1/16/2024 0 Comments Eddie levert new song“You could hear the drums with just him playing the piano. “Huff was playing the piano like a one-man band,” Levert vividly remembers. The group would listen to demos with writers and producers like Bunny Sigler, Gene McFadden and John Whitehead, Thom Bell or Gamble and Huff, and pick the songs they liked. When The O’Jays were under the direction of legendary composers and producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff at PIR, the songs were always conceived in Gamble’s office or in one of the rehearsal halls. Recording The Last Word was The O’Jays’ wakeup call to some of the changes in recording. I can’t give everything to music or to the people.” I love singing, but I don’t wanna go that far. I don’t want to do that, and I’m praying to God that doesn’t happen to me. I refuse to sit down or go out there in a wheelchair. I just wanna hold a note, keep it clean and make sure everybody understands what I’m saying.”īetween cascades of chuckles and jokes, Levert goes on: “I’ve taken these legs, knees and hips through it. “I sing,” Levert proclaims, joking his pipes are “a little shaky and gets hoarse really quick if he sings too hard.” “I don’t rely on vocal tricks and how many runs I can do. Levert, who turns 77 this coming June, acknowledges that his body is aging, but he refuses to allow himself to get old. “If you do music and you’ve done it long enough,” Levert said, “the feet, hands and vocals automatically go into doing what they’re supposed to do.” Atkins, Levert remembers, encouraged The O’Jays to be consistent in front of audiences through repetition.īecause the BET Lifetime Achievement Award honorees diligently worked to learn their discography and dance routines, Levert, a self-coined “straightforward singer who refrains from using a lot of runs and riffs,” believes muscle memory is the unspoken secret to The O’Jays’ success. It was late Motown choreographer Cholly Atkins who conditioned The O’Jays to commit themselves to a seven-day practice regimen for six hours per day over an eight-week span. To this day, The O’Jays continue to wow audiences with those same songs and choreography. They proceeded to craft a bevy of timeless classics, million sellers and massive chart successes such as “Back Stabbers,” “For the Love of Money,” “Love Train,” “Family Reunion,” “I Love Music,” “Use Ta Be My Girl,” “Cry Together,” “Darlin’ Darlin’ Baby, “Livin’ For the Weekend” and “Stairway to Heaven.” By the time The O’Jays were signed to Philadelphia International Records (PIR) in 1972, the fivesome had downsized to a troika. The guys auditioned and went right into the studio to cut records. The quintet sang in the park and coming home from school until a Greek store owner in their neighborhood approached the young men, asking if they knew of anyone that could sing.Īlmost instantly, the five members started practicing more and were shopped around to various record labels in New York until they landed at the Cincinnati-based imprint, King Records, home of James Brown. The group’s initial incarnation, The Mascots (later The Triumphs), consisted of Levert, Williams, Bill Isles, Bobby Massey and William Powell. The O’Jays’ decision to retire encourages Levert to flashback to some pivotal memories, reminding him of the trio’s unprecedented ascension into popular music. “We didn’t get a chance to work with them ,” Levert says, “but it’s the song that’s going to keep this album going for a long, long time.” The Rock & Roll, R&B Music and Vocal Group Hall of Famers whose name was inspired by iconic Cleveland disc jockey Eddie O’Jay weren’t physically in the studio with Mars or Monahan, but they knew the song’s lush string arrangements and subject matter were special when Hollander presented them with the material. The Latin-inspired “Enjoy Yourself” was penned by Grammy-winning hitmakers Bruno Mars and Train lead vocalist Patrick Monahan. “Above the Law” interrogates racial prejudice and social injustice. “I Got You” advocates for community, solidarity and unity. “Stand Up (Show Love)” is a toe-tapping, percussive and piano-heavy gospel number rich with harmonies, while “Pressure” showcases the group’s blues influences. The Canton, Ohio natives’ nine-song collection heavily critiques the Trump administration and comments on contemporary world affairs. Executive produced by Betty Wright, Steve Greenberg, Michael Mangini and Sam Hollander, The Last Word is a 36-minute nostalgic reminder of why The O’Jays are vocally superior crusaders for humanity.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |