PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD THAT BEBE & CECE WINANS WILL BE PERFORMING “GRACE” LIVE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2009 ON THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW! (Check your local listing)
THANKS FOR YOUR OVERWHELMING SUPPORT!!!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tina Diamond, JT Watkins Bring Back A Classic 'Tramp'
There was a time when the term "southern soul" spoke volumes about the music you might be about to hear. There was a time when those words evoked the names of empires such as those found at Stax, Atlantic, King and eventually Malaco. Southern soul was the epitome of dynamite musicians going beyond technical proficiency and reaching deep into that unnamable internal region that gave performances a grit and grease that made you want to slip and slide, dance and glide. Southern soul was the epitome of fullblown, slick, but tight rhythm and horn arrangements. And, it was the epitome of singers singing their natural born you-knowwhats off! Think Johnny Taylor, Sam & Dave, Dorothy Moore, Denise Lasalle, Jimmy Hughes? It was that ether region where blues, rock 'n' roll and rhythm and blues because something else- something that I once heard a guy describe as a feel that would make your toe curl up in your boot!
But, alas, for reasons too lengthy to get into right here, those days seemed to pass and the machines took over and drove the musicians out and along with them, those killer singers who need to feel the pulse of humanity to work their best magic. I'm not going to get into a rant about all that and depress you, especially given that help seems on the way. No, it's not John Connor set to do battle with the terminators. It's phenomenal blues singer Tina Diamond and renowned R&B bandleader JT Watkins breathing new life into a classic and at the same time the current near moribund southern soul scene. This modern day dynamic duo has resurrected Lowell Fulson's seminal "Tramp" that not only was covered by a ton of folks, but provided a signature bass line that became the foundation of many a soul hit back in the day. Ironically, it was a cover by an earlier king and queen duo that actually made the song a big hit. Back in 1967-a year after Fulson put his original out there-the legendary Otis Redding and his Stax label mate Carla Thomas, daughter of the inimitable father of southern funk, Rufus Thomas, put out a smoldering version of their own giving the tune a whole different twist with the back and forth banter between the sexes. Now Diamond and Watkins have put out an updated take on the tune that stays true to what many consider the definitive Redding- Thomas version, but with their own energetic thing into it.
First of all, where Carla almost seems playfully teasing Otis about being a no good tramp in the early version, Diamond sounds like she means business-like she's telling Watkins she's already found out he can't deliver the financial goods he promised and it's time to get to steppin'! Likewise, Watkins is strong in his defense of his position, giving this version- ooooooo, and this might sound blasphemous in some quarters- even more edge than Otis and Carla. Plus, Diamond and Watkins do an equally great job in the singing sections, although their version leans a bit more toward the blues side of the R&B flavor than previous versions. (You've got to give it to Redding and Thomas for the soul version and, well, you'd be hard pressed to find a version with more lowdown, raw funk than Fulson's original!) My friend and mentor, a real soul legend, Frank-O Johnson, told me I was going to love this one and I do. This is some killer stuff!
A word about the music: Respect where respect is due. Normally, I'm death on modern R&B and southern soul productions for a number of reasons I'll let you guess about. But, I've got to say this set really moves me, thanks to the expert production of the great Harrison Calloway who has reconstructed his own lovely version of the classic Stax arrangement. (Makes sense. Calloway was one of the originals from down there-a trumpeter in the FAME Gang at Muscle Shoals!) Frankly, this has to be among the absolute best modern southern soul productions I've ever heard. And, I challenge the average listener to tell me: "Is it really or synthesized?"
Okay, now I'm waiting for Diamond and Watkins to head back into the studio with a dynamite rhythm section, horns, guitars and the like and put out that soul album folks have been waiting for over the years. Hey, Tina, JT, can you hear me now? ~ Frost Illustrated
But, alas, for reasons too lengthy to get into right here, those days seemed to pass and the machines took over and drove the musicians out and along with them, those killer singers who need to feel the pulse of humanity to work their best magic. I'm not going to get into a rant about all that and depress you, especially given that help seems on the way. No, it's not John Connor set to do battle with the terminators. It's phenomenal blues singer Tina Diamond and renowned R&B bandleader JT Watkins breathing new life into a classic and at the same time the current near moribund southern soul scene. This modern day dynamic duo has resurrected Lowell Fulson's seminal "Tramp" that not only was covered by a ton of folks, but provided a signature bass line that became the foundation of many a soul hit back in the day. Ironically, it was a cover by an earlier king and queen duo that actually made the song a big hit. Back in 1967-a year after Fulson put his original out there-the legendary Otis Redding and his Stax label mate Carla Thomas, daughter of the inimitable father of southern funk, Rufus Thomas, put out a smoldering version of their own giving the tune a whole different twist with the back and forth banter between the sexes. Now Diamond and Watkins have put out an updated take on the tune that stays true to what many consider the definitive Redding- Thomas version, but with their own energetic thing into it.
First of all, where Carla almost seems playfully teasing Otis about being a no good tramp in the early version, Diamond sounds like she means business-like she's telling Watkins she's already found out he can't deliver the financial goods he promised and it's time to get to steppin'! Likewise, Watkins is strong in his defense of his position, giving this version- ooooooo, and this might sound blasphemous in some quarters- even more edge than Otis and Carla. Plus, Diamond and Watkins do an equally great job in the singing sections, although their version leans a bit more toward the blues side of the R&B flavor than previous versions. (You've got to give it to Redding and Thomas for the soul version and, well, you'd be hard pressed to find a version with more lowdown, raw funk than Fulson's original!) My friend and mentor, a real soul legend, Frank-O Johnson, told me I was going to love this one and I do. This is some killer stuff!
A word about the music: Respect where respect is due. Normally, I'm death on modern R&B and southern soul productions for a number of reasons I'll let you guess about. But, I've got to say this set really moves me, thanks to the expert production of the great Harrison Calloway who has reconstructed his own lovely version of the classic Stax arrangement. (Makes sense. Calloway was one of the originals from down there-a trumpeter in the FAME Gang at Muscle Shoals!) Frankly, this has to be among the absolute best modern southern soul productions I've ever heard. And, I challenge the average listener to tell me: "Is it really or synthesized?"
Okay, now I'm waiting for Diamond and Watkins to head back into the studio with a dynamite rhythm section, horns, guitars and the like and put out that soul album folks have been waiting for over the years. Hey, Tina, JT, can you hear me now? ~ Frost Illustrated
Harrison Calloway Nominated For Mississippi Jazz Foundation Award
Malaco arranger, Harrison Calloway, will be inducted in the Mississippi Jazz Foundation on December 11, 2009, at the Alamo Theatre in Jackson, Mississippi. This induction is awarded to Mr. Calloway for his outstanding work in the field of music education.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Malaco Gospel Radio Now Online!
Malaco Records is proud to bring to you the hot new station www.malacogospelradio.com. Visit the website now and listen!
The Malaco Music Group houses the largest and the oldest catalog in the world. Over 150 years of great Gospel music between its wholly owned subsidiaries, Malaco Records, Savoy Records, Muscle Shoals Sound Gospel and its newest acquisition, Atlanta International Records (Air Gospel), newly founded 4 Winds Records along with its distributed labels and MalacoGospelRadio.com is where you will get to experience all 150 years of the best Gospel Music ever recorded.
MalacoGospelRadio.com features Choirs, Quartets, Groups & Soloists. Hear artists such as The King Of Gospel James Cleveland, Mahalia Jackson, Dorothy Love Coates, The Mississippi Mass Choir, Georgia Mass Choir, Willie Neal Johnson & The Gospel Keynotes, Robert Blair & The Violinaires, Willie Banks & The Messengers, The Sensational Nightingales, Margaret “Babe” Allison & The Angelics ,James Moore, Keith Pringle, O’landa Draper, Ricky Dillard, Donnie McClurkin, Dorothy Norwood, Shirley Caesar, LaShun Pace, , Luther Barnes, Rev. F.C. Barnes, Dottie Peoples, Maurette Brown Clark, Carolyn Traylor, Men Of Standard, Bebe & CeCe Winans and many, many more.
The Malaco Music Group houses the largest and the oldest catalog in the world. Over 150 years of great Gospel music between its wholly owned subsidiaries, Malaco Records, Savoy Records, Muscle Shoals Sound Gospel and its newest acquisition, Atlanta International Records (Air Gospel), newly founded 4 Winds Records along with its distributed labels and MalacoGospelRadio.com is where you will get to experience all 150 years of the best Gospel Music ever recorded.
MalacoGospelRadio.com features Choirs, Quartets, Groups & Soloists. Hear artists such as The King Of Gospel James Cleveland, Mahalia Jackson, Dorothy Love Coates, The Mississippi Mass Choir, Georgia Mass Choir, Willie Neal Johnson & The Gospel Keynotes, Robert Blair & The Violinaires, Willie Banks & The Messengers, The Sensational Nightingales, Margaret “Babe” Allison & The Angelics ,James Moore, Keith Pringle, O’landa Draper, Ricky Dillard, Donnie McClurkin, Dorothy Norwood, Shirley Caesar, LaShun Pace, , Luther Barnes, Rev. F.C. Barnes, Dottie Peoples, Maurette Brown Clark, Carolyn Traylor, Men Of Standard, Bebe & CeCe Winans and many, many more.
Monday, September 14, 2009
BeBe & CeCe Reach #1 On The Billboard Charts
Below is a special 'thank you' from BeBe and CeCe on going #1....
Dear Gospel radio family,
We would like to take this time to say thanks for all of the love and support you have shown us throughout the years.
It has been 15 years since we’ve recorded an album together. As a result, we feel extremely blessed to see our first single, “Close To You,” climb to #1 on the Billboard Hot Gospel Songs chart. We couldn’t have done it without you. With the recording of our recent project, it has been a humbling experience to reflect on our journey and the realization that you all have been with us from the very beginning.
We’re extremely excited about our new album, “STILL” being in stores on October 6, 2009 and pray that it touches you and your listeners in a very special way.
Thank you for all that you do and have done for us. May God continue to bless you and yours.
Blessings,
BeBe & CeCe Winans
Dear Gospel radio family,
We would like to take this time to say thanks for all of the love and support you have shown us throughout the years.
It has been 15 years since we’ve recorded an album together. As a result, we feel extremely blessed to see our first single, “Close To You,” climb to #1 on the Billboard Hot Gospel Songs chart. We couldn’t have done it without you. With the recording of our recent project, it has been a humbling experience to reflect on our journey and the realization that you all have been with us from the very beginning.
We’re extremely excited about our new album, “STILL” being in stores on October 6, 2009 and pray that it touches you and your listeners in a very special way.
Thank you for all that you do and have done for us. May God continue to bless you and yours.
Blessings,
BeBe & CeCe Winans
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
BeBe & CeCe "Grace" Official Leak!
The response has been awesome to "Grace" that we wanted to post it online for you to enjoy. Leave us some comments below. Don't forget, October 6th is the release date for BeBe and CeCe's album "Still".
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
B-Hamp’s Do the Ricky Bobby Featured on MTV’s Dance Craze Challenge
Who knew the best dance routine accessory would be a fire extinguisher? B-Hamp’s hit song, “Do the Ricky Bobby” was featured this week on MTV’s Dance Craze Challenge. Seattle’s dance crew, “Massive Monkees” incorporated a master mix of the track with a trampoline, fire extinguisher and polaroid. Do the Ricky Bobby. Stop. Pose for the frame.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Gospel Music Singer CeCe Winans Inspires Students
Gospel singer CeCe Winans was interviewed by Belmont’s Harry Chapman Wednesday for the first “Insider’s View” of the fall semester in an appearance sponsored by the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business and the Office of Spiritual Development. Winans--a former Belmont trustee who has won numerous Grammy, Dove and Soul Train awards, among others--discussed her successful career as a Gospel artist and offered words of wisdom to a room packed with students.
Coming from a very large family consisting of seven older brothers and two younger sisters, singing was a part of life in the Winans household. CeCe started her career singing with older brother Bebe, and the two had enormous success in the gospel music industry.
Winans accredits her success to her strong faith and says she felt the call of God early on in her life. “The foundation of my life and career has been staying faithful to the Word of God and faithful to God and his plan for my life. You know everything is going to be all right if you stay focused on him,” she said.
Winans sought to inspire the younger generation in the audience, noting that it is often easy in life to get so busy doing “good stuff” that people often leave the “great stuff” out. She discussed the importance of surrounding yourself with good people who will keep you grounded and always remembering to be true to who you are. “If it comes from the heart, it is going to touch the heart,” said Winans. “Celebrate the great things about yourself and believe in yourself.”
The idea for Winans Always Sisters Forever Brothers conference, which was held in the Curb Event Center in July, emerged from the idea of wanting to pour into the lives of the younger generation and encourage young people to include God in everyday life. She is also reuniting with her brother Bebe for the first time in 15 years for a new album that will be available Oct. 6.
--Story reported by Aileen Wark - Bellmont University Blog
BeBe and CeCe are Back with ‘Still’
B&C Records in conjunction with Malaco Records is proud to announce the upcoming release of Still, the highly anticipated and eagerly awaited new studio album from gospel duo BeBe & CeCe Winans. Still will be available online and in stores on Tuesday, October 6.
Still is BeBe & CeCe’s first album in more than 15 years and is the reunion that has been on the lips of fans around the world since it was announced earlier this year. Since the their self-titled debut album in 1987, this chart-topping brother and sister duo topped the R&B and inspirational charts with their debut single, “I.O.U. Me,” and generated Grammy nominations, Dove and Stellar Gospel Awards. BeBe & CeCe were the first African-American artists to receive significant airplay on CCM radio stations and the second African American artists to receive the Dove Award in the Group of the Year category.
Premiering 11 new BeBe & CeCe classics, Still includes the album’s recently released lead single, “Close to You” which has received critical acclaim and success for its soul-stirring, smooth sound and pristine vocals. The video for the single was recently launched on Yahoo and can be viewed by logging onto http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos. Other tracks on Still include the heart wrenching “Grace,” “Things” (featuring brother Marvin Winans), “Let It Be” (featuring Mary Mary) and “I Found Love” (Cindy’s Song) which is destined to be the wedding song of the year.
With assistance from longtime producer and collaborator Keith Thomas, along with Warryn Campbell, Percy Bady, Peter Zizzo, Merv Warren and Mario Winans, BeBe & CeCe weave their love for God in a faith-fueled gospel sound that combines a tuneful blend of R&B, pop, soul, jazz and more.
In conjunction with the release of Still, the BeBe & CeCe Reunion Tour will criss-cross the country later this year. ~ Soul Audio
Still is BeBe & CeCe’s first album in more than 15 years and is the reunion that has been on the lips of fans around the world since it was announced earlier this year. Since the their self-titled debut album in 1987, this chart-topping brother and sister duo topped the R&B and inspirational charts with their debut single, “I.O.U. Me,” and generated Grammy nominations, Dove and Stellar Gospel Awards. BeBe & CeCe were the first African-American artists to receive significant airplay on CCM radio stations and the second African American artists to receive the Dove Award in the Group of the Year category.
Premiering 11 new BeBe & CeCe classics, Still includes the album’s recently released lead single, “Close to You” which has received critical acclaim and success for its soul-stirring, smooth sound and pristine vocals. The video for the single was recently launched on Yahoo and can be viewed by logging onto http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos. Other tracks on Still include the heart wrenching “Grace,” “Things” (featuring brother Marvin Winans), “Let It Be” (featuring Mary Mary) and “I Found Love” (Cindy’s Song) which is destined to be the wedding song of the year.
With assistance from longtime producer and collaborator Keith Thomas, along with Warryn Campbell, Percy Bady, Peter Zizzo, Merv Warren and Mario Winans, BeBe & CeCe weave their love for God in a faith-fueled gospel sound that combines a tuneful blend of R&B, pop, soul, jazz and more.
In conjunction with the release of Still, the BeBe & CeCe Reunion Tour will criss-cross the country later this year. ~ Soul Audio
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)