WRAG Radio Raggedy

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Danny Moore -- Somebody New



When this title played in my i-tunes library, I had that how-come-I-never-noticed-it-before moments. I couldn't help but feel for a moment that this voice resembled so much that of Paul Williams from the Temptations.
I don't know anything about Danny Moore -- but I know he could sing. This track went straight into my favs. section.

Reggae Sunday

What a gorgeous Sunday! Sunshine, blue skies again ... and I am in da mood for some Reggae. Let the good times rule!



Hugh Malcolm -- Good Time Rock
The Kingstonians -- Hold Down
Karl "Cannonball" Bryan and The Harry J Allstars -- Soul Special 

(All titles are from Reggae Pressure -- Boss sounds 1969-1970) 


Saturday, October 30, 2010

Time To Tune In To The Vintage Soul Radio Show ...

Tomorrow, Barry Fowden will be on the air again with another great Vintage Soul Show. Take a look at his playlist, and you will get a first taste of the treats waiting thee for you.

For more info and the playlist, please go here!

Pieces of my Past

Posted by Gua

I have been ripping my old albums and have rediscovered one of my favorite songs. Gil-Scott Heron was really one of the pioneers of what we call "rap" since a lot of people know him from the classic " The Revolution Will Not Be Televised".
Gil was also an accomplished musician and often collaborated with pianist "Brian Jackson". Together they made some classic Jazz/blues/R&B music. This is one of my favs.
Take a listen to the melancholy baritone(Raggedy, I'm still on the Baritone bandwagon) of Gil-Scott and Brian (on the keyboard) as they capture frustrations of a man that could clearly be here and now. This was released 1971.



If you would like to listen on your computer here

On a side note John legend's voice reminds me of Gil-Scott, what do you think?

Friday, October 29, 2010

AudioBlog#15_Memories



Time to get the candles out and kiss those overly busy summer days goodbye. Now is the time to reminisce, to dream of days gone by and just let those images from the past fill our minds like old photographs fill the pages of an album (or a plain old shoe box.)

Playlist

Johnny Bristol -- Memories Don't Leave Like People Do
David Ruffin -- Mountain of Memories
Allison and Calvin Turner -- Yeah Memories
Jean Knight -- Why I Keep Living These Memories
The Blue Notes -- Memories
Freda Payne -- Through The Memory Of My Mind
Revelation -- Sweet Talk and Memories



Thursday, October 28, 2010

The Temptations -- I Need You


This is one of the best Temptations album, in my opinion. Unfortunately, most of the songs are not heard very often nowadays. 1990 was originally released in 1973. The remastered originals CD came out in 2006. The lineup was MelvinFranklin, Otis Williams, Dennis Edwards, Richard Street and Damon Harris.

Damon sings lead on I Need You

Otis Clay Has A MS Blues Trail Marker Dedicated To Him



I am so glad this happened to Otis Clay whom I adore very much. Mississippi sure knows how to treat its true artists.



From Otis' I'll Treat You Right album (Bullseye Blues, 1992)

Don't Burn The  Bridge

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Reggae Sunday at SOTS


Playlist

Sugar Minott -- Change Your Ways
The Crystalites -- Stop That Man
Desmond Dekker -- Go And Tell My People
Llans and his Celestials -- Choo Choo Ska

Friday, October 22, 2010

Joe Wilson -- You Need Me


One of the most beautiful Deepies, You Need Me. This is a 1972 Avco recording, and I found it a while ago on Sir Shambling's epic website. Joe Wilson, vintage '43 released a handfull of 45's in the 60's and was mostly active in New Orleans.


Thursday, October 21, 2010

Muddy Waters -- Blues Before Sunrise



Here comes the great blues man with an interesting version of Blues Before Sunrise. I always loved John Lee Hooker's version, but Muddy's is simply great.  


John Lee Hooker, Blues Before Sunrise


Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Jimmy Lewis -- How Long Is A Heartache Supposed To Last

Today's pick is one of those obscure songs that most of us would never have discovered were it not for such great music blogs as Funk My Soul  If you want to get the album, hurry over to the site and d/l it. (Don't forget to be nice, though, and say thank you to Nikos and his crew.)
The album is from 1974 and combines different shades of soul with a heavy slant towards the Deep Soul side ...

Monday, October 18, 2010

AudioBlog#14: Lyin' and Cheatin'


There must be umpteen thousands of Lyin‘ and Cheatin’ songs. That leaving me wondering why this is such a prominent subject in music. It’s certainly not because lying to and cheating on someone you love is a pleasurable experience for either one involved. (Well -- save a few instances where it is a matter of self-gratifying abusive lying.)  In most cases lying to the one you love serves two rather trivial purposes: protecting oneself from the repercussions of wrongdoing and/or protecting someone you love from being hurt by finding out about one’s wrongdoing ... Of course, between these two poles, there are myriads of reasons, all tinted by the individual case and personality of those who lied and those who were lied to. 
In today’s AudioBlog, I attempted to illustrate  -- through each song -- some of the  different scenarios, in which such lies may occur.

Playlist:

The Players -- Why Did I Lie?
Wilson Pickett -- What Good Is A Lie?
Lou Johnson -- Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)
Carla Thomas -- Lie To Keep Me From Crying
Ivory Joe Hunter -- Don’t You Believe Him
Johnny Adams -- Hell Yes, I Cheated
Bobby Boesman -- Cheaters Never Win

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Reggae Sunday!



Happy Sunday to everyone!

Playlist

Termites -- Love Up Kiss Up 
Count Matchuki -- Movement
Lloyd Charmers -- Follow This Sound
Max Romeo -- Nice Time


Friday, October 15, 2010

A Candle For General Johnson

Soultaker has already posted the sad news about the passing of yet another soulman, General Johnson. He died of lung cancer on Wednesday in Atlanta. He was 69 years old.

Here is General's candle. May he rest in peace.




RIP General Johnson

Posted By Soultaker

This has been a real depressing week as far as Soul Music. First we lost Solomon Burke on Sunday and today I just found out about General Johnson. My Thoughts Goes Out to the family of General Norman Johnson. Rest peacefully General.


Chairmen of the Board - You Got Me Dangling On A String



Here's my favorite Chairmen Of The Board Song from their second album In Session
All We Need Is Understanding

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

The Isley Brothers -- I Turned You On


From the Essential Isley Brothers Vol 2. Disc 2 is this track. So typical Isley's -- yet fresh and exciting as if it had just been released. I love the sax solo in the middle of the song. And of course, I couldn't help but dance (them Isleys turned me on.) 

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Frederick Knight -- Take Me On Home Witcha


Frederick Knight's ist best known for his catchy song I've Been Lonely For So Long (Stax, 1972) From the homonymous album is today's song Take Me On Home Witcha. Music won't get more 70's like this song. 


Sunday, October 10, 2010

Rest In Peace Solomon Burke

It is in the news, and there is no need for me to repeat what is already known.
All I can do is light another candle for a great singer who helped shape my love for Soul music. 
Also, my condolences to his family.

R. I. P Solomon Burke 





The Upsetters -- Hard To Handle





Most of the Reggae re-makes of the great soul tunes usually sound quite unimaginative -- but I find this cover of Hard To Handle refreshing. The lead singer on this track is Carl Dawkins, which at first I thought was not true. I couldn't remember having ever heard him as raspy as in this song. But when I re-listened to some of his other songs, I noticed that he used a bit of this raspiness in other songs, too. Not quite as intensely, though as in Hard To Handle. He probably had Big O. in mind when he covered this song. 




Saturday, October 9, 2010

Jean Carne -- If You Wanna Go Back / Mystic Stranger

Jean Carne -- a lady with a great voice. I had almost forgotten about her. But when one of her songs came up this afternoon, I remembered Mystic Stranger right away. A few years back, I used to play it over and again.
Her voice resembles a bit that of Phyllis Hyman's, in my opinion.
The first track is from Jean's 1977 album Jean Carn; it's a nice dance tune made special by Jean's well rounded voice. The second one, Mystic Stranger, is from her 1981 album Sweet and Wonderful.


Born Sarah Jean Parker in Columbus, Georgia, on March 15, 1947, Jean Carne's remarkable voice was first heard in the 1970s. While attending Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, Carne learned to speak Russian fluently. After graduating in 1965, she attended Morris Brown College and was planning on attending Juilliard School of Music when she met and married Doug Carne. 

Carne's first exposure to the public was as a teenager in Atlanta, singing "Misty" on a morning radio show. After meeting her husband, Carne joined his jazz fusion band as a vocalist, and they went on to record three albums. This work attracted the attention of the group Earth, Wind and Fire, which she joined as a back-up vocalist on its first two albums. After leaving Earth, Wind, and Fire, Carne toured with Duke Ellington, and then went on to join Buddah Records. In 1975, she hit the top-ten charts with Norman Connors on the single "Valentine Love." Throughout the rest of the 1970s, Carne continued to record and tour, releasing such popular singles as "Was That All It Was," "Free Love," and "Don't Let It Go To Your Head" through Philadelphia International Records, and in 1982, she signed with industry giant Motown Records. In 1986, Carne joined Omni Records, which produced her first number-one hit, "Closer Than Close." Carne continued to record throughout the 1990s, including the release of a greatest hits album. 

Carne continues to tour six months a year, wowing audiences wherever she goes. She spends the other six months a year at home in Atlanta with her three children.




Carne was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on May 7, 2003.

Get her albums here

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Winfield Parker -- Oh My Love / Starving


"Winfield Parker got his start in his native Baltimore playing saxophone with a local group called the Veejays, before recording for the first time with Sammy Fitzhugh & The Moroccans (how’s that for a name?) in 1959. He moved on to record with the Imperial Thrillers on Ru-Jac in 1963. He would record his first sides as a leader for that label later that year. He continued to record for Ru-Jac into the late 60’s, with one of his singles, ‘Sweet Little Girl’ b/w ‘What Do You Say’ being picked up and issued by ATCO in 1968. He recorded the aforementioned Arctic 45 in 1969 and then went on to record one 45 for the Wand label in 1970. He had his greatest success with the Spring label. His 1971 release for that label ‘S. O. S. (Stop Her On Sight)’ b/w ‘I'm On My Way’ scraped the R&B Top 50. Today’s selection, ‘Starvin’ was the a-side of his second and last 45 for that label." 
From: http://funky16corners.blogspot.com/2006/03/winfield-parker-starvin.html


Get his Best of CD here

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Gap Band -- I'm In Love


I am not a big fan of the Gap Band -- at least not of most of their material. But when I came across this sog from their 1977 album The Gap Band 1, I liked it right away.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Soul Lee -- I Need you

You didn't think I had quit blogging? Did you? To be honest, I consider it almost as difficult to stop blogging as it was to quit smoking ... It's always on my mind, and it sends me on a guilt trip when I am not posting regularly.
So, back I am with a nice Deepie: beautiful melody and an organ part that creates a sense of urgency. God knows where I found this track, but I absolutely love it.