a w h o l e n e w t h i n g - pt.1

After radio disc jockey Sylvester Stewart adopted the name Sly and went on to evolve The Family Stone with other family members and friends, the music world perhaps, wasn't prepared for the unprecedented innovative musical magic and electrifying multiplicity that Sly & the Family Stone would bring to the established rock-n-roll mindset and culture of the late 1960's. The then music world, calling out for new creativity and new musical direction, was about to be given notice.

History shows, Sly arrived with The Family Stone on the charted commercial music scene in 1967 with the debut album "A Whole New Thing" giving, (in the least) the American music scene notice of a new creativity and a new direction in which music under the innovative influence of Sly and The Family Stone would from that moment on, evolve. Sly and The Family Stone would prove to be a creative force in global music by transcending boundaries on the inside and outside of "universal" music's thoughts and practices.

Sylvester Stewart from the beginning, was not about to take something old and give it a fresh new look or sound. Though, from the beginning, Sly and The Family Stone were all about creating a new look and with it a new sound. With a concocted fusion of Soul, Jazz and Rock, Sly and the Family Stone placed their hands around music’s throat and gentled squeezed it until the face of music turned "a-new-shade-of-funk".

Many of the musical arrangements to eventually come from Sly and The Family Stone would feature a prolific horn section sound. That horn sound would be as much a signature of Sly and The Family Stone, as would the synonymous relationship they were forging for themselves as innovative creators of a new genre’ of music fast-becoming known as “Funk”.

Song writer extraordinaire, Sly (like other song writers of the time) shared with the growing masses of funk listeners and followers, his wants and appreciation of humanity, writing songs laden with connotations and the idealism's of people, love and hope. However Sly was a man and a voice with a conscience as well. It was the social and political conscience of Sylvester Stewart that would lend itself to the innovative multiplicity of Sly and The Family Stone. Bringing the world into his music and giving back to the world part of his conscience through music, Sly found a conduit for speaking his mind.


The Essential Sly & the Family Stone - Disc 1
Epic/Legacy 2002

1. Underdog
2. I Cannot Make It
3. Dance to the Music
4. Are You Ready?
5. Fun
6. M'Lady
7. Life
8. Love City
9. Stand!
10. Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey
11. I Want to Take You Higher
12. Someboody's Watching You
13. Sing a Simple Song
14. Everyday People
15. You Can Make It If You Try
16. Hot Fun in the Summertime
17. Everybody is a Star
18. Thank you (Falettinme By Mice Elf Agin)

Official website: slystonemusic.com

g i v e i t b a c k

The phenomenal Bobby Womack is a global soul, r&b and funk music influence like only a handful of others. An artist that perhaps gives more than he receives, Womack to a certain degree, has contributed much to some of the worlds more notable music artists. From soul, r&b and funk artists of the 1960's and 70's on, to the complete commercial packages of today's music industry icons, the influences of Bobby Womack are literally littered across musics, time and space.

Growing up in a household where jazz music jams were a staple diet on Sunday mornings though more often, whenever the want to play presented itself, it was inevitable the name "Bobby Womack" would eventually circulate in the session discussions between my step-father and the multiple others that use to float in-and-out when sounds started resonating off the kitchen walls and toe-tapping could be felt under-foot and the concussion of saxophones and clarinets could be felt in the air throughout the house if not in the air outside. (Perhaps the best of times, from a life I'd much rather forget) It was through these jam sessions and discussions that I eventually picked-up and developed my own musical interests. My interest in Bobby Womack, however very limited, stemmed from those whenever jazz jam sessions.

Having only heard snippets of Bobby Womack music through the early 70's, my liking for musical things Bobby Womack, essentially began with the soundtrack album "Across 110th Street".... hah, to this day I have never seen the 1972 movie release! I think I'll make every attempt to rectify that sometime soon.

Across 110th Street the soundtrack contains excerpts of original dialogue intermittently spaced with arrangements from Bobby Womack and composer/conductor JJ Johnson. I like the composition of music tracks coupled with movie dialogue. As someone who has never seen the movie (yet), the composition holds a narrative of it's own, like the movie playing in my mind.

It's a soulful, jazzy and funky motion picture soundtrack in an obvious 1970's style. With five of the 18 tracks filled with the (only slightly gravel pitched) impassioned and emotional voice of Womack doing his stylish and soulful thang as only Womack can do. That gravel pitched voice, is for me, part of the attraction to the music Bobby Womack pens and styles. Perhaps because in one form or another I can partially identify with the passion and pain in his voice, in his songs, in his music. There's a relationship between what he sings about and the direction from which he sings about it, like a fact of life being shared from the perspective of his own experiences.

1. Across 110th Street (expired)
2. We Thought We Were OK (Original Dialogue)
3. Harlem Clavinette
4. If You Don't Want My Love (expired)
5. Punk Errand Boy (Original Dialogue)
6. Hang On In There (Instrumental)
7. The Man (Original Dialogue)
8. Quicksand
9. 150 Rounds (Original Dialogue)
10. Harlem Love Theme
11. Sick and Tired (Original Dialogue)
12. Across 110th Street (Instrumental)
13. Take The Money (Original Dialogue)
14. Do It Right (expired)
15. Hang On In There
16. If You Don't Want My Love (Give it Back)
17. This Is The Police (Original Dialogue)
18. Across 110th Street, Pt.2

Official website: bobbywomack.com

a s c l o s e t o p u r i t y

One of the most incredibly talented voices I have ever had the pleasure of hearing live on a handful of occasions, Renee Geyer equates and epitomises the simplicity of God-given vocal talent. It's always hard trying to describe atmosphere in a textual sense for others to appreciate, so you'll understand why I won't even try to describe for you the full-on choke-me-up soul atmosphere Renee Geyer has the ability to produce with her vocals. However I will say, her performance at the "Basement" in Sydney, Australia which was later released as the album "Live at the Basement" in 1986, was one of the ultimate live vocal performances I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

In the earlier stages of her career she was perhaps more aligned with rhythm & blues than with quintessential soul music, nevertheless the scope for this Australian talent to transcend the boundaries of both genres is infinitely possible. Though for me the "soul quality" of Renee Geyer, comes through loud and expertly clear, in the track "Heaven (The Closest I'll Get)" from the 1999 (Mushroom) album "Sweet Life" which doubled in some countries as "The Best of Renee Geyer 1973-1998".

As a veteran of twenty plus albums since 1972, Geyer continually amazes the aural senses with her raspy Dusty Springfield-like and sometimes melancholic vocal range. But her vocal skills are not limited to soulful ballads alone as she knows how to and does, with spectacular deliverance, lend her sophisticated out-pouring to soft rock, bluesy tunes and country folk classics. A notable example being her cover of the song “Crazy”, written by Willie Nelson and popularised by country artist Patsy Cline. (The Definitive Collection 1973-1998) which I would recommend for listening, not for comparison but rather as a stand-alone version.

Whether before during or after now Renee Geyer is without doubt a soul queen the likes of which Australasia has not yet seen again. At the heart of the music Renee Geyer brings forth is unadulterated soul, a soul which for me is as close to vocal purity as one could hope to hear.

Sweet Life
1999 Mushroom

1. Best Times (expired)
2. Heaven (The Closest I'll Get) (expired)
3. You Broke a Beautiful Thing
4. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me.
5. From Now On
6. Play Me
7. Knowing You Were Loved
8. Cake and the Candle
9. Don't Be So Sad
10. Killer Lover (expired)
11. My Back Room

Official website: www.reneegeyer.com.au