Charles Bradley’s latest single from his posthumous album “Black Velvet” is out. Listen to “Can’t Fight the Feeling” below. The full album will be released November 9 via Dunham Records and features the previously released song “I Feel a Change,” plus covers of songs by Nirvana, Neil Young, and Rodriguez. These recordings were culled from the sessions of his previous albums, “No Time for Dreaming, “Victim of Love” and “Changes”. Bradley passed away in 2017 at age 68 after battling liver and stomach cancer. In this classic mid-tempo groover Bradley approaches his listeners with his raspy vocals over dusty drums, slick guitar and plenty of horn fanfare. The artist’s longtime producer and co-writer, Tommy “TNT” Brenneck was pulling together the track list for “Black Velvet” when he rediscovered this track and said that the song was likely recorded around 2007 during the first sessions of Bradley’s 2011 debut, No Time for Dreaming.
Billie Eilish Released New Single “When The Party’s Over,” Today
The 16-year-old Billie Eilish released her new song “When The Party’s Over,” today. The young singer mourns a broken heart with sharply insightful lyrics and reflects on the end of a relationship. The song is unlike any of her other songs and also reveals a maturity beyond her years. She sings over a quiet piano and celestial hums and was quoted saying “This one was IMPOSSIBLE to record I literally killed myself making this song lol… hope you enjoy.” Eilish made her imprint for her debut single “Ocean Eyes” when she was only 13 years old. Today, she has an EP and chart-topping duet with Khalid that earned her a position on Billboard’s 2018 21 Under 21.
Listen to “When The Party’s Over” below.
Today in Music History: The Motortown Revue 1962
Today, 56 years ago, the first night of a two month Motown Records package tour, The Motortown Revue, started in Washington, DC. Early 1960 tours included performances from Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Marvelettes, Mary Wells, Barrett Strong and The Contours as headlining acts. Some of the then-second-tier artists who were given the chance to improve their skills included Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes and The Temptations. Occasionally, even non-Motown performers such as Otis Redding, Dusty Springfield, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, The Shirelles and Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles were featured on the tours. In the early years of the Motortown Revue, most venues were situated along the “chitlin circuit” in eastern and southern America. Racism at the time, was an issue and African American performers faced threats and attacks from local white residents. Later tours from the mid 60’s branched out to the entire US and later the rest of the world as well.
Masego: ‘Lady Lady’
Masego recently released his debut full-length album, Lady Lady, and it doesn’t take long to realise that it is a meditation on strong women who have taught him hard lessons in life and on those who haven’t entered his life yet. Fans have called his work sophisticated with a hint of smooth jazz and 1980’s quiet-storm R&B. The artist himself calls it “trap house jazz”. At the age of 25, Masego is an old soul that can evoke sweet tenderness through his music and caters for crowds that enjoy both in black music’s past and present in equal measure. The artist showcases his ambition in many ways that include singing, producing, and arranging and have taught himself how to play the piano, saxophone, drums, bass, and guitar.
Nirvana’s ‘In Utero’ Enters US Chart No.1 25 Years Ago
Today, 25 years ago, Nirvana’s ‘In Utero’ entered the US chart at No.1. Kurt Cobain originally wanted to call the album ‘I Hate Myself and I Want to Die’. In Utero is the third and final studio album by the American rock band. Cobain’s main goal for this album was to bring the band back to their punk rock roots. The band’s millions of new fans may have appreciated ‘Nevermind’, but Cobain has been quoted saying it sounded commercial and “candy-ass”. He then decided to recruit esteemed engineer Steve Albini (who had recorded Pixies, the Breeders and the Jesus Lizard) to create the album in the woods of rural Minnesota, which according to Cobain, had much more in common with their debut album ‘Bleach’.