I Can Go For That (Yes Can Do)

Much of my blog focuses on rock, blues and soul, so I imagine some of the more regular visitors may be surprised to see a post about Hall & Oates. Well, in addition to the aforementioned genres, I also listen to pop, though not as often as I used to. Two recent events put Hall & Oates back on my radar screen, where they essentially had not been much since the ’80s.

Earlier this year, my wife said she wanted to see the duo during their upcoming U.S. tour. Since our music tastes are different and she usually doesn’t accompany me to concerts I visit, I felt somewhat obliged to buy two tickets. A few weeks thereafter, a guitarist I know well told me he thinks Hall & Oates are the best blue-eyed soul act – certainly a bold statement. Both of these events inspired this post.

Daryl Hall (born Daryl Franklin Hohl on October 11, 1946 in Pottstown, Pa.) and John Oates (born John William Oates on April 7, 1948 in New York City) first met in Philadelphia in 1967 during a musical competition where they were each leading their own band. After realizing they dug the same music and were both students at Philly’s Temple University, they ended up spending time together and sharing apartments. In 1970, they also decided to work worth together professionally and formed a musical duo.

John Oates (left) and Daryl Hall in 1976

Hall & Oates got their first contract with Atlantic Records and released their debut album Whole Oats in November 1972.  After their first three records, which weren’t very successful, they switched to RCA Records. Their eponymous fourth album, the first with the new label, yielded their first U.S. top 10 single Sara Smile, which climbed to no. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1976. They have since released 14 additional studio albums, the most recent of which, Home For Christmas, appeared in October 2006.

The duo’s most successful period were the ’80s with a series of platinum and multi-platinum albums and hits like Kiss On My List, Private Eyes, I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) and Maneater. Their catalog also includes 12 live and numerous compilation records.  With an estimated 40 million albums sold, Hall & Oates are the best-selling music duo in history. In April 2014, they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They are also in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and rank at no. 18 on Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Artists. Time for some music!

While back in the ’80s I mostly listened to Hall & Oates’ straight pop tunes, including the above mentioned hits, these days I’m more fond of their soul oriented tracks. My preference is clearly reflected in the following song choices. I’d like to kick things off with Fall In Philadelphia, written by Hall and included on the duo’s 1972 studio debut.

She’s Gone is another nice song with a soul vibe. Credited to both musicians, it first appeared on their sophomore album Abandoned Luncheonette released in November 1973. When the track was first released as a single in February 1974, it was popular in the Philly market but didn’t gain much traction nationally. She’s Gone ended up becoming a national hit when Atlantic Records re-released the single in 1976, peaking at no. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. At the time, Hall & Oates had already switched to RCA Records and had just scored a top 10 success with Sara Smile. Clearly, Atlantic’s decision to make a quick buck off their former contracted artists paid off handsomely – we call it riding the gravy train!

In January 1977, Hall & Oates released Rich Girl as a single from their fifth studio album Bigger Than Both Of Us. It’s another co-write, and it became their first of six no. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

With the arrival of the ’80s, Hall & Oates adopted a more straight pop-oriented sound, which brought them their most commercially successful decade. Their ninth studio album Voices from July 1980 became their first platinum record, fueled by the hits Kiss On My List and You Make My Dreams. Here’s Every Time You Go Away, written by Daryl Hall. Similar to She’s Gone, it would take a few more years before the song became a major hit. In this case, it was a cover by English vocalist Paul Young, released in February 1985, which hit the top 10 in various countries, including the U.S. (no. 1), Ireland (no. 2), Norway (no. 2) and the U.K. (no. 4).

In 1985, Hall & Oates performed at New York’s storied Apollo Theater. According to Something Else!, when the duo was invited to play there, they immediately had the idea to ask The Temptations to join them and reached out to Eddie Kendrick and David Ruffin. “David and Eddie were always friends of mine,” Hall told WATD. “So, I called Eddie and asked if he wanted to come on stage — and they hadn’t really worked together that much. At that time, they weren’t working together. It was sort of a reunion for them, and a reunion for them and me. It was one of those serendipitous, amazing moments in life where full circles come around — where my origins met my present. It’s really hard to describe.” Here’s their take of Stax classic When Something Is Wrong With My Baby. Co-written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, the song was first recorded and released by Sam & Dave in 1967 – my kind of soul tune I can go for (yes can do)!

For the last track in this post, I’m jumping to Hall & Oates’ 14th studio album Change Of Season from March 1990. It features a nice cover of another Stax recording, Starting All Over Again. Written by Phillip Mitchell, the tune was released by Mel & Tim as a single in June 1972. It was the title track of their second studio album that appeared in July that year. Hall & Oates also released their cover as a single. It peaked at no. 10 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart and no. 14 on the Canadian charts. It did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 or in the charts of any other countries. That’s unfortunate. Personally, I take that cover any day over their smash ’80s hits like Maneater or Private Eyes, but I guess I’m out of touch, though hopefully not out of time! 🙂

Frankly, until my wife told me about their upcoming U.S. tour in August and September, I wasn’t even aware Hall & Oates are still performing together. I only knew about Daryl Hall and his online and TV series Live from Daryl’s House. Well, it turns out that while Hall & Oates haven’t released a new studio album since October 2006, they have been touring quite actively over the past few years. And why not?

Their current schedule for this year shows dates all the way until the end of September. After a series of gigs in Europe and South America, Hall & Oates start the U.S. leg of their tour in Canandaigua, N.Y. on August 15 – never heard of this place before, which is about 30 miles southeast of Rochester and actually looks quite lovely, based on Google photos! Some of the other dates include Madison, Wis (Aug 25), Atlantic City, N.J. (Aug 30), Allentown, Pa. (Sep 1) – the show for which I got tickets, and Reno, Nev. (Sep 12). The last currently listed show is on Sep 28 in Thackerville, OK.

Sources: Wikipedia, Something Else!, Hall & Oates website, YouTube

What I’ve Been Listening To: SUSTO/Ever Since I Lost My Mind

Until earlier today when I coincidentally came across a CBS This Morning clip on Facebook, I had never heard of SUSTO. And, no, while Mr. Zuckerberg apparently is trying hard to stop spreading misinformation, I’m happy to report this ain’t fake news! If you’re like me and basically have given up on most contemporary music because you feel it sucks, I suspect this may be your first time to hear about SUSTO and the latest studio album Ever Since I Lost My Mind, which came out on February 22nd on Rounder Records.

Okay, who or what exactly is SUSTO? While technically being a five-piece alternative rock-oriented band, SUSTO really is a music project by singer-songwriter Justin Osborne. The above mentioned clip captured a performance of the album’s opener Homeboy. There was something about this tune that grabbed me immediately – the catchy melody, Osborne’s voice, the fact that it involved real musicians, meaning folks who actually know how to play an instrument instead of programming a computer. I don’t know exactly. I’m fairly confident it wasn’t because I lost my mind! 🙂

Justin Osborne

Osborne, who if I correctly interpret his Facebook page is 32 years old, hails from Charleston, S.C. According to the bio on SUSTO’s website, he wrote his first songs at age 14 on his grandpa’s parlor guitar he wasn’t supposed to touch. “So I’d go steal it out of my dad’s closet whenever they were out of the house,” Osborne recalls. “It only had like three strings on it. I remember figuring out how to do barre chords, and I wrote a three-chord song about a girl I liked.” Apparently, his family’s concern was about ensuring he and his young brothers wouldn’t break the inherited instrument from their grandfather, not Justin’s early attraction to music.

Osborne played in bands throughout high school, military school and college. SUSTO was established in January 2013 – just in time. After years of booking and playing gigs and a feeling of going nowhere, Osborne was about to call it quits. Prior to leaving for a foreign semester in Havana, Cuba as part of this anthropology studies, he set up a website for SUSTO, “a holding tank for demos he couldn’t quite bear to toss.” While Osborne was in Havana, he became friends with Cuban musicians and artists, who apparently convinced him to stick with music.

Six months later, Osborne returned to the States and recorded SUSTO’s eponymous debut album that appeared in April 2014. According to Apple Music, following the release of sophomore & I’m Fine Today in January 2017, SUSTO had their TV debut, which was also on CBS This Morning. This was followed by a tour with The Lumineers. Ever Since I Lost My Mind is SUSTO’s third studio release. Osborne catalog to date also includes a live record, two EPs and a couple of singles.

BTW, in case you’re wondering about the meaning of the name, according to SUSTO’s website, the word describes an intense fear understood as a condition of the soul––an ongoing, spiritual panic attack. All of the letters of susto also appear in Osborne’s full name. “SUSTO was this combination of phonetics and meaning––it felt like me, like a name for myself,” he [Osborne] says. “I chose the name SUSTO for the project because the meaning behind the word––that deep fright––was something I was experiencing, and songwriting felt like it was helping me cure it by helping me to process what was happening. Personally, it was a time of so many powerful transitions: abandoning my religion, losing touch with my family, and just having a general sense of being lost, without direction.” With that explanation being out of the way, it’s time to get to some music!

Let’s start with the album’s above noted opener Homeboy. The ups and downs in the song create a nice dynamic. I think it’s a cool tune, even though it gets bit grungy at times, and grunge is generally not so much my cup of tea. Then again, I’m a huge fan of Neil Young, who obviously has written many songs that couldn’t be more grungy. Oh, well, I suppose there are always exceptions to rules! 🙂

Here’s the record’s second track If I Was, a quieter tune setting a nice contrast to the opener. It’s got a soothing feel to it, which I like. This somewhat contrasts the lyrics. Here’s an excerpt: …But I am just a singer/With electric guitar in my hands,/ Trying to work through my own set of problems,/Trying to do the best that I can,/The best I can./ And I’m your man…

Livin’ In America is another rocker.

Next up: The album’s title track, another mellow sounding tune. The music and lyrics are credited to Osborne and Ryan “Wolfgang” Zimmerman, Osborne’s longtime creative sounding board, who also co-produced the song with the album’s lead producer Ian Fitchuk.

Let’s do one more: Cocaine.

“Ever Since I Lost My Mind is very personal,” Osborne notes. “This collection of songs came together over the course of a couple of years, and they all represent different moments. It felt cathartic writing all of them, and they were also all fun in different ways.”

According to SUSTO’s website, while it began as a band and still benefits from collaboration with peers, the new record also positions the project finally and firmly as what it’s really always been: Osborne’s vision. “I come from a background of being in bands, so it’s hard for me to be comfortable taking complete control,” he says. “Even being the only person in a promo photo was a hard thing for me to get used to. It’s taken years for me to realize what SUSTO should be––what it really is.”

In addition to Osborne, SUSTO’s current lineup features Dries Vandenberg (guitar),  Steven Walker (keyboards), Jordan Hicks (bass) and Marshall Hudson (drums). The band has a pretty active tour schedule. After a gig this evening in Washington, D.C., they are off to a series of shows in Europe before returning to the States in mid-May.

Sources: Wikipedia, Justin Osborne Facebook page, SUSTO website, Apple Music, YouTube

Clips & Pix: Southern Avenue/Savior

Savior is the second single from the upcoming sophomore album Keep On by Memphis blues, soul and R&B band Southern Avenue. The record is set to come out on May 10 via Concord Records.

Co-written by guitarist Ori Naftaly and lead vocalist Tierinii Jackson, this is quite a seductive tune by one of the few contemporary bands I really dig. It comes two weeks after the release of the lead single Whiskey Love, which I covered here.

“There was a magic that happened between the guitar and her voice,” Naftaly told culture magazine PopMatters. It wasn’t written on a computer. It was me and her in a room. It was originally intended to be a keyboard song with the Rhodes. It took me a minute to let go of my vision for it as a keyboard song. I’m a guitar player but my agenda as a bandleader and producer is to bring everybody in. But the song really seemed to need a guitar. It has that epic feeling that we wanted it to have.”

Based on the first two singles, Keep On sounds like a very promising album. I will certainly keep it on my radar screen.

Sources: Southern Avenue Facebook group; PopMatters, YouTube

Clips & Pix: The Rolling Stones Featuring Brad Paisley/Dead Flowers

An edited take of the above recording of Dead Flowers appears on the bonus version of Honk, the new greatest hits collection released today by The Rolling Stones. It was captured in Philly in June 2013 and features country artist Brad Paisley, who shares vocals with Mick Jagger and puts on a nice guitar solo. Co-written by Jagger and Keith Richards, the tune first appeared on Sticky Fingers, my favorite Stones album from April 1971.

Based on Wikipedia, Honk is the Stones’ 26th compilation album. According to their website, it features “the biggest hits and classic cuts from every Rolling Stones studio album from 1971’s Sticky Fingers to 2016’s Blue & Lonesome” and “is the most up to date collection of essential Stones’ tracks, including 36 fan favourites and rarities, with the bonus version including 10 additional live songs, presenting collaborations with some of the biggest names in music, such as Dave Grohl, Florence Welch, Brad Paisley and more.”

Initially timed to their now postponed U.S. tour due to Mick Jagger’s heart valve surgery, folks could be forgiven to be a bit cynical about Honk. But as a long-time and probably somewhat biased listener of the Rolling Stones, the new collection doesn’t bother me. While I’m generally more fond of the Stones’ 60s and early ’70s period, apart from Dead Flowers, Honk features great other tunes like Brown Sugar, Start Me Up and It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll But I Like It – yes I do! The other live tracks are fun to listen to as well.

Sources: Wikipedia, Rolling Stones website, YouTube

On This Day In Rock & Roll History: April 14

I can’t believe almost three months have passed since my last installment in this long-running recurring feature. For some reason, at times, I need to convince myself to start digging through music history for a specific date yet again, though once I do so, I’m usually intrigued with what comes up. Of course, there are occasions where what I find only mildly excites me. When that happens, I tend to refrain from writing a post.  Anyway, April 14 turned out to be an interesting date.

1945: Richard Hugh Blackmore, better known as Ritchie Blackmore, was born in the southwestern English seaside town of Weston-super-Mare. This means the guitarist and songwriter is turning 73 years old today. Blackmore is best known as one of the founding members of Deep Purple, which is still my favorite hard rock band to this day. Yes, there are other great hard rock bands, first and foremost Led Zeppelin, but if I had to choose one, it would still be Deep Purple. Blackmore also founded Rainbow in 1975 and revived the band as Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow in 2015. In 1997, he kissed rock music goodbye and established Blackmore’s Night, a British-American traditional folk-rock band with then-girlfriend Candice Night, who became his wife in 2008 – I suppose he carefully listened to what many parents tell their kids about getting engaged or married: Don’t rush it! 🙂 In 2016, Blackmore was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Deep Purple. Here’s Blackmore in action with a cool high-speed guitar solo: Highway Star, from my favorite 1972 Deep Purple album Machine Head. Happy birthday!

1963: The Beatles saw The Rolling Stones perform for the first time at The Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, a suburban town in southwest London. “They were still on the club scene, stomping about, doing R&B tunes,” recalled George Harrison, according to The Beatles Bible. “The music they were playing was more like we’d been doing before we’d got out of our leather suits to try and get onto record labels and television.” Added Paul McCartney: “Mick tells the tale of seeing us there with long suede coats that we’d picked up in Hamburg, coats that no one could get in England. He thought, ‘Right – I want to be in the music business; I want one of those coats.'” And what did Ringo Starr have to say? “I knew then that the Stones were great. They just had presence. And, of course, we could tell – we’d had five weeks in the business; we knew all about it!” Last but not least, here’s some of John Lennon’s recollection: “They [The Stones] were run by a different guy then, Giorgio Gomelsky. When we started hanging around London, the Stones were up and coming in the clubs, and we knew Giorgio through Epstein. We went down and saw them and became good friends.”

The Rolling Stones at the Crawdaddy Club, April 14, 1963

1966: The Spencer Davis Group was on top of the U.K. Singles Chart with Somebody Help Me, scoring their second no. 1 single in the U.K. Like their first chart-topper Keep On Running, the tune was written by Jackie Edwards, a Jamaican musician and songwriter. The song was also included on the band’s third studio album Autumn ’66 released in August 1966. If my math is correct, Steve Winwood, who sang lead and played keyboards, was all of 17 years when they recorded the single. He was still known as Stevie Winwood at the time – what an amazing talent!

1967: The Bee Gees released their debut single in the U.S., New York Mining Disaster 1941. Co-written by Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb, it became the band’s first international single release and their first song to chart in the U.S. and the U.K., peaking at no. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and no. 12 on the U.K. Singles Chart, respectively. When the tune was released, there were rumors the Bee Gees actually were The Beatles recording under a pseudonym. “If you sounded like the Beatles and also could write a hit single, then the hype of the machine would go into action, and your company would make sure people thought you sounded like the Beatles or thought you were the Beatles,” recalled Barry Gibb, according to the 2012 biography The Bee Gees – Tales of the Brothers Gibb, by Hector Cook, Melinda Bilyeu and Andrew Mon Hughes. “And that sold you, attracted attention to you. It was good for us because everyone thought it was the Beatles under a different name.” While it’s safe to assume opinions about the Bee Gees are divided among readers of the blog, I’ve actually always thought they were pretty talented vocalists and songwriters.

1972: David Bowie released Starman as a single in the U.K., which became his second major hit there since Space Oddity from July 1969, peaking at no. 10 on the singles chart. In the U.S., the single performed more moderately, reaching no. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100. Written by Bowie, the tune was a late addition to his fifth and, in my opinion, best studio album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars released in June 1972. It also happens to be one of my favorite Bowie tunes.

Sources: Wikipedia, This Day In Music, This Day In Rock, The Beatles Bible, YouTube

Clips & Pix: Joe Jackson/Geraldine And John

Lately, I’ve been listening quite a bit to I’m The Man by Joe Jackson. His sophomore album from October 1979 is my favorite among his records I know. The timing is not entirely a coincidence.

One of the reasons I dig the album is because of the bass parts by Graham Maby, with whom Jackson works to this day. A few months ago, I decided to get inexpensive bass equipment for home use to see whether I could revive the moderate skills I once had close to 30 years ago.

Since I’ve always liked Maybe’s bass playing, I’ve been working to figure out some of his bass parts. I’m not gonna lie – some of this stuff ain’t easy, especially when you’re rusty, but fortunately there’s YouTube. Plus, I’m doing this to relax and have some fun, not because of any bigger ambitions. I simply don’t have the time to take things to any higher level, not to mention that my skills would certainly need to improve!

Anyway, this is where Geraldine And John came into the picture. Except for a cover of Chuck Berry’s Come On, all tracks on the album were written by Jackson. Not only do I love the laid back groove of the tune, but I also dig Maybe’s bass line. It’s not super complicated, which is why I guess I’ve been able to figure it out 95 percent. But it’s just great, both rhythmically and melodically, effectively helping propel the song forward – exactly what a bassist is supposed to do!

I also like to acknowledge the two other musicians in Jackson’s band at the time: Gary Sanford (guitar) and David Houghton (drums, backing vocals), who both do an excellent job as well. On December 15, 1980, the band played their last gig in the Netherlands in the wake of Jackson’s third studio album Beat Crazy. Jackson decided to reunite them for his 2003 album Volume 4. They also toured together leading up to the record’s release and thereafter.

Sources: Wikipedia, Rolling Stone, YouTube

Walter Trout At Iridium: Blistering Blues Rock And Tales Of Survival

“Personally, I’m happy to be anywhere,” stated Walter Trout, as he was introducing the second tune of his set on Tuesday night at The Iridium in New York City. The 68-year-old blues veteran wasn’t referring to the storied music club in Manhattan’s Theater District, which has seen such luminaries like Les Paul, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, Joe Walsh, Joe Satriani and Mick Taylor. Trout was talking about being on planet earth. It was the first of repeated references to survival he made throughout the show.

Five years ago, Trout found himself near death in a hospital with liver failure. “I was in Canned Heat,” he sarcastically remarked, referring to his four-year stint in the blues rock band from 1981 to 1985, adding he is the only survivor of their lineup at the time. Trout is alive thanks to a liver transplant he received in 1994. When he was released from the hospital, he had to learn again how to talk and how to walk – and, yes, how to play the guitar!

Noting that playing guitar was the only thing he had ever known and that he had been a guitarist since 1969, Trout said he practiced six to seven hours every day. Eventually, his skills came back. Trout’s agonizing recovery took one year. In 2015, he documented his ordeal in what he described as a very dark album: Battle Scars. And in January this year, he released what’s aptly called Survivor Blues, a covers album with tunes Trout feels are forgotten gems. I wrote about this excellent record here. In fact, it was that album that brought Trout on my radar screen, which culminated in Tuesday night’s show. And boy, what a great gig it was to watch!

Clockwise: Walter Trout, Teddy Zig Zag, Michael Leasure, Johnny Griparic, Paul Schaffer and Anthony Grisham

For the most part, Trout played tunes from Survivor Blues, as well as his two preceding studio albums We’re All In This Together (2017) and the aforementioned Battle Scars. His great backing band included Teddy Zig Zag (keyboards, harmonica, vocals), Michael Leasure (drums) and Johnny Griparic (bass). There were also appearances by two guests: Tour manager Anthony Grisham (guitar) and Paul Schaffer (keyboards).

Let’s get to some music. With a pole right in front of me, taking video was a bit tricky. The first song I’d like to highlight is Me, My Guitar And The Blues from Survivor Blues. The powerful cover of Jimmy Dawkins’ title track from his 1997 solo album was the above mentioned second tune of the set. At about 1:42 minutes into the song, Trout explains the idea behind the covers album.

Almost Gone is the opener to Battle Scars, the first album Trout recorded after his long recovery from his liver disease and transplant. Now I get the feelin’ that somethin’s goin’ wrong/Can’t help believin’ I won’t last too long/Won’t last too long, too long/Hey, I can see the writing on the wall/Hey, I believe I’m about to lose it all/I look around, I look around and everything I see/Reminds me of the way, reminds me of the way I used to be…

Another track from Survivor Blues is a song written by Sunnyland Slim called Be Careful How You Vote. The title track to his 1989 studio album couldn’t be more timely, but the true highlight is the music. In addition to Trout’s guitar, the tune features great  Hammond and harmonica work by Paul Schaffer and Teddy Zig Zag, respectively – and all of it over a nice shuffling groove. If you watch one clip only, I’d recommend this one – it’s worth all of its 12 minutes and 14 seconds!

I’d like to conclude with the title track of Trout’s 2017 studio album We’re All In This Together. This tune features a guest appearance by Anthony Grisham who does a nice job on guitar, taking solo turns with Trout.

Toward the end of the show Trout, spoke passionately about organ donation. He noted in the U.S. there are currently 120,000 people waiting for an organ. Each month, time is running out for about 2,000 of them – a true national emergency, as he called it. Trout also reminded the audience that humans have eight vital organs that could potentially save eight lives, pointing to himself as living proof what organ donation can do. Since November 2015, Trout has been a patron of the British Liver Trust. He certainly is a compelling ambassador.

Tuesday’s gig at The Iridium was Trout’s third date during his ongoing U.S. tour. The next upcoming shows include Bay Shore, N.Y. (tonight), Pawtucket, R.I. (Friday) and Plymouth, N.H. (Saturday). Altogether, the U.S. leg includes 17 gigs and concludes on April 27 in Pelham, Tenn. The current schedule also shows dates in Europe in May, June, August and October.

Sources: Wikipedia, Walter Trout website, YouTube

James Brown, Live Performer Extraordinaire

Splitting his legs, bouncing his knees, shaking his body, profusely sweating and at times seemingly screaming off the top of his lungs – they didn’t call James Brown Mr. Dynamite or The Hardest Working Man In Show Biz for nothing. I was reminded of his incredible performances recently, when my music streaming platform served up one of Brown’s great live albums at the storied Apollo Theater in New York’s Harlem. And voila, an idea for a new blog was triggered!

Brown was born James Joseph Brown on May 3rd, 1933 in Barnwell, S.C. to a 16-year-old mother and a 22-year-old father. The family lived in extreme poverty, and from a young age, Brown essentially took care of himself with hustling to get by. He dropped out of school after sixth grade and began singing at talent shows as a nine-year old. In 1954, Brown joined a gospel group that had been founded by singer Bobby Byrd, which evolved into The Famous Flames. By 1957, they called themselves James Brown and the Famous Flames.

James Brown live in 1980

In 1956, The Famous Flames signed a deal with Federal, a Cincinnati-based subsidiary of King Records. In March that year, they released Please Please Please, which eventually became their first hit single reaching no. 6 on the Billboard R&B charts. Co-written by Brown and Flames backing vocalist Johnny Terry, it also was the title track of their debut album from December 1958. A series of follow-up singles went nowhere, and it wasn’t until October 1958 that Brown and his band stroke again with the ballad Try Me – the first of 17 singles topping the R&B chart. According to Wikipedia, Brown has the distinction to be the artist with the most singles on the Billboard Hot 100 without hitting no. 1 – not only do I wonder who comes up with these stats, but I also find this hard to believe, given all the music Brown prolifically released over his 50-year recording career, including so many well-known tunes!

During the late ’60s, Brown started to move away from gospel and soul and became instrumental in shaping funk music. Often referred to as The Godfather of Soul, perhaps a more appropriate title would be “The Godfather of Funk.” In fact, some music critics consider his 1967 tune Cold Sweat to be the first real funk song. Brown continued to record and perform through the 70s, 80s, 90s and early 2000s. He passed away on December 25, 2006 at age 73 from congestive heart failure, resulting from complications of pneumonia.

James Brown in 1986

Let’s hit it with footage from some of Brown’s legendary performances. This clip of Please Please Please is from the T.A.M.I. Show, a concert held in Santa Monica, Calif. on October 28 and 29, 1964. It featured top artists from the U.S. and the U.K., who in addition to James Brown and the Famous Flames included The Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, Gerry & the Pacemakers and The Rolling Stones, among others. The concert was captured in a movie that appeared in December 1964. It’s just mind-boggling to watch Brown in action, repeatedly dropping on his knees and being lifted up by his band mates while seemingly singing himself into a trance-like state.

I Got You (I Feel Good) is one of Brown’s signature tunes. Written by him and first recorded for his 10th studio record Out Of Sight released in September 1964, it also became Brown’s highest charting single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at no. 3. The following clip apparently is from a concert in Paris, France in 1966.

Another incredible performance happened in Boston on April 5, 1968. Brown’s show at the Boston Garden took place just one day after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Apparently, the mayor had planned to cancel all public events including Brown’s concert, but in the end the local authorities were more concerned a cancellation could trigger unrest and allowed the event to go ahead. Here’s the above noted Try Me, a beautiful soulful tune written by Brown, which like Please Please Please appeared on the debut album. Check out Brown’s moves at around 1:30 minutes into the song. You can literally picture him starting to launch into the moonwalk at any moment!

Next up: A great medley of Cold Sweat and Ride The Pony (Mother Popcorn) from the same 1968 gig in Boston. Cold Sweat was co-written by Brown and the leader of his backing band Alfred “Pee Wee” Ellis. It also became the title track to his 21st studio album released in August 1967. It’s simply impossible to listen to this tune without starting to groove, especially when watching Brown’s dance moves.

A post about James Brown’s live performances wouldn’t be complete without one of his biggest concert staples: Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine. It’s perhaps the ultimate funk tune. First released in July 1970 as a two-part single, Sex Machine was co-written by him; Bobby Byrd, who by then had become the keyboarder of Brown’s new band The J.B.s; and Brown’s recording engineer Ron Lenhoff. The guitar part is performed by Phelps “Catfish” Collins and one of the coolest funk riffs in my book. It’s also propelled by the terrific rhythm section of Phelps’ brother William “Bootsy” Collins on bass and drummer John “Jabo” Starks. The following footage apparently was captured sometime in 1971.

To me James Brown is in the same group of extraordinary artists like Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson who pushed stage performances to a new level. Brown has received many honors, including inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame. He’s included at no. 7 in Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. According to the music magazine, Brown is also the most sampled music artist of all time.

Sources: Wikipedia, YouTube

Southern Avenue Release Whiskey Love, Single From Upcoming Second Album

I rarely get excited when it comes to contemporary music – most of what I know to me sounds generic, artificial and without any true soul. A caveat here is that I’m primarily referring to the mainstream. One of the few exceptions of contemporary music I dig is Southern Avenue, a band from Memphis, Tenn. that blends southern soul, blues and R&B. More regular visitors of the blog may recall that I’ve covered them on previous occasions, for example here. Today, Southern Avenue released Whiskey Love, the first single from their upcoming sophomore album Keep On set to drop May 10.

According to the band’s website, Whiskey Love is one of the original tracks on the record. The tune has a cool bluesy groove, fueled by rhythm section Tikyra Jackson (drums) and guest bassist Gage Markey, along with nice guitar work from Ori Naftaly. Keyboarder Jeremy Powell and a horn section set great accents. Tierinii Jackson once again is delivering a powerful and soulful performance on lead vocals. This is going to be a great song live!

The horn section features saxophonist Art Edmaiston, who has played with artists like Levon Helm and Gregg Allman, and trumpet player Mark Franklin. In addition to Allman, Franklin has been in sessions with the likes of Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Solomon Burke and Booker T. & the M.G.s. – holy mackerel!

“Making this album was an interesting journey,” Ori explained. “Our first album was recorded very fast and released very fast. With this one, we spent a long time planning, and we knew how we wanted it sound. For me, it’s a big progression from the first album.” Added Tierinii: “The experience was completely different from making the first one. We learned a lot about each other and a lot about the band.”

“The thing that stood out most to me about Southern Avenue is their dedication to making this record ‘the hard way’,” noted producer Johnny Black. “Even in their selection of studios; by picking Sam Phillips Recording, the band, in essence, forced themselves to record within the same parameters as some of their heroes. And while that process may have taken extra time, it was well worth the effort.”

Southern Avenue (from left: Tierinii Jackson, Jeremy Powell, Gage Markey, Tikyra Jackson and Ori Naftaly

“What makes it Southern Avenue is that when we come together, the music we make together is music we could never come up with individually,” Tierinii further stated. “It’s really rewarding to have so many influences in the band, and that we can find the balance between them.”

The last comment shall belong to Ori: “I’m proud that we don’t sound like anyone else. We’ve been all over the world, from Australia to Poland to Norway to Spain to Canada to Mexico. Those experiences, and all the highs and lows, it’s all reflected in the music. I’ve waited all my life to be in a band like this, and it’s amazing to me that I get to play with these people every night.”

Southern Avenue are one of the hardest touring bands I’ve seen. That’s great news for their fans. If you happen to be in Aspen, Colo., you can see them at The Après tonight. Other upcoming gigs include Chicago (Apr 13), Asheville, N.C. (Apr 19), Salisbury, N.C. (Apr 20) and New Orleans (Apr 28). Altogether, the band’s current schedule lists more than 50 gigs between now and early November in the U.S., Canada and various European countries, and I’m sure more will be added!

Sources: Southern Avenue website, YouTube

What I’ve Been Listening To: Joe Jackson/Fool

Boy, this is quite a seductive record, which I stumbled across yesterday. And it actually gets even better after you listen to it for a few times! I had completely missed Joe Jackson’s 20th studio album Fool when it was released on January 18. How foolish of me! It has all the elements I’ve liked about Jackson for many years: His great sense of melody, his versatility as a musician and good lyrics. Moreover, despite having been a heavy smoker for many years, Jackson’s voice still pretty much sounds like on his 1979 debut Look Sharp!

As is typically the case on most of his albums, all songs were written, arranged and produced by Jackson. Here is the opener Big Black Cloud. “It is a dark song but it’s also defiant, ’cause I’m saying, ‘Well I’m not giving in to this. I’m not gonna be scared,'”, Jackson told Entertainment Weekly.

Fabulously Absolute is the album’s lead single. The tune combines rock elements that are reminiscent of Jackson’s early punk-influenced days with a new wave keyboard sound. I feel Jackson is oftentimes at his best when he mixes different styles.

Perhaps the catchiest song on the record is Friend Better. It could come right from Jackson’s 10th studio album Blaze Of Glory from April 1989. I just dig that groove!

The last tune I want to highlight is the title track Fool. In particular, I like the Latin piano solo and the bass part of longtime Jackson friend and musical collaborator Graham Maby, one of my favorite bassists. “I had this idea a while ago to write a song about the importance of humor, and I didn’t really know how to do it,” Jackson pointed out during a recent interview with People. “And then I settled on this idea of the fool, the Shakespearean fool or the jester, being kind of a superhero.I actually find it’s very important because I’m actually amazed at how humorless most people are in this business. I really am.”

Interestingly, Jackson recorded the album in Boise, Idaho, right after the end of his last tour. “I’m not the only artist to have ever said this by a long way, but when you write a bunch of songs and record an album and then go out on tour, you find after a while that it always gets better,” he explained during the above People interview. “The band’s playing better, you know the songs inside out, and everything gets better. I find I’m singing better. You wish that you could record the album now instead of back when you did.”

“So I always wanted to do a tour and then go straight in the studio, like the day after the last show. And we finally did it…We did a tour that was long enough that we got to play all the new songs a lot, but not so long that we’d be exhausted at the end of it. We toured for a month, and wherever we ended up, we were gonna go in the studio the next day. It turned out to be Boise, Idaho, which I think is great because everyone I tell says, “What? Where?!” I just think that’s great. Everyone records in L.A. and New York and so on.”

I feel that last statement is signature Joe Jackson, who has always wanted to avoid appearing to be trendy. Undoubtedly, his approach has served him very well over the past 40 years.

Joe Jackson & Graham Maby

In addition to Maby, Jackson’s current band includes Teddy Kumpel (guitar) and Doug Yowell (drums). “One of my inspirations for this album was the band I’ve been touring with on and off for the last 3 years,” Jackson notes on this website. I’ve had many different line-ups but this one is special. I met Graham Maby when I was 18, and he’s still one of the best bassists around. Doug Yowell is a vortex of energy on drums and Teddy Kumpel is the guitarist I always wanted to work with but could never find. Like my first album, this was a band effort, recorded and mixed (brilliantly, by Pat Dillett) in about a month.”

Fool appears on earMUSIC, a division of independent German record label Edel. The album’s release coincides with Jackson’s 40th year as a recording artist, which he is currently celebrating with the Four Decade Tour. Says Jackson on his website: “Looking for some way to organize a show out of 40 years’ worth of material, I decided to draw on five albums, each representing a decade: Look Sharp (1979) Night And Day (1982)  Laughter And Lust (1991) Rain (2008) and Fool (2019). We’ll also throw in a couple of songs from other albums and some new covers.”

The tour kicked off in the U.S. on February 5 in Knoxville, Tenn. The first U.S. leg wrapped up on March 9 in Phoenix. Currently, Jackson and his band are touring Europe. In May, they are coming back to the U.S. and Canada before returning to Europe again toward the end of June. The current schedule is here. After four decades, Joe Jackson still looks like he’s the man.

Sources: Wikipedia, Joe Jackson website, Entertainment Weekly, People, YouTube