Jan 21, 2017

RhoDeo 1703 Grooves

Hello, did you feel that shift in 'the force' today, the US will no longer borrow from their future-fat chance- no it's America will be great again, like it was before the Vietnam war (i assume), when the militairy industrial complex was still relatively weak, question is does president Trump and his Breitbart friends see it this way, and should they, how to get control over this extremely dangerous leech that bleeds the US dry and what to do about those corporations that hardly pay tax. It's the enemy within that endangers the US, not China or those insane Daesh clowns. I predict that Trump will succumb to paranoia before a patsy bullit strikes him...



Today's artists interacted with numerous music industry personalities, one in particular was Motown producer Norman Whitfield. Whitfield gradually became associated with the group by hiring it for recording sessions; the group also worked with Yvonne Fair, the Undisputed Truth, and the Temptations through Whitfield's influence. After a couple of years of seasoning, the group began production on its debut album under Whitfield's supervision. Also during this time, MCA Records was seeking an artist for the soundtrack to the movie Car Wash. Whitfield convinced executives that the band was more than competent for the job. So the material that Whitfield had assembled for the group's debut album became the soundtrack's material, and the start of their music career..... N'joy

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The Los Angeles-based group originally comprised Henry Garner (drums), Terral "Terry" Santiel (congas), Lequeint "Duke" Jobe (bass), Michael Moore (saxophone), Kenny Copeland (trumpet, lead vocals), Kenji Brown (guitar, lead vocals), Freddie Dunn (trumpet), and Victor Nix (keyboards). The group began in the early 1970s, when members of several backup bands from the Watts and Inglewood areas of Los Angeles united under the name Total Concept Unlimited. In 1973, this collective toured England and Japan behind Motown soul star Edwin Starr. Starr introduced them to Norman Whitfield, Motown's 'psychedelic shaman' who was responsible for bringing a progressive funk-rock slant to the company, via such productions as Starr's "War", The Undisputed Truth's "Smiling Faces Sometimes" and The Temptations' "Papa Was A Rolling Stone".

Whitfield, after a decade at Motown, wanted to start a company of his own. He took the T.C.U. octet under his wing and signed them to his label. The group, now called Magic Wand, began working with Yvonne Fair and became the studio and concert band for The Undisputed Truth. During a tour stop in Miami, Undisputed Truth leader Joe Harris stumbled upon a singer named Gwen Dickey, then a member of a local group called The Jewels. Harris informed Whitfield of his discovery and Dickey was flown to Los Angeles to audition. In Dickey, Whitfield found the ingredient he felt was missing in Magic Wand: a charismatic female singer. He gave her the stage name Rose Norwalt. The original band lineup, now complete, prepared their debut album.

During this time Whitfield was contacted by film director Michael Schultz, fresh from the success of his first feature, Cooley High. Schultz offered Whitfield the opportunity to score his next picture, Car Wash. Whitfield would utilize the film to launch his new group, and began composing music based on script outlines. He and the band visited the film set, soaking up the atmosphere. This was one of the rare instances in Hollywood in which the music was composed concurrently with the picture instead of after the fact. In the spirit of the soundtrack, the band's name was changed one final time to 'Rose Royce'. The name not only referenced the movie's automotive theme, but it also placed Gwen "Rose" Dickey front and center. Further, it hinted at a touch of class the band strove to bring to 1970s soul-funk.

The movie Car Wash and the soundtrack were great successes, bringing the group national fame. Whitfield won the Best Music award at the Cannes Film Festival, and the album received the Grammy for Best Motion Picture Score Album of the Year. Released in late 1976, the soundtrack featured three Billboard R&B Top Ten singles: "Car Wash," "I Wanna Get Next to You," and "I'm Going Down." The first of these was also a number one single on the Billboard popular music charts, and "I Wanna Get Next to You" reached number ten.

The group's follow-up album, Rose Royce II: In Full Bloom, produced two Top Ten singles, "Do Your Dance" and "Ooh Boy". It also included "Wishing on a Star", which for Rose Royce was a top-10 hit only in the UK; it became notable elsewhere through its cover versions, including The Cover Girls' Top Ten single in 1992. During 1978, they released their third album, entitled Rose Royce III: Strikes Again!, and it featured "I'm in Love (And I Love the Feeling)" and "Love Don't Live Here Anymore". Both singles entered the Billboard R&B Top Five. "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" was a #2 smash hit in the UK, and would later gain greater exposure through its cover versions, most notably by Madonna in 1984 and 1995.

The group followed with a series of modest successes that reached the charts, but never gained the status that their previous songs did. Dickey left the group in April 1980 and the band temporarily disbanded. However, the remaining members regrouped, adjusted the line-up, and kept the group somewhat popular in the UK, where they remained a marquee attraction. Rose Royce was featured in the TV One's seasonal series, Unsung during the spring of 2010. The story featured the successes and internal bickering of the group. Dickey, Copeland, Jobe, Moore and Garner were the only members of the band who gave interviews throughout the program. Dickey now performs as a solo artist in the UK, but mentioned during the interview that she would not mind performing with the group once again.

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Inspiration can hit at any moment; even while you're eating chicken. Songwriter/producer Norman Whitfield had hits with such Motown acts as the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and Undisputed Truth. While playing a basketball game, he stopped to write down lyrics on a bag of Kentucky Fried Chicken. He'd been trying to write music for Car Wash, an upcoming movie from Universal Pictures starring Richard Pryor, Franklin Ajaye, George Carlin, Ivan Dixon, and Bill Duke. Whitfield was initially less than thrilled about being involved with the project, but was wooed by director Michael Schultz (Cooley High, Krush Groove), the salary, and its use as a good exposure tool for a new group that was working with called Rose Royce. The group was allowed to watch the filming of the movie and kept Whitfield abreast of its plot line. Written and produced by Whitfield, Rose Royce's "Car Wash" went platinum, selling over two million copies, holding the number one R&B spot for two weeks while going to number one pop in late 1976. The movie, made at a cost of two million, grossed 20 million. The Car Wash soundtrack went gold, spawning the R&B/pop Top Ten hit "I Wanna Get Next to You" and "I'm Going Down."



Rose Royce - Car Wash (OST)    (flac  425mb)

01 Car Wash 5:06
02 6 O'Clock DJ (Let's Rock) 1:09
03 I Wanna Get Next To You 3:58
04 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 3:25
05 Zig Zag 2:30
06 You're On My Mind 3:27
07 Mid Day DJ Theme 1:43
08 Born To Love You 3:06
09 Daddy Rich 3:24
10 Richard Pryor Dialogue 5:05
11 You Gotta Believe (Voc Pointer Sisters) 2:51
12 I'm Going Down 3:36
13 Yo Yo 4:17
14 Sunrise 10:46
15 Righteous Rhythm 2:30
16 Water 3:31
17 Crying 2:57
18 Doin' What Comes Naturally 3:10
19 Keep On Keepin' On 6:39

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As strong as any of the songs featured on 1976's Car Wash soundtrack, Rose Royce's 1977 outing,II: In Full Bloom, allowed them to fully shine in their own right and on their own terms. Although their early incarnation as Total Concept Unlimited had paired them with Motown labelmates the Temptations and given them clout in the label stable, it was the addition of powerhouse vocalist Gwen Dickey and continued pairing with über-producer Norman Whitfield that brought the band into their own. Packed with tight funk jams and horn-heavy construction, tempered only occasionally by Dickey's sweet ballads, II: In Bloom is a disco-funk masterpiece -- a pure fusion of both genres that works better than it has a right to, courtesy of both the band's own confidence and Whitfield's artful magic. The wistful and absolutely sublime ballad "Wishing on a Star" opens the set and should have been a chart-heavy hitter. In fact, it reached only number 52 on the R&B charts, proving that the band's fans were truly in the mood to dance. Rose Royce wouldn't disappoint, as the nine-minute funk monster "Do Your Dance" was uncaged. Shaved to a four-minute highlights version, the song gave the band a Top Five R&B hit. The full album version, however, is a far superior workout, while the equally funky "You Can't Please Everybody" and eight-minute epic "It Makes You Feel Like Dancin'" keep the groove moving smoothly. Rose Royce may have shot to stardom with the Car Wash craze, but they are far better without the celluloid glitter covering up their own pure gold.



Rose Royce - In Full Bloom   (flac  365mb)

01 Wishing On A Star 4:52
02 You Can't Please Everybody 3:50
03 Ooh Boy 4:16
04 Do Your Dance 9:18
05 You're My World Girl 4:11
06 Love, More Love 3:17
07 Funk Factory 3:07
08 It Makes You Feel Like Dancin' 8:49
Bonus
09 Do Your Dance (Part 1) 3:30
10 Ooh Boy (Single Version) 3:50
11 Wishing On A Star (Single Version) 3:59
12 It Makes You Feel Like Dancin' (Single Version) 4:27

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Rose Royce's third album contains two killer ballads: "I'm in Love (And I Love the Feeling)," and the much recorded "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" which Gwen Dickey works like Mary J. Blige wishes she could. Norman Whitfield's productions often included doses of classical elements and this album is no exception, the sampling and borrowing occur frequently. "Angel in Disguise," another sweet ballad, sounds a bit contrived. As effective on upbeat tunes "That's What's Wrong with Me," "Do It, Do It," and "First Come First Serve," are first-class movers and shakers. A carnival barker on the intro mars the opening cut "Get Up Off Your Fat."



Rose Royce - Strikes Again  (flac 323mb)

01 Get Up Off Your Fat 4:35
02 Do It, Do It 4:09
03 I'm In Love (And I Love The Feeling) 3:41
04 First Come, First Serve 3:19
05 Love Don't Live Here Anymore 3:55
06 Angel In The Sky 4:56
07 Help 3:53
08 Let Me Be The First To Know 3:52
09 That's What's Wrong With Me 6:37
Bonus
10 First Come, First Serve (Single Version) 3:27
11 Love Don't Live Here Anymore (Single Version) 3:51
12 That's What's Wrong With Me (Single Version) 5:33

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Rose Royce continued releasing quality music into the early eighties. This included 1982 Stronger Than Ever, which was remastered and rereleased by BBR Records on 20 February 2012. Stronger Than Ever was Rose Royce’s first and only album for Epic Records, after leaving Whitfield Records, owned by their producer Norman Whitfield. However, although they’d left Whitfield Records, Norman Whitfield was still producing their albums, helping Rose Royce to produce their own brand of soulful, funky music, music that lit up dance-floors since their debut single Car Wash in 1976.

Stronger Than Ever was Rose Royce’s seventh album in seven years, and final album for a major label. It was recorded at the Fort Knox Recording Studio in Los Angeles. As usual, Norman Whitfield was producing the album, hoping to turn round the group’s fortunes. Ever since their fourth album, Rose Royce IV: Rainbow Connection, Rose Royce’s popularity had declined. Both Rose Royce and Norman Whitfield were keen to see an upturn in the group’s fortunes. Stronger Than Ever was an album that deserved to do much better, given the standard of music on the album. There isn’t a poor track on the album, with two beautiful ballads in Sometimesy Lady and Somehow We Made It Through the Rain, sitting comfortably next to the uplifting, emotive sound of the singles Best Love and Still In Love. To me, they’re two of the highlights of Stronger Than Ever. That’s not forgetting the trio of funky tracks Dance With Me, Fire In the Funk and Talk To Me. As if that’s not enough, BBR Records remastered rerelease of Stronger Than Ever features four bonus tracks.



Rose Royce - Stronger Than Ever     (flac 327mb)

01 Dance With Me 3:58
02 Sometimesy Lady 2:24
03 Best Love 3:54
04 Still In Love 5:39
05 You Blew It 4:14
06 Somehow We Made It Through The Rain 4:39
07 Fire In The Funk 5:37
08 Talk To Me 4:32
Bonus
09 Best Love (12" Version) 5:02
10 Still In Love (Single Version) 3:57
11 Fire In The Funk (Single Version) 4:11
12 Dance With Me (12" Version) 5:21

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Rho, I'd appreciate it if you could re-post these Rose Royce albums, many thanks!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the re-posts, Rho!