“Spellbound” by The Bar-Kays

“Spellbound” is an amazing track by legendary Memphis band the Bar-Kays. It immediately locks you in with its laidback funky vibe. James “Knuck” Alexander anchors this smooth groove with a badass prowling bass line. The song features an awesome horn arrangement, funky clavinet, and shimmering synths. Also, it boasts some sweet electric piano and nasty guitar licks. Larry Dodson delivers a raw, soulful vocal performance. The track is about a confident, self-assured man telling his hesitant partner to stop denying her feelings for him and surrender to the powerful bond that they share; he lets her know that she would immediately regret breaking up because he has what “sets her soul on fire.”

“Spellbound” was co-written by songwriters James Banks and Henderson Thigpen. It was a single from the Bar-Kays’ sixth studio album, Too Hot To Stop, released in 1976 on Mercury Records and produced by Allen A. Jones. It was the band’s first album release on Mercury. They had previously been with Stax Records for nine years before the famed Memphis-based label folded in 1975. The funky collection spurred George Clinton to invite the Bar-Kays to be one of the opening acts on Parliament-Funkadelic’s legendary Earth Tour (1976-77).

“Spellbound” was a modest hit on Billboard’s R&B singles chart, peaking at #29. It has been sampled on two songs: “Whatever U Want” by Christina Milian, featuring Joe Budden (2004) and “Three Views Concerning Human Knowledge” (remix) by Bakers of the Holy Bread (1995).

Here’s the full personnel for the Too Hot To Stop album: Michael “Buckboard” Beard (drums, percussion, vocals), James “Knuck” Alexander (bass, vocals), Lloyd “Lucious Lloyd” Smith (lead guitar, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar), Larry Dodson (lead vocals, harmonica), Winston “Winnie” Stewart (piano, clavinet, synthesizer, organ, synthesizer [ARP String Ensemble]), Harvey “Joe” Henderson (tenor saxophone, flute, percussion), Frank “Capt. Disaster” Thompson (trombone, bass trumpet, percussion) and Charles “Scoop” Allen (trumpet, vocals, guitar, percussion).

"Spellbound" is available at Amazon

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Nik West Drops Amazing Cover Of Musiq Soulchild's "Just Friends (Sunny)"

Phoenix, Arizona-born bassist, singer, and songwriter Nik West just released her resplendent rendition of Musiq Soulchild’s 2000 hit “Just Friends (Sunny).” She brings her rich, lush sound to the neo-soul/R&B classic and delivers an exquisite vocal performance. She effortlessly infuses her vocals with soothing, sultry soul. The song is finely arranged and performed, elevated by West’s superb bass work. 

On her Instagram and Facebook pages, West recounts how her cover of “Just Friends (Sunny)” came about. She said that ten years ago, she posted a video of herself playing the song in her room. It's a simple, unadorned video of just her playing the bass and singing the song. She explained that she had been in Australia the day before, where she spent time with Prince during his 2016 Piano & a Microphone tour. Before she left, Prince gave her his beanie, which she wore while recording the “Just Friends (Sunny)” video in her room.

A little while later, Prince messaged me to tell me how much he loved it. I’ll never forget that. When I posted it, millions of people watched it. Thousands of you danced to it, shared it, and kept asking me the same questions: “When are you going to release this?” Then life changed. After Prince passed, I found it difficult to come back to this song. Every time I heard it, it brought me right back to that moment in time. But some songs wait until the right time. Ten years later, “Just Friends” is finally yours….Thank you for waiting.

It was definitely worth the wait. Her cover of the classic is sublime, bringing a whole new vibe and feel to the song. Over the years, West has continued to grow as a singer, songwriter, musician, and performer, showing that Prince could always recognize real talent when he saw it. He discovered West on YouTube and soon became her mentor. He worked closely with her for several years, helping her hone her natural gifts as a music artist. She has said that Prince is one of the greatest mentors she’s ever had. West is currently touring across eight countries and has 11 upcoming concerts, with the next one scheduled for July 25 in Jena, Germany. Visit her official website for her full tour schedule.

Video of Nik  West performing "Just Friends (Sunny)" in her room in 2016

Nik West's cover of Just Friends (Sunny) available at Amazon

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“Get On The Boat” by Prince

“Get On The Boat” is the twelfth and final track on Prince’s 31st studio album, 3121, released March 21, 2006, on NPG Records. This dynamic track blazes with funk and urgency. It features a wicked horn arrangement, a ferocious beat, and a cold-ass bass line. Prince infuses his vocals with tons of soulful fury and conviction. Támar Davis's strong backing vocals are a great complement to Prince’s gritty lead vocal. And funk titan Maceo Parker ignites a rapturous fire with a powerful sax solo. Prince sweetens the groove with his smooth Latin-tinged piano work, and Ray Monteiro unleashes some nasty funk with a killer trumpet solo. Also, the song boasts a marvelous bridge and some stellar percussion work from Sheila E. 

“Get On The Boat” has a biblical theme of finding spiritual salvation as the Apocalypse nears. It references Noah’s Ark–featured in the Book of Genesis–a colossal vessel of deliverance from an impending cataclysmic global flood. The song urges people of all races, nations, and creeds to come together and board the salvation boat to receive deliverance and redemption in the face of end-of-times tribulation.

Prince's music has always had spiritual elements, but they became much more pronounced after he converted to the Jehovah’s Witnesses faith in 2001. He was always searching for a spiritual balance in his art. And this track is a fine example of this quest. It has a clear religious message, but delivered in Prince’s inimitable bold, funky fashion, which prevents it from sounding preachy. 

“Get On The Boat” was written and produced by Prince. He played guitar and keyboards on the track. The other players included Joshua Dunham (bass), Cora Coleman-Dunham (drums), and Sheila E. (percussion). The horn section was comprised of Maceo Parker (saxophone), Greg Boyer (trombone), Ray Monteiro (trumpet), and Candy Dulfer (saxophone). Singer Támar Davis provided backing vocals.

 

3121 has the distinction of being the only Prince album to debut atop the Billboard 200, selling 183,000 copies in its first week. It went on to sell over a million copies worldwide. It was certified gold by the RIAA with sales of more than 500,000 units in the U.S. The collection received five Grammy nominations, including Best R&B Album. “Get On The Boat” was not released as a single. 

Prince  performing "Get On The Boat" on GMA Summer Concert Series on June 16, 2006

"Get On The Boat" is available at Amazon

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