Congratulations to UK Soul singer Donovan Blackwood on his single ' Never Gonna Let You Go'' the remastered bonus cut on his new EP 'Break My Back', that is currently #1 in the official UK Soul Chart, the chart goes out every Sunday evening on Starpoint Radio and then repeated through the week, you can find it in print in Blues & Soul Magazine and on Starpoint Radio's web site.
I was shocked reading the credits on his website as through out the promotion he never mentioned he is also an award winning actor! As an actor played The Chief in the series Top Coppers on BBC3, for which he won the Movie Video and Screen Award for Best Comedy Performance the show then transferred to BBC2. He also featured as Drill Sergeant Baxter in The Windsors, as well as an appearance as Roughneck in Miss You Already, his voiceover work includes both Sony & Rubicon.
Break My Back features the love song 'Can You Feel ' plus the visceral title track. Whilst Star is both funky and soulful to the reflective 'We Had Moments', then ending the EP 'Everybody But Me' which was co written with Blackwood's friend Junior Giscombe, (Mama Used To Say), whom he has recently made a guest appearance on The British Collective’s latest album, The Renaissance Begins, on the track Won’t You Come Over which also features Junior Giscombe, Roachford, Lee John (of Imagination), Omar, Don E & Noel McKoy.
He is currently lead vocalist for the band Heatwave who scored top UK hits with, Boogie Nights, Always & Forever & The Groove Line, which he has done for many years in the UK, alongside Keith Wilder.
The UK Soul star sounds in a similar styles and has been compared to the likes of, Seal, Sean Escoffery, Terence Trent D'Arby, in other words UK soul with a bit of an edge. Donovan Blackwood is no newcomer to the UK Soul Scene, he has supported, Aswad & Jocelyn Brown, sung backing vocals with the likes of Lionel Richie, Tina Turner, James Morrison and many others. It's great to see Donovan Blackwood on top of the stack where he belongs!
Stop Press - Donovan Blackwood will be doing a live acoustic set LIVE on Solar Radio Thursday 26th of January on Gary Spence's Afternoon Delight show between 3-6 UK Time.
SOULFUSIONSEVEN are soul duo comprising bassist/songwriter John Saltwell and lyricist Paul Baker. We first heard of 'em on a Tom Glide's 2014 'Smooth Winter' compilation on which their 'Steppin' Up My Love' was a highlight. The track went on to hit no. 1 in the Amazon Nu soul chart. Since then not a lot, save a sweet and stately tribute to Luther Vandross, 'Luther'.
Back in 2016 at the time of 'Steppin' Up My Love', Gary Van den Bussche of DSG commissioned remixes of the song but for whatever reasons the new mixes were never issued. However, over the last month or so Paul Baker allowed some key DJs access to the T-Groove Yuki "T-Groove" Takahashi mix of the cut and the reaction was remarkable with many top modern jocks picking the cut as their "best of 2016"!
Logically the tweak is now being made available to all and sundry via DSG Records... and was the wait worth it? Well ... yes! The Yuki Takahashi T Groove mix of 'Steppin' Up My Love' is a classic slab of modern soul... you know what I mean – totally contemporary but with just the right amount of retro to fuel the nostalgia freaks. Beats are tight, harmonies sweet, the bass line rock solid and it's all topped off with a soulful sax break. Great stuff and it's backed with the more balladic 'Watching An Angel'.
SoulfusionSeven - Steppin' Up My Love - (Yuki T-Groove remix) is out now on DSG through i Tunes Download here and Amazon.
Producer Preston Glass unites the Paynes together for a timeless ballad, which has now been remixed by Nigel Lowis as a ballad called downtempo mix (DOWNtown mix) or Uptempo in a UPtown mix, which has just released on DSG. You can feel the Soulfulness in the vocals which cut through Lowis's phillyesque remix production. People have already been comparing the cut to Patti & Michael's' On My Own', Peaches & Herb' Reunited'. If there such a thing these days as The Last Dance, we would hear songs like this more often.
The song has just reached #1 on the Sweet Rhythms chart & is the highest new entry in the UK soul chart. The song was written by Larry Batiste, Preston Glass & Clif Payne.
Harlem-born singer Clif Payne was first Discovered by Bobby McFerrin, is a 3-time Star Search winner who has opened for Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, Dionne Warwick and Lakeside. Clif hails from a family of musicians and singers. His father was a reedsman who gigged with Lionel Hampton. His mother was a talented vocalist who once backed Nat "King" Cole in a vocal ensemble. Skilled at reading music, arranging and improvisation, Clif's voice has been featured on numerous albums and commercials. Several years of living in LA enabled Clif to sing with incredible musicians and share the stage with jazz diva Dianne Reeves, Lionel Richie and The Commodores, Tony Toni Tone, and Sheila E. Clif has sung with American Idol judge & vocal coach Peggy Blu, Four Play drummer Harvey Mason, Grammy award-winning producer Narada Michael Walden (Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin), Lenny Williams, jazz fusionists Hiroshima, former Chicago vocalist Bill Champlin and legendary R&B band, Tower of Power. Actress Michelle Pfeiffer requested Clif to sing "When A Man Loves A Woman" at her wedding reception.
As a voice teacher, has studied with legendary LA vocal coach Seth Riggs (Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder) associates, Chip Hand and Roger Burnley. Clif's strength as a teacher is rooted in his musical diversity, experience, patience, encouragement and passion for sharing what he has learned in performance and study to his students. Clif's motto: "Sing not just to be heard--but also to be heartfelt and believed!"
What you said:
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* R & B of the highest level on this record of Clif Payne will surprise you." cloudJazz.com
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* "Clif Payne is a lush tenor with soaring melismas in his individual passages."
Don Heckman, LA Times
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*Clif has opened for Johnny Mathis, Lenny Williams, Tony Bennett and Dionne Warwick
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* "A great singer that reminds me of Kenny Lattimore."
Freda Payne (Jazz/R&B vocalist "Band of Gold
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The best soul ballad I've heard in 2016 . It sounds timeless and the song exudes in quality, with its infectious melody . The vocals are so lucid and their voices intergrate effortlessly . I love this song ! Perfect end, to a brilliant year of new soul . John Leech BBC
With just a little luck this could be a surprise Christmas hit! William Buckley
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Paul Miller BBC- My E Mail server exploded by the public response to Clif Payne & Freda Payne
Freda Payne is a worldwide household name who first record release was in 1962, Payne was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up listening to different jazz singers, such as Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. Though best known for her 1970 R&B/Soul crossover smash hit “Band of Gold,” Freda Payne has always first and foremost been a jazz singer, dating back to The Jimmy Wilkins Big Band at age 14. Payne performed at the Apollo Theater in Harlem alongside Billy Eckstine backed by Quincy Jones and His Orchestra, comedian Redd Foxx and the dance team Coles & Atkins. She also graced the stage with Duke Ellington for two nights in Pittsburgh, after which he composed “Blue Piano” just for her.. In 1969, her old friends back home in Detroit, Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Edward Holland, Jr., persuaded her to sign with their newly formed record label Invictus. During that same year, her first Invictus single, "Unhooked Generation and became her first American R&B hit. The hits followed, UK #1, "Band of Gold", US #3 "Deeper & Deeper", "Bring the Boys Home",
In 1973, she left Invictus recorded a duet "I Wanna See You Soon" with Capitol stablemates Tavares, which was a radio airplay hit in the UK in 1977. in 1982, she recorded a single entitled "In Motion" for the Sutra label in New York that was arranged by Leon Sylvers, produced by Edmund Sylvers. Freda Payne has recently toured the UK as part of the late David Guest Soul legends live shows.
1....3-CLIF PAYNE & FREDA PAYNE SINGLE NO PAYNE NO GAIN (NIGEL LOWIS MIX) DSG
As compiled by Tony Monson for Solar Radio- See the chart in Echoes Magazine.
There will be a forthcoming album called, The Soul City People to be released next year on CD, which this will also be included , along with some other great artists. #TSCP
