In Appreciation of... Lisa Stansfield

A couple of weeks back I saw Lisa Stansfield at the Indig02.  I was a fan of hers from the Coldcut collaboration "People Hold On " that introduced her to the world but a series of albums that followed proved she was no part player and not only had a great set of pipes but could write nifty tune as well.

I'd not seen her live and given the passing of time wondered how her voice would stand up and what I was going to get for my money.  No worries there - all the fab songs from her heyday were there - still great tunes, still performed with a great voice (with an added  new tone which enhances rather than disappoints).  At an early point we got the "here's a new song..." but frankly this lady hasn't lost any of her craft.  These new tunes "the conversation" and particularly for me "Stupid Heart" fitted well with her set and certainly held up (or more) with the past glories.  "Stupid Heart" could be an old southern soul classic - and needs to be covered by a Mavis Staples or a rejuventaed Aretha (if only she would re-emerge).

On checking the web I found a very similar set from earlier this year at the Java Jazz festival and then coincidentally saw that she was appearing on daytime TV. I Sky+ it and found her live performance of "Heart" once again thrilling.

A new album is due early next year - can't wait.  For those who want her classic sound there is the obvious hits compilation and then the best album of her career "Real Love" which I couldn't live without - Yes Brits do soul very well thank you.

Blue Eyed (and British) Soul

Since the arrival of pop music as a teen fascination in the fifties there has always been a passionate following of all things american, whether as fans through record collecting and club followings or by our bands copying their US, mainly black, contemporaries.  The influence of the US on the new teen culture from the beginning was immense.  Many of the major artists to evolve out of this origin paid suitable tribute to their roots.  The Rolling Stones (The Valentinos' "It's All Over Now" among many); The Beatles covering three Motown tracks on "With The Beatles" along with issuing "Twist and Shout" are only two high profile examples of bands who acknowledged the debt owed to those orginators.  Others would not only imitate but produce sounds informed by the soul and blues genres -   the Animals, the Yardbirds being good examples but the list is long and varied.

Later, in the mid to late 70's the pub-rock and Uni gigging circuits saw a rise in the bands who stated their claim to the Soul genre.  The US soul mainstream was going disco and therefore a British strand of the form was welcome. The influences are easy to see but the results are also imbued with a "British feel" for want of a better description.  I have written about a number of my favourites of these both here and on The Lost Record Covers Club but my list features:-

Kokomo (with origins in Arrival and the Grease Band) - recommended - "Kokomo"
The Average White Band - "Show Your Hand"
Pacific Eardrum - "Beyond Panic"
Cado Belle - "Cado Belle"
The Rhead Brothers - "Dedicate"
Supercharge - "Local Lads Make Good"
Moon - "Too Close For Comfort"
GT Moore and The Reggae Guitars - "I'm Still Waiting"
FBI
Upp - "This Way Upp"
Sandy McLelland and The Backline - "Sandy McLelland And The Backline"

All of these produced albums during the 70's but only AWB made the big time - and then you might say that was a result of going to the States and working with the originators of the sounds.  These bands all had a live following which, may not have translated into record sales, always produced on the night.  It was a great period for this type of sound and very much part of my musical taste at the time and ever since.

Here's some of my favourites -

In Appreciation Of .... Lewis Taylor

The wonderful Mr Taylor came into my life in 1996 following some great reviews of his debut solo album citing Marvin Gaye, Neo soul, layered harmonies, etc etc.  How would I resist such praise.  The debut self titled album is a set to be worked at but once you hook into the sounds and the feel that this guy produces (much of it with him playing everything) it is sublime. "Lucky" the lead track and released as a single is a good intro but by the time you get to "Bittersweet" with it's slow build and then the breakout Marvin vocal change it's bloody marvellous. 

I love albums that grow from interesting to irresistable and this one is in that catagory. He received a lot of high profile praise from Jools Holland, Elton, Paul Weller and the like together with the music press but I think a white north London guy (and not another pretty teen type but a seasoned musican) singing his own take on harmonies that have a strong nod to black America as much as the Beach Boys and Flying Burritto's - with some added amazing guitar - Island were confused and didn't know how to promote him.  He lost ground and by the time his second "Lewis II" arrived, again different - more introspective, more song based and easing up on the production pedal - they gave up, dropping him later that year.

He resurfaced with his own label, Slow Reality, and released "Stoned" ironically a step forward artistically and commercially, more accessible and potentially what Island would have wanted. Again back to acclaim and a following both via the web and through a few live performances. I saw him at a packed Jazz Cafe in London and was blown away.

"Stoned Part 2" followed with new songs and some reworkings from it's counterpart suggesting the guy is a perfectionist. Later a "Lost Album" appeared with yet more versions of those songs with a more rock bias than soul. All the above are recommended. He gave up his career in 2006 and is still considered by many to be a great loss to the music scene.

He had a song covered by Robbie Williams from which I hope he gets a decent royalty cheque every now and then. I play his albums a lot and often think he would be great in the production seat for various artists.

I recommend you seek out his albums.