IF
predictions were my line, Motown's newest signing Stacy Lattisaw could,
in time, become a serious threat to the likes of Teena Marie and Janet
Jackson. She was, to all intents and purposes, quite a surprising
addition to the Motown family because prior to this, very little had
been heard about the nineteen year old singer. With "Nail It To The
Wall" showing healthy signs of becoming a hit, Stacy's debut album
"Take Me All The Way" is set for UK release next month - and what a
stunner that is too! However, before getting to that, a few facts and
figures.
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.
I 'm a totally nutty person. I even laugh at my own jokes" giggled one
of our newest chart singers, Vesta Williams. The lady may
wound oh-so-serious on record, but when it comes to interviews she's a
different person entirely.
With "Love Or Physical", a splendid new album for Capitol Records, that perennial love duo Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson are definitely back in gear. After a couple of years absence, during which time the couple (who have been married now for over fourteen years) gave birth to a daughter, Asia, Nick and Val are feeling great about their new product, especially since the first single, I'll Be There For You" is giving them one of their biggest U.S. hits in years.
Whilst the name Miki Howard may be new to you, the gifted
vocaliste is anything but a newcomer. In fact, quite the contrary
because Miki's prior main claim to fame was as lead singer with Side
Effect, a group who were by the critics but whose commercial pedigree
never materialised.
WHILE,
as a family group, Mason have that fact in common with the likes of the
Jacksons, Pointers and Isleys, they have one further common factor with
the Wilson Brothers, a.k.a. the Gap Band. Both families hail from the
unlikely city of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
OFTEN, when a lead vocalist leaves a successful group, it comes as
surprise to the rest of the world. However, there are usually very
strong underlying reasons that simply didn't come to the attention of
the public. Certainly, that was true of the Lionel
Richie-Commodores and Jeffrey Osborne-LTD
splits. And, to a lesser degree, it's the case in the {safm}Howard
Hewett{/safm}-Shalamar parting of ways.