I believe that Stoke & Machine are Eddie Stokes and
James Michael Day. "ALL MY BLACK" appears to be their first single which features Atlanta's
Algebra Blessett (who featured with Anthony Davis recently
on a reworking of BeBe & CeCe Winans in 1988 titled "Heaven") and Detroit jazz trumpeter Lin Rountree.
They state that the song is their official entry into the new "Songs For Social Change" category for the 2023 Grammy Awards category with a stated mission:
"In the face of anti-critical race theory bills that turn back the clock on sharing our nation’s true racial legacies and histories, this modern twist to the traditional resistance song advocates for all children to be taught unvarnished, fact-based histories of both the policies and people that shaped this country. No child’s history should be erased for the “comfort” of another’s. - L. Michael Gipson, The Gipson Gazzette"
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Marc Staggers released "You Make Me Feel" back in May on Bandcamp and again in June on Expansion and has just released a new Dance Version with the tempo upped by 20%.
The song was composed by Terri Bjerre, Marc's brother, songwriter/producer Reggie Staggers, (who has also been working with Terri Bjerre of The Terri Green Project) and Anthony Freeman. There is also a Smooth Jazz version featuring saxophonist Brian Cunningham. DJ Stag has been involved with the new version.
During Covid, Marc self released songs and also
collaborated with The Terri Green Project on a remake of the Marvin Gaye
classic "What’s Going On" along with Cornell C.C. Carter, David A. Tobin, Michelle Lawson,
Miracle Thomas, Randy Hall, Rob Hardt and The Weather Girls.
In 2021 he worked with Grammy nominated songwriter/producer Herb
Middleton on a single "I Want To Be With You". A single he recorded
several years ago was re-issued by DSG with a cover of "What The World Needs Now" at the start of the hostilities in Ukraine.
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Having had their album "Still Riding High" hit the top of the UK Soul Chart last October and spending several
weeks at #1 and on the chart, Down To Earth followed it with
a new single "You Keep Loving Me" in Apr 2022 which entered straight in at #9 on Solar Radio's Sweet
Rhythm Chart.
Prior to the release of a new album due in the Autumn, in May they
invited me to a recording session for a new single which they originally titled "So Good Together" (it's now called "What We Gonna Do") for which they recruited the services of Stacey Lee to do the lead vocals. In addition to sessions, Stacy Lee performs
live as an Adele tribute act. Within a matter of a couple of hours she had
laid down all the vocals.
The core of Down To Earth are duo Stevie Paul and Lol Williams who have
worked together for over 30 years and their chemistry is evident. They
have also known Stacy Lee for over 20 years since she was a young girl who
started singing at a very young age.
It was a complete no drama session, the backing track was already
recorded and Stacy Lee had already recorded the vocals previously but the
guys decided that the song's tempo was too fast so decided to slow it down
and asked her to come back to record new vocals. In she came and within a
few takes recorded verse, chorus and ad libs, job done, and off she went
to prepare for a show that evening.
The guys told me that the track would require a few more sessions for Lol
to record his vocal sections and to then mix the track down into the final
cut before it would be ready for release. It is now ready for release
imminently.
Whilst there, they also played me several unfinished cuts of songs
planned for the new album and I can tell you it will be just as good as,
if not better than, the last album so I'm looking forward to hearing the
final cuts. I think the new single is probably one of their best and is
very reminiscent, to my ears, of Incognito's 1999 version of The Jones
Girls "Night's Over Egypt".
They have decided to release a double single as a taster/teaser for the new
album so, along with "What We Gonna Do", they have recorded a ballad "My Guiding Star".
Jack Tyson Charles is the son of TV star/DJ
Craig Charles
and actress
Cathy Tyson. He's been featuring on recordings since 2014 but released his first
solo single "Love Is Pain" in Sep 2020.
He last featured here with a single "Mr. Nice" in May 2021 and before that in Feb with the EP "Dualism". Much of his solo material is included on his debut album "Love Is Pain" released today. In fact the only single not included is "I Wasn't Looking For You" (May 2021).
Picking through the tracks the new songs are "Mirror Man", "Life", "I Sent You 7" and "Dreams". Excluding the intro interlude, the first four tracks are from "Dualism" all except "Planets" released as singles along with his last three singles "Another Day", "Holding On" and "Mr. Nice".
The album has been produced by Birmingham's Danny Kane which is evident on
several tracks which are aimed at a club audience.
An album launch event is being held tonight at
Hootanany, Brixton (London).
A couple of tracks sound like they use samples: "Love Is Pain" Taana Gardner's 1981 club hit "Heartbeat" and "Something" Isley Brothers "Here I Go Again".
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