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Corner Talk: The smokin' hot tunes in Southern Soul? She's Got That Ooo Wee from Jerry L, Still Strokin' by Ms. Jody, Sir Jonathan Burton's Can't Touch This, Pat Cooley's Bring It Baby, Think It Over by Theodis Ealey featuring Lacee, Mel Waiters with
Who's Got The Whiskey, Ready To Go
by Shirley Jones, Good Love from Klass
Band Brotherhood, Latimore's Hit The Road Jack,
Lady Audrey's Prescription For My Love Addiction,
On My Way Home by LaMorris Williams and Jeff Floyd's Party Time are all in at least one Top 10 chart this month as well getting a lot of burn on the air and in
the clubs!
How many performing artists have gone by either their first or last name Latimore
or Lattimore with two t's? Well, a few - there was Memphis native the late Lattimore
Brown, who played the Blues circuit in the '60's and '70's while recording some minor hits on the Excello, Sound Stage 7 and
Stax labels. There is Kenny Lattimore, an established R&B singer originally from Washington, D.C, who scored six Billboard
charting albums between 1996 and 2008. Alex Lattimore, a Chicago native, who has toured with Tina Turner, Michael McDonald
and the late Luther Van Dross among others, is a contemporary R&B/Jazz artist who had a debut solo album in 2008. Jacob
Latimore, currently residing in Atlanta is a young gun in R&B circles whose father and uncles made up a Milwaukee based
group known as The Latimore Brothers.
The individual with this name that we recognize as legendary in the Soul/Blues arena however, is veteran performer
Benny Latimore. Simply known by most as Latimore, this powerful vocalist got his start with Miami music mogul Henry Stone
way back in 1965. Recording on the Dade label and later for Stone's Glades Productions, Latimore had a #1 Billboard R&B
hit in 1974 on Let's Straighten It Out, a tune he penned that is so strong that it has been covered many times
by multiple artists over the years. He began a twenty year run with the keeper of the flame, Malaco Records, in the early
'80's that resulted in several highly acclaimed albums with such killer singles as Bad Risk, Good Time Man, There's
No Limit To My Love, Snuggle Up With Somebody, Sunshine Lady, Deal Down And Dirty, Get Up Start Dancing, I'm An Old Dog, My
Mind Went Blank, and Careful Man.
Latimore reunited with Henry Stone in 2007, initiating the new Latstone label with the highly successful Back
'Atcha album containing hit singles 'Nanna Puddin' and My Give A Damn Gave Out (A Long Time Ago).
Follow-up releases: All About The Rhythm And The Blues in 2009, Latimore Live In Vienna in 2010,
Ladies Choice in 2011 and Getting Down To Brass Tacks earlier this year.
Latimore currently has two brand new album releases on Latstone. Latimore Remembers Ray Charles is a
fitting ten track tribute to the Blind Genius Of Soul all sung in Benny Latimore's deep resonating voice. It includes Georgia
On My Mind, Crying Time, I Got A Woman, Unchain My Heart, I Can't Stop Loving You and Drown In My Own Tears.
His rendition here of Hit The Road Jack, which includes vocals from Gwen McCrae, is riding high on the Southern
Soul charts. The Dig A Little Deeper album is a reprisal of Latimore's 1977 release on the Glades label - seven
vintage digitally re-mastered tracks. In addition to the title cut there is Long Distance Love, Too Hot To Handle, Out
To Get'cha, Tonight's The Night, We Got To Hit It Off and Ain't Nothing Like A Sweet Woman's Love. With
a career that is fast approaching fifty years long, Benny Latimore shows no signs at all of slowing down!
Go
on with yo Bad Self, Big G!! The long
time radio DJ and Stone River Records recording artist from Richmond, Virginia has quite a distinction going on – he
has three releases listed in June's edition of the Top 40 Southern Soul/R&B Albums chart. September, 2012's Last Pay Check is hanging in at #37 while the recent Nothin' But A Party, Vol. II is sitting at
#24 and his Midnight Love, Vol. II
checks in at #40. The Last Pay Check
single has performed well – it has been on the charts for several weeks. We recently added Party House from the same album to our Smokin' Top 45.
Other
notable tracks from my perspective are Cheating,
Someone's Taking My Love Away, Work It Out and When You Find The One You Love. Nothing But A Party, Vol. II (Volume I was
released in 2006) is a ten joint compilation follow-up of some of the big man's best tunes, a few of which may have been under
exposed the first time around. Not really any new material (although there are a few songs from the Last Pay Check album on both comps), but that is A-OK because several
of these tracks need to be brought to the forefront once again. Strong cuts include:
Southern Soul Blues, Chillin', Get It
On, Have A Good Time, Pay Day Blues and the aforementioned Bad Self....oh yeah!! Midnight
Love, Vol. II (Volume I was also a 2006 release) again encompasses ten tracks, with inclusive
Big G classics like I Need Your Love, Love
Me Right, So Long, My Special Prayer and Walk
Away. The G Man has been rockin' the juke joint for a lotta years, he sings 'em all with a down home soulfulness and
heart as big as Richmond itself!!
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From Augusta, Georgia
and North Augusta, South Carolina, Klass Band Brotherhood has come up large in the last couple of years. This outstanding
group, formerly known as Le Klass, is right on the verge of releasing their second album under the Klass Band name. If you
recall the first one that came out in 2011, Out Of The Shadows Of Soul, just
blew up with stone cold grooves like Sugaa
Shack, Go Home, How Can U, Gitcha Love
(Tutti Fruiti) and Big Mouth Woman.
For my money, it is certainly one of the best group albums in the Soul arena in the last five years. The Klass Band members
include Nelson Curry, Wayne Bowman, Curtis Knight, Allen Curry and Derrick Thomas.
Targeted
to be released July 5th, We Call The Shots In Soul features the advance single,
Good Love, which is already on all
the Southern Soul charts and climbing. The introductory track on the album sets the tone as the guys request ''M&M'', that being moonshine and Mason jars!!! We here at 45.com
have been the beneficiary of an additional advance track, Best Day (My Wife), which is absolute dynamite, has a killer dance beat and is already on our Smokin' Top
45 chart. Olden Days is a mid tempo
groove telling what life and family was about back in the day. We Jukin' jumps off in fine Klass Band party style, ''it's Friday night, time to head to the club''. Marvin Sease, Johnnie Taylor, Mel Waiters, Millie Jackson,
Bobby Bland and Marvin Gaye, are just a few of the great music makers mentioned as part of the strong funky joint of Blues Is Alright. Slow and way down low describe My Angel and I'm Back, the latter being a tribute to our soldiers returning from service. Baby's Love is another slow burner that is the perfect pitch and phrasing
to fill the floor up at the club! Dance Floor starts off sultry and singular, then breaks out as a smokin' hot party track
with solid hit potential. Twelve cuts in total on the new album, all either written or co-written by Nelson Curry, this is
absolutely another spectacular effort from Klass Band Brotherhood!
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Shirley Jones has
a big hit right now in Southern Soul with Ready
To Go. Who is she and where did she come from? Do you remember a '70's
R&B group called The Jones Girls? Valerie, Brenda and the oldest sister, Shirley, were the daughters of Detroit based
Gospel singer and RCA recording artist Mary Frazier Jones. The young ladies certainly inherited mom's singing acumen and were
soon backing up The Four Tops and later Diana Ross. Their first big break came when Kenny Gamble heard them perform at a concert
– he immediately signed the group to his Philadelphia International label. The Jones Girls 1979 self-titled album yielded
a top charting R&B single, You Gonna Make
Me Love Somebody Else, as well as additional tracks receiving radio airplay.
Three more albums followed on the label which featured several charting singles, including Nights Over Egypt, I Just Love The Man and Dance
Turned Into A Romance.
After a stint with
RCA Records and years on the road, the sisters decided to call it quits. Shirley, however, continued to pursue a singing career
that included a #1 R&B hit for a few weeks in 1986 entitled Do You Get Enough Love. This triumph was followed up with an album, Always In The Mood, that made it to #8 on the R&B Billboard chart. The success
was enough motivation for her to keep going – Shirley recorded several albums in ensuing years as well as toured both
solo and as part of periodic reunions with her sisters in the late '90's. Valerie Jones unfortunately passed away in 2001.
In more recent times,
Shirley was part of a collaborative album, Ladies
Night Out (Live) in 2007 with Jean Carn that also featured contemporary R&B singer Cherrelle. She delivered Feels Like Heaven in 2010, a twelve track
melodic album of her own co-written material. Shirley joined the Team Airplay label in 2011, releasing a single entitled Totally Confused. The recent Ready To Go, also on the label, is a Mel Waiters written jam. The upbeat
tune was #6 on Blues Critic's Top 25 Southern Soul chart for June. It is awesome to see good things happening for a lady who
has persevered for so many years in this business!!
Desert Sounds Records is one of the many independent labels that continues to make some major noise
in Southern Soul. The company was originally created in Georgia by music production veterans Pete Peterson and Eric Smith.
Peterson is the former President of Evejim Records and a finance director at Motown back in the day. Both gentlemen are accomplished
songwriters as well – they co-wrote I'll Take Care Of You by Chuck Roberson, You Ain't Got No Proof
by Bobby Jones and Check Your Mailbox by Ghetto Cowboy, among many others. Desert Sounds has done an
excellent job in recent years in recording, distributing, promoting and/or licensing releases from established veterans as
well as new young guns in the business. Their working list of artists includes Chuck Roberson, Ghetto Cowboy, Clay Hammond,
Bobby Jones, Peggy Scott-Adams, Avail Hollywood, Charles McCormick, Dee Bradley and the combination of Jesse James & Millie
Jackson. Chuck Roberson is now the CEO and Owner of Desert Sounds while Peterson continues in the role of Promotions Director
and Advisor. Look for more from this outstanding label in the works very soon!!
I was asked this question recently by a couple of different Southern Soul
artists ''How in the world can I get a song to become a hit over into the Beach
market?'' Hmm......working out a licensing agreement with either Keith Houston at KHP Productions or Judy Collins at Sisbro
Records to get the song on one of their compilations is certainly not a bad idea. The song, however, has to be something that
appeals to the DJ's, the listeners and the dancers. A solid groove with a danceable shag beat goes along way toward creating
a hit in the Beach music world. The right timing and a bit of good luck? Can't hurt for sure. Here is a recent look at the
Beach DJ charts to see what Southern Soul based songs they are currently playing:
Back In The Day Cafe – Andre' Lee
I'm Gonna Try Again – Donnie Ray
Still Strokin' – Ms. Jody
I Want It – Leroy Allen
A Love To Call Mine – Johnnie Taylor
From The Back – LJ Echols
Bag Of Ice – Mel Waiters
I'm Going Back – Donnie Ray
I've Done All I Can Do – Sheba Potts-Wright
I Just Love Women – David Brinston
So Right So Good – Simone De
The Devil Made Me Do It – Chuck Roberson
The Party Don't Get Started – Sir Jonathan Burton
Some Kind Of Wonderful – Willie Clayton
Big Head Hundreds – Johnnie Taylor
You Should Know By Now – Sir Jonathan Burton
Soul School – Mr. David
Lil House Big Party – Soul Children
Who's Rockin' You – Donnie Ray
Go Home – Klass Band Brotherhood
This Little Place – Mr. X
Just Go Dancin' – OB Buchana
The Bop – Ms. Jody
Girl's Got It Goin' On – Bob Steele
She's Got That Ooo Wee – Jerry L
It's BYOB – Donnie Ray
Good Love – Klass Band Brotherhood
A Woman Like You – Jonathan Burton
Booty Mover – OB Buchana
Keep Singing The Blues – Chick Willis
No Mess – Pat Cooley
Shuckin' And Jivin' – Jaye Hammer
Ms. Jody's Thang – Ms. Jody
Slow Grindin' – Theodis Ealey
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