Charles Bradley

 Science of Soul time yet again and I'd like to say  it's been great to hear from so many of our listeners from all over the world and it still amazes me... I have to say thank you to everyone for sharing our links with friends, please, please continue to do that 'cus, so much soul still to share.

Lizli Valentine & Bert Keys

It's a real privilege this week to have on our 'Listeners Choice spot,' Ms Lezli Valentine from Columbus Ohio, USA. Many of you old school soul folks will remember Lezli from her work with Sylvia Robinson in New Jersey (the Stang/All-Platimum labels), Lezli sang backgrounds on pretty much all of those stable releases as well as co-writing many classic songs, including "Love On A Two Way Street," a song she wrote with Bert Keyes and Sylvia Robinson, that they insistently failed to credit her with! Lezli actually recorded the original version of the song, some twelve months before the Moments put it out (it's included in this weeks show.) I'm honored that Lezli listens to show and took on the sizable task of picking just three songs, it's much harder than you might think!

Marvin Sapp

There's a few interesting live dates coming up at London's Jazz Cafe' soon, also Dwele is stopping over for three nights; April 17, 18, and 19th, then May see's the lovely Melba Moore making another rare UK appearance, that's on the 2nd and 3rd, shows well worth checking out I think. It's important we support live shows were ever we can or sometime later we end up looking back saying; "I wish I'd had gone to this or that show". In our gospel, 'G' spot this week we have music from the incomparable Marvin Sapp. I have been lucky enough to see this man live, an incredible experience. The track I've chosen gives you just a glimpse of this man's amazing presence. Remember If you have a gospel track that I need to hear just get in touch either via the Facebook page or via bill.randle@thebridgeradio.net

The featured artist this week is Charles Bradley who's new album Victim Of Love has a great retro feel yet manages to sound also fresh, he is also found featured in a new film/documentary about himself who has been struggling for success for some 48 years and now in his 60's, things are now moving for him! (film trailer above - DVD out in May, 2013)

This a really great time for soul music and there's so much new product that refuses to follow trends. It's been a long time since we had such a wealth and variation in our music. At the Science Of Soul we try to showcase as much as possible. Got a couple of new releases from Dave Welding's Soul Junction label this week, that consistently put out solid product and these are no exception. The David Washington 45 is a real double header so I will playing both sides. My thanks to Soul Junction records for keeping us up to date. Myself and Mickey were trawling through the archives this week to find you some classic slow jams, I hope you enjoy what we found because we had a great time looking anyway!

Thanks for being part of our Science Of Soul family... now sit back enjoy the music.

Playlist for Sunday the 7th April 2013


 Hour One 
Eric Gable - I Can Make You Feel Good
The Temptations - Some Enchanted Evening
David Washington - Games
Audio/Vince Broomfield - Don't Move A Muscle
Lezli Valentine - Love On A Two Way Street
The Moments - Somebody Loves You Baby
Eddie Kendricks - Not On The Outside
Susan Phillips - Key In The Mailbox
The Originals - Oh, You Put A Crush On Me
The Four Tops - Strung Out For Your Love
Charles Bradley - Hurricane / Victim Of Love
David Washington - Ready For Your Love

 Hour Two 
Johnson & Branson - Midnite Lady
Gene Chandler - Haven't I Heard That Line Before
Teena Marie - Dont Turn Your Back
The Four Mints - Row Your Boat
Bunny Sigler - Can I
Greg Walker - Thank You
Charles Bradley - Let Love Stand A Chance
The Delfonics - La La Means I Love You
Ed Townsend - How Could You Do It
Marvin Sapp - Best In Me
Bobby Womack - If You Think Your Lonley Now
 .
Charles Bradley biography:

Most artists appreciate their audiences, just as many are grateful for them, but few artists love their fans as much and as sincerely as Charles Bradley. “I want them to know how much they have helped me grow," notes Bradley when discussing Victim of Love, the follow up to his widely praised debut album No Time For Dreaming. The “Screaming Eagle Of Soul” is set to release the 11-track set April 2 on Daptone Records imprint Dunham Records.

By now, Bradley’s remarkable, against-all-odds rise has been well-documented – how he transcended a bleak life on the streets and struggled through a series of ill-fitting jobs – most famously as a James Brown impersonator at Brooklyn clubs – before finally being discovered by Daptone's Gabe Roth. The year following the release of No Time For Dreaming was one triumph after another: a stunning performance at South By Southwest that earned unanimous raves; similarly-gripping appearances at Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Newport Folk Festival and Outside Lands (to name just a few); and spots on Year-End Best Lists from Rolling Stone, SPIN, GQ, Pasteand more.

Victim of Love is a continuation of that story, moving past the 'heartache and pain' and closer to the promise of hope. Where the last record opened with the apocalyptic "The World (is Going Up in Flames), Victim begins with the “Strictly Reserved for You,” a track where Bradley grabs his girl, jumps in a car and hits the highway for a romantic getaway. "You Put The Flame on It" sees Bradley backed by a horn chart that sounds like it was lifted from a lost Four Tops single. And on “Victim of Love,” the track that lent the album its name, Bradley sings over a gentle acoustic guitar, "I woke up this morning, I felt your love beside me.”

The new album also brings a broader musical scope. Where Dreaming hewed close to the rough-and-ready R&B sound Daptone has become known for, Victim is stylistically more restless, edging closer into the kind of psychedelic soul The Temptations explored in the early '70s. "People are not going to expect this. There's a lot of psych influences on this record, a lot of fuzz guitar," notes Thomas Brenneck of Menahan Street Band, Bradley's producer, bandleader and co-writer. "Confusion” most exemplifies the new direction of the album, opening with an echo-drenched vocal and charging rhythmic cadence.

The album’s closing track "Through the Storm" best summarizes Victim’s message. Over a deep gospel groove, Bradley expresses his gratitude – to his fans, his friends and to God – for their support, their dedication and their devotion. "When the world gives you love," he sings, "It frees your soul."

This is the new message of Charles Bradley, the Bradley who has emerged from the heartache stronger and more confident, overflowing with love to share. This is Charles Bradley, victim of love -- gratefully returning the joy that has been given to him. His site: www.thecharlesbradley.com