"REAL MUSiC EXPRESSES fEELiNGS AND iNVOkES THOUGHT. MUSiC iS UNiVERSALLY UNDERStOOD WiTHOUT LANGUAGE; it WAS BELOW AND BEfORE SPEECH; AND MUSiC iS ABOVE AND BEYOND ALL WORDS".
Do any songs bring back memories of cruising down the road with the windows down and the cassette deck blasting out a jam for all within earshot to hear? This is one of those songs that does it for me. In 1986, when this song hit, I ran out to Sam The Record Man store and snapped up this 12”, brought it home and recorded it to cassette immediately. I blasted this jam over and over for months. There are several conflicting stories about who was the driving force behind Timex Social Club This much we do know, the record was produced by Jay King and Denzil Foster. Members of the group at that time were Marcus Thompson (founder), Michael Marshall (lead vocals), Alex Hill and Kevin Moore. The band went through lineup changes and Jay King and Denzil Foster went on to form Club Nouveau.
prince and the revolution parade - music from the motion picture, 'under the cherry moon'
“Parade” was Prince’s 1986 follow-up to “Around the World in a Day” and the soundtrack to his second film “Under the Cherry Moon”. The album revealed a complex new jazz influenced sound, featuring lush orchestral arrangements (from Clare Fischer) and a very European flavour.
“Parade” featured the number one single, "Kiss" – along with key tracks; “Girls and Boys”, “Anotherlover”, and “Sometimes it Snows in April”. It was also the final album that Prince released with the Revolution.
The series is entitled "25" takes a look back at classic albums released in 1986. We started off the series in January with Metallica's "Master Of Puppets", followed in Feb with Public Image Ltd's "Album", at the end of March the third documentary, is going out, about Depeche Mode's "Black Celebration", and we kick off our documentary about "Parade" from Prince And The Revolution followed by playback of the entire album.
We've conducted a 40 minute interview with Dr Fink - Revolution member legend and all around nice guy, was more than happy to go into detail and answer all the questions we asked. Obviously since the documentary is only an hour long, it'll be edited down to the most relevant stuff regarding the album, but we should be able to upload the entire unedited interview online after the documentary goes out at the end of April.
We've also got Bobby Friction (BBC R1/Asian Network DJ and huge fan) giving his views on the album, we have Bill Oddie talking about their favorite tracks on the album and the story of "Kiss" being created (talking about Mazarati and David Z), Brett Anderson from the band Suede went out of his way to talk about the album for us as he's a huge fan, and we'll hopefully be conducting an interview with Clare Fischer regarding his input on the album..... we touched on some other stuff that happened in 1986 such as Manic Monday being a hit (and credited to Christopher Tracy)...
All in all, this will be of interest to hardcore Prince fans, music lovers, and students as well as casual listeners who might not be too familiar with this classic album.
With simple honesty about complex emotions, John West creates soul without crooning, and pop without gloss. “In life, it’s scary when you’ve never experienced something before, but if a song can be a guide, or a road map, that’s a beautiful thing,” says the now L.A.-based Southern boy who cites Otis Redding, Cat Stevens, Jill Scott and Jack Johnson as primary influences. “What I love about people’s reaction to my music now is that people tell me it soothes and relaxes them. It helps them get through hard days easier. And the reason I wrote half of these songs was to get through my own hard days.”
Much to John’s satisfaction, his songs are providing similar relief to his ever-expanding audience. He’s seen it for himself while performing at venues as intimate as The Temple Bar and The Hotel Café, or as broad and public as Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade. “The idea that I can bring different types of people together seems like a real calling,… he says. …And if you can do that, then all of a sudden you can break down a lot of other barriers, because fear is usually the lack of knowledge and a lack of commonality. Music can bring people together so well.”
In that way, John views his young music career as a way to live a life of public service. That strong sense of community and inclination to help others was instilled in him by his mother, a teacher and social activist. The youngest of five siblings, he was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, amongst the craw fish and cane fields - a natural source to the bluesy undercurrent of his sound.
John’s earliest memories of music are singing in the church choir at the age of 6, and he continued that all the way through high school, where he also participated in musical theater. Since nobody in his family was musically inclined, he had to discover things on his own. “Nobody ever handed me boxes with a bunch of records or anything like that,” he laments, humorously admitting that it was through a sister’s Lenny Kravitz Let Love Rule CD that he got the “condensed version” of legends like Stevie Wonder and The Beatles. He also listened to sounds like alt-rockers 10,000 Maniacs and the singer/songwriter now known as Yusuf Islam. In middle school, at the age of 13, he traded some computer games for a beat-up guitar and began trying to decipher Nirvana riffs. By high school he was taking classical guitar lessons.
During John’s first year of college at Louisiana State University, a buddy brought him to a G. Love & Special Sauce concert. “Right after that I wrote my first song,” he recalls. The following summer his sister Anna invited him to come stay with her in Chicago. Living away from his small hometown lead to an intense time of self-discovery and reinvention, especially as she introduced him into the local artistic community in the Windy City.
John credits Anna, a spoken word poet, as a major catalyst in his songwriting path. Worried that he had to “dumb it down” for his audience, he was writing clichéd love songs but she told him, “It doesn’t have to be trite; you could transcend that and it can still be pop-y by saying it in a way it’s never been said. That’s what’s gonna get people…”
After returning home at the end of Summer 2001, John decided to move to Chicago and transfer to Columbia College Chicago. After meeting a music producer on campus, he was soon recording a demo with some friends and Craigslist ad respondents under the group name Green Street, leading to a performance at Columbia College Chicago’s Manifest Urban Arts Festival, which in turn resulted in follow-up gigs at hip local spots like Subterranean.
In late ‘05, John decided to move to Los Angeles (the lovely Echo Park, to be exact) with a few friends to concentrate on his music career, though he’s also paid bills as a substitute teacher. “You’d think that you’d move to L.A. and you would lose your soul. Or so they say,” he laughs. “But when I got here my purpose deepened, and when that happens you can’t stop that from translating into your work.” Just to put his money where his mouth is, he continues to donate a significant percentage of his music earnings to charities, including Hurricane Katrina relief and art programs for displaced youth.
At his shows and online, John began selling an 11-track, self-released album, though the track listing constantly changes; as he comes up with new tracks, older ones get bumped. “My songs are like journal entries in some ways,” he says, and if so, his diary makes for quite an interesting read. “I want to do something people listen to and walk away a little different.” His current signature song “Loved You Tonight” was inspired by a friend “who was always getting into MySpace crushes,” while the reflective “Masquerade” offers guidance for those “lost in the circus,” “lost in the maze.” He ponders if “maybe day jobs pollute us” as he implores dreamers to persist with the anthemic “Gravity”.
“This world is too fast and it’s too hectic and it’s super crazy,” John says. “People are stressing out all the time about all sorts of things and if I can provide a little bit of relaxation, then that’s cool.”
John West began his hustle as a street performer in Los Angeles, selling 35,000 CDs independently. Meanwhile, he packed out clubs on the Sunset Strip. The industry took notice and he landed a recording deal with Mercury/Island Def Jam. His yet untitled debut album will be dropping this summer. “I like to get people swaying and smiling, it’s pretty simple” he says.
john west video blog as he rises from being a talented underground independent artist to being signed to the def jam record label.
Jesse has released an awesome visual for his remake of Andre 3000′s “Prototype”. His own words describe it best;
"In a time where life is often guided by misconception and tainted love its hard to truly find someone who is there for you for all the right reasons. No matter how you deliver your heart to a person, you still have to wait for them to open it up. I came up with this concept to inspire honesty. I’ve learned through life, communication is everything when you’re in a relationship. Take these visuals as an example of how something could be if there is no truth between two parties. She/He is your prototype and could be so much more if you allow it. Never Take The Love Of Your Believer For Granted. Much Respect and Thanks to Andre 3000".
R. Kelly will release his anticipated memoir entitled, Soulacoaster later this year!
Through the iconic anthem “I Believe I Can Fly” and such R&B mega-hits as “Bump and Grind” and “Ignition”, R. Kelly has proven himself to be one of the greatest musical talents of his generation. Yet his rollercoaster ride to the top has been as perilous as it has been exhilarating. With “Soulacoaster”, Kelly writing with celebrity author David Ritz, shares his life story through episodic tales and exclusive colour photographs. From the crippling learning disorder that rendered him unable to read or write, to the teacher-mentor who prophesised that his destiny was in music, not basketball, we follow his evolution from Chicago street performer to struggling LA musician and beyond. Kelly reveals his hard-won ascent to superstardom and his battle to move forward after legal and personal ordeals that nearly ruined his life. Now back at the top, Kelly recounts the journey that has taken him to new heights of maturity and artistry. Part memoir, part keepsake, “Soulacoaster” unlocks the door to R. Kelly’s story as only he can tell it, promising his fans an intimate and unforgettable ride.
“I’m writing this book as Robert, not R. Kelly,” the singer says. “I’m tired of being misunderstood. I will show you the tears, fears, and sweat. I will open my heart and reveal the good in my life as well as all the drama. I want to tell it like it is.”
Autobiography is slated for release this coming November
Available either as a box set or as individual discs, Street Jams: Electric Funk, Vols. 1-4 is an excellent, comprehensive overview of the groundbreaking electro-funk of the early '80s. Over the course of four discs, most of the genre's major players, including Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash, are represented by their biggest hits and best-known remixes; many of its one-hit wonders are here as well, adding depth and context. Much of this music is presented in 12" mixes, which gives a more accurate portrait of electro-funk and how it stretched and played with rhythms and electronics. For casual listeners, the sheer length of some of these songs may be intimidating - some push the ten-minute mark -- but any serious collector or listener of hip-hop, urban R&B, electronic, or modern music should be familiar with many of these songs and mixes. Electric Funk gave Hip Hop more life and added more texture to the genre. Early Hip Hop music from 1979 to 1981 had a more stripped down sound, with a simple 808 beat, one synth/bass line with a couple of scatches. But Electric Funk, gave you something to both dance too and groove too. In the first series of Electric Funk : Part 1, we see the orgins of Electric Funk take it's place. Kicking off the set is "Planet Rock" (1982) by Afrika Bambaataa, which the second most important piece of Hip Hop history, right along side of "Rapper's Delight" (1979) by The Sugarhill Gang. To make this review more short, the CD showcases early Electric Funk from 1982 to 1983, mainly East Coast sounds, were Part 2 shows the beginning of the West Coast Era. Only thing i wished Rhino would have done with Part 1, was that should have added the Man Parrish classics "Hip Hop Bee Bop" and "Boogie Down Bronx", both songs played a big part in the Electric Funk genre. But overall, the four part series are one big history lesson in both the world of Hip Hop and Techno music. Another great thing, "Great liner notes, very detailed".
Available either as a box set or as individual discs, Street Jams: Electric Funk, Vols. 1-4 is an excellent, comprehensive overview of the groundbreaking electro-funk of the early '80s. Over the course of four discs, most of the genre's major players, including Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash, are represented by their biggest hits and best-known remixes; many of its one-hit wonders are here as well, adding depth and context. Much of this music is presented in 12" mixes, which gives a more accurate portrait of electro-funk and how it stretched and played with rhythms and electronics. For casual listeners, the sheer length of some of these songs may be intimidating -- some push the ten-minute mark -- but any serious collector or listener of hip-hop, urban R&B, electronic, or modern music should be familiar with many of these songs and mixes.
Tracklist
1-01 Electric Funk Mega-Mix 1-02 Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock 1-03 Twilight 22 - Electric Kingdom 1-04 Planet Patrol - Play At Your Own Risk 1-05 Reggie Griffin & Technofunk - Mirda Rock 1-06 Guru - Who You Stealin’ From 1-07 Hashim - Al-Naafiysh (The Soul) 1-08 Cybotron - Clear 1-09 Aleem - Release Yourself 1-10 Herbie Hancock - Rockit 1-11 Grandmixer D. ST. - Megamix II: Why Is It Fresh? 1-12 Newcleus - Jam On Revenge (The Wikki-Wikki Song) 1-13 Grandmixer D. ST. Featuring Vocals by Bernard Fowler- Crazy Cuts
01. You Give Good Love 02. Thinking About You 03. Someone For Me 04. Saving All My Love For You 05. Nobody Loves Me Like You Do 06. How Will I Know 07. All At Once 08. Take Good Care Of My Heart 09. Greatest Love Of All 10. Hold Me
♥
Whitney Houston's debut album was released in March 1985. Its first single, "Someone for Me," was a flop, but the second try, "You Give Good Love," became Houston's first hit, topping the R&B charts and hitting number three pop. Houston's next three singles -- the Grammy-winning romantic ballad "Saving All My Love for You," the brightly danceable "How Will I Know," and the inspirational "The Greatest Love of All" -- all topped the pop charts, and a year to the month after its release, Whitney Houston hit number one on the album charts. It eventually sold over 13 million copies, making it the best-selling debut ever by a female artist.
1. He'll Never Love You (Like I Do) 2. Love Is Just a Touch Away 3. I Wanna Say I Love You 4. You Are My Lady5. Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake) 6. Sing a Song of Love 7. Calling 8. Good Morning Heartache
01. Tasty Love 02. Have You Ever Loved Somebody 03. Look Around 04. Jam Tonight 05. Just Like the First Time 06. I Can't Let You Go 07. I Don't Want to Lose Your Love 08. Janay 09. Still Waiting 10. You Are My Love 11. A Little Bit More
To urban contemporary listeners, Freddie Jackson was one of the biggest stars of the latter half of the '80s, dominating the R&B charts seemingly at will. Jackson's forte was sophisticated, romantic soul ballads aimed at adult audiences, but he was also capable of tackling urban contemporary dance fare and even the occasional jazz tune. Yet unlike many of his peers -- Luther Vandross, Anita Baker, Peabo Bryson, etc. -- Jackson never managed to cross over to the pop charts, where none of his R&B smashes even breached the Top Ten. As new trends like hip-hop altered the urban contemporary landscape, Jackson gradually faded from view during the '90s.
Jackson was born October 2, 1956, in Harlem, and like so many soul stars, he was trained as a gospel singer from an early age, singing at the White Rock Baptist Church. There he met Paul Laurence, who would later become his producer and songwriting partner. After completing school, Jackson joined Laurence's group LJE (Laurence-Jones Ensemble) and played the New York club scene. During the early '80s, Jackson moved to the West Coast and sang lead with the R&B band Mystic Merlin, but soon returned to New York to work with Laurence at the Hush Productions company. He sang on demo recordings of Laurence's compositions, and also served as a backup singer for Melba Moore after she caught his nightclub act.
In 1985, Jackson landed a record deal with Capitol and issued his debut album, Rock Me Tonight. The Laurence-penned title track stormed the R&B charts, spending a whopping six weeks at number one, and made Jackson an instant sensation on urban contemporary radio. "You Are My Lady" gave him a second straight R&B chart-topper, and also proved to be his highest-charting single on the pop side, peaking at number 13. With "He'll Never Love You (Like I Do)" and "Love Is Just a Touch Away" also hitting the R&B Top Ten, Rock Me Tonight topped the R&B album charts and went platinum. Jackson wasted no time issuing a follow-up set; Just Like the First Time appeared in 1986 on the heels of a number one R&B duet with Melba Moore, "A Little Bit More" (from her album A Lot of Love). Another platinum seller, Just Like the First Time continued Jackson's incredible dominance of the R&B singles charts; "Tasty Love," "Have You Ever Loved Somebody," and "Jam Tonight" all hit number one, while "I Don't Want to Lose Your Love" went to number two.
Prince calls George Lopez to announce a 21-day run at the L.A. Forum starting April 14!!
But not before he stops by "Lopez Tonight" next Wednesday, April 13 for a performance that Prince says will "blow the roof off" of George's studio!
Rare Prince interview - shows off guitar, donating $2 million for music & art program charities
the state of the music industry, and his sure to be sold out, record breaking 21 nights at the forum concerts in Los Angeles!
Prince & The NPG with Sheila E. blow the roof off Lopez Tonight!
this guy never ceases to amaze me.
The greatest band leader, musical arranger, musician, live performer, and a true artist.
no gimmicks here folks...
just straight up music by real musicians.
PRESS PLAY
"...what did i say? i hate to tell ya but i told you! !*%@!! crazzay!"
The five musicians of Mint Condition have been consistently dropping soul-touching music for two decades. Their lyrics engage. Their musical diversity entertains. And their vocals enrapture. The group originally from Minneapolis, Minn, does not disappoint on their seventh album, 7. Prince and Flyte Tyme influenced music, Standouts include "Can't Get Away", “Not My Daddy,” a searing duet with Kelly Price, the beautiful ballads “Walk On” and “Caught My Eye,” the Purple funk “Ease the Pain,” and a calypso joint, “Bossalude.” While their line up has changed a bit over the years, the music has only gotten better. The guys share their creative process and how they’ve managed to last so long in the unpredictable and constantly evolving music business.
What do you know now that you wish you knew 20 years ago when you first started in the music business? Ricky Kinchen: Whew! Keeping it real? The importance of publishing. Stokely Williams:That’s real. And to a savor it, because you have a lot of great experiences. If you sleep on it, it’s gone. Lawrence Waddell: I would love to savor a couple more moments than I did—just the beginning a little more when we were in top five pop songs and I wasn’t realizing what the significance of that was. That was a really good place to be and not an easy place to be.
Tell us about the process of creating the single, “Caught My Eye.” Waddell: “Caught My Eye” is a beautiful groove ballad—classic Mint. Great lyrics, you know the way you want a man to approach you. The song is kind of an experience written by Stokely and myself. Stokely had some tracks I was listening to—all the guys have stores of songs you can listen to and pick which one you’re inspired by. I toyed around with some lyrics to go with the track I liked. That’s how we write. The lyrics were inspired by an actual coffee house experience I had. I saw a girl I’d seen around in a few different places. I talked to her and she was really nice. I left and she left. And I never saw her again.
So what is the feel of the rest of the album? Waddell: We’re just trying to be honest about our lives. We fall from grace sometimes. And there are songs about that. There’s a redemptive side to the album. In general, we don’t limit ourselves, and liberation that comes from that place. If I’m in a calypso mood, there may be steel drums on that track. Kinchen: It’s Mint Condition, though. We have all the things you’re going to expect. You’re going to love it.
Jodeci, LeVert and Tony! Toni! Toné! had No. 1 hits on the R&B charts in 1991 when you guys dropped your debut. There are only a few who are still doing it at your level. What accounts for your longevity? Kinchen: Being in the game for all these years and still being able to have hits on the radio is a blessing—and that is for all of us. It’s a blessing being able to work together and still create good music. Take E-Life: “Nothing Left to Say” was in the top five for 11 months. We’re competitive, even with each other. You have to come with it or else people aren’t going to feel it. Homer O’Dell: One thing we do have is a lot of great fans. They patiently wait on the next project every time. They stick with us. They are behind us 100 percent. We are blessed to have die-hard fans. And they give us the opportunity to stretch out and do other things besides radio hits. Kinchen: Yeah, we’ve had black musicians who play with Charlie Wilson say we were the first to turn them on to Rock & Roll. That’s how we grew up. Our parents had Parliament, War, Earth, Wind & Fire, Band of Gypsies, Jimi Hendrix. We weren’t just listening to hip hop. We listened to all different types of music. O’Dell: I would go over to Andre Symone’s (Prince's childhood bestfriend and his first bass player) sister’s house to listen to the only R&B radio station. It must have been like 100 watts. I was like Radio Raheem on the back to the school bus blasting all the hits. That’s how we grew up in Minnesota. We had that opportunity to listen to more than R&B...The Minneapolis Sound!
Mint Condition Bio
MINT CONDITION EMERGES TRIUMPHANT IN 2011 WITH NEW CD, CONCERTS OPENING FOR LEGENDARY ICON PRINCE, STINT AS TV ONE HOUSE BAND, TOP 20 HITS & MORE NEW CD '7' CELEBRATES THE BAND’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY
Once upon a time there were great funk/R&B bands like Earth Wind & Fire, The Meters, War, Kool & The Gang, Slave, and numerous others who constantly broke down musical barriers. The musicality of these units was superior – they could rock or funk out as easily as they could move the crowd with a tenor soulful ballad. The rise of electronic music gradually undermined self-contained bands but in the 90s a dynamic young new band emerged—Mint Condition, now the greatest self-contained R&B band of our time. Anointed early on by superstar producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (formerly of the band The Time), Mint Condition does it all—delivering hard-bitten funk with a hip hop edge, rocking out with screaming lead guitar, and crooning lush, "baby-making" soul ballads. The much sought after band, who mark their 20th Anniversary this year, has amassed a string of hits and performs hundreds of live shows each year. In the Fall of 2010 when Prince took the podium at the legendary Apollo to announce his "Welcome To America," and his plans to feature his favorite artists, it was no shock to many that Mint Condition was among them. The only band on his list that day? Mint Condition. During the month of February, TV One tapped Mint Condition as the house band seen and heard every night on the show "Way Black When," which celebrated the biggest African American stars throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s. With not one but two current hit singles on board—the sumptuous "Caught My Eye" and lead singer Stokley's duet with Kelly Price, "Not My Daddy," Mint Condition marks the 20th anniversary of its first chart hit with the release of 7… (Mint Condition’s seventh studio album) due out on Shanachie Entertainment/Caged Bird April 5, 2011.
"This time around we decided to not let ourselves become bogged down with strict thematic or musical boundaries," notes keyboard player Larry El. "We wanted, instead, to do a project that would be expressive of life's multi-facets. For the first time in our career, we looked back into our own musical catalogue for inspiration and resources. Without being a direct throwback, 7… weaves threads of nostalgia into the musical mix. It's kind of an ode to Minneapolis, Mint Condition style." 7… sounds unlike anything else in the R&B world -or any other world—today, once again demonstrating that Mint Condition is one of those rare artists on the scene with their own unique sound. Along with Mint Condition's bedrock funk and R&B balladry, elements of jazz, rock, and hip hop come into the mix. They have always delivered these elements live but here they are a part of their studio work. Nothing is formulaic or routine with Mint Condition, starting with the opening tracks "Can't Get Away" and "I Want It," which are seamlessly linked to play straight through, to "Twenty Years Later," an off-the-wall narrative depicting a 47 year-old addict wondering what happened to the last twenty years of his life, which opens with acoustic guitar and climaxes with an ironic jaunty Vegas-style vamp. It is the kind of organic creativity that only Mint Condition could achieve, an extra ingredient that years of playing together make it possible for them to deliver. In an era dominated by singles, 7… is truly an album, designed to be heard as a whole.
"Each member of the band is equally invested in both the music and the group itself," Larry El explains
"So when performing we can more readily live on the edge, musically speaking, where its most interesting, and still not lose t he original spirit and intent of the songs. Any given member can readily play what any other member is thinking or feeling." It is this kind of organic, edgy creativity that has made Mint Condition one of Prince's favorite artists. "In many ways, he (Prince) continues to be a mentor for us," says guitarist O'Dell. "He's a musical genius yet is never condescending. He has a way of making you feel he's your biggest fan—we certainly are his! He's the best. Watching him perform always sends you back to the shed; you know you still have work to do."
An unusual fact for a funk/R&B band that can also rock out, is that some of Mint Condition's biggest hits have been ballads and 7… delivers several more great ballads that are destined to be classics including the inspirational "Unsung," "Not My Daddy," the duet with Kelly Price and Stokley, with its unique lyric take on male/female relationships and, of course, the first hit single from the album, "Caught My Eye," with subtle lyrics that stand head and shoulders above the "sex you up" love ballads dominating the scene today. "The lyrics (of "Caught My Eye") tell it all," relates Stokley, who wrote the tune with Larry El. "It's a literal translation. But, at the heart of it all, is vulnerability. We have all felt those `first encounter' butterflies before. The band knew everybody would be able to relate to that."
The members of Mint Condition met as teenagers growing up in the Twin Cities—Minneapolis-St. Paul amidst a thriving music scene energized by Prince, The Time, Jam & Lewis, The Replacements, Soul Asylum and many other artists. Keyboardists Lawrence El and Keri Lewis, guitarist O'Dell, keyboardist/saxophonist Jef, drummer/vocalist Stokley, and bass player Ricky came together in the performing arts program at Central High School. Playing together in different combinations led to them forming Mint Condition; a gig at the famed First Avenue club in 1989 caught the attention of super-producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, formerly of The Time, and they were signed to Jam & Lewis' Perspective Records. MEANT TO BE MINT, their debut album, was released in 1991. Their first single, a New Jack Swing-styled number, had only modest success but it was a ballad, "Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)," which has become one of the classic R&B ballads of our time, that was their breakthrough, hitting #3 on the R&B charts and #6 on the Pop charts, with the follow-up "Forever In Your Eyes" hitting #7 on R&B charts. Mint Condition was established as a gold-selling act. Further hit singles and albums followed, with "U Send Me Swingin’," "Someone To Love" and "So Fine" all hitting from the FROM THE MINT FACTORY album, "What Kind Of Man Would I Be" (another acknowledged classic) and "You Don't Have To Hurt No More" from DEFINITION OF A BAND.
Meanwhile the band earned its spurs as a live act, touring relentlessly and, unlike so many artists, delivering not only a performance equal to their studio work but one which often surpassed it. As a result, their legions of fans would turn out for a Mint Condition show whether they had a current hit out or not. After Perspective Records folded, Mint Condition signed with Elektra, delivering more hits with "If You Love Me" and "Is This Pain Our Pleasure" from the LIFE'S AQUARIUM album. In the early 2000s the group took a break from their relentless recording and touring schedule. They resumed as a quintet with only keyboard player Keri Lewis absent (though he sometimes re-joined them for specific shows releasing a new album LIVING THE LUXURY BROWN on their own Caged Bird label in 2005, hitting again with "I'm Ready." Their high-energy live performance was captured with the release of LIVE AT THE 9:30 CLUB and then 2008's E-LIFE yielded another hit with "Nothing Left To Say.
Two decades on, Mint Condition stands along with The Roots as the only high-profile examples of a self-contained, hit-making Black music band, and with Mint's emphasis on songs and great singing, the sole band carrying on the great tradition of R&B funk bands such as Earth, Wind & Fire, The Meters, War, The Commodores, Lakeside, Slave and many more that were an important, progressive element of the black music scene in the Seventies and Eighties. "We're fortunate that people have come to expect us to march to our own drum, musically speaking," says bassist Ricky. And even though we have carved out our own unique creative path, we've always been well embraced."
7 - full album tracklist:
01. Can't Get Away 02. I Want It 03. Walk On 04. Mind Slicker 05. Caught My Eye 06. Bossalude 07. 7 08. Ease The Pain 09. Unsung 10. Not My Daddy (featuring Kelly Price) 11. Twenty Years Later
7 - album bonus songs tracklist:
01. Whatchu Want 4:40 02. Cupid’s Hunt 5:28 03. Bless A Woman & A Man 5:09 04. Nothin Left To Say (Live Yoshi’s San Francisco) 6:20 05. I’m Ready (Live Yoshi’s San Francisco) 5:48
Do any songs bring back memories of cruising down the road with the windows down and the cassette deck blasting out a jam for all within earshot to hear? This is one of those songs that does it for me. In 1986, when this song hit, I ran out to Sam The Record Man store and snapped up this 12”, brought it home and recorded it to cassette immediately. I blasted this jam over and over for months. There are several conflicting stories about who was the driving force behind Timex Social Club This much we do know, the record was produced by Jay King and Denzil Foster. Members of the group at that time were Marcus Thompson (founder), Michael Marshall (lead vocals), Alex Hill and Kevin Moore. The band went through lineup changes and Jay King and Denzil Foster went on to form Club Nouveau.
