Random Thoughts;
1. ARTISTS WITH NEW MATERIAL WHO SHOULD BE ON YOUR RADAR (CUZ THEY ARE ON MINE) - Jackie Venson, Big Sam's Funky Nation, Bradd Marquis, Jeff Bradshaw, Chaimen of the Board, Kool & the Gang, Paulette McWilliams, Fostina Dixon
2. BRC 35th ANNIVERSARY - I attended the 35th Anniversary celebration of the Black Rock Coalition. It was a 4 day online event. LaRonda Davis (no relation) was the "emcee" for the whole thing and she did a stellar job (as usual.) The overall program (BRC history, discussion panels, rare concert footage, etc) was excellent...For those of you who missed it, I strongly recommend the following:
- Go to their site (blackrockcoalition.org/)and join - Black Rock Coalition (I've been a "dues paying member) for 20+ years
- If you can't join (buy some merchandise)
- Check out some of their online resources
3. MAYBE I SHOULDNT CARE ABOUT THIS? As always, my recommendation is to purchase/rent/whatever DIRECTLY from the artist. I realize that may be old fashioned, but if you’re going to spend money for music or music related products, isn't it best to put the money directly into the hands of the actual creators? "According to a survey of The Ivors Academy and the Musicians’ Union, both based in the UK, 82% of artists earned less than £200 (around $270) a year in 2019. That includes some artists who have wracked up millions of streams worldwide. The data reveals the appalling state of artist royalty payments from music streaming services like Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music. But this gets even worse. 92% of survey respondents said that less than 5% of their earnings came from music streaming in 2019. Around 43% of respondents said that insufficient income from music streaming forces them to hold down another job outside of the industry. The revelations come as the British government’s inquiry into music streaming business practices gets underway."
4. MARK ANTHONY NEAL - Soul-Patrol has long had and continues to have some of the best Music/Culture writing that you will find anywhere on earth. That's because we have always had a brilliant group of "contributors." I prefer to think of them as THOUGHT LEADERS. Next to myself and Kevin Amos, Mark Anthony Neal has been contributing to Soul-Patrol longer than anyone else, most recently his piece on DJ Rogers. I have known Mark since the early 1990's, and while I may not always agree with his point of view, there is no denying his intellectual prowess. I just wanted to take a moment to give him some additional props (as if he needed any more props....lol) for his brilliant article/interview of Patti LaBelle, which recently appeared in the NY Times Magazine.
5. KAREN E. QUINNONES MILLER - Please note, Karen wrote the brilliant Otis Redding Piece which appears in this week's Soul-Patrol Newsletter. She also is no "johnny come lately," to Soul-Patrol. Although she is a nationally known for her various novels centered around the history of Harlem, she has also been a part of our crew almost as long as Mark. So, I just wanted to make sure that I highlighted her here.
6. SPEAKING OF BRIILIACE (SAMMY STRAIN) - Be sure to check out the Interview with Mr. Sammy Strain (Little Anthony & the Imperials/O'Jays) which appears in this week's SP Newsletter. It’s only been posted for 2 days, and I have been getting tremendous feedback from all over the world. The interview is about a whole lot more than the career of DOUBLE RRHOF Inductee Sammy Strain. During the 1.5-hour interview Sammy provides us with the REAL DEAL HISTORY OF THE EVOLUTION OF BLACK MUSIC from 1950 - 2000, in a manner that ONLY a firsthand participant could do. He took me to school, and he will do the same for you if you check it out.
Well That's all I’ve got for now. Enjoy the newsletter and if you have any suggestions for me, just email me, text me, call me but let me know.
And of course, I still wanna be like John Lee Hooker when I grow up....
Be sure to leave your comments at the bottom of each page on the site or shoot me an email, call me, leave me a message on Facebook or Twitter (use the links at the bottom of the Newsletter) with suggestions, ideas, complaints etc.
Thanks
Bob Davis - earthjuice@soul-patrol.com
609-491-3537 |