The Best of Soul Train Volume 2 – Soul, Funk & R&B

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Best of Soul Train Volume 2 – Time Life DVD

 

 

 

 

 DVD 2010  25392-X

 

 notes:

The Best of Soul Train Volume 2 is a Time Life DVD release 
from 2010, presenting performances preserved from the 
archives of Soul Train, the landmark American music and 
dance television program created by Don Cornelius.

The cover states that the program ran for more than 
thirty-five years and featured many of the most important
 names in soul and R&B. Volume 2 includes performances such as:

Line-up / Musicians

Because this is a TV-performance compilation,
the musicians vary by performance:

Bill Withers – vocals; Use Me, Lean on Me
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes – vocals/group; If You Don't Know Me by Now
The Commodores – vocals and instrumental ensemble; Still,
 Three Times a Lady, Sail On
Curtis Mayfield – vocals, guitar; Pusherman, Superfly
War – vocals and instrumental ensemble; The Cisco Kid
The Main Ingredient – vocals/group; Everybody Plays the Fool
James Brown – vocals; Get on the Good Foot, Try Me, 
Sex Machine, Super Bad
Soul Train Dancers – featured in selected performances
The release also contains more than 60 minutes of bonus 
features, including interviews with Don Cornelius, 
Cuba Gooding Sr. and Eric Casem.

Recording Dates / Original Broadcasts

Bill Withers    Use Me    Episode 37 – Nov. 4, 1972
Bill Withers    Lean on Me    Episode 37 – Nov. 4, 1972
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes    If You Don't Know Me by Now    Episode 37 – Nov. 4, 1972
The Commodores    Still    Episode 316 – Dec. 15, 1979
The Commodores    Three Times a Lady    Episode 316 – Dec. 15, 1979
The Commodores    Sail On    Episode 316 – Dec. 15, 1979
Curtis Mayfield    Pusherman    Episode 45 – Jan. 6, 1973
War    The Cisco Kid    Episode 45 – Jan. 6, 1973
The Main Ingredient    Everybody Plays the Fool    Episode 45 – Jan. 6, 1973
Curtis Mayfield    Superfly    Episode 45 – Jan. 6, 1973
James Brown    Get on the Good Foot    Episode 49 – Feb. 10, 1973
James Brown    Try Me    Episode 49 – Feb. 10, 1973
James Brown    Sex Machine    Episode 49 – Feb. 10, 1973
James Brown    Super Bad    Episode 49 – Feb. 10, 1973

The songs were written by their respective original songwriters
 rather than specifically for the DVD. Key credits include:

Use Me – Bill Withers
Lean on Me – Bill Withers
If You Don't Know Me by Now – Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff
Still – Lionel Richie
Three Times a Lady – Lionel Richie
Sail On – Lionel Richie
Pusherman – Curtis Mayfield
The Cisco Kid – Papa Dee Allen & Harold Brown, with songwriting 
credits associated with War
Everybody Plays the Fool – Rudy Clark, J.R. Bailey & Ken Williams
Superfly – Curtis Mayfield
Get on the Good Foot – James Brown & Fred Wesley
Try Me – James Brown
I Got the Feelin' / Sex Machine-related repertoire – 
James Brown and collaborators
Super Bad – James Brown

Recorded: Live television performances for Soul Train, 1972–1979
Studio: Soul Train television production studios; 
various recording locations


The Best Of Soul Train DVD 2    
    Bill Withers–    Use Me    
    Bill Withers–    Lean On Me    
    Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes–    If You Don't Know Me By Now    
    Commodores–    Still    
    Commodores–    Three Times A Lady    
    Commodores–    Sail On    
    Curtis Mayfield–    Pusherman    
    War–    The Cisco Kid    
    The Main Ingredient–    Everybody Plays The Fool    
    Curtis Mayfield–    Superfly    
    James Brown–    Get On The Good Foot - Part 1    
    James Brown–    Try Me    
    James Brown–    Get Up I Feel Like Being Like A Sex Machine (Part 1)    
    James Brown–    Super Bad (Part 1 & Part 2)    
        The Best Of Soul Train DVD 2: Bonus Features    
    Don Cornelius–    Interview    
    Cuba Gooding, Sr.*–    Interview    
    Eric Casem–    Interview

 

 

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The Best of Soul Train – Vol. 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Best of Soul Train Vol. 1 – Time-Life DVD | Soul & Funk

 

 

 

 

on Time-Life DVD 2010  Vol. 1

 

 notes:

The Best of Soul Train – Vol. 1 is the first volume in Time-Life's collection
 celebrating the legendary American television program Soul Train. 
Released in 2010, this DVD presents historic performances 
from some of the most important names in soul, R&B and funk.

The program features The Isley Brothers, Graham Central Station, 
Barry White, Love Unlimited Orchestra, Marvin Gaye,
 Sly & the Family Stone, Earth, Wind & Fire, Gladys Knight & the Pips,
 The O'Jays and Aretha Franklin,
 alongside performances by the Soul Train Dancers.

The DVD also includes more than 65 minutes of bonus features,
 with interviews featuring Don Cornelius, Smokey Robinson and
 Brian McKnight. The approximate running time is 180 minutes. 
The complete Best of Soul Train collection documents performances 
originally broadcast during the show's influential years.

credits:

Because this is a compilation of original television performances, 
the DVD does not represent a single recording session with one
 fixed studio line-up. The musicians are the touring/band personnel 
accompanying each featured artist during their respective Soul Train appearances.

Notable performing groups include:
The Isley Brothers: Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley and O'Kelly Isley, 
with the group's contemporary touring musicians.
Graham Central Station: the band led by Larry Graham, 
featuring Graham's distinctive bass-driven funk sound.
Love Unlimited Orchestra: the large ensemble associated with 
Barry White, responsible for the orchestral arrangement of “Love's Theme.”
Sly & the Family Stone: the ensemble led by Sly Stone, 
combining soul, funk, rock and psychedelic influences.
Earth, Wind & Fire: the group led by Maurice White, known 
for its large horn, percussion and rhythm-section sound.

Original Broadcast / Recording Dates

The performances were recorded for television on different 
dates rather than in one recording session. The documented 
episodes represented on Volume 1 include:

Episode    Original broadcast    Featured artists
Episode 33    October 7, 1972    Gladys Knight & the Pips, The O'Jays
Episode 56    April 14, 1973    Aretha Franklin
Episode 89    February 16, 1974    Marvin Gaye
Episode 105    June 29, 1974    Sly & the Family Stone, Earth, Wind & Fire
Episode 119    December 14, 1974    The Isley Brothers, Graham Central Station
Episode 142    May 24, 1975    Barry White, Love Unlimited Orchestra
Episode 314    December 1, 1979    Aretha Franklin

Songwriters

Some of the principal compositions performed 
on the DVD were written by:

“That Lady” – O'Kelly Isley, Rudolph Isley, Ronald Isley
“Summer Breeze” – Seals & Crofts (James Seals, Dash Crofts)
“Release Yourself” – Larry Graham
“Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe” – Barry White
“Love's Theme” – Barry White
“What Am I Gonna Do with You” – Barry White
“You're the First, the Last, My Everything” – Barry White, 
 Peter Radcliffe, Tony Sepe
“Come Get to This” – Marvin Gaye
“Distant Lover” – Marvin Gaye, Sandra Greene, Marvin Tarplin
“Let's Get It On” – Marvin Gaye, Ed Townsend
“I Want to Take You Higher” – Sly Stone
“Dance to the Music” – Sly Stone
“Mighty Mighty” – Maurice White and Al McKay
“I Heard It Through the Grapevine” – Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong
“Back Stabbers” – Leon Huff, Gene McFadden, John Whitehead
“Respect” – Otis Redding
“Rock Steady” – Aretha Franklin

 

 

 

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Bo Diddley – The Black Gladiator (Checker LPS-3013, 1970)

Bo Diddley – The Black Gladiator | Checker LPS-3013

 

 

Checker Records 1970 – LPS-3013

 

 notes:

Released in June 1970, The Black Gladiator was Bo Diddley’s 
14th studio album and appeared on the Checker label as LPS-3013. 
The sessions took place on January 26–27, 1970, at Ter-Mar Studios in Chicago.

The album captures Bo Diddley experimenting with the psychedelic
 and funk-oriented sounds that were emerging around the Chess/Checker
 operation at the beginning of the 1970s. The record has been compared 
with the contemporary psychedelic blues projects of Muddy Waters 
and Howlin’ Wolf, while retaining Diddley’s unmistakable guitar, 
vocals and rhythmic approach.

The ten-track LP includes “Elephant Man,” “You, Bo Diddley,” “Black Soul,”
 “Power House,” “If the Bible’s Right,” “I’ve Got a Feeling,” “Shut Up, Woman,”
 “Hot Buttered Blues,” “Funky Fly” and “I Don’t Like You.”

credits:

Line-up / Musicians
Bo Diddley (Ellas McDaniel) – vocals, guitar
Chester Lindsey – bass
Bobby Alexis – organ
Clifton James – drums
Cookie Vee – tambourine, vocals

A&R – Phil Chess
Composed By – Bobby Alexias, Cornelia Redmond, Kay McDaniel
recorded : January 26–27, 1970.
Ter-Mar Recording Studios, Chicago, Illinois.
Engineer – Malcom Chisholm

tracklist:

Composed By – Bobby Alexis, Cornelia Redmond, Kay McDaniel

A1        Elephant Man    4:28    
A2        You, Bo Diddley    3:30    
A3        Black Soul    2:47    
A4        Power House    2:50    
A5        If The Bible's Right    3:08    
B1        I've Got A Feeling    2:46    
B2        Shut Up, Woman    3:40    
B3        Hot Buttered Blues    3:44    
B4        Funky Fly    2:55    
B5        I Don't Like You    3:10    

 

 

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Mr. James Brown – Gettin' Down To It (King Records KSD 1051, 1969)

James Brown – Gettin' Down To It | King KSD 1051

King Records 1968 ‎– KSD 1051

notes:

Gettin' Down To It is a distinctive side of James Brown, 
released by King Records in May 1969 as catalog KSD 1051.
 Rather than concentrating on his explosive funk sound,
Brown explores jazz standards and romantic ballads
 with the intimate backing of the Dee Felice Trio.

The album was recorded at King Studios in Cincinnati,
 Ohio, between December 1968 and March 1969, 
with James Brown producing. The core trio features
 Dee Felice on drums, Frank Vincent on piano and
 Lee Tucker on bass. Lee Garrett and Kenny Poole
 are also credited with guitar on selected tracks, 
while Marva Whitney contributes vocals.

The repertoire includes “Sunny,” “That's Life,”
“Strangers in the Night,” “Willow Weep for Me,” 
“Cold Sweat,” “There Was a Time,” “Chicago,” 
“(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons,”
 “Time After Time,” “All the Way,” 
“It Had to Be You” and “Uncle.”

A fascinating collector's LP, Gettin' Down To It reveals
 Brown's ability to move away from his familiar hard-funk
 formula and into a sophisticated soul-jazz and
 jazz-ballad setting. 
The album reached No. 99 on the Billboard Top LPs chart in 1969

credits:

James Brown – vocals, producer
Frank Vincent – piano
Lee Tucker – bass
Dee Felice – drums

Additional guitar:
Lee Garrett – guitar on “There Was a Time”
Kenny Poole – guitar on “There Was a Time” and “Uncle”

Guest vocal:
Marva Whitney – vocals on “Sunny”

The album was recorded between December 1968 
and March 1969 at King Studios in Cincinnati, Ohio. 
The recording sessions were produced by James Brown,
 with Dave Harrison credited for audio

tracklist:

A1        Sunny
Vocals – Marva Whitney
Written-By – Bobby Hebb
    3:19
A2        That's Life
Written-By – D. Kay*, K. Dean*
    4:27
A3        Strangers In The Night
Written-By – Kaempfert*, Singleton*, Snyder*
    3:22
A4        Willow Weep For Me
Written-By – A. Ronell*
    4:42
A5        Cold Sweat
Written-By – J. Brown*, A. Ellis*
    5:02
A6        There Was A Time
Written-By – B. Hobgood*, J. Brown*
    2:58
B1        Chicago
Written-By – F. Fisher*
    2:52
B2        (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
Written-By – Z. Watson*, W. Best*
    7:20
B3        Time After Time
Written-By – Styne-Cahn*
    2:40
B4        All The Way
Written-By – J. Van Heusen-S. Cahn*
    3:41
B5        It Had To Be You
Written-By – Kahn*, Jones*
    2:43
B6        Uncle
Written-By – F. Vincent*
    2:34

 

 

 

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Earl Van Dyke & The Soul Brothers – That Motown Sound (1965)

Earl Van Dyke – That Motown Sound (Motown 631, 1965)

 Motown records 1965  M 631

notes:

Earl Van Dyke (July 8, 1930,  September 18, 1992) was an African 
American soul musician, most notable as the main keyboardist
 for Motown Records' in-house Funk Brothers band during the late 
1960s and early 1970s. Van Dyke, who was born in Detroit, Michigan, 
United States, was preceded as keyboardist and bandleader of the 
Funk Brothers by Joe Hunter. In the early 1960s, he also recorded as 
a jazz organist with saxophonists Fred Jackson and Ike Quebec 
for the Blue Note label.
Earl Van Dyke & The Soul Brothers – That Motown Sound is a classic 
1965 Motown instrumental soul album recorded at Hitsville U.S.A. 
in Detroit. Led by legendary keyboardist Earl Van Dyke, the LP
 showcases the musicians who helped define the distinctive 
Motown sound, including members of the Funk Brothers.

Released in June 1965 on Motown Records as MT-631 in mono
 and S-631 in stereo, the album transforms Motown hits such
 as “Nowhere to Run,” “Come See About Me,” “My Girl,”
 “How Sweet It Is,” “Try It Baby” and “Money (That's What I Want)”
 into tight instrumental performances.

The sessions were recorded at Hitsville U.S.A. during early 1965,
with production associated with William “Mickey” Stevenson and Harvey Fuqua.

credits:

Earl Van Dyke – organ, piano; leader
James Jamerson – bass
Benny “Papa Zita” Benjamin – drums
Uriel Jones – drums
Richard “Pistol” Allen – drums
Robert White – guitar
Joe Messina – guitar
Eddie “Chank” Willis – guitar
Johnny Griffith – keyboards
Jack Ashford – percussion, vibes, tambourine
Eddie “Bongo” Brown – bongos, congas
Eli Fontaine – saxophone on associated sessions

The recordings used for the LP came from Motown's Detroit 
sessions at Hitsville U.S.A. during early 1965. Surviving session 
documentation places Earl Van Dyke recordings associated with
 the album on several dates, including January 21, February 6
 and February 18, 1965. The sessions were produced by Motown 
staff producers including William “Mickey” Stevenson, Henry Cosby 
and Harvey Fuqua, depending on the recording.

Studio: Hitsville U.S.A., Detroit, Michigan — particularly Studio A
 (“The Snakepit”), the principal recording room used by the Funk Brothers.

tracklkist:

A1        Nowhere To Run
Written-By – Holland-Dozier-Holland
2:58
A2        Come See About Me
Written-By – Holland-Dozier-Holland
2:39
A3        You're A Wonderful One
Written-By – Holland-Dozier-Holland
3:11
A4        How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
Written-By – Holland-Dozier-Holland
2:50
A5        My Girl
Written-By – White*, Robinson*
2:44
A6        All For You
Written-By – Cosby*, Hunter*, Stevenson*
2:55
B1        Too Many Fish In The Sea
Written-By – Holland*, Whitfield*
2:17
B2        Try It Baby
Written-By – B. Gordy, Jr.*
2:47
B3        The Way You Do The Things You Do
Written-By – Rogers*, Robinson*
2:39
B4        Can I Get A Witness
Written-By – Holland-Dozier-Holland
2:41
B5        Can You Jerk Like Me
Written-By – Hunter*, Stevenson*
2:32
B6        Money (That's What I Want)
Written-By – Gordy*, Bradford*
2:15

 

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Junior Walker & The All Stars – Moody Jr. (Soul Records S 733L)

Junior Walker & The All Stars – Moody Jr. | Soul S 733L

Soul records 1971   S 733L

 

 notes:

Moody Jr. is one of the notable early-1970s albums by Junior Walker & The All Stars,
 released on Motown's Soul Records imprint. Issued as Soul S 733L, 
the album combines Walker's gritty tenor saxophone sound with 
soulful vocals, deep funk grooves and the polished studio 
production associated with the Motown organization.

Produced by Johnny Bristol, Moody Jr. features ten tracks 
ranging from the soulful “Way Back Home” and “Me And My Family” 
to the funky “Groove Thang”, “Walk In The Night” and the title track
 “Moody Junior.” The album also includes interpretations of 
“I Don't Want To Do Wrong,” “Still Water (Love),”
 and the Jackson 5 hit “Never Can Say Goodbye.”

Junior Walker's powerful tenor saxophone remains the central 
voice of the record, while the All Stars provide the tight guitar, 
keyboard and drum foundation that made the group one of 
Motown's distinctive instrumental soul acts. The album 
reached No. 22 on the Billboard R&B LP chart, confirming 
Walker's continuing popularity during the early 1970s.

credits:

Junior Walker (Autry DeWalt II) – tenor saxophone, vocals, piano
Willie Woods – guitar
Vic Thomas – organ, keyboards
James Graves – drums

Additional studio musicians: Motown's studio musicians 
were used on various recordings by Junior Walker & The All Stars. 
For earlier documented sessions, James Jamerson is credited on bass.

Recording Dates

The Moody Jr. material was recorded during 1971, 
with sessions taking place in Detroit and Los Angeles. 
The surviving Motown session documentation identifies 
Hitsville-GW / Los Angeles for several tracks.

Documented examples include:

“Way Back Home” (vocal) – completed October 6, 1971, at Hitsville-GW; 
produced by Johnny Bristol and arranged by Dave Van DePitte.
“Me And My Family” – recorded at Hitsville-GW / Los Angeles; 
produced by Johnny Bristol.
“Groove Thang” – recorded at Hitsville-GW / Los Angeles; 
produced by Johnny Bristol, with arrangements by H.B. Barnum and Willie Shorter.
“Walk In The Night” – recorded at Hitsville-GW / Los Angeles; 
produced by Johnny Bristol and arranged by H.B. Barnum and Willie Shorter.
“Moody Junior” – recorded at Hitsville-GW / Los Angeles and produced by Johnny Bristol.

  Recording Studio

Hitsville U.S.A. / Hitsville-GW, Detroit, Michigan was an important 
recording location for the album sessions, with some tracks also
 documented as being recorded in Los Angeles.

Studio: Hitsville-GW, Detroit / Los Angeles sessions
Producer: Johnny Bristol
Arrangers: Willie Shorter, H.B. Barnum, 
Dave Van DePitte on “Way Back Home” 

tracklist:

A1        Way Back Home    
W. Felder, J. Bristol, G. Knight    
A2        I Don't Want To Do Wrong    
J. Bristol, G. Knight, W. Guest, M. Knight, C. Schaffner    
A3    Bristol's Way    
J. Bristol    
A4 Don't Blame The Children    M. McLeod, 
J. Bristol    
A5    Me And My Family    
G. Knight, J. Bristol    
B     Groove Thang    
J. Bristol    
B2    Still Water Medley    
W. Robinson, F. Wilson    
B3 Never Can Say Goodbye    
C. Davis    
B4    Walk In The Night
    J. Bristol, M. McLeod    
B5 Moody Junior
    J. Bristol

 

 

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