One Song/Three Versions – Love The One You’re With
Music Enthusiast » Soul
by Jim S.
1M ago
Wikipedia: “Love the One You’re With” is a song by Stephen Stills. It was released as the lead single from his debut self-titled studio album in November 1970. The song, inspired by a remark Stills heard from Billy Preston, became his biggest hit single, peaking at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1971.” When this song was released, I recall that Stills got a lot of flak from women who thought he was being cavalier about relationships with women. But I don’t hear anything in the song that says “Hey, guys.” Women can love the one they’re with as well. Although that said, in 1970, the do ..read more
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One Song – Three Versions – Valerie
Music Enthusiast » Soul
by Jim S.
3M ago
Wikipedia: “The Zutons are an English indie rock band, formed in 2001 in Liverpool. The band is currently composed of singer, songwriter, and guitarist Dave McCabe, drummer Sean Payne and saxophonist Abi Harding. They released their debut album, Who Killed…… The Zutons?, in May 2004 and achieved UK chart success with “Why Won’t You Give Me Your Love?” and “Valerie,” both taken from their second studio album, Tired of Hanging Around, in 2006. Both singles reached number 9 in the UK Singles Chart.” “Valerie” is a particularly tasty rock concoction that you may well know from Amy Winehouse’s ..read more
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James Brown – Part Two – The Hardest Working Man in Show Biz
Music Enthusiast » Soul
by Jim S.
1y ago
James Brown defining ‘soul’ – “It’s the word ‘can’t’ makes you a soul singer. ‘Can’t. That one thing that’s made the Black man more heavier for soul coming from the States is because of the fact that he’s had extra-hard knocks and he lived with the word ‘can’t’ for so long. So every time he can sing about it, it kind of comes out a little bit stronger.” As we saw in Part One, James had managed to work his way into Bobby Byrd’s group, the Gospel Starlighters. The Starlighters had evolved from a gospel group to an R&B unit called the Avons. Bobby Byrd let him take over the band. He knew they ..read more
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Book Review – Sweet Soul Music – Peter Guralnick
Music Enthusiast » Soul
by Jim S.
1y ago
Do you like good music? Huh, that sweet soul music Just as long as it’s swinging Oh yeah Oh yeah Peter Guralnick is arguably the most important, best writer we have on American roots and soul music. He wrote the two-volume series on Elvis Presley’s early life that I read a while back. He also wrote a book about Sam Phillips which I reviewed several years back. I met Gurlanick on that book tour and he signed my book. (He’s a Massachusetts guy so it was easy.) I happened to be at a permanently standing flea market in Newburyport MA (by coincidence I believe this is Guralnick’s home turf) when I ..read more
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Ray Charles – Part III – Busted
Music Enthusiast » Soul
by Jim S.
1y ago
“Ray Charles is the only genius in our business.” – Frank Sinatra. “Soul is when you take a song and make it part of you – a part that’s so true, so real, people think it must have happened to you… It’s like electricity- we don’t really know what it is, do we? But it’s a force that can light a room. Soul is like electricity, like a spirit, a drive, a power.” – Ray Charles.  Many people speak about Ray’s Atlantic years as his best. In fact, the inspiration for this series was the Atlantic box set I bought some years ago. Atlantic president Ahmet Ertegun wrote a blues he called “Mess Around ..read more
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Ray Charles – Part II – Life on the Road
Music Enthusiast » Soul
by Jim S.
1y ago
Cigarettes and smack (heroin) are the two truly addictive habits I’ve known. You might add women,” he said. “My obsession centers on women—did then (when young) and does now. I can’t leave them alone.” – Ray Charles Once again Ray was on the move. One of his musician buddies had a girlfriend on the West Coast so they moved out to Seattle, Washington in early 1948. Seattle was also a port town and it was also jumpin’. (You got sailors, you got action.) Fifteen-year-old Quincy Jones had just moved there from Chicago. He got to know eighteen-year-old Ray and this led to a lifelong personal and pr ..read more
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