D-Sisive

My reward for blogging about D-Sisive and his last Montreal show was a copy of his Vaudeville CD.

D-Sisive has been pretty busy releasing music over the last few years. The reward for his hard work was being long listed for the Polaris Prize.

Things proved to be no different with the Jonestown 3: The Dream Is Over.

Above is the video for Don't Turn The Lights Out by D-Sisive featuring Neverending White Lights.

 

The Suite Delight new time slot is Tuesday morning 2-3am EST on www.ckut.ca & 90.3 FM.

If you haven't already, please make yourself familiar with the link below for more of your favorite show and mine.

Below is a podcast to bring you up to speed.  Click here to download it and more.

The Suite Delight - February 25, 2014 (2) Playlist:

1. Nas - It Ain't Hard To Tell (Large Professor Remix)
2. Diverse - Uprock
3. Jay Dee - Pause feat. Frank-N-Dank
4. Strong Arm Steady - Questions
5. Souls of Mischief - That's When Ya Lost (Remix)
6. Soul Khan - Knuckle Puck
7. Quasimoto - Rappcats, Pt. 3
8. Supastition - Yada Yada
9. Murs & 9th Wonder - Murs Day
10. Mobb Deep - Win or Lose
11. Wale - Um'Ricka feat. K'Naan
12. K-Solo - Letterman (Pete Rock Remix)
13. The Extremities - Cold Cheese
14. D-Sisive x Tone Mason – Maybe I Will feat. DJ Grouch

The Beastie Boys

I saw everything from Check Yo Head onwards as extensions of Paul’s Boutique and had already shut shop on The Beastie Boys. However, So What'Cha Want (Soul Assassin Remix Version) and Get It Together did not fall on these def ears.



After realizing my error with Paul’s Boutique, I started revisiting their post-1990s work with some humility. I was happy to learn of their new release and the cameo appearance crazy video for Make Some Noise.



Who would have thought those hip hop pranksters would get inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I’m thrilled that it happened.



RIP M.C.A.

The Soul Searchers - We the People (1972)

One day while at Death of Vinyl, I heard a version of Think that I had never heard before.

When I saw the name on the 7", I immediately did what I could to get the song for myself. I went so far as to order the We The People reissue from not one but 2 local record stores.

I was so impatient and hasty that I literally had the stores race to get me a copy the fastest.  Unfortunately, or not so unfortunately, both copies arrived around the same time.

I gave one to the person I felt would most appreciate it as a token of my appreciation.

James Brown

There has not been a more influential musician or figure in music for me than James Brown. James Brown is not only immensely important to me but to hip hop music altogether.

I realize that in my years of The Suite Delight this is my first blog post about Brown.

Just as Chris Brown and Usher wanted to be like the late Michael Jackson, the late Michael Jackson wanted to be like the late James Brown. Heck, even I wanted to be like the late James Brown!

When I was old enough to start buying CDs for myself, I naturally claimed the soul, funk and rock sounds on records I saw and heard played since childhood.

Getting James Brown's music was obviously a foregone conclusion and I made do with the epic Star Time collection.

While waiting for the 2009 CMJ Daptone Records Showcase to begin, this vintage James Brown video footage was playing throughout the venue. It is now showing on my blog. Enjoy!

James Brown's birthday is May 3.

James Brown - Sex Machine (1970)

I remember seeing the Sex Machine album when I was a boy. 

I never played it for various reasons. 

Among them was my conviction that a grown up would know I touched the album before I even played it. 




I did however touch the double album. 

If I had actually played the album that much sooner in my life, I'm sure I would have been an even greater James Brown fan than I am already.

Rest in Peace James Brown.

The Suite Delight new time slot is Tuesday morning 2-3am EST on www.ckut.ca & 90.3 FM.

If you haven't already, please make yourself familiar with the link below for more of your favorite show and mine.

Check out the player below as well as the more recent playlists.

The Suite Delight - 2014- 05-27 by Dj Solespin on Mixcloud

The Suite Delight - May 27, 2014 Playlist:

1. Quantic & Anita Tijoux - Doo Wop (That Thing)
2. Sola Rosa - Turn Around Ft. Iva Lamkum (DJ Vadim Remix)
3. The Seatbelts - Cat Blues (Mr. Scruff Remix)
4. James Brown - Funky Drummer
5. The Cactus Channel - Wooden Boy (Part 1)
6. The Roots – Don't Feel Right feat. Maimouna Youssef
7. J Dilla (aka Jay Dee) - Love Movin' feat. Black Thought
8. Nas - It Ain't Hard to Tell
9. Termanology - How We Rock Feat. Bun B
10. Marco Polo - Lay It Down Feat. Roc Marciano
11. Buff1 - Never Fall feat. Black Milk
12. The Extremities - New Season feat. Ohmega Watts & Moka Only
13. Lords Of The Underground - Tic Toc (Remix)
14. Lone Catalysts - The Ultimate (Kev Brown Remix)

James Brown - It's A Mother

I've stated many times that I've been primarily a greatest hits,

Best Of & Defintitive Collection kind of guy when it comes to musical artists' work.

However there are cuts as good or sometimes better than the hits

Profile Records

As I was stepping out from a Manhattan record store during my CMJ 2011 pilgrimage, I took a leisurely glance around the store and something caught my eyes and attention.

Hanging on a wall above the cash register was a multiple vinyl compilation of Profile Records’ greatest hip hop singles. I reached up, took the box set from the wall and looked it carefully.

I was not aware a collection of Profile Records’ hip hop music was released. I reminisced about the days when I used to see the logo on cassettes, 12” singles and albums as a boy and teenager.

Profile Records is one of the most iconic labels in hip hop history.
Among its pioneer roster are Sweet Tee & DJ Jazzy Joyce, England’s Derek B, Pumpkin, Dana Dane, Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock and Run-DMC.  Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock’s pivotal It Takes Two was released on the label in 1988.

During the late 1980s to the late 1990s, DJ Quik, King Sun, Poor Righteous Teachers, Smoothe Da Hustler, Camp Lo were the label’s most visible artists.

The image for the label’s deluxe set of vinyl is just as hip hop as the label itself. For an enthusiast of hip hop music and culture like me, one can only imagine the songs DJs spun at those legendary block parties. It stands to reason that a good number of songs from Profile Records’ catalog were played at those parties from as early as 1984 with a certain Hollis, Queens’s trio’s debut. 

That compilation of the label’s music will allow anyone to revisit those glory days. It is for that precise reason I would want to add classics from Profile Records to The Suite Delight playlists. If it is still there by some miracle when I return, I aim to acquire that collection that hung on the New York record store wall.

I thank Profile Records for its contributions to hip hop music through its artists, videos and catalog.

The Bee Gees - First of May (1969)

If it hasn’t been made clear, I love The Bee Gees. Evidently a lot of other people do too.



What else explains how this posted video of the group singing First of May appears on said date?

There was arguing over which song, Robin’s Lamplight or Barry’s First of May, should be the album’s lead single.

This post, video and countless greatest hits packages reveal which song was chosen.

Marva Whitney ‎– It's My Thing (1969)

Marva Whitney was one of the female soul singers in James Brown’s camp along with Vicki Anderson and the late Lyn Collins.



Her singles Unwind Yourself and It’s My Thing are of prime importance where hip hop is concerned. DJ Mark the 45 King used the former to make the hip hop classic 900 Number.



It’s My Thing was sampled numerous times to make numerous hip hop classic songs. One that I can draw from memory is Big Daddy Kane’s Mister Cee’s Master Plan. See if you can identify where it is used.

I found a reissue of the classic album where those singles are found and it has found its way onto many a playlist of mine in 2012. For my purposes, it was a strategic way of playing James Brown’s production under the radar and to give the soul sister a spotlight.



In this computer age, I am able to not only see what she looked like but what she looked like while performing as well.

Marva Whitney died in December 2012.

The Bee Gees - 1st

I’ve been playing The Bee Gees like crazy. I only recently removed their music from my MP3 player.

I've been a Bee Gees fan since childhood. My mother had the 7" single of To Love Somebody long before I would care. Even from childhood to now, that song is one of my favorite and greatest love songs I've ever heard in my life.



Their 1960s songwriting was fantastic. What else can I say about To Love Somebody that hasn't been said or sung? As great as that song is, they have about a dozen plus songs that are just as strong. The Every Christian Lionhearted Man Will Show You beat is heavy while their harmonizing is light and sweet.




I've been killing Nina Simone's To Love Somebody since I found a vinyl copy of the album. She covered The Bee Gees I Can’t See Nobody & the title track on that album. It just goes to show the Bee Gees were getting props from their contemporaries just as they do from fans like me today.

The Bee Gees - Cucumber Castle

A close family friend's sister had the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack album in her collection.  The Bee Gees were on the cover and evidently responsible for its success.

While in elementary school, I cared less about Islands in the Stream, whether Boys Do Fall in Love or any Chain Reaction with Diana Ross.



Fast forward to mid-2000s and I started checking out 1960/1970s rock & soul. I always had an interest in British Invasion rock and simply explored the music deeper. Like my love for Steve Winwood, it was a matter of time until I got back to The Bee Gees.

A few years ago, there was a record store in Montreal called Le Renart Bleu on Mt. Royal. I picked up a lot of classic rock and soul records from them. Funny enough, they had a heap of early Bee Gees albums and something made me pick them all up.   Cucumber Castle was among them. 



At this point, I've got a vinyl copy of their 1967-1975 output. What I might do is get pristine copies of my personal favorites from their discography. I reluctantly bought a copy of Idea at the WFMU Record Fair for a very low price ($1) but a listen or two made me realize that not all their songs or albums are pivotal. The thing is when The Bee Gees song is on point, they're unbeatable.

My research about The Bee Gees revealed why there were only two Gibb Brothers on the album cover.  The group had broken up after disputes about the Odessa album and presumably other issues. The late Robin Gibb released a solo album around the same time as Cucumber Castle's release.   

Cucumber Castle is not The Bee Gees' strongest album. With the exception of Don't Forget to Remember, there are not many musically brilliant moments like albums prior when the group was intact. Robin's absence is blaring and thankfully they reunited within about 2 years after the split.

The Bee Gees - Idea

I saw The Bee Gees on the Saturday Night Fever album as a child.

While in elementary school, I cared less about Islands in the Stream, whether Boys Do Fall in Love or any Chain Reaction with Diana Ross.



Fast forward to mid-2000s and I started checking out 1960/1970s rock & soul. I always had an interest in British Invasion rock and simply explored the music deeper. Like my love for Steve Winwood, it was a matter of time until I got back to The Bee Gees.

I Started a Joke is no laughing matter. I’ve Got To Get A Message To You gets the message across every time



A few years ago, there was a record store in Montreal called Le Renart Bleu on Mt. Royal. I picked up a lot of classic rock and soul records from them. Funny enough, they had a heap of early Bee Gees albums and something made me pick them all up. At this point, I've got a vinyl copy of most of their output. What I might do is get pristine copies of my personal favorites from their discography.

I reluctantly bought a copy of Idea at the WFMU Record Fair for a very low price of $1. The thing is when a Bee Gees single is on point, it is unbeatable. Some songs like Kitty Can are so good that I needed to buy another copy to replace the first one.

The Bee Gees have countless cuts that could or should have been hits.

With most Best-Of, Greatest Hits, Ultimate or Definitive sets, some songs can and will get omitted from the track listing.



Such is the case with Bee Gees Mythology.

I will say that the omission of Let There Be Love from the Mythology compilation is glaring however the song gets special spotlight treatment on this blog.    

Barry Gibb may have sang about the First of May but on September 1st we wish him a happy birthday.  Thank you and the Gibb Family for the music.

The Bee Gees have countless cuts that could or should have been hits.

With most Best-Of, Greatest Hits, Ultimate or Definitive sets, some songs can and will get omitted from the track listing.



Such is the case with Bee Gees Mythology.

I will say that the omission of Let There Be Love from the Mythology compilation is glaring however the song gets special spotlight treatment on this blog.    

lee fields again

For years, I had a nasty habit of missing Lee Fields' concert appearances, especially in Montreal.

That unlucky streak broke in 2009 when I caught him perform at the Daptone Records CMJ Showcase along with Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings and future favorite Charles Bradley.




Fields triumphantly arrived on stage and got something of a hero's welcome from the crowd. His performance at the showcase coincided with the release of his My World album. His showmanship was slightly different from Bradley's but we knew they gave us 100% during their sets.



I was pleased to learn Lee Fields & The Expressions will be returning to Montreal on May 3 for a performance at L'Astral.

I saw it as a perfect opportunity to end my streak.



It was good to have a more Lee Fields focused concert this time as opposed to him sharing the bill with other artists. From what I saw, most everyone in attendance enjoyed the show. So much so that I had never seen people scoop merchandise so quickly after a performance. 

My streak is officially broken.  If you haven't seen Lee Fields live, do what you can to chalk up a show to your win column. 

I had already been happy with the Lee Fields performance at L’Astral in May. To learn Lee Fields was going to be in Montreal again before 2012’s end was even more of a delight

I have never caught a performance twice in one year of any artist before.  Lee Fields enters into a special league of his own.

There were many elements that made this Lee Fields night special. Good fortune once again allowed me to catch the soul singer’s second Montreal performance. The Cabaret Du Mile-End venue was also closer to home literally and figuratively.

History repeated itself when Lee Fields triumphantly took the stage after the opening act. It did not take long for the spectators to fill the dance floor area in the middle of the tables and chairs surrounding the stage.

Throughout the set, I was debating which Fields album I would want to bring home the most among them. Songs from Faithful Man became even more familiar to me without Fields having to announce where the songs could be found within his Truth & Soul discography.

My personal attachment is to My World. That was the album he released and promoted when I first saw him perform in 2009 after many missed opportunities.The album cover has a nostalgic element for me as well.

Connoisseurs know that Could Have Been can be found on the Daptone Gold collection.  From the moment the ballad began, I told my +1 the name of the song seconds before Fields belted the title.

Fields did a cover of a 1970s funk group classic at both L’Astral and Cabaret Du Mile-End.  For fear of messing with fate, I will not name the group or song now I will just hope that his rendition does appear on a subsequent album sooner rather than later.

History repeated itself at the merchandise table as well. Again, patrons packed vinyl copies under their arms and cleared the venue. With Lee Fields at the table, there was a great chance they were signed.

I was privy to information after the Astral performance.  Apparently, Fields was not well and that explained why he did not place himself at the front to sign autographs or take photos with fans.

The Lee Fields I saw in Cabaret Du Mile-End had the verve and sprite of an evangelist. He very well could have cured anyone that was ill that night. Not only did Fields spin, shimmy, shake and stroll but jump he did. He must have wanted to do whatever he may not have done on stage in May in October. As someone that can compare the two performances, I was able to identify the subtle difference. 

Perhaps the only clue to know which Lee Fields you’re dealing with is how high and often he leaps into the air. After having met him, the My World autographed and being photographed with him, I felt like soaring in the air that night. I was given further proof that a Lee Fields night is an uplifting experience. 

Thank you to the good people of Truth & Soul Records, Lee Fields and musicians, Evenko and Cult MTL for the soulful soiree.