Chitlin Circuit Double-entendre -filled Soul 2004 (and onward) Theodis Ealey's "Stand Up In It" is a song of the year

Willie Clayton's "Three People(sleeping in my bed)" from that comp on Trikont called "Motel Lovers: Southern Soul From the Chitlin' Circuit" first came out in 1998. Not denying this looks like a great comp, just wanted to make clear that it covers material that goes back almost 10 years. This comp also proves the point that if music is released within the past 2 decades and not promoted/marketed to alt-weekly (or major newspaper or magazine) music critics (and is not on the national top 40 charts) it can be ignored or missed for years by many (despite the internet blah blah blah)

Don't disagree with you, but "within the last ten years" is "relatively recent," as reissues go. In other words, it's closer to a best-of album by a late '90s/early '00s act than an archival revival of material from decades ago. I've certainly voted for older stuff on top-ten ballots. And right, it's the sort of stuff that could fall through the cracks -- but there's tons of music out there, and a finite amount of time to keep up with it all; it's inevitable that something will fall through. (If I lived in a part of the country that where this sort of music is actually still popular -- or if I had more time to listen to explore Internet radio -- I may well have heard some of it sooner, of course.)

I think after Marvin Sease and ZZ Hill (who were better marketed) some people wrote off this genre, and you're right --without easier access to radio or clubs--from DC down to Florida--NY critics at least have not paid attention.

1988
LEAD: Denise LaSalle, the veteran rhythm-and-blues singer, made her first appearance in New York in over 15 years Saturday afternoon at the Central Park Band Shell. NYTimes

Have Denise and Mel Waiters and others not been playing New York?

Just posted about this Florida fellow on the rolling country thread:

First song on that Bobby Bowens Southern soul album, "She Got a Lump For a Rump (Rump Shaker)," steals its horn riff from "Mr. Big Stuff" and words from "Brick House." Later on he does a rewrite of Kool and the Gang's "Get Down On It" and doesn't even bother to change that title (though I think it's not meant to be a cover, per se'), and another good one is "Your Love is a Tower of Power," though never having listened to them much I have no idea if it actually sounds like Tower of Power. And there are spoken parts on the album (by him and some lady) that make me think of Richard "Dimples" Fields and Barbara Mason, though maybe not intentionally. Some good '70s bubblegum funk too -- real fun record.

http://cdbaby.com/cd/bobbybowens3

from country thread:

Some more thoughts on Bobby Bowens's new album:

1. The girl-moans in "Scratch My Itch" are straight out of "I'll Take You There" by the Staple Singers, and oddly, there's also a title called "Let's Do It Again"--i.e., same title as another Staples hit.
2. "Reaching For the Top" is probably far-and-away, over the top, the most blatant old old old school style hip-hop track I've heard all year. (Eat your heart out, Cowboy Troy.) Very 1980! I love it.
3. "Let's Do It Again" is more 1990: New Jack Swing!

Anybody read this site?

http://www.soulexpress.net/deep207.htm

I saw Chicago's Otis Clay Sunday afternoon for free headlining the Bluebird Blues Festival at Prince George's Community College in suburban Maryland (near DC). In red polyester pants and bright red boots, this now 65-year-old can still sing. Unfortunately, he only had an hour and did not pace the set well. He used the late Tyrone Davis' band, and while they can play, I do not want to hear solos extended that long. Clay also stretched out the audience participation part too long, and then jumped around from song to song, starting and stopping "Love and Happiness," "Soul Man," and others. He did "A Nickel and a Nail," a great soul shouter that I identify with OV Wright.

It always surprises me how few white folks go to the PG Community College Fest. It's a well-curated event on a college campus in the middle of the day. I guess people don't like to drive far, and it's not near a metro either. And many African-American blues and soul fans do not go to Northern Virginia club gigs that I figure they would be interested in either. Whatever.

Ha! I just heard the Dean himself, Robert Christgau, endorsing the Motel Lovers comp on NPR's All Things Considered. He praised Barbara Carr, and played a portion of her song, highlighted a 2003 Mel Waiters contribution, and others, gave a mild dis to Mavis Staples and some other comeback artists, and not sure about the exact quote--said something about how it took a German reissue label to highlight this stuff and overcome the myopia of the American music business.

Chuck, you gotta get him to read this thread!

You can hear him here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14509734

September 18, 2007 · The CD Motel Lovers is a collection of Southern soul music from the Chitlin' circuit. It's a compilation of American music put together by a German record company. The music is honest ... and full of sex

been listening to Roman Carter's forthcoming Never Slow Down on the Bong Load label. He was one-third of the Carter Bros., south Alabama guys who moved to Southern Cal in the late '40s, and they recorded for Jewel out of Shreveport in the '60s. Back then they praised roast possum and bemoaned women who talk in their sleep--not during sex, apparently--and called them the wrong names. Good stuff, sort of a cross between Freddie King and Stax. Had a couplea hits, too, on Jewel around '65, biggest one I can find being a good one called "Little Country Woman." New one's more like the beat-driven Hill Country blues of Burnside. Pretty darned good,dobro, slide, synth, and Roman's virile vocals, and another producer's record--in this case, the excellent Tom Rothrock (who scored one of my fave recent guy's-guy's movies, Michael Mann's L.A.-dystopia morality tale Collateral, featuring blind blues singer Jamie Foxx squaring off with plantation owner Tom Cruise).

Sounds good. I know Rothrock as the guy who did the RL Burnside remixes.

well, here's something on Bettye LaVette's new one:
http://www.knoxvoice.com/arts-amp-entertainment/so-you-want-some-street-cred/child-of-the-seventies-singer-for-all-times-31.html

I just now played a comp on Trikont called Motel Lovers: Southern Soul From the Chitlin' Circuit, all recent stuff, sounds GREAT on first listen; Trikont is distributed through Light in the Attic

This may well be my album of the year, if it counts as being an album from this year (which right now I'm leaning toward thinking it does, since it compiles relatively recent rather than really old stuff.) Anyway, Matos, thanks of the tip! It's great!

Fuck yeah! This shit is great! More releases like this please!

Thank you Germans for taking songs from various small label, sometimes hard to find American records and putting them together on one record and marketing them to us internet folks...

Cds by the individual artists on that comp are worth picking up--Sease, Mel Waiters, Barbara Carr...As discussed upthread

more goodies here at chitlincircuit.com
http://www.chittlincircuit.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=TOP100&file=form&function=search&sqldadabik=&page=0&table_name=TOP100

Bettye Lavette's everywhere--well, a big Washington Post review,Edd's article, and the cover of that blues magazine that I do not like as much as Living Blues but I see in my local Borders book store(that sadly no longer carries Living Blues). In Spin or somewhere she actually got a semi-dis, or actually her backing band for the project the Drive-by-Truckers and associates did.

Me, I just keep wondering why the folks who suggest material to her to choose seem to only suggest stuff by Anglo songwriters(Maybe she finds the songs herself, but I thought I read that her hubby and her producers often give her mixtapes of songs they like and she chooses from those cuts). I like it and all, but still seems perplexing a bit to me, and predictable.

A Woman Like Me is the only Bettye I own. I like it fine, but nowhere near as much as I like the Motel Lovers comp. Can't imagine that the Drive-by Truckers backing her is a very good idea, though.

LaVette told me she's the one who picks the songs. I know one of the guys whose songs appears on the record--the last song, "Guess We Shouldn't Talk about That Now." I'm not exactly sure what the color line is or should be when it comes to all this, and LaVette stressed her experiences covering the Great American Songbook shit she had to do to keep gigs during her dark years. She was proud of that. But yeah, I do think she could have easly done stuff by George Jackson or whoever, black songwriters, Hayes-Porter, there's a lot of stuff out there. I actually think the Truckers do a good job on the record. I think, given the record biz, that we're just not going to see her or any soul figure from the past getting, like, the Bar-Kays or the Meters backing them up. This points out, of course, the myopia bizzers have about Soul and the Blues, their reverence which is of course misplaced. But also, please remember, it also points out the aspirations of a singer like LaVette--the urge to be just a good singer, not necessarily a soul singer. Because, where did that ever get her up until now?

It is sad that she has to sing songs by Lucinda Williams(whom I like) and have the DBTs back her(uh, I don't know their music well) in order to prove that she's just a good singer, not necessarily a soul singer. But unfortunately that's how the biz and America works. But somehow Cat Power gets the Hi band to back her (and gets tons more media ink than Mel Waiters or Barbara Carr or others slogging it out on the chitlin circuit as Lavette once did for years). I'd like to see Lavette mix it up(at this point in her career I think she can, maybe)--Percy Mayfield songs, something from a current neo-soul r'n'b artist, veteran Memphis or New Orleans musicians...

Btw, good piece, Edd--hmm, now I'm actaully curious about hearing the new Bettye record.

I heard great new (the dj said they were new) songs from Denise Lasalle and Barbara Carr on WPFW yesterday. I should write about them. They deserve attention too. We need to get people thinking about these various parallel worlds(all different but related musically a bit)--Southern chitlin chircuit soul, Bettye Lavette's, Sharon Jones and the Daptone thing(big NY Times article), etc. Jones from the NY Times article:

“Even what’s-his-name, Ronson,” she continued, referring to the New York D.J. Mark Ronson, who produced the bulk of “Back to Black,” Ms. Winehouse’s hit album. “They came to us to get the sound they wanted behind their music. We were just sitting here minding our own business, doing our little 45s and albums, and all of a sudden they were like, ‘I want your sound.’”

Thanks to Ms. Winehouse and singers like Joss Stone, Ryan Shaw and Marc Broussard, retro soul styles are enjoying a greater presence in mainstream pop than they have had in years. The Dap-Kings are the most obsessive and skillful revivalists of the bunch, and they are clearly grateful for the exposure they have gotten from Ms. Winehouse and Mr. Ronson, who recently hired the Dap-Kings horns to back him up as the house band at the MTV Video Music Awards.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/29/arts/music/29jone.html?ref=music BEN SISARIO
Published: September 29, 2007

I don't really know the the Dap-kings oeuvre. The very little bits I've heard never seemed as interesting to me as the chitlin circuit soul acts or original older acts. But maybe I should give 'em a shot.

From Rolling Country thread, applicable here too:

And wow, this new Trikont German comp Dirty Laundry: The Soul of Black Country is fucking incredible, and a whole lot more playable and less academic than Warner Bros. (still nonetheless great and indispensible) three-disc From Where I Stand: The Black Experience In Country Music from 1988. Pick hits so far are from Candi Staton, Clarence Gatemouth Brown (who I've never really explored before, but who does this great swampy cajun cross between Bo Diddley and Creedence's "Up Around the Bend" called "Mama Mambo"), Andre Williams, and Solomon Burke. But I've only just begun to listen:

http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/6833866/a/Dirty+Laundry:+The+Soul+Of+Black+Country.htm

(Oops, Warner Bros box was 1998, not 1988.)

Bettye Lavette oughta cover some songs by some of those Black Country singers even if it won't convince media folks that she's a great singer, period, and not just a great soul singer.

curmudgeon can you email me? different matter than the thread, but I'd appreciate it. thanks

Bettye Lavette oughta cover some songs by some of those Black Country singers

She's actually one of them! She covers "Just Stopped In To See What Condition My Condition Was In," and pretty well, too. (Just noticed, though, that the comp may not be as new as I thought -- that link has 2005, and the copyright on the back of the CD cover says 2004. Oh well: Germany's a long way away, so sometimes it takes stuff a while to get here.)

Thanks to Ms. Winehouse and singers like Joss Stone, Ryan Shaw and Marc Broussard, retro soul styles are enjoying a greater presence in mainstream pop than they have had in years.

Not sure I'm buying this. Aren't there are always supposed retro-soul hits that don't actually sound like old soul music did, whether it's Stevie Winwood or D'Angelo or Tone Tony Tone or Bonnie Raitt or Erykah Badu or whoever? (Okay, probably not the best examples, but you get my point.) The new singers are just the next in line; they're filling an eternal niche. (And I've never really understood what people hear in Sharon Jones, either, though that's just me.)

(Not to mention isn't there always R. Kelly, who has moments that sound more like old soul music than any of them?) (Which doesn't mean I make much attempt to keep up with him. Still haven't heard his '07 album.)

Then again, it's not like I've ever listened to Ryan Shaw or Marc Broussard all that much, I admit. Maybe they're better than I'm giving them credit for?

And uh, whatever happened to Anthony Hamilton (who I never liked much either, though he was definitely filling that retro-soul niche a couple years back)?

I listened to Marc Broussard online and he just simply covered old soul hits. I read an article on Ryan Shaw that suggested that he was trying to imitate old hits. So that's the difference between at least 2 of the people Ben Sisario mentioned in the NY Times and those singers like D'Angelo or R. Kelly who draw from the old but add something new as well.

I like Anthony Hamilton. I think he had a new album out within the last year, plus some other label might have dug up more old stuff of his and released it.

The Denise Lasalle Pay Before You Pump cd is very nice. I think even Sharon Jones and Betty Lavette and Amy Winehouse fans might like it. Yes it is on Ecko.

Is it possible there will be sizable number of votes for the Motel Lovers comp in the P & J and Idolator.com polls? I hope so.

Me and my boy are going to my sister's for New Year's Eve so I will have to miss Roy C. at Lamont's in Pomonkey, Maryland. Roy was good when I saw him at some Masonic hall in DC years ago. Some dudes from the midwest US somewhere I think, are working on a Roy C. documentary film. They flew into the Baltimore/washington airport awhile back and filmed Roy out at Lamonts. Google Roy C and Lamonts and you'll find it. I don't even know where Roy is from... bluescritic.com says Roy Hammond, aka "Roy-C", is a legendary soul singer with talents that far exceed the moderate attention he's gotten since his start back in 1958 but that doesn't tell me where's from...Ah here it is at soulwalking.co.uk b. Roy Charles Hammond, 1943, New York City, New York, U.S.A.. Wow, a Southern soul singer from NYC who got his start at age 15...

I think there's a new Hardway Connection cd out.

http://www.henrystonemusic.com/news/lattour.htm

Latimore will headline the 2nd annual Blues is Alright tour throughout the US (well, the midwest and Southeast). I think the DC show may be off because the promoter is in uh hot water. Hopefully someone else will step up and do it. I see there's a Baltimore show. Rap fans, UGK sample and interpolate Latimore's "Let's Straighten it Out"

Latimore will be joined on stage by Bobby "Blue" Bland, Mel Waiters, Clarence Carter, Jeff Floyd, Denise LaSalle, Floyd Taylor, Sir Charles Jones, Shirley Brown, Bobby Rush, Martin Sease, Theodis Ealey
(Please note, all performers may not be at all shows, and lineup subject to change)

I wonder if Lomax saw the Houston stop on the tour and wrote it up? Weird that the tour is going to Philly, Baltimore and Buffalo but not New York City. A Big Apple show could open up the eyes of those Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings is the only thing happening out there soul-wise critics folks...

The knucklehead promoters for this tour have not updated their site properly to list the new DC location, Constitutional Hall, nor are they listing exactly which artists are playing which date. Plus there's no e-mail contact information. After missing last year's event, I am gonna try to make the DC or Baltimore one this year. If all the acts are performing that I listed a few posts back, it should be an awesome show (even if you don't like cheesy synths and dirty old man lyrics, the vocals and the melodies and the rest of the instrumentation will make up for that). They need to add some northwest US dates so D. Wolk, R. Wright, M. Matos and others up that way can check out this stuff live.

Ah, there is info for one promoter bt not for the other booking agency out of Memphis involved with this. Whatever

Hopefully I will hear back next week from the promoter. I also need to figure out who has new 2008 cds. It's hard to tell on the Saturday radio shows I listen to, what is new and what isn't and what album the song(s) are from. I think Latimore does--I will have to check some of those links I've listed upthread.

Floyd Taylor
Bobby Blue Bland
Theodis Ealey
Shirley Brown
Mel Waiters
Latimore
in Chicago tonight...

From a Yahoo Southern soul group message:

3a. Calvin Owens Fri Feb 22, 2008 3:55 am ((PST)) Just been told that Texas based bandleader Calvin Owens has died.His recent CDs were of a high standard and used a whole bunch of real musicians and some outstanding singers, Barbara Lynn, Trudy Lynn etc.Another "old school" artist leave us, they are getting mighty thin on the ground.Dave P.

He was also a bandleader for BB King in the 50s and played on lots of Peacock label releases

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/5556752.html

TOP 25 SOUTHERN SOUL / BLUES CHART
Feb. 9, 2008 soulandbluesreport.com

1
1
My Give A Damn
Latimore
Latstone

1
2
Baby Come Back Home
Vick Allen
Waldoxy

6
3
I'm Goin' Back Home
O. B. Buchana
Ecko

3
4
You Still Got It
Floyd Taylor
Malaco

4
5
Older Woman
Mz. Pat Cooley
Over25sounds

7
6
I Like This Place
Carl Simms
Ecko

5
7
Fire
Lebrado
Make Cent$

10
8
A Woman Knows
Willie Clayton
Malaco

11
9
For Your Love
Sir Charles Jones
Mardi Gras

8
10
Good Loving
Carl Marshall
Mr. Tee

12
11
Popcorn Man
Patrick Green
ACB

9
12
Pop That Middle
Theodis Ealey
IFGAM

13
13
Lacee's Groove
Lacee
Makecent$

18
14
Groove U Baby
Mose Stovall
Soul 1st

15
15
I'm Just A Fool Pt.2
J. Blackfoot /Jones
JEA/Right Now

19
16
Try Me
T. K. Soul
Soulful

20
17
Had To Have You
Phillip Manuel
IIFIRE

23
18
When You Pack Your Bags
Vick Allen
Waldoxy

21
19
It's Going Down
Denise LaSalle
Ecko

17
20
Your Dog's About To
Ms. Jody
IEcko

Can't get anyone associated with that Blues is Alright tour to get back to me for a piece I'm gonna write. I have tried Latimore's booking agent Heritage, North American Entertainment who are booking the tour and others. No wonder this genre gets so little ink and website attention.

"Southern Soul Rumpin'" the title track of the new Hardway Connection cd is pretty nice. Just heard on WPFW that Hardway will be having a cd release party next, uh Friday or Saturday, at the Elks Lodge in Temple Hills Maryland. Naturally I can't find anything about the gig online.

But here's a cdbaby link for the cd with streaming
http://cdbaby.com/cd/hardwayconnection

The gig is on Friday

Someday I can hopefully get a mod to correct the spelling error in the thread title--it should be "Theotis Ealey's" not "Easley's"

So the Baltimore show of the "Blues is Alright" tour for tonight got cancelled at the last minute, and as I was already reviewing Tego Calderon Friday night I had to miss the DC show. Ugh. I've seen Bobby Bland and Clarence Carter before, but not Mel Waiters, Latimore, Shirley Brown, or Marvin Sease.

The Blues Foundation's Blues Music Awards just keep getting bigger and better. More than 65 of the 2008 Blues Music Awards nominees have already confirmed their attendance for the 29th edition of the biggest night in Blues music. The Awards will be presented at the Grand Casino Event Center in Tunica Resorts, Mississippi on Thursday May 8.

From the Boogie Report e-mail

Also from the Boogie Report, a top 20:

1.-1.My Life Omar Cunningham
2.-2.Grown And Sexy The Problem Solvas featuring Sir Charles Jones
3.-3.Keep On Swinging Bigg Robb
4.-5. Never Miss A Good Thing Sir Charles Jones 5.-4.A Woman Knows Willie Clayton
6.-6.Never Take A Day Off Ms.Jody
7.-7.Im gonna Slap Yo Weave Off Nellie Tiger Travis
8.-9.Pay Before You Pump Denise Lasalle
9.-10.When You Pack Bags Vick Allen
10.-8.Pop That Middle Theodis Ealey
11.-10.Bobby Rush For President Bobby Rush
12.-12 Booty Roll Steve Perry
13.-15.Voice Mail Mr.Sam featuring Floyd Taylor
14.-* .I'm Coming Home Marvin Sease
15.-*. You're The Best Kenne Wayne
16.-13.Fire Labrado
17.-15.12 steps for Cheaters Mr.Sam
18.- *. I Believe in you Rue Davis
19.-11.Rockin This Boat -Bobbye Johnson
20.-16.Older Woman Pat Cooley