THE 195th MIX FOR FSVB

Here's the 195th Mix Selection for F.S.V.B, it Called "Stevie Wonder Song Special"  its been Presented by Mike Pantelli and it Features some Great Tracks Written by Stevie Wonder!  

                  For Full Track Listing, see Below & Here

  

GEORGE BENSON – LATELY
GEORGE BENSON – MY CHERIE AMOUR
MICHAEL JACKSON – I CAN’T HELP IT
MARY J BLIGE – OVERJOYED
BLACK COFFEY – ROCKET LOVE
THE MAIN INGREDIENT – I AM YOURS
LUTHER VANDROSS – KNOCKS ME OFF MY FEET
BRIAN MCKNIGHT – SEND ONE YOUR LOVE
JAZZ JAMAICA – TEARS OF A CLOWN
BOYZ II MEN – I WAS MADE TO LOVE HER
JOE – THAT GIRL
JACKSON 5 – BUTTERCUP
LABELLE – OPEN UP YOUR HEART
FRANK MCCOMB – GOLDEN LADY
JERMAINE JACKSON – WHERE ARE YOU NOW?
THE SPINNERS – IT’S A SHAME
IKE & TINA TURNER – LIVING FOR THE CITY
MATT GIRAUD – PART TIME LOVER
ARETHA FRANKLIN – UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME
GENE HARRIS – AS
QUINCY JONES FT. PATTI AUSTIN – BETCHA WOULDN’T HURT ME
GLENN LEWIS – SUPERSTITION
BLACKSTREET – ALL I DO
THIRD WORLD – TRY JAH LOVE
KATHY SLEDGE – ANOTHER STAR

WHO'S THE GREATEST EVER SOUL SINGER

Over the Past Several Months I have been Featuring 11 Different Soul Singers in my "Who's The Greatest Soul Singer" Poll, there has been 335 Votes so Far, and if you are Not One of them Voter's, Please Vote Now! (over to your Right).

The Eleven Soul Singers are as Follows (Written in Order of the Poll, Top to Bottom), Press the Name's to see their Individual Post's I have Written on them, including Bio's and their Best Tracks:

Marvin Gaye
Al Green
Otis Redding
Curtis Mayfield
Luther Vandross
Sam Cooke
Teddy Pendergrass
Bobby Womack
Frankie Beverly
Ronald Isley
Eugene Record

My Favorite Top 3 Would be as Follows:

Al Green
Teddy Pendergrass
Marvin Gaye

Here's a Track from each of the Soul Singer's or their Band!

What a Fantastic Selection of Great Soul Music this is!

THE JOB INTERVIEW and LUTHER VANDROSS

The Time was now about Late October of 1988, I had a Job Interview with the Local County Council to Work as a Cook in an Old People's Day Centre, about 2 Miles from Home!

I Remember going to the Interview, as Clear as Anything, this is because, there Must have been about 6 People in the Interview Plus Me!

They had the Day Centre Manager and her Deputy, they had the County Council Area Manager and his Deputy, there was the Cook who was Leaving and a Couple of Others, I Thought I was going for a Job as a Brain Surgeon Not a Cook!

One of my Main Worries about going to the Job Interview was, Do I Tell them about my Bankruptcy, that had Just gone through, or Not!  

I had Decided to Tell them, as they would Probably find out anyway, if not now, but Later.

So after I had about an Hours worth of Grilling, I told them what had Happened with my Previous Employment, i.e having my Own Takeaway and Going Bankrupt as a Result of Failure, I didn't Know at the Time, if this went Down Well or Not!

The Previous Cook, who had the Job was on Maternity Leave and had Decided Not to come back to Work, so she was in the Interview, but there was also another Cook who they had Working there on a Temporary Basis, now I Knew this other Cook, she was the Older Sister of one of my Aunts (although I Never got on with this Aunt).

She had given me a bit of Useful Advice on Getting the Job, but when I left the Interview, it seemed my Only Worry about getting the Job was, I was a Male and they had Never had a Male Working there, Apart from 1 Male Van Driver (although he Never Worked inside the Centre, Just on the Vans), Nowadays that would Never Happen with All this Equality and PC Crap!

There was Something else I Learned from the Interview, if I did get the Job, I would Not be your Normal Run of the Mill Cook, I would be Called "Cook-In-Charge" 

I Don't Know who I would have been In Charge of, Because I was the Only Person Working in the Kitchen, and I had to do My Own Washing Up as Well!

So I Left the Interview and was Told, they would Contact me Either Way in a Couple of Days Time, so I went Home and had to Wait while they went through All the Usual Cr@p, what them Sort of Manager's go through!

====================================================================

Now for Some Music, Back in July of 1981, Luther Vandross Released his Debut Solo Single, which was Taken from his Debut Album to be Released on August 12, 1981, they were Both Entitled "Never Too Much"

The Song was Written and Produced by Luther Vandross and on the "Epic Record Label"

It Features the Great "Marcus Miller" on Bass and Cissy Houston and Tawatha Agee (Mtume) on Backing Vocals!

The Track Reached Number 1 on the US R&B Chart and Number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100, it also Charted in the UK at Number 13, this Turned out to be his Highest Ever Chart Position in UK for one of his Solo Singles!  

           

                    The "Never Too Much Album" in Full

                                

                    

TAKEAWAY CLOSED! and SAM COOKE

The Date was around Late Summertime of 1988, the Takeaway Trade Never really picked up too much during that Summer, and things were getting Worse, Trade was Dropping and in turn that Meant I was Making Hardly any Money, and I can Remember the Takeaway Lack of Business was starting to  effect my Family Life!

I was doing a lot of Arguing with Susan and Moaning at the Kids, so things Needed Changing, I had put a Lot into the Takeaway and Did Not want to Close it for Good!

I Cant Remember what Day of the Week it was, but I do Remember Susan Phoning me up one Night, to see how things were Going, and as Usual, Not Too Much was Happening, she then asked "How I was Feeling" I Remember saying to her, I Felt like Putting my Head in the Deep Fat Fryer!

Now that wont have done me a lot of Good, I know, but that is How Bad I Felt, Susan said Straightaway, "Shut that Bloody Shop Down and Come Home"

And for once in my Life, I Did Not do Too Much Thinking of the Concequences of what will Happen, I just Turned Everything Off and Walked out of the Takeaway!

I got into my Van and went Straight Home, I Remember Susan and the Kids, being Very Surprised and Very Happy when I got there!

That in Hindsight was Probably the Worst I had Ever Felt in my Life about "My Job or My Working Life"

I Remember the Next Day after it all Settled Down, I thought to Myself "What the Hell am I now going to do about a Job, Now"

I also had to Contact the Landlord, to tell him what had Happened, and I Knew then, this was when my Troubles were Really Going to Start, I Did Not Like him either!

I had a Lease on the Takeaway, I Cant Remember "How Long it was For" but, I knew he (the Landlord) was going to want that Paid Up or he would go after what was "Put up as Collateral, on the Takeaway" and that was "My Mothers House"

I then had to seek Advice from Various different People, including, Citizens Advice Bureau, Business Advice Places, a Solicitor etc, what a Nightmare that all was!

After doing all this for a Couple of Weeks, the Outcome was amongst other things, I had to Straightaway go, Bankrupt!

What a Shock this was, I was like Most People of my Age (around 30), had some Debt through being Married with Kids etc, but this was Really Something Else, they were Going to go through my Life and Finances etc like I had never Experienced before and have not Experienced Since!

As this would eventually Turn Out (the Bankruptcy), Apart from One other Incident in my Life, Would Probably be the Worst Period of Time in my Life!

===================================================

As for some Music, I think I may have Featured the Following Track before in this Blog, but who Cares, this I reckon is One of the Best Soul Records Ever Released!

It was Written and Recorded in 1963, so its now 50 Years Old, It was not actually Released as a Single until about 2 Weeks after Sam Cooke was Killed on 11th December 1964!

The Song is the Great "A Change is Gonna Come" what a Fantastic Song this is, it was Later to be used by the "Civil Rights Movement" in the USA during the 1960's.

This Song was a Change of Direction for Sam Cooke, as he had Previously Recorded Songs for the "Pop Market" and Feared he would Lose his "White Fans" if he Recorded a Song about "Discrimination and Racism" in the US during the 1960's!

The Song Peaked at Number 31 on the US Billboard Top 100 and Number 9 on the US R&B Singles Chart. 

This Song been Recorded by Many Great Soul Artists over the Years, including amongst others, Al Green, Otis Redding and Luther Vandross, it has also been Voted by the  Magazine "Rolling Stone" at Number 12 in the Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time 





I was born by the river in a little tent
Oh and just like the river I've been running ever since
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

It's been too hard living but I'm afraid to die
Cause I don't know what's up there beyond the sky
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

I go to the movie and I go downtown somebody keep telling me don't hang around
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

Then I go to my brother
And I say brother help me please
But he winds up knockin' me
Back down on my knees

Ohhhhhhhhh.....

There been times that I thought I couldn't last for long
But now I think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

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THE 181st MIX FOR F.S.V.B

Here's the 181st Mix Selection for F.S.V.B, it Called "Slow Jams "No One Else Comes Close""  its been Mixed by DJ Kumbi and contains Various Soul Artists and Bands, it Features some Great Tracks by: After 7, Freddie Jackson, Kool & the Gang, Babyface, Atlantic Starr, Luther Vandross and Brian McKnight Amongst others!

For a Full Track Listing and Download, Go Here!

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WHO'S THE GREATEST FUNK BASS PLAYER # 7 BERNARD EDWARDS

In this Series of Posts, I will Writing about the Artist's who are in My "Who's the Greatest Funk Bass Player" Poll. 

The Poll is over to the Right of the Blog, it has been Running for a Few Week's, so if You haven't already Voted, Please do so!

In these Post's, I will write a few Facts, Figures, Stats and Interesting Stuff on the Artist in Question, I will also include a Playlist of their Greatest Songs.

I will Write a Post on Each Artist, One Every Other Week! 

ARTIST NUMBER 7..............BERNARD EDWARDS 

Bernard Edwards was Born on the 18th of April 1952, in Greenville, North Carolina USA, but Moved to Brooklyn NYC at an Early Age.


He met Nile Rodgers in the Early 1970's, they were Both Session Musicians around the New York Area, they Later  Formed a Band Together in 1972 and were named "The Boys" and Later to become the "Big Apple Band" Despite Playing Gigs and Making Demo's, they were Never to be Signed to Any Label, the Band Lasted until 1976!

Then in 1976 they Added 2 New Members to the Band, Tony Thompson on Drums and Norma Jean Wright on Vocals and Changed their Name to "Chic"

By 1977 they were Signed to "Atlantic Records" and Chic's First "Self Titled" Album was Released that same Year in 1977, it Reached Number 27 on the US Pop Chart and Number 12 on the US R&B Chart.

The First Single off the Album was also "Chic's" First Hit Record, Dance Dance Dance (Yowsah Yowsah Yowsah
it Reached Number 6 on both US Pop and R&B Charts!

Their next Hit Single from the Album was "Everybody Dance" but it did not Chart as well as their Debut Single.

The Track also Had Luther Vandross on Backing Vocals.

It was not until their Second Album in 1978 "C'est Chic" that Chic got their First Number One Single, on Both US Pop and R&B Charts, that was "Le Freak" incidentally this was to be Chic's Best Selling Album of All Time!

Chic had 2 Number One Singles in their Career, "Le Freak and "Good Times"

By 1983 Chic were to Split Up, Both Edwards and Rodgers were to say the Split was Down to "Personal and Artistic Reasons"

In 1985 "Bernard Edwards" was to Release his only Solo Album entitled "Glad to be Here" it was Not a Big Hit!

That same Year if 1985 he was to Record and Produce an Album with the Band called "Power Station" it Featured "Tony Thompson" from Chic and 2 Members from Duran Duran and Robert Palmer.

He went on to Work with Numerous different Acts from the Recording World, i.e Robert Palmer, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Duran Duran, ABC and Adam Ant.

He also Produced Records for Various Artists including: Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce and Busta Rhymes.

In the Early 1990's "Chic" were Briefly to Reform and later in 1992  Release their Last Ever Album "Chic-ism" 

In 1996 "Bernard Edwards" was named "JT Super Producer of the Year" in Japan, and he and Chic were Invited to Play a Gig in Japan, a Live Album was Later Released of the Live Concert, it was called "Live at the Budokan" 

Bernard Edwards was taken Unwell the Night before the Concert, but Insisted in going on with the Gig, he had to be Physically Helped During the Show and to actually Finish it, but that Night in his Hotel Room, he was to "Pass Away" in his Sleep!

It was later Discovered that "Bernard Edwards" had Died from "Pneumonia"

In 2005, Bernard Edwards was Honored Posthumously for his Outstanding Achievements as a Producer and was Inducted into the "Dance Music Hall of Fame"

Chic's Discography: 11 Albums and 24 Singles

CHIC'S GREATEST HITS

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