Tag: R&B

689. The Manhattans

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(October 2025) Episode 689 is THE MANHATTANS. An R&B outfit distinguished more by its longevity than by its creative contribution, IMO. Their career followed a common path from 60s doo wop-style R&B to 70s smooth soul, some funk and a bit of disco, then 80s synth soul, through to the current decade. To my ear, The Manhattans offer mostly basic and formulaic soul, although I found some enjoyable funky songs in their mid-70s peak. Their biggest hits were “Kiss and Say Goodbye” (1976) and “Shining Star” (1980).

Favorite album: That’s How Much I Love You

Favorite song: Nursery Rhymes

Compared to expectations: ↓

Recommendation: The four albums from 1972-76 are the best.

670. The Spinners

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(August 2025) Episode 670 is THE SPINNERS. They started out as an R&B vocal group in Detroit and, naturally, signed to the Motown label. But it wasn’t until the beginning of the 1970s, which they switched to Atlantic, that they found success with hits like “I’ll be Around,” “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” and “The Rubberband Man.” It’s not bad but I put them in a lower tier; they lack the groove and funk of many contemporaries. The Spinners are identified with “Philadelphia soul,” marked by lush strong and horn arrangements, which is not my preferred soul/funk sound.

Favorite album: Spinners

Favorite song: The Rubberband Man

Compared to expectations: ↓

Recommendation: The albums from 1973-75 are their best work.

657: Etta James

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(June 2025) Episode 657 is ETTA JAMES. One of my favorite voices. Powerful but not overpowering. Gentle, but sometimes coarse and bluesy. She recorded across a range on genres: R&B, gospel, jazz, pop standards, blues, soul. Her best stuff was in the 1960s, starting with trad pop and moving to soul. Substance abuse and financial difficulties affected her career, although she did have some good funky numbers in the 1970s. A comeback in the late 80s finally earned her emerita status and many late-career albums, although they lacked in originality.

Favorite album: Tell Mama

Favorite song: I’d Rather Go Blind

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: Etta James Top Ten compiles her early silky songs; the 1965-68 trio of Queen of Soul, Call My Name and Tell Mama are her best.

632. The Marvelettes

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(February 2025) Episode 632 is THE MARVELETTES, one of the earliest successful Motown acts. “Please Mr. Postman” is their most popular song and representative of their early 1960s pop-oriented girl group sound. Their second phase commenced in 1967 as they shrunk to a trio and adopted a more soulful sound per the trends within Motown. Not among the top girl groups for me, but they had some enjoyable songs.

Favorite album: The Marvelettes (pink album)

Favorite song: The Day You Take One (You Have To Take The Other)

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: A greatest hits will do. I prefer the four albums in their second phase (1967-70)

597. Bo Diddley

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(August 2024) Episode 597 is BO DIDDLEY. Take just the first eponymous album (a collection of singles); the influence on rock music of those songs is as immeasurable as the number of times they have been covered. There’s the classic “chonk, chonk, chonk… chonk-chonk” rhythm that now bears his name. But also the tremolo, which anticipates the explosion of guitar effects the next decade. His scene was never confined to blues, rock or R&B. He never again had the success of those early records, but he retained fame and recognition. I did enjoy his turn to soul/funk in the early 1970s.

Favorite album: Bo Diddley

Favorite song: Bo Diddley*

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: That first album functions as a greatest hits record..

 * the first trifecta (same artist/album/song) of the Opus Project

591. Martha and the Vandellas

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(August 2024) Episode 591 is MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS. Given that I dig the 60s girl group sound and with my wider explorations of Motown, it is surprising I haven’t gotten to Marth Reeves and her colleagues (who rotated over their dozen recording years) before now. Their hits “Dancing in the Streets,” “Nowhere to Run” and “Heatwave” are imprinted in our culture. It’s good stuff. Although if I have to choose among the girl groups I prefer the New York-based ones (Shangri-Las, Crystals, etc.).  The group lasted through the early 70s, providing for an evolution of their sound into the more funky soul of the time (I love), a good example of which is “Easily Persuaded.”

Favorite album: Dance Party

Favorite song:  Nowhere to Run

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: A best-of will satisfy.

579. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

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(June 2024) Episode 579 is SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES. This episode covers the Miracles’ recordings with and after Smokey, and his solo efforts. The Miracles were the first Motown act to make it big, a legend in their own right. Plus, as Berry Gordy’s right-hand man with his own numerous hit songwriting and production credits, Robinson’s fame involves so much music we consider classic.  That said, the music recorded by Smokey and the Miracles tended toward safer pop, without the edge or social consciousness of peers, taking them down a notch among Motown artists for me. You know how I love falsetto, and Smokey is one of the best. But it’s 100% for him, and I find falsetto is used best in contrast with lower range singing, as with The Temptations or Marvin Gaye.

Favorite joint album: A Pocketful of Miracles

Favorite Smokey album: A Quiet Storm

Favorite Miracles album: Renaissance

Favorite joint song: I Second That Emotion

Favorite Smokey song: Cruisin’

Favorite Miracles song: Love Machine

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: A complication of their hits is essential for any 60s R&B collection. For a deeper dive try the mid-70s Miracles cuts (after Smokey).

569. Professor Longhair

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(May 2024) Episode 569 is PROFESSOR LONGHAIR. As I continue my mini-tour through New Orleans music, I come upon one of its fathers. “Fess” was best known for his piano style, which incorporated Caribbean rhumba and calypso to create a rhythmic style adopted by generations of New Orleans musicians including Fats Domino, Allen Toussant and Dr. John. He never broke into the big time like the artists he influenced, perhaps in part because his singing style is comparatively a bit clipped and less polished. But you can’t not have a good time with his boogie.

Favorite album: Rock ‘n’ Roll Gumbo

Favorite song: Tipitina

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: A compilation album will provide what you need to know.

558. The Animals

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(April 2024) Episode 558 is THE ANIMALS. I started to write about them as a second-tier British Invasion band but then realized that’s an American-centric view. In the UK they developed a fiery presence on UK R&B scene. But just as I wrote about how the Searchers music proved the magic of the Beatles within Merseybeat, the Animals demonstrate how superior the Rolling Stones were among the blues-based UK bands. The original Animals played with gusto, but they lacked song-writing chops; their main four hits on U.S. radio (“House of the Rising Sun,” “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place,” “It’s My Life,” and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”) were composed by others. They fell apart early, and in 1966 Eric Burdon formed another group with his name up front. To me this is the most interesting period, as the albums have a psychedelic and experimental approach, providing the minor hits “San Francisco Nights” and “Sky Pilot.” Bottom line, Burdon’s voice never appealed to me.

Favourite album: The Twain Shall Meet

Favourite song: House of the Rising Sun

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: A great hits LP is enough.

555. The Neville Brothers

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(March 2024) Episode 555 is THE NEVILLE BROTHERS. This logiclly follows my recent episode on The Meters, which featured Art and Cyril Neville. In 1977 they joined Aaron and Charles to form this eponymously named unit. Each brother in this talented family had their own musical careers long before, during and after. But assembled together they created an iconic group with New Orleans-flavored funk, soul and R&B. This episode covers their studio albums, which weren’t many, and a few live performances, but it still feels incomplete given the span of each brother’s work. I’ve always loved Aaron’s fluttering tenor and his classic mid-60s song “Tell It Like It Is.”

Favorite album: Fiyo on the Bayou

Favorite song: Yellow Moon

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: Find some of their live concert performances, which show the energy and interaction.