Soul
How Thom Bell Created a Sound for a City, a Record Label, and for Generations of Fans
50 years ago, the sound of Philly Soul was born out of the legendary Philadelphia International Records. With the talents of The O’Jays, Patti LaBelle, Teddy Pendergrass, The Three Degrees, McFadden & Whitehead, and others, the label rewrote the standards of soul music. In light of Bell’s passing on December 22nd, 2022, his 2021 interview with Marcus Shorter. For some households, a Sunday morning consists of certain sounds. The sizzle from a couple strips of bacon cooked just right. That crack an egg makes before it gets scrambled or goes over sunny-side. And, of course, a tune by The Stylistics echoing in every room. Or The Delfonics. Or The Spinners. What defined these songs, besides the incredible performances, was the production courtesy of singer, songwriter, arranger, and record ...
St. Paul and The Broken Bones’ Paul Janeway Got Peed on at Bonnaroo: The What Podcast
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon Music | Radio Public | TheWhatPodcast.com | RSS St. Paul and The Broken Bones’ Paul Janeway holds a special place in the lore of The What Podcast. His 2018 interview with Brad and Barry was so good, they made it into two episodes. During the chat, Janeway told one of the funniest Bonnaroo stories ever about his early experience on The Farm — back when he was only attending as a volunteer and not a performer. Advertisement Related Video Find out what happened on today’s High Five Clip by listening to the episode above, and then listen to the full original episode here. Don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe to The What wherever you get your podcasts. You can a...
Bruce Springsteen Announces New Album Only the Strong Survive
Bruce Springsteen will return on November 11th with a new album of classic soul and R&B covers. Entitled Only the Strong Survive, the album sees Springsteen put hit own spin on songs by Diana Ross and the Supremes (“Someday We’ll Be Together”), The Commodores (“Night Shift”), and Aretha Franklin (“Don’t Play That Song”). The 15-song tracklist also boasts covers of The Temptations (“I Wish It Would Rain”), The Four Tops (“When She Was My Girl”), The Walker Brothers (“The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore), Jerry Butler (“Western Union Man”), and Jimmy Ruffin (“What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.”) The album takes its name from Jerry Buttler’s 1968 song “Only The Strong Survive,” which leads off the tracklist. As a preview, Springsteen has shared his cover of Frank Wilson’s “Do I Love You (In...
My15: Son Little Shares the Playlist of Songs That Have Been on Repeat Since 2007
It’s Consequence‘s 15th anniversary, and all September long we’ll be sharing artist-curated playlists that reflect the evolution of their music taste throughout the last 15 years. For today’s My15 playlist, Son Little offers up a genre-fusing collection of tunes. Aaron Livingston, the mastermind behind Son Little, has perfected his blend of vintage blues, old-school soul, and laid-back hip-hop. Tracks like “bend yr ear” from his latest album, Like Neptune, showcase both his mastery of genre-fusing songwriting and his undeniable charisma. Livingston’s curated My15 playlist exhibits the same mix of styles that gives his music its unique flavor. Featuring tracks from artists like Rihanna, Tame Impala, Radiohead, and Kendrick Lamar, Livingston offers up a mix of cutting-edge, innovative tracks...
The Isley Brothers and Beyoncé Tease New Collaboration: Listen
The Renaissance isn’t over yet: Just a week and a half after releasing her long-awaited seventh solo album, Beyoncé is teaming up with The Isley Brothers for a remix of the band’s 1975 song, “Make Me Say It Again Girl (Part 1 & 2).” Ronald Isley teased a clip of the new version on Instagram today ahead of the full song’s proper release this Friday, August 12th. If you want to hear the full version of Bey on “Make Me Say It Again Girl,” it looks like iHeart Radio subscribers can tune in as early as tomorrow: “WORLD PREMIERE of what we’ve been working on starting at 10am est and every hour on the hour over on your favorite @iheartradio station,” Isley wrote with the Instagram clip. It’s a short sample, but it’s still enough to tell us that Bey, as per usual, sounds fantastic. C...
Shonka Dukureh, Who Portrayed Big Mama Thornton in Elvis, Found Dead at 44
Shonka Dukureh, who portrayed Big Mama Thornton in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, was found dead in her Nashville apartment on Thursday, July 21st. She was 44 years old. According to the Metro Nashville Police Department (via Tennessean), Dukureh was found unresponsive by one of her children early Thursday morning who went to a neighbor’s apartment for help. Police do not suspect foul play and an autopsy is underway to determine the exact cause of death. Dukureh hailed from Charlotte, but resided in Nashville after graduating from Fisk University with a bachelor’s degree in theater. She also held a master’s degree in education from Trevecca Nazarene University. Advertisement Related Video Prior to landing the role in Elvis, Dukureh performed gospel and blues music locally and worked as an elementar...
Amy Winehouse Biopic in the Works from Fifty Shades of Grey Director Sam Taylor-Johnson
Many have tried and many have failed to tell Amy Winehouse’s life story, but it looks like Fifty Shades of Grey director Sam Taylor-Johnson may be the first filmmaker to get a proper Winehouse biopic off the ground. According to Deadline, Taylor-Johnson is spearheading Back to Black, a new film about the late singer, for Studiocanal. The script to Back to Black was written by Matt Greenhalgh, while Alison Owen, Debra Hayward, and Tracey Seaward serve as producers. No star has been cast yet, but Deadline reports that Winehouse’s estate has given the project its blessing. Winehouse has inspired numerous projects since her tragic death in 2011. At one point, Swedish actress Noomi Rapace was set to portray the artist in a biopic, but it never came to fruition. Then, la...
The Story Behind “The Glamorous Life,” Sheila E.’s Classic Pop Collab with Prince
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | RSS “The Glamorous Life” proved to be a major solo breakout for Sheila E. in 1984. The classic pop track was one of her man collaborations with the legendary Prince, but Sheila E. already had a long history of playing with legends. In fact, her professional career began at only 15, when her father (a percussionist himself) asked her to fill in for him as part of Santana’s band before a crowd of thousands in a night she describes as a true “out of body experience.” Advertisement From that point forward, this Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient fearlessly forged forged new pathways in the male-dominated world of per...
The Story Behind “The Glamorous Life,” Sheila E.’s Classic Pop Collab with Prince
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | RSS “The Glamorous Life” proved to be a major solo breakout for Sheila E. in 1984. The classic pop track was one of her man collaborations with the legendary Prince, but Sheila E. already had a long history of playing with legends. In fact, her professional career began at only 15, when her father (a percussionist himself) asked her to fill in for him as part of Santana’s band before a crowd of thousands in a night she describes as a true “out of body experience.” Advertisement From that point forward, this Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient fearlessly forged forged new pathways in the male-dominated world of per...
Flying Lotus Releases New Songs “The Room” and “You Don’t Know”: Stream
Flying Lotus is back with “The Room” and “You Don’t Know,” two new songs that feature vocals from soul singer Devin Tracy. Listen to the tracks below. Flying Lotus met Devin Tracy during a studio session, but their collaborative singles suggest they forged an easy rapport. Tracy offers soulful vocal runs in “The Room,” mourning a fractured relationship over swirling guitar and acrobatic bass. “Why do I fall in love so easily?/ You made me soft, I’m down to my knees,” he sighs. These relationship troubles flow into “The Room”‘s B-side. “You Don’t Know” really means “You don’t know how it feels,” as Tracy insists that his lover is oblivious to his pain. A compressed beat skitters in the track while soaring horns and light keys make his sadness sound beautiful. Advertisement Related Video “Th...
2022 Billboard Music Awards: Silk Sonic Perform “Love Train”: Watch
Silk Sonic took the stage at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night to perform their cover of “Love Train” by R&B and funk band Con Funk Shun. Watch the replay below. Dressed in matching maroon leisure suits, Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars turned up the charm as they ran through the song with a fully choreographed routine in tandem with their backup dancers and band. At this year’s BBMAs, Silk Sonic are up for awards in four categories: Top Duo/Group, Top R&B Artist, Top R&B Album, and Top R&B Song, the latter of which they have already won for “Leave the Door Open.” Advertisement Related Video In April, Silk Sonic performed “777” at the 2022 Grammy Awards, where they picked up four wins for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best R&B Performance, a...
Ray LaMontagne on Work-Life Balance: “I’m Such a Creature of Habit”
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS Ray LaMontagne catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about Monovision, his 2020 LP that is finally getting its supporting tour. (Get tickets to that “The Monovision Tour” here!) Related Video The singer-songwriter talks about re-recording “I Was Made to Love You” with Sierra Ferrell, being a creature of habit, and his work-life balance. LaMontagne also gives us a story about being complimented on his harmonica playing by Willie Nelson’s harmonica player, Mickey Raphael. Advertisement Listen to Ray LaMontagne discuss Monovision, getting back on the road, and more above, or via the YouTube player below. Then, make sure t...
