Soul singer Gloria Brown, better known as Tami Lynn, achieved a modicum of celebrity in this country with her 1971 Top 10 hit, I’m Gonna Run Away From You, collaborations with Dr John and cameo appearance on arguably The Rolling Stones’ best album.
1976 was an exciting year for R&B. Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye crafted albums that sit among their greatest works; the former pushed for social change through a no-borders musical approach on Songs In The Key Of Life; the latter explored sexual politics in a way no one had done before on I Want You.Others were rejoicing in the social and cult…
From the moment Chino Moreno stepped on stage, it was obvious this wasn’t just another tour date. He looks revitalised on this run, elastic, ferocious, almost reborn. There’s a clarity to the band right now that feels hard-earned. Not nostalgia. Not comfort. Control.
This is my theory: things are only good when they have humour in them. Books without any jokes are not only boring, they’re unrealistic. Films where nobody laughs or takes the mickey out of someone are not only boring and unrealistic, they’re unintentionally funny (especially Star Wars movies, where you have to suspend your sense of humour and …
A Jamaican of Chinese heritage, bassist Phil Chen played with the cream of British and American rock musicians across four decades from the 70s to the 2000s. A perfectionist with an infectious love for playing and a distinctive, highly melodic style, Chen’s technique sprang from a deep wellspring of the soul. His stated mission was to bring joy t…
Singer-songwriter Emeli Sande, 39, has won four BRIT Awards and had two UK No 1 singles: Read All About It (with Professor Green) and Beneath Your Beautiful (with Labrinth). Born to a Zambian father and English mother, Sande was raised in Aberdeenshire where she now has a studio. Her recent single, Roots, is on her own label, Venus Records.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the power and the potential of objects lately, especially the musical kind. It’s a product of the fact that I’ve been recording lots of vintage omnichord (a kind of electronic autoharp) for my new album – a hefty, plastic, and rather ugly instrument that I acquired through what I and Marla Singer in Fight…
At the height of the skiffle craze in 1957, there were estimated to be between 40,000 and 50,000 combos performing throughout the UK. Most were a flash in the pan but one group worth mentioning are Les Hobeaux; almost as much for the originality of their name as their take on the music.
You might have never heard the name Wally Badarou before, but the Franco-Beninese synth prodigy has undoubtedly played on some of your favourite records. His credits stretch back as far as the late 70s, so you may be surprised to learn that he’s a relatively spritely 70 years young.
Exponents of post-Cabaret Voltaire/23 Skidoo/Pop Group avant-disco, Chakk formed in Sheffield and were active from 1981 until 1987. Their potent blend of funk, punk, and tape manipulations veered toward the experimental, and, while the band’s singular sound did not lead to commercial success, their influence on subsequent acts was considerable.
