Still Anderson East doesn’t rip-off the sound of the afore mentioned artists. On his major label debut “Delilah” he proves to the listener that he is the real deal. An artist and album filled with funk, soul, doo-woop, and country ballads, yes country ballads! And it sounds and feels authentic from start to the end. Out of your speakers pours music that blurs out the line between the genres. There’s even a raw blaxploitation feel here and there with wah-wah guitar and horn stabs. He can be funky as hell in one song and sounds heartbroken to tears the next! Add a soulful female choir to lift a handful of the songs and you got just the right vibes.
It’s impressing how easy Anderson East switch between raw soul and country inspired ballads. His voice is the impressing and essential tool on the album. The the albums production is beautiful done by Dave Cobb.
If we should sum up the sound of Anderson East to one genre it’s got to be progressive soul. A genre with stylistic orgins in Rhythm & Blues, Funk, Doo Wop and soul. Spice it up with some country and Americana and you´ve got the sound of “Delilah”. A record you just can’t quit listening to!
What happended in the 80s?
People talk about all the shit people got into them in the 60s – have someone ever tried to find out what drugs did they took in the 80s?
Thanks to Azelia Banks track «Hood Bitch» I discovered the almost nursery rhymin-alike melody to the track «Babe, We’re Gonna Love Tonight» by the duo Lime, a synth pop duo from Montréal, Canada. Then it was that raw kinda soulful male vocal, I bet was a sample from some Four Tops outtake or something. But no, the thing was; Azelia Banks was sample both the melody and vocal from the Lime track.
The thing about Lime´s original song is that the melody is kinda cool – and so is the vocal to. The bands two vocalists were husbond and wife Denis and Denyse LePage. The husbond Denis has on this track this macho raw soulful vocals you hear on Four Tops records like «Reach Out I´ll Be There» and the wifes vocals is kinda like Kate Bush on helium. It´s wierd like hell, but somehow it works as a package, especially on this bouncy disco synth track!
There has been rumors about all the vocal part is done by Denyse, while Denis lipsyncs his vocals. How they did this live must only God knows!
What really freaks me out about this band is the video to «Babe, We’re Gonna Love Tonight». First of all, the song and video is from 1982 – and it’s their official video to the track!
Have you seen the music video yet?
Maybe you now understands why I asked on top of this post, self-quote follows; «What drugs did they take in the 80s»?
Here you´ll get shiny fake silk shirts, an soon-to-be-bold man with a pony tail, you’ll get a female in a kimono like white fake-silk thing with a blue belt, they both do a lovely dad-dance you just gotta love!
What else is there? A synth solo, flashing stars, split screen experiments, and glowing colorful early music video effects you also have to love!
Last but not least it looks like the odd couple is having fun, take note of how many times they seem to be start laughing! Count’em if you like!
Seeing this video does make me think about how important music videos has become for artists to promote their music. If someone would be making a music video like this these days, it would only be seen as ironic or a tribute to the really crap music videos the made back in the days!
Some more facts about Lime and Mr & Mrs Denis and Denyse LePage:
Lime has released 11 albums the first one in 1981 and the latest in 2002. The track «Babe, We´re Gonna Love Tonight» is taken from their second album – called just «Lime II». In 1988 the couple divorced and Denis LePage chose to continue the band with various vocalists.
And here’s where things get really wierd;
While writing this posts I found out that the singers of the band were not Denis og Denyse, but to other singers named Chris Marsh and Joy Doris – and they later those two toured and performed as Lime. I a later installment of Lime Chris Marsh would be replaced by Rob Hubertz.
Some more odd «facts”; Rumors even had it that Denis & Denyse wasn´t even a husbond / wife group but brother and sister!
…And hold on, there’s even more; Denis LePage, the writer and producer from the original Lime is still in the musicbusiness making music as transsexual act Nini Nobless (sic)
Will the real LIME please stand up…? Please stand up!
Now what!
There´s so much loose threads in the history of Lime it would be cool if someone could tell me the real story of the band, some one like Denis LaPage aka Nini Nobless, Denyse LePage (maybe not that lastname now?), Chris Marsh or Joy Doris aka Joy Winter. That would have been so damn cool!
Untill the real story of Lime appears will be I scratching my head, while wondering who was the band Lime???
I still enjoy their second album on my stereo and boost it up to 11 everytime «Babe, We’re Gonna Love Tonight» comes on!
What a positive surprise! What a great song! What a future classic!
Ed Sheeran has a brand new song on the soundtrack to the latest part of Peter Jackson novel-goes-movie “The Hobbit – The Desolation of Smaug” called “I See Fire!” – which made me shout to myself “I see a classic!”
For me Ed Sheerans debut album was this young ginger haired hobbit (sic) look-a-like who sings simple childish acoustic singer-songwriter / hip hop-light inspired songs about things like 80s TV-smash action comedy “A Team”, the joy of playing with Lego in…uh…”Lego House”.
While the other half of the album has titles “the king of one night stands” would love to have as his soundtrack, hence the song titles: “Wake Me Up”, “The City” “Drunk”, “Kiss Me”, “Give Me Love” and while sneaking out the next morning while whistling “You Need Me, I Don´t Need You”. You may arrest me here, because I haven´t heard the album in full – just some songs here and there and I haven´t give the lyrics too much thought.
Even the album cover scared me shitless! I had seen that picture somewhere…than I remembered; it´s a freakin´ rip-off of the movie poster to the movie “Dahmer” about real-life American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer!
Where they aware of this when they made the album sleeve to Ed Sheerans self titled debut?
So what about “I See Fire” then? Why is this a future classic!
First, what has happened with his voice! It´s deeper, and way more adult sounding then I´ve ever heard before. The a capella intro with Eds voice on top and falsetto (multitrack?) vocal backups gives the song a celtic folk start, until the acoustic guitars starts. Strings and bass comes inn midway through the song. Then the refrain comes, and Ed lets his voice carry the song. It builds and builds into a really soulful nu-retro modern power ballad that ends with a full gospel choir! Amazing and it gives you goosebumps, unless your heartless!
Check the YouTube video to “I See Fire” here;
Could Ed Sheerans “I See Fire” be the big ballad of 2014?
The one that can compete with Miley Cyrus massive ballad “Wreckingball”?
There is so many fantastic white soul voices out there and this is a new one for me. Makes me think of late great Curtis Mayfield. Funky and soulful – make me want more and more!
If I say Stacy Barthe – does the name say you something? I guess your answer – sadly – is “No”
Unless I ask you if you know; Britney Spears, Rihanna, Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child, Kathy Perry, Cheryl Cole, Brandy and Miley Cyrus? I bet your answer is “Yes, I know those!”
If you know or/and love one or more of those artists, you´d probably have heard the songs of Stacy Barthe. She has written for all those and a bunch of others. To mention a few male artists she has even worked with Rick Ross, Akon and Sean “Diddy” Combs.
…This is why i love Stacy Barthe
The first time you hear the voice of Stacy Barthe, close your eyes. What you hear is a voice so smooth and soulful. Deep and lush and it sounds like she has sung all her life. A mixture of Sade, Rihanna (as when she sings on her slow jams), and Nneka maybe?
I´m tempted to call her a female Drake because she, just like Drake on his “Thank Me Later” album strips down the melodies down to drums, percussion, sometimes a piano and/or a acoustic guitar – naked and organic sounds and full of air and allowing quietness to be a part of the music. The quietness in the music is important to let her fantastic warm voice be the main ingredient in the songs. She flirts sometimes with reggae – and it´s not over-the-top – and it works! When she slows things down and do a spoken word at the end of a couple of her songs. I´m sold again!
She has under her own name released three fantastic EPs “Sincerely Yours, Stacy Barthe” in 2011. “In The Inbetween” and “PS! I Love You” in 2012. These three albums all together contains 25 tracks – and over 90 minutes of music. And before you ask; Just marvelous tracks, no fillers! That’s a huge smile and two huge thumbs up from me!
On her first release under her own name, she even worked with one of 2012s best artists: Frank Ocean. He did vocals along with Stacy on the beautiful “Without You”, and Rick Ross joins her with a rap verse on “Hell Yeah!”. I could go into mention single songs, but with Stacy Barthe, it´s not any use to recommend some songs – because they´re all so damn good and by not mention anyone, no one is let out.
A few did-you-knows at the end:
Did you know it was Beyonce who made Stacy Barthe decide to release her debut EP, “Sincerely Yours, Stacy Barthe”
Did you know Stacy Barthe is working with Miley Cyrus forthcoming album, which will (mark my word) be Mileys major mature breakthrough
Did you know she even knows and has worked with artists like Alicia Keys, Estelle, Andre 3000, Elle Warner, Brandy, Stephen Marley and T.I.
About the music of Stacy Barthe, she says it best on her own homepage: “You can find hurt and pain in my music while finding the light. It represents empowerment… I speak from a very truthful and sincere place…with love”
Read and Hear 