Better Soul

Black Music History “Giving Them Roses” – Day 1: Little Richard

1 February 2011

The Genesis of Rock N’ Roll… After reviewing the list of artists receiving roses this month… Richard Wayne Penniman warranted the honor of being 1st… Aside from the fact, I was going to use the design above with the initial of launch on.us.tees… (Worried that not too many would understand why “Be 1st” is included […]

Black Music History “Giving Them Roses”…

31 January 2011

Do Better’s “Black Music History” is back for the third consecutive year! This year, the month of February will be filled with Living Legends. Majority of the artists have fallen out of the Nation’s conscious. Some are still in our thoughts but we tend to wait until they’ve passed on to acknowledged their genius. After […]

Albums Your Parents Should Have Played for You: Isaac Hayes

20 August 2010

Welcome to Albums Your Parents Should Have Played You… It’s my attempt rectify this generations profound ignorance of the wonderful music their mom, dad, aunts, uncles, gramps, grammas and cousins enjoyed growing up… Hopefully, you’ll dig it and spread the joy of Soul Music… If I was alone on an deserted island… and there was […]

Albums Your Parents Should Have Played for You: The Brothers “Al”

26 July 2010

Welcome to Albums Your Parents Should Have Played You… It’s my attempt rectify this generations profound ignorance of the wonderful music their mom, dad, aunts, uncles, gramps, grammas and cousins enjoyed growing up… Hopefully, you’ll dig it and spread the joy of Soul Music… Growing up, if you stopped by my home on any weekend morning […]

Black Music History “Group Session” – Day 18: The Temptations (The Norman Whitfield Edition)

25 February 2010

6 Degrees of Soul: After making several hits in the traditional 60’s Motown sound, Norman Whitfield decided to change his style towards “psychedelic soul”. That transition was highly influenced by Day 17’s Sly & The Family Stone and greatly benefited Day 18’s The Temptations.       …I’m going to assume that we all know the […]

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 […]

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