Mel & Tim - Mel & Tim -1974- Stax Records

Chicago soul duo Mel & Tim were cousins — Mel Hardin and Tim McPherson — who actually hailed from Holly Springs, MS, and made their way to Chicago via St. Louis. They were discovered by Gene Chandler and signed to his Bamboo label in 1969, when they scored a Top Ten pop and R&B single with the good-humored classic "Backfield in Motion." The follow-up, "Good Guys Only Win in the Movies," supplied the title for their first album and hit the R&B Top 20 later that year. Mel & Tim subsequently moved to Stax, where they landed a second Top Five R&B smash with the ballad "Starting All Over Again" (also the title track of their second album). Mel & Tim performed at the late-1972 charity concert Wattstax and were featured in the documentary film of the same name, singing "I May Not Be What You Want." Their self-titled final album appeared in 1973, after which the cousins faded away from the music scene.

The track "Keep The Faith" was sampled on Jay-Z "The Prelude" from The Kingdom Come album and on the DJ Premier produced MOP "Salute Part 2".
Check that
Enjoy !

Phyllis Hyman - Phyllis Hyman -1977-

Born in Philadelphia in 1949, Phyllis Hyman began her career as a singer influenced by jazz, and gradually moved towards heavily-produced urban contemporary ballads.

After singing in a few unknow groups as New Direction in the early 70s, Phyllis Hyman started singing background vocals on Jon Lucien’s Premonition LP and started singing in NY clubs. Her first big step was when she was highlighted on a cover of the Stylistics' "Betcha By Golly Wow," which appeared on Norman Connors' You Are My Starship LP in the mid 70s.

Buddah released Phyllis Hyman in 1977. That album set the standard for Hyman's career and features classy, mellow R&B sound made by players with esteemed jazz/R&B players like Gary Bartz, Skip Scarborough or Harvey Mason Sr.

Phyllis Hyman is curiously one of her most forgotten efforts, though it included many songs she would be later be identified with.

The album starts with the beautiful Thom Bell crafted "Loving You, Loosing You" with a superb strings intro.

Skip Scarborough's "No One Can Love You More" is indicative of her plentiful sensual charm and her rich vocal timbre. Although Hyman's vocal prowess is well known, this set also shows that she was gifted with an uncommon maturity. Hyman was only in her mid 20's when this was recorded. That self-possession made her glide through the majority of the material here. Thom Bell and Linda Creed's "I Don't Want to Lose You" (originally recorded by the Spinners) has Hyman's version even more of a tearjerker.

She made a major impression when her label was acquired by Arista the next year. Her first album under the new label, Somewhere in My Lifetime, was highly successful. Its title track was produced by Barry Manilow and with "You Know How to Love Me" made the R&B Top 20.

Hyman got her lone Top Ten hit in 1981 with "Can't We Fall in Love Again," but her albums did consistently well through the '80s. The production teams of Mtume/Reggie Lucas and Narada Michael Walden/Thom Bell gave her material that showcased her skill with sophisticated ballads. Hyman had more success when she left Arista for Philadelphia International in 1986, with the single "Living All Alone" putting her back in the R&B Top 20. She also sang on fusion and light jazz dates by Joe Sample, Ronnie Foster, and Grover Washington, Jr., a more conventional jazz session for McCoy Tyner, and a pop date with the Four Tops.

She struggled with bipolar disorder, depression, alcoholism, weight gain and financial problems. She was also emotionally exhausted from lending her talents to AIDS benefits concerts and support groups. Adding to her sorrow, her mother and grandmother died within a month of one another, which she wrote about in the song "This Too Shall Pass".

On the afternoon of June 30th, 1995, Hyman committed suicide by taking a drug overdose. She was found just hours before she was scheduled to perform at the famed Apollo Theatre. It was a week before her 46th birthday.

She left a suicide note reading, "I'm tired I'm tired those of you that I love know who you are may god bless you." it is thought that the last part of the message was for her family and fans.

I strongly recommend the 1977 album named Phyllis Hyman and her first Philadelphia album in 1987. All the Arista recordings are very good but albums are filled with some outstanding tracks and so-so songs.

Just below you can find a great live performance from Phyllis and you can download and listen the track "Loving You, Loosing You" you can enjoy.

Phyllis Hyman - In A Sentimental Mood (1981)

Phyllis Hyman - In A Sentimental Mood -1981-
The track was from the 1981's Sophisticated Ladies soundtrack, it is a cover of Duke Ellington's classic. What more can we say ? Just enjoy !

Teddy Pendergrass - Teddy (Philadelphia International Records/1979)

After the big success of the Motown record label in the 60s, record companies wanted to get their own motown, in 1970 Columbia decided to sign dynamic duo Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff with their all new label Philadelphia International Records.
Given a $75,000 advance for 15 singles, with LPs budgeted at $25,000 apiece, Gamble and Huff soon exploded into the national musical consciousness, selling some ten million records in the span of nine months thanks to monster hits including Billy Paul's "Me and Mrs. Jones," Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' "If You Don't Know Me by Now" and the O'Jays' "Back Stabbers" and "Love Train." Their signature aesthetic — an intoxicating combination of sweeping strings, smoky horns and insistent rhythms — emerged as the definitive soul sound of the early '70s, also becoming the blueprint for the rise of disco during the latter half of the decade.
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes included the young talented singer named Teddy Pendergrass. Unfortunately, the more success the group had, the more friction developed between Melvin and Pendergrass. Despite the revised billing of the group, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Theodore Pendergrass, Pendergrass felt that he wasn't getting enough recognition.
Harold Melvin decided to create the Blue Notes and Teddy Pendergrass decided to go solo with a new contract with Philadelphia International Records in late 1976/1977.
Before rushing his Rolls Royce into a tree that left Pendergrass paralyzed from the waist down and wheelchair bound, he recorded amazing soul albums on the label. It is hard to choose one album from him but if you got to take one choose Teddy. The album is just perfect as the first track going " Come Go With Me " a real bedroom classic that i must have listened a 1000 times and still feel fresh to my ear. " Turn Off The Lights " keep the heat on, whereas " Set Me Free " is a disco/soul masterpiece with an amazing orchestration.
Better than Barry White, smoother than Marvin Gaye, it is The Male Soul singer of the 70s.
Discography :
1977 - Teddy Pendergrass
1978 - Life Is The Song Worth Singing
1979 - Teddy
1979 - Live ! Coast To Coast
1980 - TP
1981 - It’s Time For Love
Except the Live ! album only good for die hard fans (i am) all those albums are perfect.

Utada Hikaru - Exodus (Island/2005)

In Japan, Utada Hikaru is a superstar singer. In Europe and in USA she is unknown. Born in NY in 1983 to a traditional Japanese-style singer mother and a musician/producer father, Hikaru Utada grew up in the recording studio. Her father's production job bounced her between New York City and Tokyo, with the only constant being naps and homework in the studio. She was bilingual at an early age and soon came to understand both American and Japanese cultures.
Her first J-Pop albums were inspired by US Alternative rock. But she started getting R&B attention by hiring Rodney Jerkins and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis on the album Distance (2001) with the massive hit "Addicted To You". She also worked with the Neptunes on the Rush Hour 2 Soundtrack.
For her first english album she decided to work with Steve Sidelnyk and Pete Davis (that worked with Robbie Williams, Dido...), Mars Volta's drummer Jon Theodore and of course superstar Timbaland.
It’s not a pop masterpiece but it’s a decidedly good record. Few J-Pop artists ever attempt to make such a bold and risky record, but with Exodus, Utada has established herself as an individual who can proudly stand aside from the rest of the identikit J-Pop idols.
The title track Exodus'04 (you can watch the video just below is the best track of 2004 for me with oriental strings and vocals and with superb piano adlibs. The song is talking about her departure from her country to launch a career in USA.
If you are tired of your usual R&B singer try that album and if you start feeling that beautiful singer go get her japanese albums (www.yesasia.com to buy asian records).
She get a new album this year called "Ultra Blue".

Utada Hikaru - Exodus'04

Utada's video from 2004's album Exodus. The track is produced by Timbaland.