Do Better

Do Better Thursday – We’ll Be Riiiiiiiiight Back…

25 February 2010

  Do Better Thursday is on a brief hiatus… that shall end next Thursday… March 4th… and yes I know… there’s plenty to rant on… and we shall… next Thursday… see you then… – dre’ of onustees.com

Black Music History “Group Session” – Day 17: Sly & The Family Stone

24 February 2010

6 Degrees of Soul: …I tried… but I seem to have hit a dead-end with the degrees of separation from Day 16’s Rotary Connection to Day 17’s Sly & the Family Stone. If you know a way… please let me know…   In the early seventies there were three dominating styles of funk, the godfather […]

Black Music History “Group Session” – Day 16: Rotary Connection

23 February 2010

6 Degrees of Soul: Before he made hits for Day’s 15’s EWF, Charles Stepney was one of the founding members of Day 16’s Rotary Connection.   Psychedelic brainchild of Charles Stepney and Marshall Chess (son of Leonard Chess), Rotary Connection pushed the boundary of soul experimentation with the incorporation of jazz and the voice of […]

Black Music History “Group Session” – Day 15: Earth, Wind & Fire

22 February 2010

6 Degrees of Soul: Day 14’s The Dells album Love Is Blue was arranged by Charles Stepney. Among the several groups Stepney arranged/produced, one of them was Day 15’s Earth, Wind & Fire.   …one of their early hits… “Keep Your Head to the Sky”… …co-written by Charles Stepney… “That’s the Way of the World”… […]

Black Music History “Group Session” – Day 14: The Dells

19 February 2010

6 Degrees of Soul: In 1974, Day 13’s The Dramatics did a joint album with Day 14’s The Dells. The album was titled The Dells vs. The Dramatics.   The Dells were the bridge that linked doo-wop to classic soul. After their hit “Oh, What A Night”, in 1956, several groups patterned themselves after The […]

Black Music History “Group Session” – Day 13: The Dramatics

18 February 2010

6 Degrees of Soul: Al Bell wrote “I’ll Take You There” for Day 12’s The Staple Singers. Bell launched the careers of several acts, one of those acts is Day 14’s The Dramatics.   Like The Spinners and The Stylistics, much much much more needs to be made of the legacy of The Dramatics. This […]

Black Music History “Group Session” – Day 12: The Staple Singers

18 February 2010

6 Degrees of Soul: Willie “Too Tall” Hall of Day 11’s The Bar Kays is known for backing several Stax artists. He was on the sticks for Isaac Hayes’ “Theme from Shaft”. One of the many Stax artists Hall backed was Day 13’s The Staple Singers.   Mavis, Cleotha, Yvonne & “Pops” make up the […]

Black Music History “Group Session” – Day 11: The Bar Kays

17 February 2010

6 Degrees of Soul: The “Ice Man”, Jerry Butler was the original lead singer of Day 10’s The Impressions. Butler with fellow soul legend, Otis Redding, co-wrote “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long”. Redding’s backing band was Day 11’s The Bar Kays.   The Bar Kays is truly a story of the phoenix rising from […]

Do Better Thursday – This Time It’s Personal…

11 February 2010

…this weeks Do Better moment… is self-addressed… it seems I’ve let the Snowdom of 2010 allow me to completely slack off on tasks, goals and dreams… although I have been able to get work done for the 9-to-5 and lend a hand shoveling… I haven’t done much more than that… well… cook and clean, I […]

Black Music History “Group Session” – Day 10: The Impressions

10 February 2010

6 Degrees of Soul: After leaving Motown, Day 9’s Four Tops scored a Top 20 hit with “Are You Man Enough”. That song was produced by Johnny Pate for his soundtrack of the film Shaft in Africa. Pate gained notoriety with his early work for Day 10’s The Impressions. Initially, Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield […]

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