Hall & Oats Behind The Music FULL EPISODE VH1 Documentary

20 February 2012 by Leave a Comment

Hall & Oats Biography from AllMusic.com:

From their first hit in 1974 through their heyday in the ’80s, Daryl Hall and John Oates’ smooth, catchy take on Philly soul brought them enormous commercial success — including six number one singles and six platinum albums — yet little critical success. Hall & Oates’ music was remarkably well constructed and produced; at their best, their songs were filled with strong hooks and melodies that adhered to soul traditions without being a slave to them by incorporating elements of new wave and hard rock.

Daryl Hall began performing professionally while he was a student at Temple University. In 1966, he recorded a single with Kenny Gamble and the Romeos; the group featured Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell, who would all become the architects of Philly soul. During this time, Hall frequently appeared on sessions for Gamble and Huff. In 1967, Hall met John Oates, a fellow Temple University student. Oates was leading his own soul band at the time. The two students realized they had similar tastes and began performing together in an array of R&B and doo wop groups. By 1968, the duo had parted ways, as Oates transferred schools and Hall formed the soft rock band Gulliver; the group released one album on Elektra in the late ’60s before disbanding.

After Gulliver’s breakup, Hall concentrated on session work again, appearing as a backup vocalist for the Stylistics, the Delfonics, and the Intruders, among others. Oates returned to Philadelphia in 1969, and he and Hall began writing folk-oriented songs and performing together. Eventually they came to the attention of Tommy Mottola, who quickly became their manager, securing the duo a contract with Atlantic Records. On their first records — Whole Oates (1972), Abandoned Luncheonette (1973), War Babies (1974) — the duo were establishing their sound, working with producers like Arif Mardin and Todd Rundgren and removing much of their folk influences. At the beginning of 1974, the duo relocated from Philadelphia to New York. During this period, they only managed one hit — the number 60 “She’s Gone” in the spring of 1974.

After they moved to RCA in 1975, the duo landed on its successful mixture of soul, pop, and rock, scoring a Top Ten single with “Sara Smile.” The success of “Sara Smile” prompted the re-release of “She’s Gone,” which rocketed into the Top Ten as well. Released in the summer of 1976, Bigger than the Both of Us was only moderately successful upon its release. The record took off in early 1977, when “Rich Girl” became the duo’s first number one single.

Although they had several minor hits between 1977 and 1980, the albums Hall & Oates released at the end of the decade were not as successful as their mid-’70s records. Nevertheless, they were more adventurous, incorporating more rock elements into their blue-eyed soul. The combination would finally pay off in late 1980, when the duo released the self-produced Voices, the album that marked the beginning of Hall & Oates’ greatest commercial and artistic success. The first single from Voices, a cover of the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” reached number 12, yet it was the second single, “Kiss on My List” that confirmed their commercial potential by becoming the duo’s second number one single; its follow-up, “You Make My Dreams” hit number five. They quickly released Private Eyes in the summer of 1981; the record featured two number one hits, “Private Eyes” and “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do),” as well as the Top Ten hit “Did It in a Minute.” “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” also spent a week at the top of the R&B charts — a rare accomplishment for a white act. H20 followed in 1982 and it proved more successful than their two previous albums, selling over two million copies and launching their biggest hit single, “Maneater,” as well as the Top Ten hits “One on One” and “Family Man.” The following year, the duo released a greatest-hits compilation, Rock ‘N Soul, Pt. 1, that featured two new Top Ten hits — the number two “Say It Isn’t So” and “Adult Education.”

In April of 1984, the Recording Industry Association of America announced that Hall & Oates had surpassed the Everly Brothers as the most successful duo in rock history, earning a total of 19 gold and platinum awards. Released in October of 1984, Big Bam Boom expanded their number of gold and platinum awards, selling over two million copies and launching four Top 40 singles, including the number one “Out of Touch.” Following their contract-fulfilling gold album Live at the Apollo with David Ruffin & Eddie Kendrick, Hall & Oates went on hiatus. After the lukewarm reception for Daryl Hall’s 1986 solo album, Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine, the duo regrouped to release 1988′s Ooh Yeah!, their first record for Arista. The first single, “Everything Your Heart Desires,” went to number three and helped propel the album to platinum status.

However, none of the album’s other singles broke the Top 20, indicating that the era of chart dominance had ended. Change of Season, released in 1990, confirmed that fact. Although the record went gold, it only featured one Top 40 hit — the number 11 single “So Close.” The duo mounted a comeback in 1997 with Marigold Sky, but it was only partially successful; far better was 2003′s Do It for Love and the following year’s soul covers record Our Kind of Soul. The issuing of “greatest-hits” albums reached a fever pitch during the 2000s, with no fewer than 15 different collections seeing the light by 2008. Live records were in proliferation as well, with the A&E Live by Request release Live in Concert hitting stores in 2003, a reissue of their Ecstasy on the Edge 1979 concert (titled simply In Concert this time around) in 2006, and the Live at the Troubadour two-CD/one-DVD set in 2008. As far as proper studio albums go, the 2000s were lean, with only three releases — the aforementioned Do It for Love and Our Kind of Soul, topped off by Home for Christmas in 2006.

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Ray Parker, Jr. Unsung FULL EPISODE TVOne Documentary

20 February 2012 by Leave a Comment

Biography of Ray Parker, Jr. from AllMusic.com:

Guitarist/songwriter/producer Ray Parker Jr. had hits as Raydio (the million-selling “Jack and Jill,” “You Can’t Change That”), Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio (“Two Places at the Same Time,” “A Woman Needs Love [Just Like You Do]“), and Ray Parker Jr. (the number one R&B and pop gold single “Ghostbusters”), and he co-wrote hit songs for Rufus and Chaka Khan (the number one “You Got the Love” from fall 1974) and Barry White (“You See the Trouble with Me” from spring 1976).

Born May 1, 1954, in Detroit, Michigan, Parker started out as a teenaged session guitarist playing on sessions recorded for Holland-Dozier-Holland’s Hot Wax and Invictus Records, whose roster listed Freda Payne, Honey Cone, Chairmen of the Board, 100 Proof Aged in Soul, Laura Lee, and 8th Wonder. He also played behind the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, the Spinners, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and other Motown acts when they appeared at the Twenty Grand Club. In 1972, Wonder called Parker to ask him to play behind him on a tour that he was doing with the Rolling Stones. Parker thought it was a crank call and hung up the phone. Wonder called back and convinced Parker that he was the real deal by singing “Superstition” to him.

Later, Parker played on Wonder’s albums Talking Book (1972) and Innervisions (1973). Moving from Detroit to Los Angeles, Parker got into session work, playing on sides by Leon Haywood, Barry White, and arranger Gene Page and working with Motown producer Clarence Paul on Ronnie McNeir’s 1976 Motown debut, Love’s Comin’ Down, and he appeared in the picnic scene in the Bill Cosby/Sidney Poitier comedy classic Uptown Saturday Night.

Deciding to become a recording artist, Parker got a deal with Arista Records in 1977. Not confident on his singing ability, he put together a band that included vocalist Arnell Carmichael, bassist/singer Jerry Knight (who later had his own solo hit with “Overnight Sensation” and as half of Ollie & Jerry, and co-produced hits by the Jets), guitarist Charles Fearing, Larry Tolbert, and Darren Carmichael. However, on record, Parker played most, if not all of the instruments — although Arnell et al. were paid a retainer so they’d be available if Raydio had a hit record and needed to tour.

His first LP, Raydio, went gold, peaking at number eight R&B in spring 1978. The LP included the number five gold R&B hit single “Jack and Jill” (lead vocal by Jerry Knight), “Is This a Love Thing,” and the charting single “Honey I’m Rich.” The hits continued with Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio’s number four gold Rock On (the single “You Can’t Change That” was number three R&B, number nine pop in the spring of 1979); the number six gold R&B Two Places at the Same Time from spring 1980 (“Two Places at the Same Time” was number six R&B in spring 1980); and the number one gold record A Woman Needs Love from 1981 (“A Woman Needs Love [Just Like You Do]” — the first song Parker sang all the way through without trading vocals — held the number one R&B spot for two weeks and went number four pop in spring 1981). Then, the Ray Parker Jr. album The Other Woman held the number one R&B, number 11 pop spot in spring 1982 (“The Other Woman” was number two R&B for four weeks).

One of Parker’s biggest hits and best-loved songs, “Ghostbusters” was initially submitted for the background score of the Dan Aykroyd/Harold Ramis/Bill Murray/Ernie Hudson comedy. Director Ivan Reitman thought that the song should be released as a single. The “Ghostbusters” music video is one of the funniest and most star-studded videos ever made (breakdancing Bill Murray style). “Ghostbusters” parked at the number one R&B spot for two weeks and the number one pop for three weeks on Billboard’s charts in summer 1984. Around this time, Huey Lewis sued Columbia Pictures and Ray Parker Jr. for copyright infringement, claiming that “Ghostbusters” was a ripoff of his recent hit, “I Want a New Drug.” Lewis received an out-of-court settlement.

Parker also wrote and produced hits for New Edition (“Mr. Telephone Man” — Parker originally recorded this with Jr. Tucker for his 1983 self-titled Geffen album), Randy Hall (“I’ve Been Watching You [Jamie's Girl],” the refreshing “Gentleman”), Cheryl Lynn (“Shake It Up Tonight” from In the Night), Deniece Williams (the 1979 ARC/Columbia LP When Love Comes Calling), Brick (the 1981 Bang LP Summer Heat), and Diana Ross (“Upfront” from her 1983 RCA LP Ross).

Parker left Arista for Geffen and then MCA before returning to Arista because of his relationship with Arista president Clive Davis.

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Robert Glasper Experiment + Chrisette Michele, DJ ?uestlove and Lalah Hathaway Live at the Highline Ballroom in New York City on February 28, 2012

9 February 2012 by Leave a Comment


Kudos to our friends over at GiantStep for this really awesome show. Here are the details:

On February 28th, Giant Step presents Robert Glasper Experiment’s Black Radio album release show with special guests Chrisette Michele, DJ ?uestlove, Lalah Hathaway and more surprises to be revealed, at Highline Ballroom, NYC.

The first full-length album from the Grammy-nominated keyboardist’s electric Experiment band, Black Radio features many of Glasper’s famous friends, including Erykah Badu, yasiin bey, Bilal, Lupe Fiasco, Lalah Hathaway, Shafiq Husayn (Sa-Ra), KING, Ledisi, Chrisette Michele, Musiq Soulchild, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Stokley Williams (of Mint Condition). Robert Glasper is on his US tour now through April.

Robert Glasper Experiment with Special Surprise Guests
Tuesday, Feb 28th
Highline Ballroom, 431 W. 16th St.
Doors at 7 PM / Show at 9 PM

ROBERT GLASPER’S US TOUR
2/9 – Olin Arts Center, Lewiston, ME *
2/10 – Jazz Bistro, St. Louis, MO *
2/11 – Jazz Bistro, St. Louis, MO *
2/16 – Mansion at Strathmore, Bethesda, MD (solo)
2/17 – Yardbird Suite, Edmonton, AB ≈
2/19 – West End Cultural Center, Winnipeg, MB ≈
2/23 – Black Box Theater, Baton Rouge, LA ≈
2/24 – Montreal Highlights Festival, Montreal, QB ≈
2/27 – WNYC Soundcheck, New York, NY ≈ (with Bilal)
2/28 – Highline Ballroom, New York, NY ≈ (with guests)
2/29 – CBS Late Show With David Letterman, New York, NY
≈ (with Lupe Fiasco & Bilal)
3/1 – World Café Live, Philadelphia, PA ≈
3/2 – Kessler Theater, Dallas, TX ≈
3/3 – Red Cat, Houston, TX ≈
3/4 – Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA ≈ (with Chrisette Michele)
3/6 – Regatta Bar, Boston, MA ≈
3/8 – Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH ≈
3/9 – Charles H. Wright Museum, Detroit, MI ≈
3/10 – Double Door, Chicago, IL ≈
3/11 – Minglewood Hall, Memphis, TN ≈
3/17 – The New Parish, Oakland, CA ≈ (with Bilal)
3/18 – Brick & Mortar, San Francisco, CA ≈ (with Bilal)
3/20 – Anthology, San Diego, CA ≈ (with Bilal)
3/22 – The Exchange, Los Angeles, CA ≈ (with Bilal)
3/23 – Neumos, Seattle, WA ≈ (with Bilal)
3/30 – Casbah Durham @ Duke Performances, Durham, NC *
3/31 – Casbah Durham @ Duke Performances, Durham, NC *
4/3 – Warner Theatre, Washington, DC ≈

* = with Robert Glasper Trio
≈ = with Robert Glasper Experiment

Buy tickets here.

Here are some of our favorite Robert Glasper cuts:

Everything in its Right Place (Radiohead cover)

Ah Yea featuring Chrisette Michelle and Musiq Soulchild

With Mos Def – Umi Says with Lupe Fiasco and Kanye West

Afro Blue featuring Erykah Badu

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Pharoahe Monch featuring Jill Sscott “Still Standing” Video Premiere + Behind the Scenes Footage

9 February 2012 by Leave a Comment

This video premiere comes to us courtesy of fellow soulhead and renaissance man Shawn Peters, who is the owner of Soul Rebel Music, home of rock soul singer Martin Luther. We are very pleased to bring you this truly inspired and visually stunning piece of work from two of our favorite artists. Kudos to everyone involved!

Pharoahe Monch ‘W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)’ is out now through W.A.R. Media / Duck Down Music.

Here is some new behind the scenes footage from the NodFactor.com:


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Millie Jackson Unsung FULL EPISODE TVOne Documentary

7 February 2012 by Leave a Comment


Biography of Millie Jackson from AllMusic.com:

Millie Jackson’s first taste of singing in front of an audience occurred one night at the famed nightclub Smalls Paradise. Sitting in the audience with friends, Jackson heckled the lady onstage and, when dared to do better, she stepped up to belt Ben E. King’s “Don’t Play It No More.” Jackson was hired for another gig within two weeks, but didn’t get paid. A gentleman by the name of Tony Rice took her to a venue in Hoboken, NJ, a couple of weeks later and then on to Brooklyn, NY, to perform for a nominal fee.

Born in Thompson, GA, Jackson lived with her grandmother prior to moving to Newark, NJ, to live with her father in 1958. She grew up influenced by the sounds of Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and later, the O’Jays. Her first single to chart was 1971′s deceptively titled “A Child of God (It’s Hard to Believe),” which many thought was a gospel track. Due to its heated lyrical content, the single was canceled, but still managed to peak at number 22 on the R&B charts. In the spring of 1972, Jackson had her first R&B Top Ten single with “Ask Me What You Want.” She kept busy performing in nightclubs and enjoyed her second consecutive Top Ten single with “My Man, A Sweet Man” in August of 1972; it peaked at number seven. (Ironically, the song was not one of Jackson’s favorites.) A year later, Jackson, whose vocal texture is similar to one of her idols, Gladys Knight, had her third Top Ten single with the moderately paced “Hurts So Good,” which peaked at number three on the R&B charts and made the pop Top 40. The single bore the title of her album and was also featured on the movie soundtrack for Cleopatra Jones. Jackson produced the album with Brad Shapiro. However, she was only given credit for the album concept. In Jackson’s own words, “…that’s when they (label owners) met the real Millie Jackson.” Thereafter, she was given credit for her efforts.

In January of 1975, Jackson released the album that would introduce what would later become her trademark rap style of racy, raunchy language; her audience loved it. The album was Caught Up and the featured release was “If Loving You Is Wrong I Don’t Want to Be Right,” for which she received two Grammy nominations. Jackson openly admits that she never had singing lessons and never thought she could sing. Consequently, she began to talk (or what was commonly known at the time as rap) on her songs in a blunt, candid manner to make up for the shortcoming and had her fourth Top Ten single with country singer Merle Haggard’s “If You’re Not Back in Love by Monday” (Billboard country charts number two). Jackson’s version peaked at number five on the R&B charts. Over the next ten years, Jackson had numerous Top 100 singles for Spring Records. In 1986, she signed with Jive and released her fifth and sixth Top Ten singles in “Hot! Wild! Unrestricted! Crazy Love” and “Love Is a Dangerous Game, both respectively peaking at number nine and six on the R&B charts. In addition to her impressive music career, Jackson wrote the play Young Man, Older Woman; the play toured for four years. Her attention, though, has turned to the broadcast booth as a radio program host on the afternoon radio show in Dallas, TX. According to Billboard, Jackson is one of the top R&B acts to ever record or step onto a stage and is still giving her fans what they want as a radio host and a performer.

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Soul Train Flash Mob Recap – Don Cornelius tribute in New York’s Times Square February 4, 2012 [VIDEO]

5 February 2012 by 3 Comments

What a fitting tribute it was to see hoards of afro wearing, bell bottom sporting lovers of soul music and the legacy of Don Cornelius.  As planned, at 4:00pm, the theme to Soul Train began playing and 2 long lines of revelers began the funky procession.  The crowd was a who’s who of New York’s music and cultural communities including Nelson George and dream hampton among many others. It was truly a site to see.  Over the weekend, more and more love has been shown to the music and cultural icon who died recently.  Congrats to DJ Jon Quick and all of the organizers who pulled this together! We are once again reminded of the incredible power of the internet and community when used for the right purposes.  Kudos fellow soulheads!

More Video:

Check out these photos from MSNBC:




We are so excited and happy to see such a show of support and love for this great man, whose contributions changed not on the music landscape but the social one as well.

R.I.P. Don Cornelius

Wishing you everlasting Love, Peace, and SOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUL!!!

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Freddie Jackson Unsung FULL EPISODE TVOne Documentary

2 February 2012 by Leave a Comment


Biography of Freddie Jackson from AllMusic.com:

Freddie Jackson To urban contemporary listeners, Freddie Jackson was one of the biggest stars of the latter half of the ’80s, dominating the R&B charts seemingly at will. Jackson’s forte was sophisticated, romantic soul ballads aimed at adult audiences, but he was also capable of tackling urban contemporary dance fare and even the occasional jazz tune. Yet unlike many of his peers — Luther Vandross, Anita Baker, Peabo Bryson, etc. — Jackson never managed to cross over to the pop charts, where none of his R&B smashes even breached the Top Ten. As new trends like hip-hop altered the urban contemporary landscape, Jackson gradually faded from view during the ’90s.

Jackson was born October 2, 1956, in Harlem, and like so many soul stars, he was trained as a gospel singer from an early age, singing at the White Rock Baptist Church. There he met Paul Laurence, who would later become his producer and songwriting partner. After completing school, Jackson joined Laurence’s group LJE (Laurence-Jones Ensemble) and played the New York club scene. During the early ’80s, Jackson moved to the West Coast and sang lead with the R&B band Mystic Merlin, but soon returned to New York to work with Laurence at the Hush Productions company. He sang on demo recordings of Laurence’s compositions, and also served as a backup singer for Melba Moore after she caught his nightclub act.

In 1985, Jackson landed a record deal with Capitol and issued his debut album, Rock Me Tonight. The Laurence-penned title track stormed the R&B charts, spending a whopping six weeks at number one, and made Jackson an instant sensation on urban contemporary radio. “You Are My Lady” gave him a second straight R&B chart-topper, and also proved to be his highest-charting single on the pop side, peaking at number 13. With “He’ll Never Love You (Like I Do)” and “Love Is Just a Touch Away” also hitting the R&B Top Ten, Rock Me Tonight topped the R&B album charts and went platinum. Jackson wasted no time issuing a follow-up set; Just Like the First Time appeared in 1986 on the heels of a number one R&B duet with Melba Moore, “A Little Bit More” (from her album A Lot of Love). Another platinum-seller, Just Like the First Time continued Jackson’s incredible dominance of the R&B singles charts; “Tasty Love,” “Have You Ever Loved Somebody,” and “Jam Tonight” all hit number one, while “I Don’t Want to Lose Your Love” went to number two.

The pace of Jackson’s success slowed to less superhuman levels with the 1988 release of Don’t Let Love Slip Away, which nonetheless featured another R&B chart-topper in “Hey Lover,” plus further hits in “Nice and Slow” and “Crazy (For Me).” The title track of 1990′s Do Me Again duplicated that feat, and “Main Course” just missed, topping out at number two. Even so, Jackson’s early placings in the lower reaches of the pop Top 40 had long since disappeared, and some critics charged that his albums were growing too similar to one another. Perhaps it was a lack of distinctiveness in his material that hurt Jackson’s chances for a pop breakthrough; whatever the case, 1992′s Time for Love failed to duplicate the crossover success Luther Vandross was belatedly enjoying, despite a hit cover of the soul classic “Me and Mrs. Jones.”

Seeking a new beginning, Jackson parted ways with Capitol in late 1993, and signed with RCA. His label debut, Here It Is, appeared the following year, with diminished commercial returns — in part because his straightforwardly romantic ballad style was increasingly out of step with the sexually explicit new breed of R&B crooner. Following a Christmas album, Jackson recorded Private Party (1995) for Scotti Brothers; its biggest single, “Rub Up Against You,” reached the Top 25 of the R&B chart. From then on, Jackson recorded independent albums with a modest level of commercial success. These releases included Life After 30 (number 81 R&B, 1999), It’s Your Move (number 45 R&B, 2004), the covers set Personal Reflections (did not chart, 2005), Transitions (number 26 R&B, 2006), and For You (2010).

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Full Force Unsung FULL EPISODE TVOne Documentary (incl. 1 of Don Cornelius’ last Interviews)

1 February 2012 by Leave a Comment

Full Force was one of the most underrated groups of the 80s and even into the 90s. These muscle bound harmonious cats with the juiciest curls from NYC put it down with a string of ballads and club bangers unrivaled by most. Check this full ep including some of the last footage of the late Don Cornelius.

Biography of Full Force from AllMusic.com:

Full Force rose to prominence in the mid-’80s, writing and producing popular R&B hits for Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam before embarking on a moderately successful solo career that ultimately led them back to production work in the late ’90s. The six-man collective — featuring Paul Anthony, Bowlegged Lou, B-Fine, Baby Gerry, Shy Shy, and Curt-t-t — originated in Brooklyn, NY, where they originally met up with Steve Salem in the late ’70s, a business-savvy individual who functioned as their manager. With a manager in place and plenty of talent between the various group members, Full Force struggled throughout the early ’80s to find a label willing to sign them. Eventually they got a break when they wrote and produced fellow Brooklyn group U.T.F.O.’s “Roxanne Roxanne,” a rap song that would attain a certain level of fame thanks to a series of answer records. In early 1985, the single peaked at number ten on Billboard’s R&B charts, proving a substantial hit for both the rap group and the production team. From there, Full Force moved onto their next major success with Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, a dance-pop group led by a 16-year-old singer named Lisa Velez. Originally Velez had auditioned for the production team, who then went ahead and recorded “I Wonder if I Take You Home” with her, releasing the single under the moniker Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam With Full Force on an indie New York label, Personal. The song scored success initially overseas before eventually being released by Columbia in the U.S. after getting immense play in New York clubs as an import single. Almost overnight, the song topped Billboard’s dance chart and went on to peak at number six on the R&B chart by summer 1985. Thanks to the momentum surrounding the hit single, Full Force signed a deal with Columbia to release solo material. Though they scored some minor R&B hits on their own (“Temporary Love Thing,” “Unfaithful So Much,” “All in My Mind”), their biggest success continued to be as a production team for Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam (“All Cried Out,” “Head to Toe,” “Lost in Emotion”). In 1988, Full Force produced James Brown’s I’m Real, scoring a substantial hit for the struggling legend with the album’s title track, and worked with a number of late-’80s dance-pop stars: Jasmine Guy, Cheryl Pepsii Riley, and Samantha Fox, among others. Throughout the early and mid-’90s, the production team remained relatively quiet before again churning out a number of late-’90s R&B-flavored pop hits with Selena, Backstreet Boys, and LFO, among others.


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Concert Review: Lenny Kravitz and Raphael Saadiq at Radio City Music Hall January 28, 2012 + Full Concert Stream

31 January 2012 by Leave a Comment

Headliner: Lenny Kravitz
Supporting Act:  Rafael Saadiq
Venue: Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY
Date:  January 28, 2012
Words: Jay Fingers
Photos: Ron Worthy
 
They say there’s no church in the wild, but last night saw a musical revival of the highest order.  (Sold out) Service was led by rock god Lenny Kravitz, along with Raphael Saadiq, at a sold-out show at the legendary Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The congregation was a mélange of hip baby boomers, wonderstruck tourists, feisty tweens, and, of course, soul sistas and brothas. Even celebrities like Denzel Washington and Kravitz’s daughter Zoe came to worship at the altar of rock.

The combined energies of the performers and the audience resulted in a show that rivaled even the most moving religious experience. If you’ve never seen either performers in concert before, here’s what went down.

Though he was armed with a glittering blue guitar and backed by super-talented musicians, opening act Raphael Saadiq tempered his usual stage theatrics and gave straightforward performances of his more recent material. He started with the soulful “Good Man”, then bounced into the funky “Heart Attack” before moving onto the rockabilly swing of the Little Richard-inspired “Radio.”

“Last night, I was in Boston,” he said. Naturally, the crowd responded with boos and jeers. “But tonight,” he continued, “I’m in New York. Stand up, New York! Where you at?”

The crowd stood and launched into a soul clap as Saadiq and three members of his band, including the heavyset, dark-suited keyboardist, performed a bit of Motown-era choreography that brought the house down.

“I don’t know about you,” Saadiq said, breathless, “but I need some sex!”

From there, the mood changed as the band began playing a funky, horn-heavy groove as the spotlight shone full beam on the singer, casting him in an almost divine light.

Saadiq then introduced his guitar player, a man he affectionately called Mr. 20/20. With his shades, scruffy beard, and ball cap, Mr. 20/20 looked like he belonged in the stands at a NASCAR race as opposed to being onstage with this crew of funk enthusiasts. But none of that mattered once he started playing a lengthy blues tune worthy of any Mississippi juke joint.

The audience got loose to “Stone Rollin’,” an homage to the funk rock of Sly and the Family Stone, and then got downright romantic to “Skyy, Can You Feel Me,” a sultry jam from Saadiq’s first solo album. He then closed his set with a rousing cover of The 5th Dimension’s “Let the Sunshine In.”

After a brief intermission, the house lights darkened and the crowd, pregnant with anticipation, began to go wild. As the powerful guitar riffs of “Come On Get it” filled the auditorium, the cluster of pyramidal light structures that were part of the set design began flashing in syncopation. Lenny Kravitz was finally on stage, and the crowd couldn’t have been any more excited. Church was in definitely full swing.

Without pause, Kravitz and his eclectic circus of bandmates followed with the funk rock of “Always On The Run” as images of sexy, undulating women were projected on the huge triangular screen at the rear of the stage. The next jam was “American Woman,” the first of many songs in which Kravitz went head-to-head with Afroed guitarist Craig Ross. As expected, the audience ate it all up.

Kravitz thanked the audience for welcoming him “back to the U.S.” after he’d been living and touring abroad the past year. “I’m back in New York City, my hometown,” he said. “Bed Stuy! Brooklyn!” He said he was glad to be performing at Radio City, and shared an funny yet emotional story of how his grandmother would dress him in a wool suit (“itchy as a motherfucker,” Kravitz joked) to see shows at the historic venue in which he was now performing.

The next number was the soulful torch song “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over,” and was dedicated to “those who still believe in love.” As evidenced by the number of couples dancing and making out in their seats, there’s quite a few people who do still believe.

Frenetic images of New York City flashed onscreen as Kravitz performed “Mr. Cab Driver,” which was followed by a beautiful and solemn trumpet solo from Ludwig Lewis. When Kravitz sang the title track from his latest album Black and White America, the song’s uplifting lyrics were emblazoned on the screen along with some old family photographs. “That’s my story,” Kravitz told the crowd.

Bassist Gail Ann Dorsey provided heft for the next song, “Fields of Joy,” then the band launched into another unabashed love song, “Stand By My Woman.” As if those in attendance weren’t devout enough, the next song found Kravitz on his acoustic guitar, instructing his disciples to “Believe.”

The high-octane “Stand” came next and propelled those few sitting down to their feet. It was a song I did not care for in my previous review of Kravitz’s latest album but it certainly a crowd-pleaser — even I clapped along. It was followed by the frenetic, uptempo, Led Zep-ish “Rock and Roll is Dead” and the New Wave punk of “Rock Star City Life,” oddly, another song I didn’t like initially but proved to be much better live.

Kravitz’s performance of “Where Are We Runnin’” erupted into a muscular jam session, one that culminated with a cacophonous horn-heavy denouement. The audience, still riding their collective musical high, helped Kravitz sing the verses to his mega-hit “Fly Away.”

 

Finally, the band played Kravitz’s funky, signature hit “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” and the singer’s larger-than-life visage appeared on the large screen, captivating the audience. At the song’s climax, Kravitz raised his fist and eyes skyward and mouthed, “Thank you.”

The lights went out once again, and the crowd endured the darkness, clapping, cheering, begging Kravitz to return to the stage for an encore. The prayers were answered: a single light shone down on the microphone stand and Kravitz walked out to face his fans once more. He thanked the crowd for coming out, for making this “homecoming” show a special one, and was seemingly on the verge of tears as he sat on the edge of the stage and, accompanied by Ross, sang an acoustic version of “Push.”

Kravitz then turned to someone offstage. “How much time we got?” he asked. “Ten minutes? Better make this quick. I’ve got to respect my union brothers.” He introduced the members of his band, then got some good news via his earpiece.

“Oh, now I’ve got fifteen minutes? The union angels are looking down on me,” he said, winking at the audience.

Kravitz gave props to John Lennon and professed a bit of despair over the state of contemporary music, saying, “I remember when music used to mean something.” He then led the crowd in an extended rendition of “Let Love Rule.” It was all very sweet, actually, to see such a disparate group of people sing, in harmony, of harmony.

And in what was probably the biggest rock star moment in a night full of them, Kravitz ran out into the audience, into one of the rows, stood on a seat, and raised his fist in the air.

“You’ve got to believe,” Kravitz had said earlier in the evening. If there were any non-believers in the house, they surely converted last night. Kravitz’s words, and music, were gospel.

Hallelujah.

Concert Videos:

Rafael Saadiq Setlist

“Heart Attack”

“Radio”

“Stone Rollin”

“Let the Sunshine In”

 

Lenny Kravitz Setlist

“Come on and Get It”

“American Woman”

“It Aint Over Till It’s Over”

“Trumpet Solo Intro to Black and White in America”

“Black and White In America”

“Believe”

“Stand”

“Rock Star City Life”

“Fly Away”

“Push”

“Let Love Rule”


 
 

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Olivia – “Walk Away” (Music Video)

30 January 2012 by Leave a Comment

<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/3vHbL2PPz-A” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

Check out “Walk Away,” the brand new video from R&B songstress Olivia.

The Love & Hip-Hop star has been working on her sophomore album, Show the World, which includes “Walk Away” and will be released independently later this year.

The video for “Walk Away” was directed by Alastair “Gee-Lock” Christopher and features choreography by Jennifer Archibald.

What are your thoughts on “Walk Away”? Let us know in the comments below!

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President Obama Sings Al Green’s Record Sales Through the Roof

27 January 2012 by 1 Comment

from The Huffington Post:

Who knew the President would be a one-man stimulus package for the music industry?

A day after President Obama sang a bit of Al Green’s classic “Let’s Stay Together” from the podium at a January 19th fundraising event in Harlem, videos of the crooner-in-chief went viral on YouTube, racking up millions of views.

But it wasn’t just Obama’s version of the song that the web’s music fans sought out: according to Nielsen (via The Hollywood Reporter), digital download sales for Green’s version of the song jumped up 490% in the period ending on January 22nd.

With 16,000 downloads, the song had its most successful online sales week since Nielsen began keeping track of web transactions in 2003. It’s good news for Green’s wallet, just as the President’s cover was music to his ears.

“He nailed it,” Green told TMZ, praising Obama’s rendition. In fact, the singer was just “thrilled that the president even mentioned my name.”

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Bob Marley & The Wailers Live at Harvard University 7-21-79 Live Full Show

22 January 2012 by Leave a Comment

On July 21, 1979 Bob Marley and The Wailers, Dick Gregory, Olatunji, Eddie Palmieri, Jabula, the art of Black Dance and Patti Labelle came to Harvard Stadium in Boston for a concert to benefit the on-going struggles in Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa. The concert was called AMANDLA.: Festival of Unity. A benefit Concert for Relief and Humanitarian Aid to Southern Africa. 25 years later in making this video of the performance of Bob Marley and the Wailers, we celebrate the triumph of these liberation struggles of the people of Southern Africa for equality, dignity and self determination. This videotape is dedicated in memory of Bob Marley singer of songs of freedom and in memory of Kwame Olatunji who was responsible for recording this historic event

This is a sound board mix directly from the board (which means that what ever adjustments the sound man makes for the sound going through the PA speakers is what you get on your recording). If it was a patch from the soundboard, it has its own mix separate from the house mix (which means the sound man adjustments are for the recording not the PA system, usually the mix is more balanced if the sound person has time to set this for the line out signal). Therefore these are the flaws on this recording In the beginning the bass was a little low. So from “No Woman No Cry” to the end of the show the sound engineer makes a change and adds more bass on the board feed.This is why you here a difference in sound. Unfortunately, the bass is a little to high on these 2 songs but then adjusted lower on the rest

Set List:
Announcer Intro. for Dick Gregory
Dick Gregory Speech then he Introduces Bob Marley
Positive Vibration
Slave Driver
Them Belly Full
Runnin Away
Crazy Baldhead
The Heathen
War
No More Trouble
Lively Up Yourself
No Woman No Cry
Jammin
Get Up Stand Up
Exodus

Encore Appluase:
Zimbabwe
Wake Up & Live
Band Intros by Junior Marvin
- 1st performance of these 2 new songs. also during these 2 new songs bob marley made several short speeches which was unusual for bob

Band Members
Bob Marley – rhythm guitar & vocals

The Wailers
Carlton Barrett – drums
Aston “Family Man Barrett – bass
Junior Marvin – guitar
Al Anderson – lead guitar
Tyrone Downie – keyboards
Earl “Wya”Lindo – organ & clavinet
Alvin “Seeco” Patterson – percussion

I Threes
Rita Marley – backing vocals
Judy Mowatt – backing vocals
Marcia Griffiths – backing vocals

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“The MC: Why We Do It” FULL Documentary

22 January 2012 by Leave a Comment

“The MC: Why We Do It” explores the art of the MC from the unique point of view of todays top rap artists.

Director: Peter Spirer
Writers: Iain Kennedy, Peter Spirer
Stars: KRS-One, 50 Cent and Common

Summary:
The MC started out as a mere introducer of musical acts, but when DJs began spinning tracks at block parties in the Bronx in the late 1970s, the MC began to rap along to the beats, emerging as the focal point of a new music form. The film not only explores the origins of MC’ing, but the environmental, spiritual and moral aspects to this art form. As Hip Hop turns 25 years old, MC’s consider the past, present and future of their music, giving a unique insight into what drives these artists to continue spitting rhymes.

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Ice Cube Behind The Music FULL EPISODE VH1 Documentary

21 January 2012 by Leave a Comment

Ice Cube Biography From AllMusic.com:

Ice Cube was the first member of the seminal California rap group N.W.A. to leave, and he quickly established himself as one of hip-hop’s best and most controversial artists. From the outset of his career, he courted controversy, since his rhymes were profane and political. As a solo artist, his politics and social commentary sharpened substantially, and his first two records, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted and Death Certificate, were equally praised and reviled for their lyrical stance, which happened to be considerably more articulate than many of his gangsta peers. As his career progressed, Cube’s influence began to decline, particularly as he tried to incorporate elements of contemporary groups like Cypress Hill into his sound, but his stature never diminished, and he remained one of the biggest rap stars throughout the ’90s.

For such a revolutionary figure, Cube (born O’Shea Jackson) came from a surprisingly straight background. Raised in South Central Los Angeles, where both of his parents had jobs at UCLA, Cube didn’t become involved with b-boy culture until his late teens. He began writing raps while in high school, including “Boyz-n-the Hood.” With his partner Sir Jinx, Cube began rapping in a duo called CIA at parties hosted by Dr. Dre, and he eventually met Eazy-E, then leading a group called HBO, through Dre. Eazy asked Cube to write a rap, and he presented them with “Boyz-n-the Hood,” which was rejected. Eazy decided to leave CIA, and he, Cube, and Dre formed the first incarnation of N.W.A. Cube left to study architectural drafting at Phoenix, AZ, in 1987, returning the following year after he obtained a one-year degree. He arrived just in time for N.W.A.’s breakthrough album, Straight Outta Compton. Released late in 1988, Straight Outta Compton became an underground hit over the course of 1989, and its extreme lyrical content — which was over-the-top both lyrically and politically — attracted criticism, most notably from the FBI.

N.W.A. may have been rivaling Public Enemy as the most notorious group in hip-hop, but Cube was having deep conflicts with their management, resulting in him leaving the band in late 1989. He went to New York with his new posse, da Lench Mob, and recorded his first solo album with Public Enemy’s production team, the Bomb Squad. Released in the spring of 1990, his debut AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted was an instant hit, going gold within its first two weeks of release. While the record’s production and Cube’s rhythmic skills were praised, his often violent, homophobic, and misogynist lyrics were criticized, particularly by the rock press and moral watchdogs. Even amid such controversy, the album was hailed as a groundbreaking classic within hip-hop, and it established Cube as an individual force. He began his own corporation, which was run by a woman, and he produced the debut album from his female protégée, Yo-Yo. At the end of 1990, he released the EP Kill at Will, which was followed in the spring by Yo-Yo’s debut, Make Way for the Motherlode. That summer, his acting debut in John Singleton’s acclaimed urban drama Boyz ‘n the Hood was widely praised.

AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted may have been controversial, but it paled next the furor surrounding Cube’s second album, Death Certificate. Released late in 1991, Death Certificate was simultaneously more political and vulgar than its predecessor, causing more outrage. In particular, “No Vaseline,” a vicious attack on N.W.A. manager Jerry Heller, was perceived as anti-Semitic, and “Black Korea” was taken as a racist invocation to burn down all Korean-owned grocery stores. The songs provoked a public condemnation from the trade publication Billboard. It was the first time an artist had been singled out by the magazine. The furor over Death Certificate didn’t prevent it from reaching number two and going platinum. During 1992, he toured with the second Lollapalooza tour in a successful attempt to consolidate his white rock audience. He also converted to the Nation of Islam during 1992, which was evident on his next album, The Predator. Upon its release in December of 1992, The Predator became the first album to debut at number one on both the pop and R&B charts. The steady-rolling single “It Was a Good Day” and the Das EFX collaboration “Check Yo Self” made the album Cube’s most popular.

However, Cube’s hold on the mass rap audience was beginning to slip. His former colleague, Dre, was dominating hip-hop with his stoned G-funk, and Cube tried to keep pace with 1993′s Lethal Injection. While the album debuted at number five and went platinum, its funkier sound wasn’t well-received. Lethal Injection was Cube’s last official album for several years. In 1994, he wrote and produced da Lench Mob’s debut, Guerillas in tha Mist, and produced Kam’s debut, Neva Again, releasing a remix and rarities collection Bootlegs & B-Sides at the end of the year. In 1995, he kept quiet, appearing in Singleton’s film Higher Learning and making amends with Dre on their duet “Natural Born Killaz.” The following year, he acted in the comedy Friday, which he wrote himself. He also formed Westside Connection with Mack 10 and WC, releasing their debut album, Bow Down, at the end of the year. It went gold within its first month of release. In the spring of 1997, Cube starred in the surprise hit horror film Anaconda. War & Peace, Vol. 1 (The War Disc) followed in 1998; its sequel, The Peace Disc, followed two years later.

Cube spent the next few years devoting his time to film. Three Kings, Ghosts of Mars, and the big hit Barbershop all appeared in theaters before the rapper returned to music with Westside Connection’s sophomore effort, Terrorist Threats, which appeared in 2003. Three years later he revived his barely used Lench Mobb label for his solo comeback album, Laugh Now, Cry Later. In the Movies, a compilation of soundtrack cuts, was put together for a 2007 release. A year later he returned with Raw Footage, an album filled with Cube’s observations on politics along with the single “I Got My Locs On” featuring special guest Young Jeezy. His 2010 effort I Am the West was a family affair, with his sons Doughboy and OMG making guest appearances.

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Teddy Pendergrass Behind The Music FULL EPISODE VH1 Documentary

20 January 2012 by Leave a Comment

Teddy Pendergrass Biography From AllMusic.com:

Teddy Pendergrass started singing gospel music in Philadelphia churches, becoming an ordained minister at ten years old. While attending public school, he sang in the citywide McIntyre Elementary School Choir and in the All-City Stetson Junior High School Choir. A self-taught drummer, Pendergrass had a teen pop vocal group when he was 15. By his late teens, Pendergrass was a drummer for local vocal group the Cadillacs.

In the late ’60s, the Cadillacs merged with another more established group, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. In 1970, when the Blue Notes broke up, Melvin, now aware of Pendergrass’ vocal prowess, asked him to take the lead singer spot. It’s no secret that Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff wanted Marvin Junior of the Dells for their Philadelphia International Records roster. Since the Dells were signed to Chess, they were unavailable. When the gruff’n'ready vocals of Pendergrass came their way, they eagerly signed the group. Beginning with “I Miss You,” a steady stream of hit singles flowed from the collaboration of Pendergrass and Gamble & Huff: “If You Don’t Know Me by Now,” “The Love I Lost,” “Bad Luck,” “Wake Up Everybody” (number one R&B for two weeks in 1976), and two gold albums, To Be True and Wake Up Everybody.

Unfortunately, the more success the group had, the more friction developed between Melvin and Pendergrass. Despite the revised billing of the group, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Theodore Pendergrass, Pendergrass felt that he wasn’t getting enough recognition. Around 1976, Pendergrass left Melvin’s Blue Notes and formed his own Blue Notes, featuring Teddy Pendergrass. Briefly, there was some confusion as to which Blue Notes were which. The resolution came when Pendergrass disbanded his Blue Notes in favor of a solo career and Melvin’s group signed a recording contract with Source Records, distributed through ABC Records, scoring a hit with “I Want to Be Your Lover.”

Pendergrass signed a new contract with Philadelphia International Records in late 1976/early 1977. He burst back on the scene with Teddy Pendergrass, a platinum solo debut that included the top-notch singles “I Don’t Love You Anymore,” “You Can’t Hide from Yourself,” and “The More I Get the More I Want.” Around this time, Pendergrass began to institute his infamous “Ladies Only” concerts. His next three albums went gold or platinum: Life Is a Song Worth Singing (1978), Teddy (1979), and Teddy Live (Coast to Coast). The hit single “Close the Door” was used in the film Soup for One, where Pendergrass had a small role.

The singer received several Grammy nominations during 1977 and 1978, Billboard’s 1977 Pop Album New Artist Award, an American Music Award for best R&B performer of 1978, and awards from Ebony magazine and the NAACP. He was also in consideration for the lead in the movie biopic The Otis Redding Story. The ’70s ended, but Pendergrass kept racking up the hits. TP, his fifth solo album, went platinum in the summer of 1980 off the singles “Turn Off the Lights,” “Come Go with Me,” “Shout and Scream,” “It’s You I Love,” and “Can’t We Try.” It’s Time for Love gave Pendergrass another gold album in summer 1981, which included the hit singles “Love TKO” and “I Can’t Live Without Your Love.”

A 1982 car accident left Pendergrass paralyzed from the waist down and wheelchair-bound. After almost a year of physical therapy and counseling, Pendergrass returned to the recording scene, signing a contract with Elektra/Asylum in 1983. His ninth solo album and Elektra/Asylum debut, Love Language went gold the spring of 1984. Philadelphia International issued two albums of unreleased tracks, This One’s for You (1982) and Heaven Only Knows (1983). Other albums included Workin’ It Back (1985), Joy (1988, whose title track went to number one R&B for two weeks), and Little More Magic (1993). The latter half of the ’90s found Pendergrass recording for the Surefire/Wind Up label. Truly Blessed, the name of an 1991 Elektra album, is also the title of the autobiography Pendergrass co-authored with Patricia Romanowski. Apart from an appearance at a 2007 ceremony held in his honor, Pendergrass spent his later years away from the spotlight. He had difficulty recovering from colon cancer surgery and passed away on January 13, 2010.

Also, check out Teddy P’s Unsung Full Episode here.

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Boy George Behind The Music FULL EPISODE VH1 Documentary

19 January 2012 by Leave a Comment

Boy George Biography From AllMusic.com:

British singer Boy George combined a strong, soulful singing voice with a provocative sense of fashion, both of which were first brought to the attention of English and American audiences in the group Culture Club, for whom he served as lead singer from 1982 to 1986. The group wrote and played impeccable pop music, and Boy George’s androgynous persona — heavy makeup and outrageous costumes — gave the group a distinct video image in the dawn of MTV. That very distinctiveness, however, made the group date quickly, and at the same time Boy George encountered highly publicized personal difficulties. He re-emerged as a solo singer in 1987 with Sold, which contained a U.K. number one cover of Bread’s “Everything I Own,” but was unable to duplicate this success in the U.S. Boy George enjoyed four British singles’ chart entries in 1987 and another three in 1988. His second album, Tense Nervous Headache (1988), was not picked up for release in the U.S.; his third, Boyfriend (1989), was a Europe-only release, though Virgin Records cobbled the second and third albums together to present a second U.S. album, High Hat (1989). In 1991 came The Martyr Mantras, another patchwork album largely made up of previously non-LP dance singles. In the U.K., it was credited to a new group, Jesus Loves You, and released on Boy George’s own More Protein record label, though Virgin in the U.S. billed it as a Boy George album. By 1992, Boy George had faded at home, and in the U.S. his solo career had never taken off. Then he was brought in to sing a version of the ’60s chestnut “The Crying Game” in a production by the Pet Shop Boys, as the title song for a movie that became the sleeper hit of the winter of 1992-1993, resulting in his first substantial U.S. hit as a solo artist. Cheapness and Beauty followed in 1995, and four years later Boy George resurfaced with the rarities collection Unrecoupable One Man Bandit. Throughout the ’90s, he delved back into the club scene that birthed his early romanticism, and made a name for himself as DJ in demand. It became more than a hobby toward the end of the millennium, and Boy George garnered attention in the U.K. and U.S. club circuits; such musical creativity was captured on Essential Mix, released in fall 2000.”

After graduating from high school, Usher released his sophomore album, My Way, in 1997. In an attempt to display his maturity and songwriting abilities, Usher co-wrote six of the nine songs and enlisted the help of producers Jermaine Dupri, Babyface, and, again, Combs. The album’s first single, “You Make Me Wanna,” reestablished Usher as one of R&B’s hottest artists, and also made him a crossover sensation; it topped the R&B charts for 11 weeks, hit number two pop, and eventually went double platinum. Both of the follow-up singles, “Nice & Slow” and “My Way,” also went platinum; the former stayed at number one on the R&B charts for eight weeks and became his first number one pop single. In the meantime, Usher launched an acting career, appearing in the 1998 horror spoof The Faculty and the 1999 urban high-school drama Light It Up.

To tide fans over, he issued a concert recording titled simply Live in 1999. Usher returned with his third proper album, All About U, toward the end of 2000. His third album, 8701 (2001), moved him from a teen pop star to a sultry R&B singer. In early 2004, Arista released the single “Yeah!” Produced by Lil Jon and guesting Ludacris, the addictive, lightly crunk cut fast became a club and radio favorite. By the time the Usher full-length Confessions dropped later that March, “Yeah!” had hit the top of the Billboard charts. The album itself was Usher’s most mature work to date and won the Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album in 2004, while “Yeah!” took home the best rapped/sung collaboration award. He starred in the 2005 flop In the Mix and went back to music with 2008′s Here I Stand, an album that was ultimately declared a flop, even though it topped the Billboard 200 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Raymond v Raymond, inspired in part by the end of his marriage, was released in 2010 as three of its songs were climbing the charts. Its buzz single, “Papers,” had already topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. An EP titled Versus followed later in the year.

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Jennifer Hudson Behind The Music FULL EPISODE VH1 Documentary

19 January 2012 by Leave a Comment

Jennifer Hudson Biography From AllMusic.com:

Best known for her role as Effie White in the 2006 film version of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, vocalist/actress Jennifer Hudson was first brought to the public’s attention while a contestant on the third season of the reality show vocal competition American Idol. Born in 1981 in Chicago, IL, Hudson sang from a young age, first performing in her church. Various talent shows and school musical productions followed until she eventually secured a role in a local Chicago production of the musical Big River. Prior to auditioning for American Idol, Hudson also sang professionally while working on the Disney Wonder cruise ship.

In 2004, she auditioned for and won a spot on the third season of American Idol along with eventual winner Fantasia Barrino. Though a strong contender and fan favorite from the start, Hudson would eventually become the sixth of the 12 finalists to get voted off the show. Ironically, after the show ended, there was speculation that Barrino would get the coveted role of Effie in the film version of Dreamgirls. However, Hudson won the role and went on to receive not only critical acclaim for her performance, but also both a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Her debut album, Jennifer Hudson, finally materialized on Arista in September 2008, led by the Top Ten R&B/Hip-Hop single “Spotlight.” In 2011, Hudson delivered her sophomore studio-album I Remember Me featuring the R. Kelly-penned single “Where You At.”

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Stevie Wonder – “Hotter than July” Rare 1981 BBC Documentary

18 January 2012 by Leave a Comment

This rare documentary was broadcasted for the first time in 1981 by the BBC.
It’s is about the 1980/1981 USA tour by Stevie Wonder looking at his musical insight and his preparation for a concert, and his appearance at a Washington Rally to celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King. (thanks to GenesisKnights for the update info)

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Lil Wayne Behind The Music FULL EPISODE VH1 Documentary

18 January 2012 by Leave a Comment

Lil Wayne Biography From AllMusic.com:

A game-changing artist and an impervious celebrity, Lil Wayne began as his career as a near-novelty — a preteen delivering hardcore hip-hop — but through years of maturation and reinventing the mixtape game, he developed into a million-selling rapper with a massive body of work, one so inventive and cunning that it makes his famous claim of being the “best rapper alive” worth considering. Born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. and raised in the infamous New Orleans neighborhood of Hollygrove, he was a straight-A student but never felt his true intelligence was expressed through any kind of report card. He found music was the best way to express himself, and after taking the name Gangsta D he began writing rhymes. Combining a strong work ethic with aggressive self-promotion, the 11-year-old convinced the Cash Money label to take him on, even if it was just for odd jobs around the office. A year later, in-house producer Mannie Fresh partnered him with the 14-year-old B.G. and dubbed the duo the B.G.’z. Although only B.G.’s name appeared on the cover, the 1995 album True Story has since been accepted as the B.G.’z debut album both by fans and the Cash Money label. The 1997 album Chopper City was supposed to be the follow-up, but when Wayne accidentally shot himself in the chest with a .44, it became a solo B.G. release.

That same year, he officially took the moniker Lil Wayne, dropping the “D” from his first name in order to separate himself from an absent father. He joined B.G., Juvenile, and Young Turk for another Fresh project, the teen hardcore rap group the Hot Boys, who released their debut album, Get It How U Live!, in 1997. Two years later, Cash Money would sign a distribution deal with the major label Universal. Mainstream distribution would help that year’s Hot Boys album Guerrilla Warfare to reach the number one spot on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In 1998, Lil Wayne would appear on Juvenile’s hit single “Back That Thing Up,” or “Back That Azz Up” as it appeared on Juvie’s album 400 Degreez. Wayne would launch his solo career a year later with the album Tha Block Is Hot, featuring the hit single title track. It went double platinum but the rapper was still unknown to Middle America, since his hardcore rhymes and the rough Cash Money sound had not yet crossed over. His second album, Lights Out (2000), failed to match the success of its predecessor but it did go gold, and with an appearance on the Big Tymers’ hit single “#1 Stunna,” his audience was certainly growing. While Fresh was primarily responsible for launching his career, Wayne was now much closer to Fresh’s fellow Big Tymer and Cash Money CEO Birdman. When Juvenile left the label, Wayne — or “Birdman Jr.” as he was calling himself — showed his allegiance to his CEO by releasing an album with a title much hotter than Juvie’s breakthrough effort. 500 Degreez landed in 2002 and while it went gold, rumors began flying about Cash Money’s financial troubles and possible demise. The rest of the Hot Boys had defected and Wayne’s planned 2003 album was scrapped, coming out instead as an underground mixtape called Da Drought.

Wayne became enamored with the mixtape world after Da Drought drew so much attention from the hip-hop press. He used these underground releases to drum up anticipation for his next official album, the breakthrough effort Tha Carter. Released in 2004, the album seemed familiar on one hand with Mannie Fresh’s production, but the Wayne on the cover was a dreadlocked surprise, and the rhymes he laid on the tracks showed significant growth. His marketing skills had become sharper, too, and it was no mistake that the album’s hit single, “Go DJ,” mentioned hip-hop’s greatest tastemakers right in the title. It reached number five on the singles chart, and with a guest shot on Destiny’s Child’s number three single, “Soldier,” Wayne had officially crossed over. On the flip side, his street cred was supported by a slew of mixtapes released in 2005, including the popular titles Dedication with DJ Drama and Tha Suffix with DJ Khaled. Cash Money’s future was no longer in doubt and traditional music business rules no longer seemed to apply, as tracks would be leaked onto the Internet and various DJs’ mixtapes. “Get Something” was another bold move, as a Universal-funded video was made without the track ever seeing official release.

With his alternative marketing scheme working in overdrive, the 2005 landing of Tha Carter II was a major event, selling over a quarter-million copies the week of its release. “Fireman” and “Shooter” with Robin Thicke were released as singles, while the album — which for the first time featured no Mannie Fresh productions — went platinum. It also introduced his Young Money posse, with appearances from Currensy and Nicki Minaj, and initially came with a bonus disc featuring Wayne’s greatest hits screwed and chopped by Swishahouse DJ Michael “5000″ Watts. A year later he collaborated with Birdman for the Like Father, Like Son album, featuring the hit single “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy.” His mixtapes were still flooding the underground, including the stunning Dedication 2, which came with an iconic image of the rapper on the cover plus the much talked-about track “Georgia…Bush,” a venomous response to President George W. Bush’s handling of the Katrina disaster. With no official follow-up to Tha Carter II in sight, numerous collaborative tracks kept the rapper in the mainstream with “Gimme That” by Chris Brown, “Make It Rain” by Fat Joe, and “Duffle Bag Boy” by Playaz Circle becoming three of the biggest hits.

Tha Carter III was promised for 2007 but didn’t arrive until a year later, setting off Wayne’s infamous reputation of delayed releases. Part of the problem became unauthorized leaks of the album’s tracks, something combated by the official, downloadable EP The Leak released that same year. Preceded by the number one hit “Lollipop,” Tha Carter III arrived in May of 2008, selling more than a million copies in its first week of release. An appearance on Saturday Night Live and four Grammy Awards — including Best Rap Album — spoke to Wayne’s mainstream acceptance. He also performed at that year’s Country Music Awards with Kid Rock, but rather than rap, he played guitar. The guitar playing was part of Wayne’s new involvement with rock music, including his help in signing Kevin Rudolf to Cash Money plus an appearance on Rudolf’s massive hit “Let It Rock.” His planned rock album was previewed with the 2009 single “Prom Queen,” but when the album failed to meet its promised April release, the music press began to portray the rapper as the king of missed street dates. Unconcerned, Wayne forged ahead with his Young Money crew, releasing the underground mixtape Young Money Is the Army, Better Yet the Navy, the aboveground single “Every Girl,” plus the official album We Are Young Money that same year. His rock album, Rebirth, would finally appear in early 2010, which coincided with Wayne being sentenced to a nine-month prison term for criminal possession of a weapon. The rapper may have been behind bars on Riker’s Island, but that didn’t stop his ten-song EP I Am Not a Human Being from seeing the light of day in September 2010. Tha Carter IV was finally released in 2011 along with its lead-off single “6 Foot 7 Foot”. The album reached the top spot in Billboard’s Top 200.

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Usher Behind The Music FULL EPISODE VH1 Documentary

18 January 2012 by Leave a Comment

Usher Biography From AllMusic.com:

After Usher Raymond was spotted by a LaFace record executive at a talent show in his hometown of Atlanta, it took no time for his career to take off. The 14-year-old auditioned for LaFace co-founder L.A. Reid, who signed the gospel choir boy to a recording contract. Raymond was introduced to the world simply as “Usher,” and released his debut album of the same name in 1994, which featured co-executive producer Sean “Puffy” Combs. The first single, “Think of You,” gained Usher wide recognition and reached gold status. From that initial exposure, Usher was approached to do other projects. In 1995, he recorded a national holiday jingle for Coca-Cola. He also joined several top male R&B vocalists to form Black Men United for the single “You Will Know,” featured on the Jason’s Lyric soundtrack. He also teamed with teen singing sensation Monica for a duet remake of Latimore’s “Let’s Straighten It Out.”

After graduating from high school, Usher released his sophomore album, My Way, in 1997. In an attempt to display his maturity and songwriting abilities, Usher co-wrote six of the nine songs and enlisted the help of producers Jermaine Dupri, Babyface, and, again, Combs. The album’s first single, “You Make Me Wanna,” reestablished Usher as one of R&B’s hottest artists, and also made him a crossover sensation; it topped the R&B charts for 11 weeks, hit number two pop, and eventually went double platinum. Both of the follow-up singles, “Nice & Slow” and “My Way,” also went platinum; the former stayed at number one on the R&B charts for eight weeks and became his first number one pop single. In the meantime, Usher launched an acting career, appearing in the 1998 horror spoof The Faculty and the 1999 urban high-school drama Light It Up.

To tide fans over, he issued a concert recording titled simply Live in 1999. Usher returned with his third proper album, All About U, toward the end of 2000. His third album, 8701 (2001), moved him from a teen pop star to a sultry R&B singer. In early 2004, Arista released the single “Yeah!” Produced by Lil Jon and guesting Ludacris, the addictive, lightly crunk cut fast became a club and radio favorite. By the time the Usher full-length Confessions dropped later that March, “Yeah!” had hit the top of the Billboard charts. The album itself was Usher’s most mature work to date and won the Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album in 2004, while “Yeah!” took home the best rapped/sung collaboration award. He starred in the 2005 flop In the Mix and went back to music with 2008′s Here I Stand, an album that was ultimately declared a flop, even though it topped the Billboard 200 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Raymond v Raymond, inspired in part by the end of his marriage, was released in 2010 as three of its songs were climbing the charts. Its buzz single, “Papers,” had already topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. An EP titled Versus followed later in the year.

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