Rome

New Rome EP

On this weeks show I will be featuring the new EP "My Time Again" from Rome, It's been awhile since we had anything new from Mr Jerome Woods, but let me tell you its been worth the wait, this new project is
very polished in deed ...I think you gonna like it. Since RCA signed him and released his debut album in 1997, which went on to sell over half a million copies in the U.S.,mainly on the strength of the single "I Belong to You (Everytime I See Your Face)", he has quietly put out some nice albums.

Other new music this week from Avery Sunshine the Neo Soul lady is in fine form on her new set and you will be hearing more from it over the coming weeks. I'm sure your aware of Brian Owens latest album of Marvin Gaye songs  that's very well done I must say. In the gospel seat today I have included Brian's version of "God Is Love" originally done on Marvin' s classic What's Going On album.

A new name to myself is Jerrod Lawson, this self titled album has just hit the streets, and very good it is to! Thanks to Mickey for bringing this to my attention. My good friend Bradd Marquis has teamed up with in demand soul-stress Tess Henley for his latest endevour, have to say what a great combination, "Break Up" is a fine piece of work and very radio friendly.

All in all quite a bit of new music this week but don't worry I still have your quota of classics included!
Please remember to share the Science of Soul link as it wont cost you a penny and music is a timeless gift to give, on with the show sit back relax and enjoy..

Playlist for Sunday 25th May 2014 (African Liberation Day!)

Hour One
Bettye Swan - The Boy Next Door
Dunn Pearson Jr.-Programmed For Love
Avery Sunshine - One Foot Ahead
Malik Pendleton - Lucky Fellow
T. K. Soul - Looking For A Lady
Clayton Hooker - Have You Had Enough
Rome - I Like Ya + Tell The Truth
Angela Johnson - Dream Flight
Rayfield Reid - Treat You Right
Jimmy Hughes - I'm So Glad
Brian Owens - God Is Love
A. T. Toombs - Past Love
Frank McComb - Somebody Like You

Hour Two
Jarrod Lawson - Needed
Jose James - Trouble
The 5 Stairsteps - Time
Sam Dee's/Bettye Swann - Just As Sure
Co- Ed - Be Alone
Bradd Marquis ft Tess Henley - Break Up
Teddy Pendergrass - Just Because
Bobby McClure - You Bring Out The Love In Me
Reggie P - Hold On
Temptations - Some Enchanted Evening
Rome - Flesh.com
Tyrone Davis - In The Mood

Rome Biography:

Jerome Woods (born March 5, 1970 in Benton Harbor, Michigan), better known by his stage name Rome, is an American R&B singer.

Woods sang in a cover band called Fire & Ice while a high schooler, and toured regionally both as a solo artist and with the band. He attended Oakwood University but dropped out in 1989 and moved to California in hopes of making a career as a singer. He toured with Vesta but had little success until he met with Gerald Baillergeau and Victor Merrit, the producers who heard his demo and sent it to RCA Records. RCA signed him and released his debut album in 1997, which went on to sell over half a million copies in the U.S., mainly on the strength of the single "I Belong to You (Everytime I See Your Face)", which peaked at #6 in the U.S. He had two Top 40 hits from the album.

Having achieved success with his RCA Records debut, a projected second album was rejected. Instead, he signed a distribution deal with Ground Level for his own label follow-up - Rome2000: Thank You, but the material recorded while under contract to RCA has never been released. In 2001 he returned with two albums: To The Highest and To Infinity (Thank You); the last one is just an alternative edition of Rome2000: Thank You. Do It followed in 2003, and three years later Sony issued Rome's Best Of, which has only 10 songs from his 1997 debut. (wikipedia)

Michael Jackson

Teddy Paterson

Welcome to this weeks Science of Soul, New York City links are getting stronger! I would like to welcome on board two new sponsors in addition to David Marquis of the Rise corporation, joining us now is Mr Teddy Peterson. Teddy is one of New York City's hottest and most respected menswear designers with a reputation for high quality clothing and slick style's has put him at the forefront of NYC fashion industry. Suits are adorned by some of the City's most prominent men, so please check out suit's by Teddy Peterson you can see a sample of his work on his Face Book page.

Blak King

Incidentally Teddy ships worldwide so you can have a slice of New York wherever you are. I'm proud to announce renowned photographer Blak King has become part of the Science of Soul family. If the Big Apple is your home city you will know or know of Blak, from Harlem to the Bronx, Long Island to Brooklyn and beyond, Blak is the man that captures the heartbeat of NYC, I'm truly honored to linked with these three inspiring gentlemen.

On the music front this weeks feature album might be a bit of a shock for you , Micheal Jackson's posthumous set "Xscape" has a few very special moments ...OK in it's entirety it doesn't blow me away, but wow the three tracks on this weeks show are pretty special so I thought I would bring them to your attention.

A.T. Toombs

 Zbonic's featuring Gregory Porter (on some tracks), the album is kind of old school funk mixed with jazz a combination that I think works pretty well. Here's a new name for you A. T. Toombs a young man out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, His debut set for UK based Soul Junction records has just hit the streets "Veteran Of Love" I'll be featuring this album heavily over the coming weeks A. T. is a very accomplished vocalist and his songwriting skills are at the forefront of this album ...a man to watch out for I think.

Rounding out some of the other new product this week; my brother Randy Darbonne, who's album " Truth" I featured on it's release has just completed the video to accompany the track that's been getting great revues, "Voodoo Child" you can find it on you tube and hopefully via a link from this page. On with the music you know the deal, music from the past to music from the present ....that's The Science Of Soul...enjoy.

This weeks playlist, 18th May 2014


Hour One
Jewel Bass - Let Your Love Rain Down
Zbonic's ft Gregory Porter - Issues Of Life
Friends Of Distinction - Sweet Young Thing Like U
Sunny Hawkins - Where Would I Be
Randy Darbonne - Voodoo Child
Jimmy 100% Sterling - Never Gonna Give You Up
Micheal Jackson - She Was Loving Me
Micheal Jackson - I Was A Loser
Wilson Meadows - When You Love Somebody
Howard Tate - Ain't Nobody Home
Marwan - I Got You
L V Johnson - We Belong Together
Joe Leavy - Real Love
Ann Nesby - This Could Be Love

Hour Two
Denise Lasalle - Married But Not To Each Other
Freddie Jackson - A Dozen Roses
Eddie Kendrick - Maybe I'm A Fool To Love You
A. T. Toombs - Wanna Be Your Man
Eliah - Be With You
Jacqui Williams - Do This World A Favour
Aretha Franklin - So Damn Happy
Eddie Levert - What If
Eric Benet' - Sometimes I Cry
Micheal Jackson - Love Never Felt So Good (studio demo)
William Bell - I'll Do Anything For Love


 Xscape: Amazon review by Tom Hughes

If you have ever liked Michael Jackson's music then this album is simply a must purchase, especially in the deluxe format as the originals are in most cases far better than anything Timberland, Dark Child or Rodney Jerkins can remix.

The opener "Love Never Felt So Good" is a classic, feel good Jackson soul ballad. It is a beautiful song that could have easily been added to "Off the Wall" or "Thriller" as a single, it is that strong.

Another gem is "Loving you" which in remixed form on the standard album sounds well done as an up-tempo dance up and in the context of the album really injects some pace. However Michael's synth driven original is a slow paced "Bad" era ballad that is one the most uplifting, touching songs he has ever written. It is also quite personal and written in the first person, which is actually quite rare for any Jackson song post Bad, as lyrics started to become more impersonal and paranoid.

Chicago is a smooth modern take on the Liberian Girl theme from Bad but with less of the magical visceral fantasy imagery that astounded much of his best work. Another song that struggles for this reason is "Do You Know Where Your Children Are" which is more of a statement of concern than a well crafted piece of pop.

Blue Gangsta and A Place with No Name (especially the acoustic, western inspired deluxe original version) are other high points in a album that is successful on so many levels. Considering how it has been constructed with many different producers over such a protracted time frame it is incredible how complete and diverse it actually feels. The downside to this album is that I agree it is overproduced in some places and many of the best versions of these songs are the original versions that are only available in the deluxe package.

Jimmy Ruffin

Happy birthday Jimmy!

Welcome to this weeks edition of the science of soul, I am sending out congratulations to my old friend Mr Jimmy Ruffin who turned 75 this week, Jimmy was one of Motown's most popular artists in Europe, so I
thought I would celebrate by playing a couple of Jimmy classics neither of which came out on Motown incidentally, they really show the smooth side of Jimmy and are so often overlooked.

Other new music on this weeks show comes from Alonzo Reid, you will also spot Reggie P on the playlist this guy was amazing if you like soul drenched with emotion one time member of The Barkays Reggie is your man, Check out the YouTube video of Reggie's last ever performance filmed in Texas shortly before his sad passing.
 
Southern soul legend Bigg Robb has a new tune this week and if you get chance to catch the big man live don't you miss it.....Bigg Robb live is an experience. I am not a great fan of Incognito but I have to say there new set "Amplified Soul" has a few nice moments and I have included a track on the show that jumped out at me and I think you might like it.

Thanks to all the people who share the Science of Soul link week in and week out I really appreciate your support and friendship, sometimes I don't have the time to promote the show like I should and the help you give in spreading the word is invaluable. One thing I love about presenting the science of soul is that it reminds me of music and artists that I sometimes take for granted, then I hear something that still blows me away and I get a chance to share it with you, that's the greatest joy in the world. On with the music sit back relax and enjoy...

Playlist for Sunday 11th. May 2014


Hour One

Dunn Street - Even A Fool
Shelia Moore - I Get Excited
Bigg Robb - Getting It In
Tristan - Odds To Win
O. B. Buchanan - It's Over
Mighty Pope - If You Want A Love Affair
Jimmy Ruffin What You See Is What U
"    " + Heaven 17 Foolish Thing To Do
Cleveland Eaton - Pure Love
The Whispers - Butta
Phil Perry - Pretty Lady
The Individuals - I Love The Way You Love

Hour Two
Incognito - Stop Running Away
Alonzo Reid - I Tried
Al Hudson - Baby Let Me Love You
Al Green - Look What You've Done For Me
Little Milton - That's How Strong My Love Is
Maurice Wynn - The Part Of Making Love
Reggie P - Playing Me For A Fool
Kool & The Gang - Love Affair
Isaac Hayes - Eye Of The Storm
Curtis Mayfield - Show Me Love
The Dramatics - Just Shopping

Jimmy Ruffin Biography:

Born 7 May 1939, Collinsville, Mississippi, USA. The son of a minister, Ruffin was born into a musical family: his brother, David Ruffin, and cousin, Melvin Franklin, both became mainstays of the Temptations. Ruffin abandoned his gospel background to become a session singer in the early 60s, joining the Motown Records stable in 1961 for a one-off single before he was drafted for national service. After leaving the US Army, he returned to Motown, turning down the opportunity to join the Temptations and instead recommending his brother for the joBorn His commercial breakthrough came in 1966 with the major US and UK hit "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted", which displayed his emotional, if rather static, vocals. After three smaller hits, Ruffin found success in the USA hard to sustain, concentrating instead on the British market. "I'll Say Forever My Love" and "It's Wonderful" consolidated his position in the UK, and in 1970 he was voted the world's top singer in one British poll. Ruffin left Motown in the early 70s after an unsuccessful collaboration with his brother, and achieved minor success with singles on Polydor Records and Chess Records. Despite his popularity as a live performer in Britain, he enjoyed no significant hits until 1980, when "Hold On To My Love", written and produced by Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees, brought him his first US Top 30 hit for 14 years. A duet with Maxine Nightingale, "Turn To Me", was a big seller in 1982, while Ruffin's only other success of note in the 80s was the British chart-contender "There Will Never Be Another You" in 1985. He joined Ian Levine's Motor City label in 1988 and recorded two singles with Brenda Holloway.

Soulfinger

Welcome to the latest edition of the Science of Soul, on this weeks show I will be featuring a couple of tracks from the new album by Soulfinger, It seems there is a trend at the moment to re record older tunes, tho I'm not a great fan of this trend I much prefer new music as opposed to just recording what in most cases is pretty hard to better.

In its defense what it does do on occasions is bring the original artist back to prominence and of course the original writers get an unexpected pay day, now having said that it as to be done well and in the case of Soulfinger they have some real emerging soul talent on vocals so its worth a listen, are they as good as the original versions its hard for me to make an unbiased comment ...but many will be hearing them for the first time and they just might think, hmmmm there might be something in this old soul music that I like and investigate further. Lets hope that's the case.

I was going through tracks to include in the show the other day and came across a couple of William Bell classics I had all but forgotten, I was thinking, okey! which track shall I include this week, then I thought Shit...it's my show, lol I'll play both, my thanks to Dave Allen for sending me a nice copy of " If Sex Was All We Had " mine was in pretty poor shape, lol.

I have also included the new single from Kase Sounds though I did play it a few weeks back, I thought I just give you a gentle reminder of how great some contemporary gospel music is. I hope you got a chance to check out the Science of Soul special podcast only edition, that Mickey posted last week as well as to the regular show, the interview with Rufus Thomas is a real glimpse into a real soul legend who's career spanned over 70 yrs and what an amazing man he was ...don't miss that one.

That's it music time, and time to remember; to share the link, the more we reach the more we teach..


Playlist for Sunday 4th May 2014

Hour One
James Brown - The Payback
Marlan Soulflow - You're So Fine
Kase Sounds - Cover Me
William Bell - The Man In The Street
Omar Cunningham - Sweet Sweet Sweet
Soulfinger ft Antonique Smith - Seeing You Again
Soulfinger ft Leela James - Value Your Love
Charles Wilson - Trying To Make A Wrong Thing Right
Natasha Watts - Go Slow
The Mighty Majors - You Can Never Go Back
TK Soul - What Does It Take
Renaldo Domino - I'm A Good Man
The Modulations - You're Love As Me Locked Up

Hour Two
Ron Parks - Brand New Word
Men At Large - First Day
The Dells - I Wish It Was Me You Loved
Margi Coleman - I Miss You
Episode - Heaven Wont Have It
Bobby Womack - If You Think Your Lonely Now
Richard Cainton - I'm Gonna Love You More
William Bell - If Sex Was All We Had
Gods Gift To Women - Stop To Think It Over
Doc Powell ft Ali Ollie Woodson - Tell Her Love As Found The Need

Soulfinger's Biography: 

Soulfinger is the music production team behind “Life, Love & Passion” A heartfelt artistic statement paying tribute to the great songwriters of the classic “Motown” era. The idea was to highlight and re-record B-sides of lesser known soul music gems from the late 60ties up to mid of 70ties, inviting a variety of amazing artists to perform on one song each: Leela James • Teedra Moses • Jaguar Wright • Kathy Sledge • Syleena Johnson • Anthony David • Truth Hurts • Martin Luther • Joi • Stephanie McKay • Antonique Smith • Angela Johnson • Sara Devine • Milla Brune • Mizzy We want to put this labor-of-love out into the world in a very different manner than how it’s usually done. We have come up with (we hope) absolutely extraordinary luxury packaging for this super-limited, hand-numbered collector’s item. This will not be released in digital form, no iTunes, no Amazon, no Spotify.