AFTER a long hiatus and a label change, Steve Arrington is back in the land of the recorded living! The ex-front man for Slave marks his switch from Atlantic/Cotillion to Manhattan with what most critics feel is his best and, even more importantly, his most commercial effort yet "jam Packed".

Niemand in Nederland heeft zo'n grote betekenis voor het fenomeen remixen gehad als Ben Liebrand. Hij is de pionier, de uitvinder en de grootmeester. Hij was een van de eersten ter wereld die als man achter de knoppen op de hoes en in de titel van een nummer werd vermeld. De toevoeging The Ben Liebrand Remix' werd op een zeker moment een garantie voor verkoopsucces, waarbij de naam van de artiest nauwelijks meer ter zake deed. Inmiddels heeft de remix een andere betekenis voor de popmuziek gekregen, en heeft Liebrand zijn werkterrein uitgebreid naar grafisch werk. Maar hij maakt nog steeds muziek, en heeft er veel over te vertellen. We hadden een inspirerend gesprek over de invloed van de Minimix, hardware versus software, en de gevolgen van zijn succes.

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.

Rick was a musical prodigy, producing records when he was 16 years old instead of going to school. He and Harry Wayne Casey (KC) worked at TK Records in Miami, where they joined forces to write and record five #1 hits as KC and the Sunshine Band. Two white guys with a black rhythm section, they shaped the sound of what would become known as Disco. Here's how it happened. Read the full interview on Songfacts.com

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.

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.

 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.  

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.

Let's go back to October 1986 to see what's happening in the music business those days. These Liners are from a populair magazine from the UK.

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.

To say Freddie Jackson is at the cross roads of his career would be something of an understatement. As far as cross roads go, Freddie's reached his spaghetti junction    .. . in the rush hour! A slew of silky smooth hits in the eighties, kick started with undoubtedly his best collection to date, the two million selling "Rock Me Tonight" in '85, which of course, contained the monstrous title track along with the likes of "Calling" and "You Are My Lady", has, over the course of nine years and five albums gradually slowed down along with record sales. As the era for the smooth candlelight and champagne crooners in the '80's has given way for the riff happy, baggy jeans, bandana and Timberland hip-hop/soul homies in the '90's, naturally many of the older guard have been left concerned with the change of pace of their careers.

  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.