Watch Johnny Gill Unsung Full Episode TV One Documentary

March 21, 2013 by Comments

Johnny Gill Addresses Gay Rumors_Unsung
Enjoy this season’s final installment of TVOne’s Unsung music documentary show, which features legendary soul and rhythm and blues singer, Johnny Gill.  Throughout this ep, you hear from friends and family and learn more about the highs and lows of this incredible singer who has transcended a lot of adversity.  Enjoy! Read more of this post

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Watch Mint Condition Unsung Full Episode TV One Documentary

March 14, 2013 by Comments

Pretty Brown Eyes_Unsung_TVONE
Enjoy this latest installment of TVOne’s Unsung music documentary show, which features legendary soul and rhythm and blues group, Mint Condition.  Throughout this ep, you hear from friends and family and learn more about the highs and lows of this incredible group that spawned a string of hits including “Breakin My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)”, “Swingin” and more.  We learned a tremendous amount about the group and have even more respect for them after seeing the show.  Enjoy!

Description from TVOne:

Right from the start Mint Condition stood out from the pack with a sound that blended funk, rock, R&B and jazz. Their 1991 breakout single Breaking My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes) was a smash on both the R&B and pop charts and was followed by Top Ten singles U Send Me Swingin, Forever in Your Eyes and the timeless ballad What Kind of Man Would I Be.
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Watch The Whispers Unsung Full Episode TV One Documentary

March 7, 2013 by Comments

Full Episode_The Whispers_Unsung_TVONE
Enjoy this latest installment of TVOne’s Unsung music documentary show, which features legendary soul and rhythm and blues group, The Whispers.  Throughout this ep, you hear from friends and family and learn more about the highs and lows of this incredible group that spawned a strong of hits over their impressive 50 year career.  We learned a tremendous amount about the group and had no idea they faced the drama they did.  Enjoy!

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Listen to Leah Labelle – Lolita (produced by Pharrell Williams)[SINGLE] FULL STREAM + MP3 DOWNLOAD

March 7, 2013 by Comments

Artist:  Leah Labelle
Title:  Lolita
Label:  So So Def/Epic
Genre(s): Soul, Pop, R&B, Dance
You Will Like This if You Like: Kerry Hilson, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna
Released: February 2013

Late last year, following the BET aired Soul Train Music Awards, we talked up relative newcomer Leah Labelle, who appeared on the show in a segment honoring soul legends.  Her performance of Square Biz was honorable enough to get our staff searching for more of her music to bring you.  We found the super (but slept on) single “Sexify” and hoped this Pharrell Williams produced artist would break through commercial radio.  Although she experienced some regional success, nothing has broken through just yet. Read more of this post

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James Brown – Future Shock TV Show Episode [RARE]

February 19, 2013 by Comments

JB Future Shock

Many folks don’t remember this awesome (and short-lived) Soul Train like dance show produced by the Godfather himself, James Brown.  The show, which included James as the host, featured some of the funkiest music from the late 70′s, a transitional time between the roots of soul and funk to the more mainstream sounds of disco.   Given everything else he was up to, we are simply amazed that he was pulling a Don Cornelius in addition to touring heavily and putting out a ton of studio material.

Here is more information about the show:

Future Shock is a television variety show produced and hosted by James Brown which ran from 1975 to 1978. Shot in Atlanta, Georgia and broadcast late on Friday nights on the Ted Turner-owned UHF station WTCG, it featured local amateurs performing a variety of popular and emerging dance styles, including disco, locking and popping, and early breakdancing, to prerecorded music. Brown and his musical guests also performed briefly. Read more of this post

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The Ohio Players – Skin Tight on Soul Train 1974 + Interview

January 28, 2013 by Comments

soultrain_0

In honor of  the recent passing of one of soul and funk’s legendary musicians, Leroy “Sugarfoot” Bonner, we wanted to present this really amazing footage featuring the late Don Cornelius, the Soul Train dancers and of course, The Ohio Players.  Although not recorded live (and without controversy), the performance of this track when it was hot is something to behold.  Enjoy. Read more of this post

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Leah Labelle – Sexify FULL STREAM + MP3 DOWNLOAD

November 28, 2012 by Comments

Artist:  Leah Labelle
Title:  Sexify
Label:  So So Def/Epic

Earlier this week, following the BET aired Soul Train Music Awards, we talked up relative newcomer Leah Labelle, who appeared on the show in a segment honoring soul legends.  Her performance of Square Biz was honorable enough to get our staff searching for more of her music to bring you.  After learning that she was a contestant on season 3 of American Idol, which was won by Fantasia, we soon discovered that she has been signed to a major deal and a single has been floating around for a while now called Sexify.  We love this mid tempo tune and hope that it will help propel this new voice to the top of the charts.  With folks like Pharrell and Jermaine Dupris involved, she’s got a great shot.

Grade:  A-
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Leah Labelle – Betcha By Golly Wow (Stylistics Cover) FULL STREAM + MP3 DOWNLOAD

November 26, 2012 by Comments

Anyone who checked out last night’s Soul Train Music Awards saw a relatively new voice step to the fore.  This lovely young lady, Leah Labelle, appeared in a medley of Soul Train greats which included Blue Eyed soul legend Teena Marie.  We have to be honest that based on her looks alone, we had to take a further listen.   When digging for more of this singer, we came across several examples of her vocal abilities, which we have to say are quite impressive.  She is not blowing you away like Fantasia (who won Season 3 of American Idol, on which Leah appeared) or similarly named Patti Labelle, but she does an impressive job at delivering a soul classic first sung by The Stylistics.   Enjoy and look forward to seeing and hearing more from this young lady since she has been working with Jermaine Dupris and Pharrell Williams. Read more of this post

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On Point with Tom Ashbrook: “Don Cornelius – The Soul Of Soul Train” Radio Show

September 19, 2012 by Comments

We discovered this great hour long radio program which was recorded shortly after the death of Soul Train founder Don Cornelius, who passed away earlier this year.  This is an intriguing discussion and features commentary from soul legends like Aretha Franklin among others who discuss Mr. Cornelius’s impact on popular music.  Great listen.

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Black Music Month June 2012 Programming on Centric

June 3, 2012 by Comments

Our friends at Centric have put together an incredible lineup of programming for this year’s Black History Month.  Beginning this past weekend with a weekend takeover featuring Earth, Wind and Fire‘s Being episode along with the airing of the full length concert DVD of the band in Oakland Coliseum in December, 1981.   Through this exciting lineup, Centric, which is owned by BET (a division of Viacom) continues its commitment to developing quality new programs along side documentaries, rare live performances and other select targeted syndicated content.   Over the past several years, Centric has certainly increased its focus on music with exciting new offerings like As Written, Master of the Mix and Apollo Live.  Kudos to the programming team over at Centric!

For our international soulheads, Black Music Month is a time in the U.S. to highlight the significant contributions made my black musicians to popular culture.  Centric has gone above and beyond to present an incredible lineup that truly represents the diversity of the art form that we all love so much.  They have included the aforementioned Earth, Wind & Fire as well as hip hop legend Heavy D, who recently passed, and even the Pied Piper of R&B, R. Kelly, all in the same month.  We also can’t wait for more insight into the life of Don Cornelius, who also died earlier this year.  Given our fascination with the intersection of entertainment and education, we are certainly happy to see another outlet GET IT.

Please stay tuned for the following programs in your local areas and also look for them on Centric’s site and here.

From Centric:

TAKEOVER WEEKENDS:

SATURDAY, JUNE 2ND BEGINNING AT 10:00 P.M.*
EARTH, WIND & FIRE TAKEOVER commemorates the 40th anniversary of Earth, Wind & Fire in never before seen interviews and superstars of today share memories of an old-school sound. EARTH, WIND & FIRE TAKEOVER also includes two concerts — EARTH WIND & FIRE: LIVE FROM OAKLAND 1981 and SHINING STAR which re-visit some of the highest points in the band’s career and an episode of BEING will debut a first-person narrative of the band’s span of work, as they look forward to what’s still to come.

SATURDAY, JUNE 9TH BEGINNING AT 10:00 P.M.*

HIP-HOP TAKEOVER kicks off the second TAKEOVER weekend with a one-hour special, HIP HOP CULTURAL ODYSSEY: KNOW YOUR HISTORY which will take a look at the history of the genre, through in-depth interviews, images and the music that defined a generation; a HOT 10 hosted by the iconic Chuck D celebrating original MCs with videos from Public Enemy, Eric B. & Rakim, Big Daddy Kane; CENTRIC HITS HIP HOP,  a two-hour video block of the genre’s latest and greatest with videos from Q-Tip, Common, Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Busta Rhymes and an encore presentation of  LIFE OF HEAVY-D, the late great Heavy-D is memorialized by colleagues, artists, friends and family.

SATURDAY, JUNE 16TH BEGINNING AT 10:00 P.M.*

R.KELLY TAKEOVER kick starts with BEING: R.KELLY, a one-hour special commemorating the longevity and talent of legendary artist R. Kelly; a two-hour video block spanning from hits 12 Play to Love Letter; R. KELLY HOT 10 which will showcase a playlist of the Grammy-award winning artist’s top hits, along with two live concert specials R. KELLY SINGS SAM COOKE and THE LOVE LETTER TOUR.

SATURDAY, JUNE 23RD BEGINNING AT 10:00 P.M.*

SOUL TRAIN TAKEOVER begins with the DON CORNELIUS: VISIONARY, TRAILBLAZER, & CULTURAL ICON, which tells the story of iconic Soul Train creator whose voice and soulful presence redefined television. And in the legend’s own words, he will tell his own story, with the history, the music, the images, and the social change that was heralded in by the monumental series. And the party train continues with the HIPPEST TRIP IN AMERICA, which follows the story of Soul Train, a movement that brought an entire culture into homes across America; encores of the 2011 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS and some of the most classic Soul Train episodes of the past four decades featuring some of the most influential artists to grace the stage.

 

BEING:

To round out the month, Centric will premiere all-new episodes of its original series, BEING, which highlights the entire span of work from prolific artists whose contributions to Black music have stood the test of time including:
EARTH, WIND & FIRE – Saturday, June 2nd at 10:00 P.M.*
MARY J. BLIGE – Saturday, June 9th at 10:00 P.M.*
R. KELLY – Saturday, June 16th at 10:00 P.M.*
GLADYS KNIGHT – Saturday, June 23rd at 10:00 P.M.*
TEENA MARIE – Saturday, June 30th at 10:00 P.M.*

For additional information on Centric’s Black Music Month, go to http://www.centrictv.com/.

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Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America Documentary

May 19, 2012 by Comments


From VH1.com

Few television series were as innovative and influential as Soul Train. Set first in Chicago, and later in Los Angeles, the Soul Train dance party reached national significance and became the longest running syndicated show in television history. In commemoration of its 40th anniversary, Soul Train: The Hippest Trip In America is a 90 minute documentary celebrating the show’s many contributions to pop culture, music, dance and fashion. From 1970-2006 the series offered a window into the history of Black music, and its charismatic host, Don Cornelius was The Man responsible for a new era in Black expression. A trained journalist, Don created a media empire that provided an outlet for record labels and advertisers to reach a new generation of music fans. As the epitome of cool, many of his expressions entered the popular American lexicon: “A groove that will make you move real smooth,” “Wishing you Peace, Love and Soul!” The documentary will feature performances and great moments from the show, as well as behind-the-scene stories and memories from the cast and crew. In addition, popular musicians, comics and actors of yesterday and today will comment on growing up with the show and will share their stories of how Soul Train affected their own lives.

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

February 5, 2012 by 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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R.I.P. Don Cornelius Dead at 75 – Soul Train Creator Shoots Himself + Favorite Soul Train Interviews

February 1, 2012 by Comments

From the Los Angeles Times:

“Soul Train” creator Don Cornelius was found dead at his Sherman Oaks on home Wednesday morning.
Law enforcement sources said police arrived at Cornelius’ home around 4 a.m. He apparently died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the case was ongoing.

The sources said there was no sign of foul play, but the Los Angeles Police Department was investigating.

In a 2010 interview with The Times, he said he was excited about a movie project he was developing about “Soul Train.”

“We’ve been in discussions with several people about getting a movie off the ground. It wouldn’t be the ‘Soul Train’ dance show, it would be more of a biographical look at the project,” he said. “It’s going to be about some of the things that really happened on the show.”

According to a Times article, Cornelius’ “Soul Train” became the longest-running first-run nationally syndicated show in television history, bringing African American music and style to the world for 35 years.

Cornelius stopped hosting the show in 1993, and “Soul Train” ceased production in 2006.

Growing up Soul Train was a staple must watch each Saturday.  The dancing, the rawness and the soul will never be duplicated.  We owe an incredible debt of gratitude to Don Cornelius for his vision and execution which paved the way for modern Black music.   Rest in Peace my brother.  Like many  including The Roots’ ?uestlove, we just wish that the events which lead to your death could have been avoided.  Please know that we will truly miss you but your legacy will live on forever!

Here are some of our favorite Soul Train moments with brother Don:

Soul Train Theme Song – TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) – MSFB (Mother Sister Father Brother)

Interview with James Brown and Al Sharpton:

Interview with Herb Kent (legendary Chicago DJ):

Interview with Rick James:

Rick James/Don cornelius on (SOUL TRAIN) 1980 by dennis649

Interview with Run DMC:

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Soul Train Music Awards 2011 Preview + Soulhead Predictions

November 27, 2011 by Comments

With Chris Brown and Beyonce leading the nominees, the 2011 Soul Train Awards, which took place on Thursday, November 17th at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia, will air tonight, November 27, on both Centric and BET at 9PM EST.

Confirmed performers for the show include multi-Grammy Award winning singer Natalie Cole, Jill Scott, Mindless Behavior, Robin Thicke, BeBe Winans and Joe, with The Original 7Ven, formerly known as The Time, opening the show.  Questlove, of The Roots, will also perform a rendition of the “Soul Train” opening song.

While we are well aware that many of our picks will not likely win, we present those those that we feel are most deserving here for your review and debate.

SOULHEAD PICKS

Best New Artist

Bruno Mars
Marsha Ambrosius
Miguel (Soulhead Pick)
Frank Ocean

Commentary:  While we were quite impressed by Frank Ocean this year, we feel Miguel really made us sit up and listen.  ”All I Want is You” is one of the better songs this year for sure.  While we think Bruno Mars will likely win this award, we are pulling for Miguel.

Best Male R&B/Soul Artist

Trey Songz

Chris Brown
R. Kelly
Miguel
Cee Lo Green (Soulhead Pick)
Eric Benet

Commentary:  We are just too proud of Cee Lo.  From Goodie MOB to Gnarls Barkley, this brother has really been on a roll for years.  Again, he likely won’t win but he deserves to.  Unfortunately, Chris Brown will likely take the award, which we do not feel will be deserved.  Not that Chris is not talented, but in this group, he’s not our fave.

Centric Award
Ledisi (Soulhead Pick)
Raphael Saadiq
Bilal
Anthony David
Aloe Blacc

Commentary:  We are strooong supporters of Ledisi as one of our country’s best singers ever.  As such, we cannot go against her in this important category.  We love most of these artists and would love to see any of these incredibly gifted artists win, but Ledisi should win, with Raphael Saadiq a very close second.

Best Caribbean Performance
“Man Down” – Rihanna
“Summer Time” – Vybz Kartel
“Wotless” – Kes The Band
“Bend Over” – Machel Montano
“Delilah” – Movado

Commentary:  Even though it will be tough to beat Rihanna just ’cause, we were hearing Movado a bunch this year in Brooklyn.

Best Gospel Performance

“I Smile” – Kirk Franklin (Soulhead Pick)

“Walking” – Mary Mary
“Heaven Hear My Heart” – Trin-I-Tee 5:7
“I Believe” – James Fortune ft. Shawn McLemore
“More” – Cece Winans

Commentary:  This will be a very tight competition for this award.  Mary Mary had a stellar year but we feel the remixed and accessible Kirk Franklin sound will win out.

Album of the Year
21 – Adele
F.A.M.E – Chris Brown
4 – Beyonce
Passion Pain & Pleasure – Trey Songz
Light of the Sun – Jill Scott
Watch The Throne – Jay Z and Kanye West (Soulhead Pick)

Commentary:  We’d actually like to see Trey Songz win this award since he has been grinding for so many years and this past year produced some quality material.  However, I think the best album of this group would be Jay Z and Kanye’s effort followed by Adele.

Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year

“Moment for Life” – Nicki Minaj (Soulhead Pick)
“All of the Lights”- Kanye West ft. Rihanna
“Look at Me Now” – Chris Brown feat. Busta Rhymes and Lil’ Wayne
“Out of My Head” – Lupe Fiasco
“Otis” -  Jay Z and Kanye West

Commentary:  Almost too close to call, but since this is a hip hop category and not a pop category, we will pick Otis over Moment for Life, which we feel is a more powerful song but not as hip hop as Otis.

Best Female R&B/Soul Artist

Kelly Rowland

Beyonce

Marsha Ambrosius
Jennifer Hudson (Soulhead Pick)
Jill Scott
Mary J. Blige

Commentary:  We love all of these artists but felt that Jennifer Hudson had the best year.  The sentimental fave here would be Kelly Rowland but we don’t actually believe she will get the nod over Beyonce. As such, they may cancel each other out, leaving the way for J-Hud to scoop up this one.

Song of the Year
“Motivation” – Kelly Rowland feat. Lil’ Wayne
“Sure Thing”- Miguel
“Rolling in the Deep” – Adele (Soulhead Pick)
“She Ain’t You” – Chris Brown
“All of the Lights” – Kanye West
“So In Love” – Jill Scott ft. Anthony Hamilton

Commentary:  Adele really deserves this one.  Rolling in the Deep is one of the best songs of the past few years for sure.   That said, we’d love to see Jill and Anthony take this one home.

Record of the Year (The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter’s Award)

“Rolling in the Deep” – Adele (Writers: Adele, Paul Epworth)
“Far Away” – Marsha Ambrosius (Writers: Marsha Ambrosius, Sterling Simms)
“Best Thing I Never Had” – Beyonce (Writers: Antonio Dixon; Kenneth Edmonds; Larry Griffin, Jr.; Beyoncé Knowles; Caleb McCampbell; Patrick Smith; Shea Taylor) (Soulhead Pick)
“Good Man” – Raphael Saddiq (Writers: Raphael Saadiq, Taura Stinson)

“Hold My Hand” (Duet with Akon) – Michael Jackson (Writers: Aliaune Thiam (Akon), Giorgio Tuinfort, Claude Kelly)

Commentary: The lyrics of Best Thing…. just work.  Period.

Best Dance Performance

“Motivation” – Kelly Rowland
“Only Girl in the World”/”What’s My Name” – Rihanna (Soulhead Pick)
“Run The World” – Beyonce
“She Ain’t You” – Chris Brown
“Walking” – Mary Mary
“Pretty Girl Rock” – Keri Hilson

Commentary:  We’d love to see Kelly win this one but think Rihanna really represented this year.

2011 Soul Train Award Legend Award Recipients

Gladys Knight
Earth Wind and Fire

Traditional Jazz*

“In Concert On Broadway” – Harry Connick Jr.
“James Farm”- Eric Harland
“Light My Fire”- Eliane Elias
“Silver Pony”- Cassandra Wilson (Soulhead Pick)
“What’s It All About” – Pat Metheny

Commentary:  Cassandra Wilson is always a favorite in this category.

Contemporary Jazz*

“Contact” – Boney James
“Hello Tomorrow” – Dave Koz
“Rock-et Sci-ence ”- Bela Fleck
“Let’s Touch The Sky”- Fourplay
“Time Together”- Michael Franks 

Commentary:  Who doesn’t want to see Michael Franks accept this award. Love him.

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Magic Johnson to Run Soul Train, Vibe and Uptown + Magic Johnson on Soul Train Video with Jay Leno Tonight Show!

October 4, 2011 by Comments

Following up on an announcement earlier this year that Magic Johnson would become chairman of Vibe Holdings, the owner of Vibe and Uptown magazines and the Soul Train TV Show, Magic appeared on The Tonight Show and was surprised to see himself on the show in 1980. Check out the footage here.

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