Issue 64 the 10th Anniversary edition

The Quintessential info provider for the Soul Survivor ISSUE 64 - 1st JUNE 2016 - 31st JULY 2016

Celebrating 10 Years of News, Reviews & Interviews

SCOTT JAMES BILLY OCEAN

JAMES D TRAIN DANNY JOHN JULES KATHY SLEDGE

DR. JAMES MASON

[ 10♫YEARS ]

WHAT’S INSIDE?

3 BILLY OCEAN

speaks to Fitzroy 8 KATHY SLEDGE

speaks to Fitzroy 14 JAMES D TRAIN

WILLIAMS speaks to Fitzroy 18 RECORD REVIEWS 20 DARRELL’S FUNK BOX 22 SCOTT JAMES

in conversation with Fitzroy 28 MIRA PARKES

Soul Survivors Balkan

& Worldwide

correspondent Speaks to

DR. JAMES MASON 32 ROLL CALL OF FAME

MR “BILLY BOY” PAUL 33 DANNY JOHN JULES

in conversation with Fitzroy 40 EVENT REVIEWS 44 WHAT’S GOING ON? 45 - 47 PRINCE HOMAGES

All adverts are placed in good faith and The Soul Survivors Magazine take no responsibility for any issues arising from the use of those who have advertised.

All dates are correct at time of going to print – please check with venue or promoter if unsure.

All rights reserved 2008 - 2016 © The Soul Survivors Magazine It is essential to note that all artwork, adverts and listings must be confirmed and sent in to fitzroy@ thesoulsurvivorsmagazine.co.uk before Tuesday 3rd July in order to meet the graphic designer and print 3 week preparation. This will ensure that the magazine for August and September is ready and out on the street ahead of 1st August 2016.

Thanks in advance. The Soul Survivors Magazine Team!

Suite 013, 986 Garratt Lane, Tooting Broadway, London SW17 0ND E: fitzroy@thesoulsurvivorsmagazine.co.uk M: 07956 312931 C fitzroy.facey C Fitzroytheoriginalsoulsurvivor C TheSoulSurvivors MSoulSurvivors1 Page 2 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS! www.thesoulsurvivorsmagazine.co.uk

Greetings on a historical period in the life of Fitzroy Anthoney Facey, born an Aquarian in the year of the Dragon 1964. Seriously folks like Hughie Green, this issue marks a milestone of an uphill battle in this technology driven digital age, of maintaining something that is now considered old school as a printed music publication. With neither myself nor Anna Marshall (who recently left after 9 years of blood sweat and enough tears) having had any industry publication experience prior to starting this 10 years ago, we were practically told we had two realistic hopes of this lasting more than 6 months, Bob Hope and no hope. 10 years later like the Elton John classic with this magazine “I’m Still Standing” and I am proud to have one of the few dedicated printed bi-monthly black music magazines that does what it says on the tin like Ron Seal. Our motto is the “Quintessential info provider for the soul survivor, and this is universally acknowledged, valued and revered by many who class themselves as soul survivors.

The magazine despite many hurdles is blessed. There are times when you never know what adverts or interviews are coming in, but because of the work and the faith that is consistently being ploughed in spiritually, of what needs to be done, every issue becomes special in it’s own individual preparation process.

Thanks to everyone, whether you have actively supported the magazine directly, indirectly or in any way shape or form or even if not at all (the latter may seem like an odd thing to say).

When we started there was a gap in the market and as a peoples not an industry publication, we aimed to fill it. Unfortunately as a negative point, despite what appears on the surface to be a lot of love from what is termed as the so called unified ‘Soul Family’, the magazines purpose has been met with so much hypocrisy, discrimination, racism, division and prejudice to refute that ideology truly exists. So is this like Imagination “Just An Illusion” or a fallacy?

This is evident from some of the backbiting and “bitchstard” antics we see all day and everyday, in particular on several Facebook pages and forums. It’s disgusting and it saddens me because it becomes egotistical, personal and not about the love of music which we claim to be unified by. There are individuals who see the magazine’s value purely from a selfish point of view for themselves, but think we are obligated to feature their events or products for free, and for the love of preserving the “Soul Family community”. They also think that the magazine runs on fresh air which if fresh air was a currency, I’d truly be a millionaire.

It’s not about naming and shaming the negative ones because if you’re honest with yourself, the guilty culprits know who they are. In this issue many are not afraid to speak the truth as they see it. On a more positive note, huge thanks to Darrell S for his satirical Funk Box column that many of you seem to like as a magazine feature. The same sentiment goes to Gary Dennis from Crazy Beat Records who has advertised in every single one of the 64 issues, so free advertising for a year for you Gazza Dennis. This issue really is a ‘special one’ more than Jose Mouriniho. Please read some great documentation from Billy Ocean, Kathy Sledge, James D Train Williams, Scott James, Dr James (Sweet Power) Mason and actor Danny John Jules. The information they share as soul survivors is priceless, so I urge you to read and take in what they have to say because it’s all relevant. “I am also pleased to feature an advert promoting myself (in Birmingham) and David Nathan (in London) who will be in conversation with Motown legend Martha Reeves prior to her performance live on stage.”

I’m not gonna lie about my dove impression when real purple tears were shed over his “Royal Purpleness” Prince Rogers Nelson’s passing aged only 58. I did not see that one coming at all.

Three days later PIR’s musical great Billy Paul said farewell at the age of 81. To solve my front page dilemma, I decided to do a double front cover with ‘the artist formally known as’ on the flip back page. The consecutive four pages that follow feature homages from three artists who knew and worked with Prince, a fellow music Aquarian who personified him literally, and an oracle minister of information who met, Dj’d for him and received his demo’s before Prince shared his “Dance Electric” with the world. This is a collectors item issue for many reasons… so I’ll say enjoy…

Fitzroy.

]

“You see the people from the Caribbean especially Jamaica are special.

Listening to the doctrine of the 12 Tribes and being a Rastafarian the name Jamaica I say as Jahmaica.”

Billy Ocean speaks to Fitzroy

Lesley Charles traveled from the warm Caribbean climate into the east sides of Blighty’s capital London with a cold chilly welcome in more ways than one. His aspiration however with no formal qualifications was to pursue music at at time when black artists were few and far between. Doing his apprenticeship and evolving with a name change Billy Ocean was about to show the world that his “Red Light Spells Danger” via his gifted voice in the mid 1970’s. Billy as a solo artist is celebrating 40 years of universal pop success and with his calm and philosophical demeanour talks to me about his indigenous “Calypso Crazy” rhythm influences, his Rastafarian faith and his quest to continue making people have one of those “Nights(Feel Like Getting Down)”. “Are You Ready?” thesoulsurvivorsmagazine.co.uk

Being an Aquarian born 21st January 1950 as Leslie Sebastian Charles in Trinidad, I imagine that there were not many black families living in East London in the late 1950’s, where you moved to aged 10. How did you find acclimatising to The UK weather and way of life culturally, during your formative school years and musically?

As a kid, it was strange coming from the West Indies. I grew up near a coffee plantation. In a nutshell I grew up around a forest exploring with my dog. I just loved roaming in the open air. In fact where I live in Berkshire, I do the same thing walking through the bushes, forest and trees with my dog. When I came to England it was really cold, no trees to climb and seeing pure concrete around me. I found it difficult to acclimatise not only physically but also mentally and we were fortunate in those days to get somewhere to live. There was a lot of prejudice. By the time my parents arrive you’d see signs on houses saying no blacks, no dogs, no Irish. When I went to school that was even stranger because in the south it was an oil producing area and certain European communities didn’t mix with us and lived in their own quarters. Mixing with other English white kids was strange to become accustomed to. School was never my forte as I used to dream of making music.

What was it like to be surrounded by the Caribbean steel pans when your father used to sing and play the guitar and did you see yourself as black George Formby when your first instrument was a Ukulele that was taught to you by a blind man?

Yes, I had a little blue Ukulele that was bought for me for Christmas and a blind man showed me the first three chords I ever learnt which was G, D, E minor and back to G. I don’t know what I saw my self as but I was excited at the amazing sounds the Ukulele made. In the Caribbean it’s a very musical place and during Christmas time we would listen to what we call Perang which is Spanish music that picked up it’s own format in Trinidad.

How was the predeceasing big break period from the late 1960’s while you were still performing as Les Charles with The Shades Of Midnight and playing in the Shoreditch area of London? As well as recording “Nashville Rain” backed with “Sun In The Morning”, in 1971 for Sparks Records, how did that transcend to fronting a studio band called Scorched Earth releasing “On The Run” backed with “Let’s Put Our Emotions in Motion” in 1974?

I used to sing in pubs and one in particular called the Bluecoat Boy in Liverpool Street. Back then the music industry was run by independent producers who used to scout around for singers to perform the songs they had written and then take the package to a record company. One day a couple of guys from Tangerine Studio’s in Dalston, which is where I recorded “Love Really Hurts Without You”, came in and heard me. They liked me and asked me to vocal one of their songs. Now there was a publishing company in Denmark Street, Soho that was then known as ‘Tin Pan Alley’ called Southern Music and it was there that I started to write songs in the studio. At the time the live sessions that I had been doing had tailed off and I was becoming more proficient in writing songs, and working and Page 4 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS!

singing within a studio environment that is different. The confidence singing live is different when you can see your audience as opposed to singing to just four walls.

Where you not a pattern cutter at one point?

Yes as I said earlier I wasn’t academic which is a shame because I believe I’d write more story telling songs similar to how Bob Dylan was able to. So leaving school I got a job in the ladies rag trade because the firm was less than five minutes from my house. One of the girls at the firm was selling her veneer piano and I borrowed £23 off the boss and bought it. I enjoyed the novelty of having one that fitted perfectly in the alcove of my bedroom even though I hadn’t previously measured it for size. So I used to go home in between breaks and play on my new piano and that’s how “Love Really Hurts” came about. If you listen it has a Talma Motown piano riff and then all the melody and chords just came together.

Having spoke with Chris and Eddie Amoo from The Real Thing, I must share this with you. It is something when you, as a young black pre teen see a black British artist on Top Of The Pops. It does galvanise you with a degree of pride. So when I saw you in 1976 singing “Love Really Hurts Without You” and later “Red Light Spells Danger” with the polish of an American artist, it left a big mark. How were those early pop years working amongst the many glam rock and pop acts as well as the ever increasing injection of UK and USA R&B music?

We had very few people to influence us as black artists except Kenny Lynch. Then came Eddie Grant with the Equals before he went solo, then I guess it was me next. Apart from Eddie who is still very cultural and West Indian and has his own influences which I’ve always admired, the rest of us learnt from the Americans with the polished confidence. The rest came from here with The Kinks, The Who and The Beatles who as UK acts were dominating the world musically and it was all great music.

What’s interesting is both you and Eddie Grant were associated with Epic when Eddie reeled “My Turn To Love You”. I personally think you are quite influenced by Michael Jackson, the first clue is the “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” influence of “Are You Ready To Go?” especially on the remix 12”.

Of course Michael Jackson influenced me as I was trying to find myself and have a hit record but I retained the Billy Ocean originality. I don’t intentionally try to emulate anyone or the music.

How ironic is it that Latoya Jackson covers “Are You Ready To Go?” and how did you view that?

It was good. Michael Jackson knew of me because over the years I had worked with a few producers like Teddy Riley and R. Kelly before him.

OK did you work with Rod Temperton?

No but I knew him because we

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were label mates at GTO when he was in Heatwave. Then Quincy heard of Rod and the rest is history. Quincy gave Rod an offer he couldn’t refuse (Fitzroy “A bit of a Don Corlioni one.”) Yes (we both laugh) which in a way broke up Heatwave but Rod went on to better things. Writing for Michael Jackson. Michael learnt a lot from Rod. I actually wished Michael recorded “Are You Ready?” but I liked Latoya’s version.

I have to confess my favourite song from you is “Nights (Feel Like Getting Down)”. How aware are you of the reverence there is for “Nights (Feel Like Getting Down)” a track that we would call a bad boy boogie track and what was it like working with Nigel Martinez and Ken Gold on the album of the same name?

I didn’t realise it was such a big underground classic that you mention. What I do know is that it took me to America to perform at a place called Paradise Garage which was a big deal at the time. Fortunately people like myself were pioneers of playback recordings on an audio cassette. In between the “Red Light Spells Danger” period until then 1980 there were a few dips in my career and I couldn’t afford a band, so my band was my tape under my arm. I would do two or three shows in Europe a night, for example, there was a promoter called Riner Haus who had a Porche. He’d be speeding up the motorways getting me from the boarders of France, Germany and Holland. In a way I was like a boxer in training so by the time I got to Paradise Garage I was ready. I ripped the place apart even if I say so myself (Billy laughs). That gave me a real stamp in America as if you can imagine breaking New York is like being big in London.

You got to big up your chest Billy Have you heard the version by Sy Smith and Rashaan Patterson?

No I’d love to hear it. The funny thing is that song was written on a beat and with and Antigun musician called Nigel Martinez. (Fitzroy: “He’ s bad.”) Yes, he is truly bad and when we say funk a lot of the Americans are from or have parentage from the Caribbean. I just finished working with The Roots and most of them have West Indian roots.

Billy you know The Caribbean dominates everything look how we just dealt with the cricket (Billy: “Oh my gosh the women team also.”) And the under 19’s so it was a triple whammy.

You see the people from the Caribbean especially Jamaica are special. Listening to the doctrine of the 12 Tribes and being a Rastafarian the name Jamaica I say as Jahmaica. People of the Caribbean we see ourselves as slaves but we are the 12th tribe of Israel and we are blessed people but don’t realise how blessed we are. When you see some of the amazing things like the influences that come from the small Caribbean, albeit Bob Marley to Usain Bolt, we could go on.

When you mentioned Nigel Martinez I have got to mention “Calypso Funking”.

We used to go into the studio called Sound Suite in Camden and literally have fun. It was a grotty little studio but the vibe was there. Nigel used Page 6 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS!

to play the bass, drums blew trumpet and played percussion. The meat of that sound was Nigel Martinez, Vic Linton from Barbados, myself, Godfrey Wan from China and I used to do a lot of percussion too.

“Caribbean Queen” uses Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean” flavour.

I don’t mind admitting it but Michael Jackson must have been thinking why is Billy Ocean always on my coat tail?

You do “The Going Gets Tough”, “Suddenly”, “Mystery Lady” and “Love Zone”. So you still have your toes in both the pop and soul world.

You see I don’t see it like that as I write a song and the style and approach comes from how I feel. It’s others who categorise my music as pop or R&B but that’s a good thing for me not to conform to that theory. Otherwise I’d be pigeon holing myself.

The new double album is a testament to your 40 years at the top journey. Including some of your greatest hits even though they left of ““, its a showcase of your diverse history. The covers album is interesting as many of those songs feature are some of the standard classic songs and many heard in a West Indian home. I first knew “Cry Me A River” from Julie London so it interesting hearing your take. My favourite is “A Change Gonna Come” followed by the other Sam Cooke classics “You Send Me” and “Having A Party”. Love that you stuck Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry” in there too. Most artists at some point do a covers album, but am I right in guessing this is celebrating the influences of musical talent as you celebrate your 40th year?

“Change Is Gonna Come” is a very special song and with the message we are still waiting for a change to come with the world under the cosh right now and that song was made over 50 years ago.

You’re also doing an extensive tour of the UK? Yes and I’m still gigging all over the world. There was a time when I thought it was all over with me nearing 60 and then I met my manager John, things started to come together. I built a studio in Grenada and this project is the first time I’ve ever done covers.

Well I think that’s great because in your 40th year you are still relevant Billy. I must ask you about what inspired your name change?

Well when I lived in the Caribbean we lived near Ocean 11 and that’s where they took the name from for the film.

Oh ok wow so what inspired Billy?

Well just tried to find a first name that would work and Billy was the one.

Thanks Billy it’s been a pleasure speaking with you and I’ll get to one of your dates.

Thanks Fitzroy I’ve enjoyed speaking with you.

thesoulsurvivorsmagazine.co.uk

I was much younger and still a kid at 15 but I always remember the famous two words coming out of Niles mouth “Trust me, just trust me”. I’d ask, “Is this record going to be a hit, can I hear it?” and he would advise me to be patient.

Kathy Sledge speaks to Fitzroy

Born into a musical family dynasty and as the baby of the group, Kathy Sledge was to become for her female siblings what Michael Jackson was to this Jackson 5 brothers, the lead and focal vocalist. Kathy’s unique tone has been part of the Sister Sledge sound as far back as 1971 when she was only 12 years old, and certainly excelled on the 1979 We Are Family album asa voice of distinction. Kathy is headlining the Margate Soul Weekender celebrating it’s 10th year like The Soul Survivors Magazine in August, so we became for a little while “Lost In Music” conversation with “Smile” Page 8 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS!

Hi Kathy, you were born in 1959 and your father was a very well respected tap dancer from the Fred & Sledge dance duo, which were the first black artists to go on Broadway. In addition your grandmother Viola Williams was an opera singer so there was an already endless talent in the family. What was life like growing up in Philadelphia in your formative years before you all became Sister Sledge?

We were very close, five sisters. My oldest sister Carol and I are still the very best of friends to this day. She would baby sit us younger ones. We were always improvising harmonising as Carol’s background singers with the hairbrushes as microphones in the mirror like most kids do. We didn’t realise how much impact the harmonising would have. At 4 years old, being a kid, I thought everyone could harmonise. Later in life now that I work with background singers you realise how many people cannot harmonise which is the first step in training your voice into becoming to singer.

Neighbourhood life was a close-knit affair. Musically the Motown sound was the backdrop and musicals like Mary Poppins would inspire us to perform in front of people although at the time we were not getting paid. Eventually we ended up getting paid doing a small cabaret gig from something we loved doing for free and that was the beginning.

How much did your grandmother being an opera singer influence you all?

My grandmother was a tremendous inspiration to us and particularly me, learning in the art form of music. On the other hand my mother, becoming a single mum when I was around four years old, after her and my father divorced, raised us five girls.

It’s from her that we learned a true appreciation of business. She learned as she went along taking us to the height of our careers and did a great job considering she had no training. This is now normal practice that parents manage their children. Artists like Usher, Justin Biba and Jessica Simpson are examples. Back then it wasn’t usual and she would be what you would call a back stage mum, but a pioneer in that field as a “momager”. I think that’s what they call a parent manager now.

How was it to hear your voice on a recording “Time Will Tell” on an independent label aged 10 at the time?

Interestingly I just had a prominent Dj called Joey Cardelo, who is based here in the USA send me a message the other day saying he didn’t realise that we were one of the first artists on the Money Back Label. He said you can’t find that record and if you do the 7-inch goes for 170 dollars. I remember it was kind of freaky hearing my voice. I remember not liking the tremendous amount of vibrato on the record but it felt like an out of body experience. As time went on I realised that my voice was special.

On the B side was a great funky track called “Brand New Generation” (Kathy recites the lyrics “sock it to me now sock it to me”.)

That was a song by Marty who passed a couple years back, a great guy with a lot of energy.

I’ll be honest I only recently discovered it and was impressed. My first initiation to Sister Sledge was “Mama Never Told Me” which reminded me of a female version of The Jackson 5. (Kathy: “It was a real bubblegum sound.”)

What was it like working with Patrick Adams on the first album titled “Circle Of Love”?

It was amazing working with him and to this day Patrick is a great person. We were all much younger back then and I was like a kid in candy land. It was very exciting. I loved recording with and admired Gwen Guthrie and her writing lyrics so it was all a learning experience.

You mention Gwen Guthrie as one of the writers. Another writer on that album was Phil Hurtt whose wife I believe was a friend of you mothers?

You did an amazing version of “Neither One Of Us” that was recorded previously by Glady’s Knight and sampled by Angie Stone for “No More Rain” so how challenging was that?

I used to listen to Glady’s Knight and Mavis Staples.

You’ll hear the “aah haah and ooooh yeeaaah” ad-libs of “We Are Family” as inspired by Mavis. I loved the way she sung on “I’ll Take You There” so I guess it was my homage to Gladys and Mavis both of whose voices are so soulful. When I was around 13 that song was part of our act and it was either my mum or Phil Hurtt who suggested we record our own version.

I’m glad you did. You must have been told many times that your voice at a very early age was like a female Michael Jackson. Very mature beyond your tender years and was one of distinction. (Kathy: “Thank you.”)

You’re welcome. I instantly felt a passion for “Have Love Will Travel” (Kathy: “Wow, really that’s Bobby Eli?”) Yes, because it’s the way you ride the Philly Groove. Do you have memories of that song?

I do. Actually I’m on the Grammy board here in the Philadelphia chapter so I see much of Bobby Eli who still is an amazing guitarist, producer and writer. Bobby is a very strong part of the Philadelphia Sound.

It’s just occurred to me coming from Philadelphia, how is it that you were not part of the Philly International Record empire?

That’s a good question. We did audition for Gamble & Huff but back then we were told we were too young. We actually auditioned for “When Will I See You Again?” To be honest they were right to pick The Three Degrees as they were the perfect fit for that song. They wanted a more mature and sexier act and we were these bubblegum kids in comparison. (Fitzroy: “Yeah I hear that.”) Domestically our first hit out of New York was with “We Are Family”. Although “Mama Never Told Me” was big with Phil Hurtt and Thom Bell who were out of Philadelphia. Domestically it wasn’t a hit in the USA but internationally it was. We had this hot fudge of different producers from other territories that had success in other territories and it was an interesting dynamic for us. (Fitzroy: “Yes. Sure I can see that.”) thesoulsurvivorsmagazine.co.uk

Now this is very intriguing for me. I’m a huge Mohammed Ali fan and I have the “Rumble In The Jungle” DVD. How did you magnate to be part of the musical entourage being flown to Zaire to perform alongside the Crusaders, The Spinners, James Brown, Fania All Stars and Miriam McKeeba?

That’s a very interesting question. Our manager Buddy Allen also managed The Spinners. We was the opening act for the Spinners when they were at their peak around 1974. Buddy co-managed with our mother to get us on that tour. I’ll never forget what is was like travelling and being around Bill Withers and other huge stars. It was my first international flight outside of the USA. How was the experience of seeing the indigenous African people compared to the Afro Americans who derived from slavery originally of the motherland Africa?

It was and still is, even when I now travel to Africa, indescribable.

It’s such a sense of home from the minute you touch the ground as you feel a sense of ancestry and belonging. In most countries when you land on the tarmac you are used to seeing yourself as a minority but not in Africa. So that was my first experience of not feeling that way, even compared to my own country where we have areas that are more black. The African experience gives you a sense of ownership.

How was your first encounter on Soul Train meeting the late Don Cornileius singing “Love Don’t Go Through No Change”?

For every artist being on Soul Train is a wow moment and celebrated as a break through. I cannot explain the excitement to be in that place, especially at that time because that’s when you knew you’d made it, if you’re on Soul Train. Meeting Don Cornileus and the Soul Train dancers was amazing because you watch that on TV at home and can only imagine being on the other side of the screen.

You did a cover of Stevie Wonders “As” on Cotillion and by that period had become an established female vocal quartet. You mentioned The Three Degree’s earlier so my question is did you feel that the four of you were not taken as seriously as the standard three female strong vocal groups.

No I never had that feeling because sometimes Carol would come in for Debbie when she was on maturity leave, having had six kids.

Four wasn’t an odd number and it was more of a rounded number with a full sound. I think we started the norm for becoming a four girl group as before that The Marvelettes, The Supremes and The Three Degrees all had three. We were also pioneers in being the first group to do choreography as very rarely did you see us in a gown remembering also we were young. It was strong dance movement with ballet classes that were as important as the singing.

That’s interesting because when I interviewed Nile Rodgers in the August 2010 issue of the magazine, he said this about you when I mentioned Page 10 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS!

working with Diana Ross “It was the hardest project of my life. I’ve never worked on a record that took me on a roller coaster ride like that. It was done in 3 parts. We had just finished a successful record with Sister Sledge who had little or no involvement in that record. We conceived that record and they never heard those songs till they went into the studio. Even though it was about them, it was about a life they didn’t know about. They didn’t know what Gucci Fiorrucci meant and questioned why are they singing those lyrics.” He went on to advise that between him and Bernard they had a formular called DHM (Deep Hidden Meaning) when they worked with an artist. How do you recall being introduced to Nile and Bernard and making that for me personally, the best Sister Sledge album “We Are Family” and their approach to producing the album?

First thing that comes to mind with Nile and the late Bernard Edwards, who I dearly miss is a huge attribute of trust, speaking only for myself. I trusted them and it was a very interesting and frustrating session with my sisters. Both Nile and Bernard wanted my voice to lead their sound as at the signature voice. I had the fortune to have dinner with Bernard much later and he shared with me how they noticed I never spoke up for myself.

Even when they wanted me to be the lead they had to try all the other voices before deciding on using me and it would make the sessions so much longer. I was much younger and still a kid at 15 but I always remember the famous two words coming out of Niles mouth “Trust me, just trust me”. I’d ask, “Is this record going to be a hit, can I hear it?” and he would advise me to be patient. Now I get it because they were the producers and had a formular that worked. They used the same musicians and singers for all their recordings and they didn’t want to change it.

I imagine it was different for Diana because of her dynamics as an established artist as opposed to us a new young group out of Philly.

That experience taught me about working with other producers in the future. To this day I remember how I couldn’t listen to “We Are Family” and how all the ad-libs were done in one take, so it goes to show that their spontaneity and skills worked. “Thinking Of You” was one of my favourite songs and I remember recording the lyrics line by line but again I get it now. But with Diana you don’t tell her what to do.

Niles did say that both he and Bernard learnt how to approach Diana differently and in a way they had a similar thing because at first Motown were not sure of the Chic sound because it wasn’t a Motown sound but again it worked.

Yeah some producers who produce their own music are too close to it so you’ve go to look at what Quincy did with Michael and Jam & Lewis did with Janet, come on now it ridiculous what they did together, the artist and the producers bring together a great marriage. A music producer to me is like the director of a movie who brings it to the actress who makes it her own but you still listen to the director, so it’s the same for a musician or a singer to covey the vision.

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thesoulsurvivorsmagazine.co.uk

Speaking of the “We Are Family” album with all those great songs how did you resonate singing “Lost In Music” which is synonymous with me and everyone who loves music. All your lead vocals are fantastic but “Lost In Music” really brought something special out in you?

That’s not me, that’s Joni singing “Lost In Music” (Fitzroy: “Really?

I’m slightly dumbfounded now! I think it’s very close to your delivery.”).

Bernard did share with me that they wanted me to sing it, however Joni did an amazing job and with the ad-libs and ideas they knew how to bring out the best essence. That song brings out a different feeling to “We Are Family” because when you’re on the dance floor that song would be very personal to every one getting lost in music.

I imagine they did some serious overdubs on that because it does sound like it’s you.

as much a song writer as I am a singer and I’ve been doing more on the production of shows in fact I’m adding extra bits to the Margate show. With Aristafreeks I’m the guest artist and the next artist is Ceelo Green called “All Up In My Disco” which is reminiscent of how it felt being at Studio 54 on the dance floor.

I must say I’m looking forward to you coming over in August to do Margate because I actually Dj’d for Sister Sledge at The Jazz Cafe recently. It was ridiculously packed and although they did all the songs I would have liked to have seen your essence there.

I must make this perfectly clear. It’s advertised that I left the group but I was asked to leave after I did a solo project and I went back to do things when I was asked to. I love my sisters dearly but

I think they wanted to retain the signature that was on some of the other songs from that album.

You went on to do another album with Chic and co-wrote three tracks with Narada Michael Walden producing the All American Girls album but it’s the next album produced with the late George Duke that produced the beautiful “Smile” which you wrote.

I love “Smile” and George Duke so where do I start, he was such a bright light. A Very encouraging person and I don’t ever think I saw George Duke angry. He’s tremendously talented and knew what he wanted, so again working with such a creative producer was a blessing.

After making your first solo album in 1994 I really liked the version of Stevie’s “Another Star” with Roger Sanchez in 1995 and got to see you perform about 6 years back at The Indigo in Greenwich? How much did you enjoy that?

I always love working with the UK audience because they know all the songs and sing along with the ad-libs so I’m really looking forward to Margate in August for that reason. With the internal things that happened within the group I was literally unable to perform in the UK. As an individual, Margate will be the first time I can sing the songs as people know and love them. To answer your question, Indigo people were singing along to “Frankie”, “Another Star” and all the other stuff. To me singing to thousands of individuals, sharing the love it’s always a different experience because there was so much excitement in the arena. It gives me goose bumps to hear people sing along, especially to “Smile’ because I wrote it.

Tell me about working with Ceelo Green.

I just signed a deal with the Aristofreeks a soulful house outfit collaborating with a song called “Keep It Moving” which I wrote.

The label is PEM (Pacific Electronic Music) based in Los Angles and Ibiza. In addition the original vocalist from Chic, Alfa Anderson, Norma Jean and Lucy Martin, whose vocals minus Luther’s are as recognisable at Nile’s guitar, have formed a group called The Next Step and working for them is magical. They actually sang on “We Are Family” and to write for them is a privilege. We did a song called “Get On Up” which I think you’ll love. What people don’t know is I’m Page 12 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS!

sometimes a lead vocalist leaves at a pivotal time, like Lionel Richie from The Commodores. However for me I always went back because we are all sisters. Sometimes you can stay too long in something, albeit a marriage or a working situation and frustration sets in. But now I realise, unlike when I was young, that my voice is special and I love singing these songs. I can’t wait for the chance to do them. I don’t want people to think we are fighting as it’s like a lot of bands when there are internal band differences. I want to do workshops to advise new groups how to work together in making them realise that all of their presence is relevant. I use The Beatles as an example with Paul upfront, John and George behind him and then Dwayne on the drums. I get told “It’s not Dwayne, it’s Ringo” and I respond with “off course it is and his presence is just as strong as the others.

A lot of bands need to know that, like The Rolling Stones. They get it as they are still relevant. The audience and the band all win because of the potential on going continuation. With the new material for me it’s about moving on. I’m proud to have recorded “We Are Family” with my sisters a song that was written about us and that’s huge enough for me.

Thank you Kathy and see you in August.

Yes I look forward to meeting Fitzroy.

thesoulsurvivorsmagazine.co.uk

Honestly, you turn “Keep On” into a song about drugs?

I never understood hip-hop culture because I wasn’t a street kid. Even though I grew up in the ghetto my mother never let any kids into our house. I wasn’t exposed to this kind of life and Biggy was speaking about his reality...

James D Train Williams speaks to Fitzroy Larger than life and hailing from Brooklyn NYC, James D Train Williams is preaching the gospel like a minister from the pulpit, and possesses one of the most recognisable and infectious voices from the early 1980’s. He earned his nickname D Train as a football star during high school where he made friends with another soul survivors with a smooth groove voice.

He has enjoyed success with major labels but is happier as an independent artist, who is not afraid to speak his mind with honesty, charm and a touch of wit. He has the motivation to “Keep On” as he maintains “Trying To Get Over” the hurdles in the game of life despite whats thrown at him. Deep and philosophical it was great to speak to James.

I’m aware that you were born in 1962 in Brooklyn and like most artists you grew up in the church. What influenced you musically and socially?

I grew up in a rough neighbourhood in Franklin Avenue and my mum kept us in the church. My early influences came from dad taking us to the Apollo Theatre to see James Brown, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye and The Five Stairsteps on the R&B scene. In the gospel world our church organist was Reverend Timothy Wright and Ronnie Dyson who had a 70’s hit “If You Let Me Make Love To You, Then Why Can’t I Touch You?”, he was our church director. Al Sharpton was our junior church minister, so we had a rich mixture of R&B and gospel influences. As I grew up later my mum had moved us to the white area of Brooklyn, which was mostly Italian at the time. So my musical taste during high and public school changed, whilst hanging with that community to Creedance Clearwater, Led Zepplin and

Page 14 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS!

Carly Simon. My eyes were now open to pop music and I embraced it. My father trained me to play jazz guitar between 13 and 16 but I quit at 16 because I started playing football. Up till that point my musical influences were all American until I came to the UK and appeared on Top Of The Pops. I didn’t do drugs but the experience of doing Top Of The Pops with The Police, Spandau Ballet, Go West, Everything But The Girl and Junior was a wow moment for me. I liked the British production style and I embarked on fusing it with my gospel and R&B influences into D Train’s sound. So now I’m experiencing music as a healing force that heals you quicker than a minister and that it’s a universal language because music speaks to your heart and your soul.

How close were you to Will Downing when you were studying?

He and I were classmates, he was on the bowling team and I was on the football team. Will was my greatest influence during my high school days because he was the cool guy that all the girls liked. We had a chapel in our school and Will and another guy Joseph Williams would sit around the piano and play songs, and all the girls would swoon over Will. So we became fast friends and he suggested I came to sing in the Coral club and try acting in the school plays. I went along with that and when I went to his house he introduced me to Earth Wind & Fire, Stanley Clarke and George Duke. Now he was into that genre from an early age and I had only known regular R&B until then. He also taught me not to be afraid because in the 11th grade we did a version of South Pacific. In the original film there is a character Luther Billis who was the ham (clown in the movie) and I was a bit of a clown anyway. In this play I had to come out with a blond wig a grass skirt, lipstick and a coconut bra… oh my god and I’m was the captain of the football team. That was letting down all your inhibitions and being free and this helped me to realise I could act, and how I could expand and showcase more of the talent that I had. Later on when I graduated and went to college, Will was still in high school but had moved into doing demo’s for Melba Moore and Freddie Jackson and writing songs. He wrote a song for himself called “Real Deal” and he invited me into the recording studio and it was there that I met Hubert Eaves. After the session Hubert said he’d like to do some writing with me and I went to his house the very next day. When I arrived he said he had this hot track but he didn’t know what to do with it and he only had a chorus. He sang, “I stood up on the cloud and shout out loud “You’re The One For Me”. So I asked him to run the track again and I came up with “With this true love I found, picks my feet up off the ground to fly away” and we wrote “You’re The One For Me” in an hour. We put it down on a 1/4 inch tape and we also wrote “Keep On” later that week. That was the start of D Train and I have Will Downing to thank for all of that.

Wow! I knew about Hubert Eaves when I discovered his album on Inner City Records in the 1980’s called “Esoteric Funk” with the awesome “Call To Awareness” track. I knew he had close links with Mtume.

Yes he started out with Stanley Turrentine and joined Mtume and Reggie Lucas as a session musician. He played keyboards on Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack’s “The Closer I Get You” and worked with Norman Connor’s playing on “You Are My Starship”.

What year did you meet Hubert and did you appear on any of the Mtume albums?

I met Hubert during the fall of 1981 and no I didn’t perform on Mtume’s works.

So now you have two strong tracks, how did you land the deal with Prelude?

I was signed to Hubert’s production company and he shopped the

record to all the major labels like Capital, CBS and Atlantic but they turned him down. They liked the song but suggested he changed his singer. The record companies were considered all mighty gods and when they said no, that was it. He finally played it to Marvin Shclacter at Prelude and they loved it and signed us after we’d being rejected by every major label in the country, and especially in New York. Back then record companies had to take a chance and if they didn’t they felt like they blew an opportunity financially. Even when they signed it they still don’t have a clue what to with it. But they will take the credit like or instance, if it was Boy George, they knew he’d be a success and it makes them look like they have done a genius signing. But when Boy George started taking drugs they pretended that they don’t even know who he is. They did the same thing with George Michael and Michael Jackson because they have the power to raise you up, and do everything for you and that’s the big misconception.

They have the machinery to do your publishing, organise your wardrobe, and tell you how to conduct yourself in interviews.

This becomes everything to you as the artist and even including myself we fall for the trappings because when they get your record to number one, you’re smiling and walking tall, with everyone sucking up to you and kissing your behind. The reality is that if they are not feeling your next record they will pull the rug from under your feet. My second album “Music” wasn’t promoted properly and got diverted to Europe. But because they are not supporting it in America it never made America radio. The only song of that “Music” album that made an impact was “The Shadow Of Your Smile” going to number one in Chicago and only Chicago, weird but true story. I learned about the disillusionment of the record industry in dangling the carrot. When “In Your Eyes” and “Miracles Of The Heart” came out they didn’t promote those albums and I didn’t know why. My label rivals were Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Mtume and The Isley Brothers on the R&B side. On the pop side it was Boy George, George Michael and Michael Jackson. Who are you going to push more? When Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” was out they pushed the other titles to gold but not to platinum. The reality is the records are pushed so they spend a certain amount of money and then they pull all the resources back, to concentrate and push Michael Jackson to 60 Million in sales. That’s what they do and they can justify to the government giving Boy George 2 Million to sign and say George Michael 3 million to sign. So they all including Mtume and The Isley Brothers become the tax write off for Michael Jackson’s album. So D Train is part of that and my second album was the write off for Cindy Lauper and Gregory Abbot who had “Shake You Down” out at the time. Around 1989 when music was changing and my mother passed it changed my perspective on making music for major labels.

I noticed that on the first two albums you covered some standard popular classics. First I must commend you on “Walk On By” as I’ve never heard the arrangement of that song like on the first album, which makes it more of an uplifting version than those of Dionne Warwick, Aretha or Isaac Hayes. You also did as mentioned “The Shadow Of Your Smile” so I’m asking what made you cover these already popular songs? Was thesoulsurvivorsmagazine.co.uk

it to cross over to the open market or just to interpret in a new way with the new sounds?

I got to say I knew about “Walk On By” but not “The Shadow Of Your Smile” and was introduced to that by Hubert. He had been responsible for recording many classics I’d heard back in the day.

Because he’s from the jazz background he see’s the horns and the strings in a different guise. Also he’s a multi instrumentalist who plays key and drums and he’s from Minneapolis. So he writes the horns and string arrangements, and brings in the musicians, and like Prince he just does it. How our relationship worked was he would lay down the brilliant foundation and I would embellish what’s already been created. So when I come in I write the vamp “Walk On By”, “Make sure you don’t see the tears in my eye” and it works. Same thing on “Shadows Of Your Smile” he made the track funky with mine and his collective spirit like I was getting into the pulpit to preach. I can’t take all the credit because Hubert Eaves had the musical concept and the drive.

What’s the story behind “Trying To Get Over’ from the first album because it really moves me and reminds me of The Strangers “Step Out Into My Dreams” on Salsoul?

That Strangers project was Hubert Eaves and Howard King. (Fitzroy: “Ok that makes sense as to why I could hear the similarities.”). They did that straight after the “Music” album and that was the beginning of Hubert’s song writing with other people outside of D Train. By the time we finished working with Columbia Records, Luther Vandross was calling Hubert which led to them both collaborating with Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin.

How did you feel when you became aware that Biggy and Puff Daddy used the “Sky’s The Limit” lyrics from “Keep On”?

Honestly, you turn “Keep On” into a song about drugs? I never understood hip-hop culture because I wasn’t a street kid. Even though I grew up in the ghetto my mother never let any kids into our house. I wasn’t exposed to this kind of life and Biggy was speaking about his reality, “Drugs by selection some use pipes and some use injection”.

This was about him being a dope dealer and at the beginning of the song there’s a conversation with his mother inspiring him not to sell the drugs. So after listening to it a few times I appreciate that him and Puff took it into a different reality. So bringing it back to “Trying To Get Over” the social conscious message is in the song “Keep this weight off my shoulder this whole world is getting colder got to survive, stay alive, give me five”. This is universal when you’re speaking about life in the ghetto so it’s the struggle of the black man or any man whether it’s Brooklyn USA or Brixton England.

Lots of records have been spoken about music. Your ode “Music” had an under current of “You’re The One For Me” and I imagined you Page 16 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS!

excelled speaking about something that’s clearly passionate to you. It’s a celebration of what we love and so how naturally did that song evolve with Hubert?

We did that after Top Of The Pops where we were exposed to a whole variety of music. What would the world be like if we couldn’t speak. But music is the communicator whether you are the wino in the street or the preacher in the pulpit. Music makes it’s own introduction as it represents different periods of your life that you can often relate music to. It’s the sound track to our lives and that is pretty much what the song is saying.

My favourite track of the “Music” album is “Children Of The World” Hubert came to my church when he was looking for a gospel choir to sing behind me on that song. The children’s choir weren’t singing as it was the older people singing and he was so disappointed that he ended up going to Institutional Church Of Christ in Brooklyn. He heard the children there and asked the pasture if the choir could sing on the record if he made a contribution to the church. Now Hubert wrote that song (Fitzroy: “Yes and recorded it with Phyllis Hyman on Buddah 1976”) and it’s a beautiful song. We both had young children at the time and I love the lines “Step up and take your place and be what you wanna be, keep rising to the top and you will see”. These lyrics are relevant today because as parents you try to in-still that belief in your children. Life is about growth and there is a saying that goes like this. At 20 your face is what god made it at 40 your face is what you made it and at 60 it’s what you deserved.

The truth of it is that at 60 how you look is a rest of your trials and tribulations that include drug and alcohol abuse or your fitness, diet and health choices. So you either going to be worrying about ulcers or running track and field as it’s about choices.

You continue down that conscious theme in the millennium recordings of “D Train III” an ode to your mother who taught you not to let your colour be a hurdle to stop you moving forward in life. You have a way of story telling like a preacher because you come from the church with a wealth of experience with a spiritual connotation. I liked “D Train III” song because it has a different latin feel to what I’ve known you to do. In fact a few things off the album like “The World Is At War”, “When You Gonna Wake Up” and “Devil Left Hell”. You seem very comfortable talking about these things which not working on a major label gives you that freedom. How did you deal with the transition of leaving a major label and surviving being an independent artist?

I’ve always been an octopus, many artists leave all their eggs in one basket. But as James Williams I’ve written for Patti Austin and George Duke, I’ve done radio and TV jingle commercials, and I’ve sung background vocals for Michael Jackson and Luther Vandross.

I’ve been able to create multiple strings of income for myself without a major which is a good thing. Back then the majors did everything for an artist as I said before but I’ve learnt

to navigate through this industry to become self-sufficient. I’m actually going to remix and re release that “Franklin Ave” album that was made in 2006, and released later after my mother died.

I was a mama’s boy and extremely close with my mother who was never judgemental. I was also going through a divorce so it didn’t get its full attention, but it still made waves and it’s relevant today, that album is necessary. When I speak about “Devil Left Hell” I was speaking about George Bush in The White House, because of his idiocy which lead to Americans being disliked all over the world.

(Fitzroy: “I thought so because it couldn’t have been Barack Obama.”)

You’ve made a couple of soulful house tracks with Lenny Fontana, “Raise Your Hands” using the melody of “Music” and “When You Feel What Love Has For You”. Both are great songs and I’m really feeling the New York Dub mix as well as the original mix of “When You Feel What Love Has For You”. So what’s the plan working with Lenny?

“Raise Your Hands” was the beginning and this sound is taking it to a whole new level. It’s a 24-year-old D Train developing into the 54 year old D Train. I feel better at 54 and am happier with my choices at 54 than when I was 25 trying to keep up with Prince and all those other cats. I have nothing to prove now and I’m still relevant without a major label behind me. For me social media Twitter, Instagram and Facebook is god and prior to that Myspace. I move with the changes from records to CD’s to downloads. We don’t have records in America like they do in Europe and I have an analogy, you can’t autograph a download so bring back the records because the information and history is on there. So how you connect with that information off a download.

Yeah, things are different now James for sure as most people now seem not be interested in the spiritual components what makes that record listenable. So when is this released?

It will get a major release May 17th. We have several promotion companies servicing it and we’ve had 85,000 hits in 2 days so it’s doing well and going into rotation on WBLS in America. I’m hoping this will lead to me coming to the UK and doing more shows. We co-wrote the song with Straunhn from the UK.

It’s been good speaking with you James All right Fitz thank you.

Heritage Concerts by arrangement with Dundee Holt are proud to present

The Ultimate Motown Diva the Legendary

MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS will perform all their greatest hits including

Dancing in the Street, Jimmy Mack, Third Finger Left Hand and so many more August 14th Live at The Glee Club, Nottingham August 15th The Glee Club Birmingham August 16th The Hornsey Town Hall and Arts Centre Martha Reeves will also be in conversation live on stage prior to her live show inviting the audience to hear candid stories about her life both in and out of music.These unique interviews will be compered by Fitzroy Facey of The Soul Survivors Magazine and David Nathan of soulmusic.com.

UNMISSABLE For information on any of these shows please email info@thesoulsurvivorsmagazine.co.uk

Record Reviews This 10th anniversary selection certainly has a retro feel with a singing female trio anthology, a best of, from a well loved UK solo artist and social commentary soul power concept album pt. 2. There are two albums from two huge recently dearly departed soul survivors, a four sided CD depicting the era of a classic Soho venue. So enjoy… Fitzroy

Rasheed Ali- Tell Me You’re Not Sleeping Digital Rain Factory.

Rasheed Ali releases his second serving of his social commentary concept 1968 entitled “Tell Me You’re Not Sleeping”.

Rasheed is very passionate about his culture and the ongoing impact it has had on him growing up in the 1960’s and 70’s.

Rasheed is an old school fashioned multi instrumentalist including soprano, sax, flute, bass, vibes and drums, who sings with an Aaron Neville style, plus he engineers, produces, and writes everything. Elements of Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye’s influence echo in “Right On Right On” and “Just Wanna Be Happy”. This is a laid back, story told, soundtrack of caricatures and every day people scenarios within the local hood with positive an uplifting messages. Many tracks like “Fly Like A Bird”, “We Know How To Party”, “Walking And Talking”, “Dark Skin Girl” and “We Got Soul” a fave of mine are very soulful, catchy, jazzy and funky and produced with simmering happy feeling and 1968 love.

Billy Ocean - Here You Are The Best Of - Sony I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing in consecutive issue’s two of the most respected elder music vocal statesman from the UK with 40 years behind them. Last issue was The Real Things Chris Amoo and in this one Billy Ocean. Billy undoubtedly has a voice that trifles like maple syrup with rich sweetness, and you can hear that over this double CD of old and new material.

Disc 1 sees Billy cover some of the standard classics including “A Change Is Gonna Come”, “You Send Me” and “Having A Party” from Sam Cooke, “Cry Me A River” by Julie London and Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry”. CD 2 is ‘a best of’ that includes his mid 1970’s pop elementary introductions “Love Really Hurts Without You” and “Red Light Spells Danger”. Pleased that his MJ influenced “Are You Ready To Go? is included followed by disappointment that “Night’s” is not… Why? Billy’s celebrated universal commercial hits are not missing though. “Suddenly”, “When The Going Gets Tough”, “Get Outta My Dreams” and the monster dance floor stomper “Caribbean Queen” fly the flag for Britain’s Got Talent master Billy Ocean. I was always partial to the seductive “Love Zone” which is nicely complimented with Mystery Lady for the soulful fans of his catalogue. So “Here You Are” with a double do age of Les Charles aka Billy Ocean!!

The Wag: Iconic Tunes From The Wag Club 1983-1987 Harmless I can testify to going to the WAG regularly on Friday and Saturday nights in London Soho at this precise 4-year duration.

During that period much of this selection was championed by Steve Jervier, Barrie K Sharpe and Lacelles, the resident Dj’s from memory. Chris Sullivan a well versed multifaceted Dj, fashion designer and artist has chosen 53 cuts spread over 4 cd’s depicting that vintage era so I’ll try to be as concise as I can. CD 1’s contains much of the rare funk samples like Aaron Neville’s “Hercules”, Brother Soul’s “Cookies” and Fatback’s “Wicky Wacki”. Naturally James Brown is represented with “The Boss” and The AABB’s “Pick Up The Pieces”, with contributions from Doris Duke’s version of “Woman Of The Ghetto”, Gwen McCrae’s “All This Love I’m Giving” and Manu Dibango’s afro jazz funk classic “New Bell” Cd 2 aimed more at the disco boogie and jazz funk end features DC La Rue’s “Cathedrals”, Dexter Wansel’s extra terrestrial “Life On Mars” and The Fatback’s “Spanish Hustle”. Nice to see New York Port Authority’s “I Got It” and the Nite Lighter’s original version of the MFSB classic “K-Gee”. CD3 is full of latin, mambo and straight ahead influences including MFSB’s interchanging “Freddie’s Dead”, John Handy’s “Hard Work” and Benny Golson’s “The New Killer Joe”. I’m pleased to see Nina Simone’s “African Mailman” and the version excursions of Herbie Mann & Tamiko Jones’ “Sidewinder” included. CD 4’s is a miss mash of non-specific genres, featuring instrumentals of “Runaway Love”, Herbie Hancock’s electro funk “Rockit” to the Junkyard Band’s gogo rocker “The Word”. Atmosfear’s “Dancing In Outer Space” and Dinosaur L’s “Go Bang” represent that instrumental dub jazz funk that stuck out like a sore thumb and “You + Me = Love” preludes the beats that would influence house and garage music by the mid 1980’s. Great compilation to have... Well done Chris Sullivan.

Page 18 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS!

The Emotions Blessed The Emotions Anthology 1969-1985 BBR This is an amalgamation in no particular order of the sister trio The Emotions on various labels over a 16 year period. CD 1 starts nicely with a very sultry and quality production “So I Can Love You” followed by the Al McKay and Maurice Whites composition, the beautiful “Flowers”. Funkier as a mid tempo soul grooves “From Toys To Boys” highlights how great The Emotions vocals. “Blind Alley” sampled by Wrecks N Effects for the mammoth 90’s bullet “Rumpshaker” is thankfully included. Check out their impressive version of the well covered Skip Scarborough classic “Don’t Ask My Neighbour” and with some clear Earth Wind & Fire direction you will surely embrace the wonderful “Love Vibes” from 1978. CD 2 opens with a funky boogie cut “Turn It Out” and the classic “Best Of My Love”. Tracks 3 to 6 show the funky and disco side of the Emotions on “I Don’t Wanna Lose You”, “Smile”, “Boogie Wonderland” and an uplifting “I Should Be Dancing”. The incredible 1977 “Rejoice” inspired 213’s release “Gotta Find A Away” finds it’s way thankfully on here, and I’m further delighted that the mid 1980’s moog boogie bad boy “You’re The Best’ is featured. There’s pure bass plucking brilliance on “There’ll Never Be Another Moment” another highlight showcasing the quality of The Emotions.

Feelin’ Good At The Cadallac Club Billy Paul - BBR I’ve already expressed how much of a fan I am of Billy Paul and I saw fit to review an album of his first released in 1968 that was reissued 2 years ago. It’s straight up raw “Billy Boy” on a jazz route with just a trio of drums bass and piano from 1968. It truly is Billy at his best hitting the octaves you’re used to hearing on his soulful PIR repertoire. Billy scats his way through “Billy Boy” and reaches some very emotional octaves on “Missing You”. Billy can intertwine his various pitches in one sentence and hold the longest note as exampled on “Bluesette” and sound so serene on a bossa samba groove “On a Clear Day”. Check Billy’s twist on the Frank Sinatra famed “That’s Life” and standard classic “Somewhere” with his zephyr vocal skills and subtle yet explosive groans, it’s what sets Billy apart from others with this unique signature he possessed. Brilliant!!

Prince - Prince - Warner Bros This was my introduction to Prince from my school chum and renowned bass player, Wayne Batchelor back at Ealing Green High School 1979. Little did we know then what impact he would have on the world but “I Wanna Be Your Lover” was a bit of dig in the ribs indication. It was musically left field with a mixture of funk, rock & soul that works with Prince’s musical phrasing and falsetto voice. “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad” highlights the pop direction Prince would go down but “Sexy Dancer” was the other funk bomb that held us soul-head’s attention. Slow jams like “When We’re Dancing Close And Slow” and “With You” are certainly tantalising and you can’t help but be seduced by the funk rock rawness of “Bambi”. Epitomising that future Minneapolis purple funk sound “I Feel For You” again was another sublime indicator. It’s most certainly if not poignant well worth revisiting his royal purpleness’s 2nd album for prosperity, if nothing else of his magnificence.

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don’t attend other functions for DJ’s, promoters and punters alike work or just the need to have a nts, itme comm ily Fam numerous reasons. to do with ‘politics’. Granted, ing noth has It good old-fashioned night in. t, ng talki from a personal viewpoin there are occasions when, and I’m persons involved in it the kly, fran well use, beca t even I don’t go to an ey to hand over my hard earned mon are complete t**ts! I don’t want of s rdles rega n, moro bing stab one who is a two faced back e seen countless stars to some out of the whole music s We’v thing line. the take Let’s down s be. year will t ten even So here we are, how good the in the sky. My dear Mum being one for a living? Hairdresser? Mechanic? pass into the great Soul commune arena. What do you, the reader, do and are fanf t grea to e scen ever thought about teaming our onto No matter what you do have you of them. Club nights have burst ths later. Not because Plumber? mon of work as you? You know 18 line trace same out the in with is ed who pear one promptly disap up with some lot of hard work a s take it r side of town? Why don’t use othe beca the but on , hair them of cuts they’re rubbish, for a lot And the that complete bitch, that ts. nigh ing open ir salon? Forget that she their a-ha in meg a show to maintain the impetus that they you get together with her and form . ures vent d save her own skin. r woul othe to pursue the river if it adorable Anna Marshall moved on would sell her own mother down ts now know that nce? What about artis dista y your man and keep er ched rath laun just d been Musical careers have Social Is it ‘politics’ if you woul DIY. know, the one little a You in . lge town indu next to the have in e in order to get a record deal they you, Plumberman. There’s a blok ging chan life ive client base most mass a the of has ably one king racist. He’s good at his job, Media has exploded and this is prob y ‘out there’. We that is a frea him and have a tantl with s cons force are join lives not Our ns.

Why . ratio work events of all of our gene and is forever getting not g, drinking, in relationships with, y under your joint control. You’re know what people are thinking, eatin quarter of your county completel you se cour Of you? ..... are h g..... same brus interestin fighting with, 24/7. And boy is it worried about being tarred with the everyday human Of course it’s not, it’s just normal ics? polit that Is are! use the , it’s thing l smal a is it and me, s If there is one thing that nark ets behaviour. ng about the government, budg of the word ‘politics’. I’m not talki ied band is doesn’t have word the the way that says to you that “such and such and benefits kind of politics. It’s more r a bet The next time someone if that’s wage I’d them e. ask scen tics’” soul ‘poli our of in use with beca around whenever there is an issue DJ thingymajig on his night is used e the ’t tanc hasn subs that e n whit in colum certa this a g for reading that there isn’t one single person the case, or is DJ thingymajig’s likin with such an erratic it, at sometime or other, risk the used take has to g that willin else isn’t one oter some the word, or know / reason why the prom why it is only now that the word myself included. But let me tell you / fool. jazz ass bad some to ing listen a pub phrase is hacking me off. I was in DJ ding atten be to g d me if I was goin ivors Magazine and apologies to funk and soul when a friend aske Happy 10th Birthday The Soul Surv draw a even could I re befo and , x e time nerv days a another event in a couple of thingymajig if I have touched you won’t, what with all the politics breath to answer he said “I suppose that’s going on.”

Page 20 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS!

thesoulsurvivorsmagazine.co.uk

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BOURNEMOUTH SOULJAM

Goi ng ba ck to ou r root s

We wanted to be instrumental in bringing that as you describe the “One Nation Under The Groove” thing together, and that’s why we have black Dj’s like Desi G and Barry White playing their street soul, and chatting on the mic which works perfectly at Hayling Island.

Scott James in conversation with Fitzroy

Scott James comes from a long legacy of the Essex soul scene that have a passion for the music from being a clubber who then decides with enthusiasm to “Get Up Get Into It And Get Involved” like JB. He has worked with in many capacities plenty of the south east scene major players as well as the London based DJ’s, and successfully runs two of his soul baby projects, The Boating Club and STOMP Radio for more than two decades.

Now running a weekender and teaming up with his pal Orlando Gittens to put on major concerts, Scott James chats with me about his humble youthful beginnings as he celebrates 30 years of his eldest soul child STOMP Radio.

Page 22 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS!

Tell us about growing up. What was your experience getting into soul music, the first records you bought and what Dj’s influenced you.

I always liked music from an early age recording music off the radio and buying what I heard. I was aged around 13 or 14 and was part of the mod revival around 1978-1979. This led to me listening to 60’s soul, Northern Soul and Talma Motown, which is what the mods listened to alongside The Jam and The Who. Prior, when I was around 9-10 I was listening to more of the pop and glam rock outfits like The Sweet, Slade, T Rex and Mud, but I didn’t buy any Bay City Rollers. Back then this is what was being played on Radio One but things got more serious when I was later buying Northern Soul classics like Dobie Gray’s “The In Crowd”. The Motown stuff like Stevie Wonder “Uptight”, Diana Ross and Marv Johnson, started to make me actively look for other things like James Brown on 7 inch Polydor which was fantastic. I know lots of Dj’s like Gavin Page and Mark “Gurcha” Collins, who came through the mod scene, and then I got more into the soul scene, listening to things like Wilton Felder or Leon Ware. Suddenly your fashion changes because we were now looking at wearing different Clothes Lacoste and other sports casual wear, and going to football and growing up so it’s an evolution. By now I didn’t want to hear another glam rock record ever again. I progressed to listening to some of the homegrown bands like Second Image and Light Of The World and the jazz funk outfits alongside USA bands like Maze. You start searching to hear this music more on radio like listening to Robbie Vincent on Radio London, Tony Blackburn’s Soul in the Mornings and Pirate Radio then came along.

I progressed to listen to JFM, Horizon and LWR pirate radio stations also with Tom Westwood playing Electro, so you start listening to the different splinters coming from soul music. I started buying music from Jifs in Chadwell Heath with Lyn and George, sadly George passed away recently. I used to spend most of my money buying imports. (Fitzroy: “I used to shop there as well.”).

Where were you going club wise?

I first started going to Teen Scene with Froggy In Ilford then on to Flicks in Dartford with Colin Hudd, Jeff Young and Robbie would guest sometimes. I also went to Zero 6 in Southend later on where Froggy would guest. I went to Elliots, that became Twighlights, on the A127 and went to Rayleigh to see Pete Tong a few times. I went to a few clubs in central London but mainly clubs in Essex. I went to my first Caister in 1984 that had the original Dj’s like Chris Hill and the rest of the Funk Mafia, Jeff Young, Greg Edwards, Tom Holland and Froggy, Sean French, Bob Jones etc. That experience totally blew me away, partly because the Dj’s played all the music I liked and also the experience of being away with your mates, drinking lots of alcohol and having a fun time. I used to take my ghetto blaster with loads of TDK tapes that I still have from recording Caister Radio. We’d go to Jif Records after with a list as long as your arm tracking these tunes down. I then started building my own collection and following Dj’s like Froggy because I liked their style of playing.

When did the Dj-ing kick in?

I had passed my driving test and had an Escort Mexico so was getting around, after that I moved on to the Mark 2 model Escort Van. I bought a mobile disco from a friend from Disco Supplies in Chadwell Heath. This was the ols belt drive BSA decks in built in a console with 18-inch speakers. We called the road show “STOMP (‘Soul The Only Music Power’)” we started doing weddings and 18th birthday parties. I did this with a mate Lee Stephens doing mobile disco functions and all the events we did were 90% soul.

We got most of the best of the older big black artists like Jackie Wilson or The Isley Brothers alongside say Sister Sledge and Chic.

So we got a reputation because people knew we played majority soul music and you wouldn’t get “Hi Ho Silver Lining” being played if that makes sense? Things like “Twist & Shout” and “The Twist” we classed as soul music so this formular worked for us. We had been listening to the pirate radio stations so we decided to start our own pirate station, because there wasn’t really any in the Romford and Dagenham area, as they were mainly in South and Central London. We later found out there were a few, one in Southend and the other being Mark Roman’s station in Chelmsford. We used to do the Rush Green Tavern in Rush Green getting a lot of the soul crowd following us. This is around 1985-1986 and when we started we didn’t really know about how to set it up for example like getting a transmitter to broadcast. It so happened that I mentioned it to someone whose brother was studying electronics and was building transmitters. So we eventually met up with Phil Roberts who was building and testing RF equipment which were transmitters. Now Phil was a bit older than us but he happened to like soul music and had been listening to Robbie Vincent and Greg Edwards. We needed somewhere to broadcast from, and at the time I lived with my ex in Manor Park east London. So on a Friday Night Phil would set up the transmitter with an ariel and mixer and we’d broadcast for around four or five hours. We’d drive around the local area to see what kind of reception we were getting with this small scale transmitter over a four to five mile radius. When we opened the phone lines the response of people listening was amazing. We set up a proper studio then gained access’s to tower blocks roof tops and put ariels up in Dagenham. We were putting out a lot of power of a round 200 watts, which covered all of East London into north London, and reaching Swanley in Kent and Southend Essex.

How easy was it to recruit some of the considered A list Dj’s past and present onto the station?

When we started to recruit Dj’s we managed to get Froggy after he’d had some personal problems with Capitol Radio. We had Steve Wren before he later went onto Choice FM, Tom Holland, Bigger who used to do the Chart Show and Big Al. So once we had a core of Dj’s we would screen recommendations from other Dj’s and had to be careful, because what we were doing was illegal. We had Nigel Wilton and Eddie Gordon who were A&R record company individuals and Gary Kent and Nicky Lawrence who had left Solar Radio, so we were building a good reputation as being a good station with quality Dj’s and we did some great gigs. We knew a guy who used to drink in The Harrow pub in Hornchurch who mentioned to the landlord that he was involved with a radio station, and that he felt that a little thesoulsurvivorsmagazine.co.uk

soulful session could work on a Sunday in the pub. The pub agreed and over a couple of weekends we mentioned it via the Dj’s shows without a proper advert, that the station was playing at The Harrow in Hornchurch. Amazing roughly 1000 people turned up and it was utter chaos. Hornchurch high street was at a standstill due to the cars not being able to turn into the pub. The police turned up with three cars and vans and put cones down the centre of the road, so cars had to keep driving without being able to turn into the pub. The police wondered what all the commotion was about, and we said it was just a disco session because we couldn’t say we were a pirate radio station. The pub was heaving, so much so that the publican rang a fellow publican and asked him to close his pub, and come and help him serve drinks which he did because it was that mentally busy. The landlord told us by 10.30pm we had to turn the music off because he couldn’t cope. This chaos actually made the local papers headlines. We had Kev Hill on the station too and through that and his connections with the Prestatyn weekender, we ended up doing the radio at Prestatyn. We now had so much credibility and gained a lot of advertising, plus we were doing power plays for record companies. Admittedly there was a bit of ‘Payola’ as that was standard for pirate radio stations at the time. It was a great time and we were certainly one of the popular pirates at the time.

How do you explain the gap between then and the more recent years?

Well there was a split in the camp with some wanting to do a legal station and those who wanted to stay pirate. At the time and at that age, some of us renegades wanted to stay pirate even though we were getting busted by the DTI regularly, but others were opposed to that. So the legal fraction started Active Radio that became Time 107.5 FM in Romford that is still running as a legal station today.

All that came on the back end of what we had achieved at STOMP over the years in the area. We the pirates set up Concept Radio around 1991-92 after staying off for a year and this lasted around 4-5 years around the time when Caister with Chris Hill restarted in 1994. That led for us to be part of the Caister weekender, but after 10 years of running the pirate station, I guess we’d burnt ourselves out with all the pitfalls that come with running a station.

What prompted you to start it back up again?

Sadly we lost Froggy in 2008 who was part of STOMP and I’d Dj’d with him at Caister, so we were very close. I eventually did some studio tracks with him and his son Mark. We went to his funeral and most of the original STOMP crew were there. We started talking and the idea of running STOMP again raised its head, but this time as an Internet station. Phil looked into this on the technical side to see if it was feasible, so we decided to do it legally with the original logo, font’s, jingles and many of the original Dj’s. With that history and doing it in memory of Froggy, here we are today and as you know there are so much more radio stations out there, but we have no worries about being illegal and pay our PRS fees etc. We have many people who used to listen back then who have come back to support us now so it’s great.

I’ve been part of Stomp for around 7 years after I left Solar Radio and have seen how the stations popularity has increased. It allows me to do what I do and I remember doing a couple of the artist feature shows Page 24 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS!

which you said caused quite a commotion. I did the 3 hour exclusive with Keni Burke and remember you sending me screen shot’s of the chat room whilst broadcasting my Teena Marie show.

Yeah it was mad and the server crashed because so many people were listening on the stream. Since then we’ve had to increase more power on the server that allows more streams. Those shows were really good and it shows that those specialist shows work and that people listen.

Do you think it was the progress of Stomp that drew Orlando Gittens to you because you both teamed up to do the successful Cheryl Lynn and Evelyn King concerts, and for the last few years co-promoting Hayling Island Weekenders?

Well I’ve always promoted my gigs like “The Boating Club” which stems from us doing boat parties back in 1988 with STOMP Radio and Concept Radio in the mid to 1990’s. Stretch Taylor and myself celebrated 20 years of “The Boating Club” last year. I’ve done things at Berwick Manor as well as Dj-ing at Caister for 10 years. I actually met Orlando in 1994 when he managed Wayne Marshall at the time of the single “G Spot”. Orlando had Soultown Records and he was promoting his artists including Everis, so he contacted us at Concept to play and promote the material. I met up and interviewed Wayne Marshall, meeting Orlando also and we remained friends over the years, even though we drifted apart having moved onto different ventures. When Orlando started doing shows at the 02 I had no idea he was involved and bumped into him. We kind of had a reunion after almost 15 years but it was crazy because we spoke as though the time hadn’t passed us by. We started speaking about what we’d been up to and I already had a dream of doing a weekender, so we decided on doing a collaboration of a Romford meets Brixton mixture of soul people under one roof. If I’m brutally honest and hand on heart I’ve never said what I’m about to share with you. From what I can see we are the first promoters coming from completely different racial soul event backgrounds, who have brought the black and white equilibrium element together. There are predominantly separate white and black events on the soul

thesoulsurvivorsmagazine.co.uk

It sounds wrong but this is so real and it should be about the music bringing people together. So what’s your take on it Scott?

scene and always have been, but fortunately for us we’ve got a great mix of people that come to our Hayling Island weekender and it works. We’ve bought Dj’s from different backgrounds from Brixton and the same with Dj’s from Essex and it’s taken off really well. We tried to put on a cruise but the company we were dealing with cancelled on us, but we are trying to do that again. We are also setting up a Soul Festival in Amsterdam as we speak, so new things are on the horizon.

It’s interesting that you mention that merging of Romford meets Brixton because this scene is very fragmented. If you are in London you see more of an integrated mixture culturally in the clubs. The more you spread out towards the Home Counties with the demographics it tends to be more of a white audience. There are not many who get a good balance of getting a mixed crowd with the exception of Vivy B’s Soul Network as an example (Scott: “I’d certainly agree.”) Being honest, although there is clearly an element of integration elsewhere, it’s evident that there is, still in 2016 a noticeable imbalance. Up until about 12 years ago I never clubbed in Essex for example because we heard the stories from some hardened black soul heads, of how there were certain elements of racism, and not feeling as welcome in certain out of London areas. Just to give you an example of the blatancy, one chap at an event in Kent asked Anna when is she going to put a white face on the front cover (Scott horrified: “Really you’re joking aren’t you Fitz?”) No Scott I’m serious and you know he would never have said that to me because he felt that he could as fellow white person say that to Anna. Now I speak from experience of questioning both Chris Hill with his majority white crowd and George Power with his predominately black audience. I asked them both considering they had huge followings as to why they never did what I would term the “One Nation Under A Groove” gig at the height of the 1970’s and early 1980’s. (Scott: “This is what we are doing now.”) Chris’s response was that George never played outside the M25 ring. George’s response was different, he said him and Chris did have a conversation but agreed that it wouldn’t work. So this undercurrent has been going on for years, and I often wonder if it mattered to people, and did they care about the implications of something so obvious. I think you and Orlando are brave and hats off to you because it could have backfired horribly, with elements in both the black and white camps not being comfortable with that change, because they are set in their ways.

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If you put an event on in the 1980’s in Brixton it is naturally going to be predominantly black, the same as if you did that in Essex it would be predominantly white because of the demographics.

Back then it was down to where you live especially in Essex, apart from say Ilford. Caister does have elements of a black audience, but it is mainly white Essex soul boys and girls. I have had many people speak to me over the years about that same scenario of the imbalanced black and white mix and to be honest what myself and Orlando are doing, is not meant to reinvent the wheel but to roll the wheel in a different direction. We wanted to be instrumental in bringing that as you describe the “One Nation Under The Groove” thing together, and that’s why we have black Dj’s like Desi G and Barry White playing their street soul, and chatting on the mic which works perfectly at Hayling Island. They get a great vibe and it’s certainly different to what I’m used to. The same people who go to Barry White and Desi G’s gig can in turn hear Gavin Page play his modern soul and 7 inch rare grooves so there is that balance.

It is something that people feel uncomfortable talking about but fortunately we’ve had so many people make the observation and have personally given us good feedback. Some people still don’t notice it as it doesn’t matter to them, but there are many who applaud what we are doing in uniting the audiences and that we should be proud of that achievement. It’s an emotional moment because those who say it, get what we are doing. Like you said we did take a chance and it was an experiment but thankfully we have gone from selling out the last two with people off sight attending. From the summer one we have also been running the spring weekenders too.

It’s a delicate subject to approach but I’ve certainly done my bit over the past 10 years to not only try to unite the black and white fractions but also the north and south divide of the UK. (Scott: “Yeah for sure Fitz.”)

Thanks Scott. The starting point is especially with those I’ve interviewed is they all declare their passion for black music albeit they are male, female, black, white, Greek or Asian, north, south east or west of the UK, Europe and beyond. I have to confess I didn’t know about that previous connection with Orlando which I think will now make sense as to why you too work so well together.

Yeah considering he’s a Man United fan and I support The Hammers, but we still work well together. For me the colour thing has never been an issue as a best friend that passed away from school was black guy. Also a mate from college Tony the Dred, has a partner called Sonia and because he’s a good cook I asked them both to do jerk chicken on our boat parties. There is good and bad in everyone black or white, but I try to treat people as people. Even when I ran my football teams I chose the best players and many of them were black, which were not featured in other teams as a reflection from the same area we ran the teams in.

Thanks for you time Scott and congrats on 30 years of STOMP radio.

Cheers Fitz and congrats on your 30 years Dj-ing and 10 years of The Soul Survivors.

thesoulsurvivorsmagazine.co.uk

Mira Parkes

The Official Soul Survivors Balkan and Worldwide Correspondent. speaks to

Dr.James Mason

In this beautiful, but strange world there exists incredible people. People who, with their talent, knowledge and skills create a history for the present time and a legacy for the future. Many of these creators never receive the full spotlight society is capable of providing, but at the end of the day, the power of greatness always finds a way to the light. This is a story about that kind of incredible person, Doctor James Mason, musician, songwriter, producer and most recently a systems-scientist. Mason, former member of Roy Ayers legendary late-70s jazz-funk band ‘Ubiquity’ appears on the albums “Lifeline” (1977) and “You Send Me” (1978). Creatively, 1977 was a big year for James. In addition to performing with Ayers, he recorded his debut solo album “Rhythm of Life”, and played on the Tarika Blue self titled 2nd album, both for Chiaroscuro Records.

Rhythm of Life is now one of the best-known jazz-funk rare-groove albums ever You are musical hero to many people so I’d just like to give them a little more of an insight into the world of J. Mason. I know you are aware of the high esteem that Rhythm of Life is held in. One of the questions that interests me is related to what was it like to be able to produce your own album as a young artist. Did you know you were on to something special?

My own music as a form of self-expression was always a dominant part of my musical persona. I had been a bandleader from my first garage band during my middle school years. When the opportunity to do my own album came along, as a 22-year old, I thought I was seeing my destiny unfold. It was everything I ever wanted to do and I loved every minute of it. I immersed myself in the experience completely. I had the opportunity to revisit these feelings with the release of “Recollection Echo”. The first thing that stands out is how passionately engaged I was. Virtually all of my waking and sleeping hours were focused on music. I laboured tirelessly and thoroughly loved what I was doing. I thought I was creating my future and that this was my big chance. I remember long days and nights in the studio as an energizing experience. I recall the learning curve related to working in the studio and programming synthesizers as a time of hyper-focus. In looking back with hindsight, I recall with great affection, the exhilaration of a young man’s immersion in an act of self-actualization. I was making the music that I loved and was engaged in an act of ‘proving myself to the world’. That said there were also great limitations. My budget was about 1% of what Page 28 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS!

“I am very grateful to Dez. The release of “Sweet Power” on “RARE4” was one of the first early breakthroughs of my music.”

Roy was spending at the time. I worked in a very modest studio that was designed for live jazz recordings. A lot of the equipment I had was the result of the generosity of others, particularly Phil Clendeninn of Tarika Blue. But overall I was so focused that I was determined to find a way to get it done one way or another.

What was it like being a member of Roy Ayers’ band at that time?

Roy is, without question a great musician. But he is more than a great instrumentalist; he created a sound that is still with us today. Hundreds of musicians have been through the various manifestations of his band and all of us learned something from that experience.

I was playing with Tarika Blue and was the opening act for Roy at a concert at the University of Connecticut. Edwin Birdsong, who I met several years earlier, was a part of Roy’s group. Roy had just made some changes and was looking for a guitarist. Birdsong remembered me and I was invited to do some session work with Roy. The session work led to an invitation to join the band. I toured and recorded with Roy for most of 1977. During that time, with the exception of the summer, when we were away for an extended period doing the big festivals, each weekend we would leave NYC and do three different cities. We were also in the studio almost every week. Roy’s approach was to record constantly and to build up a catalog of rhythm tracks.

The tracks that still blew his mind some time down the road, after

listening repeatedly, were the ones that became candidates for completion and placement on an album. The idea was for Roy to surround himself with his music and to let the compositions with the most compelling quality “win out” over time. This is a way of letting the compositions speak to his intuition, as opposed to making a more “left brain” decision about which songs belonged on an album. It is also impossible to understand which song will work on the radio, where you hear them over and over every day.

A composition that seems perfectly acceptable might get on your nerves after hearing it several times a day over several weeks. This was a clever means of making selections under “battle conditions”.

Tracks I performed on might come up for consideration on an album at any time. For example, I am the guitarist on “Can’t You See Me?”.

I cut the tracks some years before and only discovered that it came out on the “You Send Me” album well after its release. One of the most interesting things I learned from Roy was about rhythm tracks.

I’m not sure if people still record that way. With the amount of drum machine I hear, I believe that rhythm tracks must be a lost art.

Back then, I often liked a rhythm track more than the completed composition. A rhythm track is “wide open”. Almost every musician I knew would save a copy of the rhythm tracks and pull them out later for comparison after the song was completed. Rhythm tracks are primal. They have to have a compelling groove and provide a basic harmonic framework, but the rest is left to your imagination.

Rhythm tracks are all about groove and emotion. The way Roy went about building up a rhythm track into a completed composition was very creative and improvisational. The final product was often in no way predictable from the original track. I came to feel that the way he completed his compositions in the studio was an act of creation that was as much in the jazz tradition as was improvising in real time on the bandstand. Watching Roy produce in the studio was an amazing learning experience for me. Playing with Roy was a tremendous learning experience with regard to his production process and working in the studio. Equally striking was the talent of the other musicians in the band. These were, collectively, the greatest musicians I had ever worked with. I honestly felt that as an instrumentalist, the others were so much better than me.

Justo Almario and Philip Woo amazed me and I am so happy they performed on my album. Dee Dee was a part of the group through the summer of 1977. Dee Dee is fantastic. Unfortunately for me, I only worked with her while I was with Roy, but sharing a stage with her was one of the most remarkable musical experiences of my life.

Obviously she is a great song stylist and what a sultry voice she has.

She was also the most accurate singer I had ever worked with. I remember that as she sang her voice would create a resonance with the strings on my guitar. Just amazing.

Who are your musical heroes?

As an elementary school child I liked James Brown. He was The King! It seemed as if he put out a new 7” single each week and we were all very anxious to learn the new dance that went with it. Chubby Checker was also an early influence. Believe it or not, I was ‘The Twist’ Champion of my elementary school. We also had a crazy neighbour who would get depressed and play on side of Dinah Washington’s album “What a Difference a Day Makes” over and over, loud enough for us to hear clearly through the apartment

thesoulsurvivorsmagazine.co.uk

wall. She would play the same side of one LP for 8 to 10 hours non-stop so I would have to say that Dinah Washington was an early influence also. When I was VERY young, Duke Ellington used to perform an annual free concert at the Coliseum in Harlem and my parents used to drag us along. To other musicians it’s probably sacrilege to say this, however, as I recall I used to cry because I was sleepy and wanted to go home, so I can’t say I was old enough to appreciate it, but Duke Ellington live is a part of my experience. I started playing the guitar at age 10. It is embarrassing to say this, but I was influenced by the way the women reacted to the Beatles.

I saw all those women on television screaming and trying to touch them and I wanted to experience some of that female attention. It was definitely the way women reacted to them more so than it was their music. I knew I had to get a guitar. My grandmother was a countervailing force. She insisted on taking me to Carnegie Hall to see Andre Segovia. She said that if I was going to play the guitar I had to see “Mr. Segovia” as she always referred to him, so that I would understand what the guitar was REALLY all about. I was dazzled by the technique but did not think that I myself would ever be able to do what I saw Segovia do. Frankly, I think I was already dreaming of electric guitar, as opposed to classical style.

As I moved into middle school and high school and began buying my own records, Rock-n-Roll was a major influence. Aside from a serialised educational collection of selected symphonic classics that my parent subscribed to, Jimi Hendrix, Cream and Led Zeppelin were among the first albums I ever bought. Cal Tjader and the Palmieri Brothers also heavily influenced me during those years. I heard their music while visiting the homes of friends. I “backed into” jazz through jazz-fusion. While my high-school peers were going Page 30 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS!

crazy for Isaac Hayes “Shaft” soundtrack I was listening to The Mahavishnu Orchestra, The 2nd Santana Album, Jeff Beck’s Rough & Ready and Miles’ “Tribute to Jack Johnson”. Like everyone else I was a part of a “garage band” from middle school through high school. As my circle of friends began to include more musicians, I began to acquire the odd gig here and there. For a month or two during High School I played (bass) with Pucho and his Latin Soul Brothers. These gigs were one-off nights in local bars all for which I was under age (approximately 16-years old). I discovered Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” was a college freshman. They were a huge influence. Alternately, during what should have been my sophomore year of college, I began a 1-year gig with Little Charles and the Sidewinders. This and my brief stint with Pucho were my first jobs with professionals. I was only 18 when I began with the Sidewinders. The other musicians were in their mid-thirties. I was the baby brother of the group and the sweet young thing to the barmaids. They initiated me into the musician’s life on a ‘Chitlin Circuit’ summer tour from Buffalo New York to Halifax Canada.

Charles was a consummate entertainer and the band contained highly experienced sidemen who had worked with the likes of Otis Reading and Wilson Picket. I recall the bass player had performed with the Jimi Hendrix version of The Isley Brothers for a short time.

This was the University of R&B. I learned how to groove with those guys. I also got to hear a ton of great stories.

You’ve been involved in many productions in addition to Rhythm of Life, such as Terumasa Hino and Masabumi Kikuchi. In 1996 you’ve released “I Want Your Love” and in 2012 you released “Nightgruv”.

Your music has also appeared in many compilations. Are you aware that many people came to know your music as a result of these compilations, notably, “RARE4” on RCA Records, which was compiled by my husband Dez Parkes in 1989?

I am very grateful to Dez. The release of “Sweet Power” on “RARE4” was one of the first early breakthroughs of my music. The releases on “Love N Haight” are another examples. I am aware

that there have been many compilation releases of my music. Some of these are legitimate. However, there are typically a number of unauthorised releases of my music floating about. I won’t make any public statements regarding which are legitimate unless I review the circumstances with a lawyer first. That could get ugly in a hurry.

These next questions are related so I will group them together. When you look back at your time in a music industry how you would describe it? How do you feel about the music industry of the past and present?

Related to this, if someone were to ask you about becoming a musician what advice you would give?

The growth in the number of people that have come to appreciate my music happened gradually over the years. I think people would be very surprised at how little financial reward I have received for my music. For the most part, I was commercially unsuccessful while I was active. Given my limited financial impact, I cannot really say that I was engaged in or knew the industry very deeply. Today there are many more outlets for an artist to produce and distribute their work than there was when I was getting started. Given this diversity, it is difficult to speak about the industry as a single entity.

I have the same dilemma when it comes to giving advice to someone considering becoming a musician. The diversity of motivation, preparation and resources among new entrants are great. In most entrepreneurial ventures, I would advise a careful assessment of the probability of success. But in music there’s been so much beautiful music that has been a commercial failure and so many commercial successes that are musically unsatisfying that it is difficult to know what to advise. I can only say that a new entrant should examine their motivation and expected outcomes carefully. This includes a careful assessment of their ability to deal with failure because clearly there are thousands of failures for every major success. Add to this, the scale of success can be so very different. Compare the career of Michelle Farrell or Esperanza Spalding to the career of Maurice White, Beyoncé or Hans Zimmer. I would boil it down to the following equation. Your experience will = (success probability ÷ expectation)/(1 ÷ failure tolerance)

I would like to congratulate you on your Ph.D. and your dissertation “Social Enterprise Systems Engineering”. Over the years you have given yourself to music and science. After the last album and your graduation what does the future hold for you?

I still enjoy hearing someone call me Dr. Mason. Since my graduation last year I’ve been seeking an academic appointment at a university where I can teach and continue my research. Obtaining an appointment has been has so far been elusive, but I am hopeful.

My research relates to applying management lessons from systems engineering and network organizations to social entrepreneurship ventures. My approach is design-centric, lifecycle oriented and I have a particular interest in large-scale social enterprise systems such as BRAC http://www.brac.net. I have developed an approach to design and validate the ability of large-scale social enterprise systems to address grand challenges. My work as a researcher is similar to my approach as a musician. I have crafted a new disciplinary space by integrating multiple disciplines into a unified framework. An overview can be found on my webpage https:// cornell.academia.edu/JamesMason. So far I have been unsuccessful in securing a position in the United States. Perhaps, as was the case with my music, I will have better results in the EU. Thank you, James! *Big up to my greatest supporters, my son and husband Vuk and Dez Parkes. Endless love.*

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Soul Survivors

Roll Call of Fame Mr “Billy Boy” Paul

1st December 1934 - 24th April 2016 Literally within 4 days of losing his Royal Purpleness, the world lost the Philadelphia King and musical griot exponent Billy Paul aged 81. Billy, born 1st December 1934 is a native Philadelphian more synonymous with the city than fictional boxing icon Rocky Ballboa. In 1957 Billy was drafted into the army and was later stationed with Elvis Presley and Bing Crosby’s son Gary in Germany with aspirations that didn’t happen, of starting a band. Billy had a clothing shop in the early days selling African garments and always looked slick on his album covers. His roots are in jazz as exampled on the “Feeling Good At The Cadillac Club” live album in 1968 featuring the spiritual wails of Billy. Billy went on to record 10 magnificent albums that appeared on his school friends Gamble & Huff productions and recordings on Neptune/Gamble/ PIR labels.

Although Billy didn’t write any of his classics on the albums previous MR ‘BILLY BOY’ PAUL to “When Love Is New” writing the socially political “Let the Dollar Circulate”, his interpretation of a composition certainly left its mark.

Billy covered many songs from Paul Simon, Sly Stone, Horace Silver, Al Green and Paul McCartney, compositions with much elegance and “First Class”. Plenty of babies around the world were created for sure via the sonics of his serene vocals, singing the dilemma classic number one hit “Me & Mrs Jones”, that inspired Barbara Mason to amiably cover her version as “Me & Mr Jones” on Buddah circa 1972. Billy’s other major anthems include “Lets Make A Baby”, “Only The Strong Survive” a cover done believe it or not by Billy’s army pal Elvis Presley but originally recorded as Gamble & Huff co-written classic by Jerry Butler.

Before Tashan kindly gave me his song “Soul Survivors” to use as my radio show theme tune, I’d previously chosen Billy’s version of “Only The Strong Survive” as my intro. Billy experienced a big disappointment with the controversy that surrounded him recording and releasing a fave of mine “Am I Black Enough For You?” which didn’t go down too well with white America.

His possibly most played dance hit as an universal anthem is probably “Bring The Family Back” but there is so much more to Billy Paul than the aforementioned classics. His “War Of The Worlds” album is so spiritual in certain conscious circles it could be regarded as the “What’s Going On” of the entire PIR catalogue. I declare “It’s Critical” that we remember Billy Paul one of the deep and philosophical “Black Wonder’s Of The World”, whose voice carried the spirit of the mystical “East”. Billy Paul was for Philadelphia International Records what Marvin Gaye was to Motown, a musical griot and deliverer of the gospel and spiritual truth. The two actually became friends in their early careers when Billy was in Harold Melvin’s Bluenotes and Marvin with The Moon Glows. I loved Billy’s voice and smoothness and he was clearly someone who was proud of his “Brown Baby” heritage. I guess right now “The Whole Town’s Talking” “Sooner Or Later” about the loss of this artist who certainly helped “Let The Dollar Circulate” in Philly. Billy was so full of “Enlightenment” and will be fondly remembered for his effort to “Bring The Family Back” as he educated many in the “Game Of Life”. Always championing “People Power” whether he was “Takin’ It To The Streets”, encouraging the population including “Me & Mrs Jones” to “Let’s Make A Baby”, identifying the phoney “False Faces” or advising “Only The Strong Survive”. Billy Paul had style, a voice of pure “Peace Holy Peace” quality and most certainly for me was a “First Class” act, so “Thank You For (This Blessing)” Billy and Rock the mic In Paradise (R.I.P) Page 32 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS!

“But if I speak the truth why would you hate me, you may not like what I’m saying, but to hate me and the truth is hating yourself.”

“The Cat” alogue of Fitzroy spending a day with the multi-tasking, “Mr Cool” Danny John Jules.

I spent a whole day practically with Danny John Jules and he is as charismatic as his famous Cat character in Red Dwarf. Always positive despite growing up in the touch ends of Notting Hill during the 1960’s, Danny clearly gifted never let opportunities pass him by. From acting as a pre teenager to gaining notoriety as a dancer in the west end clubs, to appearing in west end theatre, TV, film and experiencing international acting acclaim, Danny remains humble and unassuming. He is respected by many in the media world and the real everyday life world, and took time out to chat with me about his remarkable achievements despite no academic qualifications.

How was life growing up in west London, as I know you from being around Ladbroke Grove as a 1950’s or 1960’s child?

I was born exactly on the button in 1960 in the month of September that makes me a rat in the Chinese birth year. My parents came to the UK as part of the Windrush in the late 1950’s from Dominica.

I’m the first born in my family and part of the first generation as a British born child from the West Indies background. I grew up in the Notting Hill area where there were race riots with the typical no Irish, no blacks no dogs signs, and it was a slum with no one really wanting to live and there. Now with the gentrification there is hardly any of the generation that I grew up with in the area. It’s a well known fact that Notting Hill was cleansed, and once money comes into an area, they need to seek those houses and move more affluent people in.

How was school for you?

I went to Bevington School just off the Goldbourne Road in Notting Hill. What happened was my parents ended up buying a house in Westbury Road in Wembley and I went to Limepark School in that Page 34 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS!

area. My parents split when I was six so we left Wembley to live in a room at my uncles in Swinbrook Road Notting Hill. It was my mum and three kids living in one room at my uncles flat.

What surrounded you musically?

Typical Caribbean upbringing with Calypso, Sunday’s was country music day with Jim Reeves, Tammy Wynette and Elvis in his gospel years with songs like “Crying In The Chapel”. So this made us culturally more diverse with the reggae, ska and pop music with Tony Blackburn on Radio One. In some ways we were more English than the English which is typical of many Caribbean people. If you go back to the West Indies you will see homes with the Queen on the wall (Fitzroy: “That was not the case in my yard, maybe the image of Mary in the garden and most definitely the photo of Mohammed Ali as the heavyweight champion.”) They, still to this day call it the mother country but the mother didn’t treat her children very well you see.

When our families came to the UK they came in suits and ties and went to church on Sundays as they adopted the British way of life more true to the game than the English. I’ve still got some of my dad’s suits and in-fact wore one to the audition of Red Dwarf.

Yeah let’s speak further on that later. How did you get into the clubs and west end circuit?

Well, there was this little white kid called Mark Gregory who was a supporter of Queens Park Rangers and a football hooligan.

This boy could dance like a black man. We used to go to the local discos and even as a very short white kid who sucked his thumb, he could proper dance though. As football hooligan he was known as “Gregger” and he had all his teeth kicked out because he would be the first one to steam in for the fights. We ended up doing a crime prevention film for Scotland Yard called “Ten Green Bottles” to deter kids from getting into trouble (Fitzroy: “And he was in it?”)

Yeah as was I and a few other people from around the Grove area. I was in the right place at the right time walking the streets when the local social worker took the director of the film around looking for 7 kids. Our secondary school at Rutherford, had some interesting characters like actor Phil Daniel’s, music producer Paul Hardcastle, Courtney Pine, Steve Walsh the DJ and Martin Bell the newsreader, who all went to my comprehensive school. Bob Wilson, Arsenal’s football goalie, was a PE Teacher there before I joined the school and I work with him today with the Willow Foundation. We had a dance troop at school that was full of all the bad man two years older than me, and everyone one of them bar one, who became a barrister, went to jail. I used to go school in my plastic sandals I was that much of a soul boy back then and we used to wear those beetle crushers from Biba, big topper shoes. We used to go to the Lyceum Ballroom on a Monday and Hammersmith Palais on a Thursday, Crackers on Sunday and the afternoon sessions Fridays at Crackers and Saturday’s at 100 club with Greg Edwards. Before George Power at Crackers it was Mark Roman, so if you talking Mark Roman then you’re an original Cracker’s soul boy. Paul Anderson was carrying George’s boxes back then before he made his name on the dance floor and as a DJ. Name some of the dancers…

Oh my god Trevor Shakes, Leon Herbert, Dez Parkes, Paul Anderson could move a bit then too. Then you had the disco boys like Grant Santino, Clive Clark and Peter Francis who I was in the film “Scum” with. We actually went to the same drama school. Tommy Mac, John Quinn, Jabba, Mohammed the Moroccan, Bassey and the Torso lot, and a white guy called Cass. There were so many people that came from all over London that shaped that scene, so long as you love the music, dance and dressed like your fellow peeps. We were travelling all over the place and going to Margate weekenders way before Caister started. I used to go and travel from west London to Lacy

Lady’s in Ilford with Chris Hill, I was the youngest out of my crew and still at school. At the same time I was attending drama at our local church hall in Notting Hill.

At what point did you realise you were considered one of the steppers on the dance floor?

I knew when I got to the stage where it wasn’t about who won the dance battles, it was whose style you preferred. You had Horace Carter and Clive Clarke and some of this footage is on YouTube from a program back in the late 1970’s called “British Hustle” and I’m in that video.

Yeah I’ve seen that but you weren’t one of those peacock strutting with your top off I don’t think?

Nah not me mate. I’ve got photos of those days when we used to go to The Galleon and Atlantis in Margate. It’s amazing thinking back how much black people used to turn up at Margate looking for bed and breakfast. You could see when some of the accommodation proprietors opened the door they were not going to let you in. But I do remember this old white woman opened the door to us and let us in, which if I was an older lady on my own, I’d be sceptical to do that being honest. I always remember us sitting there, 5 big burly guys from London sitting with her watching “Jesus Of Nazareth” on TV without a sound during the program. As soon as the credits came up we said ‘bye see you later we are off now’. I’m serious Fitz that program was captivating with Robert Powell as Jesus. It was great.

Any particular tunes you used to like moving to.

Yeah and Danny breaks into the chorus of a fine rendition of Double Exposure’s “Ten Percent” on Salsoul in his high falsetto sonics,“diddah dah den den duddah dun dun dun dun , ten percent of something, could beat 100 perceeeeeeeent of nothing at aaaaaaaallllllll, I only see you baby once or twice a week… once or twice a weeeeeek”.. Those kind of tunes you better have your stamina because the tunes were 10 minutes long, and even if your heart was coming out of your chest, you can’t stop dancing the for shame of looking bad. It was all about the dancing. These days people like Dez Parkes and Mastermind play these tunes on their radio shows because they were there back in the day. Grant Santino won the Disco Championship, now he wasn’t the best dancer but he could fling a back somersault or an open back flip bang right in front of you.

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Was meeting women an extra bonus?

The thing about meeting women was they were also into the same music so this made them different and appealing with them sharing the same lingo and swagger. I wasn’t into the girls who drank Pernod & black all bladdered up and falling all over the shop. I must say I never saw that behaviour in our time because they were too busy dancing unlike today. After dancing we were too tired to fight or get involved in any stupidness, because we came out to dance and if there was fighting you’re in the wrong club.

You were a bit of a gymnast at school weren’t you?

Yes when I was about 13 our PE teacher Mr Power used to train the British gymnastic team and outside the cirrocumuli, he taught at lunchtimes. So I gave up my lunchtimes to do gymnastics and myself and another white guy named Lesley were good enough to go and train with him at a club outside school hours. We used to jump into the teacher’s Mini from Edgware Road to Mornington Crescent, do the training and then come back home by ourselves on public transport. That could not happen today with all the risks with children. I left school with no qualifications and did menial work in a warehouse, worked in hospital cleaning utensils for operations, worked on building sites and worked in a hair salon. Around the age of 16-17 a club friend of mine Dizzy Heights told me of an acting and singing group in a church hall in Notting Hill that was started by a black actor called Loftus Burton. I remember at school a program they used to show us called “The Boy From Space” and Loftus was in that, and would show up in programs like “Space 1999”. I remember seeing him walking down Portobello Road and running up to get his autograph when I was in primary school. Years later he starts a youth group in my area with the experience of working for the Royal Shakespeare Company behind him. I followed Dizzy Heights down to the drama group, and it’s the old adage, with Dizzy not going back, after the first one, and I carried on which led to me getting a part in the film “Scum”. I was doing my dance classes there and made the world group disco dancing championship coming 2nd or 3rd with medal. Then I was dancing with The 2nd Generation group in the Isle Of Wight and the headliners were Jimmy Tarbuck and Dickie Henderson over a 6-month period. That was my first professional job and I’ve never done a 9-5 since.

based and got to know a lot of the cast over my three years of working there till 1987. For me it was where I saw a lot of the club dancers progress to working professionally in west end shows.

There was George Campbell, Atlee Baptise and Richard Bodkin and we were just messing about doing routines like we did at Roller Disco. One day Andrew Lloyd Webber felt there should be a number for us, so he wrote a song with Richard Stilgoe for our characters “The Rockies”. (Fitzroy: “When I worked there and used to watch the Rockies routine I knew it inside out because it was like the boogie moves we did in the clubs but on roller skates.”) Exactly but three people doing it synchronised which was the hard part. I was already an accomplished roller skater and a professional dancer so the experience on the street gave me another edge and I wasn’t considered an industry “lovey” so to speak. If you look at “The Rockies” is very macho. (Fitzroy: “Did you have any influence on the routine?”) Well the number wasn’t originally scripted in the show and what happened was in the original workshop, there was a mixed raced guy called Eamon, and his mate Dennis from the Roxy Rollers who went on to become The London Boys. Now they were the best roller skaters in London but their problem was that they couldn’t do choreography but me Atlee and Richard Bodkin could. Funnily Eamon’s sister Uderwak got into the show. Unfortunately Dennis and Eamon died in a car crash in Germany after having a number one with The London Boys, and Peter Francis the dancer went out there with them. They were the best roller skaters I’d ever seen.

These guys could dance on roller skates and no one could touch them.

So the roller-skating for the show wasn’t an issue for you then?

No, because I was roller-skating with the afore mentioned. I also came up with Peter Francis and knew him and his family before I went to drama. Peter Francis is a wicked gymnast doing all the flicks and somersaults as big as he was, he was wicked trust me.

You were in Starlight for just one-year right?

Is that where you got your equity card?

Yes I did indeed doing that job.

Where does dancing for Lena Zavaroni come in?

Well my very next job was a pantomime with Norman Wisdom playing Man Friday in “Robinson Crusoe”. Alvin Stardust was also in it. I did another summer season in Hastings, another pantomime and then Lena Zavaroni which brings me up to 1982. Then I auditioned for “Barnum” and played alongside Michael Crawford which was my first west end show. Gee Bello from Light Of The World came to see the show with his mum. I then did “Cats” and “Starlight Express”.

Right let’s speak about “Starlight Express” in 1984, because I use to work front of house at The Apollo Victoria Theatre where the show was Page 36 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS!

Yeah, but I added certain things to the show in terms of the rollerskating. I told them what wheels we needed to use to skate around

the stage track. When I came into the show I didn’t use roller skate wheels, I used skate boarding Kryptonic wheels made out of polyurethane. I told them they couldn’t have 50 people skating around the theatre with radio mics on, because the wheels make too much noise, and if you listen to the show you could hardly hear the wheels. Kryptonic made specific black wheels for the show. On the first day of the rehearsal, Trevor Nunn the director said ”Danny get up and skate around the room” and there was pure silence.

Trevor said that’s how I want you guys to skate. When they had the speed skating in roller disco there were guys who could skate backwards quicker than some skating forward, but they couldn’t get into Starlight because they couldn’t dance choreography. When it came to skating the dancers couldn’t touch them. That was the difference between a street and a professional dancer and I had a toe in both camps. Ask anyone as it was even timed, no one was faster than me in the whole cast.

How did you find working with Jeffrey Daniel?

I met Jeffrey before Starlight because he was living here and in fact I got his mate Jermaine Stewart, Shalamar’s backing singer to audition for Starlight but he couldn’t skate at a high level. Jermaine used to relax my hair back in the day and we were on the same label when “The Rockies” from the show me, Atlee and Richard Bodkin were signed to Virgin 10. We had a single out “Stop Wasting Your Time” a Chas Jankel from Ian Dury the Blockheads song. It was recorded at Chas’s studio.

Clash played the other two characters in our group.

How was your American experience?

Good we went to “Fever” which was a club where all the rappers wanted to be if you wanted to make it. The Dj was Grandmaster Flash, who I hadn’t at that point heard of and I was advised I needed to see him because of his scratching technique. This was around 1982 as I was in “Barnum” and in New York for a holiday.

So what were you doing between Labyrinth and Red Dwarf?

I did the Dave Clarke’s from the Dave Clarke 5 musical and “Time” with Cliff Richard. I was under study for an American guy called Clinton Derek’s Carol. His twin was the actor in the US SiFi “Sliders”.

I really learnt a lot in that show singing with Cliff Richard who I used to watch in the film “Summer Holidays” as a kid. Then I find myself doing a duet with him. I then did the same duet with David Cassidy of The Partridge Family who took over from Cliff Richard. (Fitzroy: “Oh Really that’s two legends right there.”) Yeah I was buzzing at the time and I was ready.

What was your next job after Starlight?

I went on a tour with Wham to America and a danced for and choreographed George Michael. The singer Yazz was actually his stylist at the time and she knew me as a dancer from back in the day. That was an introduction to working with George Michael.

When I did the American part I did that with Dennis from Torso, who has sadly since passed away, on the English Wembley show.

Richard Bodkin Martin as did it with me. I did “Destry Rides Again” at the Donmar Warehouse with Fred Melina and Jill Gascoigne and they are still married today. (Fitzroy: “The policewoman with pretty eyes who starred in the Gentle Touch?”) Yeah that’s her. Then I did a Squeeze musical at the Albany Empire.

How did you end up working with David Bowie on the “Labyrinth” film?

I got that through Charles Hawkins, an American choreographer and dance director who asked me and Richard Bodkin to see Jim Henson (of The Muppets) and we got cast as the Firey’s as he directed the film.

Ok, Bowie was huge then. How was he to work with?

He was good and it was business intended at times but relaxed.

Remember people like Luther worked with David Bowie and from knowledge you can see he had an aura of wanting everything right.

I’ve got photos of him and me together at Abbey Road studios recording the soundtrack for the film. Charles Hawkins and Teddy

So how come you were late for your “Red Dwarf” audition?

My agent gave me two appointments 30 minutes apart and I went to the 10.30 one allegedly first but I didn’t realise that. So when I arrived for the “Red Dwarf” audition I did my bit then the executives advised I was late, so I thought I’d blown the job. Then I got the call that I was picked and I was the first one to audition for it.

How did you prepare for the audition as the part required wearing a suit.

I heard you turned up in your dad’s old zoot suit?

When I saw what the character was, I thought he should be slick. So that’s how I went, with my dad’s old suits and tie, baggy trousers and my hair was very bouffant at the time. Originally when they were styling the character for the show they had more of a Blues Brothers with a pork pie hat theme for the show. I asked them to remember that I wore a red suit for the audition, and how rock and roll that made the cat and they saw what I meant. If you look you’ll see Little Richard, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Richard Pryor, Cab Calloway, Screaming Jay Hawkins and Prince, all cool wacky cats and a bit of an off key amalgamation all mixed up. It was only like thesoulsurvivorsmagazine.co.uk

that because I played him like that, it wasn’t written for a black person per say, he’s just a cat that has no definition and someone else would have played him different.

Its quite an interesting dichotomy that it so happened that there was both a pair of black and white actors, You were from the south and Craig was from the north east but as you said it transcended colour in it’s whole 28 years which is quite unique.

That’s because you cannot pigeon hole the characters. You can see Craig Charles is a mixed raced Liverpudlian because he’s the last man on earth, but the lowest rank on the ship below Rimmer.

You mentioned that the Cat was a bit of a blagger because he’d chat like he was getting laid all the time but he actually wasn’t getting any sex.

He’s bluffing mate. (Fitzroy: “Was that something that you built into the character from people you grew up with in your local childhood manor?”) Yes and if the cat was from London it would have been west London. Yeah man Ladbroke Grove down Portobello Market on a Saturday you’d see all kinds of freaks down there. I first saw Oswald Botang down there showing off his suit with people asking him where he got his garms.

Did you have much to do with Brindsley Ford back then as he was from that area of west London I think?

UK Nation Of Islam Leo Chester. Explain the concept of why you filmed him today.

I met Leo Chester when he was the head club doorman back in the day at “The Park” in Kensington when he was a bad man. He was in the comedy scene doing stand up at the Hackney Empire wearing a mohican. One day I was doing “Red Dwarf”, and Leo came on as the warm up man when we filmed in front of a live audience. So now we are doing a show called “Unlikely Bikers” for Channel 4.

It’s about 6 people who you would not believe rode motorcycles.

My love affair with bikes started with riding a Ginero over by the canal where I lived. I was doing “Soul Train” in Derby and this photographer rolls up on his race bike and I was so impressed, that after he took his photographs for the show, I went down to the high street and booked my direct test. From then onwards I was a biker and that was 20 years ago. I’ve been making bike shows for 6 years and today you just saw one day in the life of making a bike show. I have a production company with Steve doing the bikes, I do my arty stuff, drama and my day job acting with my other company. (Fitzroy: “And you sing sometimes too?”) Yeah like I said the single with the 3 Rockies, I also did a single with Polydor for the Squeeze musical. I’m on the “Destry Rides Again”, “Starlight Express” and “Barnum” soundtracks. I work with Davina a singer and a Dominican like myself currently.

In this world of artistry you have you fingers in many pies…

Yeah I went to primary school with Johnny Z the drummer, yeah Brindsley was a child actor and did “Please Sir” with John Alderton and “Double Deckers”.

Yeah and it’s normal if you look at my mother and grandmother who had two or three jobs something that is standard in the west indies and that ethos has been inbred into me.

So you’re part of that whole movement and generation that’s British in film and music with “Babylon”, “Scum”, and the jazz funk bands.

Did you feel when you were younger that you would be doing this?

Yeah I remember going to a weekender and seeing Light Of The World and it was the first time I saw a large British band on stage playing soul and funk. Hi Tension was from west London, Kensal Rise, Grove sides too.

Yeah “British Hustle” and all that but my tune was “Peace On Earth”.

(Fitzroy: “Wicked tune”.) Yeah you know Fitz from the time you know that tune then I know you know music. David was singing right up there with them high notes man. (Fitzroy: “Yeah that was like their ode to Earth Wind & Fire.”)

You made a film and Don E did the music for it?

I made a film called “Buckie” about a five year old who ends up in a predicament quite innocently as he is influenced by what he sees around him. He misunderstands certain finer points and that is what gets him into the situation. It’s like a crime prevention film similar to the one I was in when I was a kid. It kind of reminds me of “Green Bottles” with Mark “Gregger” because he got into the naughty stuff even though he was a soul boy. His step dad was one of the first Rasta’s that I ever met in Ladbroke Grove whose name was Dutch.

Now what’s this fascination you have with bikes as I’ve spent the day with you filming around Harlesden with actor comedian and head of the Page 38 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS!

No as in those days you had to try and survive living day to day.

Modern youths can think that way now and aim high to achieve what they want, but in my day I didn’t have any qualifications, so what was I gonna be thinking of being, a lawyer? Nah it wasn’t going to happen for me.

As you know being West Indian our parents have higher aspirations for us than getting into the arts.

You’re right but my mum never pushed me and at the end of the day there is something organic that happens. When I walked out of school, certain teachers didn’t like you when you had too much confidence. When you have an English teacher who is told throughout their life they are better than the Caribbean pupils they are teaching, you get certain scenarios. If a Caribbean child tells the careers officer he wishes to be a lawyer the child gets told, “let’s be realistic”. What they are telling you right there is that any dreams and aspirations should stop right there. That dejected people who didn’t have the confidence to override that when it’s implied you could not be a lawyer. But now kids today can see that they can be a doctor, lawyer or a movie director. I do feel that some the youth of today have disrespected what our generation have done for them to have what they have now. If they want to they can go to university or study law, but that door wasn’t open for us. Leo said it today we are not where we are supposed to be because some think living on

an estate is worth dying for. The mentality of being herded onto a shitty council estate to fight over, and you’ve fallen for the play hook line and sinker it’s frightening. There is so much more to gain for them now than what we had back then.

I’ve found speaking with you being very deep and conscious because you don’t bring that out in you unless you have to. (Danny “ like what happened at the bar downstairs,) Exactly so it begs the question how do you manage to keep your cool in this industry that we know is fickle and is laced with subliminal and blatant prejudice? Often as black people when we challenge certain authorities, we are painted as being aggressive or having a chip on our shoulder, as opposed to acting with intelligence (Danny: “Yes”). You’ve come from living in a room with three other siblings and a single mum, to dance in musicals, become a recognised actor around the world, and own your own production companies so how do you maintain that integrity?

Because I refuse to kiss arse. I would have been 10 times further down the road if I sucked up to certain people who can open doors.

There are load of apologies being made in this industry by people out there talking shit. People are being given OBE’s and Bafta’s for talking about diversity because under the spot light, there is a fear of the backlash of no black representation in a company. Diversity starts by looking in your environment and ask what are we going to do about it but often there is no voice from the other side of the fence, so you are always going to have a half-cocked project. If you are dealing with characters of different cultures whether they are black, Italian, Asian or gypsy, if you haven’t got the people that can research that to the max, and get it right, and then you have a Mickey Mouse interpretation of it. And there is always someone, a lackey who will go with the lie, often someone with a work scholarship who has no life experience and they are just blagging it.

Do you think I could go up to someone and say I’m making a film called Belfast as a black man? The Irishman would come and hunt me down saying (Danny uses an Irish accent) “You fok this up, we fok up!” simple. I would not take that job on unless that person was not only Irish but respected in that community and could rest easy knowing that the job will be done properly. You have to be true and real to the game, how do you make a film called Notting Hill with no black folk in it? Even though the area has been sanitised, there are still black people in the area, but they are not in the movie. Richard Curtis moved to Notting Hill because it was trendy. People will not give you a position to be making decisions or the cheque book, in fact name me one black man you know whose got the cheque book.

He may be the writer or the director and I challenge anyone to show me a black man who can green light a show on BBC, ITV or Channel 4. If you want to hear silence in a room, get all the TV executives and heads of the companies and ask if they can show you a black man or woman who can sign the cheque and green light the project?

What your saying Danny, many people would be afraid to say it so I admire you sir.

Listen when I was championing diversity 30 years ago in the Voice newspaper, I wasn’t doing it for an Oscar a Bafta or an OBE or MBE. I was saying it because I could and don’t kiss no ones arse.

People are getting accolades for speaking out now. Where were they 30 years ago as I was saying it when it wasn’t fashionable, and it’s documented, so let them come and call me a liar. I don’t

need those kind of honorary accolades because I have an audience through doing what I like, so all these awards have no value to me. For everyone that accepts these awards there are loads who have turned them down and trust me there are plenty of white people who’ve declined more than black people. You can google it and you will be surprised because they want to be known as being an actor. People can do what they want and I’m all for that but you haven’t lived if you haven’t been fired or sent to Coventry and I’ve experienced it first hand. If you hire me to do a job I will do the character to the best of my ability and that’s why I’ve been successful because people follow the character in the show because they don’t know me. But if I speak the truth why would you hate me, you may not like what I’m saying, but to hate me and the truth is hating yourself. It’s deep brutha and I don’t hate myself and I’m happy because I’m comfortable with the truth. And the truth makes people uncomfortable.

My agent was a gay Jewish man back in the day and he told me that he is weak unless I am prepared to lose the job. You have to be able to say no I’m not prepared to do that as it gives you a power of negotiation and that instills pride in you. Who are you trying to please, the people who have no respect for you? But the same ones would go and show respect to Brad Pitt, because you know he will tell you to kiss his arse more than I would. We are still looking for the level playing field as you witnessed in the bar downstairs with that bar man, you heard him “the bar man is always right” he’s perpetrating the lie. You don’t treat people like that, remember I worked in a hair salon and the monster witch could be in font of you but you treat her like a damsel, because you want to get your tips.

Even if she is the wicked witch of the west you say “good morning madam”, battle-axe or not you treat them like ladies even if they didn’t act like one.

Today we got some drastic news about Prince and personally for me after James Brown and Michael Jackson there is no other portage left who an sing and dance simultaneously at a high level.

I agree it’s the end of an era. (Fitzroy: “Did you ever meet him?”)

He came into ACLT ball once and I’ve got a purple tambourine of his from his Diamond & Pearls tour. (Fitzroy: How did you manage to get that?) I was in the right place at the right time, and it just literally landed in my hand, he was just flinging them out and it was crazy. Seeing him and Michael Jackson perform, listen I went to see MJ and at a concert and he came up through the stage leapt out and didn’t move a muscle except his head from left to right for 10 minutes. Not a beat or an instrument was playing and the crowd was screaming and going mad. Every time he turned his head there’s another scream and I’m thinking he’s taking the piss, I just paid £100 for him to stare at me in the crowd. But it wasn’t offensive he was just showing what he could do because he can as he had a lot of power and people were afraid of that. Prince’s loss is huge because I really noticed him when I saw “Purple Rain”. He recorded the songs at his studio and got an Oscar for the soundtrack and starred in the film, who does that? He does that in 1984 too when I was in Starlight Express so it was a good year.

Thanks Danny for your time it’s been educational.

Thanks Fitz you got some gold information there. thesoulsurvivorsmagazine.co.uk

SOUL IN THE ALGARVE 2016

Event Reviews

Back in 2005 I received a phone call from the Vibe Mistress Dame Vivy B, asking would I be interested in attending a weeks holiday in Portugal, naturally I said yes at it’s embryonic stage. Providentially 10 years ago the very first SITA (Soul In The Algarve) was launched in April 2006 with an attendance of about 120 people. Less than 3 months later my next Dynasty classic “Adventure In the Land Of Music” scenario The Soul Survivors Magazine was launched in July 2006. In vintage wine terms 2006 was a very good year. I’ve done all 11 SITA’s over the last 10 years and it has grown from an infant into a mature pre teenage adolescent aged must try soul holiday.

There have been many challenges the most prominent being the 2010 “Ash Cloud Sagagate”, when 4-500 people where on a knife edge less than 12 hours beforehand nervously awaiting the flight

ban to be lifted after all flights were cancelled, due to a volcanic eruption in Europe. Thank god we made it and had the best weather ever. However this SITA 11’s weather was destined not to be too clever with 700 people travelling from various airports around the UK all paid up for SITA membership. “All N All” like EWF despite mother nature’s call on the weather, we did have sunshine and this challenge was outclassed and thwarted, as if it was thrown the hardest Bamber Gascoigne university quiz question.

Page 40 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS!

Every providential eventuality was t’s crossed and i’s dotted, down to pack a mac rain ponchos included in the costumer arrivals package and itinerary courtesy of a genius lastmin.com suggestion from Vivy B’s daughter Lucy. The theme nights ‘Africa’ and ‘White Night’ were strategically swapped as the weather reports were scrutinised meticulously, and the gamble did pay off. The ‘Africa’ theme night was spiritual, tribal and most enjoyable, with everyone making an effort in Masai, Kings & Queens and native EWF “Africano” attire.

The collective of DJ’s all played sublime sets with elements of afro, funk, jazz, broken beat, latin and soulful house, R&B and classic soul till 6.30 in the morning. Saturday afternoon many braved the changeable weather to take part in the Beach Olympics. Staff and holidaymakers mixed to play beach volleyball and also the various individual races, before Queen Janice fills her class’s feet with sand between their toes, for her world famous Zhumba class. This certainly warmed up the cockles of those who took part as the prelude to the evenings anticipated and legendary “White Night”.

Again with the Supremes “Bad Weather” withholding ‘White Night’ was well attended and amiably dressed up for, with music blasting

till 5am. It seems unprecedented that 700 people from different walks of life can come together and mingle so well for 3 days, but this is the SITA community that Vivy B has nurtured from the events 2006 conception. The most celebrated highlight has to be the 2nd year in a row SITA Carnival in Alvor on the Janet Lawson Quintet “Sunday Afternoon”. Extra expense and organisation was implemented to make sure this day was not going to be Ben E King “Spoiled”. The streets and fixtures of Alvor were awash with SITA banners and paraphernalia decorations and the SITA Carnival crew were ready to party like Prince’s “1999”. You had to be there to see the Incognito “Smilin’ Faces” of the young mature and elderly Alvor locals, including the mayor as we were Candido “Dancin’ & Prancin’” “In The Streets” like the Prince Charles classic. This was equal if not better than the groundbreaking first carnival last year, so the later in the evening Fatback Band “Street Dance” till 2am was a no brainer.

SITA took over two venues side by side the main attraction was Atrium that was a Stock Aitkin & Waterman “Roadblock” till 2am. I caught ‘Brokeback Gringo’ Tony Rodriguez marathon hour and half set and boy did he mash up the place like “Smash” potatoes with a mixture of carnival flavours. Darrell and yours truly spun an eclectic set of disco, boogie, jazz breakbeats and funk to the overflow that piled in from Atrium next door.

On the not so “Manic Monday” Los Solo Agua is usually a very relaxing day by the luxurious pool, with the 4 poster lounge beds and mats listening to chillax jazz and soul music. This one turned out to be a mini allayer with Victor Anderson and Mark Williams rocking the restaurant dance floor till 7pm ahead of Darrell’s legendary quiz session. The Christmas theme saw enthusiasts dress in their jumpers and seasonal attire and this year we had the biggest attendance and team entries. It was won outright by a team from Yorkshire who celebrated like Kool & The Gang at the Koffee Brown “After Party” till 2am, on this particular not just a Chaka Khan “Any Old Sunday”. The Catamaran on Tuesday was well attended with myself, Norman Halley and Vivy B on turntable duties, with the food and free sangria going down very well.

Before the final furlong of the finale party on Wednesday we had the much anticipated mini Euro’s football tournament with Mario’s Tropico

restaurant’s Portuguese dazzlers. Last year after about four previous attempts in previous years, Team SITA finally won the cup and were looking to hold on to it for the second year running. Mario advised me that his team had practice sessions 82 times since October 2015, so you can tell these guys are as serious as a heart attack about regaining the cup.

Darrell does a great Brian Moore meets John Motson on the commentary, immensely enjoyed by another record-breaking crowd turn out (loads of women by the way). Under the player management of Danny Smith, Mario’s team had SITA on the run with a 2-0 lead at half time. But Danny’s tenacious tactical skills fired up the SITA team with some strategic sub changes, and SITA pulled it back with a blistering goal strike from Danny Smith to make it 2-2, the score line that it would remain at full time. This was a game of extreme excitement and nail biting entities and just when they thought it was all over, Team SITA crucifies Tropico with a 5-2 victory.

Man of the match went undoubtedly to young Isaac aka Casper Schmikel the SITA goalie who could give Joe Hart a run for his money.

The team took their victory photo and sang “Champyuuuuns” as though they’d won the world cup but the victory was very sweet. Remember what I write here is some of the major highlights of 7 days, so if this makes ya mouth water like Opal Fruits, get on the case like Columbo to experiences the SITA love. The finales night was a packed sardine affair that went on till 6.30am at least, with many prepared to miss their flights they were having that good a time. I may sound biased but when you have seen the planted SITA seed grow from an acorn into a massive flowering tree, you an only praise the ill skills and strategy of Vivy B and how her team even through adversity manage to pull this off year after year. It is a team work ethic that I wish my beloved Spurs had... but that’s another story. Can you

imagine what this would have been like with some extra Nancy Wilson “Sunshine”? As we waved all the coach transfers back to Faro airport on Thursday many had already rebooked for 2017. With everything packed down and stored for 2017 on Friday, many could hear our beds back in the UK calling us as well as the social media mayhem awash with SITA memorabilia awaiting us. Huge thanks to the Mama SITA Vivy B who makes this happen. Let’s jump back and “Do It Again” like Steely Dan for 2017.

Photo credits: Page 40 and Page 41 - Robert Malcolm, Page 40 - Faded background photo Bradley Moulden, Page 41 - Faded Carnival photo - Fitzroy Facey

thesoulsurvivorsmagazine.co.uk

SHALAMAR 15th April 2016, O2 Forum, Kentish Town Halfway through their extensive UK tour Shalamar featuring Jeffrey Daniel, Howard Hewitt and Caroline Griffey made a pit stop at the 02 Forum in Kentish Town. Yours truly had a ringside seat at some of the rehearsals and was scheduled to perform Dj duties before and after the show. Considering there had been shows on the periphery of London’s M25 ring road, this show was very well attended with a mixed commercial and connoisseur audience ready for SOLAR Records possibly most successful all round commercial entertainment act. Now I’m glad my consultation with the group has finally paid off because for the first time they actually performed as their first intro song on stage “Right In The Socket”, so I knew it was gonna be a good show. Needless to say they performed all the classic’s “Take That To The Bank”, “Make That Move”, “Second Time Around”, “There It Is”, “Night To Remember”, “I Can Make You Feel Good” and “Sweeter As The Days Go By”. Howard still has that distinctive voice that makes women melt like cream on a hot sunny day and Carolyn struts her stuff like Suzi Quatro in leather looking and sounding very sensual. Jeffrey Daniel remains the consummate crowd pleaser and added in the show a very fitting tribute to the late David Bowie. This certainly enhanced and already for filling for the fans show. There were people of the connoisseur ilk who had never seen Shalamar and advised me that they were mightily impressed with the performance and catalogue despite the high commercial profile of the band. So when they are next in the country “Make That Move” and get a ticket. Got to say big thanks to those who stayed till midnight for my old school 1970’s and 80’s throwback session, dancing them selves dizzy like Liquid Gold.

SOUL CARTEL

Event Reviews

1st May 2016, Marconi Stadium Bolton Trying to offer something alternative with a bit of class in the North and North East of the UK a collective aka The Soul Cartel collated a selection of Dj’s locally from Cardiff and London to kick start their promotions campaign. Choosing an unlikely but suitably and easily accessed venue within the Bolton Wanderer’s football stadium, directly across the road form a local train station with ample car parking, this was looking promising. I arrived travelling up with Don E from Euston London and checked into a very luxurious looking hotel around 3.30pm with other guests arriving looking to get dressed to impress for the real get down. There were two rooms with Richard Earnshaw as the main house music attraction and an alternative everything and the kitchen sink thrown in room. Dj’s Soulful Sista, Ryan Peake, Warren J, Dj Lowrider and Dj Raheem all contributed to a very soulful reflection of the classic R&B, 70’s & 80’s soul and nu school beats to an early reaching audience who were keen to cut up the rug. People travelled from London, locally and from Brum and Manchester and they were not disappointed from then live performance from the talented Don E. Singing his two step rare groove tinged catalogue his performance was to say in the least “Unbreakable”. This was my first outing to Bolton and I guess considering that was the TQC “Scenario” i managed to bring some soul surviving elements to the dance floor. This event has a lot of potential pulling in 400 people on its first outing so watch out for the next one and make sure you stay at the grand settings of the hotel. Watch this space and well done to The Soul Cartel collective!!

Photo by Jayne Billi

Page 42 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS!

NATASHA WATTS UTB STAMFORD BRIDGE, SW6

Probably like Carlsberg the hardest working woman in the UK underground show business Natasha Watts showcased her new album with a few dates in London and in the Midlands. I was invited to the Under The Bridge inside Stamford Bridge, home to Chelsea FC on the 2nd April. Totally financed

by Natasha, the girl did good, pulling in an appreciative audience with a few musical and media personalities in the house. As I arrived Rachel Long made a debut singing her own material breaking through as a new up and coming act with much potential.

Photo by Anna B

Natasha spotted me in the audience and dedicated Good Love her opening track to moi because I love that song… Lucky me! Natasha always sings with exuberance and with a smile on her face as she performs “Breath” “Let Go” and “Back 2 U”. The first of two covers was Jill Scott’s “When Ever You’re Around” was warmly embraced, as was her sensual duet with guest vocalist Omar on “Insatiable”. For me the finale with her warm up singers and guest Omar was the rendition of the 8th Wonder Stevie’s “Another Star”. Gracious in accepting the appreciation from her dedicated followers, it was a good result for a Saturday night fixture even though the blues were not playing. “Born A Star” catch Natasha at a few dates in the next few months.

Photo by Anna B

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What's going on?

JUNE Friday 17th – Sunday 19th June The Blackpool International Soul Festival at the Winter Gardens Blackpool, 3 rooms of Soul book call 0844 856 1111 www. blackpoolsoulfestival.co.uk (see advert) Saturday 18th June Beverley Knight plus guests at Westhanger Castle, Stone St, Hythe, CT21 4 HX all day event doors 3pm DJ’s DJ Munro, AClass, Bigger, Nigel Bee, and Fitzroy Soul Survivors (see advert) Friday 24th – Sunday 26th June Fold Festival 2016 at 24-26 Fulham Palace SW6 – Chic feat. Nile Rodgers, Beck, Labrinth, John Newman, Angie Stone, Alison Moyet, Thompson Twins’, Tom Bailey, Incognito, Anne-Marie, Emin, Grace, Jesse Rose, Nicole Moudaber, Krystal Klear go to www.foldfestivallondon.com (see advert)

Page 44 - Issue 64 - 10 YEARS!

JULY

OCTOBER

Saturday 9th July - Soul On The Coast 1865 Brunswick Square Southampton SO14 3AR 9pm - 3am, tickets DJ’s Dezzi D and Fitzroy (Soul Survivors) £10 Over 30’s night www.soulonthecoast.co.uk (see advert)

Saturday 8th October Soul Expression presents live DJ set from Will Johnson of TV soap Emmerdale at Flava Bar, Unit 6, The Plaza, Town Square, Stevenage SG1 1PF www. soulexpressionpromotions.com

AUGUST Saturday 13th August Soul

Expression presents Beggar & Co & DJ Fitzroy (Soul Survivors) @ Flava Bar, Unit 6, The Plaza Town Square, Stevenage SG1 1PF www. soulexpressionpromotions.com Sunday 14th August The Ultimate Motown Diva the Legendary MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS Live at The Glee Club, Nottingham. More information info@thesoulsurvivorsmagazine.co.uk (see advert) Monday 15th August The Ultimate Motown Diva the Legendary MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS Live at The Glee Club, Birmingham. More information info@thesoulsurvivorsmagazine.co.uk (see advert) Tuesday 16th August The Ultimate Motown Diva the Legendary MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS Live at The Hornsey Town Hall and Arts Centre. More information info@thesoulsurvivorsmagazine. co.uk (see advert) Friday 26th August Soul Train Summer Soul Festival at SWX 15 Nelson Street, Bristol BS1 2JY £10-15 Resident SoulTrain DJ’s (see advert) Saturday 27th – Sunday 28th August Campsoul Music Festival, Grove Farm, Milton Hill, OX13 6AD Oxfordshire. Live performance from The Fatback Band and New Street Adventure for DJ line up wwww. campsoulfestival.com (see advert)

Friday 14th – Sunday 16th October Bournemouth Souljam at The Carrington House Hotel, Boscombe, BH1 3QQ. For info call 01708 228678/ 012373 413800 and (see advert) for DJ line up.

Dez Parkes on Prince In 1978 I was given a promo cassette of Prince “For You” LP by Fred Dove of Warner Bros Records. I remember him saying this guy is going to be a mega super star and of course he was right. In the 1980s and 90s I had the great pleasure of playing at some of his private parties. I enjoyed watching Prince get down to James Browns “Sex Machine”, it was wicked. He was also a great lover of P-Funk. Myself and June Lewis had some free tickets to see Prince at The Lyceum Theatre in the Strand, when he was promoting his “Dirty Minds” album in 1980. He was dressed in his black underpants, trench coat, suspenders and hi heels which was a “Controversy” first for me. I was standing yards away from Bono, Sting and Bob Geldof who were in total awe. The whole place was gripped because it was a fantastic and flamboyant performance. I did manage to speak with him briefly a few of times over the years during the 1980’s and 90’s, and I found him to be a person with a great sense of humour. I remember taking my son Deon to Tower Records in Piccadilly with June Lewis in the 1990’s and my son was speechless when Prince walked into the room for a signing session. He will be truly missed as a one off eclectic musical innovator genius. May you rest in eternal peace. “My Name Is Prince”.

Sheila E on Prince Q. Your transformation from Sheila the percussionist to becoming Sheila E the one woman band, vocalist, percussionist extraordinaire comes when you meet Prince in 1978 although you didn’t join him till the around 1984. He’s already hinted that he wanted to work with you so how was that experience becoming a band member, going on tour and dare I say it making music with him like the funk and sexy “Love Bizarre”?

A. Prince came to the Bay Area to record his first record based on all the amazing artistry that came from the Bay area like when my father was in Santana and Sly & The Family Stone had recorded in the earlier 1960’s and 70’s. When I went to see Prince perform I was excited meet him and when I did was introduced he told me he already knew who I was, and had been following my career for a while. He asked how much I got working for George Duke and on my reply he said he wouldn’t be able to afford me, but I said we’ll see in the future if that transpires and exchanged numbers. He met my family and fell in love with the concept that I got to play with my family which is what he wanted to do with his dad. I don’t think he knew alot about latin jazz and was completely taken aback with the vibrancy of it all. I had grown up with Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship, Cold Blood as well as Sly Stone who inspired me. We stayed in touch and we were both touring on our individual circuits and got together around the “Purple Rain” era. It was a lot of fun recording in the studios and doing jam sessions.

Mr “Musicology” - Fitzroy’s words, song titles and picture homage.

It’s a “Sign Of The Times” when “Around The World In A Day” so many tears are shed and we the “Girls & Boys” finally understand the meaning of what it sounds like “When Doves Cry”. His Royal Purpleness, declared to the universe “My Name Is Prince” and I am funky from “Uptown” Minneapolis, and your “Love Bizarre” affinity with my music and artistry will be the “Greatest Romance Ever Sold”. With plenty lyrics of “Controversy”, “Sexuality” and “Love 2 The 9’s” Prince was undoubtedly a “Sexy MF”. Women all over “Planet” Earth” worshipped him from the time he advised them all “I Wanna Be Your Lover”. “The Most Beautiful Girl In the World” would beg please “Do Me Baby” as you make me so “Soft & Wet”, “I Would Die For You” “Sweet Baby” and I’m so hungry “For You“ that “Breakfast Can Wait”. Albeit “Starfish & Coffee” with “Cream”, Prince most certainly could convert a nun into a “Nasty Girl”, “Darling Nikki”, “Chelsea Rodgers”, “Cinnamon Girl” or his “Lady Cab Driver” driving them “Delirious” whilst working up a “Black Sweat”.

Prince an incredibly “Sexy Dancer’ could “Dance On” regardless albeit “Under The Cherry Moon”, on “Alphabet St” or in “Paisley Park”, for “17 Days” on a “LoveSexy” groove, shaking his “Tambourine”. This is Prince’s “Housequake” and he is the “Life O’ The Party”, so “If You Feel Like Dancin’” like it’s “1999”, get dressed in your “Diamonds And Pearls”, put on your “Raspberry Beret”, jump into a ‘Little Red Corvette” and ride “Gangster Glam” style. Prince could make everybody “Get Off” to his “Party Up” music, and many “Adore” Prince for his unique dress sense and “Sticky Like Glue” “Extraloveable” androgynous attraction. To be honest ”Nothing Compares To You” Prince Rogers Nelson, so thank you “Dear Mr Man”, Mr “Hot Thing” for the “Beautiful Loved & Blessed” compositions and recordings. “Sometimes It Snows In April” but in that month of 2016 sadly it melted and became a cloud of tears coloured in “Purple Rain” for Mr “Musicology”… for your artistry “My Love Is Forever” to “The Max”.

Ronnie Stephenson’s Prince Tribute Prince Rogers Nelson has had an undeniable, indelible affect on my life with particular resonance for me, when I was assimilating from a teen into a young man. This musical genius from Minneapolis was smashing the stereotypical ideas of how a black heterosexual male should express himself. His creativity was unbound, self-expression limitless and he somehow gave a black, young, shy boy from Tottenham a validation and confidence to express himself in so many ways.

I straightened, coiffured, teased and kiss curled my hair. The clothes I had made and wore took their essence from the ‘Parade’ era with a hint of ‘Purple Rain’. The music, oh how his music encapsulated me which always resulted with me dancing with such abandon. From the first time I heard ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’ as a 12 year old with those uplifting chords, playful bump of a groove married to that opening line, “I ain’t got no money”, I was hooked instantly.

Then the songs kept coming..... ‘Sexy Dancer’, ‘Head’, ‘Bambi’, ‘Controversy’, ‘When Doves Cry’, ‘The Beautiful Ones’, ‘Kiss’, ‘If I Was Your Girlfriend’, ‘Adore’, unreleased tracks such as ‘Wonderful Ass’ and ‘Sexual Suicide’ all added to my endless favourites list. Rock, funk, soul, jazz, pop and whatever, what stirred him from within, his mastery of so many instruments and outstanding work ethic enabled Prince to create such an amazing body of work which is truly beyond compare.

Seeing him live was an experience to behold. The way he captivated the audience, transfixing them.... It was those eyes, a subtle shift of the hips, a spin, a drop into splits and then the approach to the microphone to immerse us in that beautiful falsetto. This all before he proceeds to astonish the audience with his musical instrument of choice.

Prince’s proclamation of love, sex and faith and the way he expresses so much vulnerability particularly in his love songs is so captivating. Also with so many of his songs pointing to freedom and the liberation of the individual it does set him apart as a man on a whole different level.

A true genius.

‘Some say a man ain’t happy unless a man truly dies’ (Sign ‘O’ The Times) Page 46 -Man. Issue 64 - 10 YEARS! RIP Electric

Larry Graham on Prince Q. What’s Prince like as a drummer as we know him as a guitarist and how does Prince fit in taking a backseat?

A. Excellent drummer… I mean please… also on the keyboards too. I could talk about him as an excellent musician. When we met around 15 years ago till that point you mentioned I had no idea how much influence I had on him as a singer songwriter musician. It was only after we spoke that I realised, damn he knows my stuff better than I do! Then he asked me to join his tour and we toured the USA and Canada.

Over the last fourteen years we’ve become very good friends and close like family. He likes my brother and my grandkids call him ‘Uncle Prince’. We are minutes away from Paisley Park and we jam together all the time. It’s a musical connection that just flows all the time, so it’s natural for him to be on this album.

Mica Paris on Prince Q. You also worked with Prince, how did that happen?

A. Well as “One Temptation” was bubbling I went to Camden Palace to Prince’s after show gig. Unknown to me Brindsley Forde of Aswad had given the Prince crew my CD. I only found that out a couple of years ago, as I always wondered how Prince knew who I was. At the time I wasn’t yet known and at this show was Bono, Mickey Rourke and plenty of stars in the room watching this private show with Prince. In the middle of the concert he said we’ve got a girl here called Mica Paris and I want her to sing.

I stood there paralysed as Prince was my absolute idol and I worshipped him, so getting the tickets at 17 was a lottery ticket anyway. So he passed me the mic and instructed I sing “Just My Imagination” by The Temptations….. cold just like that. When I sang the word imagination it was the longest note ever, I ad-libbed that forever, trust me and THEY WENT NUTS in the place.

Two days later his office called up and asked me to join his band, I told them I couldn’t as I had just signed a deal and just put my album out, but I said I’m touched and honoured that he asked. Months later I was in Los Angeles promoting my stuff on the David Letterman show and I went to this party hanging with Eddie Murphy who loves “One Temptation”. I loved Eddie Murphy cause he’s so funny, and I couldn’t believe I was chilling with him. I see these two big tall bodyguards and asked someone who they were hiding and they said it was Prince. I said “Oh I know Prince and he sang with me… blah blah” (You can imagine how that went down!). I walked over brazenly and said, “Can I say hello to Prince please?” You know when Moses parted the Red Sea, these guys just separated and opened up the way and there was sat Prince with two of the most beautiful women, they were so fine, I wanted to look like them (Mica laughs). Prince gestured with his hand for them to leave and said “Mica sit down”. We talked, well I did cause he doesn’t really talk but I talked for him, as you know I can chat! He said he was busy writing and I asked him if he had the chance I’d love him to write a song for me. Next morning I woke up and got a call from his office, how did he know where I’m staying? Don’t ask me, as I never told him?! This lady said (Mica impersonates the American female speaking) “Uhm Mica Paris, Prince would like to send you some songs, he said to choose whatever you like and he’s happy to record it with you, this is the number….”

So I ran downstairs into the lobby and there was a package there waiting. I took the package upstairs listened to the songs and the only one I liked was “If I Love You Tonight”!! I called him said that I liked that song, flew out to Minneapolis, hung with him came back and put it on the “Contribution” album.

presents the Purple “Reign” Issue with homages from Larry Graham, Sheila E, Mica Paris, Dez Parkes, Ronnie Stephenson and Fitzroy Facey June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016

Issue 64 Dedicated to his “Royal Purpleness”

Prince Rogers Nelson Image supplied without “Controversy” by Scott Gray aka Chapter