STANDING IN LINE AT THE JAZZ CAFÉ, MY BROTHER BEN & I ARE HERE TO SEE RASHAAN PATTERSON & RA RE VALVERDE.
WALKING PAST A MAN MAKES EYE CONTACT … “PSST … DO YOU WANT TO SCORE BRUV?” NO WE’LL BE ALRIGHT. SOMEONE ELSE STEPS UP, A HOMELESS GUY WITH A DARK GREY BEARD AND AN IRISH ACCENT. “I GOT A JOKE FOR YA… DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE BLIND CIRCUMCICIONIST? HE GOT THE SACK.” WE LAUGHED. HE THEN ASKS “MY FRIENDS, CAN YOU SPARE SOME CHANGE?” WE DON’T HAVE ANY CHANGE “SORRY BOSS”.
ONCE IN WE FIND OUR SPOT, IT CAN GET CROWDED IN THE JC, SO WE STAND CLOSE TO THE STAGE BUT WITHIN EASY REACH OF THE BARGIRL. WHEN WE GET THERE RA-RE VALVERDE IS ALREADY PERFORMING, JUST HER, AN ACOUSTIC GUITARIST & TRINA BROUSSARD ON BACKING VOX. THE FLOOR IS SLOWLY FILLING UP BUT IN THE CENTRE ARE A COUPLE, STANDING MESMERIZED AS RA-RE IS NAILING IT “HELP ME UNDERSTAND … SO I DON’T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES AGAIN” SHE SINGS, LYRICS FROM HER MAY B I'M THE 1.
NEXT TO US ARE 4 BLOKES, DRESSED IN SHIRTS, SUITS, TIES & TRAINERS, NODDING THEIR HEADS ALONG TO THE MUSIC. ONE BLOKE NODDING SO MUCH HIS AFRO IS BLOCKING MY VIEW ON EVERY OTHER BEAT. RA-RE FINISHES AND ALL 4 STEPS TO THE STAGE, PICKING UP THEIR INSTRUMENTS (DRUMS, BASS, GUITAR & MIC)
THE LEAD SINGER SAYS IN A BRUMMIE ACCENT ‘HOW’S EVERYONE?’ THE BAND PLAYS & THE SWITCH FROM ACOUSTIC TO ELECTRIC SPARKS THE CROWD TO JOSTLE FOR POSITION. “THIS SONG IS CALLED THE QUEST" THE SINGER STARTS TO SING; “I’M LEAVING TONIGHT … TO SOMEWHERE DEEP INSIDE MY MIND” THE CHORUS BEGINS; HE SCREAMS “WHAT I’M GONNA LIVE FOR? WHAT I’M GONNA DIE FOR? WHO YOU GONNA CRY FOR? I CAN’T ANSWER THAAAAAATTT” THE LAST WORD SUNG HIGH, IN DESPERATION.
IT’S SO GOOD NO-ONE CAN MOVE.
THIS BAND IS BRITISH AND THIS BAND IS SOUL, THE MALE SINGER BRYN CHRISTOPHER HAS THE RAW PRESENCE OF A MALE VERSION OF AMY WINEHOUSE (EARLIER IN 2008 BRYN'S DEBUT ALBUM MY WORLD DROPPED, BUT WHEN WE FIRST WITNESSED HIM WE PRESUMED HE WAS PART OF THE BAND, THERE WAS MORE EDGE THAN YOU GET WATCHING HIM PERFORM ON THIS MORNING). YET HOW IS IT AS A BRIT HE CONVEY’S SOUL? HOW CAN BRYN & AMY GET AWAY WITH IT? SINGING SOUL USING AN AMERICAN ACCENT? WHAT IS SOUL ANYWAY?
TO UNDERSTAND THE ACCENT & STYLE OF SINGING YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE SOURCE, AMERICA IS WHERE SOUL COMES FROM & THE EDUCATION OF ALL THE GREAT SOUL SINGERS ORIGINALLY CAME FROM THE CHURCH. YET IN THE BRITAIN OF 2007 GOSPEL DOES NOT PLAY A HUGE PART IN OUR UPBRINGING, SO I’M PRESUMING IT DIDN’T TEACH THESE BRITISH SINGERS, BRYN & HIS BAND (WHO ‘PLAY’ WITH SOUL) & AMY FROM HACKNEY HOW TO SING & FEEL SOUL MUSIC. SAME GOES FOR THE SOULHEDS IN THE CROWD WHO ARE APPRECIATING THIS SOULFUL EMOTION. I BET MOST OF THE AUDIENCE - WHO WERE LISTENING LIKE A CONGREGATION - HAVE NEVER HEARD LIVE A GOSPEL PREACHER SING AND DANCE LIKE JAMES BROWN AT THE LOCAL PENTACOSTAL? MOST WOULD HAVE EXPERIENCE OF PENTACOSTAL IN THEIR CHILDHOOD BUT A UK CLERGYMEN PERFORMING MUSIC IN REALITY RESEMBLES AN R.E. TEACHER BANGING A TAMBORINE.
YET SOUL DEFINITELY CAME FROM GOSPEL ... BUT GOSPEL WAS A RELUCTANT MENTOR.
MORE SPECIFICALLY SOUL CAME FROM - AND IS - RAY CHARLES. BROTHER RAY (WERE ALL BROTHERS & SISTERS) HAD THAT MOMENT WHEN HE TURNED THE GOSPEL INTO THAT SOUL. HERE WAS A BLOKE WHO WANTED TO SING ABOUT A GIRL SOOOO MUCH, THAT HE TOOK A SONG ABOUT JESUS AND FLIPPED IT TO DESCRIBE THE POWERFUL FEELINGS HE HAD ABOUT HIS GILRFRIEND I GOT A WOMAN, THE GRATITUDE “SHE SAVES HER LOVING, JUST FOR ME… OH I GOT A WOMAN”
HE DIDN’T WATER IT DOWN WITH DOO WOP OR R&B (BIG IN THE 50’S) NO HE MADE IT STRAIGHT GOSPEL, BUT THE LYRICS WERE NOT DEVOTIONAL, THEY WERE ABOUT THE THINGS WE DEAL WITH EVERYDAY BUT SUNG IN THE SAME STYLE AND THAT IS SOUL, TAKING THAT GOSPEL FEELING, THAT DIRECT LINK TO GOD & RE-DIRECTING IT TO THE HEART, SOUL & MIND OF ANOTHER HUMAN BEING. THAT IS THE EDGE OF SOUL.
BUT THE EDGE LOST ITS SHARPNESS. SOUL LOST ITS DISTINCTION, BY THE LATE SEVENTIES BLACKAMERICAN CULTURE HAD EMBRACED SOUL MUSIC. IT WAS THE TORTURED PSYCHE AND DUALITY OF PREACHERS SON MARVIN GAYE THAT HELPED CREATE THE CONFUSION, HERE WAS A MAN POURING HIS HEART OUT ON EVERY RECORD IMPLORING HIS WOMAN 'TO GET IT ON' BUT STILL THANKING GOD ON THE RECORD SLEEVE, ESSENTIALLY CONTRADICTING THE MUSIC AND ENVIROMENT IT CAME FROM. EVERY ARTIST FOLLOWED SUIT AND 3 AND HALF DECADES LATER TO THE UK KIDS, SOUL BECAME ASSEMBLY SINGING HYMNS THAT OUR PARENTS LIKED. IT WAS HARD TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTRADICTIONS THAT HAD BEEN OVERLOOKED– 1ST THE GOSPEL IS AGAINST TAKING THE LORDS NAME IN VAIN, 2ND THERE’S NO SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE AND 3RD FORBIDDEN LOVE IS A NO-NO. NO-ONE EXPLAINED THAT WHEN SOUL ORIGINALLY BEGAN THE CREATORS RAY CHARLES & SAM COOKE HAD DEATH THREATS & HAD TO WATCH THEIR BACKS BECAUSE IT WAS SO REBELLIOUS. NO-ONE EXPLAINED THAT SOUL WAS VIEWED LIKE ROCK & ROLL – BEFORE IT SPLINTERED AND BECAME CATERGORIZED AS SOUL/FUNK. LIKE HOW R&B, INITIALLY THRIVING IN BLACKAMERICA THEN BECAME ROCK & ROLL, RE-BRANDED AS EXCLUSIVE TO WHITE BANDS BY THE EARLY 70’S (ASK BETTY DAVIS)
SO WHERE HAVE THE SOULHEDS COME FROM? WHO IS TEACHING THE SOULHEDS NOW THEY’RE NOT REBELLING AGAINST THEIR PARENTS RELIGIOUS IDEALS? THE SOULHEDS ARE LEARNING FROM MUSIC. MUSIC IS THE RELIGION AND THEY’RE LEARNING FROM THE NEW MENTORS: MARVING GAYE, JAMES BROWN, STEVIE WONDER, SARAH VAUGHN, ARETHA FRANKLIN, AL GREEN (THE LIST 10,000+ STRONG ON CD RACKS), D'ANGELO, LAURYN HILL, MAXWELL ETC. THOSE ARTISTS SERMONS CONVERTED TO MP3. THE SOULHEDS UNDERSTAND THE AUTHENTICITY IN THE MUSIC PLAYED, & THE HONESTY IN THE EMOTIONS CONVEYED. THE NEW BREED ARTIST ADD PERSONALITY TO THE FORMULA ALSO (OMAR, TAWIAH & CORINNE BAILEY RAE HAVE ADDED THE ENGLISH ACCENT TO MIX TOO). AMY, BRYN & ALL THE SOULHEDS – UNDERSTAND WHAT SOUL IS, VOCALLY, EMOTIONALLY & MUSICALLY.
EVERYONE WANTS TO CALL THEIR MUSIC SOUL. A POP ARTIST MAKES A PERSONAL SONG WITH EMOTIONAL TRUTH AND CLAIMS SOUL (SORRY BONO/SEAL - YOU AIN'T GOT IT) , A DANCE ARTIST DOING HOUSE MUSIC SINGS BOLLOCKS ABOUT “DANCE TO THE FIRE OF MY SOUL VIBE” AND CLAIMS SOUL (NO SUBSTANCE), HIP HOP ARTISTS RAP ALL OVER A TRACK AND ADDS A SOUL SINGER FOR A NON-DESCRIPT HOOK AND CLAIMS SOUL (IT’S NOT THAT EASY MATE). THE INDUSTRY DOESN’T UNDERSTAND THAT R&B IS NOT SOUL EITHER, THE MOBO AWARDS THINK RENAMING AN AWARD R&B/SOUL AND NOMINATING TAIO CRUZ, CHRIS BROWN & USHER IS ENOUGH – BUT IMAGINE THE UPROAR AT THE BRITS IF THE BEST ROCK ACT AWARD WAS BETWEEN MCFLY, JONAS BROS OR BUSTED? DON’T THINK Q, NME, THE BUZZCOCKS SHOW OR THE GALLAGHER BROS WOULD LIKE THAT, HOWEVER IN BLACK MUSIC THE CORPORATIONS DON’T SEE ANY LEVEL OTHER THAN CLUB BANGERS & SEXY VIDEO’S.
EVERYONE WANTS “SOUL” BUT YOU GOTTA EARN IT. LIKE A CONGREGATION MEMBER THAT TURNS UP EVERY SUNDAY (BUT MAYBE CAN'T RECITE THE BIBLE WORD FOR WORD), WITH SOUL YOU GOTTA KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MOTOWN & ARETHA FRANKLIN (EVEN IF YOU DON'T KNOW EVERY OBSCURE SOUL CUT), FOR AN EXAMPLE OF PURE SOUL MUSIC LISTEN TO NICKEL & A NAIL BY O.V. WRIGHT THE BLOKE IS DESPERATE, THAT'S SOUL & THE SOULHEDS KNOW THE DIFFERENCE, THEY KNOW AT THE MOMENT THEY HAVE TO GO UNDERGROUND - AFTER ALL THE SOULHEDS FOUND THE JAZZ CAFÉ IN CAMDEN, NOT A VENUE COVERED IN THE MAINSTREAM RAGS. THEY UNDERSTAMND WHAT SOUL IS;
SOUL IS AMERICAN STYLE GOSPEL SINGING BUT WITH SECULAR LYRICS
(HAD I SAID THAT AT THE BEGINNING IT WOULD HAVE SAVED TIME) ANYWAY ... WHICH REMINDS ME BACK TO THE STORY;
BRYN & THE REST OF THE BAND LEAVE THE STAGE – THE VENUE IS NOW PACKED TO THE GILLS. IT’S A RAINBOW CROWD – ALL DIFFERENT COLOURS (EYES & SKIN) & WHAT WAS THE REASON WE WERE ALL HERE & PAID MONEY ON A TUESDAY NIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT ... RAHSAAN PATTERSON. HOW COULD HE FOLLOW THE BAND?
“GOOD EVENING ENGLAND” AFTER THE GREETING, HE OPENS HIS MOUTH AND STARTS TO SING AND FUCKING BLOWS US ALL AWAY.
