I've really enjoyed 2010 from a musical standpoint .Despite what the naysayers and moaners may have led you to believe there has been some great Muisc For The Soul released this year.
From the amazing Soul sound of Andreya Triani , through the epic sprawling masterpice of Kanye West's " My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy " album ,John Legend & The Roots BRILLIANT " Hard Times " album ,Nicky Minaj's great " Pink Friday " album ,Janelle Monae's incredible " The Arch Android " opus ,Danny Byrd'a Old-Skool Rave/Drum & Bass cracker " Rave Digger "and a plethora of fantastic electronic/dubstep albums from Phealeh, Darkstar,Ikonika ,anything on Hyperdub ( my label of the year ) and many many more there has has been so much to celebrate and enjoy .
I am by nature an optimist not a cynic,I'm a music snob blessed with great taste in and greater passion for music....
MUSIC IS SO IMPORTANT ,IT IS ART ,IT HAS MEANING AND VALUE AND HAS HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT ON MY LIFE .........I WILL NEVER TIRE OF GREAT NEW MUSIC OR STOP LOVING THE ARTISTS THAT HAVE MADE ME SO HAPPY
RIP Lady T and Gregory Issacs,two artist I have listened to for years and will continue to listen to as long as I live....thank you both for your incredible voices and music............through your music you will live for ever ,God Bless You both
Now comes the time for me to anoint one track THE First "Soul Guru's Track of The Year " ....a track that is in my opinion the best of the year
This is based on a lot of scientific data ...like how it made me feel when I first head it ,the great memories it brings back of The Big Chill ,and just how damn great it is..............Ladies & Gentlemen the winner is ........................Magnetic Man " I Need Air "..watch the video here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2vWQFHP3D0
Thanks for following me ,next year TSG blog will be better ,more opinionated and funnier than ever
HAPPY NEW YEAR !
Wednesday 29 December 2010
Monday 27 December 2010
Teena Marie will never die
Today's news that Teena was found dead in her bed by her daughter yesterday is genuinely shocking .The tragedy of her death at only 54 and that it should be her daughter who found her dead on Boxing day gives the situation added poignancy ...........and let nobody doubt that we have lost a genuine Princess of Soul ,a real talent.
I always find it sad when an artist whose music has made made a major impact on me dies ,but I find this news particularly hard to bear. It could be because we are the same age but I think it is more that she just had such a huge influence on my life. When her first album - Wild And Peaceful - came out I was working in City Sounds and it was an instant hit with all the Soul Boys and Girls who made up the bulk of my customers.
The album artwork didn't have any photos of Lady T because Motown didn't want the audience to know she was white ......you would never have guessed it by listening to her as she sang the seminal " I'm Just A Sucker For Your Love " with Rick James ,this track simply IS Funk
Through albums like Lady T and the astonishing Irons In The Fire and tracks like Behind The Groove ,I Need Your Lovin,Square Biz and Portugese Love she made Soul music of the highest calibre...a new Teena Marie album was a big event ,and she didn't let us down . Her move from Motown to Epic didn't really work and from then on the quality of her music was variable- but her voice and spirit remained.
I've been listening to her music this morning and ,whilst listening to " Deja Vu ( I've Been Here Before ) " I heard her singing " When you die you come back again,I thank God I thank God when you die you come back again " . I'm not embarrassed to say I cried my eyes out - not just for Teena but for my Mum and Dad and all the other beautiful friends I've lost
This is the essence of Soul Music I believe...it makes me FEEL.Sometimes the feelings are good but often Soul music brings me feelings that hurt ,and that's why I love it ,why it will always be a part of my life and why Teena Marie will never die in my mind,I am blessed to have known her through her music. If you're not familiar with Lady T here's an updated wikipedia account of her .http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teena_Marie
God Bless you Teena RIP X
I always find it sad when an artist whose music has made made a major impact on me dies ,but I find this news particularly hard to bear. It could be because we are the same age but I think it is more that she just had such a huge influence on my life. When her first album - Wild And Peaceful - came out I was working in City Sounds and it was an instant hit with all the Soul Boys and Girls who made up the bulk of my customers.
The album artwork didn't have any photos of Lady T because Motown didn't want the audience to know she was white ......you would never have guessed it by listening to her as she sang the seminal " I'm Just A Sucker For Your Love " with Rick James ,this track simply IS Funk
Through albums like Lady T and the astonishing Irons In The Fire and tracks like Behind The Groove ,I Need Your Lovin,Square Biz and Portugese Love she made Soul music of the highest calibre...a new Teena Marie album was a big event ,and she didn't let us down . Her move from Motown to Epic didn't really work and from then on the quality of her music was variable- but her voice and spirit remained.
I've been listening to her music this morning and ,whilst listening to " Deja Vu ( I've Been Here Before ) " I heard her singing " When you die you come back again,I thank God I thank God when you die you come back again " . I'm not embarrassed to say I cried my eyes out - not just for Teena but for my Mum and Dad and all the other beautiful friends I've lost
This is the essence of Soul Music I believe...it makes me FEEL.Sometimes the feelings are good but often Soul music brings me feelings that hurt ,and that's why I love it ,why it will always be a part of my life and why Teena Marie will never die in my mind,I am blessed to have known her through her music. If you're not familiar with Lady T here's an updated wikipedia account of her .http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teena_Marie
God Bless you Teena RIP X
Monday 20 December 2010
And So This Is This Christmas ....And What Have YOU Done ?
The Soul Guru sits and thinks .....so what has 2010 done to broaden the mind ,body and SOUL ? Actually I think it has been quite a significant year for me ......a year when I started to realize that music is becoming increasingly devalued ,that the dreaded X-Factor lowest common-denominator kareoke competition was somehow important to 20 million people ..............are you lot ,mentally deranged ?
The bloke who won that shit was a painter and decorator........guess why ? Coz he has no charisma ,talent or other redeemable feature ....give him a ladder and a brush and tell him to Fuck Off back to decorating !
I can't stand this trivialization of music ,it makes me so angry !
In 2011 The Soul Guru is going to reach out to all of you who actually care about music ...and there are thousands of us ...and we are gonna talk about great music ,get together to listen and dance to great music and do what we can to prove to people that music IS important ,that we WONT be led like sheep ,that Soul music + Fashion + Clubs = being part of a movement of people who know how to have a good time and realize that taste and class are vital ingredients of Club Culture
I'm just in my 50's now and I'm still interested in great music ,clubs,fashion,style ,class ...........and it will never change for me coz ITS MY LIFE ! I'm going to return to DJing ,playing only the records I like - they will be brilliant ,trust me, coz I've got taste
So this is Christmas and what have YOU done this year to show that music,clubs,style and fashion are important to you ?
I've started to write this blog ,now once a week ,and I love expressing my feelings about new music . To those of you who may say " So what " ? I say this .........at least I did something !
Happy Christmas and let's stand up and be counted next year...starting on January 15th at The Soul Guru's Birthday Party
The Soul Guru Loves YOU x
The bloke who won that shit was a painter and decorator........guess why ? Coz he has no charisma ,talent or other redeemable feature ....give him a ladder and a brush and tell him to Fuck Off back to decorating !
I can't stand this trivialization of music ,it makes me so angry !
In 2011 The Soul Guru is going to reach out to all of you who actually care about music ...and there are thousands of us ...and we are gonna talk about great music ,get together to listen and dance to great music and do what we can to prove to people that music IS important ,that we WONT be led like sheep ,that Soul music + Fashion + Clubs = being part of a movement of people who know how to have a good time and realize that taste and class are vital ingredients of Club Culture
I'm just in my 50's now and I'm still interested in great music ,clubs,fashion,style ,class ...........and it will never change for me coz ITS MY LIFE ! I'm going to return to DJing ,playing only the records I like - they will be brilliant ,trust me, coz I've got taste
So this is Christmas and what have YOU done this year to show that music,clubs,style and fashion are important to you ?
I've started to write this blog ,now once a week ,and I love expressing my feelings about new music . To those of you who may say " So what " ? I say this .........at least I did something !
Happy Christmas and let's stand up and be counted next year...starting on January 15th at The Soul Guru's Birthday Party
The Soul Guru Loves YOU x
Sunday 12 December 2010
I'm Mad As Hell And I'm Not Gonna Take It Anymore
Excuse the delay in posting but over the past two weeks I've been re-assessing why I write and what I'd like to achieve.
I set out in my own small way to try to bring good music to people's attention....music has been my profession for over 30 years ,from selling records and DJ-ing in Brighton to signing some of the great British Soul and Dance acts to working in film ,management and A& R as I do now.
Quite simply ,from where I am ,the state of the mainstream muisc business has never been so awful - from Simon Cowell and his hideous pub-singer kareoke competitions to the endless mindless Urban records that seem to be everywhere.
What the FUCK happened to quality control ? Where are all the great new artists who actually have something today apart from I've got loads of money a big dick and all women are ho's ? What Goings On is my favourite album and the question I want answered .
To qoute Peter Lawford in one of THE great movies Network " I'm Mad As Hell And I'm Not Gonna Take It Any More "
I set out to write about great new Music with Soul - not just Soul Music . I soon realized that there is only so much great music and rather than have the quality of the artist I write about suffer I'm now going to write this over the weekend and post on a Monday .
I never write about major label stuff unless it is exceptional like Kanye West ,I buy everything I write about and thus I feel qualified to criticize stuff as and when necessary.
I love music so much ,I enjoy a lot of new music ,I'm not stuck in a timewarp where everything from the turn of the century is crap.......I promise to bring some amazing new music to your attention
Music Is SO important ,it is the only art form that makes us instantly recall old friends,lovers, good times and bad as soon as we hear a particular song. It makes us laugh ,cry ,dance and just feel emotions ,even if we would rather not sometimes.
Who gives a fuck about a variety of talentless fuckwits being mentored by cretins like Louie Walsh ? apparently millions ! Frankly I couldn't give a shit about all that
The blog will look and sound much better thanks to a couple of people I'm working with on the style and it will be much more widely read.................quite right too
The Soul Guru Loves YOU X
I set out in my own small way to try to bring good music to people's attention....music has been my profession for over 30 years ,from selling records and DJ-ing in Brighton to signing some of the great British Soul and Dance acts to working in film ,management and A& R as I do now.
Quite simply ,from where I am ,the state of the mainstream muisc business has never been so awful - from Simon Cowell and his hideous pub-singer kareoke competitions to the endless mindless Urban records that seem to be everywhere.
What the FUCK happened to quality control ? Where are all the great new artists who actually have something today apart from I've got loads of money a big dick and all women are ho's ? What Goings On is my favourite album and the question I want answered .
To qoute Peter Lawford in one of THE great movies Network " I'm Mad As Hell And I'm Not Gonna Take It Any More "
I set out to write about great new Music with Soul - not just Soul Music . I soon realized that there is only so much great music and rather than have the quality of the artist I write about suffer I'm now going to write this over the weekend and post on a Monday .
I never write about major label stuff unless it is exceptional like Kanye West ,I buy everything I write about and thus I feel qualified to criticize stuff as and when necessary.
I love music so much ,I enjoy a lot of new music ,I'm not stuck in a timewarp where everything from the turn of the century is crap.......I promise to bring some amazing new music to your attention
Music Is SO important ,it is the only art form that makes us instantly recall old friends,lovers, good times and bad as soon as we hear a particular song. It makes us laugh ,cry ,dance and just feel emotions ,even if we would rather not sometimes.
Who gives a fuck about a variety of talentless fuckwits being mentored by cretins like Louie Walsh ? apparently millions ! Frankly I couldn't give a shit about all that
The blog will look and sound much better thanks to a couple of people I'm working with on the style and it will be much more widely read.................quite right too
The Soul Guru Loves YOU X
Saturday 4 December 2010
The Decline Of The Album is Terrible For Creativity
When I got to Brighton I was quite the Soul Boy snob- I bought Motown , Stax , Hi ,James Brown etc .......I was also quite possibly the worst-dressed Soul Boy ever,my favourite shirt was an orange needlecord shirt I bought from Harry Fenton in Swindon ,but that's another story for another day.
I cannot place the exact record that made me realize that you didn't have to be Black to make Soul music - it may have been " How Long " by Ace or it may have been " Pick Up The Pieces " by Average White Band or even the realization that R Dean Taylor was indeed white.
There can be no doubt however as to the two great albums ,that I still listen to today ,that opened my ears to the the fact that " Blue Eyed Soul " was indeed more than worthy of serious consideration........" Abandoned Luncheonette " by Hall & Oates and " Silk Degrees " by Boz Scaggs.
Both albums are as close to perfection as is possible - if you're reading this and don't know either album then please buy/download them now and just sit back and listen to them ALL THE WAY THROUGH . Nowadays you're lucky if a 15 track album has more than 4 decent cuts .......on these there's not a single note out of place ,the vocals and arrangements are pefection.
I'm very aware that I am older than the new generation of music buyer and I know you will find it hard to believe me when I say at times I NEARLY ( not quite ! ) feel sorry for today's A&R's as nowadays hardly anyone below 20 seems to buy tracks not albums ( at least My boys do ) ...........what's that all about ?
It used to be " you're as good as your last album " ...now it's " You're as good as your last track " .
How on earth can anyone be expected to create great art under that kind of pressure.........maybe that's why the best music is to be found on small indies who don't care about chart placings ?
I got into the Music Biz by chance - I never gave a Fuck about commercial music - I encouraged great artists to express themselves over many albums by letting them know that if people at the label criticized them I would always take their side and defend their right to make the music they wanted to
And thats's why I'm The Godfather Of British Black Music A&R ...none EVER fucked with me or my artists
The Soul Guru Loves YOU x
I cannot place the exact record that made me realize that you didn't have to be Black to make Soul music - it may have been " How Long " by Ace or it may have been " Pick Up The Pieces " by Average White Band or even the realization that R Dean Taylor was indeed white.
There can be no doubt however as to the two great albums ,that I still listen to today ,that opened my ears to the the fact that " Blue Eyed Soul " was indeed more than worthy of serious consideration........" Abandoned Luncheonette " by Hall & Oates and " Silk Degrees " by Boz Scaggs.
Both albums are as close to perfection as is possible - if you're reading this and don't know either album then please buy/download them now and just sit back and listen to them ALL THE WAY THROUGH . Nowadays you're lucky if a 15 track album has more than 4 decent cuts .......on these there's not a single note out of place ,the vocals and arrangements are pefection.
I'm very aware that I am older than the new generation of music buyer and I know you will find it hard to believe me when I say at times I NEARLY ( not quite ! ) feel sorry for today's A&R's as nowadays hardly anyone below 20 seems to buy tracks not albums ( at least My boys do ) ...........what's that all about ?
It used to be " you're as good as your last album " ...now it's " You're as good as your last track " .
How on earth can anyone be expected to create great art under that kind of pressure.........maybe that's why the best music is to be found on small indies who don't care about chart placings ?
I got into the Music Biz by chance - I never gave a Fuck about commercial music - I encouraged great artists to express themselves over many albums by letting them know that if people at the label criticized them I would always take their side and defend their right to make the music they wanted to
And thats's why I'm The Godfather Of British Black Music A&R ...none EVER fucked with me or my artists
The Soul Guru Loves YOU x
Wednesday 1 December 2010
Not all American Urban Music is Vacuous Shit
Ever since I became a Soul Boy ...yeah yeah when Dinosaur's ruled the earth I know - at any given moment there have been a particular Paoduction crew who shaped the contemporary sound of their particular era
From Norman Whitfield ( a genuine GENIUS) with The Temptations ,Undisputed Truth etc through Willie Mitchell - Al Green ,Ann Peebles,Syl Johnson - through The Philly Sound onto Edwards and Rogers - Chic and Sister Sledge - to the might Jam & Lewis GOD I LOVE THEIR SOUND STILL - through our very own Jazzie B to Teddy Riley ( new jack swing ) Timberland ,Redone and beyond........twas ever thus.
Once the Soul crowd found a sound they like everyone wanted it until one day a new sound arrived and everyone wanted that........it wasn't that they no longer like the old sound but we Soul boys and Girls LOVE a new beat,don't we ?
About 15 years ago in the States it came to pass- with the proliferation of media outlets -that more music was required to feed the machine....now logic says that there just ain't that much good music to go around ,hence standards dropped and some real shit started to get played,and the decline has been steady and steep .What was the last decent album you heard from an American Soul artist ? Check the liner notes and you will see that the same writers and Producers at re on every album........what you won't know - coz you're not in the business like me- is that often the Producers assistants do all the work then the Producer takes all the credit....thats how they manage to make 15 records at a time ...Simples !
An exception to this rule of diminshing returns is The-Dream aka Terius Youngdell Nash whose latest album - Love King - is an excellent modern American Urban album.
I first heard of him when he and his partner Tricky ( NOT Bristol Tricky ) Produced Umbrellla for Rhianna and Single Ladies for the world's sexiest woman ........Oh My Lord she is HOT ! !
His first album Love Hate came out in 2007 ,his second ,the excellent Love v Money 2 years later
Cast your prejudices aside and listen
This has been a public service announcement
The Soul Guru Loves YOU x
From Norman Whitfield ( a genuine GENIUS) with The Temptations ,Undisputed Truth etc through Willie Mitchell - Al Green ,Ann Peebles,Syl Johnson - through The Philly Sound onto Edwards and Rogers - Chic and Sister Sledge - to the might Jam & Lewis GOD I LOVE THEIR SOUND STILL - through our very own Jazzie B to Teddy Riley ( new jack swing ) Timberland ,Redone and beyond........twas ever thus.
Once the Soul crowd found a sound they like everyone wanted it until one day a new sound arrived and everyone wanted that........it wasn't that they no longer like the old sound but we Soul boys and Girls LOVE a new beat,don't we ?
About 15 years ago in the States it came to pass- with the proliferation of media outlets -that more music was required to feed the machine....now logic says that there just ain't that much good music to go around ,hence standards dropped and some real shit started to get played,and the decline has been steady and steep .What was the last decent album you heard from an American Soul artist ? Check the liner notes and you will see that the same writers and Producers at re on every album........what you won't know - coz you're not in the business like me- is that often the Producers assistants do all the work then the Producer takes all the credit....thats how they manage to make 15 records at a time ...Simples !
An exception to this rule of diminshing returns is The-Dream aka Terius Youngdell Nash whose latest album - Love King - is an excellent modern American Urban album.
I first heard of him when he and his partner Tricky ( NOT Bristol Tricky ) Produced Umbrellla for Rhianna and Single Ladies for the world's sexiest woman ........Oh My Lord she is HOT ! !
His first album Love Hate came out in 2007 ,his second ,the excellent Love v Money 2 years later
Cast your prejudices aside and listen
This has been a public service announcement
The Soul Guru Loves YOU x
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