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April 15, 2024: Daddy B. Nice's News & Notes
Will Southern Soul Deejays Play Country Western/Southern Soul?
(We Discuss Two Months Later.) February's "News & Notes" asking if southern soul deejays are playing or will play countrified southern soul drew an overwhelmingly positive response. As one deejay wrote, "The fans are comfortable with country music because it is a parallel genre to Southern Soul. Because of the explosion of Trailride music it does fit well." I might add that in addition to trail-ride, southern soul has welcomed funk (Nellie Travis's "Mr. Sexy Man"), zydeco (T.K. Soul's "Zydeco Bounce") and hip-hop (Joe Nice & Sean Dolby's "Take Your Time") into its inclusionary tent with results that have energized the genre.
Why does "country" sound so good right now? There's a lot of emotive power coming through. Sometimes branching into fresh styles frees recording artists from the constraints that---unconsciously or consciously---make the music too familiar and formulaic. Certainly that was the case with Nellie Travis's "Mr. Sexy Man". That brash, biting, funk/disco guitar riff was as shocking in a southern soul playlist in 2013 as Curt The Country Man's "Back Road" is today, and yet it elevated Travis's career to a stature unthinkable before.
 Am I advocating for every southern soul artist to record "country"-style? Please no! By no means. What I'm advocating is something every fan wishes for. What do we want? To be surprised. This "country" thing has been building momentum for some time. Only think of songs like "Country Boy Remix" (Chu'Zu, Vince Tucker & Jeter Jones), "Down In The Country" (Stan Butler, West Love) and "Country Girl" (Jus Epik, Money Waters.) Nor is there anything truly new under the sun, even in our beloved southern soul. Check out Carl Marshall's "I've Lived It All" (1999).
 Speaking of country, not to mention zydeco, 39 years ago the Lake Charles native and accordionist Sidney Simien, better known as Rockin' Sidney, had a Top 20 hit on the country charts with a song called My Toot Toot"" (aka "Don't Mess With My Toot Toot"). The tune had already been a smash in New Orleans and the Delta. Covers by Jean Knight and Denise LaSalle soon charted on the pop and R&B charts. To say it was a boost to LaSalle's career in particular would be an understatement, and she often acknowledged it.
 As was evident in her no-show at this year's Best of 2023 awards, where she's perennially a "Best Vocalist" nominee, Tasha Mac---who has been on "sabbatical" of late---is rumored to be back on the southern soul scene soon.
 A year after the Dialtone release of his No Soul, No Blues album, Stan Mosley's "Blues Man" remains the sole track available on YouTube. No comment here, as my views are known, but what struck me is the difference in marketing between the "major" independents and southern soul labels. NO SOUL NO BLUES, for those who missed it, features one of the all-time, southern soul wailers backed by one of the greatest live soul bands ever assembled. Imagine southern soul in an alternate universe. (Read the review before it's deleted: under "Recently Reviewed," right-hand column of CD Reviews.)
William Bell is no longer with Wilbe (his own longtime label). The Grammy Hall of Famer has signed with Concord.
 Jesse James, another seasoned veteran, charted with legendary partner Millie Jackson on Daddy B. Nice's Top 25 Songs of 2011 with the single "Let's Get A Room Somewhere". Then, in 2014, James had the #1 Song of the Year with "I Lost My Baby On Facebook". After a near-decade-long absence he has a new album in the works. The first single will be "I Put A Claim On That Thang," once again teaming with Millie Jackson. The track was first released in 2022.
 Cecily Wilborn's "country" style in "Red Cup Blues" reminds me of Ms. Jody when she first appeared. Ms. Jody's first successful radio single was "I Never Take A Day Off," a whiff of pure country if ever there was one, and that sugary country tone has remained in Ms. Jody's vocal arsenal ever since.
Finally, country-style once again topped Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 Singles in April, with Ciddy Boi P's flagrantly country "This Is Texas" in the #1 spot and King George's quasi-country "It's Over" at #2.
---Daddy B. Nice
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April 6, 2024:TOP 40 SOUTHERN SOUL SINGLES: APRIL An expanded list of the songs vying for "Top Ten Singles" in April 2024.
 1. "This Is Texas"---Ciddy Boi P
2. "It's Over"---King George
3. "Keep Pushing"---West Love
4. "Puttin' In Work"---Mr. Jimmy
5. "I Gotta Leave Home"---Mr. Laidback
6. "Swing My Way"---LaMorris Williams
7. "Do You!"---Big Nick J
8. "(He Ain't Gon') Do Right"---Shae Nicole
9. "Goin' Jackie Neal (At The Zydeco)"---Tyree Neal feat. Pokey Bear, C-Loc, Adrian Bagher, Johnny James & Bro Bro)
10. "Ride It"---Mikal feat. Angel Faye Russell
 11. "Rub My Head"---Unkle Phunk
12. "Put It In The Bag"---Solomon Thompson
13. "Southern Soul Type Of Lady"---Ciddy Boi P
14. "Can I Vibe"---The Jay Morris Group
15. "Big Ol' Wagon"---Avail Hollywood
16. "No Getting Over Me (Re-Entry)"---Tucka
17. "Blues Paradise"---F.P.J.
18. "Back Road" (Re-Entry)---Curt The Country Man feat. Marcellus The Singer
19. "In Love With You"---B.J. Moodswing
20. "Zydeco Swing"---Eric Hunter aka Mr. Don't Leave
 21. "No Poking"---Jeter Jones
22. "Back To The Blues"---Mr. House
23. "We Riding"---Mama Do
24. "Good Time"---Willie Rich
25. "I Hear You Knocking"---Mr. House feat. Ciddy Boi P
26. "Big Bone Girl II"---Ced Wade feat. Willie Clayton
27. "Gumbo Love"---Le'Jit Brothers
28. "Not How It Goes"---Mz. Poochie
29. "Dreamin'"---Rico C. feat. Cupid
30. "Big Boss Moves"---Lady Redtopp
 31. "Coming In Hot"---Arthur Young feat. J-Wonn
32. "That's My Man"---Mz. Dria
33. "I'm An Undercover Lover" (Re-Release)---Bobby Rush
34. "Doggone Shucky Ducky""---Anissa Hampton
35. "Every Night"---T.J. Hooker Taylor
36. "Thursday"---Carlin Taylor
37. "Monkey See Monkey Do"---Angel Faye Russell
38. "Good Loving"---Alex Williams
39. "Put That Thang On Me"---Nelson Curry
40. "Hard On Me"---Highway Heavy feat. Dave Mack
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March 17, 2024:Daddy B. Nice's News & NotesNew Faces: Comprehensive Index
Southern Soul Clubbing: A Fresh Look
New Faces: Comprehensive IndexHere is a list of newly installed southern soul artists in Daddy B. Nice's Comprehensive Index, with hyperlinks to their first-time appearances on the southern soul charts. Click on the highlighted name to be transported to their page locations in the Index, then click the hyperlink(s).
 Lady Redtopp
Big Mel
Al Davis
Bre Wooten
DJ Chill Will Baby
Miron Simpson
Mr. House
Cadillac Cho
Charmeka Joquelle
DJ Trac
T. Howell
Rodnae
Cheff Da Entertainer
ERealist aka Uncle Daddy
 Mike Clark Jr.
Tonio Armani
DJ Trucker
Meme Green
Malcom Simmonns
Jake Carter
Shay Nycole
Teslanay
Mr. Nelson
Young Guy
F.P.J.
Mz. Brown Suga
Uncle Gymini
Lady Jacquelyn
LaRon Reaves
Robert Butler
Ms. Ty
Koray Broussard
 Cecily Wilborn
Koray Broussard
Sticky P
O.C. Soul
Troy Murriel
Royal D
Hasan Green
Tyronica Rawls aka Badgir
S. Dott
B. Pureese
Melvin Riley
Bri Rocket
Myia B.
Meeka Meeka
Southern Soul Clubbing: A Fresh Look Entertainment clubs come and go. The hardest business in the world. Southern soul music survives and thrives on audience revenue and nothing compares to seeing southern soul stars in intimate, small to mid-size clubs. Here's an update on performance venues old and new, indoor and outdoor, based on Daddy B. Nice's stewardship of the genre's Concert Calendar.
Union City Fairgrounds, El Dorado, Arkansas.
This long-standing outlet for southern soul singers stands out amidst all the other city, county and state civic and convention centers, colliseums, parks and fairgrounds (most of which are located in the Mississippi Delta to the east and far too numerous to mention) by virtue of its resourceful promoter Michael Jackson's frequent shows.
Vicksburg City Auditorium
This venerable facility is renowned for its successful, once-a-month "Southern Soul First Fridays," although L.J. Echols and Young Guy will be onstage Saturday March 30.
Liddell Ranch, Utica, Mississippi
Situated in the boonies south of Jackson and Vicksburg, this venue has played host to an amazing run of multi-act concerts over the last few years, most recently this coming Easter weekend's show with Tucka, Jeter Jones, Ms. Jody, Lenny Williams, Tre Williams and Arthur Young.
Palace Theater, McComb, Mississippi
New place! Said to be beautiful and tasteful. Avail Hollywood, Arthur Young, Adrian Bagher, Johnny James and Ms. Ty will be appearing May 18th.
R.L.'s Blues Palace, Dallas, Texas
The place for southern soul and blues in Dallas, run by storied host R.L. Griffin.
Club Oasis, Hazlehurst, Mississippi
Temporarily closed, and so it goes....
Magnolia Lounge, Forest Park, Georgia
Atlanta just isn't "country" enough for southern soul to saturate its collective consciousness, but suburbs like Forest Park and Lithonia are doing their best to change that.
The Original Red Rooster, Houston, Texas
Located on Almeda Road, this relative newcomer to the southern soul scene hosts Jeter Jones April 14th.
The Queen's Lounge, Houston, Texas
 Hosts Southern Soul Sundays, just like the M. Cally song.
Kandy Factory, Crystal Springs, Mississippi
Relatively new---opened during Covid era. The Jay Morris Group, Tonio Armani and Derek "The Change Man" Smith performed in February.
Club Oasis, Hazlehurst, Mississippi
"Temporarily closed". We deliver the bad news with the good.
The Grounds
Just outside Pensacola, this Mobile-area outdoor facility is famous for Spring Fling, the biggest outdoor audience venue on the southern soul circuit.
Huntsville Dragway, Huntsville, Alabama
Hosts King George and Sir Charles Jones on the same bill May 25th, one in a series of high-profile events here in the last few years.
440 JXN
 Located at 440 Mill Street in Jackson, this new club enters the small-club niche formerly dominated by Underground 119 and F. Jones Corner. The club will host T.K. Soul and Young Guy April 5th.
Classic Soulz, Memphis, Tennessee
A new venue on East Brooks Road in a city that has a brutal record when it comes to sustaining southern soul clubs. FPJ will appear in April.
C C Blues Club, Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis's longest-running southern soul club. Gritty. Hole-in-the-wall, but huge.
Thalia Mara Hall, Jackson, Mississippi
Hosts more upscale southern soul concerts a few times per year.
Evangeline Downs Casino Event Center, Opelousas, Louisiana
 Occasionally hosts multi-acts southern soul such as Tucka's big to-do Mother's Day Weekend. Lafayette and Monroe, Louisiana also boast frequent southern soul events.
Fiesta Center, Lubbock, Texas
Coming on strong for southern soul but pricey.
Pantheon, Austin, Texas
New southern soul venue, mostly local talent. Hosting Southern Soul Saturdays and Sundays.
Southern Soul Lounge, Shreveport, Louisiana.
Small club with great atmosphere in the land of Jeter Jones.
Ranking the top ten states for southern soul events in order:
Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Arkansas, North Carolina, Georgia.
See Concert Calendar.
See Concert Calendar (new website).
Send updates, suggestions or comments to...daddybnice@southernsoulrnb.com
---Daddy B. Nice
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March 7, 2024:TOP 40 SOUTHERN SOUL SINGLES: MARCH An expanded list of the songs vying for "Top Ten Singles" in March 2024.
1. "Red Cup Blues"---Cecily Wilborn
2. "Back Roads"---GMB Li Curt feat. ShawtyMac
3. "Texas Hold 'Em"---Beyonce
4. "Come Over Baby"---Lady Redtopp feat. Bri Rocket
5. "Let's Get Drunk"---L.J. Echols
6. "Church Girl"---Tex James feat. Stan Butler
7. "You My Man"---Jay Morris Group
8. "Party Tonight"---P2K DaDiddy feat. Urban Mystic
9. "Lost And Found"---Volton Wright feat. Sir Charles Jones
10. "Going Out"---Curt The Country Man feat. Countryboii Tye
 11. "Biggest Mama"---Rosalyn Candy
12. "Keep Your Dog On A Short Leash"---Sheila B. Sexi
13. "Big Boss"---Jeter Jones feat. T. Howell
14. "This Is Texas (Beyonce Reply)"---Ciddy Boi P
15. "Chocolate"---Mz Tori feat. Pardeeboy
16. "I Gotta Leave Home"---Mr. Laidback
17. "Rumors"---LaMorris Williams
18. "Got It Going On"---Mike Clark Jr. feat. DJ Trucker & Mr. Hanky
19. "Where They Do That At"---Al Davis feat. Princess LaShelle
20. "Show Me"---Brutha
 21. "Rock That Man In The Boat (Remix)"---Chuck Strong
22. "Langadang"---Hambone Bandicoot
23. "Me And My Hennessy"---Sema'J
24. "5-Star Kitty"---Darnell Da Bachelor
25. "Swing My Way"---LaMorris Williams
26. "The Electric Slide"---Klay Redd
27. "Boots On"---Lokey Kountry
28. "Let's Stay Together"---Willie Clayton
29. "Get Loose"---Cecily Wilborn feat. Bre Wooten
30. "I'm So Ready"---Uncle Luck
 31. "Tell Me Where You From"---Solomon Thompson
32. "Big Girl World"---Gwen Yvette
33. "Puttin' In Work"---Mr. Jimmy
34. "Ride It"---Mikal feat. Angel Faye Russell
35. "Don't Forget About Me"---Adrian Bagher feat. Big Yayo
36. "Really Love You"---Keneisha feat. Omar Cunningham
37. "Give Me Love"---Melodic Princess
38. "Heaven"---Carlin Taylor
39. "Trailriders Party"---Electrohorse feat. Nigel Perkins
40. "Should've Been Home"---J. Red The Nephew
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February 18, 2024:Daddy B. Nice's News & Notes
Will Southern Soul Deejays Play Country Western/Southern Soul? "Texas Hold 'Em," Beyonce's unabashedly country-western-styled dance jam, is generating controversy amongst country music deejays across America. The same thing---in reverse---is happening on a lesser scale in the world of southern soul. I'm not just talking about the preponderance of cowboy hats, "daisy dukes" and boots, horses, trail rides, pickups and musical blending of country themes into southern soul that has been going on now for roughly a decade since Big Yayo's pre-cowboy-hat-wearing "Cowgirl" appeared and a half-decade since Jeter Jones' "Black Horse" officially kicked off the "country-fication" of southern soul. Nor am I even talking about the avalanche of country-styled tunes and titles that have followed, songs like Jus Epik's & Money Waters' "Country Girl," in which country influences both musical and lyrical customize a still sturdy southern soul chassis.
Which brings me to the present moment: the pure country-western vocals of Jeter Jones new "Country Girl" and Cecily Wilborn's "Red Cup Blues". Yepp. Two major artists have crossed the boundary between southern soul and country. All the way. Are they experiments? It's hard to say. Jeter Jones recorded a song that's become a southern soul classic: "My Country Girl". But his new "Country Girl," from the just-released Big Boss EP, is pure country---not least the exaggerated vocal. But even that shocker is surpassed by Cecily Wilborn's new song, "Red Cup Blues," in which she outdoes Beyonce in her genuine transformation into a bonafide country singer. So much so that your Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 Singles for March might sound more like a country-western chart than southern soul. As if that weren't enough, the producer for "Red Cup Blues" is Kang 803, King George's producer and the hottest southern soul producer of the moment. If you remember, Kang 803 inserted delicate steel guitar fillips into King George's #1 song of 2023, "Grown Man (Say She Need Somebody"). And they---he and George---used to be rappers!
I recently stumbled upon a song that came out in the latter part of 2023 called
"Back Roads" by GMB Li Curt and ShawtyMac, just a couple of the black artists including K.D. Conner, Curt The Countryman and Countryboi Tye currently recording country. Marcellus The Singer actually guests on another version of the song by Curt The Countryman. "Back Roads" is too good to ignore, but I confess to almost feeling guilty enjoying it because it is country, man, so much so that when the rap verse came in I felt a twinge of relief because, ironically, the rap validated it as a contemporary southern soul song!
As long as there has been country music there have been black country artists. The great Ray Charles straddled both genres like a colossus back in my young day. But here's the kicker. These new songs ARE pure country. They're not southern soul. If a new generation of musicians follows suit, you can't really call it southern soul anymore. Or can you?
Miscellany
 Bobby Rush has done it again---won his third Grammy. Best Traditional Blues album of 2023 for All My Love For You. The singer is a living legend. He out-lived his fabled contemporaries---Johnnie Taylor, Marvin Sease, Mel Waiters, Little Milton---and having reached the pinnacle of visibility for a traditional black artist, made the necessary adjustments to his recording style and performance routine to make fame stick. Congratulations, Bobby! We love you back!
Jerry "Boogie" Mason, the indefatigable and longest-running media facilitator in southern soul music, will be honored at the 2nd Annual Radio Music & Film Conference in Atlanta Saturday, August 17, 2024.
Need more evidence of southern soul infiltrating the white audience? Larry Chambers of Ecko Records in Memphis recently sent out an email for a new Ms. Jody single, "Burger King" from her 5-star-rated album A Night To Remember. The email blast included a YouTube video of white folks line-dancing to "The Southern Soul Bounce". They're not the kind of people you'd think of as southern soul fans if you saw them on the street, to say the least, and there's not a black body in the room, but click the link above---it's great, they get it.
Gina Brown Passes Southern soul singer Gina Brown died Wednesday, January 31, 2024. A Celebration of Life Concert was held at the Fillmore At Harrah's in New Orleans on Thursday, February 15th. Gina Brown's song "We're Having A Party" was Daddy B. Nice's #1 Southern Soul Single in December of 2011 (click link). Find hyper-links to more appearances by Gina Brown on the website in Daddy B. Nice's Comprehensive Index.
--Daddy B. Nice
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February 3, 2024:TOP 40 SOUTHERN SOUL SINGLES: FEBRUARYAn expanded list of the songs vying for "Top Ten Singles" in February 2024.
 1. "Swing Out"---West Love
2. "In Front Of Me"---The Jay Morris Group
3. "You Baby"---Marcellus The Singer feat. Cecily Wilborn
4. "Crazy About You"---Derek The Change Man Smith
5. "Put It In Ya Life"---Lil' Runt feat. Jeter Jones
6. "Too Soon"---Kandy Janai
7. "Love Bone"---Donnie Ray
8. "Yo Truck (Ain't Better Than Mine)"---Jeter Jones
9. "Let It Be Said"---J. Lake
10. "Can I Get A Witness?"---LaMorris Williams
 11. "Back To Myself"---Karen Wolfe
12. "Mz. Judy"---CuznJed feat. Prince Hodge
13. "Wet Anthem"---Big 251
14. "Southern Soul"---El Willie
15. "Let Me Know"---Big Mel
16. "Why Not?"---J-Wonn
17. "Henn Peck Man"---Lady J
18. "Swing My Way"---Ice Doll feat. Cupid
19. "Loving You Wright"---Champagne Wright feat. Dope Boy Bluez
20. "He Ain't Gone Do Right"---Shae Nycole
21. "God Still Working On Me"---Avail Hollywood
22. "Alone"---King South
23. "Elevator"---Royal D feat. Cupid
24. "Give Him His Papers"---Big G
25. "Yapping"---Summer Wolfe feat. Narvel Echols
26. "Don't Fuck With Me"---Lady Shebazz
27. "Sexy"---Black Diamond
28. "Just Us 2"---Memphis Jackson
29. "Outside"---Mz. Pat feat. Ciddy Boi P
30. "Transition"---Columbus Toy
 31. "Make It Rain"---Vick Allen
32. "Baby Come Home"---Mz. Poochie
33. "Living My Life"---Jeff Floyd feat. Roi "Chip" Anthony
34. "You Can Make It"---Maia B
35. "Put It On Me"---Shell-B
36. "Good Good Man"---T.J. Hooker Taylor
37. "Thick Country Girl"---Mr. Laidback
38. "Tootsie"---O.B. Buchana
39. "Ain't Nobody Crazy"---Princess Towanna Murphy
40. "Party People"---Ms. Priscilla feat. Narvel Echols
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January 8, 2024:TOP 40 SOUTHERN SOUL SINGLES: JANUARYAn expanded list of the songs vying for "Top Ten Singles" in January 2024.
 1. "Until We Meet Again"---Marcellus The Singer
2. "Down In The Sippi"---FaLisa JaNaye
3. "Busted Cheating At The Holiday Inn"---Mr. Midnight
4. "I Can't Live Without You"---Memphis Jackson
5. "Party"---Cecily Wilborn
6. "Let's Get Married Today"---Stan Butler
7. "Cut Friend"---Sky Whatley
8. "Good Tyme"---P2K DaDiddy feat. Frank Johnson
9. "Older Woman"---S. Dott
10. "Sooner Or Later"---Tonio Armani
 11. "Trail Ride"---Jonathan Burton
12. "Mr. Right"---Ced Wade feat. Willie Clayton
13. "Let's Ride"---David J
14. "Feenin'"---Urban Mystic
15. "Here For You"---Big Mel
16. "Why Not?"---J-Wonn
17. "Mr. Fix It"---Ty Juan
18. "Rooty Tooty"---Cadillac Cho
19. "Ayyyeeee"---Sean Dolby feat. Dani Dolce
20. "Pull Up On Me"---Keneisha
 21. ""Steppin' And Swingin'"---Magic One
22. "Get My Party On"---Meeka Meeka
23. "Big Bone Girl"---Ced Wade feat. Big Mel
24. "How Does It Feel"---Dee Dee Simon
25. "Used To Love Her"---Willie Rich
26. "Show Me That You Love Me"---Delo Brown
27. "Stress Me Out"---Marcellus The Singer
28. "Cafe Shuffle"---MTM Rara
29. "It's U"---Volton Wright feat. Songbird
30. "Glide"---Rosalyn Candy
 31. "It Ain't Good For You"---Tyree Neal
32. "Make That Body Roll"---Ciddy Boi P
33. "Wind It Up"---Choppa Law
34. "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)"---Joe Nice feat. Jonathan Butler
35. "Flow With It"---Meme Yahsal
36. "Club People"---UNYQC
37. "Take You Out Tonight"---T-Man
38. "Don't Get Mad At Jody"---Uncle T
39. "Hot And Spicy"---Gentry-Jones
40. "Grownman"---Rico C
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UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!!
under construction....
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Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .
-------APRIL 2024-------
1. "This Is Texas" --- Ciddy Boi P
Country music influ-
ences continue to waft like fresh breeze through southern soul. Ciddy Boi P, who had a down year in '23 after a resounding debut in '22, recorded "This Is Texas" as a reply to Beyonce's "Texas Hold 'Em," but it's much more than that. The "ying-ying-ying-ying" man's very heart and soul course through this testament with an emotive power that dwarfs his more formulaic southern soul tunes, and at under three minutes you'll want to play it over and over, soaking up the man's inspiring and unbounding love for his life and land.
Listen to Ciddy Boi P. singing "This Is Texas" on YouTube.
2. "It's Over"----King George
Well, it's time to cede the throne to King George. He is the #1 artist in southern soul. Yes, he has only two solo albums to his credit, but if you look at his oeuvre from the standpoint of hit singles, no one else comes close. Whereas most artists have maybe one hit single per album, every track King George records is a hit single---even "It's Over," his own toned-down version of "country"-style southern soul. See Daddy B. Nice's #1: King George: The Greatest Hits.
Listen to King George singing "It's Over" on YouTube.
3. "Keep Pushing"----West Love
I first experienced this tune on YouTube as part of a newly-posted, ten-minute-long, inspirational two-song video entitled "Reach and Keep Pushing" ("Keep Pushing only starting around the seven-minute mark) and was so impressed I resolved to recommend it not only to fans but to West Love for commercial release. Then, while looking for an alternative YouTube link just now for publication, I discovered a "Keep Pushing" video released by one Kelsie West five years before she became famous as West Love---a self-fulfilling classic!
Listen to West Love singing "Keep Pushing" on YouTube.
4. "Puttin' In Work"----Mr. Jimmy
New blood rejuvenating the sound of old-school southern soul. Authoritatively sung, authoritatively produced (Shuga Rai).
Listen to Mr. Jimmy singing "Puttin' In Work" on YouTube.
5. "I Gotta Leave Home"-----Mr. Laidback
More new blood for southern soul. "I Gotta Leave Home" (produced by Tony Tatum) sounds like it was recorded yesterday but actually has been wandering in the musical wilderness since 2022. Mr. Laidback recorded a tune ("She Got Me Trippin'") with Tyree Neal (this month's featured artist) in 2020 and I found a citation for Mr. Laidback in my own Comprehensive Index dating back to 2014.
Listen to Mr. Laidback singing "I Gotta Leave Home" on YouTube.
6. "Swing My Way"----LaMorris Williams
Trivia question. Who is the only current southern soul artist to have recorded a southern soul song with Al Green? That's right, LaMorris Williams. "Swing My Way's" light---but it grows on you. From the Rumors album.
Listen to LaMorris Williams singing "Swing My Way" on YouTube.
7. "Do You!"----Big Nick J
Afficionados will decry the embarrassing appropriation of the opening bars of Marcellus The Singer's "Until We Meet," which just charted #1 three months ago, but after that misstep it's all smooth sailing for this competent young vocalist through some of the sweetest, mid-tempo, southern soul since Terry Wright, Stan Mosley of "Rock Me" and the slow-rolling Love Doctor.
Listen to Big Nick J singing "Do You!" on YouTube.
8. "(He Ain't Gon') Do Right"----Shae Nicole
Rousing debut by a singer who for a finale launches into a verse of electrifying falsetto like an instrumental track.
9. "Goin' Jackie Neal (At The Zydeco)"----Tyree Neal feat. Pokey Bear, C-Loc, Adrian Bagher, Johnny James & Bro Bro)
"Everyone takes an entertaining verse, Pokey giving obeisance to Jackie more vehemently than anyone. Adrian Bagher sings that when he first heard Raful Neal, Tyree's uncle, at ten years old, he knew he wanted to be a blues man." From Daddy B. Nice's new review of Neal's Liquor Talk.
Listen to Tyree Neal et.al. singing "Goin' Jackie Neal" on YouTube.
10. "Ride It"----Mikal feat. Angel Faye Russell
Mikal has an abrasive vocal tone that lends a gritty distinctiveness to the raucous back-and-forth between the couple, but the high point comes when Angel Faye sings "Auntie outside tonight! / I've got all of my bills paid."
Listen to Mikal and Angel Faye Russell singing "Ride It" on YouTube.
Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .
-------MARCH 2024-------
1. "Red Cup Blues"-----Cecily Wilborn
Mark March 2024 as the month and year when country music invaded and dominated the southern soul top ten singles, and none leaped the genre boundaries with the breathtaking ease of Cecily Wilborn's "Red Cup Blues". The recent winner of the 17th Annual (2023) Southern Soul Award for Best Collaboration ("Southern Man" with West Love), Wilborn is also featured in last month's "News & Notes" "Will Southern Soul Deejays Play Country-Western/Southern Soul?" on Daddy B. Nice's Corner.
Listen to Cecily Wilborn singing "Red Cup Blues" on YouTube.
2. "Back Roads"-----GMB Li Curt feat. ShawtyMac
How close are southern soul and country? Deejays can segue seamlessly from gritty, ultra-bluesy "Mark You Off" by Miron Simpson (2023 Best Southern Soul Debut Nominee and Best Male Vocalist) into GMB Li Curt's pure country music anthem, "Back Roads," and vice versa. Like a tree toppling in the forest, "Back Roads" came and went without notice last year, although 58,000 hardy souls viewed it on YouTube with overwhelmingly enthusiastic comments. And as a southern soul fan, if you're feeling a little ambivalent about enjoying a country song as much as I recounted myself doing in "Will Southern Soul Deejays Play Country-Western/Southern Soul?," remember that southern soul made its post-disco revival in the mid-eighties with Z.Z. Hill's "Down Home Blues," considered "country-bluesy" at the time.
Listen to GMB Li Curt & ShawtyMac singing "Back Roads" on YouTube.
3. "Texas Hold 'Em"-----Beyonce
Well, here's the singer who made all this buzz about country music timely and relevant. Yes, Beyonce might be #1 nationally, but she's #3 on the southern soul charts. And yes, Beyonce has charted here before, with Ronald Isley on "Make Me Say It Again"---September '22 at #2 behind the Tucka/King George remix of "Jukebox Lover". Ever notice how, like in "Make Me Say It Again" and "Texas Hold 'Em," Beyonce likes to play around with her endings---"prettify" them, so to speak---thus the ambient-music coda on "Texas Hold 'Em"?
Listen to Beyonce singing "Texas Hold 'Em" on YouTube.
4. "Come Over Baby"------Lady Redtopp feat. Bri Rocket
At first, not having taken to her slow songs, you might be taken aback. Stick with the unfamiliar, coy and clever vocal delivery and the fresh, pillow-soft instrumental track, however, and you'll be rewarded with a whole new romantic side to this disarmingly original artist. See Lady Redtopp, 17th Annual Southern Soul Awards Triple Winner.
Listen to Lady Redtopp & Bri Rocket singing "Come Over Baby" on YouTube.
5. "Let's Get Drunk"-----L.J. Echols
L.J. rents out O.B. Buchana's most storied title, but once you settle down and get used to that you begin to glean that L.J.'s rediscovering his rhythmic acoustic mojo. I only wish he'd stuck more percussive, "Mad Dog 20-20"-like guitar-picking into the instrumental track.
Listen to L.J. Echols singing "Let's Get Drunk" on YouTube.
6. "Church Girl"-----Tex James feat. Stan Butler
"I can't make this shit up" is the line that'll crack most people up (it did me) while enjoying this off-the-wall, guitar-dominated, hybrid blues.
Listen to Tex James and Stan Butler singing "Church Girl" on YouTube.
7. "You My Man"-----Jay Morris Group
This rare solo effort by K-Monique is a keeper and a harbinger of the exciting possibilities beckoning this extremely talented trio. See Daddy B. Nice's 4-Star CD Review. Also see K-Monique Best Female Vocalist 2021.
Listen to the Jay Morris Group singing "You My Man" on YouTube.
8. "Party Tonight"-----P2K DaDiddy feat. Urban Mystic
Bassists, attention: this is a great bass line! And one of the best collaborations on P2K's new guest-rich album, U-TURN. See Daddy B. Nice's 4-Star CD Review.
9. "Lost And Found (Remix)"-----Volton Wright feat. Sir Charles Jones
(No YouTube at time of publication.)
10. "Going Out"----Curt The Country Man feat. Countryboii Tye
Listen to "Going Out" on YouTube.
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Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .
-------FEBRUARY 2024-------
1. "Swing Out"-----West Love
It's not even the best of the "Swing Outs," a storied title going back to Mel Waiters' "Swing Out Song," but it's an immediate winner, the perfect, mid-tempo showcase for the talent, skills and energy that have taken West Love to the top of southern soul diva-dom. See her many upcoming dates as a rare female headliner on the Blues Is Alright Tour. (See Daddy B. Nice's Concert Calendar.)
Listen to West Love singing "Swing Out" on YouTube.
2. "In Front Of Me"-----The Jay Morris Group
Getting back into Jay Morris after King George is a mind-bender. The trio is so verbal---like going down a rabbit warren of conversations. One of my favorite couplets from this fascinating female take-off on "Sho' Wasn't Me" is: "Jay, that's his co-worker. / They have lunch from time to time". Sounds preposterous, doesn't it? And yet it not only works but comes off as daring because it is something a woman in denial would really say.
Listen to the Jay Morris Group singing "In Front Of Me" on YouTube.
3. "You Baby"-----Marcellus The Singer feat. Cecily Wilborn
Another choice track from Marcellus The Singer's upcoming album Calling All Crackbabies. His debut Music Therapy only arrived a few months ago, and his ballad "Until We Meet Again" was last month's #1 single. And when, mid-song, Marcellus passes the mike to 2023 Award winner Cecily Wilborn, "You Baby" soars.
Listen to Marcellus and Cecily singing "You Baby" on YouTube.
4. "Crazy About You"-----Derek The Change Man Smith
You may have seen him appearing on upcoming concert venues. Here's why. The man is a flat-out singer.
Listen to Derek The Change Man Smith singing "Crazy About You" on YouTube.
5. "Put It In Ya Life"-----Lil' Runt feat. Jeter Jones
A little rap. A little zydeco. A heaping tablespoon of Jeter Jones. Blend to a fine puree for the ultimate dancefloor gumbo.
Listen to Lil' Runt and Jeter Jones singing "Put It In Ya Life" on YouTube.
6. "Too Soon"-----Kandy Janai
This is the young artist whose debut Das My Kitty" reaped a half-million YouTube views last year. "Too Soon" is totally different---slow, sad, thoughtful, ironic. The key lyric is "I let him meet my kids." That's a touchstone for just about all of us, whether you're on the female side of it or the male.
Listen to Kandy Janai singing "Too Soon" on YouTube.
7. "Love Bone"-----Donnie Ray
A resource that just keeps giving, Donnie Ray Aldredge has a keen nose for good material.
Listen to Donnie Ray singing "Love Bone" on YouTube.
8. "Yo Truck (Ain't Better Than Mine)"-----Jeter Jones
Full disclosure. I've been driving full-sized trucks my entire adult life. Ergo, I think "Yo Truck" is a real hoot and a great song. A note of caution. Jeter is stretching some boundaries (and good for him) in the upcoming "Big Boss" EP from which "Yo Truck" comes, blending southern soul with hard-hitting rap and hardcore country-western.
Listen to Jeter Jones singing "Yo Truck (Ain't Better Than Mine)" on YouTube.
9. "Let It Be Said"-----J. Lake
"A closed mouth don't get fed." J. Lake crafts a fine tune around a southern soul truism recently revisited by Bridget Shield.
Listen to J. Lake singing "Let It Be Said" on YouTube.
10. "Can I Get A Witness?"-----LaMorris Williams
The "Impala" man returns.
Listen to LaMorris Williams singing "Can I Get A Witness?" on YouTube.
Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .
-------JANUARY 2024-------
1. "Until We Meet Again"-----Mar-
cellus The Singer
This ballad deserves a place on southern soul's top shelf alongside such slow jams as Sir Charles Jones' "Just Another Love Song" (w/ La Keisha) and Big Robb's "Good Loving Will Make You Cry" (w/ Carl Marshall). Nearly eight minutes long, it sails by, never grows repetitive and has every chance of becoming Marcellus's breakthrough and signature song.
Listen to Marcellus The Singer singing "Until We Meet Again" on You Tube.
2. "Down In The Sippi"-----FaLisa JaNaye
FaLisa JaNaye has been inactive since the mid-teens---a cautionary note for performers who succumb to the cushy comforts of the European circuit. She returns to southern soul with this rousing jam, transformed both physically and vocally with a more robust and down-home style.
Listen to FaLisa JaNaye singing "Down In Sippi" on YouTube.
3. "Busted Cheating At The Holiday Inn"-----Mr. Midnight
This old and well-worn southern soul trope ("cheating at the motel or the inn") actually sounds fresh after the avalanche of "trail ride" and "cowboy/cowgirl" singles of the last couple of years.
Listen to Mr. Midnight singing "Busted Cheating At The Holiday Inn" on YouTube.
4. "I Can't Live Without You"-----Memphis Jackson
Memphis Jackson takes a big step forward with this well-wrought new single.
Listen to Memphis Jackson singing "I Can't Live Without You" on YouTube.
5. "Party"-----Cecily Wilborn
The easy-to-listen-to newcomer who notched the #6 single---"Southern Man"---on Daddy B. Nice's Top 25 Singles of 2023 drops another comely track with an intriguing, country-western flavor.
Listen to Cecily Wilborn singing "Party" on YouTube.
6. "Let's Get Married Today"-----Stan Butler
Despite strides in popularity Stan Butler is still one of the most under-appreciated singer/songwriters in southern soul. His writing alone puts him in the top tier, and his singing exudes confidence and authority. Read more in The New Generation: Southern Soul.
Listen to Stan Butler singing "Let's Get Married Today" on YouTube.
7. "Cut Friend"----Sky Whatley
Another worthy single from the newcomer who recorded his debut single "Bae Changed Me" a little over a year ago.
Listen to Sky Whatley singing "Cut Friend" on YouTube.
8. "Good Tyme"----P2K DaDiddy feat. Frank Johnson
From P2K's just-released album, U-Turn, spawned by his hit single of the same name. Frank Johnson is the King George imitator whose debut "Hate On Me" is trending toward a million YouTube views.
Listen to P2K and Frank Johnson singing "Good Tyme" on YouTube.
9. "Older Woman"----S. Dott
S. Dott continues to come into his own, but he's removed his songs from YouTube in a short-sighted career decision he's bound to regret.
Listen to S. Dott singing "Older Woman" on SoundCloud.
10. "Sooner Or Later"----Tonio Armani
Tonio Armani came to the attention of southern soul fans on S. Dott's stirring "Cowgirl Trailride" (Daddy B. Nice's #1 Single August 2023). Sadly, Armani & Dott will miss out on estimated 50,000 sets of new ears listening to "Cowgirl Trailride's" #13 ranking on DBN's Top 25 over the next month due to Dott's decision to remove it from YouTube.
Listen to Tonio Armani singing "Sooner Or Later" on YouTube.
Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .
-------DECEMBER 2023-------
 1. "Grown Man"-----King George feat. CharMeka Joquelle
King George closes out the year the way he started it with Tyronica Rawls: in triumph in his second year as the king ascendent of southern soul. "She gives me a lot of pleasure/And a little bit of pain." No words more truly spoken---and in an undeniably positive context. Great production with a guitar accompaniment tweaked to a steel guitar sound---a little country with a quasi-Hawaiian flourish. Over a million YouTube views already.
Listen to King George & CharMeka Joquelle singing "Grown Man" on YouTube.
2. "Real Real Woman"----J'Cenae
"Real Real Woman" is J'Cenae's most significant single since "I'll Be Down In A Minute". She just shines throughout, mind-melding with the lyrics so well you can almost feel her physical presence standing next to you. The songwriting by Omar Cunningham is incredible, but the self-aggrandizing (not one but two "Omar wrote this!"'s) distracts and thus detracts from the song's inherent majesty.
Listen to J'Cenae singing "Real Real Woman" on Youtube.
3. "Trail Ride"-----Lady Redtopp feat. Bri Rocket
Three consecutive Top 10 singles! "Part Time Lover," "Mississippi Soul Girl," and now "Trail Ride". Lady Redtopp's not afraid to put her uncanny mannerisms into her unique vocals, and so far she hasn't made a mis-step. Her vocal on “Trail Ride” is brash and tough yet devastatingly charming. When Bri Rocket comes in for her verse you instantly sense the drop-off in vocal expertise (just down to the ordinary), and yet it’s Rocket's beautiful bridge that propels the song to an even higher level.
Listen to Lady Redtopp & Bri Rocket singing "Trail Ride" on YouTube.
4. "Do You Wanna Go?"-----Tucka
One of the very best---if not the best---cut from Tucka's new The Guy Your Man Can't Stand album, and without doubt the most evocative vocal.
Listen to Tucka singing "Do You Wanna Go?" on YouTube.
5. "Fallin' For You"-----Adrian Bagher
A love song jumping up and down mattress-style on a bounce track. Bagher's signature, syruppey tone on the vocal is just right, and the simplicity and universality of the lyrics may actually work in his favor, giving him a chance at a wider audience than his hyper-realistic domestic vignettes.
Listen to Adrian Bagher singing "Fallin' For You" on YouTube.
6. "Walk Out On My Love"-----Dee Dee Simon
A different kind of love song, not only for Dee Dee (for whom the key was probably difficult to sing in) but for the genre. Tucka has a compositional brain unlike most southern soul songwriters and it takes a little time getting used to the novelty of hearing Tuckerish chord progressions sung by a woman. But the song ultimately pays rewards and Dee Dee's vocal never wavers.
Listen to Dee Dee Simon singing "Walk Out On My Love" on YouTube.
7. "Party"-----Mike Clark Jr. feat. E. Realist & Charity Harris
The perfect follow-up to Mike Clark's popular debut, "Auntie Outside Tonight" (Daddy B. Nice's #1 Single, September '23). Clark has a voice tailor-made for rousing anthems.
Listen to Mike Clark Jr. & friends singing "Party" on YouTube.
8. "I Need Me A Drink"-----Ju Evans
Ju Evans is one of the very few new artists Ecko Records has signed in the last decade. Cheeky guitar riff gives the tune a real boost.
Listen to Ju Evans singing "I Need Me A Drink" on YouTube.
9. "Do It Right"-----Meeka Meeka (Meeka Noble)
Starts out with Betty Wright's "Tonight Is The Night" but takes a less traveled and danceable turn.
Listen to Meeka Meeka singing "Do It Right" on YouTube.
10. "Country Party"-----Myia Bry (Myia B)
Listen to Myia Bry singing "Country Party" on YouTube.
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P.O. Box 19574
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********************
Send product to:
SouthernSoulRnB.com
P.O. Box 19574
Boulder, Colorado 80308
Or e-Mail:
daddybnice@southernsoulrnb.com
************
UNDER CONSTRUCTION! UNDER CONSTANT REVISION!!
************
Send product to:
SouthernSoulRnB.com
P.O. Box 19574
Boulder, Colorado 80308
Or e-Mail:
daddybnice@southernsoulrnb.com
************
...Monthly Singles Charts continued in bottom half of middle column....
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UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!!!
UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!!!
************
Send product to:
SouthernSoulRnB.com
P.O. Box 19574
Boulder, Colorado 80308
Or e-Mail:
daddybnice@southernsoulrnb.com
************
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