D'ANGELO

D'Angelo was one of the founding fathers and leading lights of the neo-soul movement of the mid- to late '90s, which aimed to bring the organic flavor of classic R&B back to the hip-hop age. Modeling himself on the likes of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Curtis Mayfield, and Al Green, D'Angelo's influences didn't just come across in his vocal style -- like most of those artists, he wrote his own material (and frequently produced it as well), helping to revive the concept of the R&B auteur. His debut album, Brown Sugar, gradually earned him an audience so devoted that the follow-up, Voodoo, debuted at number one despite a five-year wait in between.

Michael D'Angelo Archer was born February 11, 1974, in Richmond, VA, the son of a Pentecostal minister. He began teaching himself piano as a very young child, and at age 18, he won the amateur talent competition at Harlem's Apollo Theater three weeks in a row. He was briefly a member of a hip-hop group called I.D.U. and signed a publishing deal with EMI in 1991. His first major success came in 1994 as a writer/producer, helming the single "U Will Know" on the Jason's Lyric soundtrack; it featured a one-time, all-star R&B aggregate dubbed Black Men United. That helped lead to his debut solo album, 1995's Brown Sugar. Helped by the title track and "Lady," Brown Sugar slowly caught on with R&B fans looking for an alternative to the hip-hop soul dominating the urban contemporary landscape; along with artists like Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell, D'Angelo became part of a retro-leaning, neo-soul revivalist movement. Brown Sugar received enormously complimentary reviews and sold over two million copies, and D'Angelo supported it with extensive touring over the next two years.

And then -- not much of anything happened. D'Angelo took some time off to rest and split acrimoniously with his management; meanwhile, EMI went under, leaving his 1998 stopgap release Live at the Jazz Cafe out of print. On occasion, D'Angelo contributed a cover tune to a movie soundtrack, including Eddie Kendricks' "Girl You Need a Change of Mind" (Get on the Bus), the Ohio Players' "Heaven Must Be Like This" (Down in the Delta), and Prince's "She's Always in My Hair" (Scream 2). He also duetted with Lauryn Hill on "Nothing Really Matters," a cut from her Grammy-winning blockbuster The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Still, fans awaiting a proper follow-up to Brown Sugar remained frustrated -- at first by no news at all, and then by frequent delays in the recording process and the scheduled release date. Finally, the special-guest-laden Voodoo was released in early 2000 and debuted at number one, an indication of just how large -- and devoted -- D'Angelo's fan base was. The extremely Prince-like lead single, "Untitled (How Does It Feel)," was a smash on the R&B charts and won a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal; likewise, Voodoo won for Best R&B Album. Reviews of Voodoo were once again highly positive, although a few critics objected to the looser, more atmospheric, more jam-oriented feel of the record, preferring the tighter songcraft of Brown Sugar.   (allmusic.com)

Brown Sugar

Untitled (How Does It Feel?)

Chicken Grease

Cruisin'

Lady

Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine

Shit, Damn, Motherfucker

Send It On

Jonz In My Bonz

Sweet Sticky Thing

Use Me

Dusty Springfield

Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien, professionally known as Dusty Springfield, was an English pop singer. Of the female artists of the British Invasion, Springfield made the biggest impression on the U.S. market. From 1963 to 1970, she scored 18 singles in the Billboard Hot 100. She was voted the Top British Female Artist by readers of New Musical Express in 1964, 1965, and 1968. Springfield is an inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the UK Music Hall of Fame. She was named among the 25 female rock artists of all time by readers of Mojo magazine (1999), editors of Q magazine (2002), and a panel of artists on the TV channel VH1 (2007).   

A fan of American soul music, Dusty Springfield created a distinctive blue-eyed soul sound. Her distinctive voice was described by Burt Bacharach as:"...three notes and you knew it was Dusty." Her dashing, glamourous image was supported by a peroxided blonde beehive hairstyle, heavy use of eyeliner, and luscious evening gowns. The fact that Springfield was never in a publicly known relationship meant that the question of whether she was lesbian continued to be raised throughout her life.

Springfield began her solo career in 1963 with the Phil Spector-influenced pop/rock song "I Only Want To Be With You". Her following chart hits included "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" and "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me". She campaigned to bring little-known soul singers to a wider U.K. audience by devising and hosting the first British performances of top-selling Motown Records artists on The Sound of Motown, a special edition of the Ready Steady Go! TV series in 1965. "The Look of Love", written for Springfield by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, was featured in the scene of Ursula Andress seducing Peter Sellers in the film Casino Royale. The song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song. The sudden changes of world pop music towards the experimentation of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Summer of Love themes, and psychedelia left Springfield out of fashion. To boost her credibility, she went to Memphis, Tennessee to record an album of pop and soul music with Atlantic Records' production team of Jerry Wexler, Arif Mardin, and Tom Dowd. The LP Dusty in Memphis received the Grammy Hall of Fame award in 2001 and was listed among the 100 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone and VH1, readers of New Musical Express, and viewers of Channel 4. The standout track of the album, "Son of a Preacher Man", was an international Top 10 chart hit in 1969. The song was revived in 1994 by Quentin Tarantinoincluding it in the Pulp Fiction soundtrack, which sold over three million copies.Springfield's low period after Dusty in Memphis ended in 1987, when a collaboration with the Pet Shop Boys returned her to the top 20 of UK and U.S. charts with the singles "What Have I Done to Deserve This?", "Nothing Has Been Proved" and "In Private". Springfield kept recording until she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995 and died in 1999.  (wikdipedia)

I Only Want To Be With You

You Don't Have To Say You Love Me

Son Of A Preacher Man

Spooky

Everyday I Have To Cry

A House Is Not A Home

The Look Of Love

Can I Get A Witness

Wishing & Hoping

All I See You

Think It's Going To Rain Today

Get Ready

Knowing When To Leave

By Myself

How Can I Be Sure

w/ Tom Jones

Silly Fool

Baby Blue

Once Upon A Time

Nowhere To Run

In The Middle Of Nowhere

Anything You Can Do

I Am Woman

Since I Fell For You

Some Of Your Lovin'

The O'Jays

The O'Jays are a Philadelphia soul group, originally consisting of Walter Williams (born August 25, 1942), Bill Isles, Jerome Pierson, Bobby Massey, William Powell (January 20, 1942 - May 26, 1977) and Eddie Levert (born June 16, 1942). The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004 and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. The O'Jays (now a trio after the departure of Isles) had their first hit with "Lonely Drifter" in 1963. In spite of its success, the group was considering quitting the music business until Gamble & Huff, a legendary team of producers and songwriters, took an interest in the group. With Gamble & Huff, the O'Jays emerged at the forefront of Philadelphia soul with Back Stabbers (1972), a huge pop hit.

They formed the group in Canton, Ohio in 1958 while attending high school. Originally known as The Triumphs, followed by The Mascots, the friends began recording with "Miracles" in 1961, which was a moderate hit in the Cleveland area. They took the name "the O'Jays", in tribute to radio disc jockey Eddie O'Jay (Toop, 1991), in 1963 and released "Lonely Drifter", which charted nationally. Their debut LP was Comin' Through. Throughout the 1960s, they continued to chart with songs such as "Lipstick Traces" (which they performed nationally on the ABC Television program , "Shivaree") , "Stand In For Love","Let It All Out", "I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow", "Deeper In Love With You" and "One Night Affair", along with several other regional & national Pop & R&B hits. In 1972, they finally scored with their first million-seller, "Back Stabbers", from the gold album of the same name. By this time, original member Bobby Massey had also departed , leaving the group a trio. This album also produced several more hit singles, including "992 Arguments", "Sunshine", "Time To Get Down", and the #1 Pop smash, "Love Train".

During the remainder of the 1970s, the O'Jays continued releasing chart-topping singles, including "Put Your Hands Together" (Pop #10), "For the Love of Money" (Pop #9), "Give the People What They Want", "Let Me Make Love To You", "I Love Music" (Pop #5), "Livin' for the Weekend", "Message in Our Music", and "Darlin' Darlin' Baby (Sweet Tender Love)". Original member William Powell died of cancer in 1977.

After adding Sammy Strain (born December 9, 1941) (of Little Anthony & the Imperials), the O'Jays continued recording, though with limited success. 1978's "Use ta Be My Girl" was their final Top Five hit, though they continued placing songs on the R&B charts throughout the 1980s. Their 1987 album, Let Me Touch You, was a breakthrough of sorts, and included the #1 R&B hit "Lovin' You". Though they continued charting on the R&B charts in the late 80s and early 1990s, the O'Jays never again achieved pop success. In 1992, Sammy Strain left the group, and returned to the Imperials, to be replaced by Nathaniel Best, and later, by Eric Grant. Later in the 90s, the group did little recording, though they remained a popular live draw. Their latest album was Imagination in 2004.   (wikipedia)

Lipstick Traces  (1966)

Back Stabbers

I Love Music

Love Train

For The Love Of Money

Let Me Make Love To You

Used To Be My Girl

Emotionally Yours

Deeper In Love With You