Daddy B. Nice's SouthernSoulRnB.com - Guide to Today's Top Chitlin' Circuit Rhythm and Blues Artists


 

Daddy B. Nice's Corner

Looking for Daddy B. Nice's latest commentary?
Click here for the 2022 Corner.

Scroll down for 2011: THE YEAR IN SOUTHERN SOUL, MONTHLY SINGLES CHARTS.

Daddy B. Nice Announces The Winners of the 2011 (5th Annual) Daddy B. Nice Best Of Southern Soul Music Awards. The winners and top contenders are posted at the end of each list of finalists.

The numbers in the lists do NOT denote rankings. Music published before 2011 was eligible if the bulk of its chitlin' circuit airplay came in 2011.

Because of its length and complexity, the List of Finalists is one of the rare features for which your Daddy B. Nice does NOT provide links.

Links to mp3's, CD's and song samples are available by going to the artist's name in either the CD Store or the Comprehensive Index.

A permanent listing and link in Daddy B. Nice's Comprehensive Index will eventually be made on behalf of each performer for each nomination listed. (All links are active (3/13/12) DBN.)

--Daddy B. Nice

THE CATEGORIES:

Best Mid-Tempo Song
Best Club Song
Best Ballad
Best Song by Longtime Veteran
Best Female Vocalist
Best Male Vocalist
Best Debut
Best Collaboration
Best Out-Of-Left-Field Song
Best Chitlin' Circuit Blues Song
Best Cover Song
Best Arranger/Producer
Best Songwriter
Best CD
Hardest-Touring Crowd Pleaser.

****************

Best Mid-Tempo Song:


1. Let's Get A Room Somewhere --- Jesse James & Millie Jackson

2. I Need Some Attention --- Vick Allen

3. Who's Rocking You --- Donnie Ray

4. Remix Our Love --- Bigg Robb

5. I'm Knocking --- Larome Powers

6. The Body Roll --- Jim Bennett

7. We're Having A Party --- Gina Brown

8. When Your Give A Damn Just Don't Give A Damn Any More --- Ms. Jody

9. They Wanna Party With Me --- T. K. Soul

10. I Ain't Scared No More --- Luther Lackey


Top Contenders: Ms. Jody, Donnie Ray, Gina Brown

Best Mid-Tempo Song: "The Body Roll" by Jim Bennett

Listen to Jim Bennett singing "The Body Roll" on YouTube.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Best Club (Uptempo Dance) Song:


1. Young Folk Love The Blues --- Bigg Robb

2. Get Down --- Charles Wilson

3. Too Much Booty Shakin' Up In Here --- Sir Jonothan Burton

4. Rent Man --- Diedra

5. Make That Monkey Jump --- Grady Champion

6. G-Slide --- Gina Brown

7. Do It With Your Boots On --- Cupid

8. Show You A Good Time --- Bobby Rush

9. Ride It Like A Cowboy (Remix) --- Kenne Wayne

10. Only Time I Get Lonely --- Stephanie Pickett


Top Contenders: Bigg Robb, Gina Brown, Bobby Rush

Best Club (Uptempo Dance) Song: "Too Much Booty Shakin'" by Sir Jonothan Burton

Listen to Sir Jonothan Burton singing "Too Much Boot Shakin'" on YouTube.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Best Ballad:


1. Hell On My Hands --- Carl Sims

2. No Easy Way To Say Good-Bye --- Queen Emily

3. In Love By Yourself --- Charles "Big Daddy" Stallings

4. Are You Serious --- Doctor D

5. I'll Be There For Ya --- Vel Omarr

6. I Ain't Scared No More --- Luther Lackey

7. You Got To Cheat --- T. K. Soul

8. The Crying Zone --- Bigg Robb

9. On My Own Again --- Sir Charles Jones

10. Collard Greens And Cornbread --- Fantasia


Top Contenders: Queen Emily, Bigg Robb, T. K. Soul

Best Ballad: "In Love By Yourself" by Charles "Big Daddy" Stallings

Sample Big Daddy Stallings singing "In Love By Yourself on CD Baby.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Best Song By Longtime Veteran:


1. Last Will & Testimony (Live In Alabama) --- Marvin Sease

2. Show You A Good Time --- Bobby Rush

3. Hell On My Hands --- Carl Sims

4. When You Get Drunk --- Mel Waiters

5. A Woman's Love --- Latimore

6. You Ain't Got No Proof --- Bobby Jones

7. Go Get That Love --- Wilson Meadows

8. Something I Want --- David Brinston

9. Let's Get A Room Somewhere --- Jesse James & Millie Jackson

10. Be With Me --- Willie Clayton

11. Slow Grinding --- Theodis Ealey


Top Contenders: Bobby Jones, Mel Waiters, Marvin Sease

Best Song By Longtime Veteran: "Show You A Good Time" by Bobby Rush

Listen to Bobby Rush singing "Show You A Good Time" on My Space.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Best Female Vocalist:


1. When Your Give A Damn Just Don't Give A Damn Any More --- Ms. Jody

2. My Kind Of Man --- Sheba Potts-Wright

3. Rent Man --- Diedra

4. Too Many People --- Stephanie Pickett

5. No Easy Way To Say Good-Bye --- Queen Emily

6. You Ain't No Player --- Karen Wolfe

7. Jealous Wo-Man, Yes I Am --- LGB

8. Collard Greens And Cornbread --- Fantasia

9. We're Having A Party --- Gina Brown


Top Contenders: Stephanie Pickett, Queen Emily, Sheba Potts-Wright

Best Female Vocalist: "When Your Give A Damn Just Don't Give A Damn Any More" by Ms. Jody

Sample Ms. Jody singing "When Your Give A Damn" on Rhapsody.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Best Male Vocalist:


1. Drinking Again --- Avail Hollywood

2. I Got A Woman Who Loves Me --- Patrick Green

3. Baby I Love You --- Floyd Taylor

4. In Love By Yourself --- Charles "Big Daddy" Stallings

5. I Need Some Attention --- Vick Allen

6. Walk Away --- Big G

7. Who's Rockin' You --- Donnie Ray

8. I'm Your Maintenance Man --- Omar Cunningham

9. Hold My Mule --- Luther Lackey

10. The Body Roll --- Jim Bennett

11. I Like To Live The Love I Sing About (Live) --- Larry Shannon Hargrove

12. Pretty Lady (Live) --- LaMorris Williams

13. Last Will & Testimony (Live In Alabama) --- Marvin Sease


Top Contenders: Omar Cunningham, LaMorris Williams, Donnie Ray

Best Male Vocalist: "Hold My Mule" by Luther Lackey

Sample Luther Lackey singing "Hold My Mule" on CD Baby.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Best Debut:


1. Gina Brown --- G-Slide, We're Having A Party

2. Menta Malone --- Southern Soul Lady

3. Sonny Mack --- Going For Gold, It's Saturday Night

4. Monro Brown --- I'm In Love With A Man

5. Cornelious MD --- It Ain't Rainin'

6. Klass Band Brotherhood --- Sugar Shack

7. Fel Davis --- All Woman

8. Ronnie Love --- Back Door Lover

9. Gerod Rayburn --- Feels Like Prison On My Job

10. G'Cue --- Party


Top Contenders: Gerod Rayburn, Menta Malone, Klass Band Brotherhood

Best Debut: "G-Slide," "We're Having A Party" by Gina Brown

Listen to Gina Brown singing "We're Having A Party" on My Space.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Best Collaboration:


1. Bar-B-Que --- Mel Waiters & Cupid

2. Close To Me --- L. J. Echols & LaMorris Williams

3. Any Way You Want It --- L. J. Echols, Columbus Toy & Mr. Ivy

4. Steal Away To The Hideaway --- Uvee Hayes & Otis Clay

5. Let's Get A Room Somewhere --- Jesse James & Millie Jackson

6. Something I Want --- Ms. Jody & David Brinston

7. I Gotta Have It --- the Revelations featuring Tre' Williams & Vick Allen


Top Contenders: L. J. Echols, Mr. Ivy & Columbus Toy, Uvee Hayes & Otis Clay

Best Collaboration: "Let's Get A Room Somewhere" by Jesse James & Millie Jackson



SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Best Outa-Left-Field Song:


1. It's Too Late --- Gus Geeter

2. Feels Like Prison On My Job --- Gerod Rayburn

3. Drinking Again --- Avail Hollywood

4. Jealous Wo-man, Yes I Am --- LGB

5. Hold My Mule --- Luther Lackey

6. Stick A Fork In Me --- Bobby Jones

7. Cassanova / Haterz --- Keith Frank


Top Contenders: Keith Frank, Gus Geeter

Best Outa-Left-Field Song: "Jealous Wo-Man, Yes I Am" by LGB

Listen to LGB singing "Jealous Woman" on YouTube.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Best Chitlin' Circuit Blues Song:


1. Put A Little Water In It --- Mr. Sam

2. Belly Up Some Blues --- Biscuit Miller

3. Something I Want --- David Brinston & Ms. Jody

4. Little Sally Walker --- Bobby Jones

5. Too Many Mechanics --- Donnie Ray

6. Jammin' On The Blues --- Chuck Roberson

7. Make That Monkey Jump --- Grady Champion

8. Sniffer --- Bobby Rush


Top Contenders: Bobby Rush, David Brinston & Ms. Jody, Biscuit Miller

Best Chitlin' Circuit Blues Song: "Make That Monkey Jump" by Grady Champion

Listen to Grady Champion singing "Make That Monkey Talk" on YouTube.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Best Cover Song:


1. I Think He Trusts Me Too Much --- O. B. Buchana

2. Turn Back The Hands Of Time --- Willie Clayton

3. House Of The Rising Sun --- Theodis Ealey

4. Cupid Draw Back Your Bow --- Cupid

5. Let Me Be The Shoulder --- Ms. Jody

6. Gone On (Part 2) --- Larry Shannon Hargrove

7. Steal Away To The Hideaway --- Uvee Hayes & Otis Clay

8. Can't Say No --- Lacee


Top Contenders: Uvee Hayes & Otis Clay, Ms. Jody, O. B. Buchana

Best Cover Song: "Gone On Part 2" (Tribute to Marvin Sease) by Larry Shannon Hargrove

Listen to Larry Shannon Hargrove singing "Gone On Part 2" on YouTube.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Best Arranger/Producer:


1. John Ward --- Ms. Jody's "When Your Give A Damn Don't Give A Damn Any More," Gerod Rayburn's "Feel Like Prison On My Job," Sheba Potts-Wright's "Mr. Jody You Did Your Job," Ms. Jody's "Ms. Jody's Keepin' It Real," Sonny Mack's "Going For Gold,"


2. Omar Cunningham --- Omar Cunningham's "I'm Your Maintenance Man," "Find A Good Woman"


3. Walt Luv (Walt Love) --- Walt Luv's "I Wanna Come Back," "She Threw A Monkey Wrench In My Game," "The Rabbit God Da Gun"


4. Cupid --- Cupid's "Do It With Your Boots On," "Cupid Draw Back Your Bow," "The Radio"


5. Robert Smith (Bigg Robb) --- Bigg Robb's "Backtracking," "Remix Our Love," "Let It Go," "Young Folks Love The Blues," "Remix Our Love"


6. Jim Bennett --- "The Body Roll," "Slap It Tap It," "I'm Ready To Party"


6. Luther Lackey --- "I Ain't Scared No More," "Hold My Mule," "Could She Be The Woman Of My Dreams," "If She's Cheatin' On Me, I Don't Wanna Know"


Top Contenders: John Ward, Bigg Robb, Cupid

Best Arranger/Producer: Luther Lackey

Listen to Luther Lackey's Married Lyin' Cheatin' Man CD on CD Baby.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Best Songwriter:


1. Robert Smith (Bigg Robb) --- Bigg Robb's "The Crying Zone," "Remix Our Love," "Young Folks Love The Blues," "Let It Go," "Backtracking"

2. Gerod Rayburn --- Gerod Rayburn's "Feel Like Prison On My Job" & "You Been Good To Me," Ms. Jody's "I Needed That," O. B. Buchana's "We Don't Get Along 'Til We Getting It On," Sheba Potts-Wright's "Let Your Mind Go"

3. Luther Lackey --- Luther Lackey's "Could She Be The Woman Of My Dreams?," "I Ain't Scared No More," "Hold My Mule"

4. Joanne Delapaz (Ms. Jody) & John Ward --- Ms. Jody's "When Your Give A Damn Just Don't Give A Damn Any More," "Southern Soul Dip," "I Did It," "I'm Keeping It Real" (Delapaz only)

5. Raymond Moore & John Ward --- Ms. Jody's "You Lost A Fortune," "I Never Knew Good Love Could Hurt So Bad," "The Jody Juke," "Ms. Jody's Thang," Chuck Roberson's "A Woman Wants A Freak (Remix)," Lee "Shot" Williams' "Juke Joint Slide (Remix)," O. B. Buchana's "Booty Scoot," Donnie Ray's "Love Monkey"

6. Vick Allen --- Vick Allen's "I Need Some Attention," "Thankful For My Woman On The Side"

7. Terry Kimble (T. K. Soul) --- T. K. Soul's "They Want To Party With Me," "You Got To Cheat"

8. Pete Peterson, Bobby Jones & Eric "Smidi" Smith --- Bobby Jones' "You Ain't Got No Proof," "Little Sally Walker," "Stick A Fork In Me," "Moan and Groan"


Top Contenders: Raymond Moore & John Ward, Terry Kimble (T.K. Soul), Robert Smith (Bigg Robb)

Best Songwriter: Gerod Rayburn

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Best CD:


1. Luther Lackey --- Married Lyin' Cheatin' Man

2. Jim Bennett --- Taking It To The Next Level

3. Omar Cunningham --- Growing Pains

4. Ms. Jody --- Ms. Jody's In The House

5. Bigg Robb --- Soul Prescription

6. Bobby Rush --- Show You A Good Time

7. Donnie Ray --- Who's Rockin' You

8. Latimore --- Ladies' Choice

9. Bobby Jones --- You Ain't Got No Proof

10. Big G --- All About Me


Top Contenders: Luther Lackey, Bigg Robb, Jim Bennett

Best CD: Ms. Jody's In The House (Performer: Ms. Jody, Producer: John Ward)

Sample Ms. Jody's Ms. Jody's In The House CD on CD Universe.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Hardest-Touring Crowd-Pleaser


1. T. K. Soul

2. Mel Waiters

3. Ms. Jody

4. Bobby Rush

5. Sir Charles Jones

6. Willie Clayton

7. Bigg Robb

8. L. J. Echols

9. Avail Hollywood

10. B. B. King


Top Contenders: B. B. King, T. K. Soul, Willie Clayton

Hardest-Touring Crowd-Pleaser: Mel Waiters



SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Congratulations to all!

--Daddy B. Nice


*************

E-Mail Daddy B. Nice to contribute information or opinion:

daddybnice@southernsoulrnb.com


**************
SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

E-Mail Daddy B. Nice to contribute information or opinion:

daddybnice@southernsoulrnb.com


**************
Free Shipping on Bras and Swimwear
*************

*************

E-Mail Daddy B. Nice to contribute information or opinion:

daddybnice@southernsoulrnb.com

**************
SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide
**************

2011: THE YEAR IN SOUTHERN SOUL MUSIC


In 2011 Marvin Sease's "Gone On" took its place next to Johnnie Taylor's"Soul Heaven" at the turnstiles to Southern Soul's pearly gates.

It was another year of roiling change in Southern Soul music. The roll call for the genre's core artists continued to plummet, the death knell sounding for Marvin Sease in the first half of the year and for Lee "Shot" Williams and J. Blackfoot at year's end. In addition, one of Southern Soul's most promising younger performers, Reggie P., unexpectedly passed.

Even allowing for the unprecedented dominance of social media--Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, smart phones, et.al.--the outpouring of grief and homage for Marvin Sease, including many thousands of hits on this site, dwarfed all previous passings of the new century, including those of Johnnie Taylor, Tyrone Davis and Little Milton Campbell, indicating just how central and beloved a figure Sease was to the industry.

In death the Southern Soul community could picture Marvin in a Richard Pryoresque pose, leaning on a bar counter surrounded by four beautiful, fawning, female background singers, as he was on his album covers, his face creased with his trademark lascivious grin. And in death it became clear that although Johnnie Taylor was the multi-talented genius of Southern Soul, Marvin Sease was its "everyman" patriarch, the singer who defined the themes and the ambience of the revived genre in the 21st century.

Recorded live for a DVD, Sease's "Last Will & Testimony," performed over the protests of his doctors to an adoring, standing-room-only audience in a church in Alabama less than a week after he'd been near death in the hospital, sent chills up Southern Soul's collective spine, the fans well knowing that Marvin's exertions--and the stubborn, furious power in his choruses--likely contributed to his death a week later.

The deaths of J. Blackfoot, whose career in Southern Soul traversed a luminous, generation-long arc from "Taxi" to "I'm Just A Fool," and Lee "Shot" Williams, whose music defined the middle-ground Southern Soul sound of Memphis-based Ecko Records in the late 90's and early 00's, were further blows to the viability of the genre.

Equally catastrophic was the passing of the youthful Reggie P., known as the "Prince" or "Rude Boy" of Southern Soul, whose trinity of powerful contemporary classics--"Why Me?," "Dropping Salt" and "Your Love Is A Bad Habit"--made him the great hope of fans hungry for the new O. V. Wright-styled singer of the future.

It made for another terrible and fallow year for the "King of Southern Soul," Sir Charles Jones, traversing a second, sluggish year in a row with only one new single while losing both his uncle (J. Blackfoot) and one of his best friends and peers (Reggie P). And yet, the popularity of the young Sir Charles Jones persisted unabated, with fan mail surpassing all other artists, and regions of the country beyond Dixie and formerly outside Southern Soul's reach clamoring for live performances from the "King."

Not only artists but record labels fell by the wayside.

2011 marked the first time in recent memory one of the Jackson, Mississippi Couches (Tommy or Tommy Jr.) hadn't released an annual Southern Soul masterpiece on the order of Shirley Brown's Unleashed or Denise LaSalle's 24 Hour Woman or Marvin Sease's Who's Got The Power or Bobby Rush's Night Fishing via its Malaco or Waldoxy labels.

Malaco, long the only Southern Soul indie label with a modicum of national exposure, had announced its intentions to phase out Southern Soul well in advance, but it didn't make the pill any less bitter for fans to swallow. Waldoxy (the domain of the younger Tommy, Jr.) in effect followed suit, although it did release Larome Power's single, "I'm Knockin'," towards year's end.

As if to rub salt in the wounds of the discontent, Malaco's headquarters in north Jackson--the finest facilities and largest cache of historical recordings in the Southern Soul world--were visited by a weird weather event, a calamitous spring tornado that decimated the building and complex.

CDS a funk label?

CDS, the new California-based label, also voicing frustration with the sales of Southern Soul records in its first couple of years, abandoned the tried and true sounds of the genre, opting for the Dallas funk of producer Carl Marshall, who shoehorned one promising young Southern Soul artist after another--Mister Zay, Bobbye "Doll" Johnson, The Real Sugar--into Marshall's casual, New Orleans-based offshoot of George Clintonesque funk.

CDS was hampered by its lack of songwriters, and also its revolving-door of artists, who in many cases would have been better served to come to the label with their own visions of an overall musical concept.

But CDS and Marshall, Daddy B. Nice's Southern Soul Producer of the Year in 2010, also came through with the production and promotion of Sir Jonothan Burton's "Too Much Booty Shaking," a line dance that captivated club dancers throughout the South, and Marshall added a stirring and funky blues accompaniment to Stephanie Pickett's "Too Many People," among other studio successes.

CDS was also instrumental in distributing and advertising fellow Aviara artist Jim Bennett, a new star for Southern Soul fans despite years of journeyman work in Maryland with the Hardway Connection and his own bands.

The emergence of Aviara Records (and CDS's partnership in distributing and promoting Aviara) was the single most significant addition to the ranks of Southern Soul labels in 2011, bringing brilliant new work by Bennett, Burton and Pickett to the public.

Ecko was the ascending label.

There was no lack of songwriting from Ecko Records. Having nourished and built up its stable of composers--Raymond Moore, John Cummings, Rick Lawson, William Norris, John Ward, talented newbie Gerod Rayburn and others--over many years, the Memphis-based label swiftly filled the vacuum left by the other labels by releasing excellent sets by Ms. Jody, Luther Lackey, Donnie Ray and Sheba Potts-Wright, along with interesting debuts by Gerod Rayburn and Sonny Mack.

Mel Waiters (on Brittney Records) maintained his dynamic pace, releasing what seemed at times a single a month, although not always with the quality of old. Ditto for Willie Clayton, who increasingly retreated into a singers-only world, somewhere between Southern Soul and urban R&B. Both stars toured extensively.

Bobby Rush, despite his fame and popularity one of the most under-rated of Southern Soul artists, proved once again he could deliver great music at an advanced age.

Latimore soldiered on, too, although his power was noticeably diminished.

The genre's three older-generation divas--Shirley Brown, Peggy Scott-Adams and Denise LaSalle--sat the year on the sidelines, although Peggy Scott-Adams told Daddy B. Nice in a mid-year interview that she was coming back to Southern Soul in 2012.

....Leaving the piƱata-busting for upstart diva Ms. Jody, who seized the day with not one but two popular albums.


2011 was Ms. Jody time.


By mid-year, she was being proclaimed by many critics the new "Queen of Southern Soul" despite that sobriquet never having graced one of her CD sleeves. (Vintage fans will remember that one of Scott-Adams' most popular albums was Undisputed Queen.)

And that was before Ms. Jody released her second CD of the year, Ms. Jody's In The House, arguably her finest work to date. The album's showcase single, "When Your Give A Damn Just Don't Give A Damn Any More," finished the year as Daddy B. Nice's #2-ranked Southern Soul Single of 2011.

New blood replaced old blood, both amongst labels and artists.

And a performer who had been more popular with the straight-blues audience than the Southern Soul/chitlin' circuit market came through with a Southern Soul effort second to none. His name was Charles "Big Daddy" Stallings,' and his single "In Love With Yourself" was Daddy B. Nice's #1-ranked Southern Soul Single of 2011.

Stallings was representative of a new trend in the music: that even as the old stars continued to fall or release perfunctory, forgettable material, new stars like Jim Bennett, Gina Brown, Avail Hollywood, Sir Jonothan Burton, LGB, Bobby Conerly, Diedra, The Klass Band Brotherhood and Grady Champion would rise up and fill the void. These artists often accomplished their breakthroughs despite industry deejays and insiders favoring inferior material by familiar artists on their playlists.

The concert scene for Southern Soul continued to explode.

In spite of flat record sales, the live-performance venues and frequencies of events across the South from Texas and Arkansas to the Atlantic continued trending upward and showed no signs of flagging. Demand for the top echelon of Southern Soul artists from "other" parts of the country was actually greater than the supply.

The Blues Is Alright Tour survived the economic turndown, reaching into the Northeast and Midwest, but travel expenses persisted in precluding national exposure for most solo acts. Primetime celebrity Mel Waiters, like a modern-day pioneer, extended his reach as a solo artist first to Kansas City and then to Denver, Colorado in 2011.

Cruise ship venues joined casinos as creative revenue sources for musicians as more and more artists, following the lead of T. K. Soul, signed contracts with Caribbean cruise ship lines for 3-7 day cruises, satisfying fans craving for one-on-one contact.

In other developments:

--Luther Lackey revealed that he really wasn't O. B. Buchana's half-brother; it was just a "blues thing."

--Writer/producer Floyd Hamberlin told your Daddy B. Nice that he and fellow Chicagoan Nellie "Tiger" Travis have been in the studio and are testing the waters for a release date for a new Travis CD, signifying Nellie's official return to Southern Soul music.

--Austin, Texas's Larry Shannon Hargrove did a creditable cover of Marvin Sease's "Gone On."

--Producer Jonothan Burton came back reincarnated as the artist Sir Jonothan Burton and scored the most popular dance tune of the year: "Too Much Booty Shakin' Up In Here."

--In the department of new blood from outside the traditional chitlin' circuit, the great 2010 debuts of New Yorkers Tre' Williams and The Revelations and California solo artist Lina were followed by both acts making their pilgrimages to Jackson, Mississippi in 2011 to play in front of their core Southern Soul fans in triumphant appearances. (In the Southern Soul world, if you can make it in Jackson, you can make it anywhere.)

--The Zydeco sound was contagious, with artists from T. K. Soul to Kenne' Wayne to Ms. Jody endeavoring to incorporate it into their music. All of the attempts paled next to the mesmerizing rhythms of the real thing in the hands of veterans Keith Frank ("Cassanova," "Haterz") and Rosie Ledet ("When I'm Gone"), whenever Southern Soul deejays deigned to insert their masterful work into their playlists.

--The dawn of YouTube videos has been an unexpected boon to Southern Soul music, exposing the music to potential audiences and making the job of explaining the music so much easier. Adding YouTube links has become a daily duty here at SouthernSoulRnB, and no video in 2011 captivated more than Who Will Be The King Of Southern Soul Music?, a WWE-style onstage confrontation complete with gold-plated belt between Sir Charles Jones and Mel Waiters.

--Another vibrant rivalry, billed as "The Rumble In The Delta: Main Event T. K. Soul vs. Sir Charles Jones," was taking place in the Convention Center in Greenville, Mississippi the night of writing this years-end review.

Bring it on, 2012!

And in less than positive developments:

--Billy "Soul" Bonds' marvelous new "kitty kitty" song was still not released.

Daddy B. Nice

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles. . . . Continued from right column of this page.



***************

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles Review For. . .

MARCH 2011



1. "Last Will & Testimony" (Live In Alabama)------------Marvin Sease

Recorded live for a DVD before his death, this final, glorious flourish by Marvin Sease will send chills up your spine. Basically, it's the story of how the doctors told him not to sing, and how Marvin went out and sang his ass off anyway.

You can tell it's an ad-libbed, spur-of-the-moment spectacle, as Marvin floats gracefully from testifying catch phrase to catch phrase gleaned from years of performing.

You cringe when Marvin says he's going to keep singing despite the recommendations of his doctors. You cringe when, upon his release from the hospital, he thanks the Lord (at the top of his lungs) for being so good to him.

And finally, you cringe all over when you hear the stubborn, furious power in Marvin's choruses, knowing that his exertions likely contributed to his death a week later.

Recorded with a full band in front of an adoring crowd in a church that sounds like a club--your Daddy B. Nice wants to thank DJ Love Child of WMPR for playing this on the radio.

Listen to "Marvin's Final Testimony" on You Tube

2. "I Learned The Hard Way"-----------Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

Simultaneously sophomoric and slavish in their imitation of vintage soul, the Dap-Kings--critical darlings of the "Nu-Soul" set--have deserved the skepticism of true Southern Soul fans who hear the real thing every day.

No longer. With "I Learned The Hard Way," their full-bodied, orchestra-of-real-instruments now poses a threat and inspiration to the synth-based recordings of most Southern Soul and soul-blues acts.

With Sharon Jones sounding like Darlene Love and Martha Reeves combined and a great arrangement and chorus reminiscent of The Fifth Dimension, "I Learned The Hard Way" is more than ready to enter Southern Soul radio rotation with the rest of the "grown-folks" music.

Watch "I Learned The Hard Way" Video

Bargain-Priced I Learned The Hard Way CD

Download Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings' I LEARNED THE HARD WAY CD Free

See Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings tour of the South in Daddy B. Nice's Concert Calendar.

3. "Cupid, Draw Back Your Bow"----------Cupid

Cupid returns with his most mellow and appealing track since "I Fell In Love With You At The Barbeque." Instead of sampling Sam Cooke's original, he uses a fifties or sixties-sounding, pop-style backing track and a subtle but evocative horn accompaniment.

Download Free Cupid "Who Shot You" CD, "Cupid, Draw Back Your Bow" MP3

Read Daddy B. Nice's four-star CD review of Cupid's WHO SHOT YOU.

4. "G-Slide"--------Gina Brown

That rare treat: a dance jam with a melody, a great vocal, and a superb bridge boasting a nifty two-part harmony. By a new artist who deserves immediate attention and exposure.

Listen to "G-Slide" on YouTube

Bargain-Priced "G-Slide" MP3

5. "Feel Like Prison On My Job"-------------Gerod Rayburn

From Ecko Records' stable of songwriters, the composer of many O. B. Buchana and Ms. Jody songs presents his debut album, anchored by this "Mississippi Boy"-like piece of Americana that every working man and woman can identify with.

Bargain-Priced Call Before You Come CD

6. "Ms. Jody's Keepin' It Real" -------------Ms. Jody

Drop an Alka-Selzer in half a glass of water and you'll get an effervescence like this talking extravaganza from Ms. Jody.

Bargain-Priced Ms. Jody's Keepin' It Real CD

7. "Get Close To Me"---------L. J. Echols & LaMorris Williams

This song isn't much to write home about, except for the fact it unites the two greatest "hopes" for the future of Southern Soul in L. J. Echols and LaMorris Williams. And don't think these guys don't know it. At one point they talk about the passage of the old stars, even mentioning Marvin Sease (that's how fresh it is).

"We're young," they sing, "and we're ready."

Listen to "Get Close To Me" on YouTube

8. "Tonight"----------Wilie Clayton

As airy and ethereal as morning fog. Willie's paen to a lady who's getting his full attention "tonight."

Bargain-Priced Reloaded CD

9. " Hell On My Hands"------Carl Sims

Carl Sims covers a song by young singer/songwriter Charlie Brown (Charles Mumpfeld) and gives it the full-blown Sims' "Trapped" treatment. The voice sounds a little challenged after a four-year hiatus, but who else can deliver R&B in this operatic manner?

Bargain-Priced Hell On My Hands CD, MP3's

10. "Giddy Up" --------Ms. Charli

She calls herself the Creole diva of Southern Soul, and she knows the location of that soft and steady Southern Soul sweet spot.

Listen to "Giddy Up" on YouTube

"Giddy Up" MP3

***************

E-Mail Daddy B. Nice to contribute information or opinion:

daddybnice@southernsoulrnb.com


***************

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

**************

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles Review For. . .

FEBRUARY 2011

1. "Drinking Again"------------Avail Hollywood

One of two anti-drinking songs to debut in a February overflowing with new music. The other is Mel Waiters' "When You Get Drunk." Together, they make nice bookends around a subject that seldom gets discussed in Southern Soul.

Avail Hollywood's outing is the more compelling because it memorializes a young musician blossoming into a true artist, marshalling an intensity and focus he hadn't quite mastered on his debut, The Young Gunn of Southern Soul, reviewed here last year.

Buy "Drinking Again" MP3

See fan's letter in Daddy B. Nice's Mailbag.


2. "Who's Rockin' You?"--------Donnie Ray

People knock Ecko Records from time to time, but in Daddy B. Nice's view it's only because Ecko's been at it for so long and has been so consistent, sometimes repeating themselves.

That's why this new hit by Donnie Ray is so refreshing, incorporating an arrangement that sounds like early-seventies Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes or Isaac Hayes. It skips along like a stone thrown across a pond on the first warm day of summer.

Bargain-Priced Who's Rockin' You CD

3. "I Got A Woman Who Loves Me"-----------Patrick Green

Patrick Green is making a long overdue comeback, and this ballad is a head-turner. "When a strong man/ And a strong woman/ Get together,/ Love will last forever," Green sings. Based on my experience, I'm not sure that's true, but I'll readily admit it's the only way to go in love.

Bargain-Priced "I Got A Woman Who Loves Me" MP3


4. "When You Do Wrong (Sooner Or Later)"----------------Billy Cole

CDS Records rescued this obscure 2006 song from oblivion when they included it on the Southern Soul Blues Hot Spot, Vol. 1 CD. A bit rough, but it has a quintessentially Southern Soul tempo and melody.

Bargain-Priced Southern Soul Blues Hot Spot, Vol. 1 CD

5. "Get Down"----Charles Wilson

Just when you thought Charles Wilson was stuck on singing "pretty," he serves up this floor-banging dance jam.

It can't match Joe Simon's black-as-oil vocal from the mid-seventies, but that hit is long-forgotten and this cover makes that disco rhythm sound sorely missed.

Listen to Charles Wilson's "Get Down" on YouTube (Mel Waiters' "When You Get Drunk" is queued up first.")

Listen to the Joe Simon original of "Get Down" on YouTube

6. "Just For A Little While"--------------LaMorris Williams

Sometimes a song comes over the radio and you're reminded how much you've been missing hearing new music from that artist. That's the way it was last month when I heard T. K. Soul's "They Wanna Party With Me" (see January's #1 single).

At the time I reviewed LaMorris's CD (anchored by his break-out hit, "Impala") awhile back, this track seemed pretty light-weight, but now, a year later, it sounds lullaby-peaceful and much more durable.

Listen to the Sexy Soul Songs CD on the LaMorris Williams website.

7. "Strong"--------T. K. Soul

Speaking of the devil, here's the first taste of what's coming from T. K. Soul in the coming year. It's kind of "down," but T. K. Soul's at a special place in his career--a kind of magical plateau--where he could almost sing the phone book and make it sound amazing.

8. "When You Get Drunk"------------Mel Waiters

Musically, this is a pretty generic Waiters-style groove, maybe a tad less compelling than his terrific "I Ain't Gone Do It" set. Interesting lyrics and message, though.

Listen to "When You Get Drunk" on YouTube.

9. "Jammin' With The Blues"--------------Chuck Roberson

This is the loosest and most aggressive I've ever heard Chuck Roberson. It's great.

Bargain-Priced Deep South Southern Soul CD

10. "House Of The Rising Sun"-----------Theodis Ealey

Theodis has been a little off his usual bulls-eye mark of late, so I like what he's doing here, throwing caution to the wind and covering a way-familiar classic. Wid' a reggae beat, mon'. And if you've been missing that Ealey guitar work, here you go.

Oh!. . . And by the way: Ealey first recorded this song in 1994.

AND WATCH FOR TWO NEW SONGS BY THE RAW BUT TALENTED. . . .

Lo Que's "Who's Backstabbing Who"

AND

Randy "Wildman" Brown's "Jailhouse Blues"

**************
SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide
**************

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles Review For. . .

JANUARY 2011


1. "They Wanna Party With Me"------------------T. K. Soul

The synth/disco beat is casual and insinuating--it sneaks up on you and whups you upside the head. TK's vocal--clear as a mountain brook-- picks up any stragglers.

Bargain-Priced Evolution Of Soul CD, MP3's

2. "I Ain't Never Had It This Good Before" (Now I Know What 2X) ---------Bobby Conerly

This anthem is almost too soulful and funky to be believed. The verses in particular are Southern Soul heaven.

(This is the song listed as "Now I Know What" the second time on the CD.)

See Daddy B. Nice's 4-Star CD Review

Bargain-Priced The New Old School CD

3. "I Need Some Attention"------------------Vick Allen

This song is big. How big? We'll see. But you can watch--and hear--Vick Allen scratching his way to a new and rarefied level.

Watch the Vick Allen video of"I Need Some Attention" on THE BOOGIE REPORT.

4. "I Think He Trusts Me Too Much"--------------O. B. Buchana

You know what I like best about this song? Its faithfulness. It doesn't show off or diverge from the classic (Bobby Womack through Sir Charles Jones). Still, it ends up being arguably the definitive version.

Bargain-Priced That Thang Thang CD, MP3's

See Daddy B. Nice's 4-Star CD Review

5. "Purple Rain"---------Sweet Angel

No single element of this song--its song selection, its vocal, its sax solo or its extended length--stands out, and yet its low-key arrangement will seduce you with its quiet, soulful belief in itself.

Listen to studio version of Purple Rain on Bluez News

6. "Barbeque"------Mel Waiters w/ Cupid

In this entertaining version of Cupid's laid-back and winsome "At The Barbeque" Mel Waiters seems to absorb Cupid's bombastic side--"goosing" the song--but instead of hiphop, Waiters' agitation is akin to jazz or big-band swing.

Bargain-Priced I Ain't Gone Do It CD

7. "Let It Go"-----Bigg Robb

This will remind you of Robb's "I Thought She Was At Home," the classic which--come to think of it--was about the time Bigg Robb turned the Southern Soul corner.

Bargain-Priced Soul Prescription CD

8. "It's Too Late"----Gus Geeter

A Montgomery, Alabama native who sang with the King Tutt band reprises a song from his out-of-print solo album.

9. "Back Tracking"-------Bigg Robb

Bigg Robb never stops working. He has quietly become one of the most prolific songwriters in Southern Soul.

Bargain-Priced Soul Prescription CD

10. "We Can Work It Out"-------------Toni Green & Stacey K.

"We Can Work It Out" has undergone quite a journey since its forerunner, Toni's 2003 hit "Just Ain't Workin' Out," from the Southern Soul Music CD.

This passionate duet with Stacey K. is one of 33--count 'em, thirty-three--songs on Toni's new Rebirth collection.

It's more of a "retrospective" than a greatest-hits set, but make no doubt about it: "We Can Work It Out" is one of the "greatest hits."

Bargain-Priced Rebirth: Toni Green's Greatest Hits CD and MP3's.

**************
SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide
**************

 


Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 Souther Soul Singles

SCROLL DOWN FOR 2011 MONTHLY SINGLES CHARTS.

Daddy B. Nice's


TOP 25 SOUTHERN SOUL SONGS OF 2011

1. "In Love By Yourself"------------Charles "Big Daddy" Stallings

Southern Soul amounts to great themes and melodies sung by gritty, powerful blues singers. Nothing in Stallings' first two albums with all of their contemporary blues technique hinted at this one-of-a-kind, surefire Southern Soul classic. "In Love By Yourself" isn't just a story, it's an entire moral code.

"In Love By Yourself" MP3 on Bargain-Priced Blues Party CD.

2. "When Your Give A Damn Just Don't Give A Damn Any More"---------Ms. Jody

With heart-breaking foregrounds and backgrounds, Ms. Jody's finest chorus vocal since "I Never Take A Day Off." John Ward's carefully modulated arrangement is key. This is about as close to Southern Soul heaven as you can get without actually dying. Before you realize it, you're pinching yourself, "Did I just listen to Ms. Jody sing and testify for six-plus minutes?"

Sample or Buy Bargain-Priced Ms. Jody's In The House CD

3. "Show You A Good Time"-----------Bobby Rush

Year in, year out, there's nobody better than Bobby Rush. Nobody. As he proves herein once again, Bobby could bang on a tub and blow on a harp and dance circles around the rest. He's one of Southern Soul's natural wonders.

"Show You A Good Time"MP3 on Bargain-Priced Show You A Good Time CD

4. "The Body Roll"-------------Jim Bennett

I probably played this song more than any other in 2011, and every time I did I turned up the volume. A mainstay of the DC area (along with the more well-known Hardway Connection), Jim Bennett knows where he's going and how to get there. I've seldom heard a Southern Soul band sound so tight.

Sample or buy "The Body Roll" MP3 on Bargain-Priced Shots of Southern Soul, Vol. 3 CD.

5. "Drinking Again"------------Avail Hollywood

There's nothing more satisfying than watching a young musician blossoming into a true artist, marshalling an intensity and focus he hadn't quite mastered before. A "young gun" backs up his bravado by laying it on the line.

"Drinking Again" MP3

6. "They Wanna Party With Me"------------------T. K. Soul

The synth/disco beat is casual and insinuating, the rubber toy-squeezing sound and woman giggling in the background are the perfect details, and TK's vocal--clear as a mountain brook--enthralls any stragglers.

"They Want To Party With Me" MP3 On Bargain-Priced Evolution Of Soul CD

7. "We're Having A Party"------------Gina Brown

The "G-Slide" Girl's good-time Southern Soul party song has a one-in-a-million sound in the tradition of David Brinston's "Party 'Til The Lights Go Out," with a cameo by and style beholding to the masterful Mel Waiters.

"We're Having A Party" MP3

8. "Remix Our Love"--------Bigg Robb

The paradox of Bigg Robb is that when he talks on record he's big--he's huge--but when he sings on record he's small. Nevertheless, his experiment with doing his own singing has to be judged a success: his CD is packed with songs like "Remix Our Love" that wed electro-funk to Southern Soul better than anybody out there.

"Remix Our Love" MP3 on Bargain-Priced Soul Prescription CD

9. "Hold My Mule"---------Luther Lackey

Great foray into folklore and fable--the song has an aura of timelessness--but the best part for the Southern Soul fan is hearing a less cerebral Lackey deliver perhaps his most unguarded vocal ever. His humming in the chorus is to die for.

"Hold My Mule" MP3 on Bargain-Priced Married Lyin' Cheatin' Man CD

10. "Too Much Booty Shaking"-----Sir Jonothan Burton

The club hit of the year, with homegrown line dances to be seen throughout the YouTube universe.

"Too Much Booty Shakin" MP3 on Bargain-Priced In The Zone: Southern Soul Style Volume 1.

11. "I'm Knocking"-----------------Larome Powers

Remember the "Shake And Shimmey" guy? Larome Powers is back with "I'm Knockin,'" slower and more groove-oriented. This song is going to get inside some heads. Hypnotic.

12. "Jealous Wo-man, Yes I Am"-------------LGB

The "Reality Slowly Walks Us Down" lady tackles something a little less philosophical, something we all can understand--a jealous wo-man--served up with a one-of-a-kind vocal, an off-the-wall-retro arrangement and stupendously old-school background singing.

Listen to "Jealous Woman (Yes I Am)" on YouTube.

13. "Walk Away"----------Big G

A singer develops a technique (in this case artfully cracked vocals) through years of hard experience to be able to convey the hurt Big G. conveys in the lines--

"I'm not a play-thing,
I'm a full-grown man."

The heir apparent to Roy C.

Big G's "Walk Away" MP3 on Bargain-Priced All About Me CD.

14. "Who's Rockin' You?"--------Donnie Ray

With a refreshing arrangement reminiscent of early-seventies Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Donnie Ray's vocal skips along like a stone thrown across a pond on the first warm day of summer.

Bargain-Priced Who's Rockin' You CD

15. "I Need Some Attention"------------------Vick Allen

Vick Allen followed up last year's classic "If They Can Beat Me Rockin'" with this sophisticated gem, accompanied by a stunning music video reminiscent of vintage MTV.

"I Need Some Attention" MP3 On Bargain-Priced Truth Be Told CD

16. "Let's Get A Room Somewhere"--------Jesse James w/ Millie Jackson

This great duet with veterans Jesse James and Millie Jackson was distributed to all the deejays and radio outlets but has still not been released for sale to the public. (12/31/11)

17. "Do It With Your Boots On"-----------------Cupid

Many Southern Soul artists experimented with zydeco sounds in 2011, but none came close to the devastatingly catchy zydeco fills of Cupid or cajun legend Keith Frank ("Haterz," "Cassanova").

Free Online Dowload of "Do It With Your Boots On"

18. "I Ain't Never Had It This Good Before"---------Bobby Conerly

Almost too funky, sincere and soulful to be believed, this is the song listed as "Now I Know What" the second time on Conerly's New Old School CD. (P.S. Looks like that's been fixed on the last-posted CD at CD Baby.)

Bargain-Priced The New Old School CD

19. "I'm Your Maintenance Man"--------------Omar Cunningham.

This is the toughest, most aggressive rocker ever by Omar, and a radical departure from his patented lyrical style.

"I'm Your Maintenance Man MP3 on Bargain-Priced Growing Pains CD.

20. "My Kind Of Man"-------------Sheba Potts-Wright

Sweet, lullaby sounds from one of Southern Soul's sweetest and most seasoned.

"My Kind Of Man" MP3 on Bargain-Priced Let Your Mind Go Back CD.

21. "Make That Monkey Jump"-------------Grady Champion

Jumps out of the stereo speakers and grabs you by the throat with an immediacy that has even chitlin' circuit vets shaking their heads in dumbfounded amazement.

"Make That Monkey Jump" MP3 on Bargain-Priced Dreamin' CD.

22. "Steal Away To The Hideaway"-------------Uvee Hayes & Otis Clay

Uvee Hayes and Otis Clay deliver a primer in how to sing rhythm & blues, Clay's vocal especially being one of the last great examples of the old-school soul style.

"Steal Away To The Hideaway" MP3 on Bargain-Priced True Confessions CD.

23. "Only Time I Get Lonely"-----------Stephanie Pickett

Arguably the best of a batch of uptempo female forays into vintage soul including Diedra's "Rent Man" (based on Betty Wright's "Clean Up Woman"), Monro Brown's "I'm In Love With A Man" (based on The Staples' "Do It Again) and Fantasia's "Collard Greens & Cornbread" (based on Marvin Gaye's and Tammi Terrell's "Heaven Must Have Sent You From Above").

Bargain-Priced "Only Time I Get Lonely" MP3

24. "You Got To Cheat" ---------------------T. K. Soul

With an original-sounding, twanging guitar riff, "You Got To Cheat" is a cross between TK's "You Ring My Bell" and "It Ain't Cheating Until You Get Caught," and just as deep and moving.

Bargain-Priced Evolution Of Soul CD/"You Got To Cheat" MP3.

25. "Gone On, Part 2"----------Larry Shannon Hargrove

The Texas Songbird sounds absolutely smashing on this faithful recreation of the late Marvin Sease original, now a classic Southern Soul bookend to Johnnie Taylor's "Soul Heaven."

Bargain-Priced The Crown Prince Of Southern Soul CD/"Gone On Part 2" MP3.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!!

--Daddy B. Nice

*********************

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Send product to:
SouthernSoulRnB.com
P.O. Box 19574
Boulder, Colorado 80308

*************

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles Review For. . .

DECEMBER 2011

1. "We're Having A Party"------------Gina Brown

A real good time Southern Soul party song in the tradition of David Brinston's "Party 'Til The Lights Go Out," with a cameo by and style beholding to Mel Waiters. It's hard to say what makes the G-Slide Girl's "We're Having A Party" succeed where so many have failed (even Brinston never got back there), but the song has that elusive, one-in-a-million sound.

Listen to "We're Having A Party" on YouTube.

2. "I Did It"---------Ms. Jody.

I've always been a sucker for nursery rhymes (not to mention military chants) in popular songs--they always seem to be so much fun--and this material is perfect for Ms. Jody. "I Did It" also has a nifty rhythm section reminiscent of Johnny Otis's Bo-Diddley-inspired "Hand Jive."

Sample or Buy Bargain-Priced Ms. Jody's In The House CD

3. "You Ain't No Player"-----Karen Wolfe

"You ain't no player/You just a bill-payer."

Karen Wolfe hits that hard-to-define sweet spot of the music that only she's able to get to. Her vocal inflections and modulations are a wonder to hear--and always genuine, never false or over the top.

4. "Got No Curfew" ------Mel Waiters

Mel Waiters has been tearing it up for going on two years now. He's definitely staying out after curfew.

Buy or Sample Mel Waiters'"Got No Curfew" MP3.

5. "Sugar Pie"---------Mizz L.

With a voice husky enough to be taken seriously, Mizz L. makes a nice Southern Soul debut.

6. "Do It With Your Boots On"-----------------Cupid

Cupid whips up hiphop, zydeco and southern soul in this one. The zydeco fills are devastatingly catchy. Cupid's trademark, synthesizer-driven choruses aren't bad either.

Free Online Dowload of "Do It With Your Boots On"

Also of interest: Watch Cupid perform "Do It With Your Boots On" w/ piano only.

7. "Pretty Lady (Live)"------LaMorris Williams

I much prefer this version--with long, clear LaMorris vocals, horns, male choruses and all the traditional trappings--to the "Strawberry Fields"-like outing on the album. You can really hear LaMorris's distinctive honey voice--similar to Andre Benjamin's--but it's all LaMorris, and in generous helpings that make you understand why he comes so highly touted.

Watch LaMorris singing "Pretty Lady" Live on YouTube.

8. "A Woman's Love"-------Latimore

In a week when both J. Blackfoot and Lee "Shot" Williams took the elevator to Soul Heaven, we must take pause and appreciate the increasingly rare southern soul of the few masters we have left: like Latt.

Listen to Latimore singing "A Woman's Love" (Live).

9. "On My Own Again"----------Sir Charles Jones

Listen to Sir Charles Jones singing "On My Own Again" on YouTube.

10. "Collard Greens And Cornbread"---------------Fantasia

Terrific vocal on a song using the backing track of Marvin Gaye's and Tammi Terrell's "Heaven Must Have Sent You From Above."

Listen to Fantasia singing "Collard Greens And Cornbread" on YouTube.

**************

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles Review For. . .

NOVEMBER 2011

1. "When Your Give A Damn Just Don't Give A Damn Any More"---------Ms. Jody

Ms. Jody's finest chorus since "I Never Take A Day Off." The tune begins with the bass line and chords from "Groovin,'" but Ms. Jody soon floats away on her own sun-kissed cloud of inspiration. John Ward's carefully modulated arrangement is key. Before you realize it, you're asking yourself, "Did I just listen to Ms. Jody sing and testify for six-plus minutes?"

Sample or Buy Bargain-Priced Ms. Jody's In The House CD

2. "You Got To Cheat" ---------------------T. K. Soul

With an original-sounding, twanging guitar riff, "You Got To Cheat" is sort of a cross between "You Ring My Bell" and "It Ain't Cheating Until You Get Caught," and just as deep and moving. Sobering message, though. Yet another single from Soul's....

Evolution Of Soul CD.

3. "Woman Of My Dreams" ------------Luther Lackey

This song is fully-fleshed out musically and lyrically, with memorable personal details. The full title is "Could She Be The Woman Of My Dreams?" It's a question, an inner debate. With superb, gospel-style harmonies--all Luther, of course.

Read Daddy B. Nice's five-star review of Lackey's Married Lyin' Cheatin' Man CD.

Sample or Buy Luther Lackey's Married Lyin' Cheatin' Man CD

4. "Too Many People"------------------Stephanie Pickett

The diva's power has grown by leaps and bounds along with her confidence. She works out on "Too Many People" like a heavyweight on a punching bag.

Sample or Buy Stephanie Pickett's A Woman's Soul CD, "Too Many People" MP3.

5. "Going For Gold"-----Sonny Mack

A new Ecko Records artist with a seasoned journeyman's qualities. "Going For Gold" is in the mold of Bobby "Blue" Bland's "Straight From The Shoulder."

Sample or Buy Going For Gold CD, MP3's.

6. "Find A Good Woman" ------------Omar Cunningham

You shed a few tears when you hear how close the rhythm track and tempo are to "Man Enough," the song Omar wrote for Karen Wolfe, the song that put her over the top, the song--let's admit it--that's better than this one. The tears continue for two or three listens, then the "Good Woman" hook begins to take over and kick in, and after that everything's okay.

Sample or Buy Omar Cunningham's Growing Pains CD/MP3's.

See Daddy B. Nice's four-star CD Review.

7. "Beat You" ----Mel Waiters

I despise men who bully their women, not to mention their kids. And they're often the types who wouldn't pick a fight with a man their size. This minimalist chant by Mel Waiters is intended to raise awareness about domestic violence. It used to be much worse--true--but it's still with us, and it's still ugly.

Listen to Mel Waiter's "Beat You" on YouTube.

Sample or Buy Mel Waiter's Beat You mp3.

8. "Hurry"-------O. B. Buchana

If you buy this CD, don't be deterred by the error in the credits for this song, which say it is by Donnie Ray. Ecko Record's John Ward confirms it is an error and is meant to say O. B. Buchana.

Sample or Buy O. B. Buchana's "Hurry" on the Ecko Records' sampler Blues Mix, Vol. 5: Blues Party Time

9. "Chillin'"---------Big G.

Sample or Buy Big G's "Chillin' MP3 or All About Me CD.

10. "You Fooled Me This Time"-------------T. Honey Brown

***********

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles Review For. . .

OCTOBER 2011

1. "Walk Away"----------Big G.

A singer develops a technique (in this case artfully cracked vocals) through years of hard experience to be able to convey the hurt Big G. conveys in the lines--

"I'm not a play-thing,
I'm a full-grown man."

The heir apparent to Roy C.

Sample or Buy Big G's "Walk Away" MP3 or All About Me CD.

2. "Let's Get A Room Somewhere"--------Jesse James w/ Millie Jackson

Really hot duet, with a great, rocking groove. Jesse James's going to turn some heads with this one.

3. "Slow Grindin'"--------Theodis Ealey

Pretty damned close to vintage Theodis, I'm happy to report.

Sample or Buy "Slow Grindin'" MP3.

4. "(These Ain't) My Drawers"---------------Mr. Ivy

This whiney but unforgettable blues is given the all-out Jimi Hendrix treatment, with an Ann Peebles "Can't Stand The Rain"-repetitive effect.

Sample or Buy "My Drawers" MP3 or Just Doing Me CD.

5. "I'm Ready To Party"-------------------Jim Bennett

See Daddy B. Nice's new four-star review of Jim Bennett's TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL CD.

Sample or Buy Jim Bennett's Taking It To The Next Level CD, "I'm Ready To Party" MP3.

6. "It's Saturday Night"--------------Sonny Mack

A seasoned take on the classic theme with lots of references to Southern Soul artists and touchstones.

7. "Do It With Your Boots On"----------------Cupid

I note that even on this original, zydeco-tinged number Cupid feels obliged to use those peppy, rapidly-drawn-out, repetitive single-note stanzas. For a refreshing contrast, check out Cupid's "acoustic" take on the same song (just him and a piano).

Listen to Cupid singing "Boots" at the piano.

8. "You Walked Out (Remix)"--------------Ghetto Cowboy w/ Andre' Lee

Came out in 2010, was overlooked, and deserves a second look.

See Daddy B. Nice's new Artist Guide to Ghetto Cowboy (Top 100 21st Century Southern Soul).

9. "Sugar Shack"---------Klass Band Brotherhood

This band sounds a lot like the Hardway Connection.

Klass Band Brotherhood's Sugar Shack MP3 at I-Tunes

10. "Young Folks Love The Blues"-----------Bigg Robb

Bargain-Priced Soul Prescription CD, MP3's

*************

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles Review For. . .

SEPTEMBER 2011

1. "Belly Up Some Blues"-----------Biscuit Miller

I often say I'm not a hardcore blues guy, but give me a groove like "Belly Up Some Blues" and I'm dancing on the tables, the life of the party. And how about that dazzling mouth harp of Billy Branch? Biscuit Miller's out of Indianapolis.

Sample "Belly Up Some Blues" on Bargain-Priced Blues With A Smile CD

2. "Hold My Mule"---------Luther Lackey

Great foray into folklore and fable. The song's simplicity lends an aura of timelessness.

Sample "Hold My Mule" on Bargain-Priced Married Lyin' Cheatin' Man CD

3. "I'm Your Maintenance Man"--------------Omar Cunningham.

This is the toughest, most aggressive rocker ever by Omar, and a radical departure from his lyrical style.

"I'm Your Maintenance Man MP3 on Bargain-Priced Growing Pains CD.

4. "Ms. Jody's Thang (Zydeco Remix)"-----------Ms. Jody

Cajun accordion for Ms. Jody. A new high in grafting Southern Soul with Zydeco.

Sample "Ms. Jody's Thang (Zydeco Remix)" on Blues Mix Vol. 4: Soul Blues Party

5. "I Ain't Scared No More" -----------Luther Lackey

Steel drums--a unique background--for Luther Lackey's latest installment in his "Scared Of Getting Caught" series.

Sample "I Ain't Scared No More" on Bargain-Priced Married Lyin' Cheatin' Man CD

6. "I Left My Heart In Lousiana" -----------Frank Lucas

This is the eccentric singer who did "Good Thing Man" and "Man With The Singing Ding-A-Ling."

Sample "I Left My Heart In Louisiana" or Buy MP3 on Bargain-Priced American Bluester CD.

7. "My Kind Of Man"-------------Sheba Potts-Wright

Sweet, lullaby sounds from one of Southern Soul's sweetest.

Sample "My Kind Of Man" on Bargain-Priced Let Your Mind Go Back CD.

8. "I Like To Live The Love I Sing About" (LIVE)------------Larry Shannon Hargrove

The Texas Songbird delivers a heartfelt live performance.

Sample "I Like To Live The Love I Sing About" on the Bargain-Priced The Crown Prince Of Southern Soul CD.

9. "Who You Been Loving"-------------Napoleon (with Mr. David)

The latest trend? Singers (Tina Diamond, Archie Love, Chuck Strong, etc.) are reissuing old songs and albums. This is a great tactic. Most of the music was originally heard by only a select few. You can find many at CD Baby in "New Arrivals/Southern Soul." Unfortunately, this roughhewn, 2006 underground hit by Napoleon (from a new 5-song EP titled "If You Don't Like What's In Your Bed, Get Another Man") isn't there--yet.

10. "Rock And Hold You"--------------Willie Clayton

Hard to put Willie in the final spot. "Rock And Hold You" is the most polished song of the bunch. That's the bitch of age. The technique keeps getting better and better, but the well of inspiration's water table drops.

Sample "Rock And Hold You" on Bargain-Priced The Voice CD.

***********

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles Review For. . .

AUGUST 2011

1. "In Love By Yourself"------------Charles "Big Daddy" Stallings

Southern Soul amounts to great melodies sung by gritty, powerful blues singers. Nothing in Charles Stallings' first two albums, with all of their contemporary blues technique, hinted at this surefire Southern Soul classic. The song is not only a story, it's an entire moral code.

Sample or Buy "In Love By Yourself" on Bargain-Priced Blues Party CD.

Buy MP3 of "In Love By Yourself" on I-Tunes.

Sample all of "Big Daddy" Stallings' albums in Daddy B. Nice's CD Store.

2. "Steal Away To The Hideaway"-------------Uvee Hayes & Otis Clay

Uvee Hayes and Otis Clay deliver a primer in how to sing rhythm & blues. One of the most beautiful Southern Soul songs of this or any year.

Buy or sample "Steal Away To The Hideaway" on Bargain-Priced True Confessions CD.

Read Daddy B. Nice's new CD Review of Uvee Hayes "True Confessions".

3. "Can You Light My Fire"------Roni

You've heard of Lacee's Groove? This is Roni's. In fact, I'll go so far as to say: Roni finds the perfect groove.

Listen to Roni's "Can You Light My Fire" on Roni's official website.

Read Daddy B. Nice's new Artist Guide To Roni (Top 100-21st Century Soul).

4. "Sho' Like That"------Hog Pin

Great vocal and a fine, motivating hook reminiscent of the "Beverly Hills Cop" soundtrack by Harold Faltmeyer.

Sample "Sho' Like That" on Bargain-Priced Soul Time CD

Read Daddy B. Nice's new CD Review of Hog Pin's "Soul Time" CD.

5. "Are You Serious"-------Doctor D.
This is the young singer/songwriter who's making a name for himself in the Jackson, Mississippi area with his straight-ahead, here's-my-song style. He scored big last year with "Trying To Please Two." His debut release is just around the corner.

6. "All Woman"----------Fel Davis

Hard to deny yourself listening to this state-of-the-art gem of a ballad by an R. Kelly-sounding singer.

Listen to Fel Davis singing "All Woman" on YouTube.

Buy or Sample "All Woman" mp3 on Bargain-Priced Secret CD.

7. "Stick A Fork In Me"--------------Bobby Jones

Bobby Jones is back with a Southern Soul album just in time to remind a lot of artists who should know better what that Southern Soul sound is all about.

Buy or Sample "Stick A Fork In Me" mp3 on Bargain-Priced You Ain't Got No Proof CD.

8. "Ka Dunk, Ka Dunk" ------------Simeo & Carl Marshall

Everybody's "bad boys"--Simeo and Carl Marshall--sound great on this nouveau-funk-r&b romp. Much less calculated and much more fun than their usual fare.

Buy or sample Simeo's "Ka Dunk, Ka Dunk" mp3 on Bargain-Priced I'm Still Loving You CD.

Listen to Simeo & Carl Marshall singing "Ka Dunk Ka Dunk" on YouTube.

9. "This Time I'm Gone For Good"-----------James Morgan & The Funk Brothers

Convincingly brought off by James Morgan and the Motown house band heard on so many sixties' classics, this cover of a Bobby "Blue" Bland standard is as deep and bluesy as Sterling Harrison's "I'll Take Care Of You."

Sample "This Time I'm Gone For Good" on Bargain-Priced Just James CD.

10. "Let's Go"-------Sergio Davis

Sergio Davis' fast and nasty club jam is the best (dubious honor) of a batch of new and rather lackluster singles by various "young guns" this month.

Read Daddy B. Nice's new Artist Guide to Sergio Davis (Top 100-21st Century Southern Soul).

**************

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles Review For. . .

JULY 2011

1. "Jealous Woman"-------------LGB

The "Reality Slowly Walks Us Down" lady tackles something a little less philosophical we all can understand: a jealous woman. I love LGB's proclivity for retro arrangements (the background singers are stupendously old-school) but I also wish she sang this with a little more power, hitting every note straight on and swallowing the mike if necessary.

Listen to "Jealous Woman (Yes I Am)" on YouTube.

2. "Haters"--------------Keith Frank

Wow. Crisp acoustic guitar. Hypnotic zydeco accordion. Imagine Willie B. singing "Larry Licker"--that's the voice. I don't know if Southern Soul deejays will accept this, though, it being zydeco and even a little rap and all. This, by the way, is the guy who sang "Casanova," a Daddy B. Nice "breaking" single from last year.

Listen to Keith Frank singing "Haters" on YouTube.

3. "Party"------------G'Cue

Surprisingly seasoned new Southern Soul singer with a misleadingly hiphop name delivers a gem from the Brigati/Cavaliere "Groovin'" school of so many good-vibes Southern Soul hits. Think David Brinston, Carl Sims.

4. "Good Women"---------------Mel Waiters

Sure, it's made up of elements of Waiters songs you've heard plenty of before. It's also as professionally done and as right-on in subject as you can get.

Sample "Good Women" on Bargain-Priced Say What's On Your Mind CD.

5. "She'll Have To Cry (The Rich Has To Cry) There'll Come A Time"-----------Pat Brown

This song sounded so vintage Pat that I kept ransacking my mind, wondering whether it really was old. Then I realized it's the Betty Everett standard, "There'll Come A Time." Pat Brown, with a new album imminent, is one of the most overlooked of Southern Soul divas.

6. "Make That Monkey Jump"-------------Grady Champion

I take back everything "bad" I said about Grady Champion. "Weight Of The World" had an arrangement that sounded like it came out of a whites-only suburb in the West. But "Make That Monkey Jump" rocks. It's chitlin's, baby.

Sample or Buy "Make That Monkey Jump" on Bargain-Priced Dreamin' CD.

7. "Gone On, Part 2"----------Larry Shannon Hargrove

Larry Shannon Hargrove sounds absolutely smashing on this faithful recreation of the late Marvin Sease original, right down to the resounding bass and lead guitar line. Hargrove's vocal fascinates with its echoes of Tex-Mex, Bob Wills and more contemporary country stars.

Sample or Buy MP3 of "Gone On: Part II" from the Bargain-Priced The Crown Prince Of Southern Soul CD.

8. "I'm In Love With A Man" -----------Monro Brown

This Staples Singers "Do It Again" knock-off doesn't alienate for long. It's so well done--both lead vocal and background--that it pleases even as it imitates.

Sample or Buy MP3 of "I'm In Love With A Man" on the Bargain-Priced Reality Check-No Free Rides CD.

9. "I'll Be There For You"----------Vel Omarr

Traditional-sounding, mid-tempo ballad with outstanding melody line, rhythm section and not least Omarr's authentic delivery.

Listen to Vel Omarr singing "I'll Be There For You" on YouTube.

10. "Southern Soul Lady"---------Menta Malone

Menta is the "Malone" I didn't know much about when I first picked this virtuosic take on a journeyman's song a month or two ago. This song is pure fun with a rocking groove.

Sample or Buy MP3 of "Southern Soul Lady" on Bargain-Priced Love Gangster CD.

**************

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles Review For. . .

JUNE 2011

1. "The Body Roll" -------------Jim Bennett

A mainstay of the DC area (along with the more well-known Hardway Connection), Jim Bennett knows where he's going and how to get there. I've seldom heard a Southern Soul band sound so tight. Bennett's ready to blossom into a star, and every time I hear this song, I turn up the volume.

Sample or buy "The Body Roll" MP3 on Bargain-Priced Shots of Southern Soul, Vol. 3 CD.

Watch Jim Bennett, Lady Mary and the band singing "Slap It Tap It" on YouTube.

2. "Show You A Good Time" / "Sniffers"-----------Bobby Rush

Two absolute smash singles. A guy who was interviewing me for a book last year told me that Bobby Rush told him that Tommy Couch Jr. (at Malaco) told Bobby Rush that Southern Soul would be dead by the end of the year. It just goes to show you can't believe everything you hear.

Sample or buy MP3's of "Sniffers" and "Show You A Good Time" on Bargain-Priced Show You A Good Time CD

Comparison-Priced Show You A Good Time CD

3. "I'm Knocking"-----Larome Powers

Remember the "Shake And Shimmy" guy? That was a great song. Larome Powers, its author, is back with "I'm Knocking At Your Door," slower and more groove-oriented. This song is going to get inside some heads. Hypnotic.

4. "Gotta Have It" / "How Could You Walk Away"-----------Tre' Williams & The Revelations

These twin picks are so fresh they're not yet available to consumers. At least one other powerful lead singer--it has to be Vick Allen--shares the vocals with Tre' Williams on "Girl I Gotta Have It." Impressive.

Listen to Tre' Williams & The Revelations' "How Could You Walk Away" on Sound Cloud.

5. "Share This Life"-----------Steve Perry

Not much of a song structure here, just Steve vamping with the customary passion. Here he turns his attention from booty-rolling to slow-jam-rolling. The vocal has both scope and meticulous technique.

Sample or buy Bargain-Priced MP3 of "Share This Life."

6. "It Ain't Raining"--------------Cornelious M.D.

Early-riser DJ Boogie at WMPR turned me on to Cornelious, and I'm going to join Boogie behind the bandwagon and get it moving. Hard to believe this song has been around since 2008. The rainstorm sound effects mess with the mix, but they also add atmosphere. Should appeal to fans of Wendell B.

Watch the "It Ain't Raining" video on The Boogie Report.

7. "Rent Man"---------Diedra

The economy sucks, and these women are understandably preoccupied with money problems. You had Stephanie Pickett singing, "The Only Time I Get Lonely (Is When It's Time To Pay The Bills)." Now there's Diedra's creditable remake of Betty Wright's "Clean Up Woman."

"I don't want no husband,
All I need is a rent man."

Sample or buy "Rent Man" MP3

Watch video of Diedra singing "Rent Man" on YouTube.

8. "Outside Woman" ----------------Lonnie Robinson

Classic, mid-tempo Southern Soul ballad recorded years ago by Lonnie Robinson, an overlooked musician brought to light by Dylann DeAnna of CDS Records. Robinson's voice has more than a trace of Dobie Gray.

Listen to Lonnie Robinson's "Outside Woman" on YouTube.

Sample/buy MP3 of "Outside Woman" on Bargain-Priced Southern Soul & Party Blues, Vol. 4.

9. "Rebound Affair" ------Luther Lackey

My theory on Luther Lackey is that he's a little too far-out for even Southern Soul fans. The vocal tics that he values as his signature style are frequently off-putting. His dilemma is discovering which vocal mannerisms work with audiences (and eliminating those that don't) and applying them in a new, streamlined vocal style to one of his always promising compositions.

"Rebound Affair" gives a hint.

Bargain-Priced Blues Mix Vol 3 Chitlin Circuit Soul CD

10. "Little Sally Walker" --------------Bobby Jones

I'm not usually one for basic bar blues, but the low, gurgling Jimmy Smith-style organ/keyboard on this record slays me. From Bobby Jones' surprisingly relevant return to Southern Soul on his new album, You Ain't Got No Proof.
Sample or buy MP3 of Bobby Jones' "Little Sally Walker" on Bargain-Priced You Ain't Got No Proof CD.

*************

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles Review For. . .

MAY 2011

1. "Remix Our Love"--------Bigg Robb

Don't let its modesty and relative familiarity fool you. Play it in the background for a minute and "Remix Our Love" will sneak up on you and put a smile on your face, and you'll know you're listening to one of those great, peaceful grooves for which Southern Soul is renowned.

Bigg Robb rules.

Listen to Bigg Robb's "Remix Our Love" on YouTube.

Bargain-Priced Soul Prescription CD

2. "Mississippi Hideaway"-----------Bobbye "Doll" Johnson

Here's a pop-sounding tune that also plies the familiar--but oh boy--does it do it well. Bobbye is one of the few women who can sing real smooth and still maintain that deep Southern Soul feeling.

Bargain-Priced All The Woman You'll Ever Need CD, MP3's

3. "Sorry's Not Enough"-----------------The Revelations feat./ Tre' Williams

For Southern Soul devotees who know of Syl Johnson's string-drenched "sad" ballads on Hi Records, "Sorry's Not Enough" is an homage to Syl's "Wind Blow Her Back My Way."

Another impassioned vocal from Tre' Williams.

Listen to The Revelations' "Sorry's Not Enough" on YouTube

Read more about "Sorry's Not Enough" in Daddy B. Nice's Review of The Revelations' The Bleeding Edge CD.

4. "Southern Soul Lady"-------------Menta Malone

The formula? You've heard it thousands of times before. But it "ain't been done" with this kind of verve in some time.

No product available. You'll have to beg your local deejay.

5. "Tornado Wrapped In Fire" -----------Nellie "Tiger" Travis

Although it's heavily jazz-influenced, this percolating jam shows Nellie getting a little of her Southern Soul mojo back.

Bargain-Priced I'm Going Out CD, MP3's

6. "Belinda"----------Little Phil

Little Phil, you may remember, did the "Blues Party" song that Denise LaSalle covered with such sophistication recently.

This hard-edged blues rocker, "Belinda," sounds like Little Phil lit a fire under his ass. It's scorching.

Bargain-Priced Never Gonna Give It Up CD, MP3's

Listen to Little Phil's "Belinda" on YouTube

7. "Can't Help The Way I Feel About 'Cha"---------Sir Jonothan Burton

This is really soulful and it keeps building, reminding you of vintage Temptations or the Brooklyn street-corner acapella of The Persuasions.

Bargain-Priced In The Zone: Southern Soul Style, Vol. 1 CD

8. "Misunderstood"--------Big G.

He's got his vocal shtick honed to a fine country art. What's next for Big G? Maybe Jimmy Dean's "Big Bad John"?

Listen to Big G's "Misunderstood" on YouTube

Buy or sample Big G's many fine, under-appreciated albums on CD Baby

9. "I'm Gonna Keep My Love At Home"------------Donnie Ray

Donnie Ray and female back-up sing another mid-tempo Southern Soul classic from his fine WHO'S ROCKIN' YOU CD.

Bargain-Priced "Who's Rockin' You CD

10. "Put It On Me"--------JimmyJa

Good new vocalist in the Willie Clayton mold.

**************

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles Review For. . .

APRIL 2011


1. "Any Way You Want It, Just Call Me & I'll Make It Right"----L. J. Echols, Mr. Ivy, & Columbus Toy

Another light-hearted collaboration from L. J. Echols (scroll down to DBN's March '11 #7 Single for L. J.'s duet with LaMorris Williams).

This new song, delivered with newcomers Mr. Ivy ("Turn Road") and Columbus Toy ("Forever"), has more "zip." Mr. Ivy's stanza is especially effective.

2. "Back In The Mood (Put Your Clothes On, Let's Go To The Club)"------------Will Easley

I'm not sure how many people connected the ballpeen-hammer power of Will Easley's "Put Your Clothes On" (which sounds just as sexy as if he was saying "Take Your clothes off") with the obscure title "Back In The Mood" (barely referenced in the lyrics), but this tune is too excellent to be ignored (as I'm afraid it has been).

Should appeal to fans of Lou Pride's "Midnight Call."

Bargain-Priced "Smokin'" CD, MP3's

3. "Back Door Lover"------Ronnie Love

Ronnie Love is yet another Mississippi country boy with Southern Soul flowing through his veins. They grow on trees down here, like Spanish moss.

I love the lack of self-consciousness in first-time artists' breakthrough hits--the way they perform the simplest musical exercises in a unique way. It makes you wonder why veteran singers can't come at you as fresh. But it's easier said than done.

4. "Back Door Quarterback" ------------J. B. Hendricks

J. B. Hendricks, who calls himself the "Baby Daddy of Southern Soul," sounds like a chain-smoking, raspy-voiced David Brinston. He's not a top-grade singer, but he has two bedrock assets that shine through every syllable: heart and soul.

Bargain-Priced Pimpin' Ain't Easy CD

5. "No Easy Way To Say Good-Bye" -----------------Queen Emily

The Bobby "Blue" Bland standard written by Frank-O Johnson performed by the "America's Got Talent" star. This is the way one strain of traditional Southern Soul sounds: a ballad that wouldn't be out of place on Broadway.

Bargain-Priced Queen Emily Sings MP3-only Album

6. "The Jody Juke"----------Ms. Jody
This average tune evidences Ms. Jody's continuing growth both as a singer and a performer.

Bargain-Priced Ms. Jody's Keepin' It Real CD

7. "Put A Little Water With It" ---------------Mr. Sam

Long ago, your Daddy B. Nice's mother used to do this--thinning the milk with water to make it stretch for a big family--but it's so long ago she won't admit it, can't remember it, and really dislikes me bringing it up.

A solid, bluesy outing from Memphis' Mr. Sam.

Bargain-Priced Blues Mix, Volume 2 CD (Ecko)

8. "I Used To Be A Young Man's Fool, Now I'm An Old Man's Sweetheart"-------------Jackie Bell

Another obscure, Jackson-based artist, Jackie Bell sings regularly at the E & E Jazz & Blues House next to radio station WMPR. She possesses a clear, throw-back, torch-singer style.

9. "Dirty Dancer"--------Reggie Sears
Reggie Sears doesn't have grade-A chops--his voice is more reminiscent of teen pop idols of the sixties--but he's determined and progressing in his best song to date.

The title reminded me of the blue-collar white kids inspired by black musical culture in the movie "Dirty Dancing."

10. "Mr. Jody, You Did Your Job"--------------Sheba Potts-Wright

Sheba Potts-Wright's tribute to the late Marvin Sease. I like the emphasis on "Mr. Jody" rather than "Candy Licker," too. "Mr. Jody" was always the better song.

After a prolonged absence, Sheba sounds great. Full, beautiful arrangement.

Bargain-Priced Blues Mix, Volume 2 CD (Ecko)

STILL CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF:

"Give It To Me Right"---------Melanie Fiona

This song proves that if a song is good enough it crosses all borders, rock and roll and hiphop and Southern Soul. There's more Southern Soul in one stanza of "Give It To Me Right" than anything R. Kelly has put out in the last decade.

For baby-boomers trying to remember where this sample came from, it's the Zombies' "Time Of The Season."

Listen to "Give It To Me Right" on YouTube

Bargain-Priced Melanie Fiona Bridge CD, MP3's

"I Don't Wanna Leave"--------Shirley Brown

Shirley's masterpiece of a song from her masterpiece of an album. I know this song has

 


©2005-2024 SouthernSoulRnB.com

All material--written or visual--on this website is copyrighted and the exclusive property of SouthernSoulRnB.com, LLC. Any use or reproduction of the material outside the website is strictly forbidden, unless expressly authorized by SouthernSoulRnB.com. (Material up to 300 words may be quoted without permission if "Daddy B. Nice's Southern Soul RnB.com" is listed as the source and a link to http://www.southernsoulrnb.com/ is provided.)