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Marvin Sease (Gone But Not Forgotten)Daddy B. Nice's #5 ranked Southern Soul Artist![]() |
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"Do You Qualify?" Marvin Sease (Gone But Not Forgotten) Composed by Marvin Sease January 1, 2022: Gone But Not Forgotten
Daddy B. Nice's Original Critique![]() How important is Marvin Sease to Southern Soul rhythm and blues? Before the death of Johnnie Taylor in 2000, Sease was already a chitlin' circuit favorite--a rung or two beneath Taylor, perhaps--but a thoroughly popular and beloved artist due to his "wild man" reputation as the author of such bawdy classics as "Candy Licker," "Ghetto Man" and "Hoochie Momma." Sease's songs were too sexually explicit for the radio air waves, an adult R&B tradition stretching back through Chick Willis's "Stoop Down, Baby. . . Let Your Daddy See" and Clarence Carter's "Strokin'." But (as is so often the case) the very X-rated notoriety of the tracks stimulated a strong and loyal underground response that propelled Sease's career through a steady succession of colorful and increasingly creditable 90's albums. Fans just discovering Marvin Sease should first enjoy those crazier, mid-period discs so perfectly captured in "Hoochie Momma" and 1994's "I'm Mr. Jody." Listen to Marvin Sease singing "Hoochie Momma" on YouTube. It's the best place to become acquainted with Sease's sense of humor and storytelling abilities. In a revved-up voice that sounds like it's coming from a Sunday pulpit in front of three-hundred gospel-hungry women who wouldn't accept an ounce of exertion less, Sease testifies: "A man called me and said, 'Mister, please let me speak to my wife.' I said, 'Who shall I say is calling?' 'You mean, you don't know my name? After all I've done for you?' I said, 'Mister, what do you mean, --What you done for me?--' 'Well you see, I'm the man that Bought that car you're riding in. I'm the man who bought all those Clothes you're wearing.'" The message comes from the shadows of Gospel called the Blues. It's the story of Mr. Jody. And the victim--the cuckold--seems powerless in the face of Mr. Jody's sheer power. "'Tell me one thing, Mister. What is it you got, That I don't have? And what do you do, That I don't do? That make her stay out All night long?" Marvin Sease is only too happy to consider the question and amplify. He's more than adequate to the task. Listen to Marvin Sease singing "I'm Mr. Jody" on YouTube. "Mr. Jody" is the chitlin'-circuit version of black folklore's Staggerlee--at least he's a modern descendent--and the reference fills countless Southern Soul songs. He's the smooth wolf you play hell keeping away from your wife. As Sease defines Mr. Jody in "Candy Licker": "The husband have to work To pay the bills. But Jody ain't got no job. Jody ain't got no bills. You know where Jody's at? Jody's at your house, Giving you a thrill. And I'm Jody." With "I'm Mr. Jody," the extended bar-blaster "Hoochie Momma," and the sexual anthem "Candy Licker" ("I will lick you until you come") already under his artistic belt by the turn of the century, it was hard to see where Marvin Sease would go next. But the passing away of Johnnie Taylor seemed to inspire and motivate Marvin Sease. And Sease's breakthrough was musical, not lurid or sensational. The run began with 2001's Women Would Rather Be Licked (Jive), and in particular the tracks "I Gotta Clean Up" and "Stuck In The Middle," and it was powerfully reinforced by 2002's I Got Beat Out (Jive). With the album's mid-tempo "I'm Going Out" and the radio single "Do You Qualify?", Marvin Sease achieved a maturity that perhaps surprised even his most ardent fans. Listen to Marvin Sease singing "Do You Qualify?" on YouTube while you read. "Do You Qualify?" is the evidence of how casual and smooth--how Jorndanesque--a master artist can make his chosen line of art appear. "Hoochie Momma" and other crowd-pleasing favorites like "I'm Mr. Jody" convey the Sease persona at its happiest and most titillatingly horny, but "Do You Qualify?" sublimates those precious R&B moments into one of the tightest, most ethereal-sounding little bar songs ever made. It's as if all of the momentum of Sease's past R&B achievements--all of the musical prowess, humor and celebratory lewdness stored in reserve by his grateful and appreciative audience--were buoying Sease up like a surfer riding a monster wave. "Oh, I need a woman, And I'm looking at you, girl. Let me ask you, honey, Do you qualify?" While early Sease reveled in raunch, the post-2000 work emphasizes music (good, bass-oriented, slow-tempo grooves) over lyrics that are more compressed, universal and elliptical. "Oh yes, I do," sings the female backup. And the lyrics to "Do You Qualify" do tease. Sease says he's not looking for a one-night stand. He even mentions an eventual "wife." So maybe--the fan of Sease thinks--Marvin is mellowing. Maybe Marvin's starting to settle down. Maybe--hey!--you can make a Marvin Sease fan of your wife. Then again, Marvin does keep asking that one question over and over, like a hammer hitting on a nail. "Do you qualify?" It could mean a lot of things. It could mean some of that "hoochie" thing, and then you'd be in trouble with the wife. (Now, years later, when "Do You Qualify" comes through my speakers, it's the woman's point of view--presented in the second half of the song--that comes through the strongest. It's all about the money. Does the man qualify?) Daddy B. Nice loves the fact that "Do You Qualify?" leaves it open to interpretation. It's a snapshot of a rhythm and blues master at the peak of his powers, making great music effortlessly. --Daddy B. Nice About Marvin Sease (Gone But Not Forgotten) Marvin Sease was born in Blackville, South Carolina in 1946. As a teenager he sang in gospel groups, and after moving to New York he sang in a group called the Gospel Crowns before starting a back-up R&B singing group with his brothers called the Sease.
Song's Transcendent Moment "I'm not looking for a one-night stand.
Tidbits 1.
7.January 24, 2015: UPDATE Re-posted from Daddy B. Nice's Mailbag: MARVIN SEASE GRAVE MARKER DEDICATION SLATED FOR FEBRUARY 21st IN BARNWELL, SOUTH CAROLINA ![]() Hello Daddy B. Nice...this is "LGB"...wishing you a very prosperous Happy New Year & many to come!!!!! I know you are very busy with your daily tasking's, but I would appreciate so very much, if you could help spread the word about the upcoming "Memorial Ceremony/Dedication" service for the late "Marvin Sease." A few years ago, I discovered that the late "Marvin Sease" was buried in an unmarked grave. Of course, to be honest with you that disturb me tremendously. After thinking about it for a few weeks, I decided to start a campaign to collect some money to get "Marvin Sease" a grave marker. I was able to solicit seven contributors to commit to the cause, which allowed me the ability to go out and purchase that much needed (Bronze Metal Grave Marker) for Marvin Sease's grave. The seven contributions came from following areas...(Allendale, SC; Orangeburg, SC; Warner Robins, GA; Houston, TX; Baton Rouge, LA; Forsyth, GA; and Barnwell, SC), which I "THANK" the each of them so very much!!! Below you will find an announcement about the unveiling of Marvin Sease's "(Bronze Metal Grave Marker)" memorial/dedication service. This memorial/dedication service is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, 21 Feb 2015 at 1:00 PM. ![]() SUBJECT: A "Memorial Ceremony/Dedication" service for the (unveiling) of the "Beloved Marvin Sease" (Bronze Metal Grave Marker); Marvin Sease...(aka)..."The Candy Licker" was born and raised in Blackville, SC... Greetings to All...please mark your calendars.....to attend the "Memorial Service" of the unveiling of Marvin Sease's "Memorial Grave Maker." For all who knew, worked with, and enjoyed the music of the "Marvin Sease" who died, 8 Feb 2011. As a remembrance to Marvin Sease, a few of his friends took the initiative to purchase a "Bronze Metal Grave Marker" that will be installed on "Marvin Sease's" grave (130-D-1), Saturday afternoon, 21 Feb 2015 at 1:00 PM. This awesome event will take place in "Hope Memorial Perpetual Care Cemetery", 1730 Yale Rd (Highway 3), Barnwell, SC, where Marvin Sease is buried. As Always...Much Thanks to You..."Dabby B. Nice" for All You Do...!!!!! "LGB" Daddy B. Nice replies: Sorry for the delay, LGB. It's posted. And thanks and kudos to you for your initiative. Daddy B. Nice See Daddy B. Nice's Artist Guide to Marvin Sease. 8. Marvin Sease: "Gone On"************ MARVIN SEASE "GONE ON" Marvin Matthew Sease Sr. Southern Soul & Blues Legend (February 16, 1946 - February 8, 2011) Funeral services for Marvin Sease will be held on Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 1:00 pm Voorhees College, 5573 Voorhees Road Denmark, South Carolina 29042 A celebration of Marvin Sease's life will be held on Wednesday, February 16, 2011 at 1:00 p.m., at Word and Worship Church 6286 Hanging Moss Rd. Jackson, Mississippi 39206. The event is open to the public. Bishop Jeffery A. Stallworth is the designated pastor for the church. Marvin Matthew Sease Sr. died Tuesday, February 8, 2011, at River Region Medical Center in Vicksburg, Mississippi at the age of 64 after a lengthy illness battling pneumonia. W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home in Vicksburg, Mississippi has charge of the funeral arrangements and will release more details as they become available. Send your condolences to the Sease family by visiting: http://www.mypowerform.com/whjguestbook.htm or www.whjeffersonfuneralhome.com Marvin Matthew Sease Sr was preceded in death by his parents, Charlie and Hester Youmas Sease; a brother, Charlie Sease; and three sisters, Evelyn Sease, Juanita Sease and Mattie Sease. He is survived by his wife, Alwillie Williams Sease of Elmont, N.Y.; five sons, Mark Sease of Vicksburg, Matthew Sease and Marvin M. Sease Jr., both of Atlanta, Corey Sease of Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Tarrin Williams of Elmont; four daughters, Tonia Sease and Daphne Sease, both of Charleston, S.C., Daytona Sease of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Richarda Dorsey of Tallulah; three brothers, William Sease and Johnnie Sease, both of Brooklyn, and Favor Sease of Greensboro, N.C.; a sister, Christine Sease of Greensboro; nine grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives. Send Flowers and Condolences to the Sease Family at: W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home 800 Monroe Street Vicksburg, Mississippi 39183 Courtesy of Zydeco Online --Daddy B. Nice See Daddy B. Nice's Mailbag for Letters & More Memorial Details ***************** February 8, 2011: MARVIN SEASE PASSES Multiple sources are reporting that Marvin Sease, one of the two or three greatest masters of modern Southern Soul music, has died. Sease was scheduled to perform at various Blues Is Alright venues in February and March despite recent rumors he was in failing health. --Daddy B. Nice ![]() 9.July 4, 2017: Re-Posted from Daddy B. Nice's MailbagLGB Looks Back "In Peace" on the Marvin Sease Grave Marker Episode ![]() It's been a while since we've talked & I hope all is well with you. This morning I sent you my latest new single rendition, covering "Tore Up From The Floor Up" for your listening pleasure. Of course, if you didn't get it, please let me know and I will gladly resent it to you. As always, I thank you so very much for all you do for the music & the recording artists, too!!! ![]() But, I do want you to know on Father's Day, June 18. 2017...I received a FaceBook text from Marvin Sease's youngest son, Matthew Sease. Below I have provided the actual comments that took place on that Sunday afternoon. I also called Matthew Sease to ensure the Sease family members got to Marvin Sease's grave. The bottom line here is...I know in my heart that we did the right thing back in 2015 and in 2017 some of Marvin Sease family members acknowledged that they, too, love Marvin Sease grave marker!!! ------------------------------------------------- ![]() Hi I hope all is well. can you please give me a call. Some of my relatives went to visit my Daddy's grave and apparently are lost and went to the wrong place. Can you please help me out please if you could. thanks, matthew June 18, 2017/4:24 PM/LGB wrote, but I also called Matthew Sease & helped guided his family members to the cemetery: Hope Memorial Park Cemetery, Hwy 3, 1730 Yale Rd, Barnwell SC June 18, 2017/5:39 PM/Matthew Sease wrote: THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH.. THE GRAVE MARKER IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL...I APPRECIATE YOU... June 18, 2017/6:33PM/Matthew Sease wrote: and Al (the wife) says thank you very much. she loves it. ------------------------------------------------ Once Again, Daddy B. Nice....Thank You For All You Do...!!! "LGB" Linda Gray Barnwell Daddy B. Nice notes: Years ago, LGB discovered and was disturbed by the fact that the legendary southern soul singer, Marvin Sease--born in South Carolina near her hometown of Barnwell--was buried in an unmarked grave. She undertook a fund-raising effort and purchased the grave marker, but decided not to go ahead with the scheduled dedication due to the opposition of the Marvin Sease family at that time. That the years have soothed wounds all around is a surprising turn of events and the happiest of news for everyone who loved Marvin. Scroll down to Tidbits #7 for past correspondence on the the Marvin Sease grave marker in Barnwell, South Carolina. See Daddy B. Nice's Artist Guide to Marvin Sease. ![]() If You Liked. . . You'll Love If you liked Smoky Robinson & The Miracles' "I Second That Emotion," you may go bonkers over Marvin Sease's "Do You Qualify?"
Honorary "B" Side "Hoochie Mama" |
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