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Corner
Talk: Southern Soul hot tunes ramping up on many of the charts include: Charles Wilson – What One Man Won't Do, Lacee
featuring Tucka – Move Something,
Willie Clayton & Tyrone Davis - Stop By, Nellie Tiger Travis – Mr. Sexy Man, Ricky White – Do
The Ladies Run This Mutha?, Patrick Green – Down To Earth Woman,
Carl Sims – Six Pack Of Common Sense,
Lola – Creepin', Chuck Roberson
– Woman Enough To Leave, OB Buchana & Sir Charles Jones – Can't Get You Off My Mind, Mel Waiters - Pouring Salt, Klass
Band Brotherhood – Good Love,
Jeff Floyd – Party Time................Tennessee
native Wilson Meadows has been cranking out some strong Southern Soul music over the last
fifteen years. His latest single, Can
You Hang, is no exception, just released and already climbing the charts............Southern Soul diva Diedra has
a hot new track entitled Red Shoes,
it will be featured on Blues Babes Of Alabama, a compilation she and her team are producing and in the process of finishing
up............More new singles already getting some burn include: Stephanie Pickett – I Don't Want No Man (the leadoff track on the new CDS compilation Southern
Soul Smashes 3), Lebrado – Trail Ride,
Theodis Ealey and J Red - Let's Go Dancing,
Avail Hollywood – Creole Shuffle, Big Ro Williams – Good Love Muscle, Chandra Calloway – Get It Get It Man, Bill Avery – Good Love.
Back
in January of this year, I wrote an article about the Divas in Southern Soul with special emphasis on several of the more
recent ladies stepping up to the plate in the genre. Here are new album releases from three of those ladies who have only
been around a few years, but are definitely making themselves known in a big way
Gina
Brown certainly has established herself in a short period of time with her distinctive sound. Born in Mobile, Alabama, she
now calls New Orleans home, where she has developed quite a local following while occasionally touring both the U.S. and abroad
as well as sharing the stage with such stars as Billy Paul, Patti Austin, Regina Belle and Mary J. Blige. The 2011 high energy dancer G-Slide was Gina's
breakout single in Southern Soul. She followed that up with We're Having A
Party, which was one of the top hits of 2012. Both of these tunes are on her new signature album entitled G's Spot. Two upbeat tracks already getting radio air play are Tell Somebody and I'm
A Lady (Not A Hootchie Mama). The influence of Gina's background performing with Jazz musicians comes out in
slow melters like Everytime, Show
My Gratitude and Good Man as well as the bluesy Here I Am Again. Then there are mid-tempo grooves like Can't Stop and Write A Letter that
are good examples of Gina's powerful voice. Twelve tracks in all, this album is definite chart material!
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Lola
is one of the shining stars at Atlanta based Wilbe Records. I was so impressed with her 2007 Give Her What She Wants album that included impact hits like I Can't See Myself, Wash Your Hands and The Sweetest Thing.
Every time since that release that I have seen William Bell and/or Larry Eaglin, I'm like “When we gonna get more Lola
songs?”. To which they replied “she will be back”. Well, that
time is here and this lady can flat out sing! Lola has not gone unnoticed in the industry – she won Blues Critic's Best
New Female Artist Award in 2007 and was the recipient of the Jus' Blues Awards Best Contemporary/Traditional Blues Female
Artist in 2011. Cleaning House is the
title of her brand new album with the advance single Creepin' already zooming up the charts. There is much more, eleven tracks of straight ahead Blues and Soul,
with bangin' jams like The Other Shoe, Leavin'
The Past Behind, Same Ol' Story, It's All Good and It Ain't Worth It, all of which could be potential hit makers.
Lola breaks it down with the truth on Treat
Me (Like You Want To Be Treated) and I
Deserve Better. This is most definitely one of the best Southern Soul albums I have heard this year!!
Jureesa
'The Duchess' McBride hails from Vicksburg, Mississippi. Although she has only been on the Southern Soul scene a couple of
years, writing and performing has been a big part of her life. She is not to be confused with another 'The Duchess' in the
genre, Memphis native Datrice West. Growing up composing poetry while being heavily influenced by listening to Blues and Soul
music, Jureesa's poems eventually evolved into songs. Once she made her debut as a performer, she shared the stage on occasion
with Dave Mack, Sweet Angel, The Love Doctor, Tina Diamond, Stevie J and Mister Zay. Jureesa had a recording single debut
last year with the rollicking Cookies n Milk. Her recent album, I'm A Woman First,
recreates the tune as Put Your Cookie In My
Milk. Seven cuts in all, with some powerful grooves like Did I Lay On You Right, I'm
A Southern Girl and Southern Soul Swag
Dance. I like her swag for sure, it's an auspicious start for a lady that we fully expect to be around for awhile
in this business!
High
steppin', that is what comes to mind when you mention Ecko Records top gun Donnie Ray!
The Texas native has certainly become a bonafide star in both the Southern Soul and the Beach music genres. Donnie's latest, Drowning In My Own Tears, with a September 2013 release date,
is Donnie's ninth on the label. He has been with Ecko since 2005 – his last prior release was the award winning I'm
Goin' Back in May of 2012. I would describe this latest ten track drop as a large burst of energy
and power. The leadoff track, Real Good Lover, comes out smokin', fast and frenetic. Even the title
track, which you might think would be a slow jam, only ramps it down to mid tempo. Donnie attacks each tune on the release
with passion and purpose. There are definitely some outstanding cuts and potential hits here – I particularly like It's
A Groove Party, Same Woman, If You're Woman Enough and Shakin' It Up. It's another
great release for dynamic performer Donnie Ray, I fully expect this one to zoom up the Top 30 Soul & Blues Albums chart.
Maurice Davis has rolled ''under the radar'' in the Southern Soul arena for almost
two decades. Even so, he has recorded and released a dozen albums over the last eighteen years, on such labels as Serious
Sounds, Mardi Gras, Sims, Wilson and Touring. Hailing from Flint, Michigan, he is an experienced songwriter and performer,
an accomplished guitarist and is often dubbed “King Of Party Blues'. During his career, Maurice has worked with and
been produced by such stars as Willie Clayton and Charles Wilson. Maurice's latest
album, Real Love, is high quality production worthy of attention. Good Love is my pick of the
nine tracks, but, there are others that could click. Nature is a funky horn workout groove and Here Kitty
Kitty is a side to side fast mover. The title cut as well as the remainder of the release are slow to mid-tempo Blues
shuffles. Tunes like The World Got The Blues and Damn Fool are easy to imagine being performed
on stage in a juke joint setting. Vibrant vocals from Maurice throughout the album, with great female background contributions
on several of the tracks. This veteran performer deserves more notice in the industry for sure!
Our most recent Top 45 listed below has quite a few changes with nineteen new songs debuting. We are the only Southern
Soul chart that I am aware of that lists that many songs at any one time. With so many entries, we only publish the chart
bi-monthly, therefore any song that debuts is guaranteed to stay on the chart a minimum of two months. Our goal is to review
and report on as many high quality new tunes as possible in the genre.
Soul Dog’s Smokin' Top 45 Southern Soul Hits
September/October 2013
1)
Baby It's Over – Lomax
2)
Can't Touch This –
Sir Jonathan Burton
3)
She's Got That Ooo Wee - Jerry L
4)
Creepin – Lola
5)
Best Day (My Wife) – Klass Band Brotherhood
6)
I'm Rowdy Rowdy – OB Buchana
7)
Can You Hang – Wilson Meadows &
8)
Think It Over – Theodis Ealey & Lacee
9)
Tell Somebody - Gina
Brown &
10)
Run Run Run – Chocolate Thunder
11)
Hit The Road Jack – Latimore
12)
Looking For A Good Thang – Jesi Terrell &
13)
Bring It Baby – Pat Cooley
14)
Party Time – Jeff Floyd
15)
Red Shoes – Diedra &
16)
Fill It Up – Bigg Robb
17)
Still Strokin' – Ms. Jody
18)
Pouring Salt - Mel Waiters
&
19)
Sexy Man – Nellie Travis
20)
Woman Enough To Leave - Chuck Roberson &
21)
Good Love – Klass Band Brotherhood
22)
A Good Man – TK Soul
23)
I Don't Need No Man – Stephanie Pickett &
24)
Mr. Right Now – Mr. David
25)
I Am Who I Am (Jody's Baby Girl) – LGB &
26)
Can U Still Drop It? – Gregg A. Smith
27)
Keep On Dancing -
Theodis Ealey and J Red &
28)
Six Pack Of Common Sense – Carl Sims
29)
Glass Of Wine – Certified Slim
30)
It's A Groove Party - Donnie Ray &
31)
Do Right – Danny Woods
32)
Wait For Me - Prince Ronnie Love &
33)
She Ain't Me – Miss Lady Blues
34)
Good Love - Maurice
Davis
&
35)
Tastes Like Candy – Koree' Randolph
36)
Fool – David Brinston
37)
Good Woman - Bill Avery
&
38)
Southern Soul Dip – Ghetto Cowboy
39)
Get It Get It Man -
Chandra Calloway &
40)
Shuckin' And Jivin'
– Jaye Hammer &
41)
You Got The Love – Willie White
42)
I
Need It – Gerod Rayborn
&
43)
Put Your Cookie In My
Milk – Jureesa McBride &
44)
Your Lovin' Is So Good
– Alonzo Reid &
45)
Creole Shuffle –
Avail Hollywood
&
& - first time entry
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