Legacy Recordings

If only the schoolyard bullies in Washington, D.C. could see what became of Elgin Lumpkin. Intoxicated by the magic of Michael Jackson’s moonwalk on Motown 25, Elgin saw a new universe of his own potential. Handsome and super cool, he straddled urban rap and came out as a loverman. Dimming the lights in his bachelor pad, he dipped into the ’70s funk songbook and took a page penned by Zapp’s Roger Troutman. Ginuwine transformed the vocoder into a cyborg mating call and rode “Pony” up the charts.

(E. Lumpkin/T. Mosley/S. Garrett); Produced by Timbaland; Ginuwine, lead and background vocals; Rec. New York, April-May 1996. From Ginuwine…The Bachelor, 550 Music/Epic 67685; P 1996 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Pony by Ginuwine
Technorati Profile

The politics of Haiti spread, like so many Haitian refugees, into the streets of South Orange, New Jersey, where Wyclef Jean, Prakazrel and their neighbor Lauryn Hill formed The Fugees in 1989. Named for the oppressed and homeless masses, the trio pushed beyond ghetto life to face down global gangsta-ism. With conviction, groove and even a gospel choir, The Fugees reworked Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly” into a major contemporary hit. Covering Bob Marley and this updating of Teena Marie’s “Ooh La La La” brought musicality and history to perhaps the first generation of African-Americans who didn’t grow up singing in church.

(N. Jean/S. Michel/L. Hill/A McGrier/T. Marie/S. Remi); Produced by Salaam Remi; Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Prakazrel (Pras) Michel, lead and background vocals; Rec. New York, 1995. From The Score, Ruffhouse/Columbia 67147; Contains a replayed sample from “Ooh La La La” (A. McGrier/Teena Marie). McNella Music/EMI April Music, Inc., on behalf of itself and Midnight Magnet Music (ASCAP); P 1995 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Fu-Gee-La by Fugees

With urban hip and a post-modern heart, Maxwell invented himself every day by sweet-talking to his image in the mirror. Whispering his way around hip-hop beats, he brings singing, instrumentation and a joy-and-pain moan between the sheets. Personifying the neo-Marvin is a tomcat who knows how to be good enough to get a little bit of that bad stuff. Part New York cool and West Indian ideal, Maxwell faces challenges Marvin never did, like caution in the age of AIDS.

(Musze/I. Shur); Produced or co-produced by Musze with Stuart Matthewman or P.M.; additional production assistance, Wah Wah Watson and Itaal; Maxwell, voices; Rec. New York, 1995. From Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite, Columbia 66434; P 1996 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.

Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder) by Maxwell

The making of an auteur begins with Kenny Edmond’s sweet face-a face that looks upon a beautiful woman with respect and devotion. While urban music was objectifying them, the budding Babyface was shaping a vision of appreciation and black love. Like the influential Philly sophisticate Thom Bell, he became a major voice of modern music, and like Bell, he speaks the language of music with cool, suave and smoldering songs. By recognizing beauty and potential, his empire exhales sensuality and the vapor of soft soul

(Babyface/D. Simmons); Produced by Babyface, L.A. Reid and Daryl Simmons; Babyface, lead and background vocals, keyboards, skins; L.A. Reid, skins; Larry Jackson, saxophone; Rec. Atlanta and Los Angeles, 1993. From For The Cool In You, Epic 53558; P 1993 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
For The Cool In You by Babyface

Challenging the bad boys to open up their hearts, sisters Tamika and LaTocha Scott joined Kandi Burruss and Tameka Cottle to remind the real majority that morality and pleasure aren’t natural enemies. They were four Atlanta peaches from performing arts school who tasted Babyface’s love potion on local radio and knew it was time to ask for what they wanted. The lovesick girls-in-gowns of the ’60s became girls-in-Gucci in the consuming ?80s. With designer hits and hairdos, groups like Salt ‘N Pepa, TLC, SWV, En Vogue and Xscape were doing it for themselves and encouraging all sisters to do the same.

(J. Dupri/M. Seal); Produced by Jermaine Dupri; co-produced by Manuel Seal, Jr.; Latocha Scott, Tamika Scott, Tameka Cottle, Kandi Burruss, lead and background vocals; music by Jermaine Dupri and Manuel Seal, Jr.; Rec. Atlanta, 1993. From Hummin? Comin? At ?Cha, So So Def/Columbia 57107; P 1993 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Just Kickin’ It by Xscape

Lying back on plush pillows with Quiet Storm Queens Patti LaBelle and Anita Baker, Regina Belle’s amber-covered whisper was the potion for candlelight and afterglow. Raised in Englewood, New Jersey, and schooled in jazz and opera, she inherited strains of Billie’s passion, Sassy’s style and a taste for innovation from regents Coltrane and Cannonball. Protégé of the distinguished Manhattans and chosen partner for love sultans Barry White and Peabo Bryson, Regina was no stranger to seduction. Measuring out silvery doses of hunger and heat, she spun a fantasy lover who was real enough to miss.

(N.M. Walden/J. Cohen); Produced and arranged by Narada Michael Walden; Regina Belle, lead vocal; Walter Afanasieff, keyboards, synthesizer arrangements, bass and drum programming; Ren Klyce, Fairlight CMI; Premik Russell Tubbs, saxophone; Kitty Beethoven, Skyler Jett, Melisa Kary, Claytoven Richardson, background vocals; Rec. New York, San Rafael and Sausalito, CA, and/or Lahaina, Maui, HI, 1989. Columbia single 68969; P 1989 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.

Baby Come To Me by Regina Belle

Raised on bebop, identity politics and Philly soul, percussionist James Mtume grew the seeds of New Jack Soul in synthesized soil and nasty funk. Son of saxophonist Jimmy Heath, Mtume joined Miles Davis’ revolutionary electric sessions and later wrote and produced ’70s hits like “The Closer I Get To You” for Roberta Flack. Catching Stevie Wonder’s Moog breeze and the Chic wave, he spliced progressive, rhythm-driven funk with New York’s sex and excess. Few bands emerged from the disco daze with the flavor that ripened into “Juicy Fruit.”

(J. Mtume); Produced by James Mtume ; James Mtume, lead and background vocals, keyboards; Tawatha Agee, lead and background vocals, percussion; Ed (Tree) Moore, guitars; Philip Fields, keyboards, background vocals; Raymond Jackson, bass, background vocals; Rec. East Orange, N.J., 1982. Epic single 03578; P 1983 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.

Juicy Fruit by Mtume

Marvin Gaye gave the world a lantern with 1971’s “What’s Goin’ On,” but for the remainder of his short life he struggled with the pressures of stardom and the dark demon of uncertainty. After a bitter break from Motown, he sought sanctuary in a gloomy Belgian port. Grappling with the duality of love and lust, the divided soul turned pain and passion into his first Grammy-winning album. With every whispered word, every sultry note and each burst of sweat-dipped funk, “Sexual Healing” laid bare the tormented genius of an artist in exile.

(M. Gaye/O. Brown/D. Ritz); Produced and arranged by Marvin Gaye; production advisor, Harvey Fuqua; Marvin Gaye, lead and background vocals, drums, Fender Rhodes, synthesizers, organ, orchestra bells, glockenspiel, bells, finger cymbals, bongos; Gordon Banks, guitars, background vocals; Harvey Fuqua, background vocals; Rec. Ohaine, Belgium and Munich, Germany, 1982. From Midnight Love, Columbia 38197; P 1982 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.

Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye

Growing up in Chicago, the Hutchinson sisters sang with their daddy and made church folks like Mahalia cry. When they were old enough to know their first heartache, The Emotions were born. Pervis Staples guided them to Stax where the righteous Staple family was mixing soul and salvation. When Stax crumbled, the skies opened for Earth, Wind & Fire’s Maurice White. Launching Jeanette, Sheila and Wanda into orbit with “Best Of My Love,” the Maestro pushed their gospel squall over tight grooves, turning the church girls into high-strutting powerhouses. Disco balls would spin for years to come.

(M. White/A. McKay); Produced by Maurice White; co-produced by Clarence McDonald; arranged by Tom Tom 84; Sheila Hutchinson, lead vocal; Wanda Hutchinson, Jeanette Hutchinson, background vocals; Clarence McDonald, clavinet; Al McKay, guitar; Verdine White, bass; Fred White, drums; Maurice White, timbales; Paulhino da Costa, percussion; Larry Dunn, Fender Rhodes electric piano; Oscar Brashear, Steve Madaio, Chuck Findley, trumpets; George Bohannon, trombone; Donald Myrick, saxophone; Vince De Rosa, Sidney Muldrow, Richard Perissi, Alan Robinson, Marilyn Robinson, French horns; Charles Veal, strings concertmaster; Rec. Los Angeles, 1977. From Rejoice, Columbia 34762; P 1977 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.

Best Of My Love by The Emotions

Boy-child soprano crackling, Michael Jackson wasn’t a skinny stick of dynamite anymore. Motown had split to L.A., leaving its heart in the Motor City and Michael’s brothers free to grow. Standing at the edge of manhood and a career frontier, they chose the solidly black Philly Sound. Dancing machines in pastel tuxes and superfly Afros, Gamble and Huff unleashed the brothers’ curiosity and individuality as Michael sowed the seeds that sprouted the album Off The Wall.

(K. Gamble/L. Huff); Produced by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff; arranged by Bobby Martin; Michael Jackson, lead and background vocals; Randy Jackson, Tito Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Jackie Jackson, background vocals; Ronnie Baker, bass; Earl Young, drums; Roland Chambers, Bobby Eli and/or Norman Harris, guitars; Lenny Pakula, organ; Leon Huff, piano; Larry Washington, percussion; with Don Renaldo and his strings and horns; Rec. Philadelphia, 1976. From The Jacksons, Philadelphia International/Epic 34229; P 1976 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Enjoy Yourself by The Jackson 5

Straight-up and bittersweet, five men from New Jersey found their name overlooking a million lights across the river in Manhattan. For decades on the cummerbund circuit, they performed the score for the hungry-hearted over sweating glasses and cocktail peanuts before “Kiss” skewered the cherry at the top of the charts. Tight harmonies and alternating leads were doo-wop relics in a disco-dominated era, but The Manhattans’ rich vocals, dramatic strings and Blue Lovett’s deep indigo narrative shot up like a belt of smoky bourbon. It’s the stuff of slow dances, crying jags and one long, last look across the banquette table.

(W. Lovett); Produced by Bobby Martin and The Manhattans; arranged by Bobby Martin; Gerald Alston, lead vocal; Winfred (Blue) Lovett, bass vocal; Richard Taylor, baritone vocal; Edward (Sonny) Bivins, first tenor; Kenneth (Wally) Kelly, second tenor; Ronnie Baker, bass; Earl Young, drums; Norman Harris, Bobby Eli, guitars; Ron Kersey, keyboards; Jack Faith, saxophone; with Don Renaldo and his strings and horns; Rec. Philadelphia, January 1975. From The Manhattans, Columbia 33820; P 1976 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.

Kiss And Say Goodbye by The Manhattans

Poets, preachers, philosophers and Philadelphians, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes offered symphonies for the everyman. Stepping across swirling piano notes, “Wake Up Everybody” pierced through the darkness of a people at sea like a beam of light. Harold Melvin was their mentor, steering the impetuous Teddy Pendergrass with the traditional values of faith and community. Yet, Teddy’s voice foretold the tales of the New Soul Romeos and their shifting struggle for self-determination and emotional survival. Calling out for awareness, unity and action with humanity and beauty, they gave such sweet thunder to every blue note.

(V. Carstarphen/J. Whitehead/G. McFadden); Produced by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff; arranged by Bobby Martin; Teddy Pendergrass, lead vocal; Harold Melvin, Lawrence Brown, Jerry Cummings, Bernard Wilson, background vocals; Michael (Sugar Bear) Forman, bass; Earl Young, drums; Dennis Harris, guitar; Leon Huff, piano; Larry Washington, percussion; Vince Montana, vibes; with Don Renaldo and his strings and horns; Rec. Philadelphia, 1975. Philadelphia International single 3579; P 1975 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.

Wake Up Everybody by Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes

Thieves in the White House. Young lives being stolen in Vietnam. Crime in the streets. A bullet-ridden list of martyrs. The dream of integration had betrayed Black America in 1972. With each strangled note, “Back Stabbers” was the last gasp of a dying empire. Like an oracle shaming the hypocrites, it set the tone and the standard for the spectacular success of Philadelphia International Records. With a huge, complex production and remarkable musicianship by the monumental house band, MFSB, “Back Stabbers” prophesied disco rhythms and established The O’Jays, three blood brothers from Canton, Ohio, as America’s Greek Chorus of the 1970’s.

(L. Huff/G. McFadden/J. Whitehead); Produced by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff; arranged by Thom Bell; Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, William Powell, lead and background vocals; Ronnie Baker, bass; Earl Young, drums; Roland Chambers, Norman Harris, guitars; Lenny Pakula, organ; Leon Huff, piano; Vince Montana, vibes; with Don Renaldo and his strings and horns; Rec. Philadelphia, 1972. From Back Stabbers, Philadelphia International 31712; P 1972 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Back Stabbers by The O’Jays

Tennessee teenager Mabel Louise Smith hit the red clay road with a voice as commanding as her body and a smile as wide as her hips. Dubbed Big Maybelle, she piled her size and pipes onto a heaping plateful of the sanctified and the sexual. Over barn-squawking horns and a trombone low and bawdy enough to lift her skirt, Maybelle made R&B bitter and delicious in the same bite. Billie Holiday once went home rather than follow Maybelle’s tough act, but they both followed a sad, slow spiral downward between heaven and hell.

(D.C. Williams); Arranged and conducted by Quincy Jones; Big Maybelle, lead vocal; Billy Byers, trombone; Jerome Richardson, alto sax; Bud Johnson, tenor sax; Heywood Henry, baritone sax; Ernie Hayes, piano; Mickey (Guitar) Baker, guitar; Lloyd Trotman, bass; Herbie Lovelle, drums;

Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On by Big Maybelle

Enough people love Luther Vandross down in their dreams to jam up the gates on Judgment Day. Levitating above the Soul Romeos of the ’80s with dramatic productions, funk-kissed arrangements and A-list musicians, Luther rose in gritty New York City, one session at a time. With promises of passion and loyalty, his Sam Cooke-style melisma restored the tired ballad to urban R&B in the rigid Reagan years, and still flutters over seas of sequined romantics.

(L. Vandross); Produced by Luther Vandross; rhythm arrangement by Luther Vandross and Nat Adderley, Jr.; strings and horns arranged by Paul Riser; Luther Vandross, lead and background vocals; Buddy Williams, drums; Marcus Miller, bass; Nat Adderley, Jr., keyboards; Georg Wadenius, guitar; Crusher Bennett, percussion; Bashiri Johnson, congas; Cissy Houston, Tawatha Agee, Yvonne Lewis, Michelle Cobbs, Brenda White, Sybil Thomas, background vocals; Rec. New York, 1981. From Never Too Much, Epic 37451; P 1981 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Never Too Much by Luther Vandross

Like a sing-along balm, “Everyday People” eased a country torn by war and reeling from the death of the dream. Musical adventurer Sylvester Stewart traded his home in the deep South for a hipper name and a taste of San Francisco sunshine. Sly’s integrated band stormed the gates of Motown, Stax and Muscle Shoals, rocking soul giants off their throaty thrones with a fusion of psychedelia, electric funk and sanctified R&B. Playing to Woodstock and nursery school kids, “Everyday People” ushered in an era of message music, full-blown Afros and a platform of racial and gender equality that stood four inches high. There was no place to go but higher.

(S. Stewart); Produced and arranged by Sly Stone; Sly Stone, lead vocal, guitar, keyboards; Freddie Stone, guitar, vocal; Rose Stone, piano; Gregg Errico, drums; Jerry Martini, saxophone; Cynthia Robinson, trumpet; Larry Graham, bass, vocal; Rec. Los Angeles and New York, 1968-1969. From Stand!, Epic 26456; Originally Released 1969

Everyday People (Single Version) by Sly & the Family Stone

A gospel prodigy steeped in the music of Mahalia Jackson and Clara Ward, Minister C.L. Franklin’s beautiful daughter Aretha sang spirituals for Martin Luther King, Jr. and other African-American royalty as her powerful father looked on. But when Columbia Records brought this jewel to New York, the body of a young woman concealed a lost soul. Aretha struggled to find her voice amid plush strings and champagne-swirled show tunes and standards until she unmasked her pain on a striking tribute to Dinah. There, underneath the polish, was a gritty soul about to take flight-and a queen soon to find her crown.

(C. Otis); Produced, arranged and conducted by Robert Mersey; Aretha Franklin, lead vocal; Ernie Hayes, piano; George Duvivier, bass; Gary Chester, drums; A. Gorgoni, V. Bell, guitars; T. Cohen, vibes; Buddy Lucas, tenor sax; L. Kruczek, F. Giglio, L. Gabowitz, S. Kissell, P. Winter, G. Ockner, J. Zayde, J. Schacter, violins; T. Israel, R. Dickler, violas; A. Sophos, A. Shulman, cellos; Rec. New York, February 10, 1964. From Unforgettable-A Tribute To Dinah Washington, Columbia 8963; Originally Released 1964
This Bitter Earth by Aretha Franklin

Rhythm and blues blew a hole through ’50s suburbia, landing pimply teens with hi-fis on the steamy side of the tracks. Luckily, Roy Hamilton was the handsome kind of black a white kid could bring home to dinner. Migrating from Georgia with a polite manner and a gospel songbook, Roy inspired America, crooning “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” “Unchained Melody” and this innocent finger-popper. With a call-and-response echoing in the church, Roy never appeared on the Ozzie & Harriet show but gave black youth a model and white ones a star in their carpeted bedrooms.

(J. Stone); Orchestra under the direction of Jesse Stone; Roy Hamilton, lead vocal; David (Panama) Francis, drums; Lloyd Trotman, bass; David Martin, piano; Al Casamenti, Edward Thomas, guitars; Walter Spriggs, bongos; Alvin Rudnitsky, Marc Brown, David Newman, Harry Urbont, Felix Giglio, Bernard Eighenbaum, Paul Gershman, Harry Glickman, violins; Sidney Brecher, Richard Dickler, violas; David Soyer, Ray Schweitzer, cellos; Rec. New York, November 26, 1957. Epic single 5-9257; Originally Released 1958
Don’t Let Go by Roy Hamilton

Wildman, changeling, innovator Screamin’ Jay Hawkins cast a spell on R&B that dizzied James Brown, hypnotized Jimi Hendrix and captivated the Rolling Stones. An orphan from Cleveland, middleweight boxing champ and veteran of 52nd Street jazz gigs, Jalacy Jay Hawkins stirred African roots, shards of desperation, a measure of vaudeville and the poison of extreme possessiveness into a bubbling cauldron. Banned from radio as “cannibalistic,” OKeh had to promise jobs for jocks who were fired for playing the devilish handiwork. Putting voodoo on stage, Screamin’ Jay gave the unmitigated scream a future in rock and soul.

(J. Hawkins); Orchestra under the direction of Leroy Kirkland; Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, lead vocal; Sam (The Man) Taylor, saxophone; Jimmy Shirley, guitar; Ernie Hayes, piano; Lloyd Trotman, bass; David (Panama) Francis, drums; Rec. New York, September 12, 1956. OKeh single 7072; Originally Released 1956

I Put A Spell On You by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins

On a humid Atlanta night in 1946, a teenaged Chuck Willis swam up from a sea of Charles Brown imitators. Standing rock-still, he drew each word from a bottomless well of loneliness and feeling. DJ Zenas Sears pitched Chuck to OKeh where he became “The Sheik Of Shake” for his elaborate turbans. Grafting music to melancholy, he wrote literate, polished, elegant jump tunes quivering with boogie-woogie piano and sighing horns. He cut “Hang Up My Rock & Roll Shoes” for Atlantic before collapsing on the floor with a bleeding ulcer, his story cut short at age 30 with a legacy of meticulously-crafted songs–and 54 turbans.

(C. Willis); Orchestra under the direction of Roy Mays; Chuck Willis, lead vocal; Jesse Jones, Wesley J. Jackson, Fred Taylor, Charles Holloway, Julius Wimby, Willie Willis, David Hudson and/or Willie Wilson, vocals; Rec. New York, June 26, 1952. OKeh single 6905; Originally Released 1952

My Story by Chuck Willis

The blues checked out of church with the voice of faithlessness and the restless beat of a pacing lover. These blues would never sit down in those pews again. Shaking the growl of gospel, The Ravens lined the nest in sweet song. Hatched by the harmonies of the fading Ink Spots and Mills Brothers, The Ravens began in the back of a Harlem restaurant and went on to brand doo-wop with alternating leads and spawned the “Mr. Bassman” prototype in Jimmy Ricks’ profound boom. Shuffling swing and walking the bass lines laid in the ’40s, The Ravens skipped to the rhythm and blues, inspiring generations of “bird” groups to spread their wings.
My Baby’s Gone by The Ravens

“Time Has Come Today” defines the musical sub-genre known as psychedelic soul. This was its best song, its biggest hit, and a perfect statement for its time. The Chambers Bros. began in Mississippi as a four-man gospel group before relocating to San Francisco, adding a drummer, and enjoying five Top 100 hits. “Time” was released as a single and is heard in a very extended version on their album, The Time Has Come. Their fusion of varied styles hinted at what was to follow with fellow Bay Area musicians Sly & The Family Stone.

Time Has Come Today (Single Version One) by The Chambers Brothers
Check out more from this artist at LegacyRecordings.com

Recorded in New York, July 27, 1961. Entered chart: November 13, 1961, peaked at #1 (3 weeks).

After scoring their first hit with “Tonight I Fell in Love,” The Tokes turned to a folk song called “Winoweh,” which had been a hit for The Weavers. With a Rock beat and a haunting vocal performance, the song was retitled “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and gave this talented group (Neil Sedaka had been an early member) their biggest hit. Members of The Tokens went on to write and produce for The Chiffons, Randy and The Rainbows, and The Happenings.

The Lion Sleeps Tonight by The Tokens or Buy the CD at LegacyRecordings.com.

”Look, yeah, but don’t touch.” It’s far down the musical street from the corner where The Four Lads stood ogling at a vision of loveliness twenty years before. This time, however, there’s an insinuation in the vocal and slinky guitar work that you can indeed go to jail for what you’re thinking. “That Lady” was a 1973 Top 10 hit for The Isley Brothers, who first crashed the charts with “Shout” in 1959, continued through the twist boom (“Twist And Shout”), Motown’s golden era (“This Old Heart Of Mine”), and everything since, giving them just claim to the title of First Family of R&B.

That Lady by The Isley Brothers or Buy the CD at LegacyRecordings.com.

Behind the scenes, Billy Swan had spent well over a decade making his mark as a songwriter (Clyde McPhatter’s “Lover Please”) and producer (Tony Joe White’s “Polk Salad Annie”) before recording this single for Monument Records that glided effortlessly to #1 just after the Watergate summer of 74. Maybe it was the rollicking roller-rink organ, maybe it was Swan’s humble vocal, maybe it was the simple expression of you’ve-got-a-friend sensitivity (”if your child needs a daddy I can help”)…whatever: it was one of those songs you just want to hug.

I Can Help by Billy Swan or Buy the CD at LegacyRecordings.com.

Johnny Nash first emerged in the late 50’s among a crop of young crooners who existed in a nebulous world between R&B and pop. He vanished for most of the 60’s, and by the time he reappeared in 1968 with “Hold Me Tight,” he’d moved to Jamaica, absorbed the lilt of ska and the kick of reggae, and fashioned a new sound that was bright and infectious. 1972’s “I Can See Clearly Now” became one of the first reggae records to become a U.S. hit, and was followed by “Stir It Up,” which introduced pop listeners to a Jamaican songwriter named Bob Marley.

I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash or Buy the CD at LegacyRecordings.com.

The details of Janis Joplin’s story are now legend: how the bluesy Texas girl unleashed her fury on the San Francisco hippie scene with Big Brother & The Holding Company, bowled over Columbia’s Clive Davis at 1967Õs Monterey Pop Festival, and became the most galvanizing woman in rock. Kris Kristofferson’s “Me And Bobby McGee” wasn’t a typical Joplin song, but her poignant performance, conveying all the battered weariness she must have felt, was all the more gripping for its posthumous success. As an epitaph, both for her and for the excesses of the 1960s, “freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose” will do as well as any.

Me And Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin or Buy the CD at LegacyRecordings.com.

It was, as an early album title put it, a whole new thing: flamboyant funk played by an interracial outfit led by the irrepressible and unpredictable Sylvester Stewart. Sometimes there was a message in the music, sometimes it was a freaky electric circus, and sometimes it was just the hippest hybrid of rock, pop and soul imaginable. Of all the memorable early hits “Everyday People,” “Dance To The Music,” the Woodstock rallying cry “I Want To Take You Higher,” “Hot Fun In The Summertime” shows Sly at his most infectious, a last burst of 60’s celebration before his stringent 1970 masterpiece, “There’s A Riot Going On.”

My Rhapsody Playlist or Buy the CD at LegacyRecordings.com.

Al Kooper, leader of the pioneering New York band, the Blues Project, had an idea for an adventurous rock-jazz big band. Their debut album was a promising start, but then Kooper decided to leave his own group. The rejuggled BS&T recruited leather-lunged vocalist David Clayton-Thomas, went in the studio with James William Guercio, and promptly achieved incredible success. In addition to the Motown cover, “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy,” the self-titled collection leaped from Billie Holiday to Laura Nyro to band originals with aggressive zest. For a time it was all gold and Grammys, until Vegas, inevitably, beckoned.
You’ve Made Me So Very Happy by Blood, Sweat and Tears or Buy the CD at LegacyRecordings.com.

When Laura Nyro made her debut in 1966, she was virtually alone. It was not an age of introspective female singer-songwriters weaned on R&B, doo-wop and gospel. Her songs, however, would not be denied. One by one, her album cuts got polished up a bit, and became the hits her versions should have been. Three Dog Night, Barbra Streisand, and Blood, Sweat & Tears were among the artists who cashed in on Nyro compositions, but her primary chart ambassadors were the Fifth Dimension, who successfully covered five of her songs, including this easy-rolling soul stew that throws all of NyroÕs influences into one sensuous melting pot.
Listen to “Stoned Soul Picnic” On Rhapsody

Buy the CD at LegacyRecordings.com.

Piloted by producer-writer-drummer Maurice White, Earth, Wind & Fire brought the spectacle of arena-rock to their invariably catchy pop soul (“Sing A Song,” “September,” “Saturday Night”), and became one of the ’70s’ major crossover success stories. Their music was a stylistic grab-bag, shrewdly concocted and uplifting, jazzy and danceable. Like such contemporaries as Parliament and the Ohio Players, they understood the theatrics of funk; like Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago, they doled out bursts of brass in a cheerful, melodic context. And they returned the embrace of their audience with a typically generous benediction: you’re a shining star, no matter who you are.

Shining Star by Earth, Wind & Fire
or Buy the CD at LegacyRecordings.com.

The details of Janis Joplin’s story are now legend: how the bluesy Texas girl unleashed her fury on the San Francisco hippie scene with Big Brother & The Holding Company, bowled over Columbia’s Clive Davis at 1967’s Monterey Pop Festival, and became the most galvanizing woman in rock. Kris Kristofferson’s “Me And Bobby McGee” wasn’t a typical Joplin song, but her poignant performance, conveying all the battered weariness she must have felt, was all the more gripping for its posthumous success. As an epitaph, both for her and for the excesses of the 1960s, “freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose” will do as well as any.

Me And Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin
or Buy the CD at LegacyRecordings.com.

By 1963, the all-pervasive twist craze was waning, but in its wake came the frug, the watusi, the jerk, the pony, the swim—and the simian-inspired step chronicled in this Curtis Mayfield classic. “The Monkey Time” had everything a dance record needed: a scene (“A place way across town”), an invitation (“Whenever you’re ready”), and a promise of fulfillment (“You automatically are on your way”). It gave a new punch to Chicago soul, and helped establish Mayfield as its primary architect. For a while, it seemed like the U.S. really was the land of 1,000 dances.

Listen to: Major Lance - Monkey Time

or Buy the CDat LegacyRecordings.com

Few debut singles (from debut albums, no less) have leapt so emphatically to the chart tops as the thoroughly infectious “Doo Wop (That Thing),” a sly, cautionary tale about affairs of the heart, the body and society. In her first solo outing the multi-platinum Grammy magnet, The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, the former Fugee has proven herself to be a brilliant consolidator of influences, styles and experiences. Hill’s message of positive love belies a spirit rooted in the heart and soul of the ’60s, with a sensibility and frankness that is pure ’90s.

Doo Wop (That Thing) by Lauryn Hill
or Buy the CD at LegacyRecordings.com.

Des’ree Weekes grew up in South London, the daughter of Caribbean expatriates. Hers was a childhood of island sounds, soul and Britpop. “In my living room we used to listen to the likes of Duke Ellington, Bob Marley and Stevie Wonder,” she recalled, “while I imagined I was Gladys Knight singing onstage.” From these diverse influences and a passion for poetry, Des’ree fashioned a gently personal style of contemporary soul. Her first hit single (1992’s “Feel So High”) charted a mere twelve weeks after her demo tape hit the desk at Sony U.K., pretty near the speed of light in the music business. Two years, two albums and tons of video airplay later, “You Gotta Be” catapulted Des’ree to stateside stardom.
(Des’ree/A. Ingram)
You Gotta Be by Des’ree
or Buy the CD at LegacyRecordings.com.

Patti LaBelle & the Blue Belles had an R&B hit in the early ‘60s with “Down The Aisle,” and Patti became known for tearing up live shows with her vocal pyrotechnics. Three-quarters of that group (LaBelle, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash) continued through the ’70s as the renamed LaBelle and—costumed in huge feathered headpieces, futuristic space gear, metal breastplates—became the queens of glam-soul. “Lady Marmalade,” a steamy slice of New Orleans-styled funk produced by Allen Toussaint, made a catch phrase of “voulez-vous couchez avec moi, ce soir,” putting everyone’s high school French to good use.

Listen to “Lady Marmalade” by LaBelle on Rhapsody
or Buy the CD at LegacyRecordings.com.