The Gap Band - Y2K Funkin' Yil 2000 Comz - 1999 - Private I

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.

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.

Barry Towler
The Vibe Scribe

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Gerald McClendon - Choose Love - 1999 - Buy Me Publishing

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".

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.

Barry Towler
The Vibe Scribe

Various Artists - The McCauley Sessions - 1999 -Lightyear

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.

"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!

Barry Towler
The Vibe Scribe

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E.J. Johnson - Totally With Me - 1999 - Eman

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!

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 a coverof his old Enchantment hit - 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.

Barry Towler
The Vibe Scribe.