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.
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.
With a succession of specialist radio and club anthems ("Keep Your Body Working". "Get Tough"' "Intimate Connection" etc. having made Kleeer one of the most consistently acclaimed American funk outfits on the thriving early eighties UK soul scene,
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.
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.
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!