By Norman (Otis) Richmond

Classic R'n'B - or "old school," if you prefer - could be making a comeback. Eddie LeVert, Walter Williams and Eric Grant (The O'Jays) have been signed to Sony Records through Matthew Knowles' production company.
Knowles (father/manager of Beyoncé) has stated that his "dream" signings would be Chaka Khan, The Whispers, De La Soul and Frankie Beverly and Maze.
In another development, Thump Records has signed a number of veterans to their roster. Thump Records has already confirmed Lakeside, Midnight Star, Michael Cooper, Lenny Williams and Club Nouveau as signings. Bill Walker is the CEO of Thump Records and he conceived the idea to package "new" soul from "old" souls. The R'n'B artist Jay King has been appointed as the director of the division.
King is the veteran who masterminded the success of the Timex Social Club and Club Nouveau. As a youth, King single-handedly produced, pressed, marketed and promoted the million selling 12-inch single, "Rumors" by the Timex Social Club. He also formed Club Nouveau and had smash hits like "Lean On Me," "Why You Treat Me So Bad," "Situation #9" and "Jealously."
The O'Jays, Chaka Khan, the Whispers, De La Soul, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Lakeside, Midnight Star, Michael Cooper, Lenny Williams and Club Nouveau are currently not signed to a major label. It must be kept in mind that these artists' fan bases are international. Many of these acts still perform regularly in Europe, Japan, Africa and the Caribbean.
Thump Records executives recognize the significance and value of these artists.
Pebo Rodriquez, vice-president of A&R, is clear on the issue. Says Rodriquez: "The incredible fan base these super groups have amassed over their legendary careers is a testament to their strong brand name recognition and staying power. These groups continue to perform their global hits worldwide to millions of fans that support them at their live performances and who thirst for their new music. Thump recognizes the fact that these Hall of Fame groups need a home with major label distribution and marketing and that is what we are providing."
Other R'n'B veterans are also enjoying renewed success with new alternative methods of distribution. After many years, The Manhattans have come out of the musical cold. The group's current CD, "Even Now," is presently on the record charts. Gerald Alston, the lead voice of The Manhattans, used to lament the fact that major record chains refused to even stock their new CD. Or, if they did you'd have to search high and low for it.
Alston pointed out: "The major chain wouldn't carry our new music. If you are lucky you might be able to find a copy of The Manhattans Greatest Hits in the stores. Many of the Ma and Pa stores are no longer around, and if they are, they are not doing that much business."
Alston and his partner Blue Lovett recorded their album on their own Love Lee Records.
Distribution was an issue. All of this changed when Al Bell, former the independent distributor, A.R.E. He has found a way to get product to the marketplace by placing it in Wal-Marts and other alternative outlets.
"One of our missions is to resurrect soul music," Bell has said. In recent years, Bell returned to Little Rock, Arkansas, where he presently heads Alpine, "a free-standing, independent record company" with studios, together with his son and other partners like Raymond Boswell.
The future of Black music is looking good. Al Goodman of Ray, Goodman & Brown is optimistic about the future of classic artists.
Says Goodman: "There is room for all forms of our music in the world today. The sky is huge. Lots of stars can shine up there."
The success of Ray, Goodman & Brown with Alicia Keys hit, "You Don't Know My Name", the signing of the O'Jays to Matthew Knowles Production Company, the new moves by Thump Records, and renewal of the Manhattans career is great news for lovers of classic R'n'B.
Lovers of classic R'n'B can catch a show at the Casa Rama Thursday, April 8 with The Chi-Lites, The Stylistics, The Delfonics, Major Harris and Cuba Gooding Sr. The MC for the Soul Jam will be Jimmy Walker of Good Times fame.
Toronto-based journalist and radio producer Norman (Otis) Richmond can be heard on Diasporic Music, Thursdays, 8 p.m. to 10 p. m., Saturday Morning Live, Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and From A Different Perspective, Sundays, 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on CKLN-FM 88.1 and on the Internet at www.ckln.fm. He can be reached by phone at 416-595-5068 or by e-mail at Norman@ckln.fm.

On a related note,here's a recent MTV news item....


Beyonce is writing a song for the new Earth Wind and Fire album,which is due by the end of the year.Beyonce's father,Mathew Knowles,signed the influential soul band to a new label he recently started.EW&F are also scheduled to record with Sleepy Brown,Pharrell Williams,Angie Stone and Floetry

DavidEye said:

Just what I thought... Cool old skool cats who were all about music are being teamed up with lame R&B/ Hip Hop industry ho's and products... This is pathetic...

Neversin.

Neversin said:

I agree with you.I love EW&F,but i have a bad feeling about this new CD.It looks like a desperate attempt to appeal to younger audiences.

What is Black music?

i never understood callin it "Black Music" is rock "White Music"??? Music should Break barriers of color. labeling generes of music by color is racist in itself. yanno??

TheRealFiness said:

I wholeheartedly agree with you...
This is a logic that doesn't seem to register with about anyone though...
I had a little discussion on AMP about this subject about how black people would freak if tomorrow there would be a "White music awards", as opposed to a "Black music awards" and "Latin music awards", and how that would be considered racist, but "Black music awards" is not...

Neversin.
[This message was edited Wed May 19 5:22:15 2004 by Neversin]

I think the phrase "black music" was given to R&B music way back in the 50s or sooner.They also used to refer to it as "race music".I kid you not.In the 70s,it became known as "soul music" and then in the 80s,they called it "R&B",but I don't think blacks themselves had anything to do with how it was labeled.

DavidEye said:

nah it was the devils in the busines suits man.

TheRealFiness said:

DavidEye said:

Agreed!!

DavidEye said:

1946. Billboard begins charting the sale of records in the "Negro" market, employong the heading, "Harlem Hit Parade." The weekly listing is eventually renamed "Race Records."

June 17, 1949. Billboard, without any editorial comment, begins employing the term "rhythm and blues" in reference to the black charts.

March 12, 1960. Cash Box combines its pop and r & b charts. In an editorial appearing on the front page of that issue, the magazine justifies this decision by noting the similarity between the pop and r & b charts; that is, the r & b listing was at the time almost ninety percent pop in nature. Cash Box evidently had second thoughts about this policy, and reinstated the separate r & b compilation on December 17, 1960 ("Top 50 in Locations"). Billboard used the same reasoning in deleting its r & b singles charts between November 23, 1963 and January 30, 1965. On the latter date, Billboard ultimately returned to the two-chart system.

August 23, 1969. Billboard declares rhythm and blues officially dead by renaming its chart for that market "Best-Selling Soul Singles." Ironically, there was every sign that the new euphemism for "black"--which had been widely used during most of the 1960s-- would soon be musically outdated, and its successor defied prophesy.

April 10, 1982. Cash Box first employs a new term for the black charts, "Top 100 Black Contemporary Singles." The term gained nearly universal acceptance during the 1980s, encompassing the full range of African American pop music (jazz fusions, dance music, easy listening, and so forth) as well as white releases expected to appeal to the black audience. By the 1990s, however, the trade charts had reverted back to the term "rhythm and blues."


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[This message was edited Wed May 19 12:44:33 2004 by Universaluv]

Well, the sound is black, in that it was invented by black people. Rock was invented by black people, but black people abandoned it; which was a shame. But if you look at rap, it does have that aggressive, at least lyrically, rock angst.

It is all about the beat. Black folks just respond better to a groove kind of beat, as compared to the chaotic beat of rock.

Every one on both sides should open their eyes more.

2freaky4church1 said:

wouldn't say black people abandoned rock
it was sort of taken away
after white musicians took over the genre etc
Most of the musicians that are credited for Rock
were inspired by negro jazz and blues musicians
led zepplin - miles davis
The doors were inspired by coltrane

actually, the article is called classic soul makes comeback, not black music.
http://www.tbwt.org/home/...iew/188/40
but the news that ewf are working with beyonce and neptunes sucks.
[This message was edited Wed May 19 12:57:54 2004 by funkbabyandthebabysitters]

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

EWF is trying 2 get paid. I am not mad about that in light of all they've given us already.