Soul Fixin'

AL GREEN LAYS IT DOWN
The Rev. Al Green, has recorded an album with production by James Poyser and ?uestlove of the Roots. John Legend, Anthony Hamilton, and Corrine Bailey Rae make guest appearances. Rolling Stone magazine describes the Green-Rae duet as "the supreme booty call music movement." Interesting...Al Green...Corrine Bailey Rae...booty call doesn't come to mind..but anyway.. The Dap-Horn Kings, guitarist Chalmers “Spanky” Alford (Mighty Clouds of Joy, Joss Stone) and bassist Adam Blackstone (Jill Scott, DJ Jazzy Jeff) also contributed to the project. Lay It Down began during a session at the Electric Lady Studio in Greenwich Village. "That was such a session. We sketched out eight songs and really started the project....Everybody contributed and that's why it feels so good. There were no big 'I's and little 'you's' in there. All of us dreamed it up together." said Al Green. Lay It Down draws on the high spirited funky sound created by Green and Memphis producer Willie Mitchell with a modern twist. The critically acclaimed album will be in stores May 27.

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Soul Fixin'

It Never Rains In Southern California
Having recently worked with the likes of MJB, Musiq, Lionel Richie, Teedra Moss, Joss Stone and Kelis, rumor has it that former Tony! Tone! Toni! front man Raphael Saadiq is busy working on a long awaited new album that reflects his love of the Motown sound. Can we expect another critically acclaimed album?

Classic Album Revisited

If Marvin's "Let Get It On" was the song of the night, "Let's Do It Again", a #1 R&B and pop hit, was definitely the song to be played the morning after. Let's Do It Again was a detour from the Staples previous inspirational gospel infused recordings. As Stax was nearing bankruptcy the Staple Singers signed with Curtis Mayfield's Curtom label. The sacred Staple Singers fully embraced the sensual secular music of Curtis Mayfield on this 1975 soundtrack to the highly successful film starring Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby. Mavis was at her vocal best, she fully embraced the lyrics with a hip sound that was a combination of funk, soul, sass, lust, and sexual seduction on tracks such as "Funky Love", "New Orleans" and "A Whole Lot Of Love." Let's Do It Again has proven to be one of the best albums the Staple Singers ever cut and listening to it makes you feel so damn good!!

Faith Evans - "You Are My Friend"

Faith Evans performs "You Are My Friend" for Patti LaBelle. Faith tore this song up.

Life Is A Song Worth Singing

Soundtrack of My Life

Birth

"To Zion" - Lauryn Hill ( "Unsure of what the balance held..I touched my belly overwhelmed..by what I had been chosen to perform..But then an angel came one day..told me to kneel down and pray..for unto me a man child would be born..)

Childhood

"Young, Gifted and Black" - Aretha Franklin ( "In this cold world... there are millions of boys and girls ..who are young gifted and black..with their souls in tact..")

"ABC" - The Jackson 5 ( "Reading, writing and arithmetic..are the branches of the learning tree..")

Family

"Family Reunion" - The O' Jays ( "It's so nice to see..all the folks you love together..sittin' and talkin' 'bout..all the things that's been goin' down..)

"It Don't Have To Change" - John Legend ( "Oh do you remember..when the family was everything?..oh do you remember?..it was so long ago and so much has changed..I wanna go back ..wanna go back to those simple days..I wanna go back..but now we've grown and gone our separate ways..")

"Mama Knew Love" - Anthony Hamilton ("Up bright and early scrambled eggs..swellin' in ya legs..bills on the bed")

"Sadie" - The Spinners ("In a world like today..it's a rare occasion to be able..to see young mothers like the ones..that were around when I grew up..)

Love & Life

" My Life" - Mary J. Blige (" I know it is hard..but we will get by..and if you don't believe in me..just believe in He..")

"To Be Invisible" - Gladys Knight & The Pips ( "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..")

Fire & Desire - Rick James & Teena Marie ("Love them and leave them..oh, that’s what I used to do..use them and abuse them..whoa..then I laid eyes on you..it was pain before pleasure..oh, that was my claim to fame..with every measure..tasted your teardrop stains..")

"If This World Were Mine" - Luther Vandross & Cheryl Lynn ("If this world were mine..I would place at your feet all that I own..you've been so good to me..")

"Rock Wit'cha" - Bobby Brown - ("I want a little music now..let’s hear some Marvin Gaye..ooh ooh..let me rub your shoulders down..let’s dance the night away..")

"Can We Talk" - Tevin Campbell (" I started..to write you letters..but I wanted..to be more clever..I wanted to get down and sweet talk to you..but just like a baby..I could not talk..I tried to come closer but could not walk..")

"At Your Best (You are Love)" -Aaliyah ("But at your best you are love..you're a positive motivating force within my life..should you ever feel the need to wonder why..let me know, let me know..)

"Yesterday" - Donny Hathaway ("Why she had to go..I don't know..she wouldn't say..I said something wrong..now I long for yesterday..")

Black Consciousness

"We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue" - Curtis Mayfield ( "We the people who are darker than blue..are we just gonna stand around this town..and let what others say come true?..we're just good for nothing they figure..")

"Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)" - James Brown ( "I've worked on jobs with my feet and my hands..but all the work I did was for the other man..")

"A Change Is Gonna Come" - Sam Cooke ("It's been too hard living, but I'm afraid to die..I don't know what's up there beyond the sky..it's been a long time coming..but I know a change is gonna come..")

"Be Real Black For Me" -Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway ("Be real black for me..be real black for me..be real black for me..")

"This Is My Country" - The Impressions ("I've paid three hundred years or more..of slave driving, sweat, and welts on my back..this is my country...")

"Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)" - Marvin Gaye ("The way they do my life..make me wanna holler..the way they do my life..this ain't livin'..this ain't livin'..")

"Think" - Aretha Franklin ("You better think..think about what you're trying to do to me..")

Making Love

"Sexual Healing" - Marvin Gaye ("Baby I got sick this morning..a sea was storming inside of me..baby I think I'm capsizing..the waves are rising and rising..and when I get that feeling..I want sexual healing..")

"Close The Door" - Teddy Pendergrass ("Close the door baby..and let me know you're mine..plenty good lovin' all through the night..and then again and then again..when the morning comes..")

"Let's Do It Again" - The Staple Singers ("Let's do it in the mornin'..sweet breeze in the summer time..feeling your sweet face..all laid up next to mine..sweet love in the midnight..good sleep, come mornin' light..no worries 'bout nothin'..just gettin' good, just gettin' good..just gettin' good love..")

"Knockin' Da Boots" - H-Town ("Good loving body rockin’ knockin boots all night long..")

"Let's Get It On" - Marvin Gaye ("Don’t you know how sweet and wonderful life can be..ooh ooh..I’m askin’ you baby to get it on with me..")

"Between The Sheets" - The Isley Brothers ("Hey, girl, ain't no mystery..at least as far as I can see..I wanna keep you here layin' next to me..sharin' our love between the sheets..")

Glory

"Stairway To Heaven" - The O' Jays ("Here we go climbing the stairway to heaven..")

Marvin Gaye - "What's Going On"

Watch as Marvin turns "What's Going On" into a 9 minute epic.

Soul Fixin'

New Music Drop

Conquer The World The Lost Soul of Philadelphia International Records - Various Artists

Soul Speak - Michael McDonald

Just Up The Road - Melissa Young

Marcus - Marcus Miller

The Sound Of Philadelphia: Gamble & Huff's Greatest Hits - Various Artists

Brilliant Corners - Thelonious Monk
Reflections of Country Greats - Esther Phillips

Luther Ingram - (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Wanna Do Right

Soul Fixin'

VIBE Book List

VIBE magazine compiled a list of the "best" eight music books...READ A BOOK...READ A MUH'F*CKIN BOOK!!

Room Full Of Mirrors: A Biography of Jimi Hendrix by Charles R. Cross...chronicles Hendrix' rise from Seattle ghetto to rock god.

I, Tina by Tina Turner w/ Kurt Loder...Tina reveals the good, bad, and ugly..from growing up in Tennessee to getting her ass beat by Ike to her remarkable 80's resuscitation.

Divided Soul: The Life Of Marvin Gaye by David Ritz...in-depth analysis of Marvin's life...cocaine, underage girls and his untimely death.

ego trips's Book of Rap Lists by Sacha Jenkins, Elliott Wilson, Jeff Mao, Gabriel Alvarez, and Brent Rollins...compilation of lists..."10 Songs Marley Marl Wishes He Had Produced"..."Kool Keith's Favorite Places To Pleasure Himself In Public."

Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A History of the Hip Hop Generation by Jeff Chang...chronicles the events, ideas, music and art that shaped hip hop.

Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom by Peter Guralnick...documents the soul of the 50's, 60's and 70's while telling the story of a nation.

James Brown's Live at the Apollo (33 1/3) by Douglas Wolk...details what some consider to be the greatest live album of all time against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Flyboy in the Buttermilk: Essays on Contemporary America by Greg Tate...an eye-opening look at race, politics, literature and music.

Soul Fixin'

I Believe to My Soul
Released back in 2005 I Believe To My Soul is a great add to any music collection. Produced by Joe Henry, who worked with Solomon Burke on his 2002 Grammy winning album Don't Give Up On Me, I Believe To My Soul is a mix or soul classic and original songs. You can hear Mavis Staples singing "You Must Have That Old Time Religion" and The Impressions classic "Keep On Pushing." Ann Peebles, known for her classic "I Can't Stand The Rain", lets loose on the tracks "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You" and "When The Candle Burns Low." Billy Preston, Irma Thomas, and Allen Toussaint lend their voices to the project. I believe you should go get it...nuff said.

Soul Fixin'

Still Going Strong
Soul legend Mavis Staples is still doing her thing. She is currently touring overseas..New Zealand, Australia, The Netherlands, England, France..getting PAID. I wish America appreciated older soul singers the way Europeans do. In a recent interview with The Age, a leading Melbourne, Australia newspaper, Mavis said "Dr King brought us a long way...but there is so much more that needs to be done... because every day in the paper I see something that reminds me of the trouble in the '60s. Hurricane Katrina was so horrible, seeing these people floating in the black water, and no one coming to help them... policemen in New York just shot a young black kid...with 50 rounds..." Mavis ain't lying..we still got work to do. She also spoke of the upcoming election "I'm very excited, because I like Hillary too. People seem to admire and love Obama. He seems to be sincere and a purist. But I won't vote for him just because he's a black man. He has to convince me that he's really going to do what he says. But still, I think of how happy Dr King would be." MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD AND VOTE IN NOVEMBER...I know that sounds corny and cheesy but please vote, people DIED for us to vote...I know that sounds so cliche but it's the truth...bottom line..get ya a** up and vote..you ain't got sh*t else to do.

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.

Soul Fixin'

No Justice No Peace
The trail of the three NYPD officers who gunned down Sean Bell on his wedding day began last week. Let's continue to keep the Bell family in our prayers and hope for justice.

Check this out....defense lawyers said Sean Bell should not have held his bachelor party where patrons "watch women shake their booty and fulfill a sense of twisted sexual prowess."..Is that an excuse for firing 50 bullets at unarmed men?

Classic Album Revisited

Marvin Gaye's landmark concept album What's Going On was released in 1971. Prior to recording What's Going On, Marvin was deeply depressed. In March of 1970 Tammi Terrell died. Three years prior to her death she collapsed on stage while performing with Marvin, she was later diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Marvin took a hiatus from recording and performing and went into self isolation. Believe it or not, Marvin even attempted a career in football, he tried out for the Detroit Lions. Al Cleveland and The Four Tops' Renaldo "Obie" Benson reached out to Marvin to help them complete the writing of a politically conscious song, "What's Going On." Cleveland and Benson persuaded Marvin to record the song, and in June 1970 Marvin recorded "What's Going On" and "God Is Love." Berry Gordy refused to release the songs, he thought they were far too political and would fail at commercial success. Marvin eventually convinced Gordy to release the songs. "What's Going On" reached #1 on the R&B charts and #2 on the Pop listings. After the success of "What's Going On" Berry Gordy requested an entire album.
Over a 10 day period, Marvin began recording and producing the tracks that would comprise What's Going On, an album told through the eyes of a Vietnam veteran returning home to a world of drug abuse, poverty, police brutality and unemployment. Simply put, What's Going On is an album that expressed the cries, pain and agony of a black man in the 1970's. It is as sacred as Aretha's Amazing Grace and the musical equivalent of The Autobiography of Malcolm X. A 9 track unified album, most songs led into the next, What's Going On was named Album Of The Year by Rolling Stone magazine, Billboard gave it the Trendsetter Award of 1971.It was ranked number six on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. A 1999 critics poll conducted by British newspaper Guardian/Observer named it the "Greatest Album Of the 20th Century."

The Staple Singers - "Respect Yourself"

Pops, Mavis, Yvonne and Cleotha, The Staple Singers, singing "Respect Yourself" at Wattstax.

Soul Fixin'

King Jay & Queen Mary
Mary and Jay have recorded a new joint "You're Welcome" produced by Swizz Beatz. Rumors are now swirling that Jay and Mary are working on a collabo album. Being a fan of both Mary and Jay I would love to see a Mary & Jay collabo album. "Can't Knock The Hustle" is a classic.They collaborated on the song "Turn Off The Lights", which was hard as hell!! The chemistry between the two at Jay's Madison Square Garden concert was great, Mary sang the hook on "Song Cry." How does Jay do it all? Recording artist, club owner, part-owner of the New Jersey Nets, and fledgling hotelier...YES, Jay plans on opening a hotel in Manhattan. Rumor has it he plans on starting his own label and making an album with NAS.He is also going on tour with Mary and creating an advertising agency with Steve Stoute, Translation Advertising, an agency that will help marketers reach "urban" (BLACK) consumers. At times I am disappointed with hip-hop but it has opened so many doors for African Americans. Who would have ever thought a kid from Marcy Projects would become one of the great business men of our time.Thanks Hip-Hop. Take a listen to Jay & Mary's latest collabo.

Soul Fixin'

Chrisette Michele
Who is Chrisette Michele? When I heard the song "If I Have My Way", I knew the voice sounded familiar but I wasn't quite sure who it was (Chrisette was featured on the Jay-Z track "Lost Ones" and the Nas track "Can't Forget About You".) I knew whom ever it was would be around for a long time. I had the same feeling when I heard Alicia's "Fallin", "Comin' From Where I'm From" by Anthony Hamilton and John Legend's "Ordinary People." I would soon discover the voice behind the song was Chrisette Michele, a chick from Long Island who had a recording contract with Def Jam. Yeah, Def Jam..I was surprised as well, but L.A Reid is the head honcho at Def Jam so it isn't too surprising. Prior to signing with Def Jam, Chrisette had toured with Kem and India.Arie (it would be nice to see more women of her beautiful dark complexion in the music game.) India.Aire offered Chrisette a gig as her opening act after witnessing her perform in New York City at the Village Underground. On Def Jam's website the 20 something year old singer songwriter states "I'm excited about finding my place amongst young composers like Alicia Keys and Jill Scott. My goal from the moment I was signed by Antonio "LA" Reid, Chairman and CEO, Island Def Jam Music Group, was to create a seamless album that mixes soul and pop in a way that will have people coming back to again and again." It is safe to say that she met her goal. If you don't have her album, I Am, you NEED to go get it, consider it a necessity along with food, water, and shelter.

Classic Album Revisited

Al Green's standout album I'm Still In Love With You was recorded in 1972 in Memphis, Tennessee. Al and producer Willie Mitchell along with guitarist Teenie Hodges and drummer Al Jackson, a member of Booker T & The MG's began recording in the spring and summer of '72. I'm Still In Love With You is the perfect combination of gospel, funk and straight up gut bucket Memphis soul. The title song described as "a sweet sentimental song of pure surrender" by Al in his autobiography, reached # 1 on the R&B charts. "Look What You Done For Me" was #4 on the Pop charts and a # 2 hit on the R&B charts. Ironically, the hit song "Love And Happiness" was released as a single in 1977, five years after its recording. Al's voice flows so smoothly over the guitar riffs in "Simply Beautiful", which was sampled on the Mary J. Blige song "PMS", a track from her No More Drama album. Al Green covers the country classic "For The Good Times" and turns it into a slow burning, soul churning classic, evidence of his interpretive genius. I'm Still In Love With You has stood the test of time, VIBE magazine listed it as one of its 51 Essential Albums and called it the album on which Al Green became AL GREEN.

Smokey Robinson - Baby Come Close

Soul Fixin'

One On One With Sister ReRe
The "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin, there is only ONE Queen, sits down with Cathy Hughes for a intimate interview on Sunday, March 2 at 10PM on TVOne. According to TVOne's website Aretha and Cathy "revisit the golden days of soul music as well as some career changing highs and lows, including some personal moments that gives viewers a peek at greatness." It would be nice to hear ReRe talk about those early days in Detroit, Aretha grew up with Smokey Robinson, The Supremes, many of the Temptations and Four Tops in the North End section of Detroit. After 27 years, Aretha is no longer signed to Arista Records. She is releasing an album, Aretha: A Woman Falling Out Of Love on her own label, Aretha Records, later this year.