Just a drive by post today. Blog favourite (and Guapo fave) Fitz and the Tantrums doing a live performance of “Breakin’ The CHains Of Love”. Great band, great song. Have a great Monday evening. Love the sax solo.
Song Of The Day today is actually Group of the Day. I received an email from Brian Asselin, a member of an R&B/Funk group known as Delbert & The Commotions. The best part, the group includes Delbert Nelson, once with the legendary Funk Brothers. Brian met Delbert while touring with the Funk Brothers and ended up collaborating on an album about a year ago. An interesting story, a Canadian sax player and an American singer teaming up to write a soul album. Please enjoy, visit the links and maybe pop a song or two onto your iPod.
Delbert and the Commotions Home
Delbert and the Commotions on iTunes
Delbert and the Commotions on CBC2
Delbert and the Commotions on Twitter
Song of the day returns with a gem. CBC2 is playing the crap out of this new song (yes new) from 74-year-old Mavis Staples of The Staple Singers fame. A great R&B/Gospel/Countryish tune that really gets you going. Enjoy. I’ll be doing some travel updating over the next few days, so much in the brain, so little time to spew it out.
Clarence Burke Jr passed away on May 25th, he was 62. He was a singer, songwriter and guitarist with 1970’s family band “The Five Stairsteps“. The band was best known for it’s hit “O-o-h Child“, a song rated at 392 on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 of All time. The video below is the band on “Soul Train“.
I am adding a new feature to my Song Of The Day category. I hit random on my iPhone and whatever song pops up is my Song Of The Day. This feature joins my current group consisting of “Remembering”, “Canada’s Best Music”, “Let’s Explore The Blues” (which I’m resurrecting) and the “Song Of The Day” (which makes up everything else).
I couldn’t have chosen a better song to start this series. The Commitments, filmed in 1991, follows the forming of a soul group in Dublin, Ireland. It is unique in that the actors were chosen for their musical talent and not their acting ability. Kind of like the Blues Brothers in that respect. The result, a terrific movie and an absolutely great soundtrack. The song that popped up was the Mack Rice classic, “Mustang Sally“. The song has had a great life, being recorded by Wilson Pickett, Buddy Guy, The Rascals, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and many others.
Soul R&B singer, Allen Stone recorded this gem in 2011 and widely released in 2012. Sleep can be found on his album “Allen Stone”. I have a big weak spot for everything blues/R&B/soul and he hits the sweet spot.
He has a gospel background, which pops up in his writing and style, and lists people like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and the Meters as his influences. He currently resides in Seattle, and is on tour in Europe as I write this.
Lianne La Havas is an English singer who has asked the question everyone wants to the answer to, “Is Your Love Big Enough”. Since 2011, she has released 3 EP’s and an album. The album also asks the same question and was released in 2012. The song itself is very catchy and Lianne has an excellent voice. She is an excellent addition to the current British Invasion of women singers.
British soul singer, John Newman nails it with this terrific tune, Cheating. Only 21, he shows great maturity in his songwriting and his vocals. Now if I could just find a place to buy it.
Is It Possible To See It All 