April 6, 1968 – just over twenty-four hours after Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated, James Brown took the stage at the Boston Gardens for a concert that was televised live – and simulcast on radio – and what riots had been on the brink of turning the city into a conflagration, simply went away.

Shout Factory’s three DVD set I Got the Feelin’ – James Brown in the ‘60s features The Night James Brown Saved Boston, a look back at what might just be the single most important music concert in history. Combining documentary footage of the riots that followed King’s assassination with clips from news reports of his death and interviews with members of Brown’s band, his manager, the former Mayor of Boston [who almost cancelled the concert], the Reverend Al Sharpton and more, the documentary that takes up disc one, paints a picture of an extraordinary evening that left Boston relatively unscathed while every other major city in America burned.

The seventy-five minute documentary includes television footage from Brown’s concert and shows his mastery of his music and his uncanny ability to read an audience. In one sequence, fans climb up on stage after Brown has waved the police back. Instead of showing fear, Brown shames them into leaving the stage – and carries on. The set’s first DVD also includes well over an hour of extra interview footage that adds to our understanding of the magnitude of what Brown did that night.

James Brown Live at the Apollo ’68 features performances culled from Brown’s performances at the legendary Apollo Theater and his performance of Out of sight from the acclaimed concert film, The T.A.M.I. show. One again, we can see the power that Brown had to command an audience’s attention – and devotion.

The final disc of the set is James Brown Live at the Boston Garden – April 5, 1968. Yup, it’s the concert that Brown gave the night after the Martin Luther King assassination. The DVD is a combination of the televised show plus additional audio from the FM radio simulcast. Despite the fact that the public television station remote crew had never recorded anything like the Brown concert [they had been doing classical concerts, primarily], the WGBH crew manages to capture the raw energy and power of Brown’s performance.

Besides the monumental importance of the Boston concert in terms of helping keep the city’s black population from falling into rioting, this disc shows that – even with an inexperienced crew televising the event – Brown was a masterful entertainer. His band is as tight as a band can be and yet swings like mad. Brown’s vocals pivot from a hushed moan to a full on wail in the turn of a phrase. The music is all. Brown uses his music to project hope and life into an arena – and city – where it had been thought lost only the night before. It’s a masterful performance – perhaps the best single performance of Brown’s long and illustrious career.

The set also includes a twenty-four page booklet that details the life of James Brown.

Grade: I Got the Feelin’ – James Brown in the ‘60s – A+

Grade: Features: B+

Final Grade: A

I was working in a record store called Opus 69 when the album Hot Buttered Soul was released. I’d known Isaac Hayes from his writing and session and production work for other acts – acts like Sam & Dave and Booker T. & the MGs. The sound of these acts, and others from the same recording company, Stax, was unique. Dubbed the Memphis Sound, it was rougher and a bit more in your face than the slicker, more polished Motown sound. Hayes was one of the creative geniuses behind the sound and now he had an album of his own that made a statement.

Unlike his first album, a jazzier more improvisational effort called Presenting Isaac Hayes that pretty much sank like a stone, Hot Buttered Soul was an elegantly sexy, smooth without being slick, work that insinuated itself into my consciousness. We played the album for the lunch hour crowds and found that it connected with people of all ages – color wasn’t a barrier, either.

There were only half a dozen tracks on the album – each prefaced by a spoken intro that presaged rap by decades. The music was layered like a Motown album, but its richness and warmth was all Memphis; all Hayes. When Hayes was asked the write the Theme From Shaft, I doubt anyone was surprised. Hot Buttered Soul did have an undercurrent of danger and that part of Hayes’ music was quantified in the movie’s theme – without sacrificing that sinewy, sly warmth. His soundtrack album for the film became a multiple award winner.

Before the Memphis Sound, I hadn’t really been a fan of soul music. Hayes changed that – and because of that, I paid attention when he began acting [his cameo in Shaft, as the bartender, didn’t really count]. He had been very effective in a couple of blaxploitation films, one of which, Truck Turner, showed me that he had some talent in that area. His movie into the mainstream included a recurring role on television’s The Rockford Files and roles in movies like Prime Target and Escape From New York, and may have reached his largest audience as South Park’s Chef character.

Despite a few setbacks – an abortive comeback with the albums U-Turn and Love Attack – Hayes was responsible for more than a few great artists having lengthy careers. When he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, my reaction was more “It’s about time!” than anything else.

Despite his religious beliefs leading to his leaving South Park [and putting up with some digs from the show’s creators], Isaac Hayes was unique. How many artists can say that they created a whole musical sound that encompassed the work of many other artists? And of those few, how many also had a solid acting career? So far as I can tell, just Hayes, whose music opened up new vistas for me – and without whom, there would have been no Barry White, nor the subgenre of soul that I like to refer as sexy seduction music.

Isaac Hayes is gone. Damn!

So how does a kid from Reston, Va hit it big as a Record producer? Just ask Benny Blanco. This twenty year old Reston native sat down with me for a quirky, hilarious and slightly risque phone call to chat about breaking into the music business as a producer and working with artists from Kylie Minogue and that girl kissin’ sensation Katy Perry to finagling his way into combining Spank Rock with 2 Live Crew. He also talks about what a major influence the late Disco D had on launch of his career.

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There are stand up comics who make a career out of other people’s pain; comics who make careers out of their own pain, and comics who make a career out of the story of their lives. Christopher Titus does all three [though in fairness, the other people’s pain comes from the members of his family, and his friends...].

If you watched FOX’s three-season sitcom, Titus, you’ve probably encountered much of this material – watered down, at least in terms of language – before. Or, you might have heard some of it on one of his other CDs, or at one of his concerts. If you have, don’t think you can skip this new two-CD set.

Christopher Titus does something that no other comic does – he makes a childhood that should be tragic and turns it into humor. Whether he’s explaining why fathers are better parents than mothers; suggesting likely occupations for ex-junkies, or detailing the events of his childhood, Titus pulls no punches – in fact, on occasion, he leans into them.

With his machine gun-like vocal style, he launches into moments of heartbreaking poignancy just long enough to turn them into some of the funniest bits you’ll ever hear. Even the title of the album – Norman Rockwell is Bleeding – is a humorous reference to the utterly dysfunctional nature of his family. There are too few comics whose work is actually as important as it is funny. Titus is one of them. If you think your family is weird, you owe it to yourself [and, possibly, your family] to check out this CD. Just don’t be too surprised if some of it rings the odd bell or two…

Final Grade: A+

Recently I had the pleasure of chatting with Billboard chart topper and rising star Colby O’Donis. If the name doesn’t ring any bells, his latest single “What You Got” featuring Akon, should clarify things for you. This talented quadruple threat (singer, songwriter, dancer and producer) is more than just another studio manufactured teen sensation. While Colby is a young guy, he’s also a very talented musician with a solid plan for the future, not to mention making a deep impression in the music industry by teaming with some of the hottest acts out there. Don’t just take my word for it. Check out the interview below and run over to his MySpace (www.myspace.com/colbyo) page and judge for yourself. You wont be disappointed!

EM: So tell me your story. How did you get to where you are? How do you go from a talented kid wanting to be an entertainer to a singer, songwriter and producer making music with Akon?

CO: I started professionally when I was nine and I got signed to Full Force who worked with Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam to N’SYNC to Britney Spears to Usher to Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Lopez…I mean they work with so many artists. Then I got signed to sing on the Stuart Little soundtrack. Before I actually got signed to Akon I had six independent albums that I did on my own so I’ve been at it for a long time. You know I’ve actually been signed to Akon for a little bit over three years now so you know I’m just starting to come out now. It’s a blessing! We’re really excited about it.

EM: Your song “What You Got” is a really hot track right now. Do you have a fully album coming out anytime soon?

CO: Yes. The albums coming out September 16th and the features on the album are gonna be great. It’s gonna be…we got Akon of course, Paul Wahl is on the album, Lil’ Romeo is on the album.

EM: Wow, it sounds like you’ve got it pretty loaded up!

CO: Yeah, oh yeah, definitely going to be an amazing album. We’re really excited about all of this.

EM: It sounds like you’re pretty much snagging all of the heavy hitters right off the bat. Is there anybody you’re looking forward to working with in the future?

CO: LUDACRIS

EM: Ludacris? Is that the number one?

CO: Oh yeah. I tried to get him on this album but he was actually filming a movie so he wasn’t in the states so he couldn’t get to the studio to do it but next album for sure.

EM: So what music has influenced you over the years? What are you listening to?

CO: I definitely listen to Akon, Usher, Justin Timberlake…a lot of talented people, musically influenced music definitely a great inspiration drives me in what I’m doing right now.

EM: You’re a producer as well. Would you consider producing for somebody else? Have you produced anybody else?

CO: Oh yeah, definitely. I’m doing a lot of stuff with Akon right now we’re working on some big projects together. I wrote 14 of the 15 songs on my album so I’ve been at it and I produced a lot of songs too and I mixed a lot of songs also so I’m excited about this album to show people what I can do.

EM: Don’t you have another single coming out?

CO: Yeah, the second single is called “Don’t Turn Back”. Pretty much it’s about this beautiful girl that’s working a nine to five job and her boss treats her like crap and I’m pretty much telling her to quit the nine to five, let me take care of all the financial needs, take care of all the money issues and let her chase her dream and enjoy life because I don’t think someone as beautiful as her should be breaking her back working.

EM: That sounds wonderful to me! Sounds like an awesome song and I can’t wait to hear it.

CO: It’s actually on my Myspace (www.myspace.com/colbyo). You can check it out!
For more on Colby’s latest tracks check out www.colbyodonis.com or go to iTunes to download his latest single “Don’t Turn Back”.

EM Interview by:
Tiffany N. D’Emidio

Japan's hottest Rock Group, GLAY

“It’s so cool that we’re finally coming to play in America. We can’t wait to rock for all of our fans, and make some new ones, in San Francisco and L.A.”

That’s Glay’s lead singer Teru, talking about the rock group’s highly anticipated and very first American appearances.

Glay’s American limited tour concert series is starting this off on August 12th, 2008 at San Francisco’s legendary Fillmore at 8:00pm, before arriving in Los Angeles for two consecutive nights at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip — Friday, August 15th and Saturday, August 16th, 2008, starting at 9:00pm on both nights.

GLAY are hitting these U.S. venues hot on the heels of the recent June 11th release of their latest album, Verb, which contains the hit title track as well as their stunning rendition of the classic U2 song, “With or Without You.”

The band was formed in 1988 by high school friends, guitarist Takuro and vocalist Teru. After moving to Tokyo and recruiting guitarist Hisashi and bassist Jiro, they made their major label debut in 1994 with the EP Rain. In 1996, their second album Beat Out! debuted at #1 on the Oricon Chart, the Japanese equivalent of Billboard that represents the official sales statistics of music releases in Japan. Their greatest hits album, Review, was released in 1997 and sold 5,000,000 copies–the greatest selling album in Japanese chart history at the time.

For more information on ticket sales, please contact Erik Stein
Scoop Marketing
213/639-6162
estein@solters.com

To hear music by Glay check out ‘Glay: Frustrated!’

In this day and age of MySpace, YouTube, and iPod commercials pimping the latest track it’s pretty rare to hear new music on the radio that I get too excited about…until three weeks ago when I was driving home from work and turned to Hot 99.5 with this kick ass song playing. It was “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry. The DJ introed it by saying we should be on the look out for Katy and that she got mad love from Madonna. I loved the song instantly and when I got home went online to hear more and sure enough not only was Madonna, Queen of pop music, endorsing her and singing Katy’s praises but the rest of her tracks were just as good.

“One of the Boys” features hits like “I Kiss a Girl” and “UR So Gay” both climbing the charts and making a splash online and over the airwaves. The album has a good mix of fun, defiant rock, pop and punk-tronic beats with splash of style due in part to Katy’s killer pipes and the other part from her love of vintage 40’s clothes. I believe what you wear can influence ever aspect of your life so the clothes definitely make this woman. “One of the Boys” is now available so check it out in all the usual online spots and definitely check out her website www.katyperry.com. She’s got a blog section with crazy video blogs that will keep you coming back for more. From her personal entries on the road to her crazy fans, you’ll be completely entertained. Katy’s currently performing with the Warped Tour through August so get up off your ass and grab some tickets!

Final Grade: A+

The day after John Lennon was killed outside his New York home, The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder aired his last televised interview, which had been aired five years previously, along with appearances by journalist Lisa Robinson and Lennon’s producer, Jack Douglas. Interviews with Paul and Linda McCartney and two other members of Wings, and Ringo Starr and his wife, Barbara Bach, briefly touch on John and The Beatles. Plus, Angie Dickinson…

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When Mick struts onstage, he resembles a Gerry [Thunderbirds] Anderson marionette on crack, while good ol’ Keef looks like he might not make it to his next solo – but The Rolling Stones can still rock the vast majority of today’s bands under the table. Martin Scorsese’s Shine A Light is more of a concert film than a documentary – though it does cut to some ironic and even prophetic clips from the early Stones.

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Robyn Hitchcock has been releasing his ever-so-slightly skewed music for well over twenty years - spread across three decades. Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death and… Insects is a documentary, from The Sundance Channel, that will be released on DVD on March 25. It features interviews with a number of Hitchcock’s co-conspirators and the first real look at his songwriting process.

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