I’ve always loved a great saxophone solo (who doesn’t?), and few did them better than Junior Walker, frontman of 1960s Motown powerhouse soul band Jr. Walker & the All Stars. And one of the finest examples of his virtuoso sax prowess is their 1965 hit song “Shotgun“. I remember being blown away the first time I heard the song as a kid, and have loved it ever since. With that opening shotgun blast, quickly followed by an explosive drum roll and wailing saxophone riff, you know you’re in for a wild and exciting ride!
Born Autry DeWalt Mixon Jr. in 1931, Walker began playing saxophone in high school, and in his mid-20s, formed his own band called the Jumping Jacks. His music style was inspired by jump blues and early R&B, particularly jazz saxophonists like Louis Jordan, Earl Bostic, and Illinois Jacque. Walker later joined The Rhythm Rockers, a group started by longtime friend and drummer Billy Nicks. After a number of changes in lineup, the band name was changed to “The All Stars.” In 1961, the group was spotted by singer-songwriter and producer Johnny Bristol, who recommended them to singer-songwriter, producer and record label executive Harvey Fuqua. Once the group were signed with the Harvey label, their name was changed to Jr. Walker All Stars. The name was modified again, to Jr. Walker & the All Stars, when Fuqua’s record labels were taken over by Motown’s Berry Gordy, making the band part of the Motown family. (Wikipedia)
The recording of “Shotgun” was sort of a happy accident. When the vocalist who’d originally been hired to sing the song failed to show up for the recording session, Walker stepped in, with the intention of his vocal being re-recorded later. Much to his surprise, Berry Gordy decided to keep his vocal take, which was a smart move. His raw vocals were a perfect complement to his exuberant tenor saxophone riff, matching their ferocity note for note. In addition to Walker’s marvelous sax, the song features terrific Hammond organ fills played by Johnny Griffith, funky guitar notes by Willie Woods and a lively tambourine by Jack Ashford.
Written by Walker, “Shotgun” was the title track from Jr. Walker & the All Stars’ debut album, released in May 1965, and their first song to chart, reaching #1 on the Billboard R&B chart and #4 on the Hot 100. They would go on to have 11 more top 40 singles, including the gorgeous “What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)” (which I featured in 2019). Walker would later play a wonderful sax solo on Foreigner’s 1981 hit song “Urgent”.
Here’s the best audio version of the song I could find:
And here’s a video of a performance of the song on an unidentified TV show in 1965:
I was a big fan of English band Sade during their peak of popularity that lasted from 1984 through the early 90s. Named after their front woman and lead vocalist Sade Adu (born Helen Folasade Adu in Ibadan, Nigeria but raised in England from the age of four on), the band also included Paul Anthony Cooke, Stuart Mathewman, and Paul Spencer Denman, all of whom were from Hull, Yorkshire. Their beautiful music is a captivating blend of neo soul, R&B, quiet storm, smooth jazz and sophisti-pop, highlighted by Sade Adu’s velvety smooth sensual vocals. Between 1984 and 2011, they released six well-received and critically-acclaimed studio albums, one live album and two greatest hits compilations, all of which reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200 Album chart. Two of them – Promise in 1985 and Soldier of Love in 2010 – went all the way to #1.
Though my favorite song by Sade is their 1984 hit “Smooth Operator”, my second-favorite is their 1986 single “Never as Good as the First Time“. I remember loving it the first time I heard it (no pun intended), as so many things about it strongly appealed to me. First off, I love the arresting opening male vocal by Leroy Osbourne, accompanied by gorgeous orchestral strings. Then the song expands into a languid and sensual bass-driven groove that sounds like a mix of Latin and Caribbean, highlighted by marvelous edgy percussion and what sounds like a scratchy guitar, accompanied by marimba and saxophone. As always, Sade’s vocals are absolute perfection as she sings of the thrilling bliss of that first kiss with someone we’re hopelessly attracted to.
On the strength of this song as well as “The Sweetest Taboo”, which I also liked a lot, I bought a vinyl copy of Promise. But I was terribly disappointed to discover that the album version of “Never as Good as the First Time” sounded quite different from the song I’d been hearing on the radio. While the song still sounds good and Sade’s vocals are great, the album version seems more subdued and, most importantly, lacks the wonderful male vocal intro I loved so much. It also ran a full minute longer than the single version (which was not necessarily a problem). My guess is that the single version that got radio play was likely recorded after the album was completed. Oh well, at least I can now stream my preferred version to my heart’s content!
The single was much more successful in the U.S., where it reached #8 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart and #20 on the Hot 100, than in the UK, where it peaked at only #89. The music video for the single, shot in black and white, features Sade Adu riding a horse through the towns of El Rocío, Almonte, and Huelva in Andalusia, Spain. (Wikipedia)
Regular readers of my blog have probably noticed that I don’t write about female artists as often as I should, (partly because they’re much less aggressive than men about asking me to review their music). To remedy this sorry situation, for my latest Fresh New Tracks installment I’m featuring new songs by two very talented women, both of whom have amazing singing voices – Malaysian singer-songwriter Lyia Meta and British singer-songwriter Rachel Modest. Each of their songs approach the subject of love from opposite ends of the spectrum. I’ve written about Lyia numerous times over the past five years, whereas Rachel is new to me.
LYIA META – “Always You”
One of my favorite female vocalists and all-around artists is Malaysian singer-songwriter Lyia Meta, an immensely talented, gracious and lovely recording artist with a powerhouse singing voice. I generally prefer female voices in the deeper ranges, and her vibrant, soulful and smoky vocal style resonates strongly with me. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Lyia’s a multi-faceted artist in every sense of the word. She can sing just about anything, and in fact, has recorded songs in a wide range of genres including blues, jazz, pop, country, rock and even metal, bringing her international recognition and acclaim. A prolific artist, she’s been nominated for, and won, numerous awards around the globe over the years. As if all that weren’t enough, she’s also a highly-accomplished visual artist with several exhibits to her credit. As I mentioned above, I’ve featured her many times on this blog, most recently in February 2022, when I reviewed her EP You Think About Me, featuring five wonderful tracks with a retro R&B feel, fortified with elements of soul, funk and jazz.
Lyia has just dropped her latest single “Always You“, the title track from her forthcoming album Always You, scheduled for release on June 16th. The song was written by Los Angeles-based songwriter Denise Dimin, and co-produced by Lyia and her frequent collaborator, Nashville-based musician and recording engineer Bob McGilpin, who played guitar, bass and drums and also mixed and mastered the track. The luxuriant piano and orchestration were handled by Gene Rabbai. The song was recorded at both McMusicSound in Nashville and Studio A in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, with Lyia’s vocals recorded at Big A Productions in Kuala Lumpur.
It’s a beautiful love song in a style of what would generally be considered “adult contemporary”, with a soothing orchestral arrangement of piano and strings, accompanied by gentle percussion and guitar. Lyia’s smooth, clear vocals sound better than ever here, every bit as comforting as the music as she assures a lover of her undying devotion: “We step as one as we climb the ladder. Yesterday and today, and forever after. We’re always me, and we’re always you. Eternally, that’s what we do. It’s always you.”
Rachel Modest is a singer-songwriter who’s been performing music for as long as she can remember. Born and raised in Sheffield, where she grew up singing in her church choir, then studied classical piano in her teens, she’s now based in London. She’s worked with an array of musicians and labels, including serving as lead vocalist for The Bluefoot Project, who released a highly-acclaimed album Brave in 2003. She currently serves as Choir Director for the Wakefield Community Gospel Choir, which she founded, and last year, was a finalist on The Voice UK. She released her first solo singles “I Try” and “Forbidden Love” in 2016, but four years would pass before her next release, “I (Who Have Nothing)”, a terrific cover of the classic song originally recorded by Ben E. King, then later by Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones and Status Quo. She followed in 2022 with “Never Did I Stop Loving You”, and on May 5th, she dropped her latest single “Questions“.
Released via the Numen Records label, “Questions” was co-written and produced by Hamlet Luton. About the song, Rachel explains “So this was all about the acknowledgement of the end of a relationship, but not really knowing how I would cope on my own. But also, whether my ex partner was at all affected by these questions…he wasn’t. So I wrote a song about it. At the end of the song, it’s kind of a resignation to the fact that we needed to separate.”
The song is masterfully arranged, with a wonderful retro vibe that calls to mind some of the great R&B ballads of the 60s and 70s. The orchestration is lush and cinematic, but never overpowers Rachel’s soulful emotive vocals that remind me of equal parts Roberta Flack and Lauryn Hill. With a strong sense of sadness and loss, she passionately laments “We used to quarrel over simple things. But the love I felt for you, no sadness could ever bring. Now it’s over, and we’ll say goodbye. I will never fall in love, it’ll make me cry. So many answers to so many questions. Will we ever know, or should we go?“
British electro-funk/soul collective WINACHI are all about fun and having a good time. Their infectious sexy grooves – which they describe as “swaggering Mancunian tenacity spliced with smooth Californian G Funk soul” – are guaranteed to have you shaking your ass with a smile on your face.
Based in and around Manchester, WINACHI originally formed in 2015 as The Winachi Tribe, and have undergone a few personnel changes over the years. They’re now comprised of founding members Liam Croker (lyrics and vocals), Antony Egerton (keyboards, programming) and Inder Goldfinger (percussion), along with Andy McKay (lead guitar), Richard Ritchie (bass) and Paul Lawrence (drums), all accomplished musicians with diverse musical backgrounds.
I first learned about them in Spring of 2018, around the time they released their funky dance single “Transition”. I instantly loved it, as well as all their subsequent releases, and have featured them on this blog more times than I can remember (you can find links to some of those reviews under “Related” at the end of this post.)
WINACHI has collaborated over the years with musicians and producers in both the UK and Southern California, and this past March, Liam, Antony and Inder returned to Los Angeles to work with producers John X (who’s worked with such artists as David Bowie, the Rolling Stones & Reeves Gabrels) and Joe Hirst (Ian Brown, Bloc Party). Together they recorded the single “Heaven In Hell.A“, which they released along with an entertaining video on Halloween. The song is the lead single from their forthcoming full length debut album Sympathy For The Future, due for release next year. The song and video were recorded and produced at the Earthstar Creation Centre in the L.A. community of Venice.
Musically, the features a delicious signature WINACHI dance groove, over which they layer thick drum-bass beats, spooky psychedelic synths, and lots of funky guitar. Liam’s distinctive vocals, which sit in a sweet spot between sultry and raspy, perfectly complement the music’s mysterious, yet lighthearted, vibe.
As to the song’s meaning, my take is that it speaks to the seductive nature of Los Angeles (Liam loves the city) and how, despite its many shortcomings, it’s also a magical place that can really get under your skin. (I lived there for eight years in the 1980s, and have a conflicted love/hate feeling for it myself.) He uses a demonic she-devil woman as a metaphor for L.A.’s seductive, intoxicating power: “The city’s heart is burning, hotter than the sun, The life you taste upon your breath is the proof you’ve had your fun. The city’s pulse it’s beating to the rhythm of her drum. You know she’s gonna love you, as long as you keep breathing. Once you’re in hell and under her spell, then you know that you won’t be leaving.”
The video, written and directed by Tom Muhl, shows the three members of WINACHI arriving at a party, whereupon they meet a man played by John X and a woman played by Frankie Clarke of L.A. band Frankie + The Studs. They give the guys little black pills that appear to be in the shape of a devil’s head, and soon after ingesting them they start tripping out, with the other party attendees appearing to be zombies with skeletal faces. The guys escape in a car, roaming the nighttime streets of L.A., where they continue to encounter more skeletal demons, and eventually, Antony becomes a zombie himself. The next morning, Liam is shown chilling on a beach, seemingly relieved that last night’s events appear to have been just a nightmare. But then, he sees the she-devil standing nearby, holding an hourglass and shrieking with macabre laughter.
Here’s just the track itself:
While in Los Angeles last March, WINACHI played a gig at the landmark club The Mint, which, other than for a couple of brief closures, has been in almost continuous operation since 1937. I had the pleasure of finally meeting Liam, Antony and Inder, and seeing them perform some of their songs that I love.
As I stated in my previous review, so many artists and bands I follow and have previously written about are releasing new music at a dizzying pace, and I’m doing my best to keep up with as much of it as I possibly can. One of my favorites who I always try to make time for is Malaysian singer-songwriter Lyia Meta, an immensely talented, gracious and lovely recording artist with a powerhouse singing voice. I generally prefer female voices in the deeper ranges, and Lyia’s rich, soulful and smoky vocal style fits the bill quite nicely.
Based in Kuala Lumpur, Lyia’s a multi-faceted artist in a literal sense. She can sing just about anything, and in fact, has recorded songs in a wide range of genres including blues, jazz, pop, country, rock and even metal, bringing her international recognition and acclaim. She’s been nominated for, and won, numerous awards, including Best Overall Female Act at the Voice Independent Music Awards (VIMA) in May 2016, the 2018 Josie World Music Artist Award and 2019 Artist of the Year (multi Genre), Best Music Video for her song “Daylight” at the ACCORD CINE FEST in August 2021, and most recently this past October, 2021 Texas Sound International Country Music Awards for Vocalist of the Year and Virtual Entertainer Of The Year. On top of all that, she’s also a highly accomplished visual artist with several exhibits to her credit. You can check out some of her phenomenal work on her WordPress blog. (She even did a wonderful pencil drawing of me in 2019 as a thank you for my support of her and other indie artists’ music, which was a both a tremendous surprise and an honor.)
A prolific artist, Lyia has released three EPs and more than a dozen singles over the past six years, beginning with her debut EP This is Lyia in 2016. I first learned about her in early 2018 when she reached out to me about her fantastic single “Without Walls”, which I instantly loved and wrote a review of. I’ve written about her numerous times since, most recently last April when I reviewed her soulful track “This One’s For You”. (You can also find some of my other reviews under “Related” at the end of this post.)
Photo by Khahin Meta
Her latest release and third EP, You Think About Me, which dropped January 31st, sees Lyia revealing a sassier, more playful side, with five delicious tracks exploring various aspects of romantic love. While she’s written many of her own songs, Lyia also collaborates with other songwriters and musicians from time to time, not only to broaden her own musical horizons, but also to support other songwriters. The songs for You Think AboutMe were co-written and co-produced by Lyia and Nashville-based musician and producer Bob McGilpin, who also produced and played several instruments on “This One’s For You”. Like a lot of long-distance collaborations these days, the two recorded the EP remotely, with Bob recording the music, as well as engineering, mixing and mastering the tracks, at his studio in Nashville, while Lyia recorded her vocals in Kuala Lumpur.
You Think About Me has a retro R&B feel, with generous helpings of soul, funk and jazz to spice things up. Kicking things off is “Uptown Tonight“, a delightfully upbeat song with an infectious R&B groove, bolstered by a lively blend of exuberant trumpets and jazzy sax. Lyia sings her praises of going out for a night on the town with her man, dressed in their finest clothes and livin’ large, while also expressing gratitude for their good fortune: “I never thought I’d live a life like this. If it’s a dream, don’t wake me up, cause I don’t want to miss going uptown.“
On the soulful “Black High Heels“, Lyia croons of her sexy moves and the spell she casts on her man when she presents in her black high heels: “You can tell by the way I walk, I’m a woman of class and style. I got a swing in my step and a sway in my hip that just drives you wild. You can try but you can’t conceal. Cause I know how to make you feel. Knock you out when I walk out in my black high heels.” I love the song’s sultry groove, with McGilpin’s smooth Wurlitzer, cool sax and funky bass accentuating the torrid vibes. Then there’s Lyia’s sensuous smoky vocals, nicely punctuated by a well-placed sassy little yelp in the final chorus.
“You Think About Me the Way I Think About You” is a sweet, uptempo love song with a bit of an Americana/pop feel, thanks to it’s toe-tapping melody and McGilpin’s pleasing organ riffs. To my ears, it sounds like a song Cher could have sung back in the 70s. The endearing video, filmed in sepia tones, shows Lyia singing to her husband Zack, nicely capturing the lighthearted feel of the song.
Lyia’s powerful vocals really shine on the soulful “A Real Man Can“, where she fervently sings of the things that are most important in a romantic partner, which is a true and meaningful love she can depend upon: “I’ve been told ‘I love you’ more times than just a few. But it doesn’t mean a thing if their heart’s not in it too. I need more than just the words to keep it real. It’s got to come from a deeper place, a place only they can feel. I want the kind of man that puts his woman first. I want the kind of man who holds her when she hurts.” McGilpin’s warm piano and strings, gentle guitar notes and smooth sax create a captivating backdrop for Lyia’s beautiful, emotive vocals.
The EP closes on a high note with the rousing “You Always Come Home to Me“, featuring a catchy head-bopping groove and more of McGilpin’s wonderfully exuberant brass section of trumpet and jazzy sax. Lyia joyfully sings of how badly she misses her man when he’s away, but confident he’ll always be true to her because she keeps him happy in the love department: “But I don’t worry about where you are, or where you might be. Yeah, you always come home to me. Cause I’m not the jealous kind, but I keep my man satisfied.“
You Think About Me is a great little EP that showcases Lyia’s amazing and versatile vocal gifts, as well as Bob McGilpin’s masterful musicianship, arrangement and production skills. Together, they’ve crafted a wonderful collection of songs that make for a fun and enjoyable listen.
Lyia was originally scheduled to attend the Texas Sound International Country Music Awards 2021 event in Jefferson, Texas last October, both to accept her awards and also to promote Malaysia as an ‘attractive destination’ for Americans at two seminars to be given by her and Zack during the music festival. Unfortunately, she was unable to obtain financial support from the Malaysian government to make the trip. The good people of Jefferson raised $5,000 in cash and in-kind contributions, but it wasn’t enough. So, Preston Taylor, Vice President of East Texas Performing Arts Inc, insisted Lyia do a pre-recorded show in Malaysia that would be aired at the event. Here’s a video of their performance:
It’s been a while since my last installment of Fresh New Tracks, and truth be told, I’ve been rather hesitant to do more of these posts, as I suspect a lot of artists don’t appreciate sharing the limelight with others. That said, there’s just so much great music being released nearly every day, and my time to write posts and reviews is limited, so combine them I must.
For my latest installment, I’ve chosen new singles by three of my favorite indie artists, all prolific musicians who possess really beautiful singing voices – Australian singer-songwriter G. Samedi, American singer-songwriter The Frontier, and Canadian-American singer-songwriter Shimmer Johnson. I’ve previously featured each of them on this blog numerous times, and love their new songs so much that I have to share them.
“Rearview” by G. Samedi
Sam looking cool as always
G. Samedi is the music project of Sam Dawes, a remarkably talented and dangerously charismatic singer-songwriter from Sydney, Australia. He’s also lead vocalist and songwriter for the wonderful soul/funk/jazz/pop band Thunder Fox, who I’ve written about several times as well. He has a distinctive soulful and silky vocal style that effortlessly glides from smooth, sultry croons to a plaintive falsetto and back again. Drawing from R&B, soul, trip hop, electronic and alternative rock elements, Sam creates moody and sensuous soundscapes for the expression of his bold lyrics addressing the darker and more introspective aspects of love and relationships. He writes all his own music and lyrics, records and programs all instruments, sings all vocals, and produces and mixes all tracks. The only think he outsources is the mastering.
While still actively involved with Thunder Fox, who will be releasing their second album next month, Sam began recording and producing some of his songs as a solo artist in early 2020. In less than two years, he’s released an astonishing 10 singles, one of which, “Icarus”, I reviewed this past May. His latest is “Rearview”, which dropped October 16th, and it’s another stunning & dreamy track. I love all the colorful instruments and sounds he incorporates into the song, highlighted by sparkling synths, enchanting organ, and a mix of shimmery and gnarly guitar notes. As always, his layered vocals are smooth, sensuous and incredibly emotive.
Jake sharing a moment with his trusty sidekick Atlas
Regular readers of this blog know I’m a huge fan of The Frontier – aka Jake Mimikos, who’s based in Fairfax County, Virginia. Jake is an enormously talented guy with a kindness and sense of humor to match, and I’m quite fond of him both as an artist and human. Since 2015, he’s released an impressive amount of music both as a solo artist and as a band under The Frontier moniker, and we’ve been following each other on social media for nearly that long. Drawing upon elements of pop, folk, rock and electronica, his music is always incredibly pleasing and flawlessly crafted. As with many singer-songwriters, Jake’s songs are often inspired by personal experiences, and deal with love, relationships and loss. He prefers to write lyrics that are honest and straightforward, as if he were having a conversation with a friend. I’ve loved all of his songs, and have featured several on this blog, most recently “Shattered”, which I reviewed this past July. Two of his singles, “Dark Places” (from 2019) and “Can We Go Back” (from earlier this year) reached #1 on my Weekly Top 30, while “Sleep” (released in late 2020) reached #2.
On October 15th, he dropped his latest single “On the Other Side”, a beautiful song with heartfelt lyrics directed at a former romantic partner that’s hurt him, and who he now wants to try and get over: “Gotta get my head right, gotta get you out of my mind. Tell me what it feels like on the other side.” About the song, Jake told the blog Cool Top 20 “The music for this song came to me, oddly enough, when I was creating a video on Tik Tok. At the time, I was just messing around and posting little videos of me playing with my looper pedal. One of the loops I created had this really cool lead part over this simple progression. When I heard it I knew instantly I wanted to develop it a bit more and turn it into a song. You can hear the lead guitar part over most of the song in the background. It’s really simple, but to me it was the coolest thing hearing it come together.” It sounds very cool indeed Jake!
Let’s kick the mood into high gear with a hot new dance-pop song, “Starts with You” by Shimmer Johnson. Originally from Edmonton, Canada and now based in Los Angeles, Shimmer has an incredibly beautiful and resonant singing voice. Her clear, pitch-perfect vocals are strong, but with a raw vulnerability that beautifully conveys the subtle yet powerful emotions expressed in her heartfelt lyrics, enabling us to connect with her songs on a deeply personal level. In addition to her amazing vocal talents, she’s also a fine guitarist and pianist, and has collaborated with several songwriters and producers to create an impressive repertoire of outstanding songs over the past few years. She started out singing Country songs, but eventually transitioned to a more adult contemporary pop sound.
I’ve featured Shimmer several times on this blog, most recently this past June when I reviewed her powerfully moving single “It’s Fate’s Turn”. Her latest single “Starts with You”, released on October 15th, sees her venture into dance-pop, and I absolutely love it! Co-written by Shimmer, her husband Corey, and Ted Perlman, the song features an infectiously upbeat dance groove guaranteed to have even the biggest wallflowers on their feet and swaying their hips. It’s essentially a song of love that starts off with the singer feeling a bit unsure about her new lover’s intentions: “All alone feeling emptiness. She’s leaving. He won’t see me. What I need, I can’t breathe” but ends up with her feeling happy and secure: “He does see me. What I need to be free (Feel this moment). He helps me see all the things I can be.” I love the funky little Nile Rodgers-like guitar riff and Shimmer’s smooth, breezy vocals. It’s a great track that’s already one of my favorites of her many songs, and I’m certain it will be a hit.
Though we’re officially only one week into Summer 2021, it’s already turning out to be an exceptionally hot one for a large swath of the U.S., and around the Northern Hemisphere. Temperature records have been shattered in many locations, including here in the Coachella Valley of Southern California where I live. On June 17th, the temperature in Palm Springs reached 123 degrees, setting a new all-time record high for June (after hitting 120 two days earlier). In the normally temperate Pacific Northwest, Portland, Oregon set a new all-time record high of 108 on June 26th, with Seattle also breaking their all-time record with 102 degrees. Those new records look to be short-lived, as they’re forecast to be broken later today!
(Late update: they were indeed broken on the 27th, as high temperatures reached 112 at the official airport station in Portland, and 104 in Seattle, then broken again on the 28th, with temperatures soaring to an unbelievable 116 in Portland, 117 in Salem and 107 in Seattle!)
These crazy-hot temperatures got me thinking about one of my favorite songs from the 1960s, “Heat Wave” by Martha & the Vandellas. Originally formed as the Del-Phis in 1957 by Annette Beard, Rosalind Ashford and Gloria Williams, (and briefly renamed The Vels in 1961-62), the act was redubbed Martha & the Vandellas in 1962 after Martha Reeves replaced Williams as lead vocalist (and later to Martha Reeves & the Vandellas as Reeves gained prominence). “Heat Wave” (also known as “(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave”) was written by the legendary Motown songwriting team of Brian and Eddie Holland and Lamont Dozier, who also penned numerous hits for the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Four Tops and many others. It was the second hit song they collaborated on with Martha & the Vandellas, following their first hit “Come and Get These Memories”.
“Heat Wave” features a gospel backbeat with jazz overtones, accompanied by Reeves’ brassy doo-wop call and response vocals that came to exemplify the style of music later termed as the “Motown Sound”. The rousing instrumentation was performed by in-house Motown musicians the Funk Brothers. The lyrics compare the intense, burning desires of romantic love to hot temperatures experienced during a heat wave.
Appropriately released in July 1963 – during what is often the hottest part of summer – the single was a breakthrough hit for Martha & the Vandellas, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart. It also earned them a Grammy nomination for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording for 1964, making the Vandellas the first Motown group ever to be nominated for a Grammy Award.
It’s a great song and a timeless classic that’s endured to this day. It was later covered by such artists as Linda Ronstadt (who scored a top five hit with it in 1975), The Jam (in 1979) and Phil Collins (in 2010). The Martha and the Vandellas version was featured in the 1970 film The Boys in the Band, in a scene where several of the characters perform an impromptu line dance to the song. It was also used in the 1976 film Carrie and 1979’s More American Graffiti. And in the 1992 film Sister Act, Whoopi Goldberg sings the song as part of her Vegas nightclub act saluting ’60s girl groups.
My fellow blogger William, who has a terrific blog a1000mistakes, recently did a series of posts about songs beginning with the word “All” (of which there are literally a ton), and it reminded me of one of my favorite songs “All Around the World“, by soulful British singer-songwriter Lisa Stansfield. The gorgeous song was released in the UK in October 1989 as the second single from her marvelous first solo album Affection, both of which were breakthrough hits for her. It was subsequently released in the U.S. in January 1990. The song was a massive worldwide hit, topping the charts in the UK, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Greece, Netherlands, Norway and Spain. In the U.S., it reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 on the R&B and Dance Club charts. Stansfield received two Grammy award nominations for the song and album.
Stansfield co-wrote the song with Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, former bandmates from her previous band Blue Zone. In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, she recalled “I came into the studio, and Ian was messing around at the piano. He had a melody, and I just started singing: ‘Been around the world and I, I, I…’ Everyone laughed but Ian said, ‘Wait, it’s really good, that.’ It just came into my head – it was nonsense, but had a really good feel to it. “I, I, I” became the main hook. We’d no idea how massive it would become.”
The song is both sexy and heartbreaking, with lush, swirling strings and a soulful melody creating a sensual backdrop for Stansfield’s sultry, emotion-packed vocals that cut to the core. She’s an incredible singer, and her vocals are utterly convincing in conveying the torment and pain expressed in the lyrics. She brings goosebumps as she alternately coos, purrs, and cries out over the guilt of hurting her former lover, and now that he’s gone, of her desperate search to find him and hopefully win back his love.
I don’t know where my baby is But I’ll find him, somewhere, somehow I’ve got to let him know how much I care I’ll never give up looking for my baby
Been around the world and I, I, I I can’t find my baby I don’t know when, I don’t know why Why he’s gone away And I don’t know where he can be, my baby But I’m gonna find him
We had a quarrel and I let myself go I said so many things, things he didn’t know And I was oh oh so bad And I don’t think he’s comin’ back, mm mm
He gave the reason, the reasons he should go And he said thing he hadn’t said before And he was oh oh so mad And I don’t think he’s comin’ back, comin’ back
I did too much lyin’ Wasted too much time Now I’m here and cryin’, I, I, I
Been around the world and I, I, I I can’t find my baby I don’t know when, I don’t know why Why he’s gone away And I don’t know where he can be, my baby But I’m gonna find him
So open hearted, he never did me wrong I was the one, the weakest one of all And now I’m oh oh so sad I don’t think he’s comin’ back, comin’ back
I did too much lyin’ Wasted too much time Now I’m here and cryin’, I, I, I
Been around the world and I, I, I I can’t find my baby I don’t know when, I don’t know why Why he’s gone away And I don’t know where he can be, my baby But I’m gonna find him
The song at #29 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Bad Bad News” by American singer-songwriter and producer Leon Bridges. The talented Ft. Worth, Texas-based artist is like a breath of fresh air with his throwback R&B style that echoes some of the great soul singers of the 60s like Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding. It’s a reflection of my advanced age perhaps, but though most of his songs are mellow and low-key, they excite me because they remind me of so many of the artists and music coming out of Detroit (Motown), Memphis and Philadelphia from the early 60s to the mid 70s that I loved.
“Bad Bad News”, from his second album Good Thing, is fantastic, with jazzy guitar, gorgeous brass, crisp percussion and a deep bass groove set to a soulful, hypnotic beat. Add Bridges’ smooth vocals that go from sensual to plaintive, and the result is sonic heaven. He sings about overcoming others’ lack of faith in him, and making it on his street smarts, honesty and belief in himself: “Ain’t got no riches, ain’t got no money that runs long. But I got a heart that’s strong and a love that’s tall. Ain’t got no name, ain’t got no fancy education. But I can see right through, a powdered face on a painted fool./ They tell me I was born to lose. But I made a good good thing out of bad bad news.”
Though none of Bridges’ songs have appeared on the stinking Billboard Hot 100 nor even the R&B chart – which is a shocking travesty! – both of his albums have made the top 10 on the 200 Album chart, and two of his singles, “Smooth Sailin'” and “Bad Bad News” reached #1 on the Adult Alternative Chart. “Bad Bad News” spent three weeks at #1 on my own Weekly Top 30 in early summer of 2018.
The sexy video for the song was directed by Natalie Rae, and shows scenes of a woman following a man who she thinks whistled at her through an empty underground subway station and out into the streets at night, when she suddenly becomes overtaken by the song’s sensual grooves. Scenes of her are interspersed with footage of Bridges walking into an auditorium where he encounters a group of musicians jamming, and he then dances around them as he sings the song. At the end, the woman finally catches up to the man and silently confronts him before walking away.
I’m excited to introduce the delightfully-named electro funk band Neon Tapehead, the very first music act from Russia to be featured on this blog. Drawing inspiration from R&B, soul, funk, electronic, early House and nu disco influences ranging from Rick James, Kool and the Gang, The GAP Band and Whitney Houston to Bruno Mars, Chromeo and Lizzo, the Moscow-based group combine nostalgic elements of old-school analog synthesizers with modern music production techniques to create their own sophisticated style of stylish and upbeat music. Making this wonderful music are Dmitry Ursul on lead guitar and synths, Aleksandr Kovalchuk on drums, Dmitry Votintsev on bass, and Maya Shonia on lead vocals. On November 13, they released “Know What I Want“, the lead single from their forthcoming debut EP Never Say Never, due out on December 4.
Neon Tapehead have spent the last few years honing their craft by releasing a number of terrific singles and remixes, and performing live shows in Moscow, where they were discovered by U.S. independent music label NexGen Music. The band’s first release on the label, “Know What I Want” is about the girl who knows what she wants even if her acts or wishes are illogical or inconsistent. About the song’s creation, the band explains: “This song was written and produced with influences of 80’s Electro Funk and Early 90’s house with a slower tempo. We tried to mix different elements of these styles into the one song. The main meaning behind this song is that you shouldn’t be shy with your wishes or goals. Just ask yourself about what you want right now and then go and get it! Brrr POW!”
“Know What I Want” is a feast for the ears, with a sensual vibe and funky dance groove that aims straight for the hips. The silky smooth synths and crisp percussive beats form a captivating backdrop for Maya’s soulful vocals that seduce us with her sultry croons and devilish purrs. It’s a terrific song that hearkens back to some of the great dance-funk and R&B songs of the 1980s.
The band has produced a beautiful video of them performing the song on a golf course outside Moscow. In most cases, I generally prefer videos that show an artist or band performing their song, rather than some silly narrative or plot line, so this video is right up my alley. The band provides some background about the video’s creation: “The music video was shot on a golf field in the suburbs of Moscow. It took some time and stress to organize the session but we made it happen. We were adamant about wanting to use the open space for a live video. The sound of the video is an actual live recording, so as far as we know we are the first Russian band to have recorded a funk song on a golf field in real-time! We were lucky because the wind had stopped blowing just before we started the recording and shooting, so it was easier to use to mix and master the sound later.”
“The introduction scene including Maya riding the golf car took a lot of takes because it was the first time that Maya had driven a vehicle of any kind – it was not a stand in actor! The trickiest part was to stop the car in the right place in front of the camera and walk to the microphone before the verse starts. We also had to be constantly aware of the Sun’s position which appeared to want to move towards sunset in double-time, so we tried to shoot this video as fast as possible.”
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 