NEW YORK –KID CUDI, whose unique multi-format breakout hit single, “Day ’N’ Nite” is a radio and digital smash, is joining the artist roster of Universal Motown, the label announced today.
“Kid Cudi is at the vanguard of a game-changing new generation of artists,” said Universal Motown President Sylvia Rhone. “He crosses musical boundaries with an appeal that goes beyond genre, format, race, language, and culture. Cudi lives easily in the hip-hop, indie rock, pop, and R&B worlds – a diversity that shows in his innovative music and his all-embracing persona. He is a born storyteller who brings a positive, life-affirming message to his brilliant lyrical flow and compelling music. There are no clichés in what Cudi does. He is a breath of fresh air – a dynamic and important new voice, not only in the next phase of hip-hop, but as a groundbreaking trendsetter who represents the future. I am thrilled to welcome Kid Cudi into the Universal Motown family.”
Cleveland, Ohio native KID CUDI (pronounced CUT-ty, with short ‘u’), now residing in Brooklyn, New York, is completing his debut album, Man on the Moon: The Guardian, for late summer 2009 release on Dream On/G.O.O.D. Music/Universal Motown. Cudi also is launching his own label, Dream On, along with partners Emile and Plain Pat, in a joint venture with G.O.O.D. Music later this year. “Cudi is a combination of constant inspiration, struggle, reality and dreams put to melody!” declared superstar producer/artist and G.O.O.D. Music label founder Kanye West. KID CUDI holds two slots in the Billboard Top 20 singles this week: as an artist on his own single, and as co-writer of West’s double-platinum smash “Heartless.” “Partnering Kid Cudi with Universal Motown and Sylvia Rhone couldn’t be a more natural fit,” commented Emile and Plain Pat. “They were the first major company to take notice of our movement and truly grasp our vision. We are thrilled to extend and deepen our relationship. It’s a great feeling to watch the world discover the talent we saw in Cudi over these past years.”
The ingenious, spaced-out wit and sparse but addictive electronic arrangement of “Day ’N’ Nite” has already made the song a Top 5 iTunes download – No. 4 on the Top Songs list, and No. 3 on Rap/Hip-Hop — while debuting in Billboard’s Hot Digital Tracks chart at No. 6, at the threshold of gold certification with over 450,000 digital singles sold; and on Hot Ringmasters at No. 10. “Day ’N’ Nite” is a bulleted No. 7 On Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart and is Greatest Gainer in sales on that list. On national radio, the track is Top 5 in the Rhythmic-Crossover format, Top 25 on Mainstream Top 40 and Top 15 on Urban formats, where it is among the week’s top 5 Greatest Gainers in spins. Alternative stations are also following, in a building multi-format surge. Online, the song has driven almost 5 million page views on MySpace.com, and several posted tracks have generated nearly 30 million individual song streams.
“Day ’N’ Nite” is also building an immediate worldwide story, with radio and sales breakouts in Canada, New Zealand, Sweden and especially Belgium, where the track is already Top 5, and the U.K., where the club mix of the track by Crookers entered the national singles chart at No. 2. “Kid Cudi is that rare artist who exists without boundaries of genre,” said Universal Motown Senior Vice President, International Kirk Harding, who last summer initiated the talks between Universal Motown, Cudi and his management team that led to his signing. “You don’t meet many like Cudi, with that breadth of musical spectrum,” he added. “That’s how we identified his international potential long ago.”
KID CUDI released his first mixtape, A Kid Named Cudi, in July, 2008 as a free download sponsored by New York streetwear company 10 Deep, leading to an introduction and signing to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music imprint, and in turn, to Cudi’s co-writing of four tracks on the platinum Kanye West album 808s & Heartbreak, including the Top 5 single, “Heartless” and stepping out in a featured vocal on “Welcome to Heartbreak.”
Cudi appeared on television and cable shows including MTV’s Dogg After Dark, BET’s 106th and Park, MTVu’s Spring Break special and NBC’s Last Call With Carson Daly to debut the single and video, while being tipped as an artist to watch in such authoritative print outlets as Rolling Stone, Vibe, The Source, Interview, and XXL.
Adding to a deafening buzz with a much-commented-on appearance at South By Southwest’s music festival, KID CUDI is currently on a national press and radio promo tour, scheduled to run through late spring and beyond, that will also include stops at such festivals as Bamboozled and Rothbury. He is also prominent in MTV’s Spring Break programming across its various cable platforms, and is this week’s greatest gainer in spins on FUSE’s video playlist
Kid Cudi
Man On The Moon: The Guardian
Dream On/G.O.O.D. Music/Universal Motown
www.KidCudi.com
www.myspace.com/KidCudi
On a special Wednesday, March 25 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) performance show, the Top 10 finalists (Kris Allen, Anoop Desai, Matt Giraud, Danny Gokey, Allison Iraheta, Megan Joy, Adam Lambert, Scott MacIntyre, Lil Rounds and Michael Sarver) will return to the ‘Idol’ stage to celebrate and pay tribute to “50 Years of Motown” as well as perform classic Motown songs.
Tune in the following night Thursday, March 26 (8:00-9:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) to find out if the judges use their save or if America sends another finalist home. Also, Smokey Robinson will perform, and ‘American Idol’ winner Ruben Studdard will return to the ‘Idol’ stage to perform his new single, “Together.”
Smokey Robinson has been synonymous with the Motown sound since the late 1950s when he first met Motown founder Berry Gordy in Detroit. Gordy took Robinson and The Miracles under his wing, and in 1960, signed them to Motown. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles began turning out a string of hits in the early 1960s, including “Shop Around,” “You Really Got a Hold on Me,” “Ooo Baby Baby” and “I Second That Emotion.” Robinson quickly became involved in every facet of Motown’s operations, writing and producing his own work as well as that of Mary Wells & the Supremes, and he helped establish The Temptations. Robinson left The Miracles in 1971 to concentrate on his role as Vice President of Motown, and the following year, he launched his solo career. Robinson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. A familiar face on the ‘Idol’ stage, he performed a medley of his hits with the Top 6 male finalists on the ‘American Idol’ Season Six finale.
Songwriter, producer, director and entrepreneur Berry Gordy is the man behind the Motown sound and acts such as Diana Ross & the Supremes, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, Lionel Richie & the Commodores, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas and Gladys Knight & the Pips, Chris Clark, Rick James and Teena Marie. Under his leadership, Motown achieved one of the most significant musical accomplishments and stunning success stories of the 20th century by creating music that broke down barriers in a segregated country, touching all people, regardless of color. Starting out in a house that came to be known as Hitsville, USA, he built Motown into a record company with one of the most impressive rosters of artists in the history of pop music. In the 1960s, Gordy booked his artists on television shows including “American Bandstand” and “The Ed Sullivan Show” and in clubs such as New York’s Copacabana, paving the way for other Motown artists and R&B acts. What Berry Gordy and Motown accomplished in music, television and film had never been achieved before; their contributions to music past, present and future are truly immeasurable.
The distinctive, upbeat and uplifting music of Motown Records brought together pop and soul, white and black, old and young, like never before and continues to this day. Motown broke down racial prejudice by becoming the most successful independent record company in history and the most successful African-American owned business in America. Today, the label is part of the Universal Music Group, with its classic recorded music catalog managed by Universal Music Enterprises, and the timeless songs of Motown from 1959 to 1985 are represented by EMI Music Publishing. Through the end of 2009, Universal Music Group and EMI Music Publishing will mark the 50th anniversary of the historic Detroit label’s musical achievements with a series of initiatives, including monthly music releases.
Since winning the second season of ‘American Idol’ in 2003, Ruben Studdard’s impact on the music charts has been impressive. His single “Flying Without Wings” debuted at No. 2 on the Hot 100, and his version of “Superstar” peaked at No. 2 on the R&B chart. In December 2003, his first album, “Soulful,” had advance orders of over a million copies, which automatically qualified it for platinum certification and allowed the record to enter The Billboard 200 at No. 1. His follow-up single, “Sorry 2004,” reached No. 9 on the Hot 100 and No. 2 on the R&B chart. Studdard’s new album, “Love IS,” helmed by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, is scheduled for release on May 19 through a joint venture with Hickory Records and 19 Recordings. The album is a collection of love songs featuring original recording as well as covers of classic hits.
‘American Idol’ is created and executive-produced by Simon Fuller, founder of 19 Entertainment; and executive-produced by Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia North America; and Ken Warwick, executive producer, FremantleMedia North America.
“Someone once said ‘…the album will sound like the time you had making it’…. Never before has it been as true as in the process of recording this record,” Seal said. “Although David and I had been acquaintances before, we’d never quite managed to work together. Upon doing so, I was quick to realize that I was in the presence of true greatness. I’ve worked with a lot of producers before, but never have I come across anyone as naturally gifted and knowledgeable as David. If you are fortunate enough to have that combination, then you find that the album-making process tends to go very swiftly, making this the smoothest and most enjoyable album I have ever made. And if you are exceptionally fortunate, you find yourself also having made a great friend. I cannot thank him enough.”
“I’ve made a lot of records in my time, but I’ve never enjoyed the recording experience more than I have with Seal. I think he’s the only singer on the planet that could do this album, bringing something new and fresh to these classics, paying tremendous respect to their heritage, but, at the same time, owning them and making them uniquely ‘Seal.’ He was born to sing these songs and all we’ve got to do is hang on for what is going to be a ‘killer’ ride,” David Foster said.
The London-born singer first emerged from Britain’s house music scene in the early ’90s providing vocals and lyrics for techno artist Adamski’s 1990 hit “Killer.” The Top Ten debut single, “Crazy,” followed and Seal would go on to earn critical acclaim and worldwide commercial success over four albums. Seal’s prodigious vocal gifts — his soaring, husky baritone that has become a signature on such hits as “Prayer for the Dying,” “Kiss From a Rose,” and “Don’t Cry” — amplify the emotion he brings to a song.
Listen to the evocative first single, ‘A Change is Gonna Come’:
‘Soul’ Tracklisting:
1. A Change Is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke
2. I Can’t Stand The Rain - Ann Peebles
3. It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World - James Brown
4. Here I Am (Come and Take Me) - Al Green
5. I’ve Been Loving You Too Long - Otis Redding
6. It’s Alright - The Impressions
7. If You Don’t Know Me By Now - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
8. Knock On Wood - Eddie Floyd
9. I’m Still In Love With You - Al Green
10. Free - Deniece Williams
11. Stand By Me - Ben E. King
12. People Get Ready - Curtis Mayfield
‘Soul’ - Available November 11th
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/seal
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Delta Spirit’s highly anticipated album Ode to Sunshine will be released on August 26th. Below is a link to the first single “Trashcan” off of the album:
Check out Raphael Saadiq’s first single “Love That Girl” off of his upcoming album The Way I See It, in stores SEPTEMBER 16th.
Quicktime Stream: “Love That Girl”
In an era where any teenager with ProTools can compose an opus on his laptop, it is altogether rare to encounter a wholly live, sample-free, recording such as Raphael Saadiq’s THE WAY I SEE IT (due September 16th on Columbia Records). Particularly one that is a fully realized oeuvre; from the opening snare shots of “Sure Hope You Mean It” through the last string strains of the piece de resistance “Sometimes,” the artist takes us on a journey that is like a lush feature film, not a string of hackneyed trailers.
And his timing couldn’t be better. While plenty of ink has been spilled lauding various upstart ‘Queens of Retro-Soul’ from across the pond, Saadiq has lovingly synthesized the essence of the various regional scenes that underpin our best music – Motown, Stax, Chi-town, Philly – and seamlessly spliced in surprising aesthetic choices (an industrial vocal filter here, a Spanish vocalist there) that clearly earmark THE WAY I SEE IT as, literally, state of the art.
First single “Love That Girl” lays it down with a club-ready update of classic Temptations-era swing – right down to the impeccable strings and Saadiq’s clarion, falsetto vocals. In an album full of high points, “Never Give You Up” slays with its multi-generational line-up: the track includes Raphael’s musical protégé C.J., as well as the legendary Stevie Wonder on harmonica. And the quick-paced shuffle of “Big Easy” finds Saadiq longing for a child lost in Hurricane Katrina with classic honky tonk flair replete with overlapping horn solos.
The album’s inspiration was indeed global. “I was cooling out and surfing in Costa Rica and The Bahamas,” recounts Saadiq, “and ran into people from all kinds of places. I noticed everybody was listening to classic soul music. When I came back home the music for this album flowed organically, naturally. Since I have my own studio, I was able to perfect it, take my time to make it right. I was able to live with it, day after day and that had a lot to do with how the album turned out.”
Grammy-winning Joss Stone (with whom Raphael worked on the best-selling 2007 set INTRODUCING JOSS STONE) is a special guest on the song “Just One Kiss.” Says Raphael, “The track reminds me of early ‘70s soul songs and getting Joss to sing on it wasn’t hard because she has a profound appreciation for great classic music.”
Saadiq’s innate musical facility – he learned to play guitar, drums and bass by the age of six, was singing with a professional gospel group at nine and toured with Prince and Sheila E. upon graduating from high school – goes a long way in explaining his ability to craft an album that will delight baby boomers and groovesters alike. Saadiq, founder of hybrid super group Lucy Pearl, member and producer of Tony! Toni! Toné!, as well as acclaimed producer of artists like Joss Stone, D’Angelo, Mary J. Blige, The Roots, Snoop Dogg, and John Legend – is a virtual one-man show. He wrote, produced, arranged and performed the flawless grooves (drums, bass and guitar) and effervescent vocals on every song. And it is that combination of elements that will make THE WAY I SEE IT the go-to album for any setting. A worthy follow-up to his 2002 solo debut INSTANT VINTAGE – the first independent release to receive five Grammy nominations – THE WAY I SEE IT sets a welcome new standard.
In many ways, he’s one of the music industry’s best kept ‘secrets’ although staunch music fans from London and Los Angeles to Tokyo and New York City will readily attest to Leon Ware’s artistry as not merely a legendary songwriter and producer but as a brilliant artist and performer in his own right. A music maker for four decades, Leon’s amazing list of impressive credits includes classic recordings by Quincy Jones, Minnie Riperton, Michael Jackson, Maxwell, Average White Band and of course, the late Marvin Gaye (whose Ware-written and produced “I Want You” LP remains a seminal Motown album). Leon readily confesses that even with a catalog of nine of his own albums released since 1972, “I’ve never really been out there as a fully-fledged recording artist and performer because of my love for producing and writing. Now,” he emphasizes, “it’s time to do that…”
The impetus, Leon says, is MOON RIDE, his debut album for Stax/Concord Records. The twelve songs that comprise the Ware-produced collection of new material easily validates Leon’s stance as a true master of musical sensuality. In the tradition of his previous recordings and work with others, songs on the new album like “Just Take Your Time,” “Hold Tonight” and “Smoovin’” are love-filled odes, a heady mix fantasy and reality.
While MOON RIDE demands to be heard in its entirety as a potent, cohesive piece of work, key cuts include the hypnotically evocative “Loceans,” a song Detroit-born Leon says was designed “to create atmosphere, allure…a reminder of an unforgettable personal moment you may have had with another. It’s an expression of my romantic lust for life.” Likewise, the acoustic-flavored “From Inside” has all the trappings of a modern-day slow jam classic: “90% of my work has multiple meanings, especially where sex is concerned. I love double entendre! Someone’s inner self, inside, is what matters to me – it’s not the surface impression that really makes a person who they are. As a child, I was actually blind for two years and when my vision returned, I realized it was about looking inside people, not at them,” Leon smiles, clear that the song’s title alone begs another, more obvious interpretation much as his classic “Inside My Love” did back in the ‘70s when recorded by the late Minnie Riperton.
The album’s title cut has the kind of insistent groove that has endeared Leon to soul music lovers worldwide, particularly in the UK where he has created the kind of near-legendary status usually accorded superstars like Gaye and Donny Hathaway, two of the hundreds of artists who have made Leon’s song catalog rich with time-honored compositions like “If I Ever Lose This Heaven,” “Body Heat” and “I Wanna Be Where You Are.” The equally funky “Blue Dress” segues into the late night yearning of “Hold Tonight” while further into the album, “Smoovin’” is as contemporary in spirit as tunes like “Sumthin’ Sumthin,’” a Ware 1996 collaboration that became neo-soul singer Maxwell’s virtual signature theme.
The Gaye-shaded “I Never Loved So Much,” penned with John Barnes (known for his work with Michael Jackson among others) was, Leon notes, “written ALMOST twenty years ago. Oddly enough, it’s a song I never showed anyone. There are about six or seven songs in my life as a writer that I didn’t want to record. This was one of them.” Then, “Urban Nights” (at one time considered as a possible title track for the album) is a descriptive, percussive delight while “To Serve You (All My Love)” was inspired during a visit to South Africa is an homage to old school R&B: “I love going back musically while mixing the elements so there’s a new attitude in there too,” Leon says, noting that “A Whisper Away” is a cut that “exhibits my jazz feel. For many years, people have asked ‘is he an R&B artist or a jazz artist?’ I think of myself as a servant, here to serve the people with my music.”
His first major label album in over two decades, MOON RIDE represents the culmination of a very active period in Leon’s career. Since 1995, Leon has been writing, producing and recording as an independent artist with four albums to his credit – the R&B-flavored “Taste The Love”; the 2001 set “Candelight” recorded with jazz keyboardist Don Grusin; the passion-charged “Love’s Drippin,’” a 2003 release; and 2004’s Brazilian-themed “A Kiss In The Sand.” During the last decade, he’s been a frequent visitor to the UK where his sold-out concerts at London’s Jazz Café before an adoring audience (singing along with almost his entire repertoire) are legendary; U.S. performances at New York’s Blue Note and the Temple Bar in Los Angeles have only served to heighten interest in Leon’s musical catalog as an artist, writer and producer.
As a native of Detroit, Leon found himself writing for artists such as Martha & the Vandellas and Isley Brothers at Motown in the mid-’60s. A collaboration with Ike & Tina Turner for a United Artists album led to Leon’s own first solo venture for that label in 1972, recorded while he was continuing to write hits for other Motown acts such as The Jackson Five and a solo Michael Jackson, for whom he penned the hit single, “I Wanna Be Where You Are.” In 1974, Leon contributed the now-standard “If I Ever Lose This Heaven” as well as the title track to Quincy Jones’ breakthrough album “Body Heat”; a year later, he was celebrating more success with “Rolling Down A Mountainside,” a hit for R&B group The Main Ingredient and with Minnie Riperton via “Inside My Love.”
Leon began working on two projects at Motown in 1976, including a solo project; when label founder Berry Gordy Jr. heard the song “I Want You,” he wanted it recorded by Marvin Gaye. Subsequently, Leon produced Gaye’s entire album of the same name, achieving tremendous success on the pop and R&B charts. His own “Musical Massage” LP was issued by Motown later that year and regarded as a groundbreaking album, considered ahead of its time, it was reissued in 2003 to much critical acclaim.
Continuing to have his songs covered by plethora of artists (including Bobby Womack, Melissa Manchester, Sergio Mendes, Nancy Wilson, Isaac Hayes among others), Leon had his third LP release (“Inside Is Love”) in 1979 before completing two album for Elektra, “Rockin’ You Eternally” (whose title track is a bonafide soul classic in Europe and beyond) and a 1982 self-titled set.
Throughout the late ‘80s and ‘90s, Leon’s music was discovered by a whole new generation of young artists leading to creative samplings of his songs with the likes of Ice Cube, Tupac and A Tribe Called Quest; and other samples by Montell Jordan, Aaliyah, EPMD and Prince and more recently Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z, John Legend & Jennifer Lopez, among others. After recording his last four albums (all also released overseas by popular demand), Leon began meeting with executives at Stax/Concord in 2006 with an initial idea for doing a compilation of his work but after hearing some of the new material he was writing, the project evolved into MOON RIDE spurred on specifically by the song “Loceans.”
Buoyed by the label’s enthusiasm for his new work, Leon took time to complete the album, noting, “It’s never taken me so long to work on a record – two years in all! But I definitely consider it one of my best efforts ever and I’m looking forward to as many people as possible hearing it.” For the many music lovers who have followed his career over the years, Leon is more than grateful: “It’s staggering when I stop and think about how my music has touched people from all walks of life and that the sentiments in my songs are considered timeless. I think of my music as a house that has a home everywhere.”
Certainly, with MOON RIDE – an album that reflects his joy for love and life – Leon Ware can be justifiably proud that, this time out, his special brand of smooth sensuality and provocative passion will be reaching audiences both old and new: “I really feel as if this is the first time in my entire career when a record I’ve made has the potential to be fully exposed and promoted by a record company. I look forward to this album realizing what the others haven’t. I’m excited, I feel good and I’m ready to really get out there as a recording artist and performer in a whole new way.
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Inspired by the likes of Prince, Carole King and Stevie Wonder and musical genres such as Motown, hair metal and classic rock, Ianuzzi is a classically trained pianist and saxophonist who uses her musical inspirations to create witty songs loaded with wordplay and pop-culture references.
Lauren Ianuzzi ain’t just a pint-sized Jersey girl with thick brown curls, a pearly-white smile and sparkling enthusiasm. She ain’t girlie girl vanilla either. The Bergen County-bred songstress boasts a hustler-like spirit with the vocal chops to match, and there’s no mistaking her tenacity as she madly croons, “I will turn up the heat” in the sultry funk flavors of “Sweat,” one of the many self-penned tunes by the twenty-two-year-old Ianuzzi. She’s been tellin’ it like it is for a long time now. It’s now the world’s turn to catch up and turn an ear.
LAUREN IANUZZI - “A Funk I Won’t Forget”
From the funkalicious pop-soul of “A Funk I Won’t Forget” to the slinky R&B grooves of “Strawberry Poison” and “Love You Now,” it’s quite clear what Ianuzzi’s heart and soul is soaked in. She professes to have been a “reserved tween,” yet her vibrant personality blossomed once more upon high school. “I was totally that kid!” exclaims Ianuzzi. “I was a band nerd and I was in all the choirs. I was in every single music thing I could possibly be in and more.”
She’s previously co-written songs with songwriters such as Jeff Franzel (*NSYNC, Taylor Dayne), Martin Briley (Celine Dion), and Elisa Korenne (Super Sweet Sixteen), while also having recorded with producers such as Adrian Gurvitz (Sheryl Crow, CeCe Winans), Jim Beanz and Charlie Brown (Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado), the Noize Trip team (Fergie, The Roots), and Visionary Music Group (Destiny’s Child, Elton John). In January 2008, Ianuzzi opened for Train frontman Pat Monahan and Grammy-nominated songwriter Emily King at the Sundance Film Festival. She also performed at the 25th anniversary gala for the Operation Smile charity in Virginia Beach, VA, where she opened for the Beach Boys with her original song, “Show Me That Smile.” Ianuzzi is currently putting the finishing touches on her first EP, to be entitled “A Funk I Won’t Forget”
Shake up a little of Nikka Costa’s sexy brashness with the smooth soul of Prince and Jill Scott, and add a dash of Carole King — Lauren Ianuzzi will sate you. You ready to meet this Jersey Girl?
LAUREN IANUZZI - “Strawberry Poison”
TRACK LISTING:
1. A Funk I Won’t Forget
2. Obsessed
3. Electricity
4. Sweat
5. Strawberry Poison
6. Love You Now
7. Go-To Girl
WEBSITE: http://www.laurenianuzzi.com
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BACK TO FRONT, THE NEW ALBUM FROM THE TEMPTATIONS,
FEATURES FRESH TAKES ON CLASSIC POP AND R&B HITS,
FROM “RESPECT YOURSELF” AND “HOLD ON, I’M COMIN’”
TO “NEVER NEVER GONNA GIVE YA UP” AND “HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE”
With 2006’s Grammy-nominated Reflections, The Temptations performed the Motown classics they always loved but never had the chance to previously record. Now, with Back To Front (New Door Records/UMe), released October 23, 2007, you’ll find these Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and one of the most popular and enduring singing groups of all time performing some of the biggest Pop and R&B songs in history.
For Back To Front, their 48th album of new recordings, and second for New Door Records/UMe, The Temptations put their incomparable stamp on such classics as “Never Never Gonna Give Ya Up” (the ageless Barry White smash), Sam and Dave’s seminal “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” the Staple Singers’ self-assuring “Respect Yourself,” the Bee Gees’ monumental “How Deep Is Your Love” and the timeless standard “Let It Be Me” as well as “(Every Time I Turn Around) Back In Love Again” (popularized by L.T.D. with Jeffrey Osborne). Also featured are “Wake Up Everybody” (the crossover giant from Philly soul legends Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass), “I’m In Love,” “Minute By Minute” (the Doobie Brothers’ hit), “Don’t Ask My Neighbors” and “Love Ballad,” (made popular by jazz giant George Benson).
Included among The Temptations’ very own numerous and immortal hits are the ‘70s R&B/pop No.1 “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me),” the No.1 R&B ‘60s smashes “Get Ready” and “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg,” and the No.2 ’80s R&B hit “Treat Her Like A Lady.”
The Tempts’ album successes in the new millennium have included 2000’s Grammy-winning, Top 20 R&B hit Ear-Resistable; 2001’s Top 30 R&B-charting Awesome; 2004’s Top 20 R&B-peaking Legacy and 2006’s Top 20 R&B smash Reflections, which received massive critical and fan acclaim plus a Grammy nomination. And most recently their 2006 DVD Get Ready! The Definitive Performances 1965-1972 was certified platinum. The Temptations have sold more than 35 million records in their legendary career, a feat that only a few artists have achieved.
In 2007, The Temptations, with original member the venerable Otis Williams, Ron Tyson (a member since 1983, the lineup’s second longest tenure), Bruce Williamson, Terry Weeks and Joe Herndon, continue to raise the standard by which all singing groups are measured.
The Temptations continue to tour across the country. In addition to that schedule, they will perform several songs, including many from Back To Front, on Kurt Browning’s “Gotta Skate” ice skating show airing Sunday, November 11 on NBC TV.
TRACKLISTING
1. Never, Never Gonna Give You Up (Barry White)
2. Hold On! I’m Comin’ (Sam and Dave - Isaac Hayes and David Porter)
3. Wake Up Everybody (Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes feat. Teddy Pendergrass - Victor Carstarphen, Gene McFadden, John Whitehead)
4. Minute by Minute (Doobie Brothers - Michael McDonald and Lester Abrams)
5. I’m in Love (Bobby Womack)
6. Don’t Ask My Neighbors (Skip Scarborough)
7. Love Ballad (George Benson - Skip Scarborough)
8. Let It Be Me (Gilbert Becaud, Pierre Delanoe and Manny Kurtz)
9. How Deep Is Your Love (Bee Gees - Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb and Robin Gibb)
10. (Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again (L.T.D., Jeffrey Osborne - LenRon Hanks and Zane Grey)
11. Respect Yourself (Staple Singers - Luther Ingram and Mack Rice)
iTunes AUDIO exclusive: “How Deep Is Your Love” with audio commentary from Otis Williams:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=263776580&s=143441
CURRENT TOUR SCHEDULE
12/11 Sioux City, IA Orpheum Theatre
12/12 Omaha, NE Orpheum Theatre
12/14 Ann Arbor, MI Washtenaw Community College
12/15 Merrillville, IN Star Plaza Theatre
12/16 Galesburg, IL Orpheum Theatre
Oct. 22nd, 2007 To celebrate their 50th anniversary, Stax Records is proud to present a trilogy of DVD’s, documenting the influential artists and timeline of Stax Records. Starting with the “Dreams to Remember : The legacy of Otis Redding” DVD, which features a wealth of staggering performances, re-mastered sound and video as well as in-depth interviews with those who helped Otis write and create his incredible music. Following up is the “Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story” DVD, narrated by Samuel L. Jackson. “Respect Yourself” provides a first-hand account of what really happened on the streets and behind the doors from celebrated musicians such as Issac Hayes, Brooker T. Jones, Steve Cooper and a whole list of others. Lastly, the “Stax/ Volt Revue-live in Norway 1967″ DVD, marks the first-ever official release of this historic concert.
Dreams To Remember: The Legacy Of Otis Redding features classic performances with re-mastered sound and video as well as in-depth interviews with those who helped Otis write and create his incredible music with stirring reminiscences from his wife Zelma and daughter Karla. Also interviewed are Steve Cropper, who co- wrote with Otis and played guitar on virtually every record he made at Stax; Wayne Jackson, the trumpet player for the Mar-Keys/Memphis Horns who also played on most of Otis’ recordings, and Jim Stewart, the founder of Stax Records, who gave his first interview in 13 years for this DVD. These tender and insightful interviews paint a portrait of Otis as an amazing singer, artist, songwriter, and family man. The story begins with memories of his first amateur talent contests and concludes with the touching recollections of the final days leading up to the tragic plane crash on December 10, 1967.
In the “Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story” DVD, 1957, a square, white bank teller who knew nothing about African- American music launched a record label with only a tape recorder in a barn on the outskirts of Memphis, Tennessee. Over the next two decades, the racially-integrated Stax studio - which had moved to a theater in South Memphis by 1960 - would produce a string of hits that defined the “Memphis Sound”: “Soul Man,” “, (Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay,” “, Green Onions,” “, Midnight Hour,” “, I’ll Take You There,” “, Respect Yourself,” “, Theme from Shaft,”‘Shaft’, and many more. “We were so busy working and having fun that we didn’t realize the impact that we were creating at the time,” says Stax superstar Isaac Hayes. Stax Records would become one of the largest and most successful black-owned companies in the nation and a virtual soundtrack to the Civil Rights movement before succumbing in 1975 to financial and legal battles. The film will detail the story behind the legendary label that launched a who’s-who of soul music greats: Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, the Staple Singers, Isaac Hayes, Eddie Floyd, Carla and Rufus Thomas, Albert King, and Booker T. and the MGs, to name a just a few.
“The Stax/Volt Revue Live In Norway 1967″ DVD features for the first time on this 75- minute concert DVD are 18 classic full-length performances by some of the greatest soul artists of all time. Highlights include an amazing five-song set by the great Otis Redding and a blistering four songs by Sam & Dave. Also featured are performances by the legendary Booker T & the MGs, Arthur Conley, Eddie Floyd, and the Mar-Keys. Issued with the full cooperation of the artists or their estates, this DVD captures the Stax/Volt Revue on an amazing night during one of most legendary and important concert tours of the last five decades. Otis Redding delivers jaw-dropping versions of “Shake,” “Satisfaction,” the only known filmed concert performance of “Fa-Fa-Fa- Fa-Fa (Sad Song)” and a six-minute version of “Try A Little Tenderness” in which he comes back for four encores. Sam & Dave show why they were nicknamed “Double Dynamite,” with powerful performances of “Hold On! I’m Comin’,” “When Something Is Wrong With My Baby” and a chilling version of “You Don’t Know Like I Know.” Other highlights include Booker T & The MGs’ scorching rendition of “Green Onions,” Arthur Conley’s definitive version of his big hit “Sweet Soul Music,” Eddie Floyd’s soulful “Raise Your Hand,” and the Mar-Keys’ grooving take on their top-five hit “Last Night.”
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