Remembering Rod Temperton of Musical Group Heatwave

                                               

                                                               Rod Temperton


I want to ask you. Do you remember where you were when you first heard the song ‘Boogie Nights’ by Heatwave? I sure do. It was Saturday night and I was at Studio 47 in San Jose, California. I remember the club had two sides to it. One side was for 21 years or older and the other side was for 16 to 20 years. I was on the 16 to 20 year side and couldn’t wait to get on the other side. The guys looked better. The next day I went to Eastridge Mall in San Jose the and bought the album ‘Too Hot to Handle’. That was my intro to this funk/disco band of the 70s and 80s.

Well one of the creative remembers of Heatwave, Rod Temperton died in late September of 2016 at the age of 66. He was a phenomenal songwriter and keyboardist. This English man from Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, wrote or had his hand in most of the hits for Heatwave. Songs like Boogie Nights, Always and Forever, Groove Line, Mind Blowing Decisions and Ain't No Half Steppin. Temperton not only wrote hits for Heatwave. He started working with the one and only Michael Jackson in 1978 and wrote Thriller, Off the Wall, Baby Be Mine, The Lady in My Life, Rock With You and Burn This Disco Out. Temperton amazing talent will be missed but never forgotten. I know when I hear any of the songs he wrote, I will definitely smile. R.I.P

LM
http://somethingelsereviews.com/2016/10/05/rod-temperton-appreciation-heatwave/
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/06/arts/music/rod-temperton-who-penned-thriller-for-michael-jackson-and-boogie-nights-dies.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XEmFuEbpzM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d96evg9gXxY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJDPz4guxOQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWMCbF_5x7s

Ahmed Sirour The B’Earthday Boy Collection

                               

I love to hear artists who have their own take on music. The originality of how they put it all together is mind blowing. I can’t believe Ahmed Sirour, this guy is awesome. This composer, arranger, producer, sound engineer from Brooklyn, New York is a self-taught musician and a gift to the music universe. I say this because his remixes and mash ups of songs like, "Always Get Away" - Lenora Jaye, "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson, "Brazilian Skies" - Bill Summers, "Eleanor Rigby" - The Beatles, "Family Affair" - Sly & The Family, "Love Wicki Like This" - The Fatback Band &Faith Evans and "The Funky Keyboardist" - Clyde Stubblefield/James Brown is pure genius. Ahmed can put out a series of singles and albums. Some are Jazzy, Funky instrumentals, poetry and some have singers on there that can truly sing no auto-tunes anywhere. Singers like Yvette Rovira, Yahzarah, Lenora Jaye and Michelle Thompson. Ahmed Sirour in my opinion is one amazing musician that no doubt will be going on my play list. Check out Ahmed Sirour’s, The B’Earthday Boy Collection on Streetwise Radio you will be amazed at this talented musician and become a fan.

LM

http://ahmedsirour.com/

http://ahmedisthemusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-bearthday-boy-collection

2nd Annual FunK Festival Returns to Streetwise Radio

It's back and you can smell it.! The 2nd annual Funk Festival returns to Streetwise Radio.
Parliament Funkadelic, Cameo,ConFunkShun, Gap Band, Bootsey Collins, James Brown,
Slave, Ohio Players, Rick James, Kool and the Gang, The Time, Dazz Band, Brothers Jhonson, Brass Construction, Tower Of Power, Zapp  Isley Brothers.And the list goes on.
It's all going down here on Soul City at 6 pm PacificTime.

Bootsy Collins Tha Funk Capitol Of The World

William Earl better known as Bootsy Collins is back. Bootsy new CD The Funk Capitol Of Tha World will be released April 26, 2011. This CD has a wide range of artists that will appeal to the young and old. Some of the artists Bootsy has featured on his CD are Ice Cube one of my favorites. He is on the song “Hip Hop @ Funk U“. Bootsy has a tribute to the late great God Father of Soul James brown, with the Reverend Al Sharpton talking about how James Brown changed the beat of music. For all you Latin music
lovers he has Olvido Ruiz and Quiwey singing “Siento Bombo”. The actor Samuel L. Jackson is speaking on the song “After These Messages”. Bootsy
also has a song on the CD “The Jazz Greats” featuring George Duke and Ron Carter. George Clinton is featured on the song “Garry Shider Tribute”.
Garry Shider was the original guitarist and musical director of the P-Funk All-Stars he was the guy who wore the diaper, he past on June 16, 2010. Bootsy has a funky song “The Real Deal” featuring Shelia E, CandiSweetz and Mike Phillips. These are some of my picks for the songs that I can’t wait to here in full when the CD is released on April 26, 2011 Bootsy Collins is back giving his fans the Bootsy flavor. You can hear some of it on Streetwise Radio.

LM

http://www.bootsycollins.com/bootsy/Welcome.html

Funk At The San Jose Jazz Festival

Image via Wikipedia

Funk At The San Jose Jazz Festival

The San Jose Jazz Festival kicked off Friday with one of the funkiest band of the 70s & 80s, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic. The weather was just right not to hot or cold, it was perfect setting for a night of Funk.

P-Funk came out smashing just like the old days, getting the crowd hyped, there were people of all ages dancing to “Up for the Down Stroke”, “(Not

Just) Knee Deep”, “One Nation Under a Groove”, “P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)”. There was something missing it was the Diaperman Mr. Garry “Starchild” Shider passed away June 16, 2010 from complication of brain and lung cancer. His vocals and guitar playing were especially missed on “One Nation Under a Groove”. When they announced give it up for George Clinton the crowd went wild, P-Funk went into “Flash Light” everybody was dancing and singing. It sure was a sight to see.

George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic brought back so many memories  one in particular was my senior year 1978, my friend went home to New York.

When she came back she brought back music we had never heard of “Flash Light” by Parliament Funkadelic. At school “Flash Light” was played over the loud speaker during break and lunch  They were playing “Flash Light”

on the East Coast way before we heard it on the West Coast. The East Coast was always ahead of California in music and style back then.

I know that it was supposed to be San Jose Jazz Festival, but hearing P-Funk with there funky, rock and jazzy instrumentals. I guess you can say all this music started with jazz, without jazz we wouldn’t have George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Clinton_(musician)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament-Funkadelic

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2010/06/garry_shider_of_p-funk_fame_di.html

LM

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• Garry Shider, Funkadelic guitarist, dies - Entertainment Weekly (news.google.com)
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• Funkadelically Free in Brooklyn (harlemworldblog.wordpress.com)
• Garry Shider, Parliament-Funkadelic Guitarist, Dead at 56 (spinner.com)

Chaka Kahn Queen of Funk and Soul

Image via Wikipedia

I first saw Chaka Kahn in the Spring of 1974,  live and on stage at the old Circle Star Theater in San Carlos California.  My school friends and I went there to see 'Tower of Power', but it was this dynamic lead singer and her Funk Band Rufus...that stole the show!

She exploded on stage in tight fitting, pearl-white hot pants that accented her compact, curvaceous body...and free-flowing, thickly-curled burgundy-brown hair.  But, it was her huge, bright smile that lit up the arena, and powerfully clear voice that sent shivers down every spine in the house...especially mine!! 

Through her opening numbers 'Tell me something good' and "Once you get started', I sensed super stardom in Chaka's future...and while the old Circle Star stage has long since been torn down, Chaka Khan's star still shines in the music world.

Born Yvette Marie Stevens 56 years ago, she was raised in South Chicago and formed her first band "The Crystalettes" at age 11. In high school she toured with the Motown Great Mary Wells as part of an Afro arts theatre group. Then, while volunteering at a Black Panthers free childrens breakfast program in Chicago, a Yoruban Priest gave her a new name...Chaka Adunne Aduffe Yemaja Hadari Karifi...re-uniting her with her African tribal roots.

Soon after quitting high school in 1969, she met musicians Kevin Murphy and Andre Fischer to form 'Rufus', a 70's Funk Soul band that would rival other top-chart groups such as 'The Commodores', 'Ohio Players', and 'Earth Wind and Fire'. During this time Chaka dated and married Bass player Hassan Khan.

In 1974 Stevie Wonder helped promote and sell Rufus's first big hit 'Tell me something Good', and a second hit 'You got the Love'...featuring then unknown guitarist Ray Parker Junior. Hits like 'Sweet Thing', Once you get Started', and 'Everlasting Love' helped earn Chaka and the group 8 platinum albums and 2 Grammy awards. Her versatile style and ability to collaborate with other superstars,  set her apart from other singers....and the opportunities led to her breaking off on her own.

In 1978 a new solo career launched Chaka Khan on a 30-year  run of mega-hit songs including 'I'm Every Woman'(also in duet with Whitney Houston), 'I feel for you', 'Ain't Nobody', and 'Through the Fire'. During this period Chaka also collaborated on musical projects with the likes of  Michael Jackson, Prince, James Brown, Ashford and Simpson, Luther Vandross, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, Rick Wakeman, Steve Winwood, and Ray Charles.

She performed movie sound tracks for "Waiting to Exhale", and  "Too Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar. She even helped the group 'Chicago" with a ballad and album cover, and performed the theme song for the hit kids TV show 'The Reading Room'. In the year 2000 Chaka also sang at both Republican and Democratic Conventions. 

Among Her many awards include 10 Grammy and 12 Grammy nominations, 2 BET awards including a lifetime Achievement Award, The Lena Horn Lady of Soul Career Achievement Award in 1998, and 4 American Music Award nominations.

In 1982 Chaka was even nominated best Female Jazz Vocalist while performing with Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea, and Lennie White, on an experiment called "Echoes of an Era."  She then topped that off by nabbing an Honorary Doctorate from The Berklee College of Music.   

 Since 2006 Chaka has been living in London, during which time she's continued to write songs,  tour, and even act...traveling back to the U.S. to play the part of Sofia in the play 'The Color Purple'. In early 2009 She announced she' would finish the year off performing with 'Lulu' and 'Anastacia' on a world tour called "Here Come the Girls".

Life doesn't seem to slow down much for Chaka Khan. Her song 'I'm EVERY Woman' fits her perfectly...as well has the title given by her peers..."The QUEEN of Funk and Soul".

PeteCam 4 

"Best Wishes"--PTCJr