In the news this week...(first off many thanks to
Marcus B for covering my show in my absence)...
Mary J. Blige has been tapped to perform during the annual Nobel Peace Prize Concert. Slated to perform December 11 in Oslo, Norway, the Grammy-winning queen of hip-hop/soul joins James Blunt, Envy and Zara Larsson, who will also perform at Norway's Spektrum Arena. The concert will be broadcast in the U.S. via AXS TV. In total, it will be aired in over 100 countries worldwide. In related news, Mary J. Blige released "A Mary Christmas" on October 15 via Verve. The set includes Holiday favorites like "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "The Christmas Song." Blige is joined by a number of A-list guests, starting with Barbra Streisand, who duets with Blige on 'When You Wish Upon A Star,' along with Jessie J on 'Do You Hear What I Hear' The Clark Sisters join Blige on 'The First Noel' and 'Noche de Paz,' is a Spanish collaboration with Mark Anthony. "A Mary Christmas" is available now.
(themusicroom)
New record from Prince, and he
is a musical and marketing genius. He has been able to stay in tuned with not what the people want, but with what they need. We need an icon that can add humor (Dave Chappelle cover), amazing music (Prince's extraordinary music & sound) with pure beauty (lead actress/dancer in video). The teaser for "Breakfast Can Wait" gives you that good old throwback feeling when you waited for videos to premiere back in the day. Check it out and let us know if you have the same feeling. (The musicroom)
 |
| Al Johnson |
Sadly we recently lost a superb soul singer in
Al Johnson. While never long in the spotlight, he quietly created some very memorable Soul music for himself and others over a more than forty year career, and developed a small but loyal following over that period as a top notch songwriter, singer and musician.
Johnson first scored as the lead singer of the
Unifics, a group formed at Howard University in Washington, D.C. which had a big hit with "The Court of Love." After another minor hit, "The Beginning of My End," the group split and Johnson began a long string as a session musician, songwriter, arranger and producer. He then went solo with two albums including the much loved 'Back For More' after witch he concentrated on producing others, he'll be missed. (soultracks/editor)
Today of course is
Remembrance Sunday and 1 minute silence was observed by Newstyle Radio at 11 am today to remember all the deaths of WWI and II and more recent conflicts. There were plenty Caribbean Women serving in WW2. When we think of the British Armed Forces, there is often a tendency to think exclusively of men. In the past this has been largely due to the majority of Armed forces being made of almost entirely of men. However, WW2 saw plenty of Women sign up to the British Armed Forces. The exact numbers of Caribbean women serving in the British Armed forces can be difficult to pin down to an exact number. However, Richard Smith, writing in the
Oxford Companion to Black British History. Read more
This weeks playlist for Sunday 10th November 2013
Hour One
Wendell B - When Love Don't Make No Sense
Eddie Holman - It's All In The Game
George Howard - No, No (bed)
Maze/Frankie Beverly - Call On Me
Gwen Guthrie - Sweet Bitter Love
Babyface - This Is 4 The Lover In U
Phil Perry - You Send Me
Zhane - Request Line
Jeniquea - Making Love
Harold Melvin/Bluenotes - I Really Love You
Plush - We Got The Love
Aretha Franklin - Giving Him Something He Can Feel
Hour Two
'Three-Inna-Row': Deborah Cox
1Could Have Been You
2 One Wish
3 Sound Of His Tears
The Manhattans - Crazy
Michael Wycof - Lockin Up To You
Sinai - Get Up On The Floor
The Staple Singers - Love Me, Love Me, Love Me
Maze/Frankie Beverly - Before I Let Go
James Brown - Cold Sweat
Alex Lattimore - Rising To The Top (inst)
Melba Moore - Standing Right Here
Deborah Cox Biography:
Born 13 July 1973, Toronto, Canada. R&B singer Cox was signed by Arista Records' famed president Clive Davis, previously responsible for discovering names such as Bruce Springsteen, Whitney Houston, Janis Joplin and TLC. Davis' reputation in the industry meant that he was able to unite Cox with some of American R&B's finest producers.
Her debut album was recorded with the aid of Keith Thomas (Vanessa Williams, Amy Grant), Keith Crouch, Darryl Simmons and Dallas Austin. Cox had begun singing in her childhood and turned professional at the age of 12, playing small Toronto clubs before attending a performing arts school.
She first met her songwriting partner Lascelles Stephens when she was 18, forging a productive creative relationship. A demo recorded together served to alert Davis to Cox's presence, and within months she had moved to Los Angeles and signed with Arista. Before the recording of her debut album was complete she had toured Canada with Celine Dion and performed at showcases in Europe and Asia. Her first single, "Sentimental", was released in October 1995. The second single, "Who Do U Love?", sold over half a million copies. As a self-proclaimed R&B diva, her material falls equally between up-tempo/swingbeat numbers and slickly produced ballads.
While she is clearly a more able vocalist than many of her peers, sometimes that attribute is lost in her conservative choice of material. Her eagerly anticipated sophomore set, One Wish, helped to establish the singer as a recording star. Justifying the praise heaped on the album, the old school ballad "Nobody's Supposed To Be Here" topped the R&B charts for a record-breaking 14 weeks, and climbed to number 2 on the Hot 100 in January 1999. She enjoyed another US Top 10 hit in October with "We Can't Be Friends".
Discography:
Deborah Cox (Vaz/Arista 1995)***, One Wish (Arista 1998)****, The Morning After (J 2002)***.
