MUSIC was far from Mary Davis' mind when we sat down to mega-chat just recently. The remainder of the SOS Band were off doing their own thing leaving The Two Davises to chat over sandwiches and coffee.
Mary is a freindly, charming lady and, despite the relatively early hour, she looked as if she had just stepped out of a photo session. My sweatshirt was no match for her silk! With Mary and the band spending so much time touring, it wasn't surprising to learn that London was one of her favourite places.

As his official Geffen Records' bio states, "John White sings with the authority and control of some of R&B's finest vocalists ..." and after listening to the gentleman's debut LP, "Night People", it would be tough to disagree.

IF THEY aren't already, pretty soon Akron, Ohio based Heat Records will become known as a company adept at turning out stunning ballads what with first the superb album from Frederick, then the fine just The Two Of Us single from Johnston Brown & Janice Dowlen and now a consistent follow-up to Ivy's debut LP in 1984 with "Ivy II".

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!

It is safe to say that, if sheer talent and vocal ability, was ever the true yardstick of an artist?s popularity someone like David Sea would be massive, a worldwide musical phenomenon.

However, as I?m sure you know, the world of soul music is littered with talented figures who have not had the recognition their special gifts merited and, without indulging oneself in that age old myth about suffering and ?paying ones dues?. The life of David Sea is one of the definitive soul survivor, a remarkable vocalist, remaining faithful to his roots despite any setbacks or negatives that the world could throw out.

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.

I'd say my new album is all about getting to basics, back to square one, to what people want to hear from me." So says Stephanie Mills and the young lady's got a valid point, given that her current single "I Feel Good All Over" is truly leaping up the black music charts in the States and her album, "If I Were Your Woman" is turning into one of her biggest sellers.

"U know, I just don't feel well enough for this interview. I mean ... my eyes are streaming, my head's spinning and my stomach is churning ? you're just not gonna get much of an interview out of me unless we talk about flu!"

{safm} Charlie Wilson{/safm}, Gap Band vocalist, is not a very happy man at the moment. First of all, he's got the flu which he'd been trying to sleep off until he was dragged out of bed for our chat. Then it's only hours before they're on stage for theii one and only promotional performance here ? the Christmas Radio London Soul Night Out in Leicester Square. How is Charlie going to perform when he looks like death warmed up at the hotel?

You know, it's been fourteen years since "If Loving You Is Wrong" and something like nine years since we last had an album from Luther Ingram. And yet, after one listen to Luther's new album (rather unimaginatively tagged "Luther Ingram"), it's as if the crooner has never been away. But he has!

 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's already almost a year ago that Gerald Levert died. For me he was the greatest male soul singer, producer of the ninetees till 2006. In the soul and funk music archive I found an interview from B&S with Gerald from 1994.  In that year he released his album Groove on.

It's one of those times in Larry Blackmon's pretty long, fairly illustrious career when everything must seem to be happening so frustratingly slowly.

Last year saw his band Cameo consolidate ten years of powerful, consistent music with their biggest selling album to date, "Single Life" — not to mention their first hit singles in the U.K., "Single Life" and "She's Strange" — and it now seemed that, at last, Cameo were destined for true international recognition.