Daddy B. Nice's SouthernSoulRnB.com - Guide to Today's Top Chitlin' Circuit Rhythm and Blues Artists


 

Daddy B. Nice's Corner

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Scroll down for 2010 YEAR IN REVIEW, OBITS, & annual listing of the YEAR'S SINGLES.

Daddy B. Nice Announces The Winners of the 2010 "Daddies": 4th Annual Best Of Southern Soul Music Awards

The winners and top contenders are posted at the end of each list of finalists.

The numbers in the lists do NOT denote rankings. Music published before 2010 was eligible if the bulk of its chitlin' circuit airplay came in 2010.

Because of its length and complexity, the List of Finalists is one of the rare features for which your Daddy B. Nice does NOT provide links.

Links to mp3's, CD's and song samples are available by going to the artist's name in either the CD Store or the Comprehensive Index.

A permanent listing and link in Daddy B. Nice's Comprehensive Index will eventually be made on behalf of each performer for each nomination listed. (2/21/11 Update. All Comprehensive Index links have been completed. DBN)

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Best Mid-Tempo Song:


1. Older Woman (Looking For A Younger Man)---Denise LaSalle
2. Meet Me Tonight---Mel Waiters
3. If They Can Beat Me Rockin'---Vick Allen
4. If She's Cheating On Me, I Don't Wanna Know---Luther Lackey
5. Turn Road---Mr. Ivy
6. We Don't Get Along 'Til We Gettin' It On---O. B. Buchana
7. Trying To Please Two---Doctor D.
8. Personal Matter---Wilson Meadows
9. I Ain't Gone Do It---Mel Waiters
10. She Threw A Monkey Wrench In My Game---Walt Luv
11. Everybody Knows---The Revelations f/ Tre' Williams
12. Knock My Boots---Larry Milton



Top Contenders: Vick Allen, Mel Waiters, Larry Milton, O. B. Buchana

Best Mid-Tempo Song: Vick Allen

"If They Can Beat Me Rockin'"

Best Club Song:


1. Get Out---Pat Cooley
2. I'm The Man For The Job---Lee "Shot" Williams
2. Brand New Man---Captain Jack Watson
4. Preacher Man---Reggie P.
5. Ride It Like A Cowboy (Zydeco Remix)---Kenne' Wayne
6. Slap It Tap It---Jim Bennett
7. The Bop---Ms. Jody
8. Let's Party---Cherone Brown
9. Everything's Going Up---Mel Waiters
10. Too Much Booty Shaking---Jonothan Burton
11. You Make Me Want To Pop A Pill---Ghetto Cowboy
12. P's & Q's---Reggie P. & Sir Charles Jones



Top Contenders: Captain Jack Watson, Mel Waiters, Reggie P., Jim Bennett

Best Club Song: Captain Jack Watson

"Brand New Man"

Best Ballad:


1. Birthday Suit---Certified Slim
2. I Didn't Wanna Wake Up---Charles Blakely
3. All Of You, All Of Me---Floyd Taylor
4. The Preacher's Wife---Luther Lackey
5. Everybody Makes Mistakes---Bigg Robb
6. Outside Man---John Cummings
7. I'd Rather Be By Myself---Sweet Angel
8. Best Time I Ever Had In My Life---Wendell B.
9. Be A Man---Pat Cooley
10. Why Did You Lie---Jabo
11. You Deserve Better--100% Cotton
12. The Crying Zone---Bigg Robb
13. You Ain't The Father Of The Child---Sir Charles Jones
14. Baby Daddy---Bobbye Johnson



Top Contenders: Charles Blakely, Sir Charles Jones, Certified Slim, Pat Cooley,

Best Ballad: Charles Blakely

"I Didn't Wanna Wake Up"

Best Song By Longtime Veteran:


1. I Ain't Gone Do It---Mel Waiters
2. Am I Mr. Right---William Bell
3. My Old Man & Mrs. Jones---Pat Brown
4. Pop That Thang---Big G.
5. Mr. Right Now---Latimore
6. Sorry (Didn't Know It Was Your Mama)---Lenny Williams
7. I've Lived It All---Carl Marshall
8. Into Something---Cicero Blake
9. Beat It Up---David Brinston
10. She Told On Herself---T. K. Soul
11. Older Woman---Denise LaSalle
12. What Do The Lonely Do---Joy
13. Blind Snake---Bobby Rush
14. Mr. Bus Driver--J. Blackfoot
15. Gotta Good Woman---Lee "Shot" Williams



Top Contenders: Carl Marshall, Denise LaSalle, Mel Waiters, Bobby Rush

Best Song by Longtime Veteran:
Carl Marshall

"I Lived It All"

Best Female Vocalist:


1. No Ordinary Pussycat---Ms. Jody
2. I'll Be Your Cheating Woman---Jill Sharp
3. Last Night Was Your Last Night---Sweet Angel
4. Be A Man---Pat Cooley
5. All About You---B. B. Queen
6. My Man (I Won't Let My Baby Down)---Lina
7. Baby Daddy---Bobbye Johnson
8. Reality Slowly Walks Us Down---LGB
9. You Won't Miss Your Water---Falisa JaNaye
10. Cheating On The Back Streets---Adrena
11. Older Woman (Looking For A Younger Man)---Denise LaSalle
12. Love That Keeps Us Holding On---Katrenia Jefferson
13. Only Time I Get Lonely---Stephanie Pickett
14. Stuttering---Karen Wolfe



Top Contenders: Lina, Denise LaSalle, Ms. Jody, Pat Cooley, Jill Sharp

Best Female Vocalist: Lina

"My Man (I Won't Let My Baby Down)"

Best Male Vocalist:


1. Mister Can I Shine Your Shoes---Luther Lackey
2. Meet Me Tonight---Mel Waiters
3. If They Can Beat Me Rockin'---Vick Allen
4. We Don't Get Along Until We Gettin' It On---O.B. Buchana
5. Birthday Suit---Certified Slim
6. Brand New Man---Captain Jack Watson
7. I've Lived It All---Carl Marshall
8. You Ain't The Father Of The Child---Sir Charles Jones
9. Same Soap---Omar Cunningham
10. Knock My Boots---Larry Milton
11. I Didn't Wanna Wake Up---Charles Blakely
12. Everybody Knows---Tre' Williams w/ The Revelations
13. Come On Let's Dance---Donnie Ray
14. Best Time I Ever Had In My Life---Wendell B.
15. Wanna Make Love---Floyd Taylor



Top Contenders: O. B. Buchana, Vick Allen, Carl Marshall, Mel Waiters

Best Male Vocalist: O. B. Buchana

"We Don't Get Along Until We Gettin' It On"

Best Debut:


1. Trying To Please Two---Doctor D.
2. My Man (I Won't Let My Baby Down)---Lina
3. Birthday Suit---Certified Slim
4. Turn Road---Mr. Ivy
5. Outside Man---John Cummings
6. Brand New Man---Captain Jack Watson
7. Cheating On The Back Street---Adrena
8. Mind Your Business---Heart 2 Heart Band
9. Ain't Going Your Way---B.B. Queen
10. I Didn't Wanna Wake Up---Charles Blakely
11. You Won't Miss Your Water---Falisa JaNaye



Top Contenders: Mr. Ivy, Lina, Doctor D., Captain Jack Watson

Best Debut: Mr. Ivy

"Turn Road"

Best Collaboration:


1. We Both Grown---Willie Clayton & Dave Hollister
2. P's & Q's---Reggie P. & Sir Charles Jones
3. Haters Gone Hate---T. K. Soul, Vick Allen, Omar Cunningham
4. No Ordinary Pussycat---Ms. Jody & J. Blackfoot
5. Good Lovin' Testimony---Carl Marshall & Rue Davis
6. Family Reunion---Bigg Robb & Shirley Murdock
7. Forever Young---Gregg A. Smith, Bobby Rush, Lucky Petersen, Carl Marshall
8. That Girl Belongs To Me---Charles Wilson & Willie Clayton
9. Reach Out---Stan Mosley, Carl Marshall, Rue Davis, Lil' Buck & Jamonte Black



Top Contenders: Ms. Jody & J. Blackfoot, Reggie P. & Sir Charles Jones, Willie Clayton & Dave Hollister

Best Collaboration:
Mrs. Jody & J. Blackfoot

"No Ordinary Pussycat"

Best Out-Of-Left-Field Song:


1. I'm Going Solo---Narvel
2. You Deserve Better---100% Cotton
3. Reality Slowly Walks Us Down---LGB
4. Knock My Boots---Larry Milton
5. America Rises And Shines---Bobby Bowens
6. Cassanova (Zydeco version)---Lynn
7. Just One More Day---Randy "Wildman" Brown
8. A Girl Like Me---Sweet Angel
9. Don't Blame It On Me---The Winstons
10. Tired---Kelly Price



Top Contenders: Larry Milton, Lynn, Narvel

Best Out-Of-Left-Field Song:
Larry Milton

"Knock My Boots"



Best Chitlin' Circuit Blues Song:


1. Repo Woman---Gwen White
2. Ex-Wife Blues---Cherone Brown
3. Don't Do It---Bobby Connerly
4. Bitter With The Sweet---Kenny Neal
5. Blind Snake---Bobby Rush
6. Forever Young---Gregg A. Smith, Bobby Rush, Lucky Petersen, Carl Marshall
7. Too Many Mechanics---Cream Of The Crop Blues Band
8. Jimmy---The Real Brown Sugar
9. I'll Be Your Cheating Woman---Jill Sharp
10. Let's Party---Cherone Brown



Top Contenders: Jill Sharp, Cherone Brown, Bobby Rush

Best Chitlin' Circuit Blues Song:
Jill Sharp

"I'll Be Your Cheatin' Woman"

Best Cover Song:


1. Older Woman (Looking For A Younger Man)---Denise LaSalle
2. Sam--- Angel Sent
3. Barbeque--- Mel Waiters
4. Cheat Receipt---Denise LaSalle
5. Return Of The Mack--- The BarKays
6. Back In The Streets Again--- Ms. Jody
7. Good Lovin' Testimony--- Carl Marshall w/ Rue Davis



Top Contenders: Denise LaSalle, Carl Marshall & Rue Davis

Best Cover Song: Denise LaSalle

"Older Woman (Looking For A Younger Man)"

Best Arranger/Producer:


1. Carl Marshall---Captain Jack Watson's "Brand New Man," Carl Marshall's "Good Lovin' Testimony," Cicero Blake's "I'm Satisfied," Gregg A. Smith's "Forever Young," Nellie "Tiger" Travis's "Do What He Didn't Do," Stan Mosley's "Reach Out," Carl Marshall's "I've Lived It All"

2. Harrison Calloway---Jill Sharp's "I'll Be Your Cheating Woman," Cherone Brown's "Let Me Hit It," Denise LaSalle's "Older Woman" (with arranger Gary Wolfe), Lee "Shot" Williams' "The First Rule Of Cheating," Earl Gaines' "Good To Me" (Horn arrangements), Wilson Meadows' "Personal Matter"

3. Robert Smith aka Bigg Robb---Bigg Robb's "Everybody Makes Mistakes," Bigg Robb's "The Crying Zone," Bigg Robb's "Family Affair," Ghetto Cowboy's "You Make Me Wanna Pop A Pill"

4. John Ward---Ms. Jody's "The Bop," David Brinston's "Beat It Up," O.B. Buchana's "We Don't Get Along Until We Gettin' It On," Earl Gaine's "I'm Throwing In The Towel"

5. Frank McKinney ---Pat Cooley's "Get Out," Bobbye Johnson's "Baby Daddy," Pat Cooley's "Be A Man"



Top Contenders: Carl Marshall, Harrison Calloway, Frank McKinney

Best Arranger/Producer: Carl Marshall


Best Songwriter:


1. Omar Cunningham---Omar Cunningham's "Same Soap," Karen Wolfe's "Stuttering," Vick Allen's "If They Can Beat Me Rockin'"

2. Robert Smith aka Bigg Robb---Bigg Robb's "Everybody Makes Mistakes," "The Crying Zone," "Family Affair"

3. Carl Marshall---Carl Marshall's "I've Lived It All," "Good Loving (Testimony)," Captain Jack Watson's "Brand New Man," Cicero Blake's "I'm Satisfied"

4. Luther Lackey---Luther Lackey's "The Preacher's Wife," "If She's Cheatin' On Me I Don't Wanna Know," "Mister Can I Shine Your Shoes"

5. Don Hearon, Aston & M. Omar---B.B. Queen's "I Ain't Your Lady," "Ain't Going Your Way," "Wobble Wiggle," "All About You"



Top Contenders: Omar Cunningham, Hearon-Ashton-Omar

Best Songwriter: Omar Cunningham



Best CD:


1. Mel Waiters---I Ain't Gone Do It
2. Carl Marshall---Love Who You Wanna Love
3. Earl Gaines---Good To Me
4. Floyd Taylor---All Of Me
5. Luther Lackey---The Preacher's Wife
6. Denise LaSalle---24 Hour Woman
7. Cicero Blake---I'm Satisfied
8. Wendell B.---In Touch With My Southern Soul
9. Sheba Potts-Wright---Best Of Sheba Potts-Wright
10. Reggie P.---The Rude Boy Of Southern Soul



Top Contenders: Mel Waiters, Luther Lackey, Denise LaSalle, Carl Marshall

Best CD: Mel Waiters
I Ain't Gone Do It (Waldoxy Records)

Bargain-Priced I Ain't Gone Do It CD

Hardest-Touring Crowd-Pleaser


1. B.B. King
2. Willie Clayton
3. T.K. Soul
4. L.J. Echols
5. Bobby Rush



Hardest-Touring Crowd-Pleaser:
B. B. King



SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Congratulations!!

--Daddy B. Nice



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HAVEN'T HEARD THESE RECORDS? Daddy B. Nice is always a little ahead of the curve. Call your favorite Southern Soul deejay, or if you don't have one in your area, go to Daddy B. Nice's LINKS page and surf any of the fine Southern Soul internet stations, all of which take requests.

If all else fails, go to Daddy B. Nice's Comprehensive Index, find the artists you're interested in and click the links that will take you to his or her CD's, MP3's, awards and biographical information.

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SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

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SOUTHERN SOUL 2010: THE TUMULTUOUS YEAR THAT WAS

No use trying to tie a pinafore on a pig. 2010 was a year of dread and discontent in the Southern Soul community.

If Southern Soul was the baby of the blues, it was at that awkward, half-grown stage (like a teenager) trying mightily to define itself.

A scene had been created--a scene that frankly didn't exist ten years ago. The accomplishments of the decade were fairly spectacular. No one will ever be able to take that away from the music-makers of Southern Soul.

And yet, with newfound influence came a lot of fighting, backbiting and paranoia. Agendas conflicted, and each player believed fervently it was his or her way or assured doom for the music.

What was needed was some trusting, forgiving, motivating and cooperating.

All of this played out in the continued hard times of America's most stubborn economic depression since the 1930's.

As CD sales remained sluggish, artists and producers alike became more reluctant and more discerning in what projects, if any, they took on.

Concerts, increasingly with "meet-and-greets" with fans, helped pump some dollars into the pockets of performers, but concerts had to be promoted wisely. Some that didn't failed.

Southern Soul's Internet media scene absorbed some hits. At WMPR longtime deejays Ragman and Outlaw vacated their spots. Chico's Radio went through more changes than a chameleon on a Madras shirt, surviving in the end.

But Chitlin' Circuit, another major site and source for Southern Soul, just disappeared. One day it was there, the next day it wasn't.

Of the industry's labels, Malaco and Ecko and Waldoxy Records survived but pulled back their production of albums. Newcomer CDS continued its run but by year's end confided it too would be scaling back.

And Wilbe, Soul 1st, Ifgam, Brittany, B&J, Milaja and other small independents for the most part simply hunkered down.

But it wasn't all gloom and doom. The Blues Is Alright tour maintained. Extravaganzas like the Jackson Music Awards and the "Jus' Blues" awards in Memphis added buzz. And new Internet sites like Get Blues Info (offering instant music video access to all the stars) and Soul Blues Report (monitoring Southern Soul news across the nation) were welcome godsends.

And new talent--Jill Sharp, Mr. Ivy, Lina, Doctor D., Certified Slim, Captain Jack Watson, Charles Blakely, Adrena and more--swept into the vacuum left by cruising or sidelined veterans.

Above all, 2010 was the year of Mel Waiters. . .

The star finally released the bounty from his recording hiatus, rolling out his new CD and one big Southern Soul single after another--"Everything's Going Up," "I Ain't Gone Do It," "Meet Me Tonight"--topping the Southern Soul singles charts time and again.

Waiters accomplished perhaps the hardest feat in the music business: an aging artist redefining himself, giving his well-known "brand" daring tweaks to make his music sound new and relevant.

And nowhere was this magic more evident than in the title tune of his I AIN'T GONE DO IT album, in which he confessed to trying Viagra ("didn't do a thing") and begged off trying to keep up with the clubbing life.

It was also a big year for Carl Marshall, who as Dylan DeAnna's right-hand man and producer at CDS continued on one of the most productive tears of his or any Southern Soul man's creative life, writing, producing and generally "fathering" an incredible list of albums in addition to his own highly-praised solo CD.

It was also a big year for producer/arranger Harrison Calloway--in demand seemingly everywhere--and for producer/performer Bigg Robb, with two typically well-crafted CD's to his credit.

The women of Southern Soul didn't fare as well in 2010. More than anything, there was a dearth of new releases. Excepting Denise LaSalle and Pat Cooley, not much of note happened.

Were the musical formulas that female artists used to "package" their songs for the so-called "chitlin'-circuit" market becoming too familiar, too "yesterday"? Perhaps so.

The emergence of new stars like Lina (from California, of all places), whose "My Man (I Won't Let My Baby Down)" had deejays on their knees in the latter months of the year, and Jill Sharp (from the Carolinas), whose bluesy "I'll Be Your Cheatin' Woman" (produced by Harrison Calloway, incidentally) drew similar rave reactions, was based on the fact that they sounded fresh and original.

There were many memorable lines in 2010, from Pat Cooley's admonition to "stop feeling sorry for yourself" and "be a man" to Jill Sharp's,

"Tried hanging with my friends
To see if I could ease the pain.
But the only thing that brings me around
Is when I see that dirty, low-down, cheating man."

There was Charles Blakely in his tenderly-sung ballad, "I Didn't Want To Wake Up."

"We were making love,
And we looked like the number 69."

And there were the frenzied and fruitless demurrals of Mr. Ivy's girlfriend to having intercourse in the outdoors on the "Turn Road" and Denise LaSalle's rant on getting older and dealing with men in "Older Woman."

But the wittiest lyric--at least for Southern Soul insiders familiar with O. B. Buchana--had to be Luther Lackey's jaundiced lament on a wayward wife.

"If she's with Marvin Sease,
He's a candy licker.
If she's with Theodis,
He's standing up in it.
But I'm in trouble
If she's with my brother.
If she's with O. B.,
He ain't playin' with it."

--Daddy B. Nice

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SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

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CONTINUED FROM THE TOP TEN "BREAKING" SOUTHERN SOUL SINGLES IN THE RIGHT-HAND COLUMN. . . .


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Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

JULY 2010


1. "I Lived it All"---- Carl Marshall

What a rhythm section. Every time I hear this drum and bass and rhythm guitar I'm torn between kneeling and genuflecting, dancing, or following in a long line of wild critters drawn by the flute of the Pied Piper.

Fans who weren't around when "I Lived It All" was first recorded may remember the more recent Patrick Harris songs "Right On Time" and "I Fooled You This Time," which borrowed some of their inspirational flavor and their distinctive, high-pitched synthesizer fills from Carl Marshall's classic.

"I Lived It All" is not only a reminder that grief and adversity are still the ultimate attention-getters but proof that the human character conquers and triumphs by living "to tell it."

Bargain-Priced Love Who You Wanna Love CD

2. "I'm Throwing In The Towel" ------------Earl Gaines

In tempo and mood this majestic ballad recalls Donnie Ray's "If I Could Do It All Over." Earl Gaines sings real, down-to-earth, blue-collar Southern Soul as few ever have. His recent passing isn't even hinted at in the easy-going, full-chested power with which he delivers the song's rueful message.

Move over and make room in your pew in Southern Soul Heaven, Ray Charles.

Bargain-Priced Good To Me CD

3. "Same Soap" ---------------Omar Cunningham

Omar Cunningham is slowly becoming the headliner of Southern Soul's shining 2nd generation of stars, including Sir Charles, T.K. and O.B. As a vocalist he's the equal of any of them, and his compositional skills set him apart.

"Same Soap" isn't his best to date, but it's something of a thematic departure from Omar's typical nice-guy image. As the "cheater" he has to use the "same soap" he lathers with at home. Come to think of it, "Beauty Shop" (another "cleansing" song) was at bottom about a cheater.

From the upcoming album Worth The Wait.

4. "Time" (The MP3 Remix)--------------Frank Mendenhall

This souped-up version of the signature song by one of Southern Soul's most beloved passed stars
continues the "retro" feel of this month's Top Ten singles. For Mendenhall fans it's a rare opportunity to hear a "fresh" tune posthumously.

Your Daddy B. Nice has no available links to any CD or EP (and no hard-copy "best-of album" exists). However, Jerry "Boogie" Mason, who played the track on Jackson's WMPR the other day, informs me you can find the "Time" remix as "an alternate take taken from the itunes download of the best of frank mendenhall."

5. "I Don't Mind Being There For My Man" -------------------Special

I just heard this song for the first time, five years after it was published, and this despite being peppered with e-mails about Special (I always thought it was the same writer) for at least two of the five. A Bigg Robb-produced act, Special did the "Girlfriend To Girlfriend" cover of Shirley Brown's classic that had heads wagging a few years ago.

What will turn your head about "Being There For My Man" is that it sounds like Syleena Johnson singing "Guess What," only better. In fact, I thought it was Syleena finally striking gold in a Southern Soul way for the first time since her early hit.

Special robs "Guess What" blind, but since Syleena hasn't pursued Southern Soul anyway, that's a good thing.

From the same CD as "Girlfriend To Girlfriend."

Bargain-Priced Tired Of Being Quiet CD, MP3's

6. "You Deserve Better"------------100% Cotton

After years of sending your Daddy B. Nice a steady stream of execrable, morbid, one-dimensional, one chord MP3's, Terry (100%) Cotton finally wises up and gets some first-class help: a fine lead male singer and a fine female back-up singer.

Making a record the Bigg Robb way, with an entourage of talent worthy of Cotton's great expectations, pays off in an amazing vintage-sounding soul extravaganza. Congratulations to the young artist for perseverence.

This is the kind of soul song perfect for driving in a light evening rain with the windshield wipers swishing and romance at the end of the journey. Think Kool & The Gang's "Summer Madness." The female-sung stanza is so Southern Soul-ful it'll give you goose bumps.

What are the odds of there being two 100% Cottons? Good, evidently, in this Internet age. Not to be confused with "Tony" (100%) Cotton, another young artist with a much slicker, lighter sound.

Bargain-Priced Keepin' Southern Soul Alive CD, MP3's

7. "Don't Blame It On Me" ------------The Winstons

Want a hit? Get yourself a solid bass line. Kick out a melody. Keep it simple. Don't be afraid to be "pop." That's the formula this likeable beach-music ensemble from D.C. has utilized for years. "Don't Blame It On Me" also boasts a wild and funny cameo by a bitchy mate in no mood to raise a child alone.

Don't Blame It On Me EP, MP3's

8. "One Woman"------------Certified Slim

Another solid and soulful ballad from the "Birthday Suit" man. (See DBN's #2 Single, May 2010.)

9. "Family Reunion"------------Bigg Robb w/ Shirley Murdock

This is a daring record for Bigg Robb, eschewing almost all the old by now familiar tricks in favor of a new, stripped-down, relatively-modest sound. The simplicity puts the emphasis on the execution and Murdock and company do not disappoint. Each listening sears the groove a little deeper into the ears' pleasure zone.

And to think your Daddy B. Nice just missed his own family reunion for the third year in a row. Not good. Sorry, Robb.

Bargain-Priced Jerri Curl Music CD, MP3's

10. "Tired"--------------Kelly Price

Whew! I'm tired by the time she's done with this Wagnerian rant. Rant doesn't even begin to describe the tsunami-like power of both the vocal and the arrangement. It's like being sucked out a hull-breached airplane at ten thousand feet above the earth.
I'm also touched that Kelly is using "Boogie" to promote her music, which means she's at least aware of the attention we've given her in the Southern Soul community.

Brand new--not on an album yet. But you might want to check out:
20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection CD: Kelly Price

STILL CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF. . . . . .

"The Man In The Drawer"---------Andre' Lee

"Reach Out"------------Stan Mosley & Friends

"Mistreated"----------Margo Thunder

"You're The Kind Of Woman"---------Columbus Toy

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Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

JUNE 2010


1. "I'm Going Solo"-------Narvel

No one beats the bushes for that country talent like your Daddy B. Nice. DJ Mighty Burner, who hosts an early-Saturday-morning show at Jackson's WMPR, caught my ear with this raw, energetic cut by a young performer out of Greenville, Mississippi, where muddy water runs out of the taps and (say the natives) makes everyone live longer.

"I'm going solo,
For the meanwhile.
I'm going soooo-loooooo
For the meanwhile."

Narvel, who sings the socks off of this song--who sings it like he really means it--has a 3-song CD which came out last winter--no distribution yet. A previous 2-song set is available at CD Baby, where you'll discover Narvel's last name is Echols!

2. "I'm The Man For The Job"-------------Lee Shot Williams

You either love or hate that stinging rhythm guitar lick. Once you "like" it, it's all over. The vocal is one of Shot's best and wildest, and the female chorus is funny and deliciously salacious. I still don't know what half of it's about (other than sex), and I don't care. I just love the Lee "Shot" sound: both the nostalgic but caustic vocals and the bizarre but apt arrangements.

Bargain-Priced I'm The Man For The Job CD

3. "That Girl Belongs To Me"---------------------Willie Clayton & Charles Wilson

This notable collaboration provokes many thoughts. One is. . . Willie Clayton singing background? How can you lose? Another revelation is how much Charles Wilson's vocal tone, which on "lightish" tunes can be cloying, is enhanced by the bubbling-brook-of-soul stylings of Clayton. Both stars shine, and this song is undoubtedly headed for the top of the charts.

4. "Baby Daddy"----------------Bobbye "Doll" Johnson

Wonderful, mid-tempo ballad in the best tradition of Gladys Knight, Dianna Ross & The Supremes and Carole King. Bobbye's previous album, Rocking This Boat, is highly recommended, and it's good to see Bobbye coming into her own.

5. "What Do The Lonely Do When The Lights Go Out"------------Joy

Joy finally breaks through with a song that, while not the equal of her one-of-a-kind "Cuttin' Up Sideways," is at least in the same ballpark.

6. "(At Midnight I Get Lonely) I Gotta Get Next To You"-----------Ric E. Bluez

"I know that voice," I thought when I heard this tune out of the blue, but it wasn't somebody famous. My guess it's by an artist whose debut, Sexy Soul (2007), was very good. His name is Ric E. Bluez.

7. "All About You"--------B. B. Queen

Cabaret music meets Southern Soul. A simple lead guitar intro leads into B. B. Queen's heartfelt vocal, whereupon an even more intense guitar solo closes it out. B. B. Queen should have a business card made up: Diva: Have Guitar, Will Travel.

Bargain-Priced I Can Play Da Blues CD, MP3's

8. "Mister Can I Shine Your Shoes" ---------Luther Lackey

Another accomplished ballad from the The Preacher's Wife album--Luther's third top-ten single from the disc in as many months.

Bargain-Priced The Preacher's Wife CD

9, "I Won't Be Back"--------------Ms. Jody

Ms. Jody meets Dionne Warwick. Interesting and catchy. And also her third top-ten showing in as many months.

Ms. Jody's In The Streets Again CD, MP3's

10. "Southern Soul Lover"---------Black Zack

It ain't "Sho' Wasn't Me," (Black Zack's recent cover of the Ronnie Lovejoy classic) but it's so enthusiastic it's infectious.

STILL CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF:

"I'm Stuck On Stupid"----------Chandra Calloway

"I'm With You Baby"----------Nellie "Tiger" Travis

"Get Out"--------------Pat Cooley

AND. . .

"I Had A Dream"-----------Charles Blakely

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Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

MAY 2010


1. "If She's Cheating On Me, I Don't Wanna Know"-------------Luther Lackey

The lullaby-like melody and the gospel-drenched choruses have the familiar feel of a childhood nursery rhyme. The brilliant lyrics end with:

"If she's with Marvin Sease,
He's a candy-licker.
If she's with Theodis,
He's standing up in it.
But I'm in trouble
If she's with my brother.
If she's with O. B.
He ain't playin' with it."

Bargain-Priced The Preacher's Wife CD, MP3's

2. "Birthday Suit"--------------Certified Slim

An emotionally-true, mid-tempo outing in the classic understated mold of William Bell. The carnal lyrics--

"I'd like to see you
In your birthday suit.
Nothing else but
Your high-heeled shoes."

--are delivered with a lover's reverence.

3. "Everybody Knows (It's A Small Town)"---------------------Tre' Williams & The Revelations

As much as I liked it, I'll admit I suspected Tre' Williams' soulful breakthrough "I Don't Wanna Know" would be a fluke by a northern band. Not only are the Revelations touring the chitlin' circuit and giving its audiences love, the band more than proves its Southern Soul mettle with this awesome follow-up reminiscent of Gene Pitney's "A Town Without Pity."

4. "P's & Q's"----------------Reggie P. and Sir Charles Jones

Once you adjust--that is--once you're comfortable with the snippet of a melody, the in-your-face rhythm track and the wash-of-strings mix--you can sit back and listen to two of the most exciting vocalists in Southern Soul trading stanzas like the greats of old.

5. "Reality Slowly Walks Us Down" -------------LGB

One of those special debuts that makes you wonder, "Why wasn't this niche ever filled before?" LGB is a huskier-voiced Barbara Lewis sound-alike. The odd title masks an incredible song done in the Lewis style that must be heard to be believed. At times LGB outdoes her influence.

Bargain-Priced Reality Slowly Walks Us Down CD, MP3's

6. "Outside Man" ---------------John Cummings

This song. I presume, is by old friend and venerable Southern Soul songwriter John Cummings, and it's good for the same reasons as the songs of songwriter-slash-performer George Jackson or the Floyd Hamberlin (Will T.) version of "Mississippi Boy"--it's raw, direct and vulnerable.

Bargain-Priced Good To The Last Drop CD, MP3's

7. "Got A Good Woman" ------------Lee "Shot" Williams

Leeeshaaaaaad ventures into B. B. King territory and triumphs with an authentic delivery. He sounds like he's singing through a broken bottle in a dark and twisted, sticky-countered, butts-on-the-floor dive.

Bargain-Priced I'm The Man For The Job CD, MP3's

8. "Don't Give Up On Our Love"---------Latimore

The romantic and dreamy atmosphere reminds me of Clarence Carter's poignant "What Was I Supposed To Do?"

Bargain-Priced All About The Rhythm & The Blues CD

9, "Sorry, I Didn't Know It Was Your Momma" -----------Lenny Williams

It's not "Can't Nobody Do Me Like You," but it's hooky. And it'll have to do until Lenny breaks out the next big one.

Bargain-Priced Unfinished Business CD

10. "You Won't Miss Your Water"-----------Falisa JaNaye'

An impressive debut from a singer whose diminutive frame launches a big punch.

Bargain-Priced Sweet Love CD, MP3's

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Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

APRIL 2010


1. "Everybody Makes Mistakes" ------------ Bigg Robb

From Bigg Robb's upcoming album, Grown Folks Gospel: Songs Of Encouragement, "Everybody Makes Mistakes" is the big man's greatest song since his cover of "Good Lovin' Will Make You Cry," and as with that tune, Robb's synthesizer-enhanced vocal on the memorable chorus makes you forget you ever cared about the human voice.

2. "If They Can Beat Me Rockin'" --------------Vick Allen

When I heard this on the radio, I was blown away by the surprising hootenanny style. "Beat Me Rockin'" sounds like it was written by label-mate Omar Cunningham with a Vick Allen-style bridge. Yet another hit from last year's Truth Be Told album. Great rhythm section.

Bargain-Priced Truth Be Told CD, MP3's

3. "No Ordinary Pussycat" by Ms. Jody w/ J. Blackfoot

It's just the kind of Top 40-style song I wish Ms. Jody had put on her Ms. Jody's Back In The Streets Again album. "No Ordinary Pussycat" is actually an under-played version of the "Meow" song from J. Blackfoot's Woof Woof Meow CD in which Ms. Jody contributes 95% of the vocal.

4. "The Preacher's Wife"---------------Luther Lackey.

The brash, musically-sophisticated title cut from what might be the first great Southern Soul CD of 2010: The Preacher's Wife. Luther's back, baby.

5. "Be A Man"---------------------Pat Cooley

Really love the acoustic, Latin-flavored sound of this record, anchored of course by the authentic Southern Soul singing of Pat Cooley, without which it would fall apart. It's a new and viable direction for Southern Soul, and it reminds me of the affecting version of "Ain't No Sunshine" by Sir Charles Jones on his most recent album. Both songs showcase the strength of Southern Soul--its singers--against minimal backgrounds with stunning results.

Bargain-Priced Cougar CD, MP3's

6. "All Of You, All Of Me"-------------Floyd Taylor

What can you say about Floyd? He's as consistently dependable as the old masters like Willie Clayton and Marvin Sease and Mel Waiters. On this classic slow jam he curls his voice around the lyrics with typically sensitive care. The background chorus is to die for.

Bargain-Priced All Of Me CD

Comparison-Priced All Of Me CD

7. "Mississippi Girl"------------Wendell B.

One of the new cuts from Wendell B.'s still hard to get pair of new LP's.

8. "The Bop"-------------Ms. Jody.

This one IS from Ms. Jody's Back In The Streets Again. "The Bop" is a throwback--almost like a line dance from the late fifties or early sixties. And if you like your great soul divas negotiating dance tunes (as I do) it'll quickly grow on you.

9. "My Old Man & Mrs. Jones"-----------------Pat Brown

The new and long-anticipated album by Pat Brown is due soon.

10. "Cheating On The Back Street"----------Adrena

Adrena has all the tools--and a better-than-average song on which to showcase them.

Cheating On The Back Street MP3

Still Can't Get Enough Of. . .

"Love Is The Reason" ------------Sonia Moree

Sonia Moree sounds raw, like a blues-belter or a gospel singer doing a Southern Soul song, and in a rare reversal of what usually happens, it comes out sounding like Southern Soul. Its a fascinaing combination and an interesting record.

Bargain Priced A Thrill Still CD, MP3's

"Mind Your Business" --------------Heart 2 Heart Band

A new act with an obviously-seasoned lead singer. Southern Soul all the way, although you don't often hear "live" saxaphone solos. Good for them.

Bargain Priced Mind Your Business CD, MP3's

"Sho' Wasn't Me"--------------Black Zack

One more time for the rap-over-Ronnie Lovejoy cover. It may have been a "perfect storm" of creative collaboration, the likes of which we'll never see again: Black Zack, Bruce Billups, and the late Fred Bolton.

And with the Lovejoy original out of print, I find the Fred Bolton sections of this song to be the closest thing to the Lovejoy soul that exists, including Tyrone Davis and all the others.

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Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

MARCH 2010

1. "I Ain't Gone Do It"------------Mel Waiters

Everyone's been holding their breath, waiting for Mel's next big thing. Exhale. It's a beaut', with an Omar Cunningham-like background singer (maybe Omar himself), a foxy beat and even a dash of rock guitar.

2. "I'm In Love With A Woman Other Woman Talk About"----------Captain Jack Watson

Carl Marshall serves up this feast of a ballad showcasing an artist--Captain Jack Watson--who has perfect Southern Soul pitch and perfect Southern Soul tone.

3. "Come On Let's Dance"-------------Donnie Ray

This uptempo tune sounds simultaneously like a slow jam. Its romanticism is so full-fledged and unapologetic it takes you back to another, more innocent, era.

4. "Am I Mr. Right"----------------William Bell

No telling how good this new one from William Bell is. The groove is so patented-prime Bell that it may very well become as big as William's recent "New Lease On Life." Love those disco effects, too. Bell's soulfulness insures they work.

5. "Can I Get To Know You Girl"------------ Bigg Robb

This mellow tune--the best hip-hop-produced Southern Soul you're going to hear anywhere--has just enough punch to make it interesting.

6. "Get Out"--------------Pat Cooley

One of Pat's best. The song rocks. Pat Cooley just keeps coming at us, with one single after another.

7. "I Ain't Your Lady"-----------B. B. Queen

Her work may sound a trifle thin on first listening, but there's undeniable substance to B. B. Queen, in the way there was a substance to Jackie Neal's early efforts.

8. "Guitar Cry With Me"-----------Unckle Eddie

Unckle Eddie shifts from humor to current events with this interesting cut.

9. "Alvaretta's Night Out"--------------Robert Banks

Another fine song, this one uptempo, from the guy who sounds a bit like a Tex-Mex Robert Cray.

10. "Shake Rattle & Roll"------------Willie B.

Nice to hear from Willie B., who once held down a spot on Daddy B. Nice's Top 100 Southern Soul for "Larry Licker." This one isn't earth-moving, but he's still got that sweet, Larry-Lickin' voice.

Still Can't Get Enough Of. . .

"I Want To Come Back"-----------Walt Love

Walt Love once made something of a name as a Clarence Carter sound-a-like. He's moved on.

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Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

FEBRUARY 2010

1. "Knock My Boots"------------Larry Milton

After all the year-end hoopla of awards and listening to last year's records over and over again, I was craving something original, a fresh sound to usher in the new year. This is it. Based on the "Slow Roll It" melody, and taken to new heights by a much-deserving artist best-known for the song "Back In Love Again."


2. "Slow Roll It" (The Remix)-------------The Love Doctor

In retrospect, the Love Doctor's career was like a brilliant comet streaking across the night-time sky. Even if it was restricted to the two masterpieces "Slow Roll It" and "Lies," the Love Doctor's contribution to contemporary Southern Soul would remain unassailable.

Speaking of "Slow Roll It," The Doctor of Love is coming to the soul of Southern Soul--Jackson, Mississippi--this month, and after all the sloppy remakes under bogus titles, this straight-ahead, sans-Sir Charles version of the classic sounds real good, real good.


3. "Chance Of A Lifetime (I'm Not Afraid)"--------------------Katrina Jefferson

And if you can get down to Mississippi, you'll be able to see the remarkable new artist Katrina Jefferson appearing at area venues. With "Holding On"--last months' #2, scroll down--and this new ballad, she's proving herself a more formidable talent than a bevy of the most hyped new divas.

4. "Be Careful What You Wish For" --------------------Robert Banks

Given the recent surge in popularity of Texas-based Southern Soul, the more than capable Robert Banks (who sounds almost as good as Dobie Gray singing "Drift Away") made a smart move in reissuing this excellent CD title cut originally published in 2004.

Bargain-Priced Be Careful What You Wish For CD, MP3's


5. "I'm Going Back To My Momma's House"-----------------Lee Roy

More sweet stuff from the young Texan whose new album--"Should Have Called"--is reviewed this month in Daddy B. Nice's New CD Reviews. This song is a laid-back but jazzy outing with a sophisticated, about-the-town verve. Risky stuff for a first-time artist trying to prove his metier in Southern Soul, but Lee Roy's confident enough to pull it off.

6. "You Make Me Want To Pop A Pill"--------------Ghetto Cowboy

Bigg Robb is so intimidating. Like few others in the business (Carl Marshall, Sir Charles Jones), he takes over any song he's associated with. He's the one that lends this great new dance song its turbo-charged rhythmic focus, but he's also the one who ruins it with that oh-so-familiar trademark funk chorus. The meat of the song is in the verses, which are a dancer's delight. Best vocal I've ever heard from Ghetto Cowboy.

7. "Sugar Daddy Man"-----------------Jody Sticker

Yet another moody, slow-motion piece of Southern Soul electronica from the Mr. Booty Do Right album. If you're hyped-up, you might want to take a dose of your favorite medication first. Acquiescence will quickly follow.

Bargain-Priced Mr. Booty Do Right CD, MP3's

8. "Before A Judge" ---------------------Archie Love

This song is performed with the full emotional and orchestral gusto of classic groups like the Temptations and Miracles.

Bargain-Priced Love Chronicles CD, MP3's


9. "Ain't Going Your Way"---------------B. B. Queen

If Erykah Badu steered her career back in a "(You Can Call) Tyrone"-like Southern Soul sound, she'd sound very much like this Kattman-produced, Las Vegas-based singer.

10. "Same Thang"---------------------Unexpected

This take-off on the middlin' Sir Charles Jones tune is as rough, fuzzy and gnarly as the original was slick, and yet it has an underlying charm and durability.

Still can't get enough of. . .

"In The Mood"-------------------Greg P. Jones

"Let Me Whip This Thing"------------------Joe B.

"How Sweet Is Your Candy" ---------------Terry Wright
How Sweet Is Your Candy CD, MP3's

"I'm Unleveled" ----------------Donnie Ray
Bargain-Priced It's BYOB CD, MMP3's

*********************

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. .

JANUARY 2010

1. "I'm Into Something"--------Cicero Blake

2. "Holding On"----------------------Katrina Jefferson

3. "Harry Hippie" ----------------------Calvin Richardson
Bargain-Priced Facts Of Life: The Soul Of Bobby Womack CD

4. "Saving My Love"------------------Bobbye Johnson
Bargain-Priced Rocking This Boat CD, MP3's

5. "Daddy Sweet Back"----------------------James Smith

6. "Make Your Body Roll"--------------------LaMorris Williams

7. "Do What He Didn't Do"---------------------Nellie "Tiger" Travis
Bargain-Priced I'm In Love With A Man I Can't Stand CD, MP3's

8. "Throw That Thang"--------------------Steve Perry

9. "You Bring Out The Freak In Me"--------------Valerie McKnight

10. "Shake What You Got----------------Sorrento Ussery

Still can't get enough of. . .

"Lady My Whole World Is You"-----------------Sir Charles Jones
Bargain-Priced Tribute To The Legends CD, MP3's

"The Old Man's Song"-----------------Theodis Ealey

"Don't Make Me A Story Teller"---------------------J. Blackfoot
Bargain-Priced Woof Woof Meow CD, MP3'S

"Jimmy" -----------------------The Real Brown Sugar
Bargain-Priced Why Did You Walk On My Love? EP, MP3's

*********************

 


Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 Souther Soul Singles

SCROLL DOWN FOR YEAR'S SINGLES

Daddy B. Nice's


TOP 25 SOUTHERN SOUL SONGS OF 2010

1. "If They Can Beat Me Rockin'"--------------Vick Allen

Vick Allen comes of age with his finest work to date, and the gifted, songwriting-savvy artist does it with label-mate Omar Cunningham's hootenanny-style song.

Bargain-Priced Truth Be Told CD

2. "I Lived It All"----Carl Marshall

This isn't the guru-of-love, father-figure Carl Marshall you know today. This is the autobiographical, "in extremis" Carl Marshall dispensing the raw emotions of youth with a hurricane force you may not have known he possessed.

Bargain-Priced Love Who You Wanna Love CD

3. "My Man (I Won't Let My Baby Down)"------------Lina

The most mind-blowing recording by a new artist since LaMorris Williams' "Impala". Recorded in California in 2008, it seeped into the chitlin' circuit this fall via WMPR'S DJ Handyman.

Bargain-Priced "My Man (I Won't Let My Baby Down)" MP3

4. "Knock My Boots"--------------Larry Milton

Who would have imagined that a "Slow Roll It" knock-off (and an underground hit at that) could make you forget the Love Doctor's star-crossed classic? In the space of four atmosphere-packed minutes Larry Milton goes from journeyman to genius.

5. "I'll Be Your Cheatin' Woman"----------Jill Sharp

Real life--the tough side, with no fronting--suffuses this excellent, rap-tinged, slow blues by a young South Carolinian produced by Harrison Calloway.

Bargain-Priced I'll Be Your Cheatin' Woman CD, MP3's

6. "Brand New Man"--------------Captain Jack Watson

The best Carl Marshall dance groove ever. When the echo effect comes in with "For the last five years" and "I was lonely for love," you're wishing Captain Jack was bellowing the words with stadium-sized reverb.

Bargain-Priced A Brand New Man CD

7. "Turn Road"-----Mr. Ivy

In tried and true Southern Soul fashion, this keenly-arranged tune about a young man bullying his girlfriend into making love outdoors transcends its low-budget production to become an authentic love anthem.

Just Doing Me CD, MP3's

8. "Meet Me Tonight"-----------Mel Waiters

A man with white whiskers shouldn't be able to make music this sweet and original. Stressing the unhappiness at the root of their infidelity, Mel evinces a surprising amount of sympathy for the unfaithful lovers.

Bargain-Priced I Ain't Gone Do It CD, MP3's

9. "I Didn't Wanna Wake Up"-------------Charles Blakely

For sheer Willie-Clayton-esque beauty in 2010 you couldn't do better than newcomer Charles Blakely's exquisitely-produced ballad, the one with the lines, "We were making love/ And we looked like the number 69."

"I Didn't Wanna Wake Up" MP3

10. "We Don't Get Along Until We Gettin' It On"-----------O. B. Buchana

O. B. delivers a clinic in singing Southern Soul. The smooth falsetto-ranged chorus (O. B. himself, actually) gives the song just the extra dimension needed to balance Buchana's acrobatic, gunnysack-rough leads.

Bargain-Priced That Thang Thang CD, MP3's

11. "Trying To Please Two"---------------Doctor D.

Jackson, Mississippi's Doctor D.'s debut, "Trying To Please Two" boasts the finest chorus of any song of this year, bar none.

12. "No Ordinary Pussycat" ---Ms. Jody and J. Blackfoot

"No Ordinary Pussycat" is actually an under-played version of the "Meow" song from J. Blackfoot's Woof Woof Meow CD in which Ms. Jody contributes 95% of the hair-scorching vocals.

Ms. Jody's "No Ordinary Pussycat" on the J. Blackfoot Woof Woof Meow CD

13. "Everybody Makes Mistakes" ------------Bigg Robb

From Bigg Robb's overlooked Grown Folks Gospel: Songs Of Encouragement, "Everybody Makes Mistakes" transcends its gospel package, tones down Robb's perfectionism somewhat, and ends up becoming one of the most heartfelt and emotionally-solid songs Robb has ever recorded.

Bargain-Priced Grown Folks Gospel: Songs Of Encouragement CD

14. "Baby Daddy"-------------Bobbye "Doll" Johnson

Like a beauty mark on the cheek of an actress, a couple of off-pitch notes can't mar the appeal of this tuneful girl-group throwback brimming over with authentic innocence and longing.

Bargain-Priced Southern Soul & Party Blues CD

15. "If She's Cheating On Me, I Don't Wanna Know"-------------Luther Lackey

The lullaby-like melody and the gospel-drenched choruses have the familiar feel of a childhood nursery rhyme. The lyrics embellish Lackey's reputation as Southern Soul's resident wit.

Bargain-Priced The Preacher's Wife CD, MP3's

16. "Be A Man"---Pat Cooley

Pat Cooley continues to impress with this acoustic, Latin-flavored record showcasing her in a minimalist arrangement with stunning results.

Bargain-Priced Cougar CD, MP3's

17. "Birthday Suit" ----Certified Slim

This classic, understated, William Bell-style ballad features carnal lyrics ("I wanna see you in your birthday suit") delivered with a rough tenderness bordering on awe.

Bargain-Priced Birthday Suit CD

18. "Older Woman (Looking For A Younger Man)" ---------Denise LaSalle

"Older Man (Looking For a Younger Man)" may be Denise LaSalle's best-ever vocal. Her verse-singing has a firm, familiar sweetness leavened with dues-duly-paid wisdom, and her voice-over rant on men and aging is the best series of one-liners on the subject ever recorded."

Bargain-Priced 24 Hour Woman CD

19. "The Best Time I Ever Had In My Life"---------------Wendell B.
Contemporary Southern Soul's true successor to the deep, barrel-chested soul of Ronnie Lovejoy.

Bargain-Priced In Touch With My Southern Soul CD

20. "All Of Me, All Of You"----------Floyd Taylor

He may be the son of Johnnie Taylor, but he could be the son of Johnnie Mathis, the now-neglected superstar of the fifties who sold millions of records catering to the nation's romantic dreams.

Bargain-Priced All Of Me CD

21. "Preacher Man"------------------Reggie P.

Reggie always disappoints--well, ALMOST always--but you take what you can get because lurking beneath all the stage fright and petty limitations he imposes on himself is the greatest soul-singing voice of his generation.

Bargain Priced Rude Boy Of Southern Soul CD

22. "I Ain't Gone Do It"------------Mel Waiters

Waiters works hard on his hooks, and it's reflected in his popularity. Here he accomplishes the hardest feat in the music business--an aging artist redefining himself, making his music sound new and relevant.

Bargain-Priced I Ain't Gone Do It CD------------Mel Waiters

23. "The Crying Zone" -----------Bigg Robb & The Problem Solvas

Contemporary Southern Soul music was a reaction to just this kind of "techno" music, which makes Bigg Robb's achievement in winning over the Southern Soul audience all the more remarkable and impressive. His synthesizer-enhanced vocals have become like another "human voice" to us.

YouTube preview of "The Crying Zone," from the upcoming CD SOUL PRESCRIPTION.

Bargain-Priced Soul Prescription CD

24. "We Both Grown"----------Willie Clayton & Dave Hollister

Willie Clayton seems to be in the equivalent of his late-period-Beatles phase. His freshest-sounding recent songs--this one and "Boom Boom Boom"--have that studio-wizardry aura about them.

"We Both Grown" Live on YouTube
Bargain-Priced Love Romance & Respect CD

25. "Mister Can I Shine Your Shoes" -------------Luther Lackey

The two opening verses will leave you gasping with amazement. Most overlooked song of the year.

Bargain-Priced The Preacher's Wife CD, MP3's

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!

******************

HAVEN'T HEARD THESE RECORDS? Daddy B. Nice is always a little ahead of the curve. Click the links furnished in the Top 25 Songs list and sample and buy the mp3's or albums. Call your favorite Southern Soul deejay, or, if you don't have one in your area, go to Daddy B. Nice's LINKS page and surf any of the fine Southern Soul internet stations, all of which take requests.

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SCROLL DOWN FOR MONTHLY SINGLES CHARTS

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SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

**********************

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles Review For. . .

DECEMBER 2010

1. "You Ain't The Father Of The Child" -----------Sir Charles Jones

In a review of Jody Sticker's new album I called these kinds of songs "slow-motion weepers," and Sir Charles wrote the book on them. But it's only in the hands of his imitators that the results become sentimental. When Charles gets his hands on a real story, he transforms the personal drama into the realm of artful detail, self-awareness and tragedy.

From the upcoming CD of the same name.

YouTube version of "You Ain't The Father Of The Child"

2. "Sam"/"Sugar Daddy" -----------Angel Sent

The wispy but melodic, late Judi Brown Eyes song "Sam" never really found a niche on Southern Soul radio when it first appeared, but it has never relinquished a fitful but fascinating hold on assorted deejays ever since.

Now comes Angel Sent out of Brooklyn with this faithful cover distinguished by an inspired and hypnotic rhythm guitar lick and an album-title tune ("Sugar Daddy") based just as faithfully upon it.

Bargain-Priced Sugar Daddy CD

3. "She Threw A Monkey Wrench In My Game"----------Walt Luv

With a first-rate chorus and a guitar hook that stays in your mind long after listening, this ten-year-old tune has the rocking sensuality of Love's best work. From Luv's new album, NEW MILLENIUM BLUES. (Distribution pending.)

Listen to "She Threw A Monkey Wrench In My Game" on the MR. LOVE CD

See Daddy B. Nice's new CD Review.
4. "Only Time I Get Lonely" -----------Stephanie Pickett

"The only time I get lonely
Is when it's time to pay the bills."

Here's a solid Southern Soul stomper with an excellent rhythm track reminiscent of vintage Four Tops and Temptations. Stephanie's vocal is more than equal to the job.

Bargain-Priced "Only Time I Get Lonely" MP3

5. "Ex-Wife Blues" -------Cherone Brown

You thought Reggie was rude? You thought T. K. was bad? This well-executed, ambling, electric blues begins with--

"You're a bitch,
And your mama, too.
I can't stand
Either one of you."

--And it only gets "ruder" and "badder".

Bargain-Priced Let's Party CD

6. "Bail Out"--------Billy "Soul" Bonds

Now between you and me it's not as good as the new "kitty" song Billy is going to throw down in 2011, but "Bail Out" whets your appetite.

What's becoming obvious is that Bonds' unique musical formula is aging well. The title tune of the upcoming album.

7. "Too Many Mechanics (Under Your Hood)"-------Cream Of The Crop Blues Band

I first heard this bawdy, Burnside-style-trance-blues number about a shade-tree mechanic having second thoughts about his next galfriend on DJ Jay Boogie's WMPR sunrise radio slot, and I've enjoyed it with Boogie on many a morning since.

8. "Slap It Tap It"-----------Jim Bennett

Strange-sounding song. The vocal is unconventionally hoarse and the rhythm track is part-funk, part-carnival ride. It's a line dance, and it just may catch on. Stranger things have happened--like Steve Perry's "Booty Roll."

Listen to "Slap It Tap It" on YouTube.

9. "Personal Matter"---------------Wilson Meadows

The Bishop of Southern Soul delivers classy songs with metronomic regularity. This one has the usual Meadows (Bo Diddley-influenced) rhythm track and a fine vocal.

10. "Into Something"-----------------Cicero Blake

I've made my peace with this Carl Marshall version of the Cicero Blake classic. (See Daddy B. Nice's new five-star CD Review.)

I went back to a long-ago lifetime and remembered how shocked and repelled I was at first by a laid-back verson Bob Dylan did of his classic "Stuck In Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again."

Like Dylan's "Stuck In Mobile" and super-models, Cicero Blake's "I'm Into Something" is too beautiful not to like any way it wants to dress up.

Bargain-Priced I'm Satisfied CD

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SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Send product to:
SouthernSoulRnB.com
P.O. Box 19574
Boulder, Colorado 80308

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Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles Review For. . .

NOVEMBER 2010

1. "Meet Me Tonight"-----------Mel Waiters

Thirteen years ago, on the Woman In Need CD, Mel Waiters recorded "Slip Away," one of his finest 90's fast jams. On "Meet Me Tonight" Mel slows it down and reworks the same unique theme at a much higher musical level, with an authoritative vocal and plenty of brass: the usual sax accompaniment on the verses and an unforgettable horn chart on the chorus. Waiters stresses the unhappiness at the root of infidelity, evincing a surprising amount of sympathy for the unfaithful lovers.

Bargain-Priced I Ain't Gone Do It CD, MP3's

2. "The Crying Zone" -----------Bigg Robb & The Problem Solvas

BIGG ROBB SINGS!!--the marquee might read for this excellent new slow jam from the BIGG man. We've been hearing Robb might venture into "vocalists'" territory. On "The Crying Zone" he does so without a hitch, not blowing anyone away with power--rather, seducing them with perfectly-calibrated soulfulness.

YouTube preview of "The Crying Zone," from the upcoming CD SOUL PRESCRIPTION.

3. "My Man (I Won't Let My Baby Down)"------------Lina

Lina's vocal knocks you over with its technical talent and emotional authority, all the more potent for being so obviously young and innocent. The song's arrangement is equally stunning, importing a minor-key chord structure and a unique, "Little Drummer Boy"-"rumpa-pum-pum" kinda sound that will insure this song is played long after the dust settles on 2010.

Lina is a West Coast singer who actually recorded "My Man" in 2008.

Bargain-Priced "My Man" MP3


4. " I'm Satisfied"-----------Cicero Blake

When Cicero Blake tells one and all how much he loves living, and how much he loves doing what he's doing, it's like your wise old father or grandfather patting you on the back. The song is catchy and likable, with a locomoting Carl Marshall arrangement, and Blake's mesmerizing vocal is superb.

See Daddy B. Nice's New five-star CD Review.

Bargain-Priced I'm Satisfied CD

5. "Preacher Man"------------------Reggie P.

Here's the guy who can blow you away with power. The intro is pure Marvin Sease, "I'm Mr. Jody." Perfect for those of us who can never get enough of Reggie "rude." The song segues one hundred and eighty degrees into an early-seventies Bee Gee's-like riff, including classic Motown female back-ups singing verses over a full string section while Reggie P. does back-up. It's a weird grafting of styles, but it all holds together via Reggie's trademark straight-ahead vocals, which come all too rarely for us Reggie-maniacs.

Bargain Priced Rude Boy Of Southern Soul CD

6. "Ride It Like A Cowboy Slide Remix" (Zydeco version)-----------------Kenne' Wayne

Faced with a less than enthusiastic response to his new single "Ride It Like A Cowboy," Kenne' Wayne wisely wasted no time in self-denial. He jumped on a remake and shipped out this vastly-improved version--almost a totally remade song--complete with zydeco arrangement and bayou-buddy contributors. Everything swings, everybody's having fun, and my hat's off to Kenne' for "riding it like a cowboy."

7. "Short Stack"-------Patrick Green

"Short Stack" is a paen to short girls and the best thing Patrick Green's done in years.

8. "Damned If I Do"----Willie B.

"Damned If I Do" is a reminder of what--with a decent melody at hand--the unique Southern Soul tenor who recorded "Larry Licker" it seems oh so long ago really can do. "Larry Licker," incidentally, is included on the new CD.

Bargain-Priced Hard Times CD

9. "Haters Gone Hate"-----------Omar Cunningham, T. K. Soul and Vick Allen

"Player-hater" songs are jinxed. I keep telling people that. I say this only half-jokingly. Even the master, Marvin Sease, can't seem to pull them off. Musically, they always come up short, maybe because the emotion behind the lyrics takes a disproportionate share of the attention away from the musical side. "Haters Gone Hate" is very professional, musically speaking, but it's not the robust hit you'd expect from a collaboration of three such phenomenal performers.

Listen to YouTube version of Haters Gone Hate

10. "7 Hours 13 Days (Remix)"-----------------Dave Mack

You probably won't hear this outside of the Jackson, Mississippi area soon, but you can request it at WMPR on the Internet. This remake of Mack's regional claim to fame is so different I didn't recognize it as the same song at first. Lots of gospel influence. Mack's vocal is very good, somewhat comparable (for those who haven't heard him) to L. J. Echols.

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SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

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Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

OCTOBER 2010

1. "We Don't Get Along Until We Gettin' It On"-----------O.B. Buchana
If it's not the "really big one" we've all been expecting from O.B., it's damned close, a great pretender and a wonderful tease for the future. The falsetto-ranged background singing on the chorus (O.B. himself, although you wouldn't know it) gives the song just the context and extra dimension O.B. has been needing to balance his rough-as-rust, off-puttingly folksy (to some tastes) vocals.

Congratulations to O. B. for notching it up to an even higher musical level.

Bargain-Priced That Thang Thang CD, MP3's

2. "Older Woman (Looking For A Younger Man)" -----------Denise LaSalle

It's almost as if Denise LaSalle and Shirley Brown are in a pissing contest and we Southern Soul fans are being treated to the fireworks as one diva after the other offers flawlessly-sung, accessible, can-you-top-this treatments of contemporary Southern Soul hits.

The heightened artistry is once again evident on LaSalle's cover of Pat Cooley's "Older Woman." It's got everything: LaSalle's gangster-tough vocals, a scintillating arrangement, Bigg Robb-style synth-vocal fills, and even a Theodis Ealey-like background chuckle when Denise maintains she can "pop" it better than she could twenty years ago.

Bargain-Priced 24 Hour Woman CD
3. "Cassanova"------------Lynn

"I ain't much on Cassanova.
Me and Romeo ain't never been friends.
Can't you see how much I love you?"

With Southern Soul artists as diverse as T.K. Soul and Bobby Bowens finally bringing zydeco into the Southern Soul genre (although not at the level of Buckwheat Zydeco or Rosie Ledet), this solid, catchy, rhythm track-based outing by a new artist named Lynn (a male) is the sweetest and happiest zydeco arrangement to show up on a Southern Soul dance track yet.

4. "Last Night Was Your Last Night"-----------------Sweet Angel

Sweet Angel is very soulful on this easy-listening ballad whose dreaminess is reminiscent of Ms. Jody's more country but similarly graceful "I Never Take A Day Off." Who would have thought the brassy Sweet Angel could sound so pliable and receptive? Every man should wish he'd get a "curtain call" this romantically and stylishly done.

Bargain-Priced A Girl Like Me CD

5. "The Best Time I Ever Had In My Life"---------------Wendell B.

And the best song yet from Wendell's In Touch With My Southern Soul CD. The hook and refrain are simple but effective.

I think I've figured out what last month I called Wendell B.'s often "muddy mix" on the new CD's cuts. Wendell buries the lead vocals in so many background and overlapping vocals that the songs lose a little punch. Most Southern Soul arrangements suffer from being under-developed; Wendell B's are a little too busy.

Bargain-Priced In Touch With My Southern Soul CD

6. "She Told On Herself"-------------T. K. Soul

This is what you'd call a generic T.K. Soul song. What makes it amazing is the vocal. I always wondered how T.K.'s vocals--somewhat limited in range--would evolve. Here is the answer: very soulfully, as in The Evolution Of Soul.

Bargain- Priced The Evolution Of Soul, MP3's

7. "After The Party"--------------Maurice Davis

I'm liking this song better than I did last month, when I was reviewing the new Maurice Davis CD. It doesn't sound as familiar and hackneyed as it did on first and second listenings, and the lead guitar riff is pretty indeed, lifting the entire song.

Bargain-Priced Soulful CD, MP3's

8. We Both Grown----------Willie Clayton w/ Dave Hollister

Like a grown man impersonating a young man impatient to get ahead, Willie Clayton has been collaborating with practically everyone lately. But the best partnerships have come with neo-soul star Calvin ("Falling Out") Richardson and the original "babymamadrama" guy, Dave Hollister, whom he duets with on this plain-spoken ("I want you to take off your clothes"), urban-styled, barbershop ballad.

Bargain-Priced Love, Romance & Respect CD, MP3's

9. TIE

"Good For The Goose"-----------Adrena

"What's good for the goose/ Is good for the gander too." Adrena follows up her Southern Soul hit, "Cheatin' On The Back Street" (a former #10 "Breaking" Southern Soul Single from April 2010) with a nicely-done examination of the relative perks of the opposite sexes.

Bargain-Priced Thoughts Of A Woman CD

and. . .

"Too Many Women (In One House)" -----------Denise LaSalle

The funniest and best part of "Too Many Women" is the voice-over, which is worth the price of the mp3 alone. "You don't get shit, you don't get nothin'," Denise tells her man in a moment of frustration that perfectly captures real-life speech and the venting of a righteous woman's ire.

Bargain-Priced 24 Hour Woman CD

10. "Just One More Day"---------------Randy "Wildman" Brown

This song may be too sophomorically sung for some readers' tastes, but it does pack a soul punch. Randy "Wildman" Brown, one of the newer deejays at Jackson, Mississippi's WMPR, has a lot to learn about the art of singing, but his raw emotion takes him a lot farther than many other "newbies" with greater technical skills. Imagine a rougher Rick E. Bluez. (Which is, admittedly, pretty rough.)

"Just One More Day" MP3

STILL CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF. . . .

"Be A Man"----------Pat Cooley

Pat Cooley is nominating "Be A Man" for her next big single, and I second the motion, having made it a former #5 "Breaking" Southern Soul single in April of this year. Here is my analysis from then:

"Really love the acoustic, Latin-flavored sound of this record, anchored of course by the authentic Southern Soul singing of Pat Cooley, without which it would fall apart. It's a new and viable direction for Southern Soul, and it reminds me of the affecting version of "Ain't No Sunshine" by Sir Charles Jones on his most recent album. Both songs showcase the strength of Southern Soul--its singers--against minimal backgrounds with stunning results."

Bargain-Priced Cougar CD, MP3's

"Jimmy"----------------The Real Brown Sugar

Ditto for this single, coming around again for all the deejays who haven't yet heard it. "Jimmy" is a former "Breaking" Southern Soul Single from January 2010, from the Real Brown Sugar's excellent debut album.

Bargain-Priced Why Did You Walk On My Love? EP, MP3's

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SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

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daddybnice@southernsoulrnb.com

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SouthernSoulRnB.com
P.O. Box 19574
Boulder, Colorado 80308

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Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

SEPTEMBER 2010

1. "Every Time My Neighbor Walks His Dog, My Wife Has To Walk Her Cat"-------------Billy "Soul" Bonds

This take-off on Bonds' big breakthrough, "Scat Cat Here Kitty Kitty," sounds silly on paper, but on record it sounds sublime. Bonds has created a surefire masterpiece that combines all of the reasons we love Billy "Soul": the catchy guitar hooks, the soft, baroque-clavichord keyboards, the winsome, memorable vocals (infused with the customary humility and tenderness) and the country-perfect choruses and arrangements.

Did I mention the underlying humor?

Sequels seldom succeed, but this song is every bit as unique as "Scat Cat Here Kitty Kitty" and is destined for enthusiastic acclaim in Southern Soul-land. Bonds may have to shorten that title, though--hard to imagine it on the playlists. "My Wife's Cat," maybe?

2. "Wanna Make Love"-----------------Floyd Taylor

Space age, Brian Eno-ish musical textures in a kind of jazz and classic soul fusion. An insistent keyboard imitates the workings of the human heart while a soft, insistent bass hook approximates the romantic pulse of foreplay.

Floyd's vocal steps into this atmospheric arrangement like a rock star sliding into a Benz. If you're in love, or if you merely "wanna make love," this is your song.

Bargain-Priced All Of Me CD

3. "Trying To Please Two"---------------Doctor D.

Usually the top one or two songs of any given month will end up on the year-end "best-of" lists. This month features a phenomenal outpouring of fresh new material: all ten singles could easily have been ranked number one or two.

Like this song by a new artist out of Jackson, Mississippi, originally projected to be the number-one single. Doctor D.'s "Trying To Please Two" boasts the finest chorus of any song of this year, bar none.

Still obscure, though. You'll have to request it at WMPR.

4. "I Didn't Wanna Wake Up"-------------Charles Blakely

I actually sneaked "I Didn't Wanna Wake Up" into the "Still Can't Get Enough Of. . . " section of the Top 10 Singles a few months ago, unsure if I was hearing some classic from the past or a new artist. The vintage cut sounds like something Willie Clayton would have recorded in the 90's.

Another talented new artist out of Jackson, Mississippi. Romantic but roughhewn. From the forthcoming CD of the same name.

"I Didn't Want To Wake Up" MP3

5. "Turn Road"--------Mr. Ivy

The one-syllable "Turn" sounds like "Turner" and the "road" like "roll"--"Turner Roll"--in Mr. Ivy's loose, north-central Mississippi dialect.

"She's going to bag it up,
Bag it up on the turner roll (turn road)."

Whatever the words (and the more "regional" the better, in your Daddy B. Nice's opinion), this debut is accomplished: the melody, the vocal and the arrangement. In all its aspects it's authentic Southern Soul.

Just Doing Me CD, MP3's

6. "Let's Party"-----------------Cherone Brown

This song by the Delta's Cherone is a homespun rocker in the vein of Nathaniel Kimble doing "Bag It Up" with a generous helping of fifties-style female back-up. Terrifically unique arrangement.

The best of some very good dance tunes that came my way over the last week. Should be available on CD soon.

7. "Stuttering"----------------Karen Wolfe

Karen Wolfe gained a lot of fans over the last couple of years with her "Man Enough," and her next new music was bound to be highly significant and anticipated.

"Stuttering" is dense and it's slow, not as simple and accessible as "Man Enough," and Karen's vocal struggles at times, as if she weren't singing in her best key. You really have to like Karen Wolfe to stick with it, but if you do stick with it, the song has its rewards, especially for true-blue fans, of which Karen has many.

To make an analogy with the Love Doctor, if "Man Enough" was Karen Wolfe's "Slow Roll It," then "Stuttering" is her "Lies."

See Daddy B. Nice's new Artist Guide to Karen Wolfe!

8. "I Can Deal With The Leaks"---------------Wendell B.

Another important and recently-established artist, Wendell B.'s In Touch With My Southern Soul has been out since May with very little notice or promotion.

He chose to put out two albums at once, one supposedly more urban (Back Ta Bidness) and the other more country (In Touch With My Southern Soul), but I'm not sure whether Wendell's definition of Southern Soul might not be limiting his options, as in equating southern soul with muddy mixes.

Wendell B. does tend to bury his finest tool--his voice--in the mix of "I Can Deal With The Leaks" and the only other single I've heard from the CD,"Mississippi Girl." "Leaks" is the better of the two because it echoes (although not as successfully) the universality of the couplet ("Mama taught me my ABC's/ Daddy taught me the "1, 2,3's/ Went back to school/ And got my college degree/ But I just don't understand you") from "Just Don't Understand You," which is the epitome of Wendell B's Southern Soul, be it urban in his mind or not.

"Running your mouth/ Talking too fast/ Someone really gonna whip your ass."

--is the couplet from "I Can Deal With The Leaks" that is most charismatic in that way, but Wendell doesn't fully capitalize on it. Still the song is too good not to give a listen to, especially if you don't know how good Wendell B. is.

In Touch With My Southern Soul CD

Bargain-Priced In Touch With My Southern Soul CD

9. "Bitter With The Sweet" -------------Kenny Neal

The late Jackie Neal's blues-playing older brother has always resided a little outside Southern Soul's orbit, so it's wonderful to see things come full-circle with this Southern Soul-meets-country rock hybrid.

"Life ain't always
A bed of roses.
Diamonds and pearls,
Champagne and toastin'. . . "

From Kenny's brand new CD, Hooked On Your Love.

Bargain-Priced Hooked On Your Love CD

10. "I'd Rather Be By Myself, Than To Be Unhappy"--------------Sweet Angel

You're going to hear a lot of the six-minute title cut from Sweet Angel's new CD, "A Girl Like Me," a take-off on Bobby Rush, but how many times can you tolerate that bass line from "Night Fishin'," which was the same bass line as "I Ain't Studdin' You," which was the same bass line as some Bobby Rush song before that, without going crazy?

I'd rather hang out with the sweet, new, beautifully-done ballad, the CD's second cut, "I'd Rather Be By Myself, Than To Be Unhappy," in which Sweet Angel continues to mold her brassy but soulful brand.

A Girl Like Me CD

Bargain-Priced A Girl Like Me CD

STILL CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF. . . .

"Too Much Booty Shakin"------------Sir Jonothan Burton

"This Little Place"---------------Mr. X
"Ride It Like A Cowboy"--------------Kenne' Wayne
From the upcoming album, MVP.

"Sweet, Curvacious Love"----------Theodis Ealey

"A Woman's Worth"-----------Jeff Floyd & William Bell

*********************

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Send mp3's to:

daddybnice@southernsoulrnb.com

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SouthernSoulRnB.com
P.O. Box 19574
Boulder, Colorado 80308

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Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

AUGUST 2010

1. "Brand New Man"--------------Captain Jack Watson

The percussion is stunning, as are all aspects of the studio work, and when the echo effect comes in with the very first words, "For the last five years" and "I was lonely for love," you're already so fired up you wished the Captain bellowed the words with stadium-sized reverb.

Watson and producer Carl Marshall work against the song's seductive hook and full-bodied melody (which could have been done in a much straighter, rock-and-roll way) with heavy-handed keyboard riffs and a funky, choppy, against-the-beat arrangement that make the song distinctly different and a surefire club hit.

Like last year's smash hit, Karen Wolfe's "Man Enough," you might find yourself wishing for a little better version, but you're never in any doubt that you're listening to a great song and a terrific new singer.

Comparison-Priced A Brand New Man

Bargain-Priced A Brand New Man CD

2. "I'll Be Your Cheatin' Woman"----------Jill Sharp

Real life--the tough side, with no fronting--suffuses this excellent new single: a slow, rap-tinged blues by a young South Carolina unknown I first heard thanks to WMPR's DJ Handyman of Jackson, Mississippi. The singer conveys a street-tough but buckle-down-to-a-man mentality that is as vividly-portrayed and frightening as it is fascinating.

"I tried hanging with my girlfriends
To see if I could ease the pain.

But the only thing that brings me around
Is seeing that lowdown, cheating man."

Arranged and produced by Harrison Calloway!

Bargain-Priced I'll Be Your Cheatin' Woman CD, MP3's

3. "Beat It Up"----------David Brinston

Southern Soul veteran Brinston lathers up a good sweat and a landmark vocal--as engaged and intense as he's sounded on anything in recent memory--on his latest stab at a hole-in-the-wall anthem, this one by his best vintage songwriter, Linda Stokes ("Party Till The Lights Go Out)". There's a touch of Bruce Springsteen in the snappy, marching-orders rhythm, and some listeners will think of Michael Jackson's "Beat It."

Comparison-Priced Beat It Up CD

Bargain-Priced Beat It Up CD

4. "Pop That Thang"-----------Big G

With a series of underground albums already under his belt, Big G continues to mature. His early work stressed guitar-driven textures--the best example being the ageless "Thank You, Girl." Recently he's concentrated more on vocals (2009's "I Can't Do It"). "Pop That Thang" is a creditable attempt at putting the best of them both together.

Bargain-Priced Special Delivery CD, MP3's

Comparison-Priced Special Delivery CD

5. "America Rises And Shines" ----------Bobby Bowens

A Florida artist with his own stint of underground CD dues duly paid, Bobby Bowens knocks on Southern Soul's door once again, this time with a blatantly political and fiercely partisan (liberal, Obama, anti-Tea Party, etc.) song.

It's been a mixed bag, hasn't it? But all politics aside, "America Rises And Shines" is a great, feel-good song with a wonderful texture (even better than Big G's), due not only to a carefully-crafted, tightly-woven, all-live-instrument arrangement and appealing vocal but a particularly fine zydeco-accordion accompaniment that achieves the best blending of cajun keyboard to Southern Soul to date.

Bargain-Priced Shining StarCD

6. "Repo Woman"--------------Gwen White

A giant step forward and a big bid for attention by a new would-be diva who recorded an interesting but poorly distributed album titled "Just Because" a couple of years ago. You may have heard the song "WWW.Good Stuff.com" from that CD.

"Repo Woman" has a Mel Waiters-like bounce to it, and White sounds convincing as she sails through all the usual diva themes and obstacles with a relish that only the "keepers" possess.

7. "Full Time Lover"--------------Carl Marshall

Down home New Orleans funk blossoms into a surprisingly hooky and tuneful melody, with male and female--not to mention horn-driven--fills all contributing to a memorable record.

Bargain-Priced Love Who You Wanna Love CD

Comparison-Priced Love Who You Wanna Love CD

8. "Why Did You Lie"-------Jabo

Jabo (out of Lake Charles, Louisiana) calls himself the "Texas Prince of Zydeco" and he doesn't disappoint on this cajun-style avatar of the Love Doctor's and Thomasine Anderson's "Lies." His female co-singer has the sweet country accents of Tammy Wynette. No national distribution yet.

9. "I Just Don't Know Any More" ------------Earl Gaines

Another deep and atmospheric ballad from the recently-departed vocalist's posthumous CD Good To Me. Raymond Moore and John Ward are the accomplished co-writers.

Bargain-Priced Good To Me CD

Comparison-Priced Good To Me CD

10. "Don't Do It"----------------Bobby Conerly

CDS's Dylann DeAnna discovers another diamond in the rough (see Captain Jack Watson above). A fairly rote, bluesy hook is transformed by a unique background chorus with its own appealing melody. It's that background chorus that will stir something in your R&B memory and keep you coming back to hear "Don't Do It" again and again.

Comparison-Priced The New Old School CD

Bargain-Priced The New Old School CD

STILL CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF. . . .

"Sit Down On It" (2010 Mix)--------Mr. X

The best execution yet. Who said Southern Soul can't provide fine guitar work?

"Baby Daddy"-------------Bobbye Johnson

Another CDS pickup of an artist who deserves the recognition of her peers. Soulful and melodic. Bobbye does hit a couple of notes off-key (flat) but the bulk of her vocal is too sweet to nitpick. (Former #4 Daddy B. Nice Top 10 "Breaking" Southern Soul Single: June 2010.)

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SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

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CONTINUED IN MIDDLE COLUMN. . .

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2010: In Memoriam
(Compiled by Red Kelly)


Solomon Burke
Willie Mitchell
Julius Bradley
Val Thomas
Bobby Charles
Dale Hawkins
Alex Chilton
Don Van Vliet
Bobby Hebb
General Johnson
Ollie Woodson
Teddy Pendergrass
Harvey Fuqua
Al Goodman
Weldon McDougal III
Albertina Walker
Major Roberson
Marva Wright
Marvin Isley
Barbara Brown
Sylvia Shemwell
Myrna Smith
Ella Brown Avery
Abbey Lincoln
Lena Horne
Ernie Mae Miller
Robert "Squirrel" Lester
Ron Banks
Bernie Wilson
Joseph Jones, Jr.
James Phelps
Teena Marie
Johnny Maestro
Bobby Farrell
Dorothy Jones
Gentleman June Gardner
Rockie Charles
Bunchy Johnson
Diamond Joe
Walter Payton
Benny Powell
James Moody
Roy Carrier
Ned Theall
Sandra Wright
Hank Jones
Lil' Dave Thompson
Mississippi Slim
Tuli Kupferberg
Phillip Walker
Bill Willis
George Melvin
King Coleman
Gene Ludwig
David Blumberg
Mickey Moody

May Perpetual Light Shine Upon Them.

Go to Red Kelly's B-Side Blog and click links for backgrounds on all listed artists.

--Daddy B. Nice

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SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

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