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“THE INTRUDERS ARE THE SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA ” !

by evan625
written by evan625

“The Intruders were the very foundation of “The Sound Of Philadelphia”. Formed in 1960, they originally consisted of Sam (aka”Little Sonny”) Brown, Eugene (aka”Bird”) Daughtry, Phillip (aka”Phil”) Terry and Robert( aka”Big Sonny”) Edwards. In 1969, Sam Brown was replaced as lead singer by Bobby Starr, only to rejoin the group in 1973. In 1965, The Intruders had already developed a vocal sound that was unique. Blending Philly’s street corner doo-wop tradition with a gospel flavor, the result of those two combinations had become known as “the Philadelphian sound” and that proved to be successful for the group. The Intruders were the foundation of what they called “The Sound Of Philadelphia”, that sound was spreading like the Chicago Brush fire. The Philly sound owes it all to THE INTRUDERS.The Intruders had a string of classic songs that hit the R&B charts but “Cowboys to Girls”(R&B #1, Pop #6) remains the only chart-topping single of their career. It was a 1968 Top 10 Pop and R&B smash, that was awarded an R.I.A.A. gold disc for one million sales in mid-May 1968. I’ll Always Love My Mama” was #6 on R&B and #36 on the Pop Chart. Songwriter Kenny Gamble said “his mother Ruby was the inspiration for “I’ll Always Love My Mama”, she died March 10, 2012, in Mount Airy, Pennsylvania, at age 96. Unfortunately, Sam (aka”Little Sonny”) Brown(Died April 21, 1995, ) and Eugene(aka “Bird) Daughtry (Died Dec 25, 1994) have passed on. The Legacy of the Intruders continues, in 1996 The Intruders were inducted into The Hall of Fame and a Star in their honor was placed on the Walk of Fame on Broad Street in Philadelphia.

Currently, they are scheduled for a 2017 SoulTrain cruise with Celebrity Cruise hope to see you on board.

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Spotlight

TIMEX SOCIAL CLUB (#1 R&B “RUMORS”)

by evan625
written by evan625

The Timex Social Club was one of the most leading-edge R&B groups formed in 1982.They were best known for their 1986 hit single” Rumors”, as well as being the creators of the New Jack Swing Movement. The Groups members were Michael Marshall, Craig Samuel, Marcus Thompson and Alex Hill . They were originally known as the Timex Crew, members included Marcus Thompson (founder), Gregory “Greg B” Thomas, Michael Marshall, Craig Samuel, and Darrien Cleage. By 1986, Samuel, Cleage, and Thomas had departed, Alex Hill and Kevin Moore were added, and the name Timex Social Club was adopted. They specialized in both old school hip hop and the merger of urban R&B with hip-hop rhythms, which were later known as new jack swing.

In 1986, they released the Vicious Rumors album on Danya/Fantasy Records. Its one major hit, “Rumors”, peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100; it reached #1, #13 in the UK and #1 on US Billboard R&B, Hot Black Singles-Sales, Hot Black Singles-Airplay, US Hot Dance Club Play, and Hot Dance/Disco-12 inch Singles-Sales charts.

The two follow-up singles, “Thinkin’ About Ya” and “Mixed-Up World”, reached the R&B Top 20. Although The Timex Social Club still tour,there are no tours dates scheduled for 2016 . They can also be booked for Old School 80’s concerts, private parties and appearances. Their records still surface on Pop and R&B radio, especially during old-school mix shows.

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Spotlight

REMEMBERING A LEGENDARY INSTRUMENTAL SONG ” GREEN ONIONS” BY BOOKER T & THE MG.’S

by evan625
written by evan625

“Green Onions”, the instrumental by Booker T.& The MG’s, featured 35 of the most harmonious and exciting minutes of instrumental music in any category that one could purchase in 1962. there’s not a key or note out of place on this record. It’s still a piece of music that never dies, as soon as you hear that instrumental you know it’s “Green Onions”. “Even “Mo’ Onions,” an effort to repeat the success of “Green Onions,” doesn’t repeat anything from the earlier track except the tempo. Both musicians, Booker T Jones and Steve Cropper came up with crisp sounds within the same framework. Green Onions is the debut album by Booker T. & the M.G.s, released on Stax Records in October 1962. It reached number 33 on the pop album chart in the month of its release. The title single had been a hit worldwide and was covered by dozens of artists, including the Blues Brothers (featuring guitarist Steve Cropper), the Ventures, Al Kooper, the Shadows, Mongo Santamaría, Roy Buchanan (also featuring Steve Cropper and Jan Hammer), Count Basie and many others. Booker T Jones is presently an active Musician and is touring this summer between the United States and the UK. Check out “Who’s Touring” @ Backbeatrnb. Backbeatrnb bringing “Green Onions” to the table again.

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Spotlight

DID YOU KNOW MARVIN GAYE WROTE THIS FABULOUS ROMANTIC HIT “BABY I’M FOR REAL” OMG!

by evan625
written by evan625

“The Originals” were Motown’s best-kept secret among the R&B circuit. “The Originals” got their start in 1969 in Detroit, Michigan. Members were Lead singer Freddie Gorman, C.P Spencer,Joe Stubbs(Brother of Four Tops Singer Levi Stubbs and former singer with The Contours and Falcons),Ty Hunter, Walter Gaines and Henry “Hank” Dixon.
 “The Originals popularize the R&B world in 1969.  They worked at Motown for years as invaluable background vocalists. Gorman recorded and co-wrote “Please Mr. Postman” for the Marvelettes.   “Baby I’m for Real,” an RB chart-topper in 1969 was written and produced by Marvin Gaye. The same combination also produced “The Bells,” another major hit in 1970. Former solo act Ty Hunter joined the group in 1971, and the Originals continued to chart into the next decade”

The group found modest success in the latter half of the 60s, often working as backup singers for recordings artist such as Jimmy Ruffin (“What Becomes of the Brokenhearted”, 1966), Stevie Wonder‘s “For Once In My Life” in 1968 and David Ruffin(“My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)”, 1969). The Group found their biggest success under the guidance of Motown legend Marvin Gaye, who co-wrote and produced two of the group’s biggest singles, “Baby I’m For Real”, and “The Bells”. This latter disc sold over one million copies and received a gold disc awarded by the R.I.A.A. Both songs became seminal soul music recordings, and both songs have since been covered: 1990s R&B group After 7 re-recorded “Baby I’m For Real” and made it a hit again in 1992, while another 1990s R&B group Color Me Badd re-recorded “The Bells” for one of their albums. While the group went on to have more modest success in both the soul and disco fields near the end of the decade, including “Down To Love Town,” a #1 dance chart hit, the songs they made with Marvin Gaye are their most memorable and notable. Both songs are the most popular and requested in their repertoire. Henry Hank Dixon is now the only original surviving and active member of the group.

 

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Spotlight

THE R&B WORLD SAYS GOODBYE TO ICON BILLY PAUL !

by evan625
written by evan625

 
Billy Paul was a Grammy Award-winning  R&B singer,  known for his 1972 number-one single, “Me and Mrs. Jones”, and his 1973 album and single, “War of the Gods” which blended more  pop, soul and funk styles with electronics and conventional influences.

He was one of the many artists associated with the Philadelphia sound created by Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell. Billy Paul is generally  identified by his diverse vocal style which ranges from mellow and soulful to low and raspy.  Paul has been equated to the likes of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder.

Paul  was particularly influenced by female jazz singers: “I think the reason behind that is because of my high range. The male singers who had the same range I did, when I was growing up, didn’t do much for me. But put on Nina Simone, Carmen McRae or Nancy Wilson, and I’d be in seventh heaven. Female vocalists just did more with their voices, and that’s why I paid more attention to them.  The female vocalist that had the most impact on Paul was Billie Holiday who he called “a BIG influence.” Paul began developing a vocal style that would eventually incorporate traces of jazz, R&B and pop.

EARLY YEARS

Paul began his singing career at age eleven, appearing on local radio stations, owned by the local Philadelphia Bulletin newspaper.  Paul attended the West Philadelphia Music School and the Granoff School of Music for  vocal training. He recalled: “Well you know, it was something that my mom would say I needed to hold my notes and deliver my notes. It gave me a sense security knowing my mother was 100% behind me and it created the style and uniqueness of Billy Paul. Paul would say”  All my life I wanted to sound like myself, I never wanted to sound like anybody else. “How that occurred was cause I always wanted to be a saxophone player…. I took my uniqueness and treated it like a horn, which created a good style for me.”

THE MAKING OF A STAR AT THE APOLLO

Paul’s popularity grew and led to appearances in clubs and at college campuses nationally. This led to further opportunities, appearing in concert with Charlie Parker, Dinah Washington, Nina Simone, Miles Davis, The Impressions, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Roberta Flack. He also changed his name from Paul Williams to Billy Paul so as to avoid any confusion with other artists such as songwriter Paul Williams and saxophonist Paul “Hucklebuck” Williams. He explained: “I had Jules Malvin, who was like my play father. He was my manager at the time. He took me up to the Apollo and I warmed the Apollo for six weeks and that’s where he gave me the name Billy Paul. I didn’t question it.”

“ME AND MRS JONES

When Billy Paul sang Me and Mrs. Jones, it had become such a huge hit that  Gamble & Huff decided to re-release Paul’s first two albums Feelin’ Good at the Cadillac Club and Ebony Woman. Reissued in 1973, both albums featured new cover art and were a boon to new fans hungry for Billy Paul product who had already purchased his first two PIR LPs. Still, neither reissue was terribly successful with only Ebony Woman re-entering the album charts at #186 Pop and #43 Soul.

Paul’s next album War of the Gods was the follow-up to 360 Degrees of Billy Paul and was issued in November 1973. Unique in Paul’s catalog, it contains lengthy psychedelic soul, song suites and marked a conceptual and musical advance for Paul that did not go unrecognized by critics and fans. And while the LP and its singles enjoyed some success, Paul was unable to repeat the kind of wide impact he had with his previous album and “Mrs. Jones”. The War of the Gods single “Thanks for Saving My Life”, backed with “I Was Married” as the B-side, was a top 40 hit reaching #37 on the pop chart and a top-ten soul record reaching #9. It also reached #33 in the UK.

 THE CONTROVERSY
When Love is New; was released in December 1975, it reached #139 on the Billboard Pop Album chart and #17 on the Soul chart. It included the singles “Let’s Make a Baby” which hit #83 on the Pop singles chart (the last record of Paul’s to make that chart), #18 on the Soul chart, and #30 in the UK and “People Power” which reached #82 on the Soul chart and #14 on the U.S. Dance chart.

Let’s Make a Baby” proved controversial and there were calls to ban or alter the track because of its supposed obscene or negative message.   Jesse Jackson and Operation PUSH led the movement against this and other songs such as Hall & Oates’ “Rich Girl” and the Four Tops’ “Catfish.”  The campaign was waged locally with individual stations making their own choices about how to handle the matter. For example, leading R&B station WWRL in New York City played “Let’s Make a Baby” but decided not to announce its title.[Other stations went so far as to alter the lyrics. Privately, several black disc jockeys described the controversy as “Jessie’s phony crusade against sex on the air.”[ The disc jockeys – who refused to allow their names to be used for fear of reprisals – accused Jackson of being “absolutely dishonest” about the campaign with one popular radio personality making reference to Richard

POST RETIREMENT

When Paul announced retirement in 1989 on the stage in London, he could not resist the temptation to continue to play live shows and record. So In 2009, he was asked how he was enjoying his retirement in South Jersey: “Retired? Are you serious?”     Paul regularly toured in the U.S. and abroad playing small clubs, hotel ballrooms, Las Vegas showrooms, Jazz festivals, and theaters. For example, Paul has played Sweetwater’s on Amsterdam and 68th street in New York City; the Cape May Jazz Fest; the Almanaque Café in São Paulo, Brazil; and the Carthage Palace Hotel in Tunis, Tunisia.

Billy Paul continued to perform until his death from Pancreatic cancer  April 24,2016.  The Backbeartrnb Team will remember Billy Paul as an Icon loss.

 

 

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LIFESTYLESpotlight

PRINCE, A LEGEND GONE, BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN

by evan625
written by evan625

About Prince

Prince was born Prince Rodgers Nelson on June 7, 1958  in Minneapolis Minn . His father, John Lewis Nelson said: “I named my son Prince because I wanted him to do everything I wanted to do”. Prince’s childhood nickname was Skipper. During his early years, Prince and his sister Tyka developed a keen interest in music which was encouraged by their father. When Prince was seven, he wrote his first tune called “Funk Machine” on his Dads piano. By the time he was ten years old, his parents separated. Prince switched homes on a frequent basis following the separation of his parents, sometimes living with his father and sometimes with his mother and stepdad. Finally, he moved into the home of neighbors and befriended their son Andre Anderson, who later became known as André Cymone.

Prince and Andre joined Prince’s cousin Charles Smith in a band called Grand Central while they were attending Minneapolis’s Central High School. Smith was later replaced by Morris Day on the drums. Prince played piano and guitar for the band, which performed at clubs and parties in the Minneapolis area. Grand Central later changed its name to Champagne and started playing original music influenced by Sly and the Family Stone, James Brown, Earth, Wind & Fire, Miles Davis, George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix, and Todd Rundgren. In addition to his musical life, he also played basketball while in High School.

The Legend

Prince had a wide range of Artist that he was influenced by which led him down a road to musical success. His music integrates a wide variety of styles that includes funk, rock, R&B, soul, hip-hop, disco, psychedelia, jazz, and pop. It was the combination of all those musical genres and his determination that made him the Star he became today. Prince sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the top-selling artists of all time. He has won seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the first year of his eligibility. Rolling Stone ranked Prince at number 27 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Prince may be gone but, he will never be forgotten as Backbeatrnb intends to keep his spirit alive and his music everlasting. Rest in peace Prince for the world knows you are with your King.

THE WORLD LOVES YOU PRINCE, REST IN PEACE

 

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Spotlight

THE BAR-KAYS AN R&B GROUP THAT EMBRACED AND EMPOWERED THE SOUL WORLD !

by evan625
written by evan625

The Bar-Kays, an R&B soul and funk group formed in 1966, they had dozens of top singles from the 1960s to the 1980s. This included; “Soul Finger” (US Billboard Hot 100 number17, R&B number 3) in 1967, “Son of Shaft” (R&B number 10) in 1972, and “Boogie Body Land” (R&B number 7) in 1980.

“The Bar-Kays began in Memphis, Tennessee, as a studio session group, backing major artists at Stax Records. In 1967, they were chosen by Otis Redding to play as his backing band and were tutored for that role by Al Jackson, Jr., Booker T. Jones, and the other members of Booker T. & the M.G.’s. Their first single, “Soul Finger”, was issued on April 14, 1967, reaching number 3 on the US Billboard R&B Singles chart and number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. On December 10, 1967, Redding and four members of the band—Jimmie King (born June 8, 1949; guitar), Ronnie Caldwell (born 1948; electric organ), Phalon Jones (born 1949; saxophone), and Carl Cunningham (born 1949; drums)—and their valet, Matthew Kelly, died when their airplane plunged into Lake Monona, near Madison, Wisconsin, while attempting to land at Truax Field. Redding and the band were scheduled to play their next concerts in Madison. Trumpeter Ben Cauley was the only survivor of the crash. Bassist James Alexander was on another plane, as the plane carrying Redding held only seven passengers. Cauley and Alexander rebuilt the group “.

The group accompanied dozens of major Stax artists on recordings, including Isaac Hayes on his album Hot Buttered Soul.

There were many changes within the group, in 1983, Sherman Guy left the group, and Larry (LJ) Johnson took his place on vocals and percussion. Charles Allen left the group just before it took a more commercial direction. The Bar-Kays continued to have hits on R&B charts well into the 1980s.

Guitarist Marcus Price, a member of the band, was murdered after leaving a rehearsal in 1984; the crime has never been solved by the Memphis police.

The band took an extended break in the late 1980s but regrouped in 1991, with Alexander once again being the only original member. Since 1991, Larry Dodson, Archie Love, Bryan Smith, and Tony Gentry have been added to the group. In 2013, the group was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame. On June 6, 2015, the Bar-Kays were inducted into the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Trumpeter Ben Cauley died in Memphis on September 24, 2015, at the age of 67. The Bar-Kays continue to perform today doing live concerts all over the world

THE BAR-KAYS SINGING ” ANTICIPATION”.

NEXT CONCERT TOUR
SAT JULY 23, 2016 – 3:00 PM
The Bar-Kays
with:Cameo,Midnight Star,One Way,Ozone,Slapback,Stone City Band
The Arena at the Anaheim Convention Center
800 W Katella Ave
Anaheim, CA
Funk Fest 2016 – Cameo/midnight Star/bar-kays/one Way/stone City Band

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Spotlight

BACKBEATRNB IS SUCH A BIG FAN OF SINGER PEABO BRYSON!

by evan625
written by evan625

The legendary Peabo Bryson sings with such “strong meaning and conviction”. When he sings you can feel the love! This is what Kevin from backbeatrnb said after attending Mr. Bryson’s concert at the Staller Center for The Arts, Stony Brook, NY on March 5, 2016. The two-time Grammy winner, sings the music of romance, offering a timeless mix of pop, soul and of course, R&B . The acclaimed rhythm & blues soul singer-songwriter has twenty albums to his credit. His duet with Roberta Flack, “Tonight I Celebrate My Love,” was a huge hit in the ‘80s and earned Mr Bryson the tag “King of Balladeers.” Many know him for his work with Disney’s “Beauty and The Beast” with Celine Dion as well as “A Whole New World” with Regina Belle for “Aladdin” .
Backbeatrnb wants to applaud Mr. Bryson for his R&B contributions to the world and say Thank You for allowing R&B Lovers to never lose touch with that good old school sound!

CELEBRATE LOVE WITH YOUR “BOO’ TONIGHT R&B LADIES & GENTS.

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Spotlight

JEFFREY OSBORNE, SMOOTH, COOL & SUAVE !

by evan625
written by evan625

Jeffrey Osborne, a multi-talented performer since 1970 started his music career with a band called Love Men Ltd., who would later become known as L.T.D. The band recorded hit singles such as “Every Time I Turn Around”,” Back in Love Again”, “Concentrate on You,” “Love Ballad” and “Holding On (When Love Is Gone)”. At first, Osborne was a drummer, sharing lead vocal duties with his brother Billy, but by 1978 he became the group’s primary lead vocalist. He and Billy both left L.T.D. in the late 1980’s to start solo careers. His solo success includes five gold and platinum albums.

Osborne released his self-titled debut album in 1982, it featured two hit singles, “On the Wings of Love” and “I Really Don’t Need No Light”, peaking at #29 & #39 on the pop chart. Followed up the next year by Stay with Me Tonight, his first gold album (later reaching platinum album status), which spawned two more hits, “Don’t You Get So Mad” (#25) and the title track (#30). “Stay with Me Tonight” (April 1984, #18) and “On the Wings of Love” (June 1984, #11) reached the UK Singles Chart.

In 1985, he wrote the lyrics to the Whitney Houston hit “All at Once” (music by Michael Masser). He appeared on USA for Africa’s fundraising single, “We Are the World” in 1985. Osborne had two more gold albums, Don’t Stop and Emotional, the latter of which had his highest charting solo pop hit, “You Should Be Mine”, which peaked at #13 in 1986.

The following year, Osborne had the highest-charting hit of his career duetting with Dionne Warwick on “Love Power”, which reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also topped the Adult Contemporary singles chart. This was a turning point in his pop success, as his albums and singles began charting lower and lower on the pop charts. Osborne’s 1988 single “She’s on the Left” would be his final Hot 100 entry, as well as his only #1 R&B hit. After scoring two more R&B hits in the early 90s, “Only Human” and “If My Brother’s in Trouble”, Osborne would be absent from the charts for the remainder of the decade.
In the new millennium, he returned with a series of albums that, while far from the success he enjoyed in the 1980s, returned him to R&B radio, scoring modest chart singles such as “Rest of Our Lives” (#75, 2003) and his cover of Barbara Mason’s classic “Yes, I’m Ready. Jeffrey Osborne puts a lot of Soul, Passion and warmth in every song he sings, his smooth, silky voice is just what R&B music is all about.

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Spotlight

Another Legendary Group “The Main Ingredient”

by evan625
written by evan625

The Main Ingredient singing one of their classic hits “Just Don’t Want to be Lonely”.

The Main Ingredient is an R&B group best known for their 1972 hit “Everybody Plays the Fool.The group formed in Harlem New York in 1964 and was called the Poets, composed of lead singer Donald McPherson, Luther Simmons, Jr., and Panama-born Tony Silvester. They made their first recordings for Leiber & Stoller’s Red Bird label, but soon changed their name to the Insiders and signed with RCA. After a couple of singles, they changed their name once again in 1968, this time permanently to the Main Ingredient, taking the name from a Coke bottle.

The Main Ingredient teamed up with record producer Bert DeCoteaux. Under his direction, the Main Ingredient reached the R&B Top 30 for the first time in 1970 with “You’ve Been My Inspiration”. A cover of The Impressions’ “I’m So Proud” broke the Top 20, and “Spinning Around (I Must Be Falling in Love)” went into the Top 10. They scored again with the McPherson-penned black power anthem “Black Seeds Keep on Growing,” but tragedy struck in 1971. Don McPherson, who had suddenly taken ill with leukemia, died unexpectedly. Stunned,Tony Silvester and Luther Simmons regrouped with new lead singer Cuba Gooding, Sr., who had served as a backing vocalist on some of their previous recordings and had filled in on tour during McPherson’s brief illness.

The Gooding era began auspiciously enough with the million-selling smash “Everybody Plays the Fool”, which hit number two R&B and number three pop to become the group’s biggest hit. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in September 1972. The accompanying album, Bitter Sweet, became their first hit to top the Top 10 on the R&B album chart; In 1973’s Afrodisiac, featured several songs written or co-written by Stevie Wonder, although it did not produce any huge successes on the singles charts. They peaked at number eight on the R&B chart in 1974 with “Just Don’t Want to Be Lonely”, which sold over a million copies, and also reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. The track peaked at number twenty-seven in the UK Singles Chart in July 1974, although it was their only chart presence in the UK. In 1975, the group recorded several songs co-written by Leon Ware, including the R&B Top Ten “Rolling Down a Mountainside”. By this time, Tony Silvester was harboring other ambitions; he released a solo album called Magic Touch that year, and left the group to form a production team with DeCoteaux.The two of them scored a Top 10 Pop and R&B smash with their production of Ben E.King’s hit “Supernatural Thing” in 1975.

The current line-up of the group consists of Cuba Gooding Sr., Jerome Jackson, and Stanley Alston. The Main Ingredient continues to tour and stay active and backbeatrnb will continue to follow this soulful group to keep the spirit of good old R&B alive.

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