RAPHAEL SAADIQ TALKS TO SOUL JONES!

HOW THE HELL DID HE KNOW?
THE SONG OH GIRL BEGINS WITH A VIRTUOSO PIANO PLAYER TINKERING WITH THE KEYS LIKE MARVIN GAYE USE TO, TRYING TO GET BERRY GORDY'S ATTENTION. IN THE DISTANCE THE DRUMS KICK IN, NODDING TO THE GUITARIST TO HOLD THE TEMPO. IT'S COLD OUTSIDE WITH THE STRINGS SWIRLING AROUND, SO THE SITAR PLAYER ADDS SOME WARM HONEY... AND THEN MR. SAADIQ STARTS TO SING “YOU KNOW YOU SAVED ME FROM MYSELF... YOU KNEW IIII NEEDED HELP."EACH WORD IS SUNG WITH CLARITY AND SOUL, LIKE HE'S FROM THE SAME MUSIC CLASS AS THE STYLISTICS' RUSSELL THOMPKINS JR. AS THE ACHINGLY BEAUTIFUL CHORUS BEGINS, "OOOOH GIRL, OOOOOOOH GIRL... YOU CHANGED MY WORLD," THE QUESTION HITS ME... JUST HOW DID RAPHAEL SAADIQ KNOW? HOW DID HE KNOW THAT THE FIRST TIME I WOULD PLAY THE SONG I'D BE HOLDING MY NEWBORN DAUGHTER, MY BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL, ROCKING HER GENTLY AS HER HEAD RESTS ON MY SHOULDER? THEN COMES THE LYRIC, "I PROMISE I WON'T LET YOU DOWN/I'M GONNA MAKE YOU SO PROUD." IT’S OFFICIAL - THE SONG HAS GRABBED A HOLD. OK, IT MAY ALL SOUND SENTIMENTAL BUT I MAKE NO APOLOGIES, BECAUSE THAT IS PART OF WHAT GREAT SOUL MUSIC IS ABOUT: IT'S PERSONAL.

AGGRESSIVELY SOULFUL!

MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S PERSONAL FOR THE MAN WHO CREATED THE RECORD, AS RAPHAEL READILY EXPLAINS TO ME FROM HIS NORTH HOLLYWOOD RECORDING STUDIO. "I HAVE BEEN ASPIRING TO BE IN TOUCH WITH THIS MY WHOLE LIFE - THE '60S SOUND - AND I THINK I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY WRAP MYSELF AND MY HEART AROUND IT."

AND HE NAILED IT. MID-SIXTIES MOTOWN TO STAX, NEW ORLEANS, CHICAGO AND THE BURGEONING PHILLY SOUL SOUND IN 1970. NEVER BEFORE HAS A CONTEMPORARY SOUL ARTIST PUT OUT AN ALBUM LIKE THE WAY I SEE IT, DEDICATED TO RE-CREATING THE "RATS, ROACHES, STRUGGLE, TALENT, LOVE AND GUTS" APPROACH OF BERRY GORDY'S UNIQUE FUNK BROS UNDERPINNED MOTOWN SOUND.

TAKE A SONG LIKE LOVE THAT GIRL, WHERE THE BASS PLAYED BY RAPHAEL IS SO ON POINT IT COULD BE JAMES JAMERSON HIMSELF.
RAPHAEL: "I DIDN'T TRY TO DO EXACTLY WHAT THEY DID; OF COURSE I COULDN'T DO THAT. BUT PEOPLE HAVE SHORT MEMORIES. THE URBAN COMMUNITY LIKES TO CONSTANTLY CREATE SOMETHING NEW AND IT'S ALWAYS GONNA KEEP PUSHING LIKE THAT, BUT FOR ME I ALWAYS LOVED THAT MUSIC. AS A BASS PLAYER AND A PRODUCER I'M POSSESSED BY THOSE GROOVES."

I ASK HIM HOW YOUNG HE WAS WHEN HE FIRST FELT THIS AFFINITY.
"SOMETIMES MY BROTHER RANDY WOULD PICK ME UP ON HIS BIKE AND HE WOULD BE SINGING STYLISTICS SONGS WHILST HE WAS RIDING. TOGETHER MY BROTHERS RANDY, DWAYNE & TONY • MY ELDEST -WOULD GET A FIVE-MAN GROUP TOGETHER AND DECIDE WHO WOULD BE EDDIE KENDRICKS OR DAVID RUFFIN OR WHO WOULD BE PAUL WILLIAMS."

AS HE WAS THE YOUNGEST, DID THEY MAKE HIM OTIS?
"NO (LAUGHS), I WASN'T INCLUDED."

SO WHY NOW? WHY CREATE A WHOLE RECORD THAT WALLOWS IN VINTAGE, SIXTIES SOUL? "IT WAS WHEN I WAS DOING THE JOSS STONE RECORD [INTRODUCING... JOSS STONE] IN THE BAHAMAS AND HOLIDAYING IN COSTA RICA; PEOPLE WOULD BE OUT SURFING AND WHEN THEY GOT DONE THEY WOULD BE LISTENING TO THOSE OLD TYPE OF RECORDS. ALSO I HAD WATCHED THE [SPIELBERG] FILM MUNICH AND YOU SEE THE TWO SIDES FIGHTING OVER THE RADIO AND THEN THEY FIND AN AL GREEN SONG AND BOTH SIDES AGREE TO LISTEN TO THAT. I REALIZED THE THINGS I LOVE SO MUCH EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD LOVES. I ALWAYS WANTED TO MAKE THE TYPE OF MUSIC THAT COULD MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY AND AT THE SAME TIME I CAN STILL BE AGGRESSIVELY SOULFUL."

LONG TIME COLLABORATOR AURA JACKSON, WHO WAS PRESENT DURING THE ORIGINAL WRITING SESSIONS, DESCRIBES THE MOOD: "RAPHAEL WANTED SOMETHING SPECIFIC AND WASN'T GOING TO COMPROMISE. HE EVEN DRESSED THE PART, WITH VINTAGE CLOTHING AND THICK RIMMED GLASSES." BACK TO RAPHAEL. WHY THE THREADS?
"I WANTED TO BE ALL THE WAY THERE THE WHOLE TIME, Y'KNOW. I REALLY WANTED TO LIVE LIKE EDDIE KENDRICKS AND SMOKEY."

IT'S WHAT'S IN THE GROOVE THAT COUNTS!

IT'S NOT EASY TO GET THAT SOUND, AS THE ENGINEER ON THE SESSIONS, CHUCK 'BISCUITS' BRUNGARDT [WHO HAS A VIDEO ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY WITH RAPHAEL CALLED WWW.ILLFONIC.COM] TOLD ME: “JUST BEFORE WE STARTED ON JOSS STONE'S ALBUM RAPHAEL CAME INTO THE STUDIO WITH AN OLD BEAT-UP '60S DRUM KIT. AS SOON AS WE HEARD IT, IT WAS LIKE, 'OH MY GOD!' WE'D TRIED TAKING DRUMS AND MODIFYING THEM TO SOUND OLDER, BUT WE THEN REALIZED IT ALL STARTS WITH KIT."

THAT SET THEM ON THE PATH.
"WE WERE USING A MOTOWN BOOK WHICH LISTED THE INSTRUMENTS THEY USED. WE FOUND A GREAT STORE IN LA CALLED OCEAN AUDIO, WHICH IS LIKE AN EQUIPMENT GRAVEYARD." IT COMES AS A SURPRISE GIVEN THE GENUINE BAND SOUND DYNAMIC, THAT MOST OF THE PLAYING ON THE ALBUM IS DOWN TO RAPHAEL; IN FACT, MORE SO THAN EVER BEFORE. LEAD GUITARIST ROB BACON [IT'S HIM PLAYING LIKE CHUCK BERRY ON LET'S TAKE A WALK], DESCRIBES HIS INVOLVEMENT: “I REMEMBER SAYING TO HIM ‘YOU GOT IT, DON'T NEED ME'. BUT HE INSISTED. "WELL THERE'S THE THING RIGHT THERE ON LOVE THAT GIRL, THAT GUITAR BACKBEAT -I NEED A 'CHA-CHIK! CHA-CHIK!" I ADDED THAT. BUT IT WAS ALL RAPHAEL'S VISION... THAT CAKE WAS BAKED! I WAS HONOURED TO COME IN AND SPRINKLE A LITTLE EXTRA FROSTING ON TOP."

EVERYBODY REMEMBERS THE TURNING POINT WHEN MOTOWN PERCUSSIONIST JACK ASHFORD & STRING ARRANGER PAUL RISER [HUNDREDS OF MOTOWN CLASSICS BEAR HIS STRINGS INCLUDING GRAPEVINE] TURNED UP FOR THE SESSION.
RAPHAEL: "I SAW THE LIGHT. YOU COULD FEEL THIS PRESENCE WHEN THEY WALKED IN THE ROOM. I SHOOK PAUL RISER'S HAND AND HE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, "IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU YOUNG MAN." ROB: "YOU COULD SEE HOW EXCITED JACK ASHFORD WAS ABOUT WHAT HE WAS HEARING; HE KEPT LOOKING AT RAY LIKE, 'YOU DID THIS? MAN YOU COLD!'

FUNK BROTHER JACK ASHFORD SHOWED RAPHAEL WHAT HE COULD DO ON SURE HOPE YOU MEAN IT.
"WHEN YOU HEAR THE VIBES AS MY VERSE STARTS... I WANTED JACK TO PLAY THEM ON THE CHORUS TO BEGIN WITH. THE SONG STARTS UP. 'OOH-HOOH, SURE HOPE…” I’M THINKING HE GONNA COME IN, BUT HE DON’T. SHALL I STOP HIM AND TELL HIM TO PLAY ON THE CHORUS? BUT I THEN THOUGHT, 'NO, LET'S SEE WHAT HE'S GONNA DO', AND THEN HE COMES IN ON THE VERSE AND IT SOUNDED GENIUS. AFTER THAT I NEVER SAID NOTHING ELSE; I JUST LET HIM BE JACK ASHFORD. HE BROUGHT MAGIC TO THE ROOM. AND WHEN I HEARD PAUL RISER'S STRINGS ON LOVE THAT GIRL IT WAS VERY EMOTIONAL; I HAD TO GO BACK AND RE-CUT SOME OF MY VOCALS.

TALKING OF EMOTIONAL, ONE OF THE ALBUM STANDOUTS IS THE HAUNTING SOMETIMES, ABOUT A LOVED ONE WHO HAS PASSED ON, THE SONG IS DELIVERED LIKE GENE CHANDLER AT HIS UPTOWN SOUL BEST. ENGINEER CHUCK BRUNGARDT DESCRIBES THE MOOD DURING THE SESSION; “WHEN I MXED SOMETIMES I HAD A REALLY HARD TIME GETTING THROUGH THAT SONG AS MY MOTHER PASSED AWAY SIX YEARS AGO. RAPHAEL IS TALKING ABOUT A CLOSE FAMILY MEMBER (HIS GRANDMOTHER) AND LOOKING BACK AND THANKING THEM FOR THE WAY HE TURNED OUT AND EMOTIONALLY INSIDE THAT REALLY HIT ME.”

ANOTHER SONG WITH A DEEPER MEANING IS THE BLUESILY UPTEMPO BIG EASY, A STORY ABOUT THE HURRICANE KATRINA DISASTER. EACH HORN PUNCH LANDS ON TARGET, DRIVING THE CHORUS HOOK “SOMEBODY TELL ME WHAT’S GOING WRONG?” RAPHAEL WROTE THE SONG AFTER HE HAD SEEN SPIKE LEE’S WHEN THE LEVY BROKE, “I GOT INSPIRED FROM WATCHING THE IMAGES OF A GUY TALKING ABOUT HIS MOM WHO DIED IN HER WHEELCHAIR AND HE HAD TO LEAVE HER RIGHT THERE AT THE STADIUM, STILL IN HER CHAIR SO HE COULD GET ON A BUS.” RAPHAEL WITNESSED THE DEVASTATION FIRST HAND. “IT’S SAD SEEING PEOPLE WITH LOST HOMES & LOST FAMILIES. SOME PEOPLE HELPED, BUT MANY DIDN’T COME BACK & THE SAD PART IS THAT IT COMES DOWN TO POLITICS – THE RICH GET RICHER & THE POOR GET POORER, THE SONG IS ASKING SOMEBODY TELL ME SOMETHING? BUT NOBODY REALLY HAS THE ANSWERS.” WOULD RAPHAEL EVER DEVOTE A WHOLE ALBUM TO SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS ISSUES?

DOES HE HAVE A ‘WHAT’S GOING ON’ IN THE LOCKER?
“NO I DON’T SEE ME DOING THAT. THERE’S ALWAYS A PLACE FOR THAT KIND OF ALBUM & I THINK IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING ON YOUR CHEST YOU SHOULD SAY IT BUT I DON’T WANT TO COME OFF TOO PREACHY. I LIKE TO SPREAD IT OUT AND GIVE PEOPLE SOME GOOD NEWS, SOME BAD NEWS & SOME GREAT NEWS!”

YOUNG CJ HILTON & BIG STEVIE WONDER!

TRK 11, NEVER GIVE YOU UP FEATURES THREE GENERATIONS OF SOUL HEROES. STEVIE WONDER'S THE OLD BLOKE. RAY IS IN THE MIDDLE. AND YOUNG HOTSHOT CJ REPRESENTS THE FUTURE. ACCORDING TO RAPHAEL
"CJ HAD A LOT OF UPS AND DOWNS, A LOT OF DIFFERENT PRODUCERS, PRODUCTION DEALS AND STUFF, SO THEY BROUGHT HIM TO ME TO DO A COUPLE OF SONGS, CHANGE EVERYTHING [A BRILLIANT MARVIN MEETS FOUR TOPS SOUL SLAMMER] & GIRL TONITE. HIS LABEL AT THAT POINT STARTED SAYING HE WAS TOO YOUNG TO SOUND THAT OLD, AND I WAS LIKE, 'YO, MICHAEL JACKSON WAS 11 SOUNDING 30!' HE'S SOULFUL, YOUNGER GIRLS LIKE HIM, OLDER GIRLS LIKE HIM... HE'S A GREAT ARTIST AND HE'S GONNA BE A GREAT PRODUCER ONE DAY TOO."



CHUCK BRUNGARDT AGREES THE KID HAS SOMETHING SPECIAL: “CJ IS SO MOVED BY MUSIC. IT’S SCARY HOW THAT KID CAN PICK MUSIC APART. I’VE SEEN HIM GET INFLUENCED BY SHUGGIE OTIS AND MAKE THE SOUND HIS OWN. WHEN HE CAME TO BLAKESLEE (SAADIQ’S STUDIO) HE WOULD SIT WITH RAPHAEL AND JUST LISTEN TO MUSIC (MARVIN GAYE SONGS THAT A YOUNG CJ HAD NEVER HEARD).  HE’S SO TALENTED, HE ALREADY PLAYED PIANO AND DRUMS BUT I’VE NOW WATCHED HIM LEARN BASS PRACTICALLY IN FRONT OF MY EYES.”
CJ IS THE FIRST SIGNING TO RAPHAEL’S NEW LABEL VELMA A PLACE, RAPHAEL PROMISES, WHERE “PEOPLE CAN EXPRESS THEMSELVES LIKE I DID ON THE WAY I SEE IT, SO BASICALLY DREAM SOMETHING UP AND GO WITH IT”

SO HOW DID THE STEVIE COLLABORATION ON NEVER GIVE YOU UP COME ABOUT? IS STEVIE A MATE?
"I CALLED HIM UP AND TALKED STEVIE ONTO THE RECORD. I WAS GOING TO MAKE IT FUNNY; IF HE DIDN'T SHOW UP I WAS GONNA SAY, 'WELL, DOESN'T IT SOUND LIKE YOU SHOULD BE ON THE RECORD', THEN [MIMICKING HIM] I WOULD START SINGING. BUT I CALLED AND HE SAID, 'WHEN DO YOU NEED ME?' HE WAS OVER IN AN HOUR AND 30 MINUTES."

AFTER PRODUCING A FANTASTIC COVER OF SO AMAZING ON STEVIE AND BEYONCE FOR THE LUTHER VANDROSS TRIBUTE PROJECT MAYBE HE SHOULD DO IT AGAIN.
"I COULD NEVER SAY I'M PRODUCING HIM. BUT HE ASKS ME, HE SAYS, 'WHEN YOU GONNA DO SOME MORE STUFF WITH ME?' BUT I'M JUST SO NOT USED TO HIM BEING IN MY ROLODEX OR BEING MY FRIEND, SO I HAVE TO CALL HIM STEVIE WONDER. HE SAYS, 'CALL ME STEVIE'. AND I'M LIKE, 'STEVIE WONDER?' AND HE'S LIKE, 'NO, STEVIE!' AND I'LL STILL SAY. 'STEVIE WONDER!’ I GUESS IF WE DO IT, IT WOULD BE MORE LIKE DOING AN ALBUM TOGETHER."

SHE DON’T SOUND LIKE NO AMERICAN TO ME!

JOSS STONE FEATURES ON THE EXCELLENT JUST ONE KISS. I ASK RAPHAEL WHAT HE THOUGHT OF THE BRIT BACKLASH SHE RECEIVED [AFTER DOING A SHEENA EASTON ON PRIME TIME TV AND TALKING IN AN AMERICAN ACCENT].
"I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT. EVERYBODY IN HER BAND IS DAMN NEAR AMERICAN - WHAT DID THEY EXPECT? LOOK AT MARK RONSON: HE'S FROM NEW YORK, YET HE'S SPEAKING LIKE HE'S BRITISH. I MADE JOKES ABOUT IT
"THEY OUGHT TO GET A PLANE OVER TO HEAR, CAUSE SHE DON'T SOUND LIKE NO AMERICAN TO ME. WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THE BRITS IS THAT THEY LOVE MUSIC. YOU MAKE [GOOD] MUSIC THEN THAT WILL GET OVER ANYTHING."

BIG APPLE DOES THE BIG EASY!

SO HOW DOES RAPHAEL THINK THE ALBUM WILL BE RECEIVED?
"I DIDN'T REALIZE WHAT KIND OF RECORD I'D MADE UNTIL I WENT OUT ONE NIGHT. ME AND Q-TIP WENT OUT IN NEW YORK WHERE HE TOOK MY CD INTO THIS CLUB CALLED THE APARTMENT, AND RICH MEDINA SPINNED BIG EASY. HE MIXED IT IN SO I DIDN'T EVEN HEAR IT COMING THE WAY HE BLENDED IT. PEOPLE JUST STARTED DANCING AND HAVING A GOOD TIME AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS. AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW I COULD PLAY IT IN A CLUB. THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I COULD LOOK AT THE RECORD FROM THE OUTSIDE."

BIG EASY HAS BEEN GETTING EXACTLY THE SAME REACTION IN MY HOUSE. AND I'VE BEEN HAMMERING THE ALBUM. DISCOVERING SOMETHING NEW WITH VIRTUALLY EVERY PLAY. WHO KNOWS? MAYBE IN 30 YEARS TIME MY DAUGHTER WILL LOOK BACK WITH NOSTALGIA TO HER YEARS AS A TODDLER, REMEMBERING DAD'S PLAYLIST... MARVIN GAYE, AMY WINEHOUSE, ARETHA FRANKLIN, CJ, SAM BOSTIC, THE TEMPTATIONS AND OF COURSE RAPHAEL SAADIQ. IT'LL ALL BE THE SAME TO HER: GENUINE VINTAGE SOUL MUSIC.

STARRING!

RAPHAEL SAADIQ
WWW.RAPHAELSAADIQ.COM

CHUCK BRUNGARDT (THE ENGINEER)
WWW.ILLFONIC.COM

ROB BACON (FONKSTARR)
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/FONKSTARR

AURA JACKSON (ARTIST/WRITER)
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/AURAJACKSON

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN ECHOES OCT 2008 EDITION (THANKS CHRIS!)
‘THE WAY I SEE IT’ IS ON COLUMBIA RECORDS - AVAILABLE VIA ITUNES IN THE UK – CLICK HERE

RAPHAEL’S GOT PREVIOUS!

5 AUTHENTIC SOUL CUTS PRODUCED BY MR. SAADIQ

STILL A MAN
TONY TONI TONÉ – HOUSE OF MUSIC (1997)
A BLINDING VOCAL FROM SAADIQ FULL OF PERSONALITY
“HAVE YOU EVER LOVED SOMEBODEEEE YEEEEAHHH AHH”
HIS CHALLENGING ROLLING BASS LINE SOON BECOMES AS ADDICTIVE AS DRINKING YOUR SORROWS AWAY. FEATURING THE LATE GREAT SPANKY ALFORD ON GUITAR.
UNMISSABLE.

I FOUND MY EVERYTHING
MARY J BLIGE – THE BREAKTHROUGH (2005)
MARY NEVER SOUNDED MORE LIKE ARETHA … I.E. BETTER.
WONDERFUL BRIDGE THAT TAKES YOU BACK TO DIANA ROSS PRODUCED BY ASHFORD & SIMPSON IN 1970. INCLUDES ONE OF SAADIQ’S BEST LINES
“SEEMS LIKE WE MET ON HEAVEN BEFORE THIS EARTH”

THERE’S BEEN NONE LIKE YOU
OTIS & SHUGG – WE CAN DO WHATEVER (UNRELEASED 1996)
STILL IN THE CAN.
A PHILLY SOUL INFLUENCED 9MIN KILLER SLOW JAM.

WHAT DID WE DO?
PURE SOUL – PURE SOUL (1995)
SWEET,TENDER, SENSUAL AND REGRETFUL. CLOSE YOUR EYES & IT COULD BE THE JONES GIRLS.

TIRED OF THE GAME
ROY TYLER & THE NEW DIRECTIONS (FEAT. RAPHAEL SAADIQ) – THREE WAY CALLING (2004)
A CRACKING SOCIALLY AWARE GOSPEL QUARTET STYLED SOUL GEM, ABOUT GETTING OUT OF GANG LIFE.