THE timing certainly seems ripe for some changes in the Maze camp. It was obvious with the release of a second "live" album set that
everything was not A-OK with Frankie Beverly and his Maze cohorts.
However, let's first of all dispel the rumour that circulates the most when the names of Frankie and Maze are mentioned. No Beverly solo run!

Michael's (Jackson that is) more-then-ever anxiously awaited album is said to be now scheduled for an April release. If that is the case, the first single offshoot might possibly be a track called "Bad" which is featured in the new Jackson Pepsi ads which are shortly about to be screened nationally across America.
However, another "well informed" source suggests that Mikey will return with a duet which leads to speculation as to what odds the duet he allegedly recorded with Barbra Streisand. The whole world waits with bated breath!

• Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops, despite picking up excellent reviews as the voice of the people-eating plant Audrey II in the American hit film 'Little Shop Of Horrors', has no plans to pursue a movie career and discounts rumours about a sequel. The veteran singer insists that he is and always will be a Top first and foremost but was grateful to the other group members for the time off to record the role.
Levi admits that he was sceptical at first of his ability to satisfy the general technical demands of the work which involved adopting the voice of a pod that grows to sixty feet!
Movie producer, David Geffen, picked the Top for the role after seeing the group on Live Aid. Seemingly, he wanted someone with an earthy, streetwise approach but who could also be nice and cuddly at the same time. Meanwhile, Levi and the other Tops are preparing for their forthcoming Motown album — their 35th!

•  The first annual Soul Train Music Awards are scheduled to take place later this month at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles and will focus on all popular forms of black music and will be co-hosted by Dionne Warwick and Luther Vandross. Performances by Whitney Houston, Al Jarreau, Cameo, Run DMC, George Duke, David Sanborn and the James Cleveland Singers are scheduled.

•  Some very positive reports coming through from varying sources for the new Al Green album on A&M. Aptly titled "Soul Survivor", indications are that the soulster is heading for a major return to popularity following a period of low profile during his gospel-only recordings. First single from the album is "Everything's Gonna Be Alright".

•  Veteran Charles Brown, who recorded several R&B standards — "Merry Christmas Baby", "Driftin' Blues" and "Please Come Home For Christmas" — is back Stateside with "One More For The Road" on Blue Side Records.
The singer, whose peak period was between 1946 and 1952 when he notched up nine top ten hits, is said to have influenced many artists including Ray Charles, Bobby Bland and Sam Cooke no less.
•  Patrice Rushen debuts on Arista with an album "Watch Out" which includes the title track single.
•  Prince's upcoming album is the double set "Sign O' The Times" which, according to US reports reverts back with some effect to his earlier and many would say superior albums "Controversy" and "1999".
•  Included on the upcoming Dionne Warwick album on Arista are duets with Kashif and Smokey Robinson.
•  Aficionados of the classic 'Animal House' film will recall the splendid performance of Otis Day & The Knights and their lively version of the Isley's "Shout". So successful was their appearance in the movie that the group fronted by Otis Day (alias actor DeWayne Jessie) have been in constant demand in clubs and fraternity parties ever since. That success is now hoped to become consolidated on vinyl with a new recording deal with MCA Records. The debut recording will be supervised by none other than . . . George Clinton.
•  Jackson, Tennessee soulsters, Lanier & Co have their first British release out on Threeway Records, the Willie Mitchell-written and produced "I Don't Know".
•  And a lot of very positive vibes for the upcoming Isley-Jasper-Isley album "Different Drummer". Reportedly, the folk at CBS Associated labels have yet to select a single due to the vast number of contenders available. Word is that the trio will return to the platinum status they enjoyed as part of the Isley Brothers during the 1970's.

•  Pete Waterman of the Stock/ Aitken/Waterman writing and production team is to write and produce the new single for Prince Charles and The City Beat Band for Carrere Records who have completed a licensing deal with Prince Charles' manager Tony Rose's Solid Platinum Records and Productions. Carrere will release the group's latest single "I'll Be There For You" and "I Can't Stop Loving You".

•  Robert Cray and his band will act as support on all the upcoming Tina Turner dates across the UK in June. The two met in 1986 when Cray guested on her TV Special 'Breaking All The Rules' which was screened just after Christmas. Cray, who won a prestigious Grammy recently for Best Traditional Blues Recording for his part in the "Showdown" album which brought together Cray, Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland, is currently scoring on both sides of the Atlantic with his own album "Strong Persuader".

•  Controversial chanteuse Grace Jones has her new single just released on Manhattan. Entitled "Party Girl" the track is taken from Grace's current "Inside Story" album and is written by the lady herself with Bruce Woolley. Grace also contributed o the production — but with that old campaigner Nile Rodgers overseeing things.
The stylish singer has recently opened a French restaurant in her Manhattan, New York base which features such delights as La Salade Victor, Slave To The Rhythm Pate and I'm Not Perfect Frogs Legs on the menu!
Haywoode returns to active duty with her single release, a version of the James & Bobby Purify classic "I'm Your Puppet" which has been produced by Nick Martinelli in Philadelphia. The British singer is scheduled to appear on numerous television shows in the near future in support of the single.
• Having undergone what he describes as a period of transition and development, David Grant has now emerged with his new single "Take Us Back" which is a liaison between David and Bob Carter, co-producer and writer for Linx.' See interview elsewhere in mag

It's not very often that a group hits the top spot on any chart with their first record but Levert (Sean and Gerald Levert and Marc Gordon) did just that last year with "(Pop, Pop, Pop) Goes My Mind" when the record, taken from their debut album entitled "Bloodline", became a black music No. 1. A little over a year later, with a solid stint on the road behind them, Levert are threatening to repeat their initial success with "Casanova", the insistent, hypnotic ditty produced by Reggie Calloway.

Alexander O' Neal is undoubtedly one of our music's "Mr Nice Guy" contenders ? a man of enormous talent but whose feet remain firmly planted on the ground.
While stardom may have its attractions, Alexander is more concerned with being a good father to his children and bringing them up to fully exploit whatever talents they might possess but, at the same time, temper any resultant success with all due humility.

In many circles, Bernie Worrell needs no introduction. From his work as a founding member and Musical Director of Parliament-Funkadelic to his contributions to the Talking Heads, Worrell has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Indeed, songs such as “Burning Down the House” and “Flashlight” wouldn’t have been the same without him, and Worrell’s keyboard prowess has only grown since those classic recordings. As one of the most sampled musicians in history, Worrell’s funky licks have graced hit songs by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, Ice Cube, En Vogue and more. “One generation needs to segue to the next generation. So now I work with the sons and daughters, and we coincide.”


Interview by Scott Preston read more on Cincy Groove

 WHEN you go to the windows of hell and look in, you begin to see the ugly reality of pain. And if you're fortunate enough to escape that gravitional pull out of there and come back into reality, then you can begin to philosophize on'what is real and what is not real."It gives you the strength to persevere — to go ahead — and I was fortunate enough to be drafted by The Spinners right away and that, within itself, did not allow me to
Former Spinner, U.S. marine and man about music, G.C. Cameron reflects, remembers and considers future activities. Scott Taylor tunes in wallow in the pity and the sorrow many of my comrades did who had time on their hands.  

  IT WAS Friday the Thirteenth so it was logical to expect something would go wrong. But happily all was not lost because, after a period of total confusion. I did get to speak to a temptin' Temptation — Richard Street. And boy, was he heavy in cold! He'd been suffering for three days but had so far managed to keep it to himself — and this was despite have a flu shot before leaving America!
Anyhow, The Temptations are touring here, as if you needed me to tell you, and to coincide their new single "All I Want From You" has been released, taken from their super "Special" album. And I mean it is a super release, a pot pourri of music, with tracks appealing to all ages. Maybe not so much of The Temptations' sound though. Richard said this was largely due to the producers.
"We used different producers here and some were only in their twenties. That's the way the record company wanted us to go. The producers were fans of the group and maybe the result isn't exactly what people expected.

The music we listen to is an ever-changing thing with shifts and moves that can be as logical as they are confusing, but there will always remain throughout the evolution certain constants ? things that will remain familiar and reassuring.

Grover Washington Jnr's music is one of those constants and for well over a decade the great saxophonist has been creating a sound that has transcended fads and fancies and remained simply ... Grover.
Grover is currently plying his music around a good proportion of his country's fifty-two States and it was the morning after one such date in Georgia that we caught up with the Buffalo, New York native to discuss a brand new album for a brand new label.

Location: Just outside a hotel room in the Holiday Inn at Swiss Cottage. Wanda, the very beautiful female member of Raze, opens the door and greets me with a warm and glowing smile. This is going to be interesting, methinks, "Oh we'll be out in two minutes."

The group name Slave has been with us a long time but not necessarily so the new personnel and the new direction. However, latest recruit Keith Nash explains why the 'new' Slave are ready to carry on the tradition.

WITH their new album "Burning Love" already proving very 1 popular on import, it would I seem Con Funk Shun have joined the ever-increasing ranks of veteran R&B/funk bands who are really coming to | grips with the new music | technology while at the same time retaining the original qualities that established their status in the first place.

"AFTER a series of near misses during his Arista years, 35-year-old {safm}Jeff  Lorber{/safm} has attained that elusive crossover hit first time out on Warner Brothers. "Facts Of Love" is the record and it not only provides Jeff with a slab of gold, it also welcomes two exciting new vocal talents to an unsuspecting world ? Karyn White and Michael Jeffries.