King George Blues singer Keep On Rollin

Years ago, when entertainers like Sir Charles Jones (who marketed himself as the "King Of Southern Soul") and media writers like Daddy B. Nice were fighting for the legitimacy of the term "southern soul," the naysayers protested that the term was too geographically limited, that the qualifier "southern" excluded too much "soul". Radio programmers, pontificating from on high, were the most excoriating. Never mind that being "geographically-limited" didn't hurt Motown (Detroit) or reggae (Jamaica) or The Beatles (those lovable moptops from Liverpool).....The war has been won, of course. "Southern soul" was always the term that people fell back on to describe the music and its culture with any accuracy (not "soul-blues" or its many variations). And what better proof than the latest Facebook group, Detroit Southern Soul? What better evidence than to see the birthplace of (geographically-limited) Motown, still America's most iconic R&B, embracing southern soul with a Facebook group devoted to spreading the southern soul sound?.......

Soul Express's Heikki Suosalo delves deeply into Luther Ingram's heritage in his latest column, Luther Ingram's Legacy: Birth Of A Song. The occasion is a short film by Luther's son, Eric Luther Ingram, recently awarded "The Audience Choice" Award at the Ocktober Film Festival in Brooklyn, New York City. The film recounts the making of ("If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right," which turned into a #1 soul and a #3 pop hit for Luther Ingram in 1972---and of course a perennial reference in southern soul songs to this day........

-- Daddy B. Nice

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November 5, 2022:

TOP 40 SOUTHERN SOUL SINGLES: NOVEMBER

An expanded list of the songs vying for "Top Ten Singles" in November 2022.

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DeMond Crump Passes

See Daddy B. Nice's Artist Guide to DeMond Crump.

1972-2022

May 3, 2022: Daddy B. Nice News Alert!

WDIA MEMPHIS DJ BOBBY O'JAY HAS DIED.

Read the well-informed and wide-ranging obituary by Bob Mehr of the "Memphis Commercial Appeal".

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...Continued....Monthly Singles Charts from right-hand column....

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

-------MAY 2022-------

Fans are so hungry for product---new southern soul music and sounds---deejays are scouring ever more obscure efforts before the unknown performers themselves are even ready to lace up their marching boots. That's what happened to C. (Chad) Jones, who's been knocking around the fringes of R&B for the better part of a decade. His "Mr. Willy" caught the attention of an alert Brit a few months ago (see Daddy B. Nice's Mailbag) and set off a frenzied search by deejays to be the the record. Now it's finally on sale and on YouTube. Nor has "Mr. Willy" lost any of its luster during the delay. It starts off very "middlin" (and could have been a flop) but soon soars on the wings of a fetching vocal and unique background track that weds a rhythm guitar to a tingling, bagpipe/clavichord-like sound that hovers around it like a sun-touched cloud.

Listen to C. Jones singing "Mr. Willy" on YouTube.

2. "Party 2 Hard"-----DeMond Crump

He used to be so raw (early Jackson, MS days), but this single along with last year's #1 single mark a huge transformation. The production's first-rate, the tempo's irresistable and the uncredited female singer (it's more accurately a duet) is off the charts. Actually, there may be more women singing on the choruses (or one double-tracking). Whatever, it makes the record blossom and brings out the best---the loosey-goosey---in DeMond.

Listen to DeMond Crump singing "Party 2 Hard" on YouTube.

3. "She Could Never Be Me (The Remix)"-----K. Renaa

The remix is so much better than the slower-tempoed 2017 original (which, paradoxically, has the sumptuous video) and it makes you wonder how many killer out-takes and mixes are languishing on hard drives around the circuit, discarded for inferior takes that never made it. Now, thanks to Renaa's rousing vocal, you can dance, sing or march around the house to "She Could Never Be Me" as your own, fired-up, personal anthem.

Listen to K. Renaa singing"She Could Never Be Me" on YouTube.

4. "Grooving In Love"-----Simply Wayne

Now here's a guy who sounds like he just walked out the back door of church on an August Sunday (in other words a gospel singer) and tossed off a quart with the guys. Pure southern soul singer with a little Reggie P. pedigree.

Listen to Simply Wayne singing "Grooving In Love" on YouTube.

5. "Ain't Nobody"-----J'Cenae

At first I had trouble with the title. Some of us have deep, deep ties to Chaka Khan's "Ain't Nobody," and nothing will ever take its place. But I got over it and this is a good song. Although it may leave you wondering what Wendell B song the instrumental track came from.

Listen to J'Cenae singing "Ain't Nobody" on YouTube.

See Daddy B. Nice's new Artist Guide: J'Cenae #19 The New Generation of Southern Soul.

6. "Sexy Lady"-----C. (Chad) Jones

In case you think C. Jones (#1 above with "Mr. Willy") will be a one-and-done, check this out.

Listen to C. (Chad) Jones singing "Sexy Lady" on YouTube.

7. "Bae Changed Me"-----Sky Whatley

After a long absence (a decade maybe?) Redd Velvet has returned to the studio with an "answer song" to King George's "Keep On Rolling," but I'll opt for Sky Whatley's send-up of the King's "Too Long". It's not an "answer" but a sampling worked into a lush and enjoyable ballad. Hope he approached George for the rights.

Listen to Sky Whatley singing "Bae Changed Me" on YouTube.

8. "Brown Liquor"-----Theodis Ealey

Not that "Brown Liquor" isn't an impressive single from the Ealey-Man (the King George of his day), but I fondly remember when "Stand Up In It" first came out---before it became famous---we media types thought of it as light and catchy, something like K. Renaa's "She Could Never Be Me" (#3 above), never dreaming it would become a stone-cold classic.

Listen to Theodis Ealey singing "Brown Liquor" on YouTube.

9. "I Wanna Feed Ya"-----Rosalyn Candy

Listen to Rosalyn Candy singing "I Wanna Feed Ya" on YouTube.

10. "Travelin' Man"-----K. Renaa

Listen to K. Renaa singing "Travelin' Man" on YouTube.

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

-------APRIL 2022-------

We fans can be forgiven for asso-
ciating the artist's personal life with the lyrics, as in King George's #1-ranked, bad-boy-boasting "Keep On Rollin'" But George's "Too Long," which languished (if you can call three million views "languishing") on YouTube for two years before broke at #1, is just the opposite. The lyrics portray a conscientious and responsible man in love with his mate withstanding the temptations of touring. "Can't stay too long / I gotta keep moving" is King George's refrain as he navigates the women trying "to get his attention." "Too Long" gained three million page views in just one month since "Keep On Rollin'" debuted at Daddy B. Nice's #1.

See Daddy B. Nice's new artist guide: King George The New Generation of Southern Soul.

Listen to King George singing "Too Long" on YouTube.

2. "Leave & Party"----- King George

Recorded two years ago, "Leave & Party" is the precursor to King George's southern soul mega-hit, "Keep On Rollin'". Similar in tone, tempo and chording, complete with exhilarating, gospel-style background vocals, "Leave & Party" introduces Keisha and the obliging gals from "Keep On Rollin'" who are happy to pamper George after a hard week of work when all he wants to do is "get drunk, smoke weed" and "get his party on".

Listen to King George singing "Leave & Party" on YouTube.

3. "Country Man"----- Arthur Young

Musically, "Country Man" is more evidence (if any were needed) of how much Arthur Young loves southern soul music. The vocal's outstanding, the instrumental track rich and full. Lyrically, it's narrated in a third person account, as if Arthur had picked it up in a bar or truck stop booth from a guy experiencing a husband/wife mid-life crisis. Arthur calls him an "old man" because he's been married 20 years and raised his kids, but to some of us grown folks this guy's just getting started. Welcome to life, baby, and another funky forty years!

Listen to Arthur Young singing "Country Man" on YouTube.

See Daddy B. Nice's Artist Guide to Arthur Young: The New Generation of Southern Soul.

4. "Party With Friends"----- Nelson Curry

Nelson Curry pokes his creative needle into the southern soul main-line with this exuberantly-produced, mid-tempo anthem celebrating the pleasures of conviviality. From the "Shackman's" new album Evolution Of Soul.

Listen to Nelson Curry singing "Party With Friends" on YouTube.

Read Daddy B. Nice’s new 4-star review of Nelson Curry's Evolution Of Soul.

5. "Let Me Ride That Pony"----- Donnie Ray

From Donnie Ray's new album, I'm Just The Man For You, "Let Me Ride That Pony" features a bracing Donnie Ray vocal and an instrumental track that cooks like a pot of bubbling gumbo.

Listen to Donnie Ray singing "Let Me Ride That Pony" on YouTube.

See Daddy B. Nice's New Album Alert.

6. "Crown Royal (Quiet Storm Mix)"------ X-Man Parker

This is a stunning record and very atypical. X-Man has toyed with the title and melody in different versions over the years, but this is by far the best. "Quiet Storm" implies a sound most southern soul fans aren't interested in, but this isn't "smooth". It's vanguard---edgy---thanks to the superb, higher-register vocal and unique production. No YouTube yet!

7. "No Worries"----- Jeter Jones

Jeter Jones shows no signs of flagging. "No Worries"---with a lilting, mid-tempo melody and a feel-good message---is yet another brick in the wall for the Kang of Trailride Blues.

Listen to Jeter Jones singing "No Worries" on YouTube.

8. "Jody"------ Sheila B. Sexi feat. Jeter Jones

This song comes at you sideways, low-key, dominated by an elbow-churning rhythm track. Sheila B. Sexi is a Jeter Jones/Slacktraxx artist with a couple of charted singles and album under her belt in just her first year in southern soul. Jeter guests.

Listen to Sheila B. Sexi singing "Jody" on YouTube.

9. "Trail Ride Shawty"----- Marcellus The Singer

Listen to Marcellus The Singer singing "Trail Ride Shawty" on YouTube.

10. "Flex (Your Body)"----- Cupid

Is it just my imagination, or is this the closest Bryson Bernard has ever come to capturing the dance magic of the "Cupid Shuffle"?

Listen to Cupid singing "Flex" on YouTube.

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

-------MARCH 2022-------

Three million YouTube views in less than a month! I'm in awe of the power of southern soul music to connect with the fans. It doesn't matter if it's an "unknown". "Keep On Rollin" speaks to that unconscious id we all carry around, unaware we're blinkered by social norms until we encounter someone who upsets that apple cart of civility. That's why we're so tickled and pleased when Pokey Bear has the boldness to sing, "But I ain't coming home until three," or King George sings, "One monkey don't stop no show."

Listen to King George singing "Keep On Rollin'" on YouTube.

See more Daddy B. Nice commentary on King George.

2. "I Can't Keep Loving You" ----- Willie Clayton

Late last year Willie teamed up with Tucka on "I'm Looking For A Woman," which was as much a validation of the contemporary relevance of southern soul's master stylist as it was a feather in the young man's cap. Willie actually inches out the popular Tucka in this month's top ten singles with a vocal that would do Al Green proud and an instrumental track as taut and textured as vintage Stax.

Listen to Willie Clayton singing "I Can't Keep Loving You" on YouTube.

See Daddy B. Nice's "New Album Alert" on Willie Clayton's new "Soul Caesar" CD.

3. "Jukebox Lover" ----- Tucka

Tucka revisits the smooth and breezy musical setting of "Tipsy" for this evocative ode to dancing and loving.

Listen to Tucka singing "Jukebox Lover" on YouTube.

4. "Give Me Some Credit" ----- Jay Morris Group

They've got the formula (scintillating harmonies, organ-style keyboard fills, male and female give and take) and they've got the melodies, and they're in a creative zone the likes of which we seldom have the good fortune to witness.

Listen to the Jay Morris Group singing "Give Me Some Credit" on YouTube.

5. "(Get It) Mr. Willy" ----- C. Jones

Another southern-soul, mind-blowing "unknown". If you've been following Daddy B. Nice’s Mailbag, you know that reader DeWayne has been on a mission to find this song he heard in a deejay mixtape. Ordinarily I wouldn't feature a song not on YouTube nor for sale, especially when that same artist himself is on Facebook, but I'm now in possession of a copy, I'm playing the hell out of it, and I just emailed it to DeWayne. Readers, know that "Mr. Willy," like this month's #1 "Keep On Rollin'," is mainlining southern soul, and I'm betting that within a month a link to the real thing will grace this space.

DBN notes 4-3-22: Here's the link as promised. But not from the artist. DJ Sir Rockinghood---bless him---starts off his latest YouTube mix with two---or is it three---versions of "Mr. Willy".

6. "Poundtown" ----- David Brinston

David Brinston snags a good, ornery song and delivers it in his inimitable, ornery style.

Listen to David Brinston singing "Poundtown" on YouTube.

7. "Friday Night" ----- King George

Here's another impressive tune---an update of Sir Charles Jones' "Friday---by the young artist taking southern soul by storm. (See #1 above.)

Listen to King George singing "Friday Night" on YouTube.

8. "Father, Father" ----- Nelson Curry

One of southern soul's premier vocalists hits an emotional peak with this searing ballad dedicated to his father. From his new album Evolution Of Soul.

Listen to Nelson Curry singing "Father, Father" on YouTube.

9. "Can't Stop Thinking Bout You" ----- Andre' Lee

Longtime veteran Andre' Lee crafts a lot of sensitive ballads but outdoes himself with this bonafide classic.

Listen to Andre' Lee singing "Can't Stop Thinking Bout You" on YouTube.

10. "Been A Boss" ----- Sweet Nay

Sweet Nay follows up her pair of February top ten singles (scroll down) with this frenetic, zydeco-fired, Beat Flippa-produced club banger. From her new 4-star-rated debut album, "Good Vibes".

Listen to Sweet Nay singing "Been A Boss" on YouTube.

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

-------FEBRUARY 2022-------

Good club (dance) songs are so hard to come by. How'd we miss this one? Leave it to Jeter to remind us that "Groove On" (from Dhis Him) is as fresh as anything out there. If watching him dance free-style solo outside on the driveway and street doesn't get you off the sofa (as it does his family and friends at the end of this mesmerizing new video), you'll know you're ready for the retirement community.

Listen to Jeter Jones singing "Get My Groove On" on YouTube.

2. "Magic Woman"-----Binky Womack

Binky Womack brings more to the table than just that famous "Womack" name. The melody and vocal on "Magic Woman" will warm your heart. The lyrics will make you smile when you realize hungry-for-love trumps hungry-for-food.

Listen to Binky Womack singing "Magic Woman" on YouTube.

3. "Whooped (I Put That Nookie On Him)"-----Sweet Nay

This mid-tempo jewel, written by Sweet Nay & P2K and produced by Avail Hollywood, will get your attention from Sweet Nay's rousing "Someone call 911" intro. From Good Vibes, her splendid new debut album.

Listen to Sweet Nay singing "Whooped" on YouTube.

4. "Two Step"-----King Fred feat. Shae Shae

Speaking of club songs, it's a joy to see Fred Hicks polishing his little genie's bottle of idiosyncratic techniques, coaxing out ever more professional and lovely-sounding productions.

Listen to King Fred and Shae Shae singing "Two Step"

5. "Mississippi Girl"-----Vick Allen

Have you noticed? 2022 is starting out with a new sound: low-key (Binky Womack), folksy (King Fred), Americana-like----in fact, more "If They Can Beat Me Rocking"-like. Even Vick is getting into it!

Listen to Vick Allen singing "Mississippi Girl" on YouTube.

6. "Thunder And Showers"-----Poka Jones feat. Sweet Nay

Another sure-fire chart-climber from Sweet Nay's Good Vibes album. Poka Jones is the singer who debuted a year ago with the groovy and empathic single Produced by Nil Jones.

Listen to Poka Jones and Sweet Nay singing "Thunder And Showers" on YouTube.

7. "Juke Joint 2K"-----Nelson Curry.

Cue this up after Jeter Jones' "Get My Groove On". From the same bag of vintage dance classics, courtesy of Curry's new album, The Evolution Of Soul.

Listen to Nelson Curry singing "Juke Joint 2K" on YouTube.

8. "Talk To Yo Ole Lady"-----Augusta (Augusta Walker)

Strong debut single by a vocalist exploring the late Marvin Sease's legendary territory.

Listen to Augusta Walker singing "Talk To Yo Ole Lady" on YouTube.

9. "Count On Me"-----T.J. Hooker Taylor

More Americana-like southern soul from a Taylor boy who just keeps gaining in confidence and accessibility with each new outing.

Listen to T.J. Hooker Taylor singing "(You Can) Count On Me" on YouTube.

10. "Over Night Stay"-----Dre Walker feat. J-Wonn

Pure J-Wonn, twenty-something romance and innocence. He teams up with a young singer, Dre Walker, who shares J-Wonn's style and bedding-them-down preoccupations. Most fascinating lyric so far this year: "Whatcha mean I'm not going back home tonight? You wouldn't be trying to kidnap me?"

Listen to Dre Walker and J-Wonn singing "Over Night Stay" on YouTube.

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

-------January 2022-------

1.

YouTube history tells us this band started out doing amateurish funk covers. Now look. They've matured, gotten "religion" (southern soul, that is) with their mellowed-and-polished, dance-friendly lead singer dispatching one of the catchiest tunes to ever jump-start a new year. The two best "Keep It 100" videos are here---one above in the title link and one below, right about here...

Listen to Carlin Taylor singing "Keep It 100" on YouTube.

2. "How Can You Love Me"-----Jay Morris Group

A fresh, staccato guitar and chording piano carry this latest harmony-rich tale from the Jay Morris Group with Jay and Long Story Short.

Listen to the Jay Morris Group singing "How Can You Love Me" on YouTube.

3. "Ride This Saddle"-----Christie & The Superior Band

Produced by Ves (Kenne' Wayne's "We Do We") and featuring Curley Taylor on button accordion, good times abound in this zydeco-flavored party jam sung with joyous verve by Houston's Christa Norris.

Listen to Christie and The Superior Band singing "Ride This Saddle" on YouTube.

4. "My Baby Don't Love Me No More"-----Jay Morris Group

The Jay Morris group revitalizes another worn-out, chitlin-circuit theme (a cheating man losing his woman) with typically rich details and original results, and I'm proud to be documenting their meteoric rise. The trio is now the twelfth-ranked southern soul artist on Daddy B. Nice’s newest Top 100 Countdown: The New Generation.

Listen to the Jay Morris Group singing "My Baby Don't Love Me No More" on YouTube.

5. "Good Wood"-----Big Yayo feat. Kenne' Wayne.

Wayne and Yayo sound as good as The Isley Brothers on this one. Mabry's (Big Yayo's) synthesized instrumental flourishes update the sound but even better is the harmony line Yayo finds on their choruses. All Yayo does is make hits, and with remarkable consistency. That is why he's now the newest entry (at #16) in Daddy B. Nice's Top 100 Countdown: The New Generation.

Listen to Big Yayo and Kenne' Wayne singing "Good Wood" on YouTube.

6. "Knee Deep Part II"-----Jay Morris Group

This is the new southern soul single currently getting the most YouTube views (one million in its first month). And if you're really mired in the deep artistic mud of both "Knee Deeps," check out DJ Sir Rockinghood's special mix, Jay Morris Group: Knee Deep Pt 1 & 2 Special Mix), with an entire, verse-long cameo by Lenny Williams, whose iconic "Ooh-ooh-ooooh" was referenced in the first "Knee Deep".

Listen to the Jay Morris Group singing "Knee Deep Part II" on YouTube.

7. "You Ain't Gotta Cry No More"-----J'Cenae feat. Wendell B

In effect, Wendell has found a female counterpart to himself, nearly his equal in talent. And when you put them together, it's something like Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell back in the day.

Listen to J'Cenae and Wendell B singing "You Ain't Gotta Cry No More" on YouTube.

8. "It Sounds Like I'm Lying"-----Jay Morris Group

It's never happened before, and these charts go back to 2005. "It Sounds Like I'm Lying" is the fourth of four JMG singles posted in a single month, and it may be the best.

Listen to the Jay Morris Group singing"It Sounds Like I'm Lying" on YouTube.

9. "Saddle Up"-----Jeter Jones feat. Volton Wright & R&B Pooh

Listen to Jeter Jones, Volton Wright & R&B Pooh singing"Saddle Up" onYouTube.

10. "You Deserve Better"-----Avail Hollywood feat. P2K

Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "You Deserve Better" on YouTube.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION! UNDER CONSTANT REVISION!

Daddy B. Nice's News & Notes

White Tennessee farm boy and fiddle player Jim Stewart, who founded Stax Records with his sister (who mortgaged her house to obtain the new label's financing), died December 5th at the age of 92. Sadly, in a possible emanation of reverse racism, his passing went largely unreported by the southern soul media. To put it in contemporary terms, this would be like John Ward, the founder of Ecko Records and the guiding light for a generation of southern soul artists, passing away without notice by the very media who covered his label's music for a quarter-century.

Black-inspired popular music (which is like saying the majority of popular music) is rife with the unique contributions of a few white enthusiasts who were as passionate about the music as their African-American brothers and sisters. In the annals of southern soul Jackson's Tommy Couch and Shreveport's Stan Lewis immediately come to mind. Generally regarded as the blackest soul music in America despite its racially integrated house bands, Stax's bloodlines trace most directly to southern soul. And in an ironic twist of fate, a black music-loving white man befriended by Rufus Thomas, the patriarch of Memphis soul, and his daughter Carla, was responsible. Then again, the faint response to the Stax founder's death may have been due to Stewart's extreme age (92), coming so long after most of the performers he collaborated with had passed away. Rufus died at 84, a hefty age for a performer. Read the engrossing obituary by Bob Mehr at "The Memphis Commercial Appeal"......

Jus Epic's effervescent "Country Girl," featuring Money Waters (I love that twist on Muddy Waters) has a great new official video on YouTube. "Texas, Looo-siana, Mississippi, 'Bama," goes the rousing second verse. "Let me see you get down. Represent right now..." See the video.

Sir Charles' latest, My Life's Testimony, is being marketed as "Christian" music (as in gospel). The most dramatic line from the set ("I put the gun to my head/On Highway 55") is also from a highway---I-55 (north/south)---known to all southern soul stars as their most travelled thoroughfare, although I-20 (east/west) is a close second.....

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