The phone rings at exactly 2:30pm on a sunny L.A. afternoon, and for any interview to begin precisely on time is, to say the least, unusual. On the other end of the line is Reginald McArthur, lead singer of The Controllers, the Alabama-based group whose recording career began in 1975 with the ever-soulful "Somebody's Gotta Win, Somebody's Gotta Lose".
When B&S last spoke to Lanier & Co back in February of last
year (was it really that long ago?!), the group were hoping that their
third single for Willie Mitchell's Waylo label would be the one. While
"Dancing In The Night" can't really be regarded as a hit in terms of
the small U.K. market (having peaked outside of the Top 75 at No.78) it
has at least brought them to the attention of a major label in EMI.
Hopefully the single is selling sufficiently well to convince EMI to go
with a follow-up, and maybe their now-completed album as well.
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.
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.
"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.
"SO,
WHAT'S in a name? Well, maybe that depends on what particular career
you happen to be pursuing. What, I wonder, would have happened to Tina
Turner had she pursued her professional career under her real name
Annie Mae Bullock or Edwin Starr who entered this mortal coil in
January 1942 under a Charles Hatcher monniker. Possibly the results
would have remained the same, but you never do know. Is it First Circle or Full Circle?.
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!
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.