Tune in every Tuesday Night 8-10pm to
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and hear many of the featured releases from our site,
plus the best old and new soul and jazz around
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or tune in on Sky Digital Chanel 879 |
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| LATEST SOUL BROTHER RELEASES |
Gary
Bartz - Anthology
12 indemand/best tracks from
one of the great underground jazz artists of the 70’s.   Read Review |
V/A - African
Spirits
A Spiritual Jazz Journey
Looking Back To Africa...
Read Review |
Kofy Brown - Love
Warrior
Brand new set from smoky voiced
West Coast powerhouse... Read
Review |
Leroy Hutson - Hutson
1
All-time classic soul set from
one of the greats...
Read Review |
V/A - Groove On
Down
12 classic soulful boogie and
disco classics...
Read Review |
Ann Sexton -
Anthology
Southern soul diva's best work
collected for the first time...
Read Review |
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| VICKI ANDERSON - ANTHOLOGY |
Mother
Popcorn
Vicki Anderson is acknowledged by
James Brown in his autobiography as the best singer he ever had in his revue,
and probably the best singer he had ever witnessed. Vicki joined James in 1965
replacing Anna King, and stayed for three years as his main female singer,
until replaced by Marva Whitney in 1968. She rejoined in 1969 after Marva
departed, staying for a further three years until 1972, after which Lyn Collins
took over from her. |
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The bulk of
the material featured here is from those two periods, and listening to them
again it is incredible to realise that despite recording some of the best
tracks that James Brown ever recorded, Vicki has until now never had a
legitimate album release. The quality of the tracks from these two distinct
periods is undeniable, as are her powerful vocals keeping up with the tight
rhythm sections of both the Famous flames and the JB's. From the mid 60's
period included here are the covers of 'You Send Me', 'What the world Needs
Now', and her original version of 'Wide Awake In a Dream' (later covered by Lyn
Collins in the '70's), which confirms Brown's comments about what a great
singer she is. The duet with Brown 'Think' (he also re-cut this in the 70's)
'If You Don't Give Me What I Want' and 'Baby Don't You Know' represent the
beginnings of funk in 1967, showing how Vicki could adapt to this as well as
singing straight soul ballads. This was to be repeated to greater success when
she rejoined James in 1969 and recorded the marvellous 'Answer To Mother
Popcorn', and 'I Want To Be In The Land of Milk and Honey'. The following year
she released her most famous song, the feminist anthem 'Message From The Soul
Sisters' (still a floor filler 35 years later) which opens this anthology. She
followed this up with the even more funky 'Supergood' another answer to a James
Brown song 'Superbad', and yet another classic, and an answer to Jean Knight's
international hit with 'I'm Too Tough For Mr Big Stuff'. Unfortunately the hits
stopped there and after 'Don't Throw Your Love In The Garbage Can' which was
recorded in Miami she left James Brown. An isolated single on James' I-Dentify
label by Mommie -O appeared in 1975 featuring a cover of Rufus' hit 'Once You
Get Started' and Bobby Womack's 'Stop On By' (which had recently been covered
by Rufus). Maybe Vicki was trying to make a point to Chaka Khan, but by this
time James influence was in decline as he tried to compete with the new wave of
'Heavy' funk bands Ohio Players, Kool And The Gang and Parliament etc, and the
single disappeared without trace. Vick returned to the recording scene in 1994
with the Italian band Bossa Nostra covering 'Message To The Soul Sisters' and
Gil Scott Heron's 'Home Is Where The Hatred is' (immortalised by Esther
Phillips) which is featured here, to great effect. Vicki married James Brown's
right hand man Bobby Byrd in the mid sixties and is the mother of UK Based
Carleen and Jhelisa who both came to prominence in the 90's with a couple of
strong albums each. Vicki toured the UK with the James Brown Funky People Revue
in the late 80's and again with husband Bobby Byrd in the mid 1990's. Hopefully
this anthology will bring Vicki the recognition she is overdue, as an artist
and as the great soul singer she is, and hopefully we will have the opportunity
to witness her live in the UK again. Laurence Prangell December 2004.
Tracklisting
MESSAGE FROM THE SOUL SISTERS PTS
1& 2, SUPERGOOD PTS 1& 2, I'M TOO TOUGH FOR MR BIG STUFF, ANSWER TO
MOTHER POPCORN ( I GOT A MOTHER FOR YOU), I WANT TO BE IN LAND OF MILK AND
HONEY, IF YOU DON'T GIVE ME WHAT I WANT, BABY DON'T YOU KNOW, THINK (WITH JAMES
BROWN), HOME IS WHERE THE HATRED IS , ONCE YOU GET STARTED BROWNSTONE, YOU'RE
WELCOME STOP ON BY, DON'T THROW YOUR LOVE IN THE GARBAGE CAN, WIDE AWAKE IN A
DREAM, YOU SEND ME, ILL WORK IT OUT, YOU'VE GOT THE POWER (WITH JAMES BROWN) ,
WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE
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