Tag: R&B

547. The Temptations

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(February 2024) Episode 547 is THE TEMPTATIONS. I had known them as a legendary Motown act through classic mid-60s hits like “My Girl,” “The Way You Do the Things You Do” and “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” who endured to the present day on the nostalgia circuit. What I did not know, and was not prepared by have MY MIND BLOWN by, were their “psychedelic soul” albums from 1968-1972 (notably Cloud Nine, Puzzle People and Psychedelic Shack). I knew “I Can’t Get Next To You” and “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” but hadn’t connected that this was the same outfit that made “My Girl.” This period is when producer Norman Whitfield took over and guided them to a rougher and funkier sound, as well as more socially conscious themes. Alongside Sly Stone and Funkadelic, this sound made the Temptations a big influence on funk and 70s soul. Love this stuff. I am a sucker for falsetto, so I highlight Eddie Kendricks, one of the best and one of my favorites (along with Curtis Mayfield, Phillip Bailey and Prince). Amidst lineup changes, they kept pumping out albums through the decades following R&B trends, but never recapturing the magic of their peak. The Temptations are around today, still led by founder Otis Williams, the last original member.

Favorite album: Psychedelic Shack

Favorite song: I Can’t Get Next To You

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: Get those “psychedelic soul” albums referenced above, but their earlier “classic 5” era albums are very good too, such as Getting’ Ready and The Temptations with a Lot o’ Soul

541. Fats Domino

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(January 2024) Episode 541 is FATS DOMINO, a pioneer of rock-and-roll, although he dismissed the term, noting that he was merely making the same piano-based New Orleans R&B he had been playing for years. “The Fat Man” (1949) is one of the many songs that historians nominate as the first rock-and-roll record. Regardless, he was massively influential on what became rock music. His success in the mid-1950s marked the peak of piano-based rock-and-roll before guitar became supreme. His sound was consistent (but also repetitive) over the years: piano beats in 12/4 time with his easy-going vocal style. I tire easily of early rock-and-roll but I find Fats, who unlike many in the business appeared to be a decent human being, an enjoyable listening experience.

Favorite album: This Is Fats Domino!

Favorite song: I’m Ready (1959)

Favorite later song: Work My Way Up Steady (1967)

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: Any greatest hits record will do but also check out the two songs listed above which are unlikely to make the cut.

523. The Isley Brothers

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(September 2023) Episode 523 is THE ISLEY BROTHERS. You might know them best for the classics “Shout” and “Twist and Shout,” prime examples of how gospel’s call-and-response helped define soul and rock. These late 50s recordings were just the beginning of a six-decade career of six brothers from Cincinnati, in various combinations, which is still going. They covered all the styles through that span: early R&B, soul, funk, disco, smooth R&B. My favorite period is 1969-75, their peak of funky soul, with hits like “It’s Your Thing” and “That Lady.” Everything from the 1980s on is not my thing. I commend their 1971 album “Givin’ It Back.” After a decade of watching White artists cover their material, they flip it by recording songs by Dylan, Stills, Young and Taylor. And they do it great.

Favorite album: 3+3

Favorite song: I Turned You On

Favorite cover song: Summer Breeze

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: Try those eight albums from 1969-75, or a greatest hits collection; make sure it includes the songs above and the funkalicious “If He Can You Can” and “The Heat Is On.”

506. Tina Turner

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(June 2023) Episode 506 of the “opus project” is TINA TURNER, including her work with IKE & TINA, begun after her recent passing.  Few if any performers can match her dynamism on stage and in voice; I had not fully appreciated her powerful delivery before this episode.  Add to this her personal story of overcoming Ike’s abuse to become an international star, reaching a pinnacle with her mid-1980s hits. While these songs are how my generation knows her, my favorite stuff is the Ike & Tina albums from 1970-73.  It’s fantastic gritty, funky soul.  (Their earlier R&B material is less interesting.)   

Favorite album (Ike & Tina): Feel Good

Favorite album (Tina solo): Acid Queen

Favorite song (Ike & Tina): I Like It

Favorite song (Tina solo): Whole Lotta Love (yeah, it’s a cover, but what she does with it is funkalicious)

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: Those early 70s albums are essential funk/soul

501. The Four Tops

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(June 2023) Episode 501 is THE FOUR TOPS. Motown superstars, their hits have become indelible parts of our culture, powered by the songwriting giants of Holland-Dozier-Holland.  They’re also remarkable for their durability, a foursome from high school that lasted decades. Not to detract from their signing talents, the Four Tops do feel like a corporate product of the label, at least in comparison to artists like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder who branched off toward their own unique and creative sounds. The Four Tops kept it up through the 70s and 80s, but their treatment of funk and disco lacked spark and edge.

Favorite album: Reach Out

Favorite song: Reach Out I’ll Be There

Favorite post-Motown album: Main Street People (1973)

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: A collection of their greatest hits is enough

427. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins

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(July 2022) Episode 427 is SCREAMIN’ JAY HAWKINS. His contribution to the emergence of rock-n-roll was primarily his wild and macabre stage performances, making him a pioneer of shock rock.  The music was a mix of blues and R&B delivered in his booming operatic baritone, but is more style than substance.

Favorite album: At Home With Screamin’ Jay Hawkins

Favorite song: I Put A Spell On You

Most Realistic Song: Constipation Blues

Compared to expectations: ↓

Recommendation: just as a novelty

401. Barry White

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(April 2022) Episode 401 is BARRY WHITE. “If chocolate fudge cake could sing, it would sound like Barry White” – the baritone-bass voice that catalyzed countless romances. Smooth, soulful, iconic. 

Favorite album: Stone Gon’

Favorite song:  Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up

Favorite instrumental (could it get any more 70s in here?): Love’s Theme (credited to Love Unlimited Orchestra)

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: essential in any spin of 70s soul

388. Jackie Wilson

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(February 2022) Episode 388 is JACKIE WILSON. This was a disappointment. He had a strong voice with a big range, and he was a hitmaker and showman. But his version of R&B and soul comes off as milquetoast, laden with sappy strings and chrome and lacking in emotional depth.

Favorite album: Jackie Sings the Blues

Favorite song: (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher

Compared to expectations: ↓

Recommendation: look elsewhere for your soul

328. Sam Cooke

~ ernopepper ~ 1 Comment

(April 2021) Episode 328 is SAM COOKE. There’s a reason they call him the King of Soul. It starts with that glorious voice, and continues with catchy tunes that bridged appeal across Black and White audiences (not to mention his civil rights activism). It’s a tragedy that we never got to see what he could do as soul music got more gritty, socially-conscious and funky in the later 1960s. 

Favorite album: Night Beat

Favorite song: Lost and Lookin’

Compared to expectations: same