Leon Huff, Kenny Gamble and Don Cornelius were all at the height of their powers in the summer of 1973. Gamble and Huff were two songwriters, producers and music executives who happened to be shopping the right product at exactly the right time. Their fortunes were also connected to those of Cornelius, the Chicago cop, turned DJ, newscaster, and then - in an act of by-the-seat-of-your-pants creative desperation that typified independent television in those days – television show host.
Category: Soul Tracks
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February 22, 2012 - (New York, NY) - Mack Avenue recording artist and soul innovator Rahsaan Patterson is the new celebrity ambassador for RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization.
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R&B man John Legend has been a SoulTracks favorite for a few years now, but it has been awhile since he issued a solo album. Well, he is working on one now, and he is giving us all a sneak peak on the piano-driven, Gospel-tinged cut, "Hey Girl." We kinda like it.
What do you think?
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Hey Sou
lTrackers! We've been having a lot of fun for the past couple of years with you choosing your favorite albums and songs of all time. Last time we had you pick your favorite slow jams, and now we're going the opposite direction, remembering the days when it seemed every song was a dance song.
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Back in the 1970s, the Spinners seemed unstoppable, with glorious hit after glorious hit and one of the best live shows around. But in between the hits, the group recorded a tribute to a mother that became one of their most beloved songs and a highlight of every Spinners show. We're speaking, of course, of the great song "Sadie."
A compilation has arrived on the block, filled with choice tracks from independent and unsigned artists. I will admit that I am sometimes a little cautious about compilations claiming to be ‘soul’ music but which are, in actuality, actually watered down “urban” music, with 80% of the songs talking about various sexual fantasies, or how the ex is going to rot in hell for their cheating ways. The rest is usually about spending lots of money in a club and reciting as many designer brands etc.
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Sheila E was already a noted percussionist when she was thrust into the limelight by the The Purple One, Prince. Her work with him, including the bit hit "The Glamorous Life," made her a household name in soul music circles. A quarter century later, she is still highly regarded as a musician...and still looks "glamorous."
Happy Birthday Smokey Robinson (February 19)!The success of Luther Vandross with his 1981 debut album Never Too Much opened the door for a golden age of strong male balladeers whose emergence rivalled the rise of the funk group that had begun a few years earlier. Lionel Richie, Jeffrey Osborne, James Ingram and others arose either from groups or from nowhere to help establish the urban adult contemporary genre that would be shared over the next several years with such female counterparts as Phyllis Hyman, Angela Bofill, Anita Baker and Miki Howard.