america

[boxedjoy]

I remember hearing Beverly Shight give an interview where she spoke about a charity she was involved in supporting which was to help kids get out of gangs and trouble and into music and performing, and when the interviewer asked if she had benefitted from the charity's work she spat out a very unpleasant "goodness gracious, no!"

 

[...]

Have all the young Americans heard jamiroquai?

Lock thread.

 

[catalog]

Lol. I went to see him live round about the same time I saw Janet Jackson live.

 

[boxedjoy]

there's probably something to be said for the fact that British soul is at its best when it's trying hard not to be American - Sade, Soul II Soul, All Saints best moments - and it's absolute worst when it's trying to and failing to measure up to its reference points from overseas

 

[luka]

do you like omar theres nothing like this or does it disgust you

 

[catalog]

Soul ii soul! What's her name caron wheeler. What a voice

 

[catalog]

I don't mind that omar song it's better than lighthouse family

 

[...]

there's probably something to be said for the fact that British soul is at its best when it's trying hard not to be American - Sade, Soul II Soul, All Saints best moments - and it's absolute worst when it's trying to and failing to measure up to its reference points from overseas

Good point. It's also at it's best when it's just being effortless pop music, rather than Real Soul.

 

[boxedjoy]

love this one!

 

[catalog]

Shara Nelson obvs

 

[...]

Michelle Gayle is better than the bland and tasteful stuff. UK soul is always on a slippery slope to Des'ree and Lighthouse Family, and that stuff is the fucking worst. Fake 'Quality': like going to House of Fraser for your sofa rather than IKEA.

 

[muser]

Rudewhys thread got me thinking about British Rnb singers as well. Maybe I'm wrong but it seems like after UK funky the doors got pretty much completely closed for British Rnb singers, pop industry had already abandoned the idea.

 

[...]

There is only one UK R&B smash hit, the Gold Standard, never repeated, never bettered on this island:

 

[catalog]

M people oh yes

 

[boxedjoy]

necessarily turning into

 

[luka]

Rudewhys thread got me thinking about British Rnb singers as well. Maybe I'm wrong but it seems like after UK funky the doors got pretty much completely closed for British Rnb singers, pop industry had already abandoned the idea.

theyve gone all in on english rappers though

 

[boxedjoy]

it's not just British r&b girls though is it. K Michelle, Sevyn Streeter, Victoria Monet - fifteen years ago they'd all have been having hits the way Ciara and Cassie did, now they're just maligned completely

 

[...]

I loved Mis-Teeq. They existed alongside UKG, part of its wider family. They were like its Supremes or something.

 

[boxedjoy]

probably a metaphor about UK/US pop relations to be unpicked in Pharell picking Alesha to be the anonymous dancer in the "She Wants To Move" video too

 

[luka]

it's not just British r&b girls though is it. K Michelle, Sevyn Streeter, Victoria Monet - fifteen years ago they'd all have been having hits the way Ciara and Cassie did, now they're just maligned completely

this is true obviously its like the flipside of rihanna and beyonce being the biggest stars on the planet