Sunday April 9th, 2006 HOME
New CD's this past week:
- Candi Staton - His hands
- Van Hunt - On the jungle floor
- The Whispers - For your ears only
Music news headlines this week:
Brand New Heavies Back With Davenport
Soul/funk connoisseurs the Brand New
Heavies are reuniting with lead
singer N'Dea Davenport and former label Delicious Vinyl, Billboard has
learned. A new album, "Get Used to It," will be released June 27 through
Starbucks and traditional music retail outlets.
The album was recorded in New York and London; a lead single will drop the
first week of May. Following the album's release, look for the Brand New
Heavies to roll out a 25-city nationwide tour in July and August.
It has been 15 years since the band first invaded the United States with
its energetic brand of live R&B/soul and funk. The self-titled debut album
-- powered by guitarist Simon Bartholomew, drummer/keyboardist Jan
Kinkaid, bassist Andrew Love Levy and Davenport -- sparked a No. 3 R&B hit
in 1991 with "Never Stop." Subsequent U.S.-issued singles "Stay This Way"
(1991), "Dream on Dreamer" (1994) and "Sometimes" (1997) notched top 20
status.
So nearly 10 years later, can the group re-engage stateside attention?
Delicious Vinyl co-founder Michael Ross believes that is a moot point.
"They have a definitive sound, a creative dynamic that's timeless and
universal," he says. "As far as their music hitting and connecting? No
question."
Teene Marie Polishes 'Sapphire'
Soul singer Teena Marie will on May 9
release her second Cash Money
Classics/Universal album, "Sapphire." The set features appearances from
legendary crooner/former Motown labelmate Smokey Robinson and rapper
Kurupt.
An expected duet with Marie and her longtime partner, the late Rick James,
was taken off the album, according to a label spokesperson. Robinson is
featured on two songs, "God Has Created" and "Cruise Control," while
Kurupt graces "Baby Who's Is It."
Cash Money founders Bryan "Baby" Williams and Ronald "Slim Tha Don"
Williams serve as executive producers. The pair also co-produced lead
single "Ooo Wee," along with Marie.
Marie's first Cash Money Classics disc, 2004's "La Dona," peaked at No. 6
on The Billboard 200 and has sold 458,000 copies in the United States,
according to Nielsen SoundScan. The singer will launch a national tour
later this year in support of "Sapphire."
Janet "20 Years Old"
Janet Jackson's new studio album has been
given the tentative title "20
Years Old," an apparent reference to the 20-year-anniversary of her 1986
smash album "Control." As previously reported, the set is being produced
by Jackson's boyfriend, Virgin Urban president Jermaine Dupri, as well as
longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.
Dupri says a single could arrive as early as May, with the album to follow
in late September. "20 Years Old" will be the follow-up to 2004's "Damita
Jo," which was released amidst the aftermath of Jackson's controversial
Super Bowl appearance. The set debuted at No. 2 on The Billboard 200 and
has sold 985,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen
SoundScan.
Mary J Blige's "Be Without You" Sets Chart Record
Fans just can't seem to be without the
Mary J. Blige single "Be Without
You." Their devotion has helped Blige remain for a record-setting 15 weeks
at Number One on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The single has
turned out the be the biggest of her career, and the longest-running
Number One song on that chart since it was reintroduced in 1965, according
to Billboard.
Only two singles lasted for 14 weeks in the Number One slot during the
modern era: Deborah Cox's 1998 tune "Nobody's Supposed To Be Here," and
more recently, Mariah Carey's 2005 smash "We Belong Together."
To find another song that lasted as long on top of the R&B chart, you'd
have to go back to 1949, when the Charles Brown Trio lasted for 15 weeks
with "Trouble Blues."
"Be Without You" is from Blige's Geffen album, The Breakthrough.
New Edition To Launch Summer Tour With K-Ci & JoJo
R&B new jacks New Edition have announced
their 2006 tour, with sponsorship
from Ford's Lincoln brand. Lincoln Presents ... Spend the Night With New
Edition will roll through 10 cities this summer, and feature opening
performances by R&B sibling duo K-Ci & JoJo. Bad boy Bobby Brown is likely
to be on board, though his participation has not been confirmed. The tour
kicks off April 28th in New York City.
This year's trek features the second collaboration between Lincoln and New
Edition. The coming tour will again include contests and promotions
featuring the 2006 Zephyr, Lincoln's first entry-level luxury sedan.
In addition to the New York launch, other dates include April 29-30 in
Washington, D.C.; May 5th in Merriville, Indiana; May 6th in Detroit; May
7th in Cleveland, Ohio; May 19th in Atlanta; May 20th in Oakland,
California; and May 21st in Los Angeles. More details about dates and
venues will be available shortly on lincolnlounge.com.
Ronald Isley Talks "Baby Makin' Music"
The Isley Brothers Featuring Ronald Isley
will release their first album
for the Def Soul label, Baby Makin' Music, on May 9th. The new album
features the production of Jermaine Dupri, Tim & Bob, Troy Taylor, Gordon
Chambers, and Manuel Seal, Jr.
Group frontman Ronald Isley explained how they came up with the title for
the new album. He said, "Well, we've really been doing baby-makin' music
for quite a while! One of the producers said something about it and it
stuck. I think the new album is really the sound people associate with us
from back in the day, with an updated twist."
Isley also explained how he got back into the groove after having a stroke
in 2004. He said, "It was a little hard afterwards to get back into
recording. I took a year off and I didn't run through making an album like
I used to. I felt like I had to prove myself again. But once we got
started with 'Gotta Give It To You,' we were right back in the groove. And
working with LA Reid has been really great, because I don't have to worry.
I know I'm working with someone who understands what I do."
The first single from the project is "Just Came Here To Chill."