thrown in for good measure! There is a cut on here called "Angela" - NOT </span><span style="font-family:arial;">a coverof his old Enchantment hit - </span><span style="font-family:arial;">but a late 90s original song. What is apparent is that E.J. has lost not one iota of his talent and I truly hope that he and Enchantment make a return to the recording studio soon.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >The Vibe Scribe.</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><a href="http://cdbaby.com/cd/ejjohnson1/from/thevibescribe"><img src="http://cdbaby.com/gif/cdbaby_navarrow_buythecd_100.gif" alt="Buy the CD" width="100" border="0" height="24" /></a><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-3932022747868081978?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-27628635798167457982009-02-09T13:55:00.006Z2009-02-24T19:07:46.988Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZA2gMStvpI/AAAAAAAAAHc/jXH6ssE84m8/s1600-h/roy+ayers+naste.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 139px; height: 139px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SZA2gMStvpI/AAAAAAAAAHc/jXH6ssE84m8/s400/roy+ayers+naste.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300796688098508434" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">This is a very, very strong 90s album from the legendary vibesman, Roy Ayers. The feel is very 90s, yet owes a lot to the hard, thumping bass style of Mtume in the mid 1980s. I was, and still am, very excited about this album. In an interview at the time, Roy was excited in the fact that RCA had allowed him total creative freedom to deliver the album he really wanted. Well, the results speak for themselves. Such a funky, jazzy and screamingly essential album. The funky and cool opening "Nasté" cut features the brilliant Richard Shade on vocals - he sounds as if he's slipped straight out of a 70s funk band and found himself in the mid 90s. Brilliantly delivered and sop perfect for Roy's edgier and harder sound. Roy is a genius and when he is allowed to do his own thing really does not disappoint. Another superb track in this vein is the brilliant, brilliant "Swirl". </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I never tire of playing these songs, and it was a real pleasure to see Roy and Richard perform these songs live in Bournemouth back in 1995. Superb. "Fantasy" was another cut which they performed live, Richard absolutely revelling in his vocal contribution. This is a killer cut by anyone's standard, and the outrageously sexy voiced Wumni joins in with some flirty pillow talk with Roy, paced against the sexy undercurrent groove, Richard's falsetto and Roy's distinctive vibes is a true wonder to behold. Tracks such as "Baby Set Me Free" (featuring Sax legend James Moody) and "Treasure" are more traditional efforts in that they could have been lifted from any of his Columbia efforts from the 1980s. Such a classy album and still available at ridiculously inexpensive prices. I look forward to more work such as this from Roy.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >The Vibe Scribe</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><iframe src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;o=2&amp;p=8&amp;l=as1&amp;asins=B000002WTS&amp;md=0M5A6TN3AXP2JHJBWT02&amp;fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;lt1=_blank&amp;m=amazon&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;bc1=000000&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-2762863579816745798?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-31321565704086557752009-02-07T08:39:00.007Z2009-02-24T19:08:36.639Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SY1JxVtRalI/AAAAAAAAAHU/PBUpw_6FqsU/s1600-h/image.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 155px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SY1JxVtRalI/AAAAAAAAAHU/PBUpw_6FqsU/s400/image.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299973448474389074" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The 1990s was a weird old time, and the music game had changed immensely. Literally overnight, the goalposts had changed; the decks swept clean. Artists struggled to find a place in this cold, harsh new environment and those who should have been supporting the quality were not. One album that did seem to register on the scale was this wonderful solo set from Earth, Wind and Fire legend, Philip Bailey. How could anyone NOT love this album? It trod the line between quality and trend perfectly and top-dog talents such as Chuckii Booker, Robert Brookins and Brian McKnight were on hand to produce the set and boy did they kick some ass! It's an exceptional album, and bar two odd and somehow out-of-step PM Dawn productions, the album stands strong today.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Chuckii Booker is a phenomenal talent and his deep bass-filled head-nodder, "Stay Right Here", starts up the album in a strong manner as it means to go on. Such a strong track and one that suit's Bailey's tenor to a tone. The brilliant Robert Brookins produced "Summer Love" is a track that is simply adorable and beyond reproach. Brian Mcknight's "Here With Me" is upbeat and jaunty, and one can hear throughout that this is Brian McKnight through and through. His presence on backing vocals is great to hear too. He provides the saxy ballad "I'm Ready" which is simply amazing, and "Crazy Things You Do For Love", a collaboration with Robert Brookins, is also essential. My favourites are at the end of the CD, however. First up is the cracking ballad "Yours", a scorching duet with the sexy vocalist Nadirah Ali complete with synth and sax, and follwed by the brilliant foot stomper, "What's Missing" - a chunky Chuckii Booker number which will still get the bass-pins rattling. So, although the Man has produced a number of solo sets - all containing real timeless gems, as far as I am concerned, this 1994 effort is the most solid of them all. Classy 90s soul.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00000E9GT?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B00000E9GT">Buy From Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B00000E9GT" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; font-weight: bold;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-3132156570408655775?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-38542458274780285122009-02-07T08:18:00.007Z2009-02-24T19:09:29.008Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SY1EktDr3zI/AAAAAAAAAHM/5soQIPEJV3g/s1600-h/byallmeans3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 155px; height: 155px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SY1EktDr3zI/AAAAAAAAAHM/5soQIPEJV3g/s400/byallmeans3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299967733845974834" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The 1960s and early 1970s may, it could be argued, have been the golden era for Motown but let's face it, under the inspired stewardship of Jheryl Busby, Steve McKeever and the likes of the legendary Paris Eley and Clarance Avant the period 1988 - 1995 was something of a rennaisance. If not in the chart-topping scores, definitely in the quality music scores. many of Motown's 90s output will appear on here as they really do stand the test of time where a LOT of 90s material, franky, deoes not. The 1990s was a decade that in my opinion saw the decline of quality black music in favour of trashy, brashy and ephemeral MTV-aimed so-called Hip Hop R&amp;B as pioneered by Andre Harrell, Teddy Riley and the new breed of Engineer / Programmer than swept aside the real producer and arranger. Motown had been siding up with Jimmy Varner for some years by 1992, and their work with the Tempations on their "Special" album, and Gerald Alston's "Open Invitation" album was nothing short of excellent. A natural step was to get the trio on board. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Sadly, this resulted in one set - and to date their last set. Due to poor promotion and no media excitement the project sank quicker than the Titanic and must have been galling to all concerned. The magnificence of this CD did not pass me - and I am sure you - by. I rate this as their strongest and most consistent album both vocally and musically. Production wise the standard was as high as if Patrick Moten or Michal J. Powell had been in the studio, and the sheer soulfullness is tangible. From the powerful epic "Love Lies", the Marvin and Tammi inpired "The Feeling I Get" and the sheer jubilance of "In Your Arms" this album scores the highest points that it could hope to achieve. The Leon Ware-ish "Don't Change is a real must and the sexy "Tonight" a complete killer. The fact that many supposed soul lovers in the media shot it down in flames as it wasn't Uptown or Acid Jazz, should hang their heads in shame. This set has outlasted all these fads and will remain to outlast anything else they try and hoist upon us. Quality will always be quality.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000008DWF?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B000008DWF">Buy From Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000008DWF" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /></span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tio4gjbFtKk&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tio4gjbFtKk&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-3854245827478028512?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-51944790981323554242009-02-07T00:17:00.003Z2009-02-24T19:09:59.581Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SYzT7PsvEPI/AAAAAAAAAHE/1k4E9BMJpzo/s1600-h/patrickhenry.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 177px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SYzT7PsvEPI/AAAAAAAAAHE/1k4E9BMJpzo/s400/patrickhenry.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299843876288139506" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">From the excellent Street Soul Records comes another release to follow-up from the Jerline &amp; Friends CD. The new release is a do-not 7" single taken from the Patrick Henry &amp; The Liberation Band's 1995 album "Come And Get It", and was originally released on CD on Lanor Records in the USA. Street Soul Records have licensed 2 tracks for this particular 7” release namely the A side "Loving U" and the B side "My Love". These, if you are not familiar with the CD, are both excellent. I'm not at all surprised that these tracks have been played heavily on the UK Soul Scene of late, and the label says that the demand for a 45 was inevitable. Not sure about that as I'd rather have the CD than a 45 any day! However, collectors and nostalgics do love these curious things! LOL. The single was released on June 20th 2008 and is very limited to only 500 copies! The songs, as I have already stated, are excellent. </span> <p style="font-family: arial;">"Loving U" is a song that could have been recorded in the mid 70s. The instrumentation is all real, live and crammed with soulfulness. The live drumming and summery guitar hark back to the days of A Taste Of Honey's “I Love You” and even Steve Parks' “Movin' In The Right Direction”. The horns sound almighty fine too, and the melody is straight into the classic soul bag. I class this a fine soul music for a summer's day. The flip-side is "My Love" is equally temperate and contains a bassline-driven groove and allows the horns to punch in all the right places. Both songs have a hint of Carlton J. Smith to them, and I could easily see Carlton attempt these grooves and vice versa! The feel is definitely – dare IO say this – old school in approach and nothing within these grooves give an indication of being released in 1995! Like MOST quality soul of the 90s, this was ignored for whatever street / urban / rap flibbertigibbet was in vogue in London at the time, so it is not 'til now that the songs are getting the airing they deserve. Why does the soul world (or so it proclaims) ignore what is happening right now, quality-wise, and only support it when someone deems it rare or hip? Its beyond me, it really is!<br /></p><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Barry Towler,<br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-5194479098132355424?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-35262179663190745652009-02-07T00:07:00.003Z2009-02-24T19:10:31.079Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SYzS1mf51iI/AAAAAAAAAG8/gkssdxIh2l4/s1600-h/RELATIONS+FT+GLENDORA+%281995+RELEASE%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 161px; height: 160px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SYzS1mf51iI/AAAAAAAAAG8/gkssdxIh2l4/s400/RELATIONS+FT+GLENDORA+%281995+RELEASE%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299842679817492002" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">This little inspirational set was released and sank without trace back in 1995. Unfortunately there was a lot of great material out that year – and the majors were still – reluctantly I expect – releasing quality material then meaning that a lot of smaller, independent labels had a harder job to get their material to be noticed. Pity, as this is quite a good set and definitely one for those who like a more secular sound in the musical shape of, say, Witness. Hailing from New York, Relations were a grouping consisting of producer Michelle McCants, Jerry Hutchinson and featuring the vocal talents of Glendora Reed. The set encompasses many sounds ranging from more soulful gospel tunes to dance a la CeCe Peniston and even a small element of rap! The soothing intro is soon replaced by a hot 90s dance rhythm that would have made Cliville &amp; Coles proud. “I've Given You Love” may sound, by today's standards to be a little dated but give the song a chance and the appeal will soon become apparent to you. This is a good dancer and one that should have been big at the time! </span> <p style="font-family: arial;">The chunkier “Your Wish Is My Way” could easily appear on a more urban Witness album, and as such is a worthy inclusion on this album. I also like the short, yet sweet “I Will Be Right There” with it's warm, resonating keys and jiggly beats. Yes, there is a rap BUT it works very well in it's setting and the vocal harmonies are very moreish indeed! “Just For You” is an excellent cut with tasty, swirling keyboards and a nice melody, but is overshadowed by the superb “Heavenly” which grabbed my attention immediately, and as a result has been played a great deal. What a pity this CD was overshadowed in it's day! This song alone makes the whole album worthwhile. Similarly “It's Your Love” will press a few soulful buttons I am sure. The song uses THAT haunting synth sweep that Gary Taylor used to use in the late 80s / early 90s. Oh, I wished it was used again now! “I Will Be Right There” is another quality groove and reminds me of what contemporary artists such as Company or Dawkins &amp; Dawkins were making at the time. The final cut is deceiving...and when it gets going a few minutes in is simply superb...”Reach Out (Don't Let This Moment Pass You By) is another quality downtempo groove, although the lyrics are a bit more overtly religious than some. Musically, though, this really is something else, and if you are totally irreligious as I am then still don't allow this cut to pass you by! Please, if you can, seek out this 90s rare groove. It's well worth it!</p><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-3526217966319074565?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-64651368270615972502009-02-07T00:03:00.007Z2009-02-24T19:10:55.206Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SYzQYlRIFtI/AAAAAAAAAG0/7l6ClejeqPQ/s1600-h/2423046.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 163px; height: 163px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SYzQYlRIFtI/AAAAAAAAAG0/7l6ClejeqPQ/s400/2423046.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299839982247614162" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">This album was released in the autumn of 1995 with very little fanfare. I find it very annoying that most albums I consider essential, classy and timeless receive little press, scant cover or – worse – derision from the media, including those which allegedly support soul music. I am guilty of derision, especially where albums of cover versions are involved. I generally feel that the trend towards sets of covers is not only lamentable but also alarming. Some albums, though, warrant trumpeting, such as this one purely because they are different. What the Temptations, along with veteran producer, Richard Perry, did on this album was to take some classic, household-known standards and then completely dissect them, not limb from limb, but almost molecule from molecule. These songs were reassembled into interpretations and not merely covers. No stone was left unturned in an effort to make the songs fresh, different and, well, sound like brand spanking new. Their efforts paid off. The timbre of the album is certainly an emotional one from many viewpoints. This was the last album recorded with Melvin Franklin prior to his early and untimely passing – to hear him on here is not only poignant, but also pitched emotionally beside the beautiful, haunting and touching melodies that really do cement these album’s fortunes.</span> <p style="font-family: arial;">Anyone who knows me will know that as soon as I hear that an album is a set of cover versions my eyes roll, I sigh and give some resigned comment. This is exactly what I did with this album, and so I ignored it. It was almost 6 months before I heard it via friend who bought it from a regular pilgrimage to London. I was intrigued that he bought it in the first place, but when I heard it I was instantly blown away. Theo Peoples joined the team in 1994 and his powerful vocals dominated the set along with the awesome Ali-Ollie Woodson. “Some Enchanted Evening” is a well-loved song, but the Temptations really make this their own vehicle. Their harmonies are tighter than the top of a Scotsman’s purse, and Isaias Gamboa on the mix makes it more than a memorable moment. One of the scene-stealers is “What A Difference A Day Makes” – no one has, and ever will cut this song in such a powerful fashion. This is indeed one magical brew of skilled production, soulful interpretation courtesy of Ron Tyson and first class lyrics. Johnny Britt’s muted trumpet is a killer, too. Twelve years after release, this song still gets me every time. “That’s Why I Love You So” displays some magnificent harmonies atop a soulful plateau. The vocal interchanging is superb. The haunting and melancholic “Melvin’s Interlude” melts into the sublime “Life Is But A Dream” where the good old-fashioned street corner harmonies come into play. The Temptations rarely get better than this. “Time After Time” commences with the words “Drop the groove”, and the fellas do exactly that – I’m not certain what Cahn and Styne would make of this version, but I for one love it to pieces. Since the release of this album, the Tempations have gone on to release two albums of cover versions – both do not even compare to this Masterpiece. “For Lovers Only” is a landmark Temptations recording and should not be a set that you ignore. As essential today as it ever was, “For Lovers Only” stands tall in the impressive and unequalled Tempations catalogue. </p><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab" id="Player_33304d02-be6e-47c0-a5c4-bc7789a99ed8" width="336" height="280"> <param name="movie" value="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;MarketPlace=GB&amp;ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fsoulchoonz-21%2F8014%2F33304d02-be6e-47c0-a5c4-bc7789a99ed8&amp;Operation=GetDisplayTemplate"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;MarketPlace=GB&amp;ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fsoulchoonz-21%2F8014%2F33304d02-be6e-47c0-a5c4-bc7789a99ed8&amp;Operation=GetDisplayTemplate" id="Player_33304d02-be6e-47c0-a5c4-bc7789a99ed8" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="Player_33304d02-be6e-47c0-a5c4-bc7789a99ed8" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="336" align="middle" height="280"></embed></object> <noscript><a href="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Fsoulchoonz-21%2F8014%2F33304d02-be6e-47c0-a5c4-bc7789a99ed8&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.co.uk Widgets</a></noscript><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-6465136827061597250?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-69149406109289270712009-02-06T23:59:00.006Z2009-02-24T19:12:09.434Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SYzPVdihiTI/AAAAAAAAAGs/ks-4DtTRHdk/s1600-h/image+3.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 153px; height: 153px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SYzPVdihiTI/AAAAAAAAAGs/ks-4DtTRHdk/s400/image+3.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299838829121866034" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Once a member of singing duo Coffee &amp; Cream many moons ago on TV, and now resident vocalist on “Strictly Come Dancing”, Lance Ellington is certainly a man in the spotlight. His new album is SUPERB so check that out, but what I would love to do is re-awaken memories of an album which was criminally dismissed out-of-hand by certain scribes at the time of release. As this wasn't what was in vogue that particular minute, the album was slated at best and at worst completely ignored. If it weren't for the likes of Richard Searling I would not have known this superb album existed. Such a phenomenal talent and one of Britain's best soul voices EVER. Matched up with producer Peter Pritchard, and sent away to work at the legendary Flyte Tyme studios in Minneapolis with Steve Hodge, what was created in my humble opinion was a set of quality soul songs for the dawning of a new decade. My thanks go out to DJ Jeff Young for believing in this man. It is now 18 years on, and I am sure that many who snubbed the set then in favour of whatever was flavour-of-the-month would actually love it now, so I beg you to check out the sound samples...its classy British Soul with a US flavour. </span> <p style="font-family: arial;">From the opening stepper, “Treat Me Right”and the Jam &amp; Lewis styled “Time Won't Wait”we move to the KILLER ballad “Who's Loving You Tonight” which is another one of my all-time soul gems of the 1990s. Who in their right minds could have poo-pooed this? Unbelievable! This is major-league QUALITY soul and deserves a place in your collection. Trust me! “Pleasure And Pain” smacks of the finest Monte Moir production and so is as classy as anything that man has ever recorded. The stepper “Love Scared” is great – but was bettered as a remix here in the UK, and “Don't Ever Leave Me Again” ranks as high in my mind as “Who's Loving You Tonight” without question. The bonus cuts on the CD are also worthy, but my crème of this particular crop comes in the form of the socially mindful “It's Up To Us” - a discourse on the blight of negativity in society. Following this album came a less than soulful dance 12” on RCA, and for my money this album stands as solid as a rock in the career of this man. If you were inclined to ignore this album on the strength of reviews at the time, then please stop and take stock of it now. A classy CD from a classy singer. It stands the test of time – enough said. </p><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000008FCZ?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B000008FCZ">Buy From Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000008FCZ" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vj7LVpDMjE0&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vj7LVpDMjE0&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-6914940610928927071?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-87045396458950310372009-02-06T23:55:00.005Z2009-02-24T19:12:38.522Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SYzOR4hOwrI/AAAAAAAAAGk/6vG3YDAp5FA/s1600-h/image+2.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 156px; height: 156px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SYzOR4hOwrI/AAAAAAAAAGk/6vG3YDAp5FA/s400/image+2.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299837668133094066" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">“Down Low” is a modern rarity that is well worth trying to hunt down. Although officially unreleased, a quantity somehow managed to escape the factory and end up on sale in a very few select, more savvy outlets in the UK only. The late, great Gerry Osborne at Masters of Music was among them, and was selling them like hot cakes for a mere £12.99 prior to supply quickly drying up! Mine was snapped up in a video / CD emporium somewhere in Portsmouth for a mere £9.99! Although the album commands up to £250 on eBay, I am certain that there are some still floating around a LOT cheaper than that. The thing is, is this album worth the hunt? <p style="font-family: arial;">The answer is a resounding ‘yes’, although I could not and would not recommend you pay such a hefty price for it! Jeff Redd is well loved for his superb debut CD for Uptown / MCA back in 1990, and if you love that set then it’s a sure thing to say that you will also love this. Perhaps more harder and urban in orientation, “Down Low” manages to appeal to those who are more predisposed to the modern “R&amp;B” phenomenon, yet still has deep roots in the more soulful side of the street. Jeff’s vocals are silky, soulful and not in the nasal, whining style that seemed prevalent at the time. The single release, “You Called And Showed Me”, I am sure was lifted from one of those 90s urban/gangsta films, the name of which naturally escapes me. This particular song is definitely one of those that still rode the wave of success at the tail end of the swingbeat years, and is one of the better and less ephemeral ambassadors for the genre. Indeed, it is still a solid track today, 18 years on. “Show You” with its ham-fisted clonking beats, samples and cool Rhodes keys is a complete and utter 90s KILLER choon. This was a perfect vehicle for Jeff to flex his vocal skills, swaggering effortlessly through the urban beats and smoother keys. This really is smooth, but with a roughness that will definitely have you nodding your head. </p><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Barry Towler</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >The Vibe Scribe</span><br /></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-8704539645895031037?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-22891902033670095462009-02-06T23:51:00.004Z2009-02-24T18:47:56.960Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SYzNdNA5RDI/AAAAAAAAAGc/WCVkxA0RrzM/s1600-h/image+1.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 155px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SYzNdNA5RDI/AAAAAAAAAGc/WCVkxA0RrzM/s400/image+1.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299836763101545522" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">This is a hidden gem from 1992 – a set that was for the most part overshadowed by the tidal wave of Swingbeat and Hip Hop that had suddenly caused a seismic change of the guard as far as R&amp;B had hitherto been concerned. MCA was a label that went all out on this New Jack trip, and as such had a LOT of venom directed at them from the likes of me! The early 90s, though, at least saw the likes of Patti LaBelle, Charlie Wilson, Gladys Knight, David Peaston and Jody Watley on the label. Charlie Wilson seized on the copycat nature of Swing, and it was so obvious some had modelled their vocal style on HIM! Hence my first choice, “Sprung On Me” which was, in it's day a massive floor-filler – a less than thinly veiled swipe at Aaron Hall. The rap from Almighty Gee, over the fast and furious beats and James Brown 'Payback' guitar riff is excellent and is still heaps of fun today – if a little passé. A song that stands the test of time a lot more is the Jeff Lorber written “Realize”. Produced by Morris Rentie from Answered Questions, this Soul-II-Soul type groove with its haunting synths really does have the Jeff Lorber touch of class – check the keyboards! Mr. Lorber again adds his sparkle to the heavenly “You Turn My Life Around” which is a slower form of jam and uses a lot of moody basslines and atmospheric synths again. This is EXACTLY the quality groove that was screaming out for attention in the 90s but was ignored by most. Such a shame. </span> <p style="font-family: arial;">My favourite song is the awesome “Confess Your Love”, a track that blew me away back in August 1992 and still does the same now. This is quality 90s soul music in every sense of the word. There is a style of synth that was used in the late 80s / early 90s that sends me into orbit. Gary Taylor used to use it and made special use of it on his own classic, “Take Control” as well as his work with the Manhattans. Morris Rentie, Shavoni Buster and the rest of the Gap Band gang make this a delicacy of the most treasured nature. I'd say this was one of my top 10 slow jams of the 90s, so that is something which will suggest how much I adore it! “Time” is written and produced by brothers Andre and Brian Wilson and is typical of the classier material that the Gap Band has released over the years. I have always felt that the guys excelled on their ballads, and have been known to churn out a few dance floor killers too. This ballad is definitely up there with the very best of them. Perhaps, in a way, this is a Gap Band album in all but name. This album certainly needs to be taken out of your rack, and have the dust blown off of it – or, if not known, for you to check the sound clips and to snap up a copy ASAP as it is not easy to come by any longer. Essential 90s soul music. </p> <div style="text-align: right;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Barry Towler,</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />The Vibe Scribe</span> </div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000008MDI?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B000008MDI">Buy From Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000008MDI" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-2289190203367009546?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177839629761672468.post-18827731862170714012009-02-06T23:43:00.006Z2009-02-24T18:47:14.664Z<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SYzMdlF4t0I/AAAAAAAAAGM/7uyb3z2qh4c/s1600-h/image.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 147px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFmDg9YAlBM/SYzMdlF4t0I/AAAAAAAAAGM/7uyb3z2qh4c/s400/image.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299835670053304130" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Having heard Robbie Vincent play a version of New Version Of Soul's “66 Mello” on his Jazz FM show recently, I thought it a good idea to dig out this fine, fine album for your attention. This soundtrack was released to accompany the late, great Robin Harris' Cartoon movie, BeBe's Kids in the Autumn of 1992. What was criminal about this – and like most quality releases – was it was criminally ignored or overlooked at the time. Richard Searling added a track on here for his Soul Boulevard compilation and I have noticed that a few cuts have found their way onto various bootlegs since. The CD is still available at a very reasonable price on Amazon and if you do not own a copy then what are you waiting for?! LOL. The album was not unlike the dear old beautiful game – a game of two halves. The first half was very much hard – if amusing – rap and not at all bad either, really. I recently gave King Tee's “I Got It Bad Y'all” a spin and it did raise a smile. The real gems, though are the soulful inclusions which were produced by an old favourite of mine, John Barnes and assisted by another old fave, Billy Griffin. The cream of soul certainly rose to the top on this album and the performances they give are nothing short of memorable.</span> <p style="font-family: arial;">I already mention “66 Mello” which features as a racier and harder version but a crackin' dancefloor number with some soulful rap and typical of the stuff coming out on the day. I already alluded to Aretha Franklin's “Standing On The Rock Of Love” is a recent Soulchoonz review for the new Evelyn “Champagne” King album and it is here where you will find the original song, and boy does Aretha sound great on here! Joey Diggs' “You Love Keeps Working On Me” was an instant classic then, and is still a monster today, 16 years on. Brilliant dance floor material and cannot be beaten. The O'Jays also cannot be beaten, and their inclusion is the John Barnes produced ballad, “Can't Say Goodbye” which has plenty of harp and Philly guitar and a certain Billy Griffin on writing and backing vocals. My top choice, though, has to be Ronald Isley's KILLER track, “Deeper”. This really is 90s soul at it's very best. The slap bass and Soul II Soul type bassline combined with John Barnes' haunting backing music is simply outstanding. Add to this Phil Perry and Renée Digg's Marcus Miller-produced “All My Love” and you have no reason NOT to head to Amazon and snap up a bargain copy. The CD closed with a rollicking outing for the Emotions with “I Want To Thank You For Your Love” - and they sound fantastic too. With the music industry going into it's quiet period as it tends to do around this time of year, why not stock up on some old – yet timeless – classics? Once a soulchoon ALWAYS a soulchoon!</p> <div style="text-align: right;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Barry Towler,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vibe Scribe</span> </div><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000008DBN?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=soulchoonz-21&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B000008DBN">Buy from Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=soulchoonz-21&amp;l=as2&amp;o=2&amp;a=B000008DBN" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/9177839629761672468-1882773186217071401?l=soulchoonz90s.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>The Vibe Scribenoreply@blogger.com