22/12/2019: “Ain’t Nothing Going On But The Rent” by Gwen Guthrie
27/11/2019: “Beautiful Girls” by Sean Kingston
Very commercial, very catchy, very fun. This one came out in 2007 and was top of the UK singles chart for a few weeks.
11/11/2019: “Red Clay” by Charlotte Dos Santos
Charlotte Dos Santos is Norwegian – the country really does punch above its weight musically…
This glittering track was released in 2017, on her debut album Cleo.
03/11/2019: “U + Me (Love Lesson)” by Mary J Bilge
She’s still got it – this luscious piece of R’n’B gold was released in 2017, on Strength Of A Woman.
10/10/2019: “I Wish That You Were Mine” by The Manhattans
The Manhattans are a R’n’B group who mainly operated from the early 60s to the late 80s – a good run, especially as their original lead singer died in 1970. Many of the original members have died in the last few years too, of mainly age related causes.
Their music though, is eternal. Some of the greatest R’n’B and soul classics of the 20th century are by them, with a few big hits recorded by the band.
“I Wish That You Were Mine” is about two people having an affair with each other, with their partners none the wise. The song is set in a bar, where the two are meeting secretly.
The song is classic, dusky vocal driven R’n’B, slow and powerful. The backing vocals have a gospel quality to them, adding a dreamy air. The instrumental has a sparse guitar lick, a tasteful glockenspiel and a ethereal trumpet.
The song came out in 1973, on There’s No Me Without You.
20/09/2019: “If You Love Me” by Brownstone
I had wondered whether to write about this – the original, the most famous, and probably the best – or the Big Ang Bassline House remix, which I think is an absolute banger.
Then again, so is this. I can’t really think of many R’n’B songs which are quite as impactful. The song is beautiful in a way, of course. Their singing, the piano and strings… it’s a dreamy odyssey through love and live.
But there’s a groove running throughout the song which can’t be denied. The bass is classy and restrained. The drums are too.
Lyrically, there’s not a lot to say. The lyrics are very nice, but are of the classic 90s R’n’B “demonstrate your love” type. Great, if that’s your thing!
The song is the second single from the group’s debut album, From The Bottom Up, released in 1994.
17/09/2019: “LMK” by Kelela
Talk about critically acclaimed. “LMK” was given accolades by The Quietus, Noisey and Highsnobiety, among others.
It makes sense. Kelela is a great singer, and this space-age R’n’B style is ridiculously stylish.
It’s catchy due to the simplicity of the melody, but still goes hard. The low-end presence and generally edginess sit in stark contrast to Kelela’s sultry singing.
The lyrics are about how Kelela doesn’t care if she gets rejected by guys. “Let me know, it ain’t that deep, by the way”.
The production was handled by Jam City, making it a bit different from Kelela’s usual stuff.
The song was released in 2017, the first single from Take Me Apart.
09/09/2019: “I’m Still Waiting” by The Wailers
This song is from 1965. That’s long enough ago for the credits to be to The Wailers or The Wailing Wailers without making any mention of their lead singer, one Bob Marley!
Bob Marley also didn’t have dreadlocks then. This song could have been made in America, as an R’n’B track.
The smooth vocal harmonies, plodding bass, soft brass and light drums are pretty far away from a more ska focused song from this era, such as “Simmer Down”.
It’s still beautiful music though, and it is evident that Bob is a singer of rare quality. As with much music of this style and period, the subject is love, or rather the difficulties of love.
The track was produced by Coxsone Dodd, and released in Jamaica. Luckily, the song appears on the Songs Of Freedom compilation, because it would otherwise be quite a rarity. In fairness, it also appears on the Studio One compilation The Wailing Wailers in 1966, which was re-issued in 2016.
14/07/2019: “Love Really Hurts Without You” by Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean is one of the most successful British R’n’B acts, with a decades long career.
This song is the one which enabled him to quit his job at the Ford factory, and focus on music.
It’s very much a pop song, with a bright and cheerful vibe offset by a slight tinge of regretfulness. The lyrics tell a story of unrequited love, spurned by some girl who gives her affection to myriad other guys…
The instrumental sounds more like a 60s track to me, with jingly drums, bouncy piano, sultry backing singers, lowkey brass and lush strings. The strings in particular are very tastefully done in the verses.
The song is damningly similar to “I Can’t Help Myself” by The Four Tops, released a year earlier, but in fairness that song lacks something in comparison to this.
“Love Really Hurts Without You” was released in 1976, and reached number 2 in the U.K. singles chart.
15/06/2019: “Saviour” by Beverley Knight
Beverley Knight is English, and the album this song is from, Music City Soul, was released in 2007. The album was well received by critics, and even the middling review from the Guardian praises this particular track.
You wouldn’t know it. She could very well be a Nashville native, her soulfulness is so strong. In fairness, the album was recorded there and features some strong performances from Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood.
None of that is to say that her sound is a throwback, derivative of the past without daring to try anything new or push the sound forward. The song sounds contemporary, with a rock ‘n’ roll guitar riff brushing shoulders with a big bass drum, Knight’s 00s R’n’B vocals, and a sharp drum rhythm.
The gospel vocals are a nice touch too, adding an extra layer of richness to the track.
The album art looks like it could be a 60s classic as well!