Soul Fixin'

i feel a song.
"I'm not fool enough to ever think/That I could be the master of my fate/But it's up to me to choose my roads in life/Rocky may well be the ones I take..." read the lyrics to a 1974 song recorded by Gladys Knight & The Pips. 'The Need To Be', a poignant song of self affirmation, is included on the group's third Buddah Records release I Feel A Song. Gladys & The Pips made the switch to Buddah after leaving Detroit and Motown Records. A turn of events that is somewhat reflected in the aforementioned lyrics. Pure coincidence or deliberate intentions? Who knows. What is known is that Gladys Knight chose the right road. There have been a few bumps along the way,including the loss of a child & gambling addictions, but as the lyrics in 'The Need To Be' read, "There's the need to be something more than/Just a reflection of a man/I can't survive in someone's shadow/I need my own spot to stand..."

Soul Fixin'

Celebrate 50 With Motown
Here is something you need to hear. Just in time for summer cookouts and family gatherings, Flwrpt has gathered a slew of Motown tracks, hits and rarities, for a mixtape celebrating 50 years of Motown. Don't expect to hear the traditional Motown hits, Flwrpt has unearthed tracks from the likes of Yvonne Fair, Willie Hutch, Eddie Kendricks, Rick James, The Jackson 5 and many others. Give Motown Fifty a listen, you won't be disappointed.

Soul Fixin'

The Show Must Go On

The video above is the unofficial video of the day in the black blogsphere. The reincarnation of the Ruffin brothers, K-Ci and JoJo, are seen performing in Sydney, Australia when JoJo suddenly passes out. K-Ci Hailey, Mary's former lover, keeps on sanging like nothing is wrong. It's obvious drugs and singing don't mix, just ask Chaka Khan. Peep Chaka singing 'Precious Lord Take My Hand' with Etta James and Gladys Knight.

Happy Birthday Gladys Knight

I can remember being 12 or 13 and hearing 'Midnight Train To Georgia', from that point on I fell in love with the soul music of the 60's and 70's and a love affair with Ms. Knight began. I pushed repeat on the stereo and listened to 'Midnight Train To Georgia' over and over again. At times, I pretended to be on stage with Gladys performing as one of the Pips. It would be years later, when I heard Gladys Knight & The Pips sing the Curtis Mayfield penned 'To Be Invisible.' I've heard the version recorded by Curtis, but there is something special about Gladys Knight's reading of the song. The song was off the Claudine album, the soundtrack to the 1974 movie of the same name. The film tells the story of a black Harlem woman, living on welfare, struggling to raise six children who falls in love with a garbage man. Gladys, a world away from poverty, was able to sing with the conviction of a woman just trying to make it through another day. 'To Be Invisible' spoke of a person who felt it was better to be invisible in a world that was so mean. "A world that seems not for me..so privately, I'll be invisible..that way I won't have to explain a thing, if you know what I mean.. I won't even have to be here on the scene..." I'm glad Gladys didn't grow up feeling inferior. It would be understandable if she did. Gladys was able to find her way in a world that was so mean and for over 50 years she has blessed us with her music. We all got up and danced when she sang 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' and we contemplated saying goodbye when we heard 'Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye.)' 'I Don't Wanna Do Wrong' and 'Make Me The Woman That You Go Home To' made us wonder if Gladys was going through the problems she was singing about but she let us know everything was alright when she sang ' The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me.'

Happy 64th Birthday, Gladys Knight!

Soul Fixin'

BET HONORS
If you thought you were too cool to watch BET Honors, BET's new award show, you missed out on a good show. BET Honors honored Alicia Keys, Richard Parsons, Dr.Cornel West, Tyra Banks, Maxine Waters and Janice Bryant Howroyd. Raheem DaVaughn, Jill Scott, Stevie Wonder, Ne-Yo, John Legend and Gladys Knight performed. Stevie, John Legend, and Gladys gave an AMAZING performance. I couldn't find future air dates, I'm sure BET will air the show 1,000 times so be on the look out!!! You can also check out The BET Honors website and watch the entire show online.